Category Archives: MEC Admissions

Information on MEC Program Admissions

FAQ, MEC Admissions, MEC Health Science

Physical Therapist Assistant Application

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FAQ

The first priority period for the 2019 Fall Physical Therapist Assistant program opens March 15, 2019, and closes March 30, 2019.

Only submissions sent via the Online Health Science and Nursing Application will be processed.  Physical Applications mailed via certified mail will not be processed.

Attn: Student Services Room 202
6699 Springfield Center Drive
Springfield, VA 22150

You can access the Health Sciences and Nursiapplicationton HERE

Prerequisite Course Requirements

  • BIO 141 and BIO 142- Anatomy and Physiology 1&2 OR NAS 150-Human Biology with a grade of B or better
  • HLT 141 or HIM 111- Medical Terminology with a B or better
  • ENG 111 College Composition or higher with a B or Better

Observation Hours

In addition, you must complete a minimum of FOUR clinical observation hours with a PT or PTA.

Clinical Observation hours must be mailed via certified mail in advance of the deadline for the period you are applying to.

DO NOT OPEN AND SCAN OBSERVATION HOUR FORMS. They must be mailed in via certified mail.  Only Hours received by the priority period deadline will be counted. 

Testing Requirements

The program requires that you satisfy two different Testing requirements.

  1. Take and pass the VPT Math Placement test at the MT 154 level or higher OR complete developmental math to qualify you for MT 154 or higher OR transfer MT 154 or higher to the college.
  2. Take and pass the ATI TEAS exam with a minimum score of 50% in the English, Reading and Human Anatomy and Physiology subsection of the Science portion.
    1. It is important that a student submit their full results packet with their PTA application. Directions on how to download results can be found HERE. Failure to do so will result in a delay in the processing of an application.

Lastly, only students that have attended one of the mandatory in-person workshops within the last year will be considered for admission.

Attachments

The only attachment that should be included with your PTA Application is a PDF version of your ATI TEAS Results.  Please do not attach additional items unless specifically instructed to do so.

Competitive criteria can be found HERE

Academic Divisions, FAQ, MEC Admissions

Am I a competitive applicant?

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FAQ

One of the most common questions that come into the office is, “Am I a competitive applicant?” The answer is almost always it varies. Some programs might accept all eligible applicants one year, and the next only have room for 10% of the qualified applicant pool.

That question is also tied to its sister, “Why was I not accepted.” Due to the limited availability of clinical rotations, our programs can only accept but so many students.  This will mean that many well-qualified applicants will apply, but not all will be admitted.  Students meeting that just meets the minimum requirements are the most at risk of not being accepted.

 

So how do you get in?

Some programs outline the criteria that are used to rank and select their students. Where available we have included the criteria used by a program. In general science courses and/or prerequisite courses and ATI TEAS scores are used to rank students. That, however, is not the case for all programs. Where available we have indicated a programs competitive criteria and source of information for your review.

As stated in the NOVA catalog, Health Sciences students are accepted on either a competitive or a first-come/first served basis with priority given to: (1) legal residents domiciled in the cities and counties supporting the College, (2) other Virginia legal residents, (3) out-of-state applicants, and (4) international students requiring form I-20. Category 1 may include areas in which clinical affiliates have contractual agreements with NOVA or students from other VCCS service areas whose community college does not offer the specific program.

Letters of recommendation resumes and personal statements are not used in the admissions decision for any program.

Program Competitive Criteria Number Accepted source
Dental Hygiene
  • Grades received in science courses
  • completion of general education courses
  • TEAS Results
  • Dental Work Experience
 Approximately 32 2018 Information Session
Diagnostic Medical Sonography
  • The final grade in BIO 141, BIO 142, MTH 154 and PHY 101
  • Highest Scores of all attempts on the English, Reading, and Math sections of the TEAS
  • Additional points for current RT(r), RVT RDMS or RDCS licensure
  • 14 General
  • 6 Echocardiography
  • 6 Vascular
 2019 Application Requirements
Medical Lab Technology
  • TEAS score
  • Work Experience Certification
    • AAMA Certified Medical Assistant
    • ASCP BOC certified Phlebotomist
    • NAACLS Approved Clinical Assistant
    • Prerequisite course grades
    • Completion of corequisites
    • MDL 100 Grade
 Varies MLT Program Student Handbook
Nursing Unavailable Varies Unavailable
Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • Grades in BIO 141 and BIO 142
  • The number of observation hours and/or work hours with an OT or OTA based on signed and dated form(s). Points are awarded after completing 25 hours or more.
  • Earned a Health Science Career Studies Certificate
  • Video Statement
 Varies Information Session
Physical Therapist Assistant
  • Priority Period
  • Grades in anatomy and physiology
  • Grades in medical terminology
  • The Number of observation hours
  • Variety of Clinical settings for observation hours
 Varies Information Session
Radiography
  • The final grade in BIO 141, BIO 142 and RAD 105
  • Highest Scores of all attempts on the English, Reading, and Math sections of the TEAS
  • Completion of  humanities, social science and HLT 141( or HIM 111 or MEdical Terminology ABLE exam)
 40 2019 Application Requirements
Respiratory Therapy
  • Grades in BIO 141, BIO 142
  • GPA
  • Completion of a college level math course
  • Completion of co-requisite courses
 25 Information Session

MEC Admissions, MEC Health Science

Reminder- Fall 2019 Phlebotomy Application Opens March 1

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The application window for the Phlebotomy Program opens March 1 at 12:01 AM.  Students are accepted on a first come first served basis. Please make sure that you have an active NOVA student account and have reviewed the information session before submitting. All entry requirements must be satisfied at the time of submission to avoid an application being marked incomplete.

 

Students must have a GPA of 2.0 and qualify for ENG 111 to be eligible for the program.

Visit our Online application FAQ for questions related to the application.

 

 

Academic Divisions, FAQ, MEC Admissions, MEC Health Science, MEC Nursing

All about the ATI TEAS at NOVA

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Updated: 3/19/2019

FAQ

  • Preparing for the TEAS
  • How to pay to take the TEAS at NOVA
  • Minimum scores by program
  • Submitting your TEAS to NOVA
  • TEST OF ESSENTIAL ACADEMIC SKILLS BREAKDOWN  OF ATI TEAS

 

Preparing for the TEAS

The TEAS exam is a proprietary exam offered by the ATI Testing company. They have developed their own study resources for students to review. You can find them on their TEAS homepage. If you have taken the ATI TEAS test before, you can create a  My Results. Within the My Results area of your account, next to your score report, you can create a Focused Review. A Focused Review is an online review tool that aligns question topics missed and the relevant study materials for your review.

NOVA Libraries has a large assortment of TEAS preparation materials available for checkout.  Including the official ATI TEAS study manual.  These materials are available free of charge to NOVA students. You can also get some good tips from the testing centers “Tips for Taking the Test of Essential Academic Skills” document. 

Students also find it helpful to prepare by reviewing other exams.  The Medical Education Campus Tutoring Center has a list of excellent resources for students to help prepare them for an exam.

How to pay to take the TEAS at NOVA

If your program requires that you take the TEAS, visit the Medical Education Campus Testing website. There you will complete a form via the link “Paying for the TEAS Test.” The testing center staff will respond with the access code required to register for the test at the MEC Testing Center.

You will only be able to register for the ATI TEAS at NOVA with this link.  Your request for an access code needs to be submitted 24 to 48 hours before when you plan on taking the exam.

Once you have the code you can pay for and register for the ATI TEAS test. This will allow you to come into the MEC Testing center to take the test.  The Testing Center administers test on a walk-in basis only.  Checking the MEC Testing Center website for hours.

 

What to bring on test day

Please arrive at the testing center with either your NOVA student ID card or government-issued photo identification. No other items should be brought to the testing center on the day of the exam.

When are results given

Results are printed and presented to the student immediately after the test is complete.  Score reports are also available online via the www.atitesting.com website.

Minimum scores by program

Program Minimum Scores Required Sections Number of allowed attempts Does it factor into the competitive ranking? Department Document Valid for
Dental Hygiene 50 per section English, Reading, Math & Science 3 times in a 12 month period Yes DNH Three Years
Diagnostic Medical Sonography 50 per section English, Reading, Math 3 times in a 12 month period Yes DMS Three Years
Medical Laboratory Technology 0 English, Reading, Math 3 times in a 12 month period Yes MDL Twenty-four (24) months
Nursing 68 overall,76 on reading English, Reading, Math & Science Check back for Spring 2020 update soon Yes NUR Check back for Spring 2020 update soon
Physical Therapist Assistant 50 per section English, Reading & Anatomy & Physiology
section of Science		 3 times in a 12 month period No PTA Thirty-six (36) months
Radiography 50 per section English, Reading, Math 3 times in a 12 month period Yes RAD Three Years
*12 month period means January to December

Submitting your TEAS to NOVA

When  to submit your TEAS

Your ATI TEAS results must be attached to the application.  Therefore the deadline to take and submit the TEAS test is when you are submitting your application.

How to submit your TEAS

The new online application allows you to attach documents. You can download a copy of your report directly from www.ATItesting.com website.  Log into your ATI account, under the main menu select My Results, click on the exam attempt and then the download report on the top right of the website.

 

 

What it should look like

*PTA students should attach the full report. The anatomy scores are not on the main page. 

What it should not look like

 

Also not this

Submitting your TEAS

If you have already submitted an application, simply open the confirmation email that was sent to you, scroll down and click on “View Request”. This will allow you to open your application and attach your TEAS Results.

Retakes

Students must wait a minimum of one month before retaking the exam again.

 

TEST OF ESSENTIAL ACADEMIC SKILLS BREAKDOWN  OF ATI TEAS

ATI TEAS Format:

The ATI TEAS test is comprised of 170 questions set up in a multiple-choice format with four-option answers. Questions are designed to test the basic academic skills you will need to perform in class in the areas of: Reading, Math, Science, and English and Language Usage.

170

QUESTIONS

209

MINUTES
Reading Mathematics Science English and Language Usage
Number of Questions 53 36 53 28
Time Limit (Minutes) 64 min 54 min 63 min 28 min
Specific Content Covered
  • Key ideas and details
  • Craft and structure
  • Integration of knowledge & ideas
  • Numbers and algebra
  • Measurement and data
  • Human anatomy & physiology
  • Life and physical sciences
  • Scientific reasoning
  • Conventions of standard English
  • Knowledge of language
  • Vocabulary acquisition

source: https://www.atitesting.com/teas/teas-exam 

Academic Divisions, MEC Admissions, MEC Health Science, MEC Nursing

Online Health Science and Nursing application

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Updated 02/19/2019

FAQ

Starting with the 2019 application cycle, students will be required to submit applications to all Health Science and Nursing Programs online.

Where to Find the Application

The application is available on the Health Science homepage and will be available on the Nursing homepage shortly. Only submissions via the new Health Science and Nursing Application will be accepted and reviewed.

The application has been optimized mobile, and will allow you to submit with any smartphone.

Troubleshooting

My name or address is wrong

Students should go to their Student Center on NovaConnect (SIS) to update their mailing address. If you name has changed please visit any campus Student Services Center to update your name. Please make sure your personal information is correct in NovaConnect (SIS) prior to submitting any application.

I can’t log in

A valid MyNOVA username and password will be needed to access the online application. If your unable to log into MyNOVA, reset your password or contact the IT Help Desk.

I’m not able to submit

If your program application window has not yet opened, you will not be able to apply. Please refer to your program page for details on application windows.

 

You must also fill out all required fields and provide an information session code where required. Please note that not all programs require an information session code.

Inactive NOVA student Account

If your NOVA student account is not active, you will not be able to submit the application. You will need to apply to NOVA and activate your account.   This must be done 24 hours before you plan on applying to the program.

Attachments

Students will be able to submit required attachments via the new online application. Campus computer labs are available to students that do not have access to a scanner or scanning app on their mobile phones. The application has been optimized for mobile which allows you to use your phone camera to attach documents from within the mobile browser.

If you forgot to attach something an adviser will notify you via email to provide the missing documentation before your application is processed any further.

External College Transcripts must be submitted four to eight weeks prior to the application deadline. Do not attach external college transcripts to the application. Visit, the College Records Office website to learn how to transfer external courses to NOVA.

I forgot to attach an Item

If you forgot to attach an item, go to the confirmation email that was sent to you. Click on the View Request link and you will be able to access your application and attach additional items. Do not submit a duplicate application.

Physical Therapy Assistant Observation form

Students applying to the Physical Therapist Assistant Program are still required to mail their unopened clinical observation hours to 6699 Springfield Center Drive, Springfield VA 22150 Suite 202 using certified USPS mail or Fedex/UPS with tracking.

Programs Covered by new Application

  • Clinical Data Coding
  • Dental Assisting
  • Dental Hygiene
  • Diagnostic Medical Sonography (all specialties)
  • Emergency Medical Services (all specialties)
  • Health Information Management
  • Medical Laboratory Assisting
  • Medical Laboratory Technology
  • Nursing
  • Occupational therapy Assistant
  • Phlebotomy
  • Physical Therapy Assistant
  • Radiography
  • Respiratory Therapy

HOW DO I TAKE THE TEAS AT NOVA?

If your program requires that you take the TEAS, visit the Medical Education Campus Testing website. There you will complete a form via the link “Paying for the TEAS Test”. Testing center staff will respond with the access code required to register for the test at the MEC Testing Center.  You should submit your request for an access code 24 to 48 hours prior to when you plan on taking the exam.

FAQ, MEC Admissions, MEC Student Success

How to Get the Most from an Advising Session

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FAQ

Most advising sessions begin with a simple question, how may I assist you today? Another common question is, what do you want to get out of NOVA? We want to know what purpose NOVA serves in your life and academic plans. This can convert a conversation from a recitation of the facts, to an exploration of your goals and avenues for growth and improvement.

Before contacting our office, or visiting we encourage you to become an active stakeholder in your future. Take the initiative and do your research. A successful student tends to be the one who is organized and anticipates their next step. In short, you must mise en place your academic life. The more research and preparation you do, the more you can get out of a visit with an advisor or counselor. Below are some tips to help you get the most of your session.

Know your NOVA ID/EMPLID number

Having your ID number or better yet your NOVA Card is an indispensable tool. Not only can you use it around campus it speeds up pulling up your account.

When possible write your questions down in a bulleted list

Writing your questions down provides a framework that ensures your questions are answered. Due to time constraints and the fact that there is a lot to go over, an advisor may not be able to cover everything in detail about a program. Your bulleted list signals to the advisors that you’ve done your initial research. This allows the advisor to focus on what you specialty don’t know or are in need of clarification.

  1. How do I transfer Credits
  2. What are the entry requirements for…
  3. How can I satisfy the math placement requirement
  4. …

Bring your official external transcripts.

Students often ask us what courses they have left to take. While we encourage you to bring your external transcripts, we are not able to give you a list of courses that will or will not transfer. In some cases, a student can know what will transfer by visiting the College Records Office website and utilize their transfer guide. Preferably this would have been done before your visit to the office. If you have already transferred courses to NOVA, you should review your transfer credit center and compare the transferred courses to your program requirements.

Take Notes

You’ve done your research, brought transcripts if applicable and wrote your questions down. Your next step is to take notes during your visit. We generally have scrap paper and pens on hand for you to use. However, it is best that you keep a notebook, or note app on your smartphone at the ready. Again the more organized you are the more likely you are to succeed.

Ask Extra Questions

If something an advisor has said isn’t clear, ask again. Always ask for clarification if you don’t understand. Remeber that an advising session is a conversation, so its ok to go off script.

Follow Up

Part of being the advocate of your own destiny is being proactive. Take charge and constantly investigating options, program requirements and areas of improvement are wholly your responsibility. Checking in at least once a semester is ideal, especially if you are applying to a program more than a year out.

Things Change

Program changes can occur often with little warning. As such you must be vigilant and ready to act. When possible our office reaches out to students via email or on our blog and facebook pages, but it is impossible to inform everyone. When changes occur a student may feel frustrated, often because a course or courses are no longer required or used by a program. This is normally an issue when students are planning to join a program two or three years down the line. You will need to carefully weigh the risk of program changes when starting on an extended academic plan. this may require that you try and start a little sooner.

We hope that you get the most out of your interaction with our advising staff. As always feel free to send your questions and we will work to answer them as quickly as possible.

MEC Admissions, MEC Health Science

Changes for the 2019 Diagnostic Medical Sonography Program

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Note: The updated online information session reflecting these changes will be posted to the DMS website after July 1.

New PHY 101 Requirement

PHY 195 Physics for Sonographers is being discontinued after the Spring 2018 semester. The new requirement will be PHY 101 Introduction to Physics I or a higher physics. For students that have already taken it, the DMS department will continue to accept PHY 195 for the 2018 and 2019 application periods only.
Beginning with the 2020 application cycle, only PHY 101 or a higher physics will be accepted.

New MTH 154 Requirement

The math courses within the Virginia Community College System are changing and MTH 151 Math for Liberal Arts is being discontinued. The new requirement will be MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning. For students that have already taken it, the DMS department will continue to accept MTH 151 for the 2018 and 2019 application periods only.
Beginning with the 2020 application cycle, only MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning or a higher Math will be accepted.

DMS Advising Workshop

Applicants must have attended at least one DMS Advising Workshop within the previous 18 months to apply to the program. This workshop is required and replaces the former DMS 100 pre-requisite course. The workshop will be held 5 times per year.

Application Process

Applications to the program are now accepted via email. Directions are available in the Allied Health Application.
Echocardiography Pathway
The DMS Echocardiography pathway may be starting in fall 2018. A previous Bachelor’s degree in any field will also be required once this pathway is started.

The Diagnostic Medical Sonography Department
May 15, 2018

MEC Admissions, MEC Health Science

2019 Dental Hygiene Curriculum Changes

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The Dental Hygiene will update their homepage to reflect the new entry requirements. Here is a preview of those changes.

NEW Science Prerequisites Requirements

  • BIO 141 (Anatomy & Physiology I)
  • BIO 142 (Anatomy & Physiology II)
  • BIO 150 (Introduction to Microbiology) or BIO 205 (Microbiology)

NAS 161, 162 will be accepted if completed no more than 4 years prior to application.

NEW General Education Requirements

  • Humanities/Fine Art (Approved List (3 credit course)) 
  • SOC 200 (Principles of Sociology)

( PSY 200 or PSY 201 will be accepted if completed in 4 years prior to application)

  • No CST 229 (Intercultural Communication)
  • No PED 116 (Lifetime Fitness and Wellness)