Miami Dade College

U.S.A. Florida

Published

hi, i wanted to know are there any mdc students who know any information on the nursing program. i have all my requirements and all i need is chemistry. i am trying to apply to the accelerated program and would like to know if anyone here can give me a guide on my chances of getting in. any info will be greatly appreciated!:smiletea:

Go ARMY and of course go MDC! What makes me so sad is that these blogs are supposed to help with the transition, and many times I get comments that are so worthless and useless. I am glad that the nurses I have met have been very encouraging. I know anyone that graduates from MDC's nursing program is a good nurse, just because the professors are so strict, and the program so rigorous. Anyway positive comments are always welcomed and some constructive critism as well, but generaling and making labels on people just shows a complete lack of character. My father has been a nurse for 27 years and he has worked with MDC students, he is also MDC alumni...he has never had a complaint. That just goes to show everyone, not everything you hear is true. I am also done with this conversation. I am here to help and also seek help. Nursing is hard, backup is always needed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hey Mag,

Thanks for the info. Have you been able to meet the rest of your classmates? Also, do all the accelerated students take their classes together at the same time or are you mixed in with generic students?? We will definitely be keeping in touch because I pray to get in for January.

no, tracie, accelerated is separate from bridge and generic, with different instructors than the other programs. beyond that, i don't know anything about it!!! i keep having major school anxiety dreams though......you know, those high-school type "i've been in school this whole time and why haven't i gone to a single class and now i have a chemistry exam today" type dreams....LOL

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in New Graduate Nurse.

Yes, for the most part each group of students (i.e. Generic, Bridge, Accelerated, Part-time, Homestead, Jackson and Baptist Scholars) are in separate classes. If your specialty classes fall in the summer, you will have bridge students mixed in with you.

When you get to school, you'll be given an MDC neck lanyard to hang your ID on. They are color coded so you can sort of tell from which group each other is in. You will get to know people from other groups, and we all cooperate pretty well...helping each other with classes or passing on insights to help other students. One thing I have really noticed about MDC is we are not competitive about grades. We all know we each have the same goals of getting through nursing school and help each other out immensely. I have many friends that are in Accelerated Option (AO) and Bridge...we have all helped each other out. IN the end...we are all striving to be RN's.

akspudus

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Akspudus, could you tell me a little bit about the the professors and how they are with the students? What is your experience with them. Any tips on how to do well?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in New Graduate Nurse.

Well, I won't speak bad of any MDC professors. There are some that are better than others. They all work hard to teach their students.

What they don't have time for is students that don't take care of them selves.

For instance, if you make an appointment to meet them in their office, make sure you show up and are not late. If you show up unprepared...they will not spoon feed you in your learning. They will on the other hand show you resources that you can use to augment your study.

That brings me to augmenting your study. Semester one isn't soo bad BUT..get ready for semester 2,3 and 4. Lecture classes are usually one day a week. During the summer two days a week. For every hour of lecture, I spend maybe 3-4 hours of study. For real!! You will need to make sure you manage your time well. Make flash cards and go over them in the grocery store line...any time you find idle can be used to study. I download all lectures to my iPod and listen to those lectures as a review. I also do 3-4 HUNDRED practice NCLEX question a week. If you get in the habit..that's on 40-50 questions a night.

As for the professors, they notice those students that are working hard. They will bend over backwards for you and help you out immensely when they notice how hard you are working. I have had emails returned by the professors at 11:00 at night. I have seen professors show up to tutor skills after pulling a 12 hour shift at the hospital. On the other hand, I have seen the students that don't really work hard...are barely getting by...given tutor referrals that they never go to..etc. Those are the students that the faculty realises...that most likely will not make it through nursing school. The faculty has to manage their time as well...so you can imagine how much time they give those bottom tier students. The faculty has heard all of the excuses. "I have Kids..and can't spend so much time studying", "Your tests are TOO hard", etc..etc.

I have three kids in elementary school...a wife...a part time job. But yet, I have been VERY successful in nursing school. I have gotten used to balancing life with being a student. It is an art..but it can be done.

Getting A's in nursing school is possible. It takes a lot of work...but believe me...completely possible.

akspudus

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Can you tell me of a good NCLEX questioner? Can I get that at the book store? When you study is it the vast amount of material you have to cover that keeps you with the books? Or is it that the material is very difficult? Is the material very difficult or is it ok if you go over it?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in New Graduate Nurse.

When you get into school You will be given a box of ATI books. These books are pretty good review books. You will be taking ATI exams at the end of each semester..and to graduate you will need to place above the 90th percentile on the ATI exit exam. Use your ATI books and DVD's to help with that. ATI also has online practice exams..make sure you do those.

I also use the "Made incredibly easy" books. I bought medical surgical nursing and pharmacology made incredibly easy. Well worth the investment. As for NCLEX question...I use Saunder's Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination. Not only does it also have some outlined review..but it has lots of area specific NCLEX review questions.

When ever you do practice questions...read the rationales as to why each answer is correct and why the others are incorrect. Make sure you understand those rationales.

Also,..the success center computers have a program called "Test Taking Strategies for Nursing Students". Go and do that tutorial at the beginning of each semester..just to brush up on you NCLEX skills.

akspudus

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow! 90 percentile. At the end of every semester? Above 90 percentile...that sounds so difficult. I mean the whole nursing thing sounds almost impossible, but like you said practice, practice, practice.

Why do they do the whole ATI thing? Is it difficult to score above 90 percentile?

I know I have more questions, I just can not remember them all. I just feel like I am going into something very different then what I have done before. I mean mainly it is not as easy as Anatomy and chemistry, and everything else I have done. It has been so easy.

Do you think the material is hard or is it that it is a lot of material that you need to go through?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in New Graduate Nurse.

90th percentile on the ATI exit exam equates to approximately 72% correct. It isn't nearly impossible. Just think, you will be studying for nearly a year and a half before you take the exam. You can do it.

The reason ATI is so important it that the NCLEX is a national exam. The school does not write them exam...they only build a curriculum that is accredited so that it qualifies their students to take the exam. So, it is very important that you are continuously measured on the national level....to help insure your success.

ATI just happens to be a private company that specialises in measuring students to that national standard. There are a few companies out there that do it...ATI just happens to be the package MDC has bought into.

I don't think tha material is really all that hard. It is however a different way of learning and testing. You will quickly get sick and tired of hearing the words "critical thinking". The long and the short of it is is...you are used to being taught what is what...and being tested just like that. For instance...you might have identified various parts of the heart on a diagram. In nursing, you are going to have to think things through...instead of being asked what something is...say the right ventricle...you will most likely be asked about what happens when the right ventricle fails? What symptoms will this manifest with the patient? If you know when the right ventricle does..what it leads to then you might very easily "figure out" what the correct answer would be. Figuring it out...is called critical thinking. Not hard...just different. You do it every day...but once you get used to doing it on a test...your more than 50% of the way through getting an A in the class.

akspudus

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Well when you do put it that way it sounds a lot better. That way I don't have to freak out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Akspudus,

Do you have any tips or anything we should know about clinicals? I'm not really nervous about the lecture classes, it's the clinicals I'm anxious about.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Akspudus...........

90th percentile is definitely high.....what happens if you don't pass with a 90?? I have heard that the accelerated program is a lot more difficult than the generic and that many accelerated students fail out....how true is that??? Hearing that you have a family is encouraging to me cuz I am in the same boat. Thank you for all your encouraging words!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment