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Competitive Selection Process for Health Sciences and Nursing Programs

Competitive Selection Process for Health Sciences and Nursing Programs

Programs (Health Sciences Programs - Clinical Laboratory Technology Degree, Dental Hygiene Degree, Medical Assisting Diploma, Radiologic Technology Degree, Surgical Technology Degree. Nursing Programs – Associate Degree Nursing and Practical Nursing Diploma)

Applicants to West Georgia Technical College diploma and degree Health Sciences and Nursing programs must complete a competitive selection process prior to admission to the program.

Associate Degree Health Sciences and Nursing Programs
Students who apply to a degree level Health Sciences or Nursing program are initially accepted/admitted into the Healthcare Professional certificate. Students may choose to enroll in a different primary program, but they must request a change of major. Based on the requirements of the primary program, and the requirements of their intended degree program, students will be placed as provisional or regular admission status. Students will take general core courses and health science core courses common to both the primary program and the intended degree program. Students may be eligible to receive financial aid based on the type of aid available for the primary program. To determine which courses are required and may be eligible for financial aid while enrolled in the primary program, students should compare the academic requirements of both programs as listed in this catalog, For additional assistance, contact the Student Advising Center.

Diploma Health Sciences and Nursing Programs
Students who apply to a diploma level Health Science program are initially accepted to the Healthcare Assistant certificate. Based on the requirements of the primary program, and the requirements of their intended diploma, students will be placed as provisional or regular admission status. Students will take general core and health science core courses common to both the primary program and the intended diploma program. Students enrolled in the Healthcare Assistant certificate may be eligible to receive financial aid based on the type of aid available for the current program. To determine which courses are required and may be eligible for financial aid while enrolled in their primary program, students should compare the academic requirements of both programs as listed in this catalog, For additional assistance, contact the Student Advising Center.

Competitive Selection Process

General Applicant Requirements
The following steps are common to the competitive selection process for each program and must be completed by the competitive selection deadline.

1. Each program has a competitive selection deadline.
2. Student must submit a Competitive Selection File Review Request form to the Office of Admissions by the application deadline. All required documents must be attached to the form. Forms submitted prior to the completion of all the requirements or submitted with documents missing, will be returned to the student and will not be considered in the selection process.
3. Non-Georgia residents will be considered in the competitive selection process on a space available basis, and will not be included if enough qualified applicants who are residents of the State apply. Please refer to the In-State Resident section of this catalog for more information regarding residency status.
4. The student may enter the selection process for only one program of study, and one campus at a time. 
5. Some programs have a single competitive selection deadline to admit a class for more than one campus. In this case, the student must select one campus and will be included in the selection for that campus only.  
6. The student must be in good academic standing with the College. 
7. Each program requires that identified courses be completed by the competitive selection deadline. 
8. The following specific technical, science, and Health Science courses must be completed within seven years of the program start date, if required for the selection process.
   ALHS 1040
   ALHS 1060
   ALHS 1090
   ALHS 1011
   BIOL 2113 & BIOL 2113L
   BIOL 2114 & BIOL 2114L
   BIOL 2117, BIOL 2117L
   CHEM 1211 & CHEM 1211L
   CHEM 1212 & CHEM 1212L
   CHEM 1151 & CHEM 1151L
   CHEM 1152 & CHEM 1152L   
9.  All transcripts reflecting grades earned at other colleges must be received by the Admissions Office prior to the application deadline.

Health Sciences Program Competitive Selection Requirements
Clinical Laboratory Technology, Degree

1. The competitive selection deadline is February 1. 
2. The class cohort begins Summer Semester at the Murphy Campus. 
3. Refer to the program information in the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for specific course requirements.  
4. Courses required for the competitive selection process must be completed with a minimum grade of C. In addition to earning a minimum grade of C, an overall GPA of 3.0 must be earned in the required courses.  
5. The competitive selection score is based 100% on the letter grades earned in the required courses. The maximum score is 100. 
6. When a tie occurs, the GPA for Biology 2113/2113L and Biology 2114/2114L will be calculated.  The student with the highest GPA for these courses will be selected. 
7. A student who is selected and declines admission will not automatically be admitted to another class cohort. The student must reapply through the competitive selection process.  
8. Any student who is admitted to a competitive selection Health Sciences program, who does not complete the program with their cohort, must submit a written petition to the Dean of Health Sciences, for approval to be readmitted or to enter the selection process a second time.

Dental Hygiene, Degree

1. The competitive selection deadline is June 1.  
2. The class cohort begins Fall Semester at the Douglas Campus.  
3. Refer to the program information in the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for specific course requirements.  
4. Courses required for the competitive selection process must be completed with a minimum grade of C. In addition to earning a minimum grade of C, an overall GPA of 3.0 must be earned in the required courses.  
5. In addition to the courses required to be completed by the application deadline, additional courses are required to be completed with a minimum grade of C, prior to cohort start date. Please refer to the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for the specific course requirements. The student must provide documentation of completion of the additional courses or provide documentation that they are registered to complete the courses prior to the cohort start date. A student may not enroll in the cohort if the courses are not completed prior to the cohort start date.  
6. Applicant must hold a current CPR Certification by the American Heart Association for Healthcare Providers. This certification must remain current through the duration of the program. Online CPR certification will not be accepted. A copy of the certification must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.  
7. Applicant must earn a minimum raw score of 200 on the Psychological Service Bureau (PSB) Health Occupations Aptitude Examination. The raw score includes Academic Aptitude Total, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Information on Natural Sciences and Vocational Adjustment Index. Exam must be current within five years of the program start date. A copy of the PSB score report must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.  
8. Applicant may earn a maximum of three (3) bonus points.
   • One (1) point for any healthcare clinical work experience.
   • Two (2) points for dental related work experience such as a lab technician or front office employee.
   • Three (3) points for more than one equivalent year of full-time experience as a dental assistant.
   If the student is requesting bonus points, an employer letter of verification is required to be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form. The letter must be on company letterhead and include the dates of employment, job title and a brief description of the duties.   
9. The competitive selection score is based 50% on the letter grades earned in the required courses, up to 50 points. The score earned on the PSB exam determines 50% of the score, up to 50 points. Eligible bonus points are in addition to the 100 points available for the letter grades earned in the required courses and the PSB score.  
10. When a tie occurs, the GPA for Biology 2113/2113L and Biology 2114/2114L will be calculated.  The student with the highest GPA for these courses will be selected.  If a tie remains, the student with the highest Total Raw PSB Score will be selected.
11. A student who is selected and declines admission will not automatically be admitted to another class cohort. The student must reapply through the competitive selection process.  
12. Any student who is admitted to a competitive selection Health Science program, who does not complete the program with their cohort, must submit a written petition to the Dean of Health Sciences, for approval to be readmitted or to enter the selection process a second time.   

Medical Assisting, Diploma

1. The competitive selection deadline is July 1. 
2. The class cohort begins Fall Semester at the Murphy Campus.  
3. Refer to the program information in the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for specific course requirements.  
4. Courses required for the competitive selection process must be completed with a minimum grade of C. In addition to earning a minimum grade of C, an overall GPA of 2.5 must be earned in the required courses.  
5. In addition to the courses required to be completed by the application deadline, additional courses are required to be completed with a minimum grade of C, prior to cohort start date. Please refer to the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for the specific course requirements. The student must provide documentation of completion of the additional courses or provide documentation that they are registered to complete the courses prior to the cohort start date. A student may not enroll in the cohort if the courses are not completed prior to the cohort start date.  
6. Student must hold a current CPR Certification by the American Heart Association for Healthcare Providers. This certification must remain current through the duration of the program. Online CPR certification will not be accepted. A copy of the certification must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.   
7. Applicant must earn a minimum raw score of 150 on the Psychological Service Bureau (PSB) Health Occupations Aptitude Examination. The raw score includes Academic Aptitude Total, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Information on Natural Sciences and Vocational Adjustment Index. Exam must be current within five years of the program start date. A copy of the PSB score report must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.  
8. Applicant may earn a maximum of two (2) bonus points.
   • One (1) point for shadowing at a medical office for a minimum of four (4) hours. Shadowing is defined as following a physician, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, practical nurse, office/practice manager, certified medical assistant or registered medical assistant, in a medical office. If the student is requesting a bonus point, an employer letter of verification is required to be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form. The letter must be on company letterhead and include the dates and time of the shadowing experience and the job title and a brief description of the duties of the staff member being shadowed.
   • Two (2) points for current State Certified Nursing Assistant Certification (CNA) or Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT) through the American Medical Technologists (AMT). A copy of the certification must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form. If the certification or licensure was obtained more than five (5) years ago, documentation of a minimum of one (1) year employment as a CNA or Phlebotomy Technician within the last five (5) years must be provided. An employer letter of verification must be submitted on company letterhead and include the dates of employment, job title and a brief description of duties.  
9. The competitive selection score is based 75% on the letter grades earned in the required courses, up to 75 points. The score earned on the PSB exam determines 25% of the score, up to 25 points. Eligible bonus points are in addition to the 100 points available for the letter grades earned in the required courses and the PSB score.  
10. When a tie occurs, the grade for ALHS 1011 will be used.  The student with the highest grade for the course will be selected.  If a tie remains, the student with the highest Total Raw PSB Score will be selected.
11. A student who is selected and declines admission will not automatically be admitted to another class cohort. The student must reapply through the competitive selection process.  
12. Any student who is admitted to a competitive selection Health Science program, who does not complete the program with their cohort, must submit a written petition to the Dean of Health Sciences, for approval to be readmitted or to enter the selection process a second time.  

  Radiologic Technology, Degree

1. The competitive selection deadline is June 1.   
2. The class cohort begins Fall Semester at the Douglas Campus.   
3. Refer to the program information in the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for specific course requirements.  
4. Courses required for the competitive selection process must be completed with a minimum grade of C. In addition to earning a minimum grade of C, an overall GPA of 3.0 must be earned in the required courses.   
5. In addition to the courses required to be completed by the application deadline, an additional course is required to be completed with a minimum grade of C, prior to cohort start date or within the first term of the cohort start. Please refer to the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for the specific course requirement.   
6. Student must hold a current CPR Certification by the American Heart Association for Healthcare Providers. This certification must remain current through the duration of the program. Online CPR certification will not be accepted. A copy of the certification must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.   
7. Applicants must earn a minimum raw score of 200 on the Psychological Service Bureau (PSB) Health Occupations Aptitude Examination. The raw score includes Academic Aptitude Total, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Information on Natural Sciences and Vocational Adjustment Index. Exam must be current within five years of the program start date. A copy of the PSB score report must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.   
8. The competitive selection score is based 75% on the letter grades earned in the required courses, up to 75 points. The score earned on the PSB exam determines 25% of the score, up to 25 points. 
9. When a tie occurs, the GPA for Biology 2113/2113L and Biology 2114/2114L will be calculated.  The student with the highest GPA for these courses will be selected.  If a tie remains, the student with the highest Total Raw PSB Score will be selected.
10. A student who is selected and declines admission will not automatically be admitted to another class cohort. The student must reapply through the competitive selection process.   
11. Any student who is admitted to a competitive selection Health Science program, who does not complete the program with their cohort, must submit a written petition to the Dean of Health Sciences, for approval to be readmitted or to enter the selection process a second time.    

Surgical Technology, Degree

1. The competitive selection deadline is June 1.
2. The class cohort begins Fall Semester at the Murphy Campus.   
3. Refer to the program information in the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for specific course requirements.  
4. Courses required for the competitive selection process must be completed with a minimum grade of C. In addition to earning a minimum grade of C, an overall GPA of 3.0 must be earned in the required courses.   
5. Students must hold a current CPR Certification by the American Heart Association for Healthcare Providers. This certification must remain current through the duration of the program. Online CPR certification will not be accepted. A copy of the certification must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.   
6. Applicants must earn a minimum raw score of 200 on the Psychological Service Bureau (PSB) Health Occupations Aptitude Examination. The raw score includes Academic Aptitude Total, Spelling, Reading Comprehension, Information on Natural Sciences and Vocational Adjustment Index. Exam must be current within five years of the program start date. A copy of the PSB score report must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.   

7. Applicants may earn a maximum three (3) bonus points.

   • One (1) point for six months healthcare clinical work experience. Clinical experience is defined as actual patient care that includes the delivery of physical care, such as certified nursing assistant, nurse aide, practical nurse, patient care technician, medical assistant, surgical technician, back office worker in a clinic or physician’s office, or emergency medical technician.
   • Two (2) points for six to twelve months surgical work experience such as a surgical technician or surgical clerk.
   • Three (3) points for more than one year equivalent of full-time work experience as a surgical technician.
8. The competitive selection score is based 75% on the letter grades earned in the required courses, up to 75 points. The score earned on the PSB exam determines 25% of the score, up to 25 points. Eligible bonus points are in addition to the 100 points available for the letter grades earned in the required courses and the PSB score.  
9. When a tie occurs, the GPA for Biology 2113/2113L and Biology 2114/2114L will be calculated.  The student with the highest GPA for these courses will be selected.  If a tie remains, the student with the highest Total Raw PSB Score will be selected.
10. A student who is selected and declines admission will not automatically be admitted to another class cohort. The student must reapply through the competitive selection process.   
11. Any student who is admitted to a competitive selection Health Science program, who does not complete the program with their cohort, must submit a written petition to the Dean of Health Sciences, for approval to be readmitted or to enter the selection process a second time.   

Nursing Program Requirements
Associate Degree Nursing

1. The competitive selection deadline is February 1 for the class cohort that begins at the Coweta Campus Summer Semester.  
2. The competitive selection deadline is June 1 for the class cohort that begins at the Murphy Campus Fall Semester.   
3. The competitive selection deadline is September 1 for the class cohort that begins at the LaGrange Campus Spring Semester.   
4. Refer to the program information in the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for specific course requirements.   
5. Courses required for the competitive selection process must be completed with a minimum grade of C. In addition to earning a minimum grade of C, an overall GPA of 3.2 must be earned in the required courses.   
6. In addition to the courses required to be completed by the application deadline, additional courses are required to be completed with a minimum grade of C, prior to cohort start date. Please refer to the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for the specific course requirements. The student must provide documentation of completion of the additional courses or provide documentation that they are registered to complete the courses prior to the cohort start date. A student may not enroll in the cohort if the courses are not completed prior to the cohort start date.  
7. Applicants must earn an Adjusted Individual Total Score of 75% on the pre entrance Test of Essential Academic Skill (TEAS) exam. Exam must be current within two (2) years of the program start date. Beginning July 1, 2019, a maximum of two attempts will be allowed per calendar year, with a minimum of 30 days between attempts. All test attempts completed prior to July 1, 2019, and within two (2) years of the cohort start date, may be considered. A copy of the TEAS score report must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.   
8. Applicant must hold a current CPR Certification by the American Heart Association for Healthcare Providers. This certification must remain current through the duration of the program. Online CPR certification will not be accepted. A copy of the certification must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.   
9. Applicant must possess a current State Certified Nursing Assistant Certification (CNA) or be a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The certification or license must have been obtained within the last five (5) years. A copy of the certification or license must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form. If the certification or licensure was obtained more than five (5) years ago, documentation of a minimum of one (1) year employment as a CNA or LPN within the last five (5) years must be provided. An employer letter of verification must be submitted on company letterhead and include the dates of employment, job title and a brief description of duties.   
10. Applicants may earn a maximum of three (3) bonus points.
    • One (1) point for six (6) months of clinical work experience. Clinical experience is defined as actual patient care that includes the delivery of physical care such as a certified nursing assistant, nurse aide, licensed practical nurse, patient care technician, medical assistant, surgical technician, back office worker in a clinic or physician’s office, emergency medical technician or paramedic.
    • One (1) point for completion of the Nurse Aide certificate program, including ALHS 1040, ALHS 1060, ALHS 1090 and NAST 1100.
    • Two (2) point for current Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN).   
11. The competitive selection score is based 40% on the letter grades earned in the required courses, up to 40 points. The score earned on the TEAS exam determines 60% of the score, up to 60 points. Eligible bonus points are in addition to the 100 points available for the letter grades earned in the required courses and the TEAS score.   
12. When a tie occurs, the GPA for Biology 2113/2113L and Biology 2114/2114L will be calculated.  The student with the highest GPA for these courses will be selected.  If a tie remains, the student with the highest Adjusted Individual Total TEAS Score will be selected.
13. A student who is selected and declines admission will not automatically be admitted to another class cohort. The student must reapply through the competitive selection process.  
14. A student admitted to the Associate Degree Nursing Program or the Practical Nursing program, who does not complete with their cohort, must wait three (3) years before entering the competitive selection process. A minimum grade of 75 is required for academic progress in the Associate Degree Nursing program. A student unable to meet the academic progression requirements will not be allowed to continue. A student unable to meet academic progression requirements with their first attempt will not be allowed a second attempt to complete the program. A student may reapply for competitive selection after three (3) years.   

Practical Nursing

1. The competitive selection deadline is June 1.
2. There are three class cohorts that begin Fall Semester. A student may apply for only one campus cohort.
   • Coweta Campus
   • LaGrange Campus
   • Murphy  
3. Refer to the program information in the Academic Programs section of the Catalog for specific course requirements.  
4. Courses required for the competitive selection process must be completed with a minimum grade of C. In addition to earning a minimum grade of C, an overall GPA of 3.0 must be earned in the required courses.   
5. Student must hold a current CPR Certification by the American Heart Association for Healthcare Providers. This certification must remain current through the duration of the program. Online CPR certification will not be accepted. A copy of the certification must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.   
6. Applicants must earn an Adjusted Individual Total Score of 65% on the pre entrance Test of Essential Academic Skill (TEAS) exam. Exam must be current within two (2) years of the program start date. Beginning July 1, 2019, a maximum of two attempts will be allowed per calendar year, with a minimum of 30 days between attempts. All test attempts completed prior to July 1, 2019, and within two (2) years of the cohort start date, may be considered. A copy of the TEAS score report must be attached to the Competitive Selection File Review Request form.    
7. The competitive selection score is based 40% on the letter grades earned in the required courses, up to 40 points. The score earned on the TEAS exam determines 60% of the score, up to 60 points.
8. When a tie occurs, the grade for ALHS 1011 will be used.  The student with the highest grade for the course will be selected.  If a tie remains, the student with the highest score on the TEAS exam will be selected.
9. A student who is selected and declines admission will not automatically be admitted to another class cohort. The student must reapply through the competitive selection process.   
10. A student admitted to the Practical Nursing Program or the Associate Degree Nursing Program, who does not complete with their cohort, must wait three (3) years before entering the competitive selection process. A minimum grade of 75 is required for academic progress in the Practical Nursing program. A student unable to meet the academic progression requirements will not be allowed to continue. A student unable to meet academic progression requirement with their first attempt will not be allowed a second attempt to complete the program. A student may reapply for competitive selection after three (3) years.   

Competitive Selection Scoring
As stated in the General Applicant Requirements, specific technical, science, Health Science and Nursing courses must be completed within seven (7) years of the program cohort start date. Courses that expire prior to the cohort start date will not be accepted or included in the GPA calculation. The GPA calculation will be based strictly on the courses required for the selection process. If a course has been repeated, the higher grade earned will be used in the calculation. The GPA will be calculated according to the current semester course credits.

A student that satisfies a required course by College Board Advanced Placement (AP) exam, College Level Examination Placement (CLEP) credit, or exemption exam, should contact the Admissions Office for information regarding the scoring of the course.

Each complete Competitive Selection File Review Request received by the application deadline will be evaluated according to a 100 point scale. All application requirements must be met, and all required documents must be attached to the request, for a file to be considered complete.

Applicants will receive their file evaluation score by their WGTC student email account. After all files are evaluated, the students with the highest scores will be notified by student email and invited to enroll. A student who declines the invitation to enroll will not be admitted to another class cohort and will be required to reapply through the competitive selection process.

Students who are not selected will be notified of their status by their WGTC student email account. A student must submit a new Competitive Selection File Review Request, along with the required documentation, to be included in the next selection process for the same program or the selection process for another program.

Health Sciences and Nursing Program Admission
A student selected for admission to a competitive selection degree or diploma program will enter a class cohort and complete the program through a lock-step course schedule for the duration of the program.
The student must have the following official documentation on file prior to registration for any health science course that has a clinical rotation. Students will receive information regarding the submission of the documents from the program department and will not be allowed to register for courses if documentation is not complete.

• Completed Physical Examination and Health History, with a physician’s statement that the student is in satisfactory health
• Copy of immunization records and/or titers. This includes proof of administration of two MMRs and student must show proof of positive rubella, rubeola, varicella and mumps titers 
• Two-step PPD and/or chest x-ray  
• Adacel immunization unless the student has received a tetanus immunization within the past five years. Documentation of administration of tetanus immunization is required  
• Hepatitis vaccine series or signed declination form 
• Flu shots for current season 
• CPR Certification by American Heart Association for Healthcare Provider (not required for Clinical Laboratory Technology) 
• Criminal background check and urine drug screen completed by Student Advantage  
• Criminal background check and urine drug test will be evaluated by clinical sites. It is the clinical site decision to allow or restrict a student with a criminal background or a positive drug test. If a student is restricted from a site; they will be dropped from the program