Western Tech in La Crosse, wait list?

nurse_becks6 · Jun 20, 2009

There are several options...you can take all your general ed credits and be done with them, typically by the time you are done with those your wait time is just about over. I was accepted into the accelerated Black River Falls Western Tech program in January 2008. I was enrolled only two semesters prior to that and the program itself was 18 months straight through the summer. I know some students who have waited the two years or whatever it is now a days and it DID in fact take that long. Fortunately, many students aren't willing to wait that long and venture into other things which leaves room for faster acceptance to those dedicated to waiting it out.

My best advice is to take ALL your generals prior to starting the program and continuously call and check on the status of your application. They do random drawings each semester and by ensuring everything in your records are in order prior to each selection you have a better chance of being accepted earlier. :up:

As for the program itself, it's tough but clearly do-able from my perspective. I did the fast track and earned by degree in 18 months, not including my pre reqs. The instructors leave much to be desired but attempt to stay on their good side, study hard for your exams and come prepared to clinical and you'll be fine. I take my boards next week already and many students that graduated with me said that WTC really prepared us for them. While I did have a few instructors that were in "burn out" mode, overall my experience was good. They do have some poor organizational skills as a facility and you truly need to ensure that all your paperwork is there each semester, as they tend to misplace things.....ex: CPR card copies, immunization records etc. :bowingpur

After two semesters of your actual core nursing classes you can take your LPN boards, and many of us did...not one of us failed. A few of us got jobs in the healthcare field during school to gain experience but 3rd semester you really shouldn't work....the curriculum is very tough and all your time will be spent...or should be spent studying. Good luck on your endeavor to become a nurse or MA. It's totally worth it! I'm working now in Med Surg and I absolutely thrive on it, it's really challenging and I'm learning a lot.....

If you need any other advice let me know.

Becks:D

Busia · Jun 20, 2009

Thanks for your response! I ended up going to the tech in Winona, I'm taking gen ed's this summer and fall, and am hoping to be accepted to the LPN program for spring. It's more expensive than WTC, but it's also closer to home so less I have to pay for daycare and less travel time, especially in the winter!

nurse_becks6 · Jun 21, 2009

Good Luck with your venture. I have a few friends that are attending there and really like it. I heard a rumor that they were no longer accredited though. I would check to ensure they are working on becoming accredited again so as to prevent problems after you graduate.

Your perseverance will pay off. Stay focused on what you want and you'll go far.

Take Care,

Nurse B

Busia · Jun 21, 2009

They are accredited. They're up for re-accreditation next year, but there was no lapse or anything.

nurse_becks6 · Jun 22, 2009

Good, I can't imagine how hard it would be to get a job without an accredited school on your resume. Not sure where I heard that but I'm glad it's not true. Have fun and remember to take pictures, I wish I had more memories to make a scrapbook of my time in school.