Admission into Allied Health Professions programs is limited for several reasons:

• Training in any health care program needs to meet an identified community need.
• Available clinical sites for hands-on experience is limited.
• Educators must meet stringent qualifications.
• Availability of specialized equipment in highly technical laboratories is limited.

Allied Health General Program Requirements

The following programs require Allied Health A010 as a prerequisite:

• Cardiovascular Technology, Electrocardiology, and Echocardiology
• Dental Assisting – Registered
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography
• Medical Assisting
• Neurodiagnostic Technology
• Nutrition and Dietetic Technician
• Polysomnographic Technology
• Radiologic Technology
• Respiratory Care
• Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

Allied Health A010 is optional for the following program

• Emergency Medical Services

Admission

Taking Allied Health A010 is the optimal method to determine career choice and is required to apply to a specific program. Students should take Allied Health A010 as early as possible and should take this course prior to completing other General Education or prerequisite classes. Admission criteria is based on program ready date order. Program ready dates are given to students who have completed all program requirements by the allied health counselor. Program requirements may include:

• The dates of successful completion of specific program prerequisites and  general education courses 
• The date of application to the program through Allied Health A010.

More specific information concerning the admission procedure can be found on the Allied Health website at:

https://orangecoastcollege.edu/academics/consumer-health/allied-health/index.html 

 General

• Students should have adequate financial support so as not to jeopardize their academic achievement and clinical experiences by extensive outside employment.
• Many programs have external licensing/certification examinations with specific requirements for employment.
• Many programs require completion of the General Education requirements for the Associate in Science degree before admission. See College Catalog for specific General Education requirements for the Associate in Science degree.

Course Recency for Programs that Require the Following Prerequisites:

To keep abreast of the industry standards, all students admitted to any of the Allied Health programs must adhere to the current catalog program requirements for the year they are admitted to a program.

• Allied Health A111 – Medical Terminology: must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better within a three-year period of the application date for the specific program.
• Biology A221 – Anatomy-Physiology: must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better within a three-year period of the application date for the specific program.
• Chemistry A110 – Introduction to Chemistry: must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better within a three-year period of the application date to the Respiratory Care program.
• Diagnostic Medical Sonography A110 – Introduction to Sonography must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better within a three-year period of the application date for the specific program.
• Radiologic Technology A100 – Radiation and Imaging Physics: must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better within a three-year period of the application date to the specific program.

Prerequisite courses listed above that have exceeded the three-year limit must be re-taken.

If the course is greater than three years old and the student has been working in a field that requires application of this course material, the student may ask for a waiver of the recency requirement. This waiver will require a letter from the employer indicating the need for and utilization of the course material. Final waiver determination is by the program director.

Clinical

• Admission into the clinical phase of a program requires that students be in good physical and mental health. A physical examination is required that includes blood testing, TB testing, and vaccinations.
• A criminal background check and drug screen are required. Students must pass this test to be admitted to the program. A valid Social Security number is needed for this screening process.
• Students must adhere to a specific dress code and wear picture identification badges.
• Students must have reliable transportation to off-campus clinical sites.

More specific information concerning the admission procedure can be found on the Allied Health website at https://orangecoastcollege.edu/academics/consumer-health/allied-health/index.html

Termination of Allied Health Program and Procedure for Readmission

Any break in enrollment due to any of the items listed below will cause termination in the program.

1. Voluntary withdrawal due to extenuating circumstances, defined as personal/family health issues, personal/family financial issues, or family-related issues preventing the student from continuing (NOTE: Grades are not considered as extenuating circumstances) or
2. Non-passing grades (D or F) in Didactic Courses or
3. Non-passing grades (D or F) in Clinical and/or Laboratory Experiences or
4. Non-passing grades in Clinical and/or Laboratory Experiences for unsafe practices or substandard professional performance.

A student who terminates as indicated above in items numbered one to three, and who subsequently desires readmission to the program, will need to follow the Procedures for Readmission as specified on the Allied Health website. Note: For item four above, the student will be unable to continue in their chosen program and will be unable to reapply to the School of Allied Health Professions for any program.