Just Starting Out

[sanantone]

The health care management degree is just a management degree. It doesn't include the science prerequisites that are typical of accredited chiropractor and acupuncture programs. However, you don't need a specific major to get into most graduate healthcare programs (definitely not chiropractor or acupuncture programs). You can either include the science prerequisites in your general education and free elective requirements, or take them on the side. If you really want a health care management degree, which you don't need and won't even cover the prerequisites, then these are your options at the Big 3.

Excelsior College | Bachelors Degrees | Health Care Management | Online Degrees, Classes
Excelsior College | Bachelors Degrees | Health Sciences - Management | Online Degree
Org. Leadership (Health Care Administration) - Charter Oak State College
Health Care Administration Bachelor's Degree Program - Charter Oak State College
Health Information Management Bachelor's Degree Program - Charter Oak State College
Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management
BSBA in Hospital Healthcare Administration Degree Program

WGU is a cheap and flexible school, but you have to complete all of your transfer credits (including tests) before you enroll. They won't let you transfer in anything after starting the program.
Health Informatics Degree | Online Bachelor

[sweetcrabhoney]

Thank you for your advice and opinions . They are all greatly appropriated

I am starting to feel kind of poked on and I'm unsure why. Is it because I pick healthcare over business? Would I get the same kind of reaction if I had said I intended on being a math teacher to freshman?

I often have to prove myself to many people daily because I'm a women in a man's field . I was hoping to become a member of a forum where I didn't have to prove myself. Now after months of planning I'm starting to doubt everything I've been working towards.

I will consider all this advice and revisit it after I finish crying.

Thank you.

Chimica

[mednat]

Don't take the suggestions harshly, they are mean't to help. Ultimately I, and i'm assuming almost everyone here, will be happy to help regardless of your decision of major/school/career. This is a TON of information to take in! You can take suggestions or leave them. If here long enough you'll likely get conflicting ones. The suggestions are based primarily to try to save you money/frustration/time.

There is nothing to prove here, I can assure you. There is nothing wrong with your choice of healthcare, but the goal is to make sure your path lines up with your ultimate goal and not one that includes extra work that is unneeded. Some of the degree names are very misleading. My understanding of a Healthcare management degree (very limited understanding), is that it is a degree primarily designed to move hospitial staff into management positions (Nurse to Administrator). If it doesn't meet the pre-reqs for graduate school, you will have to take additional classes after your degree is received.

[adavis84]

First off: welcome to the forum! I'm pretty new here myself.

I can say with confidence that no one here means you any harm; perhaps folks were a bit too strong out of the gate. I, too, considered Capella for a time, however, one of the Big Three (in my case TESC) ended up making more sense for my needs. Despite what opinions others hold, Capella may be right for, or it may not. I think what people here want is for you to make an informed decision. There seem to be MANY people on this forum in healthcare, so hopefully some of them can help guide your decisions. Unfortunately, I barely visit a chiropractor let alone know how to become one.

May I ask, do you have a target graduate school in mind already? Knowing the requirements of those programs may help others here make constructive and helpful suggestions. It may be the case that a healthcare management degree is not the best option for your long term goals...or it may be perfect. With a little more insight on the requirements for admission to the programs you'd like to pursue later on, a plan that's best for you can certainly be forged with the incredibly helpful and knowledgeable people of this forum.

[clep3705]

If you want to go to medical school, Capella is not the way to get there. Here are two good threads about medical school.

http://www.degreeforum.net/excelsior-tho...ogram.html

http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...texas.html

[wombat777]

Someone recommended Analyzing & Interpreting Lit - an excellent choice. Remember the reading-comprehension tests you took in school? This is the same idea, just more challenging passages to read. The nice thing about this exam is that you do not have to be familiar with any specific works of literature in advance. The passages to read will be provided for you. It is helpful to know some literary terms so you understand what the question is asking. For example, a question might read something like, "The mood of protagonist in the passage can be best described as ..." If you don't know who the protagonist is, you are in trouble. But all in all, this is a good first exam for a strong reader. Plus, ACE recommends 6 credits for this one instead of just 3.

I recommend you pick up a used copy of the REA guide for this exam, take a practice test and see how you do. Good luck!

[LaterBloomer]

Sweetcrabhoney, While there are occasional times on this forum where some folks might want to take cover under their desktops, it's rare. Mostly you'll find that folks will question you a lot in the beginning. Why? Because we want to learn more about you. Also because we've made mistakes, and we hope to help you avoid them. These mistakes not only cost time and money, but can dishearten a person to the point where s/he throws in the educational towel. Like doctors, we poke and prod to help, although I can see how it might be uncomfortable. Why you want to do something, or do it a certain way is helpful for us to learn because sometimes the "why" of something may lead to a better "how." Well, at least a "how" that you might have not known about, or considered. One of the glories of this forum is that all of these experiences are here for your benefit, and folks just want to help you.

I am coming to the end of my almost 40-year undergraduate degree pursuit, and I can tell you, without any fear of of being overly dramatic, that I absolutely could not have done it without the knowledge and support of this forum. I hope that you can soon point to a degree that helps you reach your post-graduate goals, and say the same thing.

[smf6824]

Sweetcrabhoney, While there are occasional times on this forum where some folks might want to take cover under their desktops, it's rare. Mostly you'll find that folks will question you a lot in the beginning. Why? Because we want to learn more about you. Also because we've made mistakes, and we hope to help you avoid them. These mistakes not only cost time and money, but can dishearten a person to the point where s/he throws in the educational towel. Like doctors, we poke and prod to help, although I can see how it might be uncomfortable. Why you want to do something, or do it a certain way is helpful for us to learn because sometimes the "why" of something may lead to a better "how." Well, at least a "how" that you might have not known about, or considered. One of the glories of this forum is that all of these experiences are here for your benefit, and folks just want to help you.

I am coming to the end of my almost 40-year undergraduate degree pursuit, and I can tell you, without any fear of of being overly dramatic, that I absolutely could not have done it without the knowledge and support of this forum. I hope that you can soon point to a degree that helps you reach your post-graduate goals, and say the same thing.

I love the doctor analogy. It is true we just want to give the best advice so we inquire with you further. Sorry if you feel that you are being picked on, we just want to help you. The more info we have the more we can help. Remember no matter what you will need general studies so pick a few tests that fit into that spectrum like English composition and start there.

[sweetcrabhoney]

Thank you for all the advice..

I've spent the last 5 hours researching and figuring out what was the right plan. I had assumed before that I would just take some test , submit them to Capella get my degree and be done with it. BOY was I wrong it seems.

The medical I hope to go to is this one > FIVE BRANCHES UNIVERSITY

Within their requirements they allow up to 30 credits from CLEP and a minimum of 90 credits . And they require a specific list of courses. I will ask them about the limit on the CLEP and if it's concerning their degree or a previous degree earned.. I'll call them Monday to see.

I however still want a bachelor's degree in something. The good news is I discovered that Excelsior has a natural science degree >>

Excelsior College | Bachelors Degrees | Natural Sciences Degree | Online Classes, Degrees

It seems like a good fit since it has plenty of science courses. And even if I don't become a doctor I could be a scientist instead... which still gives me a lab coat. This degree also fills all the needed courses and then some.

I should be able to take many of the core classes with the tests and see what happens. I saw a book on REA that has the core exams.. I'll be grabbing it (having husband buy it for me as a gift) this weekend and begin studying those core subjects and with luck take those tests at the end of the summer.

I do wonder how the online system for excelsior is. I'm extremely nervous after spending so much time planning my path with Capella. It's all gone up in smoke and now I have to explain it to my husband...

Thank you again for your advice and guidance. It was much needed.

Chimica

[smf6824]

Thank you for all the advice..

I've spent the last 5 hours researching and figuring out what was the right plan. I had assumed before that I would just take some test , submit them to Capella get my degree and be done with it. BOY was I wrong it seems.

The medical I hope to go to is this one > FIVE BRANCHES UNIVERSITY

Within their requirements they allow up to 30 credits from CLEP and a minimum of 90 credits . And they require a specific list of courses. I will ask them about the limit on the CLEP and if it's concerning their degree or a previous degree earned.. I'll call them Monday to see.

I however still want a bachelor's degree in something. The good news is I discovered that Excelsior has a natural science degree >>

Excelsior College | Bachelors Degrees | Natural Sciences Degree | Online Classes, Degrees

It seems like a good fit since it has plenty of science courses. And even if I don't become a doctor I could be a scientist instead... which still gives me a lab coat. This degree also fills all the needed courses and then some.

I should be able to take many of the core classes with the tests and see what happens. I saw a book on REA that has the core exams.. I'll be grabbing it (having husband buy it for me as a gift) this weekend and begin studying those core subjects and with luck take those tests at the end of the summer.

I do wonder how the online system for excelsior is. I'm extremely nervous after spending so much time planning my path with Capella. It's all gone up in smoke and now I have to explain it to my husband...

Thank you again for your advice and guidance. It was much needed.

Chimica

Are you OK with 5 branches university being nationally accredited instead of regionally accredited? Its a graduate program so some don't care. What chiropractic school do you wish to attend? That is going to be the difficult one to get admitted to so it may help to focus on that?