Health Sciences

Do you want to discover alternative energy sources? Search for cures to diseases? Protect the environment? Help feed the world? The Biotechnology Laboratory Technician program is for you! You're someone who wants to learn more about the world around them and how to improve it through science. BCTC has the only two-year Biotechnology program in Kentucky. 

You'll master technical practices & laboratory skills while learning about the latest technologies. Lab activities include DNA manipulation, genome exploration, biofuel production, and molecular gastronomy. You'll perform cutting-edge scientific research & take part in science outreach in the community. Gain the basic knowledge & lab skills needed for entry-level jobs in biotechnology. Skills you’ll develop skills in the basic analysis of DNA & proteins and more, include:

• Use of bioreactors

• Recombinant DNA technology

• Generation of cell cultures

• Immunological method applications,

• Regulatory compliance (GMPs and GLPs)

• Accurate documentation

• Laboratory safety skills

Are you interested in hair design, hair coloring, skin care, or makeup artistry? Do you like "hands on" training? Then this is the program for you.

The Cosmetology Program at Bluegrass Community and Technical college offers comprehensive training in the study and application of beauty treatment.  We offer students the technical skills and valuable life lessons that enable them to be very successful in a fast paced, consumer driven industry.

Students in the program are required to receive at least 1,500 hours of instruction. The program incorporates individual instruction with group learning activities. Students attend theory classes and participate in hands-on training in the laboratory.

Upon successful completion of the prescribed program, the graduate is prepared to take the Cosmetology Examination. After successfully passing the practical and written Kentucky state board exams, the student is a licensed cosmetologist.

Paramedic primarily provides pre-hospital emergency care to acutely ill and/or injured individuals while working on an ambulance, mobile advanced life support unit, industrial on-site unit, fire departments, emergency departments and other agencies.

The Paramedic program at BCTC combines academic and laboratory courses with high technology clinical instruction. You’ll gain the necessary cognitive knowledge, psychomotor skills, and affective behaviors to succeed as a Paramedic. Program curriculum comes from the National EMS Education Standards set forth by the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services (KBEMS). 

Graduates will be eligible to apply to take the National Registry Paramedic Exam and may earn a certificate upon completion of the program.

Please note that applicants must have an EMT certificate to qualify. 

*The Paramedic program is pending approval by the Kentucky Board of EMS and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

The Fire Science Technology training program at BCTC provides students with the opportunity to train for the challenging and rewarding career of emergency response. Graduates obtain employment in fire departments as firefighters and emergency medical technicians. The AAS degree can be earned in 16 months and the diploma and certificates in less time. 

The Dental Hygiene program is a Selective Admissions program that prepares students to function as dental hygienists on a dental auxiliary team under the supervision of a dentist. The curriculum includes courses in general education and in dental hygiene as required by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. The program provides comprehensive educational experiences through lectures, clinicals and related study in order that students may apply scientific knowledge in the performance of dental hygiene procedures.

Upon completion, graduates are eligible to take national and regional licensing examinations for dental hygienists. As the only licensed dental auxiliary, dental hygienists may be employed in dentist offices, clinics, dental schools, public health and governmental agencies, industry and educational institutions. For more information about admission to the Dental Hygiene Program, please see the guidelines for the selective admission requirements. See program checklist for more information.

Health Science Technology (HST) is designed to prepare students for entry-level career opportunities in the field of health care and health-related services.  Many of the general education and core courses are required courses for completion of varied professional health programs, providing a seamless transition into a selective admission program.

The Health Science Technology degree also allows students to pursue specific certificates that prepare them for careers in areas such as Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Coding, Entry-level Pharmacy Technician, Recovery Coach, Emergency Medical Technician, and Phlebotomy, among others. Students awaiting admission to a selective admission program (Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Nursing, Radiography, Respiratory Care, and Surgical Technology) may be placed in the Health Science Technology degree option.

A medical assistant is an integral member of the health care delivery team, qualified by education and experience to work in the administrative office, the examining room and the physician's laboratory.

The Medical Assisting Program prepares the graduate to become an integral member of the health care delivery team, qualified by education and experience to work in the administrative office, the examining room, and the physician's laboratory. Individuals in this unique position will be involved in many of the following tasks:

• Administrative: schedule and receive patients, perform telephone and written communications, and arrange hospital admissions.

• Clerical: manage medical records, process insurance forms, keep office financial records, and maintain inventory.

• Patient Care: prepare patients for examination, record medical histories, take vital signs, chart patient information, administer medications and injections, and provide patient instruction and education.

• Office Laboratory: draw blood and prepare other specimens for examination, perform electrocardiograms, assist with x-ray procedures, sterilize instruments, and perform basic laboratory tests.

The Medical Assistant is a vital liaison between the doctor and the patient and plays an important role in diagnosis and treatment. The many different roles assumed in this profession assure a fast moving and challenging career.

In BCTC’s Medical Information Technology program, students develop professional skills to assist healthcare professionals and patients complete the administrative, medical records, coding and billing processes in the healthcare environment. Medical Information Technology graduates: 

• Prepare medical records & reports

• Maintain paper & electronic files

• Order supplies

• Perform accounting procedures

• Work with medical insurance & coding

• Receive patients in a variety of healthcare settings

The Associate Degree Nursing program is a Selective Admissions program that prepares graduates to use their skill and knowledge to fulfill the role of the nurse: enhance human flourishing, demonstrate sound nursing judgment, continually develop professional identity, and possess a spirit of inquiry to improve the quality of patient care. Encompassed within these roles are the core components of context and environment, knowledge and science, personal/professional development, quality and safety, relationship-centered care, and teamwork. These core components are introduced, developed and built upon through the curriculum. 

Orthotic & Prosthetic Technicians fabricate, fit, maintain, or repair medical supportive devices, such as braces, orthotics and prosthetic devices, joints, arch supports, and other surgical and medical appliances. They work to provide the best possible fit, function, and appearance in consultation with the practitioner. The technician is an expert in techniques and materials used to fabricate devices and is skilled in the use of tools and machines. 

The Practical Nursing program prepares individuals to practice within the legal scope of practical nursing under the supervision of a registered nurse or physician. Use of the nursing process at the practical nursing level toward the maintenance of health and prevention of illness, the observation and nursing care of persons experiencing changes in their health processes, and the evaluation of health practices of patients are emphasized.

Classroom instruction in theory and basic nursing skills is provided on campus. Under the guidance of program faculty, students gain valuable experience in the care of all ages in a variety of health care settings and / or community agencies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics and child care centers.

Radiography is both an art and a science. You'll use radiation to provide images of the human body. Its tissues, organs, bones, and vessels. These images may be on film or displayed on a video screen. Sometimes the images are motion picture film or videotape. Radiologists (physicians who have had special training in interpreting x-ray images) read or diagnose these images. Treatment of patients depends on the accurate and precise production of radiographic examinations.

The radiographer is an essential member of the healthcare team. The body part of the patient must be positioned, and only the amount of radiation necessary to produce a quality diagnostic image must be applied. These are two important aspects of the responsibilities of the radiographer. Radiation, when used by persons uneducated in its characteristics and potential hazards, can be dangerous to the patient and the user. The radiographer understands radiation and knows how to produce quality diagnostic examinations safely. This protects both the patient and the radiographer. With this knowledge, radiography is a safe career. It is also a satisfying career. The radiographer contributes a special talent to help diagnose injury and disease. 

Maintain the functions of the heart and lungs as a Respiratory Therapist! A person can live without food for a few weeks and without water for a few days. But if someone stops breathing for more than a few minutes, death will result. Whenever the breath of life is at risk, respiratory therapists intervene.

Respiratory therapists are also known as respiratory care practitioners (RCPs). They specialize in the care of people with breathing disorders. Care includes the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, management, and rehabilitation of breathing issues. Patients treated by respiratory therapists range from premature infants to geriatrics. In BCTC’s Respiratory Care program, you'll gain experience in the classroom, campus lab, and local clinics. As a graduate, you not only advance the science and practice of respiratory care. You'll support, care, and advocate for your patients. 

Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a highly-skilled profession which uses specialized equipment to create images of structures inside the human body used by physicians to make medical diagnoses. Sonographers have extensive, direct patient contact that may include performing some invasive procedures. They must be able to interact compassionately and effectively with people who range from healthy to critically ill. 

Diagnostic Medical Sonography is a highly-skilled profession which uses specialized equipment to create images of structures inside the human body used by physicians to make medical diagnoses. Sonographers have extensive, direct patient contact that may include performing some invasive procedures. They must be able to interact compassionately and effectively with people who range from healthy to critically ill. 

Surgical Technology may be your Future! Surgical Technologists work in allied health. They are health professionals -- integral team members of medical practitioners. They provide surgical care to patients in a variety of settings. As a surgical technologist, you'll ensure surgeries are safe and effective. You'll work with a surgeon and make sure that: 

• The operating room environment is safe

• Equipment functions the right way

• Patients come out of their operation safe and sound

A surgical technologist possesses expertise in the theory and application of sterile and aseptic techniques and combines the knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures, and implementation tools and technologies to facilitate a physician's performance of invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. This program provides clinical experience built upon classroom instruction in the basic sciences, patient care, aseptic techniques and surgical procedures.