Associate programs prepare Brock students for career goals – The Brock News
To achieve their career goals, two Brock students took action during their undergraduate studies.
Mohammed Abbas and Madison Motyka each knew they wanted to pursue professional careers with rigorous exam criteria. To improve their chances of entering highly competitive practice areas, both enrolled in Brock’s “Plus” programs when they entered the University.
Abbas heard about Brock’s Med Plus program from a friend before enrolling at Brock, and immediately recognized the potential it showed to achieve his dream of helping others in a career in healthcare.
“Med Plus has helped me understand that being a healthcare professional is the first thing I want to do,” said the fourth-year Biology student. “I heard a family doctor describe the job as ‘being a teacher where you stay up-to-date with scientific advances,’ and that certainly fits with how I see my career.”
As a four-year program of study that runs alongside students’ full-time studies, Med Plus aims to prepare its nearly 200 student participants for careers in healthcare by connecting them to dozens of volunteer and networking opportunities. as a resource needed to apply for additional healthcare studies.
Along with connecting her with mentors, the program also connected Abbas with volunteer opportunities at places like Positive Living Niagara, which she took advantage of in the healthcare field that most appealed to her.
“Volunteering with Positive Living Niagara gave me a good idea of being non-judgmental and non-biased when it comes to care,” she said. “Given the impact of community outreach, he may want to further develop that trust with vulnerable people so he can help them more effectively.”
While Abbas has already landed a medical school interview and submitted several graduate applications, he’s not the only one finding career clarity through apprenticeships.
Motyka knew she wanted to pursue a career in the legal field since she was in kindergarten, but achieving that goal became much clearer when she enrolled in Brock’s Law Plus program, which she says played a key role in securing her acceptance. to the University of Windsor School of Law.
“Honestly, I don’t know where else I could have found all the information I needed to pursue my career without Law Plus,” said the fourth-year Political Science student. “The program offers you professionals who are ready to help you and opportunities to gain experience. The two coordinators also helped me with my applications for law studies and offered to give me references.’
Like Med Plus, Law Plus is a study program that connects nearly 100 aspiring legal professionals with a variety of career opportunities, networking skills development and community service opportunities.
Through the program and volunteer opportunities with Pathstone Mental Health and Big Brothers Big Sisters Niagara, Motyka was able to set her vision forward.
“It helped solidify for me that I want to do family law,” she said. “Everyone we spoke to in the program helped solidify that and my volunteer opportunities confirmed that interest, increasing my awareness that there are issues that legal experiences can address when people can’t do it on their own.”
With the Law Plus application deadline of Saturday, April 15 fast approaching, Motyka hopes to take advantage of the same opportunities that Brock students did.
“It gives you a taste of being a lawyer before you get there,” he said. “It’s an ideal first step if you want to go to law school because you’ll have a real leg up on your peers.”
For Abbas, the sentiment is similar, and he hopes that new students will enroll in Med Plus, which also has an application deadline of April 15.
“It’s a great way to learn what a health career entails and what responsibilities you’ll be taking on,” she said. “The constant support from everyone in the program is a great way to stay focused and open my eyes to so many career opportunities.”
To learn more about Brock’s Plus programs, visit the University’s Plus Programs website.
