When I visited Virginia College for an open house event in early August, I had an opportunity to meet two students in different certificate programs. I was able to interview them to get a sense of what their day, week and month looks like as a student at Virginia College. I also asked why they chose Virginia College to further their careers and obtain professional certification. You’ll get to see what a day in the life of these two Virginia College students is like and understand their “WHY?â€
Meet Joi Murphy, she is in the Medical Assistant program and Rawan Alta is in the Pharmacy Technician program. What I found interesting about these two young women is that they were both attending other educational institutions and transferred into Virginia College. Joi started at Virginia College in April 2017 when she decided to transfer from a local state university. Her days are usually Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to– 3:00 p.m.
Joi likes that she doesn’t have to take a bunch of classes that she doesn’t need and takes classes that are in line with her career goals. She also prefers a more personal experience with smaller classes that are tailored to exactly what she needs. Joi appreciates the hands-on experience in class because she is being prepared for her career in the field.
Rawan Alta has a more flexible schedule depending on the day. She enjoys the hands-on experience even though she can handle the text book work. Rawan was attending an area community college and wanted a change in her career goals. She is originally from Sudan where she received some Medical Assistant training but, decided to switch gears and become a the Pharmacy Technician through Virginia College’s program. I really enjoyed speaking with Joi & Rawan and wish them tons of success.
I had a chance to visit both the Medical Assistant and Pharmacy Technician Classroom(s) and Lab(s). It’s set up so that the students can really have an authentic experience as if they are actually in the setting of a doctor’s office, hospital or pharmacy. This is definitely one of the things that stood out to me. What better way to prepare students for their career(s), than to put them directly in the environment they will be in. I personally learn better with hands-on experience, so I know I would excel with this teaching model.
There is some course work done outside of the classroom online, which also helps with the schedule flexibility. Virginia College has the Career Development Department that tries their BEST to match students up where they have a passion. They host career seminars, as well as mock interviews to prepare students for their job interviews. They also partner with organizations like Dress for Success to assist with what to wear when you attend an interview along with etiquette skills.
Virginia College offers a variety of certificate programs and the flexibility to prepare for a career in as little as nine months. This type of program is appealing to me as a mom of four with a hectic schedule and career goals that I’d like to achieve. Some students work full-time jobs and attend evening classes. The Virginia College Campus is open until 10:00 p.m. daily. This is the type of flexibility that is needed when you are juggling life’s responsibilities.
Disclosure: Thank you to Virginia College for sponsoring this post and being such great hosts. All opinions expressed are 100% honest and completely my own.
