Online graduate-level pharm, phys, patho classes

Nursing Students SRNA

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I'm interested in taking some advanced classes in pharmacology, physiology and pathophysiology. I really enjoyed the hard science aspect if nursing school and prerequisites, and am toying with the idea of CRNA school somewhere down the line. I read that taking these classes is a good way to prepare and can also strengthen your application, but I'm also interested in gaining more in-depth knowledge in these subjects for the sake of having that knowledge. The trouble I'm running in to is that schools I've contacted in the area do not offer these classes a la carte- you have to be enrolled in a degree program to take them. Does anyone know of schools that offer classes like this online without requiring matriculation in a degree program? I know they must exist but so far I haven't had much luck finding any.

First things first, I've been told by numerous programs that having taken courses in a real classroom looks way better than online. Sure, it's more convenient, but it's also usually more expensive.

I looked at taking A&P through University of Phoenix and it was over $2,000 with no real lab portion. So I took a 3-credit course at a local community college WITH lab and it was only $600. Cheaper, looks better, has a lab, why the heck would you not go that route? I worked full-time on midnights in winter semester (3 or 4 days a week depending on available OT), took two 4-credit courses both with lab finishing with A's in both, did P90X 6 days a week and managed it just fine. Set your priorities straight and you can do it too. Not trying to brag here, I'm just saying you need to really buckle down because it's not easy to balance all of that.

As for sneaking into a real class, you are better off talking to the instructor or someone within the actual department offering the course like the program director, not just a secretary. I slid into a graduate level statistics course at a university while being enrolled as a post-Bachelor student. As a graduate student, it would have cost more, like about $1000 more, but I got a course override from the instructor because he has some empty spots he needed filled anyways. Give that a shot. It may not work out for you, but it can't hurt!

Good luck!

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Specializes in CVICU,SICU,ICU.

Detroitdano: congratulations on your acceptance to CRNA school. I agree with you and I would really prefer to attend all the science classes in person.

What I really appreciate about this site is that it is a wonderful resource for many different kinds of people to offer each other advice so we can all ultimately attain our goals.

I unfortunately do not have access to every class I need at the times I need them in order to attend them all in person. Time is of the essence, and if I have more time than I anticipate before school begins for me, I would happily attend more in person.

If you don't mind me asking: where were you ultimately accepted, and which schools indicated to you that they view online classes unfavorably?

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First things first, I've been told by numerous programs that having taken courses in a real classroom looks way better than online. Sure, it's more convenient, but it's also usually more expensive.I looked at taking A&P through University of Phoenix and it was over $2,000 with no real lab portion. So I took a 3-credit course at a local community college WITH lab and it was only $600. Cheaper, looks better, has a lab, why the heck would you not go that route? I worked full-time on midnights in winter semester (3 or 4 days a week depending on available OT), took two 4-credit courses both with lab finishing with A's in both, did P90X 6 days a week and managed it just fine. Set your priorities straight and you can do it too. Not trying to brag here, I'm just saying you need to really buckle down because it's not easy to balance all of that.
I've already taken undergraduate A&P, so retaking the class at another community college wouldn't really do anything for me. I've called around to local graduate programs, and their courses are restricted to students in a degree granting program. In my situation, online seems like a valid option to take graduate level classes in order to a. expand my knowledge base and b. illustrate to prospective programs that I can manage graduate level work. Since many, many MSN programs now are either available completely or with significant online portions (from reputable B&M schools too, not just University of Phoenix and the like), I don't have the same concerns you do about the classes being looked down upon.
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Detroitdano: congratulations on your acceptance to CRNA school. I agree with you and I would really prefer to attend all the science classes in person.

What I really appreciate about this site is that it is a wonderful resource for many different kinds of people to offer each other advice so we can all ultimately attain our goals.

I unfortunately do not have access to every class I need at the times I need them in order to attend them all in person. Time is of the essence, and if I have more time than I anticipate before school begins for me, I would happily attend more in person.

If you don't mind me asking: where were you ultimately accepted, and which schools indicated to you that they view online classes unfavorably?

Not sure how your boss at work is, but they allowed me a set work schedule so I could get the classes I needed done at the times I wanted them. It's a pain taking day classes and working midnights, but if you've got a manager who encourages furthering your education, it makes it a little easier. Can't say a bad thing about my manager, she's been great!

I was accepted to Wayne State. I applied to Oakland University and got an interview but cancelled it as Wayne was always my #1 and I got in there before the OU interview.

Both WSU and OU told me the classroom would look better. It makes sense. Not to knock online courses, but your exams are not comparable to a classroom environment. They want you to retake courses to prove you're capable in that environment and will excel in it. It's a desired trait for CRNA school. They don't want people who they know cannot function in that environment. I gotta say, my interview was 90% about whether or not I would be a good student and graduate, not so much about my clinical knowledge. I've heard that's how they usually have their inteviews, and the school has practically no attrition rate, so it's apparently a good system.

University of Detroit-Mercy is more lenient. They will let you take A&P again as A&P I, A&P II, Anatomy, Physiology, and with or without lab. Online or classroom, makes no difference. I know a guy who got in there who only needed A&P. He had a kid and had a rough schedule, so he opted to take A&P through University of Phoenix without lab and that was acceptable for them. Downside is their program is longer, and more costly.

Where abouts do you live? A quick browse through your older posts makes me think you're not from the Michigan area. Would you ever considering going to school out of state?

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Specializes in CVICU,SICU,ICU.

Detroitdano: I live on the East Coast and I have not put any restrictions on applying to any program, nor am I adverse to completely relocating somewhere else. As far as I am concerned, I would live anywhere to have the opportunity to attend the right program for me. I have a few applications out there right now, but I want to make sure I don't waste any time while I'm waiting. I figured I might as well pick up a few graduate level classes to show schools I am serious. My manager is not the most flexible, but I'm working on some options I hope I might be able to make work so I can attend a class or two in person.

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I've already taken undergraduate A&P, so retaking the class at another community college wouldn't really do anything for me. I've called around to local graduate programs, and their courses are restricted to students in a degree granting program. In my situation, online seems like a valid option to take graduate level classes in order to a. expand my knowledge base and b. illustrate to prospective programs that I can manage graduate level work. Since many, many MSN programs now are either available completely or with significant online portions (from reputable B&M schools too, not just University of Phoenix and the like), I don't have the same concerns you do about the classes being looked down upon.

If you can find an online course through a state university, that would be far more ideal than something like University of Phoenix, that's for sure!

Retaking a course, like I did, always looks better in the classroom. In your case, if you're looking to take something brand new for your own knowledge, online isn't as big of a deal. That you are correct about. You're going above and beyond what the school require, not repeating a class to bring up a poor mark.

Good luck to you!

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Yeah, don't need to repeat anything. Unless I plan to redo my first degree in English Lit....but if an admissions committee can't look at the difference between my grades from the first degree and my second and determine that I learned to buckle down, retaking things like Modernism and its Writers or German Diction for Singers likely won't convince them either!

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, OR, Med-Surg.

My CRNA program offers health assessment, adv physiology, adv pharmacology, as well as all their core courses online. You can take them in a lecture format or online. Most of the CRNA programs in Pennsylvania allow you to take the core courses online to decrease your course load when you start the anesthesia program. I'm not sure about many programs looking down on online programs since many programs are geared for the working adult while allowing them to knock those classes so they can concentrate on their anesthesia courses.

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Specializes in Family Practice, ICU.

A few questions:

1. When I called Liberty University, some recruiter girl who had contacted me after I sent financial aid information to Liberty told me that they do not allow non-degree seeking students to take Advanced Pharm and Advanced Patho. Judging from how confused she sounded at what I was trying to do, it sounded more like she just didn't know the answer. Their website doesn't provide much information regarding this. Can someone tell me (probably via PM) who exactly to contact?

2. As far as I know, there are no brick-and-mortar Advanced Pharm / Patho classes within driving distance for me (Salt Lake City, Utah), so online is my only option. I have heard that offers an Advanced Patho course, but it's uber pricey ($2k!). Any ideas?

Thank you all for the great info.

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Specializes in Family Practice, ICU.

So just for the record, I received an e-mail from the MSN Advisement Coordinator of Liberty University who explicitly stated that they do not allow non-degree seeking students to take the Advanced Pharmacology or Advanced Pathophysiology courses. I am not sure how other nurses who had no intention of becoming Nurse Educators or Practitioners through Liberty were able to take the courses, but I am finding it not possible.

Any other ideas where we can take these courses?

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I am not sure about individual graduate level courses in advanced pharm or advanced patho but Barry University has an online 695 level Intro to Anesthesiology course that covers some of the basic organic chem, physics, intro to anesthesia etc. stuff that you may need to know for starting in a program. They say on their website that they also accept this course as the additional chemistry course (in addition to the regular chemistry that you had as an undergrad in nsg school) that is required to get into their program.

I am not sure what other colleges would think of this course but it seems like it covers some interesting stuff although it is a little expensive. You do not have to be admitted into the CRNA program to take this course. I emailed them about it last year and that is what they told me although you may want to verify that is still the case.

Prepare Yourself for Nurse Anesthesia Education : About the Program : Anesthesiology (MS) : College of Health Sciences : Barry University, Miami Shores, Florida

Another option although it would not be grad level is to go to a CC and take some Chemistry and Organic Chemistry courses as well as Physics. Most nurses do not take these courses whereas pre-med students, pharmacy, etc do. Generally nursing programs seem to be impressed if you took above and beyond the hard science courses especially if you do well. Plus, you may be able to use these hard science professors as academic references when the time comes. I took Organic Chem 1 and it sure does lead to a deeper understanding of medications. I am going to take the O Chem 2 this fall. A great book for studying O chem is, Organic Chemistry as a Second Language by David Klein. This author really makes it easy to understand.

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Specializes in Step-down ICU.
So just for the record, I received an e-mail from the MSN Advisement Coordinator of Liberty University who explicitly stated that they do not allow non-degree seeking students to take the Advanced Pharmacology or Advanced Pathophysiology courses. I am not sure how other nurses who had no intention of becoming Nurse Educators or Practitioners through Liberty were able to take the courses, but I am finding it not possible.

Any other ideas where we can take these courses?

I just applied to Liberty University. You are correct, you have to be enrolled in a program to take the courses. As of right now, I am in the MSN-Nurse Educator track, but I have no intention of graduating from there. I plan to take Adv pharm and patho only. The good thing about being a degree seeking student vs. non-degree seeking is that financial aid will cover the tuition. I've talked to many universities and almost all of them have the same policy as Liberty. If you can afford the cost of taking classes as a non-degree student, then go for it. The two courses at Liberty will be close to $3300 + books. That's cheap compared to some graduate programs. I think University of Phoenix is $2k/per class. I know a SRNA who took 3 grad level courses through Phoenix and it cost them $7k--which she paid out of pocket! Anyway, I say all this to say you might want to consider enrolling under a MSN track in order to take the classes. Good luck!

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