Newb in need of help with the "Big 3"

[RacherBunny]

hello everyone!
i've recently heard of the "big 3" and clep and dantes testing. so i'm new to it all. my big issue right now is how to plan everything.

my goal is to get a BS in Health Science or a BS with a concentration in health science.

after reading the websites, i know i need to have a certain amount of credits before i can consider being admitted. so i ordered a few clep books to study and i'll be going to my local CC to test. i don't have any credits right now except the 3 coming form my sign language class.

i'm a certified EKG technician and will certified as a phlebotomist in the next few months. i'm not certain on my final career goal , but i have become interested in radiography or diagnostic medical imaging (ultra-sound) while working at an animal hospital in md as a vet assistant for over 2 years.

i'm just hoping someone can kinda guide me in the right direction on how to do things the right way.

(just some background details. i don't make alot of money, and i've been paying for all of my classes out of pocket with no help. all the classes i've had to take for EKG and phlebotomy are non-credit that have pre-req non-credit classes.....)

thanks in advance!!

[P00057870]

It looks like this lady will need to give you this information as she is currently pursuing this degree at Excelsior College (EC).

Based on her information, I'm investigating this one also.

Judy

[cookderosa]

hello everyone!
i've recently heard of the "big 3" and clep and dantes testing. so i'm new to it all. my big issue right now is how to plan everything.

Welcome to the boards!! Planning can seem overwhelming- don't worry, take your time and figure out how it all works before you jump in.

my goal is to get a BS in Health Science or a BS with a concentration in health science.

If I can be really direct, what do you hope to do with that degree? Advance in your current job or move into another job? This is a hard degree to earn at a distance and will not be as "test friendly" as some- you may need to find classes locally and transfer them out to one of the big 3. I'm not trying to discourage you, only to say to consider all of your options before you decide. Even still, you still need general education credits no matter what you major in, so you can always just get rolling on those.

after reading the websites, i know i need to have a certain amount of credits before i can consider being admitted.

No- not true. Only know that many charge a yearly enrollment fee, so waiting until you are able to graduate within 1 year is the cheapest option- but you can enroll today with zero credit at any of them.

so i ordered a few clep books to study and i'll be going to my local CC to test. i don't have any credits right now except the 3 coming form my sign language class.

Good! That will be classified as a free elective if you are trying to plan. If I can suggest something, you might try to zero in on general education credits since those are required for everyone and buy you time. You only have to pick a major somewhere after 60ish credits.

i'm a certified EKG technician and will certified as a phlebotomist in the next few months. i'm not certain on my final career goal , but i have become interested in radiography or diagnostic medical imaging (ultra-sound) while working at an animal hospital in md as a vet assistant for over 2 years.

i'm just hoping someone can kinda guide me in the right direction on how to do things the right way.

(just some background details. i don't make alot of money, and i've been paying for all of my classes out of pocket with no help. all the classes i've had to take for EKG and phlebotomy are non-credit that have pre-req non-credit classes.....)

Yes, I know this is true! That's why you should think hard about how you hope to up your income. I can't say for sure that your health sciences degree will do that directly. Do degree holding phlebotomists make a higher wage? Does that degree qualify you for management? What does your vet-boss suggest as a path to more money and long term income? It's worth asking these questions before plunking down lots more $$$ or worse, borrowing it! I might seem to be money driven- I'm not- I just work in a field where my students spend 3 years and several thousand dollars to graduate and make $10 an hour- I see it every day, and for accepting $10 an hour for the rest of your life, you don't need college IMO. That's not to say it isn't an honest living, I just don't think it's honest of colleges to promote degrees that appear as if there is great income potential.

[marianne202]

Hi and welcome! Jennifer does bring up some good points. You really need to zero in on what you would like to do long term. I'm currently in the EC BS in Health Sciences program and would be happy to answer any questions you may have, providing I know the answers myself!

As someone who has been in and around the medical field in various allied health arenas for almost 28 years I know how hard it can be to decide if you are new to the medical field. I will say that if you really want to pursue a degree in radiology or ultrasound technology I would recommend that you research the local programs and find out if it something you can realistically accomplish given your experience, time for school and finanical situation. Most of these programs are full-time so you would be in school almost every day. Most also have a waiting list, so I would recommend finding out these things. Then you can start working on your pre-reqs, which will be the general education type credits Jennifer was talking about. Most programs that have a waiting list, will only take you after you have all the pre-reqs out of the way, because they can be that picky. These programs also have pre-admission testing that must be done including usually, math, reading and usually a general science aptitude test. You should take these and see if your scores are where they need to be for these programs. If not you may want to consider another avenue. If your employer wants you to advance your degree status you may want to start out with an associates degree in an area of your interest then see where that takes you. A BS in Health Sciences is usually good for those that have years of experience in an allied health area in clinical care and are wanting to advance into management. If you are still trying to decide what you want to be when you grow up I would start there then once you obtain that goal, then you can target your further education to advance you down the right path. You don't want to spend time and money on a degree or just classes to find out it won't help you obtain the goal you really want otherwise the degree just becomes another piece of paper and you have to start all over. By all means start working on the general education classes as everyone will require those so you will be that much further ahead, but I would recommend you talk with the local schools to find out where your interests and aptitude lie. Most college career centers have assessments you can take to point you in some direction. Also I would say go talk to people in the radiology dept at your local hospital and find out what they really do, do they like it, what is the salary, what are the hours etc. You may find the pay and shift requirements don't work with your family schedule or you may find out there are other requirements you didn't know about. Also look at job ads to see what the requirements are of jobs in your area. That will allow you to see the certifications, training and education you would need to be employable in the jobs you like. Just some suggestions! This can all be overwhelming when you are just starting out. Congrats on making the decision to continue your education! You have found a great resource of helpful people here. Good luck and let me know if you have any specific EC BSHS questions. I look forward to hearing about your successes!

[RacherBunny]

i agree with everything

the books i've bought so far are directed towards the general education req clep exams. i want to get them done first.

before i found clep and dantes, i was researching radiography programs and ultrasound programs in my area. the radiography program is offered at the CC i'm at, as well as an area hospital (which only offers a certificate, not an AAS).

the ultrasound programs are offered at johns hopkins and umbc (which both require you to have at least an associates degree with certain classes taken), as well as sanford-brown which isn't even an option for me (there is plenty of horror stories, and the fact they are not accredited is enough to keep me away)

my main issue is that i'm very "jumpy"...meaning, i like to have options. i'm very open minded, and like to keep my options open. i love knowing that i am never "stuck" in one position. i don't just want to be stuck with only one thing, i want to be able to do everything i'm interested in.

i've always loved animals.so i volunteered and worked for the National Aquarium in Baltimore as an Exhibit Guide, Dolphin Observer, Animal Programs Assistant/ Animal Trainer Assistant for 6+ years....and my plans were to go to Deleware valley for Zoo Science, but then i got the job at the animal hospital and i fell in love with medicine. and working with the 2 things i loved most was awesome! but working in the animal field is very hard. there is no money in it whatsoever and it requires so much. so i've decided to move away alittle bit. once i get my foot in the door with human medicine and make a good living (with my animal hospital job on the side), once i get myself together and done with school, my plan is to go back to volunteer at the aquarium or zoo as i did before.

my ekg certification and phlebotomy have no connection with my wishes for the BA in health science. they are actually pre-req for the cardiovascular program i am trying to get accepted in (it's non-credit as well). and a door opening into the hospital field to possibly get a decent job with decent pay with insurance that may possibly pay for my schooling.

the reason i chose the BA in Health Science/Studies is because it is very broad. it's not specific in a field and leaves me room to specialize where i want to go in the many directions i want to go in.

if i can get this degree, it will enable me to get the many certifications i want because of it not being specific as well as it will have the pre-req that are required for the other programs.

after completeing the basic req for the ultrasound program, i would like to start there and work my way into echocardiography and vascular sonography. (the heart has a special place in my......heart. lol)

sorry my messages are long, i talk to much.

thank you, your opinions and responces are greatly appreciated!!
-rachel

p.s
does anyone recommend any specific books for the dantes and clep gen ed exams? i have the collegeboard clep book and some book that comes with flashcards on the way from amazon.

[marianne202]

Rachel,

I too like to be able to move around. I like to learn about a lot of things. If I find something that interests me I want to learn all about it. I guess that is why I tried so many areas of medicine. Emergency medicine is my true love though. I love the fast pace and ever changing scenarios. I think once you start working on some specific areas you will start to see a pattern emerge of where you want to be long term. The nice thing is that you don't have to commit to a career for 30 years, you can move and change as you desire.

As for the books I would recommend that you join InstantCert and get access to their flashcards and specific exam feedback. They you can use those as your base of study and supplement as you feel you need. A lot of us don't use one specific book for all the exams although some here like the REA guides. I usually use the flashcards, specific exam feedback then whatever I need for that specific exam. It may be a textbook supplement site, podcasts, Wikipedia, Spark Charts, Cliffsnotes etc. I also do the Peterson's practice tests when they are available. As you get started in this process you will find what works best for your learning style, time and study habits. Regardless of what ever path you choose you are doing the right thing by starting with the basics and looking ahead. You have found a great resource in this board. Good luck!

[malcs]

Greetings!

A safe bet would be to look at the curriculum for a AAS in liberal science and start with some of the easier courses. Many of these courses are common for any degree. You can do this without enrollment in any college, and perhaps save a year of enrollment costs, since the requirements are well documented.

One thing for certain is that a two or four year degree in anything will boost your career choices. This is especially true if you ever want to move from a small employer to a larger one. Most online job applications have a selection for highest degree, and that alone determines if your resume even gets looked at. Once you pass the degree gateway in the application process, the prospective employer might read your resume looking for job history and certifications.

A somewhat related degree that can be easily completed online is a BSLS with a concentration in psyc. As you approach graduation, you may have learned enough to get a high mark on the Psych GRE, and get a BS Psyc degree instead.

Welcome to the forum!