Major: Exercise Science
Discovering What He Needed to Dream Big
“I’ve said it many times, choosing to go to CCM before a four-year school was undoubtedly the best decision I have ever made. At CCM, it’s easier to develop close relationships with mentors who can help guide you to your passions so you can make the right education and career choice.”
On his way to earning a medical degree with the goal of becoming a physician specializing in trauma medicine, Vincent Franco credits his County College of Morris (CCM) education for sparking a love of learning he lacked in high school.
“In high school, I was not a strong student so medicine was not something I even considered,” recalls Franco, of Montclair. Then at CCM, he took an anatomy and physiology (A&P) course, considered one of the hardest college courses, and discovered he actually excelled at learning. Having mastered A&P and at the urging of several CCM professors he had developed strong relationships with, he decided to pursue pre-med.
“Developing great relationships with CCM professors was easy and organic,” he says. “Having these close relationships helped immensely in navigating the pre-med process.”
He transferred from CCM to East Stroudsburg University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. Next he was accepted by the medical schools at Penn State, Rutgers and Seton Hall, quite a feat for someone who had not done well in high school. He decided to attend Seton Hall’s Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine both because of the research opportunities it provides and its closer to his “support system of family and friends.”
Without his CCM education, medical school never would have been an option and he would not have been as well prepared to pass the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), says Franco.
“CCM prepared me incredibly well for earning my bachelor’s degree. I can specifically remember being leaps and bounds ahead of other biology, physics and chemistry students at East Stroudsburg University because of how well I was prepared,” he says. “Additionally, many concepts of physiology, chemistry and other topics that I was taught at CCM were very high-yield MCAT topics. Having learned these topics so well at CCM played a huge role in earning a high MCAT score.”
Franco’s decision to attend CCM was based on its strong reputation and affordability.
“Attending a community college is a no brainer, especially considering the price it costs to get a college education these days. At CCM, it’s easier to develop close relationships with mentors who can help guide you to your passions so you can make the right education and career choice," he says. “I’ve said it many times, choosing to go to CCM before a four-year school was undoubtedly the best decision I have ever made.”