A Heart for Healthcare Leads Ellis to OFTC’s Respiratory Care Program
OFTC –When Timoy Ellis decided to return to college in his thirties, he knew he wanted a local campus close to home. He was interested in the healthcare field and decided to pursue a career in respiratory therapy through Oconee Fall Line Technical College (OFTC).
“Respiratory was a way for me to obtain a career in a healthcare field other than nursing or imaging,” Ellis said. “One thing that really stood out to me about OFTC was that their programs are geared toward finding a job upon completion.”
In Academic Year 2023, 100% of OFTC grads were placed in a job in or related to their field of study or went on to continue their education.
A Caring Environment
Ellis started taking his prerequisite courses in January of 2022 and immediately knew he made the right choice in choosing OFTC. “Even though I felt like an older student, I was still treated with respect and courtesy from staff and faculty,” Ellis said.
“I could immediately tell that the environment here was very nonjudgemental,” he added, “meaning that no one cares about your age, gender, financial background or race. All the faculty and staff seem to want to help students as much as they can.”
He learned first-hand just what it meant to have instructors and staff who genuinely cared to help their students succeed.
“I had to take college algebra twice before I passed,” Ellis shared. “It was the course I struggled with the most, but my instructors and advisor encouraged me to try again and offered me extra resources to help me be successful.”
Hands-On Classes
Once accepted into the respiratory program, Ellis committed himself to learning as much as he could, so he’d have the knowledge and skills to be successful and provide quality care to his future patients.
The hands-on classes, labs, and clinical rotations gave him the confidence to perform the skills he’d be required to do on the job.
“Each semester I had dedicated laboratory time in the respiratory lab where I interacted with the different equipment used by respiratory therapists working in-field,” Ellis said.
He said the clinical rotations helped build his confidence and patient interaction skills.
“Being able to rotate at the different hospitals has been a good experience for me because each facility has different equipment and challenges which helped to build my confidence,” he added.
Path to Success
This fall, Ellis will begin his final semester in the respiratory care program. After graduation he’ll be eligible to take the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) exam to become credentialed as a Registered Respiratory Therapist and apply for licensure with the Georgia Composite Medical Board.
Ellis plans to work at one of the Middle Georgia hospitals he attended for clinicals and is considering completing a bridge program to obtain his bachelor’s degree.
“I’m excited to begin my career as a respiratory therapist,” he said. “This career path will allow me to be a vital and respected part of the healthcare team who can make assessments and suggestions to the care plan for our patients.”
“OFTC has been an excellent experience for me,” he added. “It may not be the final step in my educational goals, but it has been one of the most cost-effective, wholesome parts of the journey, and I thank God for all the faculty and staff who helped me along the way.”
To learn more about OFTC’s Respiratory Care program, visit the College’s website, OFTC.edu.
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OFTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia.
