Trade Schools
This page compiles information about the best Patient Care Technician schools in South Carolina and the programs they offer.
Patient Care Technicians are healthcare professionals who work in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities, where they provide support to medical staff and help patients feel comfortable.
Their job description typically includes tasks such as:
- Providing basic patient care
- Conducting regular patient rounds and meeting with the patient’s family members
- Monitoring patients’ food and liquid intake
- Communicating observations on patients’ conditions to the nurse
- Obtaining blood specimens
- Checking patients’ vital signs
- And more
These skills can be learned through a post-secondary training program at a community college or trade school.
Patient Care Technician programs also include hands-on clinical training to prepare students for real-world scenarios.
To help you choose the format and the program that best meets your learning style, on this page, we have compiled information about the best Patient Care Technician programs in South Carolina.
1Midlands Technical College
About the School
Midlands Technical College offers a Patient Care Technician program that offers Certified Nursing Assistant, EKG Technician, and Phlebotomy Technician courses.
After completing the program students are eligible to take the Certified Patient Technician/Assistant exam offered through NHA and become CPCT/A.
The course can be completed in as little as 12 months.
Students rotate through hospitals, medical and diagnostic laboratories, and clinics.
The program includes the following courses:
- Pre Clinical Orientation
- Medical Terminology
- Basic Cardiac Life Support for Health Care
- Certified Nurse Assistant
- Phlebotomy Technician
Patient Care Practices and Techniques.
This program costs approximately $5,700.
Contact Information
- Address: P.O. Box 2408, Columbia, SC 29202
- Phone: 803.738.8324
- Website: https://www.midlandstech.edu
2Ignite Healthcare Institute
About the School
Ignite Healthcare Institute offers educational opportunities that emphasize skills and knowledge that allow students to provide extraordinary patient care.
The institute is licensed by the South Carolina Commission of Higher Education.
Nurse aide, day, night, & weekend classes are available.
The class runs Monday through Friday and consists of nine days of classroom and lab instruction and six days of clinical instruction.
Class times take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for students in the day class and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. for students in the night class.
Clinical times take place from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for daytime students and 4:30 p.m.-9 p.m. for students in the night class.
Contact Information
- Address: 348 Feaster Rd, Suite F, Greenville, SC 29615
- Phone: 864-458-3590
- Website: https://www.ignitehealthcareinstitute.com
3Latrice D. Ferguson Healthcare Institute
Latrice D. Ferguson Healthcare Institute offers a variety of courses that can be completed in weeks, not years.
Courses Offered
The following courses are available at the school:
- Nursing Assistants
- EKG Technician
- Phlebotomy Technician
- Medication Technician
The following online courses are also offered:
- Billing and Coding Specialist
- Anatomy & Physiology
- Medical Terminology
- Medical Administrative Assistant
The Patient Care Technician program can be completed in just eight weeks.
Classes are flexible and are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing students to balance their education with other commitments.
Three hours of online classes take place every Tuesday.
Contact Information
- Address: 254 Green Pond Hwy. Walterboro, SC 29488
- Phone: (843) 782-4646
- Website: https://ldfschool.com
4Aiken Technical College
Aiken Technical College provides a Patient Care Technician program that prepares students for work in hospitals, home health, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, and clinics under the supervision of a registered nurse.
The program takes two semesters to complete and builds the skills needed to work as an entry-level patient care technician.
Graduates are eligible to take competency exams for state certification in Phlebotomy, Electrocardiography, or Certified Nursing Assistants.
Courses Offered
The following programs are available at the school:
- Math for Health Care Professionals
- Phlebotomy for the Health Care Provider
- Home Health Procedures
- Long-Term Care
- Fundamentals of Disease
- Cardiac Monitoring Practicum
- Medical Terminology
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- Basic Anatomy and Physiology
The program includes 30 credits in total.
Contact Information
- Address: 2276 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Graniteville, SC 29829
- Phone: 803-593-9231
- Website: https://www.atc.edu
5Piedmont Technical College
About the School
Piedmont Technical College provides a Patient Care Technician program that combines basic theoretical knowledge with applied skills in the classroom and laboratory.
Graduates are certified in CPR, First Aid, and AED.
Students are able to take national certification exams to become certified as Phlebotomists, Patient Care Technicians, and EKG Technicians.
They prepare for job duties such as:
- Medical and surgical asepsis
- Basic anatomy and physiology
- Cardiac monitoring
- Electrocardiography
- Phlebotomy
- Clerical skills related to patient care
- Professional and interpersonal concepts
Contact Information
- Address: 620 N. Emerald Rd. P.O. Box 1467, Greenwood, SC 29648
- Phone: 800.868.5528
- Website: https://www.ptc.edu
6Technical College of the Lowcountry
Technical College of the Lowcountry offers the hands-on skills and high-tech training that employers need.
The programs are highly flexible and can be completed by students on their timeline.
The college offers certificate and associate degree programs as well as university transfer pathways and fast-track workforce options.
The student-to-faculty ratio is 12 to one.
Courses Offered
The following health science programs are available at the college:
- Health Care: Certificate
- Medical Assisting: Certificate
- Nursing (ADN): Associate in Applied Science
- Physical Therapist Assistant: Associate in Applied Science
- Practical Nursing: Diploma
- Radiologic Technology
- Surgical Technology: Associate in Applied Science
Contact Information
- Address: 921 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC, 29902
- Phone: (843) 525-8207
- Website: https://www.tcl.edu
7Orange-Calhoun Technical College
About the School
Orange-Calhoun Technical College offers a Patient Care Technician program that prepares multi-skilled caregivers.
Graduates are able to perform basic medical procedures, collect blood samples for analysis, and conduct specialized tasks such as electrocardiography and hemodialysis.
Students automatically complete Certified Nursing Assistant, Electrocardiography, and Phlebotomy certifications.
The following programs are available:
- Associate Degree: Patient Care/Phlebotomy
- Certificates:
- Patient Care Technician
- Phlebotomy
Courses Offered
The Patient Care Technician Certificate requires 36 credits and includes courses such as:
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- Long-Term Care
- Phlebotomy for the Health Care Provider
- Electrocardiography
- ECG in a Clinical Setting
- Ethics
- Contemporary Mathematics
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: 3250 St. Matthews Road, Orangeburg, SC 29118
- Phone: 803.536.0311
- Website: https://www.octech.edu
8Trident Technical College
Trident Technical College is a community college that provides classes at five convenient locations plus online.
More than 150 academic and workforce training programs that lead to in-demand careers are available.
Average class size is 20.
Courses Offered
The following courses are available at the college:
- BLS Healthcare Provider
- Certified Nurse Aide Training Program
- Electrocardiography Mastery
- Catheter Insertion
- Medical Assistant Training Program
- Patient Care Technician
- And more
The Patient Care Technician program costs $899.
Students must first complete the Certified Nurse Aide Training program.
Contact Information
- Address: PO Box 118067 CE-M, Charleston, SC 29423-8067
- Phone: 843-574-6111
- Website: https://www.tridenttech.edu
9P.A.T.C.H. Career Institute
About the School
P.A.T.C.H. Career Institute offers the following programs:
- Nurse Aide Training
- Pharmacy Technician
- Phlebotomy/EKG Technician
- Medical Coding
- Med Tech
- CPR
- Medical Office Administrative Assistant
The Phlebotomy/EKG Technician program teaches the following skills:
- Introduction to Electrocardiography Vital Signs
- EKG Equipment and Supplies Electrocardiography procedure
- Medical Terminology EKG Interpretation
- Anatomy of the Heart Safety Considerations
- Anatomy of the Cardiovascular System Blood Vessels
- Cardiovascular Pathology Hematology
The program can be completed in eight weeks.
Contact Information
- Phone: (843) 744-1249
- Website: https://www.patchcareerinstitute.com
10Horry Georgetown Technical College
Horry Georgetown Technical College provides a Patient Care Medical Assistant program in Georgetown and Grand Strand.
This certificate program is designed to equip students with the necessary skills to function as high-quality, entry-level patient care medical assistants in a variety of healthcare settings.
Graduates are eligible to apply to take the competency exams for state certification in:
- Certified Nursing Assistant
- EKG Technician
- Clinical Medical Assistant
- Phlebotomy
- Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant
Courses Offered
The curriculum includes:
- Medical Terminology
- Health Career Preparation
- General Anatomy & Physiology
- Phlebotomy for Healthcare Providers
- Electrocardiography
- Long Term Care
- Multi-Skilled Clinical Practicum
- And more
In total, the program includes 31 credits.
Contact Information
- Address: 2050 Highway 501 East, Conway, South Carolina 29526
- Phone: (843) 347-3186
- Website: https://www.hgtc.edu
Regional Salary in South Carolina
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | 2,440 | $37,770 | $18.16 | $43,970 | $31,140 |
| Columbia, SC | 4,810 | $34,000 | $16.35 | $38,890 | $24,680 |
| Florence, SC | 1,190 | $31,910 | $15.34 | $37,710 | $24,960 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC | 3,600 | $36,070 | $17.34 | $43,650 | $29,030 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC | 650 | $35,460 | $17.05 | $38,430 | $29,250 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 1,160 | $33,260 | $15.99 | $38,620 | $27,860 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 1,790 | $35,270 | $16.96 | $42,710 | $27,800 |
| Sumter, SC | 340 | $32,440 | $15.6 | $36,070 | $23,570 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
If you want to prepare for an entry-level career in the healthcare field, the schools included in our list can prepare you for employment as a Patient Care Technician through a combination of theory and clinical training.
Now that you have read our list of the best Patient Care Technician training programs in South Carolina, it’s time to decide if this is the career path you want to pursue and apply for the program that best meets your learning style and career aspirations.
