Community College Recommendation (Phoenix, Tucson, Pima: fit in, credit, student loans)

[Mike_]

I assume there are several community colleges around. Since jobs are tight Helena is thinking of trying to do like a Medical Assistant program. Can anyone make a recommendation for where to go, is this worth it?

Thanks

[Marcy1210]

Pima Community College has several campuses in the area. There is also Pima Medical Institute, Carrington College, Brown-Mackie and others. I'd google her field of interest and see what you can find. I have no experience with these schools, so I can't make a recommendation. But, maybe someone here will jump in with some more information.

[vjsoto]

Unless you plan to stop with an associates degree, go to a university. More expensive, but at least you don't have to worry about which credits will transfer into a bachelors degree.

[Kevin J]

Pima Community College is the only "community" college (i.e. a public funded two-year college) in the Tucson area. As someone mentioned above, they have multiple campuses in the area, but they're all part of the same institution. Places like Brown-Mackie and Carrington that were mentioned above are private for-profit institutions that cost considerably more than a community college does.

However, the disadvantage of community colleges is that with popular degree programs, there often are waiting lists to get in. They also often require more general education courses, since community colleges are geared toward two-year and four-year degrees. The programs at the private institutions often are geared toward certification rather than obtaining a degree, which means the program takes less time to complete.

If the two of you will be paying for this schooling yourselves, you should look long and hard at what the for-profit schools will cost. If your wife has never gone to college, she may still be eligible for federal aid like Pell Grants and guaranteed student loans, which apply at for-profits too. But if that's not the case, then the private route is probably not worth it. Better to get on the waiting list at Pima for a program she wants to get in, or also look at programs that aren't as popular as the ones with the waiting lists.

My brother went through a lot of drama with waiting lists for medical programs over the past couple of years. He ended up going to a for-profit (Carrington) and going into a program that wasn't his original choice (pharmacy technician rather than radiology technician). The change in major happened because (1) there was a two-year waiting list at Pima for radiology tech; and (2) the only for-profit in the area that has a radiology tech program apparently had more applicants than seats because they just gave him the runaround. He even tried the Phoenix location of this same institution with the same result. The way this place treated him was particularly puzzling because my brother has a medical background that they probably aren't seeing in many of their applicants: he worked as a nurse's assistant in a hospital for 5 years and has been a medic in the National Guard for 10 years.

Fortunately, the GI Bill is paying my brother's tuition, so financing at this private institution is not a concern for him. But, again, that's something you all will definitely have to consider.

[az461]

Pima Community College is a good institution, and is reputable from a nationwide basis. It has a lot of University Professors come teach as part-time.

Specifically on the downtown campus. When I did my Gen-Eds at Downtown Campus, most of the teachers taught at the UA or had their own practice in Law or Business. Do your two years at Pima then transfer to the UA to get your bachelors. -- but like people said, there are waiting lists.

The thing is with places like Carrington and Brookline college many-a-time credits do not transfer. With Pima there is a simple curriculum to follow, it's structured and you get connections with the UA.

[coatimundi]

Go to Pima for the Medical Assistant certificate and take a lot of Spanish while you're there. Knowing Spanish in that sort of field is usually the difference between a job and no job, and your salary goes up quite a bit.

UA has a PA program, but it's very competitive like everything else at their medical school. Not something you would want to do if you have a problem with not having a life.

[Subie2]

You can ask around at the local hospitals to see if they provide no experience necessary training as a Patient Care Technician. UMC trained me with no experience and I did just about everything an MA does, including blood work.

[Helena and mike]

Thanks guys for the info. I have a appointment for monday at Pima to check things out. The only way to get a job it seems is putting resumes on the computer and hope you get a call. I am a receptionist/data entry and have alot of apps in the hospitals but it does not seem like they will give me a chance. I wish I knew people here to help me get in, lol. I just want to be a receptionist, not really interested in doing blood or anything like that.

[Subie2]

Well....a receptionist is a whole different animal from an MA Usually the "receptionists" in hospitals are called Unit Coordinators.

[Helena and mike]

Well the MA course also teaches you for front office work (receptionest) I will talk to the lady the lady at Pima and see what courses I should take. Thanks Subie