It’s not much of a surprise that Avigeet Gupta, son of Orangeburg anesthesiologist Dr. Avinash Gupta and Sangeeta Gupta, wanted to go to medical school. What is surprising is how quickly he was able to begin the next chapter of his life, thanks to the head start he got in Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College’s Middle College program.
Middle College allows ambitious high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to earn college credits before they graduate.
In May, Avigeet graduated summa cum laude from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and a minor in Spanish. The valedictorian of Orangeburg Preparatory Schools’ class of 2012 was able to earn his undergraduate degree in three years and was just 20 years old when he began classes this fall at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.
Avigeet said being able to earn 41 college credit hours through OCtech’s Middle College helped prepare him for college. He took courses on the OCtech and OPS campuses.
“The early college experience at OCtech made a huge difference for me when I began at the College of Charleston,” Avigeet said. “Through my OCtech classes, I improved my writing skills and learned more about what I could expect from college professors. Because I entered the College of Charleston with more than 40 hours of college credit, I could focus on the courses specific to my major and better prepare myself for a medical career.”
Taking courses at OCtech also saved Avigeet money and gave him the opportunity to take full advantage of summer breaks, he said.
“Since I took classes at OCtech, I graduated in three years from the College of Charleston and was able to do it without taking any summer classes once I enrolled there,” he said. “Instead, I was able to use my summers to relax a little, shadow physicians and focus on gaining experience in the world of medicine. “I’m thankful that I had the opportunity to take courses at OCtech.”
Fall classes begin Monday, August 24. Mini-session courses are also available throughout the semester. High school students who are interested in taking courses should contact Middle College Director Deborah Cooper-Davis at 803-535-1409 or davisdl@octech.edu for more information.
