Brightwood College-McAllen (BCMA, Formerly Kaplan College-McAllen) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants-McAllen or SACMDA is an institution that strives to provide students with educational programs that will empower them to achieve not just professional goals but personal goals as well. It is SACMDA’s mission to offer its students a career-focused, reasonably priced learning experience with very strong emphasis on practical skills. At San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants, students have access to general education, business classes and career specialty classes which will prepare them for today’s competitive labour market. Even if you have a very busy schedule, it does not automatically mean that you cannot obtain a good education. This learning institution offers day and evening classes that will allow their students effectively balance their job and family responsibilities while they obtain an education that will open up new career opportunities for them.

Information Summary

Ranks 111th in Texas and 2167th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	61.0
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	42 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	79% / N/A
Enrollment Total (all students)	540

Academics

SACMDA is among the oldest career learning institutions in Texas that is known for teaching allied health programs. SACMDA began operation in 1966 in the city of San Antonio, training thousands of students who were interested in taking up careers, not just in allied health, but also in business. A branch campus was established in McAllen 1984 in order to serve the needs of the students in Southern Texas. In order to meet the increasing demand of highly skilled technicians in the computer technology fields, the college started teaching computer technology courses in 1999.

San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants is also a part of the Kaplan Higher Education Corporation, which is known for providing various career oriented and post-secondary educational courses. As part of a highly esteemed company, SACMDA still continues to offer the same superb education for which it has a reputation for. San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants also provide you with the freedom of selecting either day or evening classes. This way, you can still get a quality education without interrupting your current commitments and schedule.

Associate Degrees and Diplomas Offered

San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants offer students the opportunity to earn an associate of an applied science degree in criminal justice & medical practice management. The College offers diploma certificates a number of fields of electrical technology, dental assisting and computer support technology. Students will be glad to know that they can count on getting support services such as career and tutoring assistance.

Class Format

San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants provide campus courses that are designed to exceed the student’s expectations. The College’s main objective is to make the learning environment “unstuffy” for students as much as they possibly can. In doing so, they have come up with the following standards for the programs they offer:

The training students receive is basically hands-on, and the instructions are in fundamentals that are specific to each student’s program

Well trained and experienced instructors are fully committed to each student’s success

Field trips, laboratory work, group discussions & projects, simulations and demonstrations are put in place in order to round up a students’ academic experience.

The program duration is varied; it basically depends on the program in which the student is enrolled in

Accreditation

Selecting an accredited learning institution is really important to your education. A school that is accredited, simply means that it has met specific standards of providing world class education – this way, you are sure of feeling confident in the value of education that you are receiving. San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants is accredited by ACCSC (Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges). The College also has authorization under the federal law to enrol alien and non-immigrant students. SACMDA has approval under the provisions of United States’ Code to train qualified individuals and veterans.

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Admissions

Because the goal at San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants simply involves assisting the students achieve a bright future through quality education, the College’s enrolling admissions policy makes it easy to apply for admission at any time. The school’s Admissions Representatives are also available to speak to prospective students concerning their education and career objectives.

Admissions Requirements

Unlike many other schools that will require prospective students to have a certain CGPA, the San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants only require students to meet only one of the following requirements:

Complete high school education
Posses a GED (General Education Development) certificate
Posses a certificate or transcript from a recognized Home Study program that is equal/equivalent to the high school level.

Proof of your high school graduation or its equivalents should be presented to the College and should include the following:

An authorized copy of an original high school certificate
A copy of the high school transcript which indicates the date of graduation from high school
A GED certificate or an authorized notification that a GED was earned
A college transcript which indicates the date of graduation from high school

SACMDA makes it quite easy for prospective students to explore their future at the school. The school’s Admissions Representatives will guide you through a gradual process to help clearly identify your interests and career objectives, explore the career opportunities for every program, and arrange for a special tour of the campus. They will also help you find out if you meet the criteria for a variety of financing options and begin the admissions process.

Students with previous felony convictions or serious misdemeanour charges may be turned down on the chance to take trained licensing, certification, or registration examinations or they may also be denied a permit or certification to practice in a couple of states – even if they have taken the exam and successfully completed the course.

Facilities

SACMDA’s learning resource centre is fully equipped with videos, reference materials, a large number of periodicals and computers with internet connectivity that are available to students both during day and in the evening.

Equipment

In order to keep with the high standards of SACMDA, all the equipment employed in each program offer students the chance to develop a hands-on, working knowledge of the materials and the equipment that they will encounter in the real world.

Their administrative courses employ the use of equipment such as computers, projectors, and other modern media sources.

The school’s dental laboratory is fully equipped with dental operations; this includes dental instruments, x-ray and film developing areas, lab sinks, autoclave and work tables.

Medical laboratories provide the students with exam tables, surgical tools, and lab testing equipment and machines. These labs are also equipped with laboratory sinks, CPR training equipment, EKG machines, and phlebotomy equipment and examination areas.

The SACMDA’s electrical technician program has a stick-house – this is a wooden shell that looks pretty much like the structure of a building where electrical wiring training would take place.

Financial Aid

Do not assume that you cannot afford a college education. Financial aid provides every student with the opportunity to attend college even if their family is not financially well-off. Deserving candidates will be provided financial aid which comes in form of federal and state loans, student loans, institutional loans and work study programs.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 2861st for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Texas.

Students

There are no hostel accommodations on campus, so if you are planning to attend this school from out of state, you will need to contact the school, in order to get housing assistance. The very beautiful city of McAllen is located in Southern Texas; this city has a subtropical setting – it is perfect for those who want to study and live in a pleasant and relaxed place. A lot of the town’s attraction simply lies in its great outdoors, rich history, geography, Hispanic flavour and wonderful climate. The College does not offer a meal plan to students.

Open House Events

You can visit SACMDA during one of their open house events for an opportunity to experience the college firsthand. You can tour the campus, learn a whole lot more about their career focused courses, meet the students and staff and also get to chat with one of the Admissions Representatives.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Additional School Information

Where to Visit

At SACMDA, students can have fun by simply visiting interesting places in McAllen – this city has a lot of fun spots. McAllen’s International Museum of Art and Science is a really wonderful place to visit, if you are a huge art and history buff. In the North Gallery, you will find a rich display of Mexican arts and crafts, while a long term exhibition of intriguing dinosaur tracks is featured in the Earth Science Gallery. You will find a very large collection of artifacts and other exhibits in the Museum of South Texas which covers South Texas history. Bird watchers will have the time of their life at the Wing of the World Birding Centre and Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.

If you love to dine out, there are lots of restaurants, bars, bistros and pizza parlours in McAllen.

Bibliography

Kaplan Higher Education Corporation. “About McAllen Campus”. 2011

Colleges-USA.com. San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants. “Do Not Settle for A Job, Start a Career!” 2011

Campus explorer Inc. “San Antonio College of Medical And Dental Assistance McAllen School Description.” 2011

Citytowninfo.com. San Antonio College of Medical And Dental Assistants McAllen.“School Profile.” 2011

Brightwood College-McAllen