 |
| Michael Collins (left) of Robbinsville, shown here with SCC instructor Melissa Allison-Brooks, is the only male student in Southwestern’s medical assisting program. |
After serving his nation for 20 years and through seven combat tours, Michael Collins retired from the U.S. Army in 2012.
He wasn’t done serving though.
Now 42, he’s enrolled in the medical assisting program at Southwestern Community College and is on track to graduate next month. SCC’s winter commencement ceremony is at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16.
“I’ve seen some bad stuff over my years in the military, and I’ve learned that helping others is a way to feel like you’re accomplishing something,” said Collins, a native of East Bridgewater, Mass., who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and and Somalia. “There’s nothing more gratifying than when you serve others. It’s not about getting recognition.”
Collins is the first male student to come through SCC’s program in Melissa Allison-Brooks’ nine years as medical assisting coordinator, but she hopes others will give the growing profession a closer look.
Job opportunities are plentiful across the region and nation, and Allison-Brooks said it’s a perfect fit for someone with Collins’ background.
“He has a different take on things, and he brings that into the classroom,” she said. “Some of his experiences in the military led him to be in the field. People who go into medical assisting don’t just get into it for the money but also to help people.”
Due to some injuries he got in the military, Collins needed a profession that didn’t require him to be on his feet all day – so medical assisting was a perfect fit.
Medical assistants are basically the medical “jack of all trades” who work in physicians’ offices and hospitals. They handle a wide range of responsibilities ranging from scheduling appointments and insurance verfications to patient-care tasks such as drawing blood and performing blood pressure tests.
“I did my research and chose SCC’s program because of its great reputation,” Collins said. “I enjoy the classes. I joke some, and I learn a lot … I love it. It’s exactly what I needed and what I look forward to doing.”
For more information about SCC’s medical assisting program, contact Allison-Brooks at 828.339.4391 or m_allison@southwesterncc.edu – or visit www.southwesterncc.edu.
