Meet a student in the School of Allied Health Professions

Q&A with Health Information Technology (HIT) Students

By: Megan Gilmore, Office of Public Relations & Marketing

When friends Bhumika Patel ’12 and Devanshi Patel ’12 arrived at my office to talk about the HIT program, they were both wearing striped shirts in the same colors, laughing about their tendency to dress so similar. They have shared a close bond since Bhumika came to the Philadelphia area from India in 2003, two years after Devanshi arrived.

Here, the friends talk about their college journey in which they were able to lean on each other for support. They extend a helping hand to prospective students thinking about a major in the School of Allied Health Professions.

MG:  Did you know anything about the HIT field when you were looking to transfer from community college to a four-year college?

Together:  No!

BP:  We were enrolled in liberal studies at the community college, but knew that we wanted to pursue a career in the health care field.

DP: We didn’t want to work hands-on with patients, mostly because we don’t handle seeing blood very well!

MG:  Why did you choose to look into Gwynedd-Mercy College?

BP:  At first, it was because the College is convenient to us, and we liked the small class sizes.

DP:  Then, we spoke to Christine Staropoli, the HIT program director, and she got us really excited about the program. Gwynedd-Mercy College has the only HIT program on the East Coast to offer an associate and bachelor’s degree, as well as a coding certificate.

MG:  Was it a good transition from the community college to GMC?

DP:  Yes. You have more attention from the professors at Gwynedd-Mercy College. The extra time they put into explaining the material is important to us because English is our second language.

BP:  I worked hard [at the community college] but never achieved big. Here, I work hard and I see it reflected in my grades. I credit that to the faculty and small classes. The faculty really want you to do well.

MG:  How is the program treating you so far?

DP:  We’re not far into the program, but we’re learning a lot.

BP:  We will have an internship next fall, which is required. We’ll also do volunteer work in hospitals.

MG:  Do you have any advice for new students?

DP:  Work hard and make sure that you understand the material. The teachers are there to help you achieve, but you don’t want to be completely dependent upon them.