[nakeliku]

Hi there!

Well congratulations on your acceptance too. I'm not going to live on campus, as I live only about 20 miles from MSMC.
As for the intensity - it's gonna be VERY rigorous, as they have to fit 2 years worth of stuff into just 1. The faculty have all stressed that we will basically have no life for the next year. And the bioethics course does not have to be completed beforehand - they have made room for it in the 2nd semester, so it shouldnt be toooo bad. But if you're worried about being too overloaded, maybe you should try to do the online bioethics course offered through Taylor University by the start of the program in May (although it's practically as expensive as just taking it at MSMC).
Anyways, hope this helps, and feel free to ask any other questions! I'd be happy to help if I can!

-Natalie

[lilly1980]

Welcome and congrats to you too!

No, I will not be moving on campus, I live in the valley but i just can't afford to live on campus. It's going to be a pain in the butt for me to commute, but it's just something I'll have to deal with.

I agree with Natalie, it's going to be extremely intense, harder than anything else we've probably done. Luckily, I already took bioethics, but anything else you can do now to leave yourself more time during the course, I would do. But it's another thing if you can't afford it. My bioethics class was reading and papers. It seems like a lot of students in the past have taken the bioethics offered by the Mount and they survived, so it can be done.

Natalie, sorry I didnt' respond to your other comment, I never got notified. But the answer is that I only applied to MSMC's program. All my eggs were in this basket, I would have applied again for the August start and probably CSUN.

~Leslie

[flyingfish2u]

I'm in the program right now. I will be graduating in May 2008. I highly recommend that you take bioethics elsewhere. Fall semester is pretty intense. It's insane with bioethics.

The whole program moves pretty fast. It's like being in summer school forever. The course material is not that difficult, but you have to process it pretty quickly. You have a lecture then a midterm and next thing you know it the course is over. Also, there is no second chance. You can not do over a class if you don't pass. You have to get a C or better (75%). We lost one student last year. She was just shy of 75%. We haven't lost anyone since then, but plenty have lost sleep over it.

Make sure to apply for one of the loan repayment programs. It's worth it no matter what people say about Kaiser. We also had option to apply for Torrance Memorial and Northridge hospitals.

Just let your friends and family know that you will be busy for the next 12 months. If you are currently in a rocky relationship, fix it now or get out of it. You don't have time to deal with it during the program.

Be flexible. They may send you to freakin Egypt for your clinicals and you will have like 1 day notification. Some professors are awesome, but some are so bad that you wonder if you made the right choice.

Despite all this, it's totally worth it. I am so excited about graduating in May. I have made some new life long friends and I have had some awesome clinical experiences.

You have made the right choice. The ABSN program is highly regarded. Everyone knows about the Mount grads. Good luck with everything. If you have any questions, feel free to email me.

[nakeliku]

Thanks so much for your helpful advice! It's great to hear from someone who's going through it now. I am VERY excited to be starting the program in a couple months, but pretty freakin' nervous too! I'm thinking I may start the online ethics class through Taylor University, and just try and get it done in the next couple months so I dont have to worry about it once I'm in the program....

[lilly1980]

Thanks for the heads up flyingfish, it's really good to hear from someone who's going through it right now. Congrats as well on becoming a nurse! I may have more questions once we get started, but good luck as you finish up the year.

Natalie, have you received any info on our schedules yet? I thought we should be getting them soon and was wondering if you have.

[nakeliku]

No I havent either, but I'm guessing that will all be coming any day now!! AHHHH IM SO EXCITED!!

[nakeliku]

Got my packet of info yesterday in the mail!!! Still nothing from the financial aid dept. though....

[flyingfish2u]

Financial aid office is notorious for losing applications and giving out wrong info, and just plain incompetence. I would follow up with them ASAP since the deadline for FAFSA is usually beginning of March.

Just note that this program will seem a bit disorganized. It is not unusual to wait until the last minute to receive notification. For example, I am still waiting for my senior preceptor placement which starts next week! So learn to be patient and flexible. By the way, I heard most of accelerated programs are like this because they are so new. So you are not alone.

[nakeliku]

thanks for the heads up...i just called the financial aid dept and they said that stuff wont go out until the last week of march and all through april (even though i got in my FAFSA the last week of january...) that seems to be cutting it a LITTLE close!!

so what specialty are you interested in?
and are you going to be working for kaiser after you graduate?

[flyingfish2u]

I have a scholarship with another hospital, but I will also be applying to UCLA, VA, and others. I want to keep my options open. I am interested in ICU or PACU. Also, I really enjoyed my rotation at Children's hospital of LA, but it's a bit too far from where I live.