School of Health Sciences Student Experiences

“My first experience at community college was taking ESL classes at Richland and Brookhaven, which were close to where I lived. Then when I started exploring what kind of program I wanted to take for a career change, I saw Medical Laboratory Technology and transferred to El Centro ... I always tell people who are thinking about community college to think about Medical Laboratory Technology, and I tell them about my personal experience with the program. It’s a stable job, in a quiet environment with a lot less stress than many other medically related fields, and the people are very friendly and professional. I really love my job.”

“Our instructors had high expectations and saw our potential. They let us know that it wasn’t going to be easy, but it wasn’t going to be insurmountable either.”

“Community college gave me everything I needed to take and succeed in classes for an advanced degree.”

“Respiratory therapists are not just technicians trained to deliver treatments and therapies with different types of equipment. We have to truly comprehend a wide range of topics and how they relate to a patient’s condition.”

“When a patient who is in pain, upset or nervous tells you that you made them feel better or just simply tells you 'thank you' with a smile, it makes your hard work worth it. That is the reason I am in this field, and that is what will keep me in it forever.”

“My experience at El Centro was wonderful. The program included online classes plus clinicals three or four days a week. We had the flexibility to do our homework at our own convenience, either doing a little every night or doing it all over the weekend, whatever worked best for us.”

“The best part of my education was the nursing staff. They are just so caring and supportive. They’re there to make sure you get all of the help and support you need. The most important thing I learned is that you’re never too old to set a goal and achieve it.”

“What I like about this job is that when I leave work at the end of the day, I’ve helped change the course of people’s lives. It’s doing something for the greater good. You feel good about telling someone what you do with this job.”

“I do medical work with the animals, equivalent to the job of nursing in human hospitals. I love being able to apply what I learned in school to my field. Cedar Valley’s Vet Tech program prepares you to work, and I use my education from there every day on the job.”

“After doing research into MRI programs, I decided to attend Dallas College for its structure and comprehensive curriculum. The greatest strength of the director was that she tailored the education to each student. I found myself being excited about subjects like physics that I never thought to be applicable previously.”

“All of the instructors were so positive and understanding and would do whatever they could to help you succeed in the real world. Our teachers went to bat for the vocational nurses and actually over-prepared us for the workplace.”

“The best part of the program was the size of the classes; they really take care to keep the student-instructor ratio low. Our instructors were always very approachable so that if we had questions, issues or problems, there was always someone you could find and ask.”

“Nursing is not a career to take lightly. This program gave me a foundation of skills that allowed me to build on my life experience and go forward with a new career.”

“Dallas College helped me navigate the waters of obtaining a degree. I’d never gone to college before, so the thought was terrifying at the beginning. Dallas College made that not only possible, but very achievable. The Invasive Cardiovascular Technology program gave me both the book knowledge and the hands-on experience to prepare me for a career in the hospital.”

“The Radiology Program was phenomenal, and the instructors worked very hard to prepare us for the realities of the working environment along with providing the best possible classroom experience.”

“I was very well prepared academically to sit for the credentialing examinations and am currently registered in four areas. I believe the opportunity to learn in physicians’ offices, as well as different sized health care facilities, allowed me a peek into the possibilities for my future employment.”

“The Invasive Cardiovascular Technology program is great. I was really able to use my clinical time to absorb all of the information I could. The hands-on experience combines the technical side with theory that you learn in class.”

“There are really no words to describe the experience I had at Dallas College. I’m just so grateful for the opportunities that I received at Dallas College and the Eastfield Campus. It was such a positive long-lasting impact.”

“I’d also like to say how much I appreciate Brookhaven. People ask me what’s so good about it, and I tell them it’s because I’ve received so much help from the college.”

“The program allowed me to continue to work full time, complete course work online, work with my veterinarians to complete the veterinary technician task sheets and videos, and still be able to spend time with my family while earning my degree.”