Thoughts on Maric College?

[casualjim]

Hi

I threw my story out on another thread. I'm just finishing up 20 years in the Navy most of it was in Naval Special Warfare where I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to cross-train as a medic. As I was looking for a 2nd career I kept saying things like "I can do this, or I can do that." I finally came to realize that what I "wanted" to do was be an RN. It's a good way to take some of the lessons that I really didnt want to learn working for "Uncle Sucker" and put them to good use helping someone else.

but I digress

I'm starting my classwork as best I can prior to my actual retirement date but I'm getting a little frustrated when the people at the college I'm going to keep telling me how it'll be at least 2 years from the time I finish my pre-req stuff (A&P, chem & microbiology) before I can get into the "core" ADN program. In some things I can show quite a bit of patience, in things like this, not so much.

I'm posting because Maric College is boasting that they have no waiting list, and a better than 85% pass rate on NCLEX-RN. I just keep getting a intermittant alarm going off when I talk to anyone there. It has that slight scent of diploma mill. Not that I have anything against a diploma mill but will the diploma that I get from there do anything for me in the future if I decide to trade up to a BSN? Most importantly is the training that you get from there up to speed?

Just curious if anyone has any experiance with Maric?

Thanks in advance

Jim

[casualjim]

They were ok with my "prior medical experience" from being a naval special warfare medic and an EMT. So I'm good to hook there. Please dont take any of this personally. I'm really glad that you and lots and lots of other people were able to get what you wanted for the right price. It's not that "I don't want to hear negative information," I'm just really tired of hearing "feel free to wait." I'm 44 years old and 3 weeks ago I finished up 21 years in the Navy. I'm really focused on the finish line. I hear everything you're saying, I appreciate your concern, I'm still not going to cool my heels any longer than I have to.

Again don't take it personally, one day you might be my boss

aloha

Jim

Sorry I didnt answer your other comment. It's a total program of 24 months. Yes they are accepting my gen ed stuff that I've done at City College, Southwestern College and National ( Maric obviously was not my first choice, I'm just done waiting) So the estimate I was given was 2 quarters of gen ed and pre-req and a year of nursing track 5 days a week 9 hours a day.

aloha

Jim

[mstigerlily]

Well I guess Ernesto wasn't a very good salesperson. They told me 27 months and they would have a "very very hard time" accepting general ed from other schools and that you can't "drop in halfway".. IMO, you shouldn't have to do any general ed or prereqs at Maric, they should let you transfer those in like any other university.

My husband is an older guy too, same age as you, embarking on his second career and I get discouraged when thinking about waiting four years or more. So I know how you feel. Good luck at Maric, I hope it works out just the way you want it too for the price and time they've quoted you :)

Melissa

Sorry I didnt answer your other comment. It's a total program of 24 months. Yes they are accepting my gen ed stuff that I've done at City College, Southwestern College and National ( Maric obviously was not my first choice, I'm just done waiting) So the estimate I was given was 2 quarters of gen ed and pre-req and a year of nursing track 5 days a week 9 hours a day.

aloha

Jim

[casualjim]

Well I guess Ernesto wasn't a very good salesperson. They told me 27 months and they would have a "very very hard time" accepting general ed from other schools and that you can't "drop in halfway".. IMO, you shouldn't have to do any general ed or prereqs at Maric, they should let you transfer those in like any other university.

My husband is an older guy too, same age as you, embarking on his second career and I get discouraged when thinking about waiting four years or more. So I know how you feel. Good luck at Maric, I hope it works out just the way you want it too for the price and time they've quoted you :)

Melissa

The only classes that I was told that they wouldnt accept were sciences and A&P, They've just in the past year cut class sizes in half and they've brough their NCLEX numbers up into the mid 90s by teaching the nursing stuff and sciences soup to nuts.

Thanks

aloha

Jim

[GoldenFire5]

I went to Maric here in San Diego just this past week and got the same "diploma mill" sales pitch feeling. They also tried to push me into the Medical Asst program.

I have a bachelor's, this will be my second career, and I've been considering different tracks to get to an R.N. I also have that same feeling that I need to start right away - right now I have a good opportunity in my life to make a change to a second career and I don't have the patience to wait three years before I can start practicing.

I'm thinking of taking the LVN course at Concorde, and then will start working in about a year. Then I can take the pre-reqs for ADN while I'm working. It'll still be a long road towards an RN, but at least I can get some experience along the way.

The staff at Concorde was very different than Meric. I even had the chance to sit with the dean for about 1/2 hour. It's a smaller school and is just focused on medical programs. Has anyone heard anything at hospitals about their reputation?

[casualjim]

I went to Maric here in San Diego just this past week and got the same "diploma mill" sales pitch feeling. They also tried to push me into the Medical Asst program.

I have a bachelor's, this will be my second career, and I've been considering different tracks to get to an R.N. I also have that same feeling that I need to start right away - right now I have a good opportunity in my life to make a change to a second career and I don't have the patience to wait three years before I can start practicing.

I'm thinking of taking the LVN course at Concorde, and then will start working in about a year. Then I can take the pre-reqs for ADN while I'm working. It'll still be a long road towards an RN, but at least I can get some experience along the way.

The staff at Concorde was very different than Meric. I even had the chance to sit with the dean for about 1/2 hour. It's a smaller school and is just focused on medical programs. Has anyone heard anything at hospitals about their reputation?

Is LVN the only course that Concorde offers? Might be the way to go.

aloha

Jim

[GoldenFire5]

Yes, LVN is the highest they go - they also have medical assistant and some other programs like massage therapy. (Free massage Fridays for the other students... massage therapists need their hours, too. :))

Since I have most of my general ed classes already done from my BA, an RN at a community college would only take me an additional year. I still need to go visit the counselors at the community colleges though to make sure my past classes will transfer.

-Meloney

Is LVN the only course that Concorde offers? Might be the way to go.

aloha

Jim

[mstigerlily]

I have not heard anything about Concorde, didn't even know they had a nursing program.

You are right it's much easier to get into an LVN-RN step up program than it is straight to RN at communicty college.

Melissa

Yes, LVN is the highest they go - they also have medical assistant and some other programs like massage therapy. (Free massage Fridays for the other students... massage therapists need their hours, too. :))

Since I have most of my general ed classes already done from my BA, an RN at a community college would only take me an additional year. I still need to go visit the counselors at the community colleges though to make sure my past classes will transfer.

-Meloney

[casualjim]

Yes, LVN is the highest they go - they also have medical assistant and some other programs like massage therapy. (Free massage Fridays for the other students... massage therapists need their hours, too. :))

Since I have most of my general ed classes already done from my BA, an RN at a community college would only take me an additional year. I still need to go visit the counselors at the community colleges though to make sure my past classes will transfer.

-Meloney

You might be right. It's not the classes that eat up your time, it's the wait. How long is the LVN course?

aloha

Jim

[GoldenFire5]

The LVN course at Concorde is 1 year, and there are two 2-week breaks. So, the next start is Jan 2nd or 3rd 2006, and the end would be mid-Jan 2007. $21,000 total cost. So, slightly less than Meric and a few months shorter. It's a daytime only program, and the program is changing to be five 10-week sessions. They were not as straightforward as Meric about the daily schedule - I need to follow up about that.

From what I understand, at Meric, all the clinical hours come in one lump at the end. At Concorde, each 10-week session begins with class, then class practicums, then clinicals towards the end of the 10 weeks.

I do not believe that classes taken at Concorde will transfer anywhere else. For me, it's a way to start practicing sooner and to get some experience in the field while making progress towards an ADN. Also, I'm single and I have a limited amount of time that I can go without a full-time income.

The recruiter at Concorde said that most of the people she had spoken with about the LVN program for the next start were in their late-20s to mid-30s... for me, that's a good thing. :)

There's a healthcare job fair coming up where all the major hospitals will be respresented. I'm going to go and ask what they generally think about the graduates coming out of each school.

-Meloney

You might be right. It's not the classes that eat up your time, it's the wait. How long is the LVN course?

aloha

Jim

[mstigerlily]

Have you checked out the San Diego ROP program? It's free but I think they are full till next year.

There is a CNA where I work who is in the LVN program at Grossmont, she says she chose that because she could get right in instead of waiting for the 2 yrs to get into the RN program there. Being a community College, of course, it's very inexpensive.

As far as hospitals in San Diegos a few no longer hire LVNs (Palomar/Pomerado). Scripps does but in some units they use them interchangeably with CNAs. I believe Sharp does hire LVNs for all departments though. Don't know about Children's, UCSD, Alvarado or many of the other undependent hospitals but you can get an idea of the job openings for LVNs if you look at their websites.

Melissa

The LVN course at Concorde is 1 year, and there are two 2-week breaks. So, the next start is Jan 2nd or 3rd 2006, and the end would be mid-Jan 2007. $21,000 total cost. So, slightly less than Meric and a few months shorter. It's a daytime only program, and the program is changing to be five 10-week sessions. They were not as straightforward as Meric about the daily schedule - I need to follow up about that.

From what I understand, at Meric, all the clinical hours come in one lump at the end. At Concorde, each 10-week session begins with class, then class practicums, then clinicals towards the end of the 10 weeks.

I do not believe that classes taken at Concorde will transfer anywhere else. For me, it's a way to start practicing sooner and to get some experience in the field while making progress towards an ADN. Also, I'm single and I have a limited amount of time that I can go without a full-time income.

The recruiter at Concorde said that most of the people she had spoken with about the LVN program for the next start were in their late-20s to mid-30s... for me, that's a good thing. :)

There's a healthcare job fair coming up where all the major hospitals will be respresented. I'm going to go and ask what they generally think about the graduates coming out of each school.

-Meloney

[casualjim]

The LVN course at Concorde is 1 year, and there are two 2-week breaks. So, the next start is Jan 2nd or 3rd 2006, and the end would be mid-Jan 2007. $21,000 total cost. So, slightly less than Meric and a few months shorter. It's a daytime only program, and the program is changing to be five 10-week sessions. They were not as straightforward as Meric about the daily schedule - I need to follow up about that.

From what I understand, at Meric, all the clinical hours come in one lump at the end. At Concorde, each 10-week session begins with class, then class practicums, then clinicals towards the end of the 10 weeks.

I do not believe that classes taken at Concorde will transfer anywhere else. For me, it's a way to start practicing sooner and to get some experience in the field while making progress towards an ADN. Also, I'm single and I have a limited amount of time that I can go without a full-time income.

The recruiter at Concorde said that most of the people she had spoken with about the LVN program for the next start were in their late-20s to mid-30s... for me, that's a good thing. :)

There's a healthcare job fair coming up where all the major hospitals will be respresented. I'm going to go and ask what they generally think about the graduates coming out of each school.

-Meloney

Good deal, I'd be really interested to hear what they have to say also. What the lady at maric that I spoke to told me about the rn program was a year of gen ed (depending on how much you bring to the table with you) and a straight year of nursing track. She was rough estimating me for 2 quarters as opposed to a year and only 2 days a week. Then for the last full year monday through friday 8 to 5 :30 . I'm working during the days this week, but I'm going to try to get over one day this week and take the CPAT ( that will make it 4 entrance tests in a year) and see what happens. I've taken these things at all the schools I've been taking classes at to the point I feel like I could proctor it by now. Thanks for all the information.

aloha

Jim

[GoldenFire5]

Thanks Melissa and Jim - it's really good to read all the info from others who have been researching the same thing at the same schools. I had to read this thread again because there's so much good info here.

Melissa - yes, I've taken a look at ROP and the LVN programs at community colleges. I don't see an ROP program for LVN, just CNA/MAs. That's an option, true, but not my prefered choice. I'd like to do an LVN so I could do a LVN-RN step up program later. City's LVN is full for the next start... next opening is Fall 2007. Your friend is in an LVN program at Grossmont? I intend to visit them as well just to check in, but I don't see an LVN program on their website at all. They may have it, but they're not advertising it... unless it's Grossmont Health Occupations? Interesting - I thought that was for reentry nursing, but I'll check it out. Southwestern's LVN program is something like 3 years long and impacted.

I know vocational schools are expensive, but timing is a big part of the equation for me. The job I have now ends at the end of December and my start date in the program would be early Jan. If I'm going to make a break out of what I'm doing now and into nursing, I want to make it a clean one and dive in. With an LVN-RN step up at a community college, actually my end dates for getting an RN will be about the same (about 5 years from now, but about the same. :) Getting an LVN in a year and having the opportunity to practice and see what types of nursing I enjoy will be so helpful to me along the way to an RN.

There's lots of work out there for LVNs... Concorde at least has a new grad relationship with Kaiser. I know other hospitals don't hire them as much and generally don't take new grad LVNs, but I'm only looking at LVN work for a couple years. Maric seems like they have some placement services too.

Anyway, I have more visits to do with schools and employers before I make a final decision. Thanks again. :)