RLC opens fast track through prerequisites for Allied Health students

Students in Rend Lake College’s many Allied Health programs often need to satisfy English and math prerequisites. Students looking for a way to speed up that process can now take advantage of the summer Allied Health Prerequisite Bridge Program.

The summer Bridge Program includes both English and math components: Allied Health English & Reading Bridge (PREP 1403) and Math for Health Occupations (MATH 1408). Students who complete these courses with a 70 percent average or better will reap the benefits.

Based on their placement test scores, students may be able to significantly shorten their English requirement and / or bypass one math class completely.

Successfully completing the Allied Health English & Reading Bridge meets the prerequisite for Rhetoric & Composition I (ENGL 1101), which is a required course for Allied Health programs. Students can complete PREP 1403 in eight weeks, which is much faster than the standard requirement of taking three 16-week courses (English Review, Reading Review and Study Skills) to meet the prerequisite for ENGL 1101.

In the same vein, successfully completing the eight-week Math for Health Occupations course allows students to bypass the 16-week Geometry and Intermediate Algebra (MATH 1407) course. This is important because Geometry and Intermediate Algebra is a prerequisite for Contemporary College Mathematics (MATH 1107), which is a requirement in the Radiologic Technology degree program.

The course descriptions for the two Bridge courses are:

• MATH 1408 - Math for Health Occupations: A six-credit-hour course intended to serve as a bridge for students in the health field who need an intense study of the fundamental processes in arithmetic and algebra in order to prepare for the college credit classes in their field. Topics will include whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, algebraic operations, signed numbers, simple equations, proportions and special products. Lecture 5 hours, lab 2 hours.
• PREP 1403 - Allied Health English & Reading Bridge: This accelerated English course, worth six credit hours, is designed for Allied Health students from upper-level development skills to college-level reading, writing and critical thinking skills. This course will prepare students for the general rigors of most, if not all, Allied Health majors. This course is designed to enhance existing reading, writing and comprehension skills by improving vocabulary, critical and literal reading, writing and comprehension skills, and reading speed. Lecture 4 hours, lab 4 hours.

Students in the Bridge courses should be prepared. Because the pace of the courses will be very fast and the rigor will be intense, students will be expected to attend class each day for the full length of time. In so doing, students will prepare themselves for the rigors of the Allied Health program, move more quickly through the required prerequisites, and decrease the time it will take to complete their degrees and reach their goals.

Summer classes begin Monday, June 10. Registration is going on now. To learn more or to register, contact Kim Robert, Dean of Allied Health, at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1775, or at robertk@rlc.edu, or contact Andrea Banach, Dean of Math & Sciences, at Ext. 1258 or at banacha@rlc.edu.