Starting this fall, Midlands Technical College is introducing three new Health Science merit admissions opportunities for qualified MTC students in the Dental Hygiene, Radiologic Technology, and Respiratory Care programs. MTC has had merit admissions opportunities for qualified MTC Nursing students since 2005.

Merit admissions allow students who qualify for a Nursing or Health Science program to apply for priority admission to their program with a possible earlier start date. Before applying for merit admissions, students must first be accepted into MTC and their program. Merit admissions points are awarded on pre-set, published criteria, and students are ranked based on their total number of points. The top students by point total are then admitted based on the number of available slots.

Dr. William Mulkey, Director of Radiologic Sciences at MTC, said the new Radiologic Technology merit interview opportunities could have a positive impact on the college and the community, in addition to benefiting students. "By having students who are moved up by merit, this should increase the Radiologic Technology retention rate based on these students' previous academic success," Mulkey said.

Merit Nursing opportunities are made available in the fall and the spring of each year to qualified MTC students; Dental Hygiene, Radiologic Technology, and Respiratory Care merit admissions are currently available in the fall only.

Merit admissions do not replace the regular Nursing and Health Science admissions processes; students who have been accepted for a future term will start at that time. In addition, MTC will continue to admit students to these programs on a first qualified, first accepted basis.

For more on MTC Nursing and Health Science merit admissions visit www.midlandstech.edu/merit.