Accelerated BSN program at UBC (Vancouver)

noworries · Nov 26, 2005

Hi!

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news(?).. but the competition for this program definately IS very tough.

I Happen to be applying to the program this year (I'm taking the AP course at UBC Vancouver right now). I'm a second year science (biophysics) major right now, and I can see that alot of the smart people from my science classes last year are in the same A-P class with me! These guys have averages of over 80% in their cumulative GPA.. they all want to get into nursing for some reason (many of them want to use it as backup for dental and medical schools.)

I've also met some arts students that plan on transferring into Nursing and their averages are just as high if not higher (easier courses I believe..).

These are the people that are using nursing as a backup for social work...

Its very unfortunate that UBC is not really training future nurses anymore.. but people that want to fall back on nursing incase their other plans dont' work out..

So yeah.. competition is tough

to give you some actual numbers I got from the admissions office

lowest cGPA accepted last year (from all credits taken at post-sec) was roughly ~73%. The average GPA was 77%. About 400-600 applicants apply, and only ~120 make it to the interview stage.. and after that only ~60 are accepted. I say roughly 60 because some people may fail their 3rd year in UBC's nursing program, and have to repeat it.

Pre interview they look at your:

1) GPA

2) Extra curricular work/personal statement

(both are equally weighted

Post interview (decision whether your accepted or not)

will be based on 3 things

1) GPA

2) Extra currics/personal statement

3) Interview

I believe interview makes up around 40% of their decision

while 30% goes to GPA and 30% goes to extra curricular work.

Anyway, Good luck to you!

Maybe we'll be in the same class together next year,

noworries

tkhun · Nov 26, 2005

Thanks so much noworries. You are right, this IS bad news, but I am glad you shared it because now I know what I am up against. Forewarned is fore-armed. I am not too worried about my GPA (I am working hard on passing A&P though I find the work to be a bit too much) but am more concerned about the extracurricular activities - specifically volunteer work. I last worked as a volunteer 4 years ago (at the Vancouver Crisis Center) and I don't know if they will take this into account since the application form asks for volunteer experience gained within the past 3 years. I am trying to rescucitate my volunteer experience, but with one toddler and a baby on the way, plus a husband to look after, I have very little time to spare. Do you know if they prefer volunteer work done in a hospital as opposed to all other kinds of volunteer work? Thanks again for the information.

noworries · Nov 26, 2005

No problem tkhun,

As for your question, hospital work will generally give you a slightly higher boost on your application, but they state that any volunteer work is okay,

their main concern is that you have shown dedication to one area in your

life (I guess this shows them that you won't be likely to ditch nursing?)..

They also want to see that through your previous career or volunteering that you've worked with a variaty of people; with ethnic differences and age differences (from baby's to seniors). Not all of these qualities are needed ofcourse.. but they will definately help.

dear_amber · Sep 8, 2008

Hi!
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news(?).. but the competition for this program definately IS very tough.
I Happen to be applying to the program this year (I'm taking the AP course at UBC Vancouver right now). I'm a second year science (biophysics) major right now, and I can see that alot of the smart people from my science classes last year are in the same A-P class with me! These guys have averages of over 80% in their cumulative GPA.. they all want to get into nursing for some reason (many of them want to use it as backup for dental and medical schools.)
I've also met some arts students that plan on transferring into Nursing and their averages are just as high if not higher (easier courses I believe..).
These are the people that are using nursing as a backup for social work...
Its very unfortunate that UBC is not really training future nurses anymore.. but people that want to fall back on nursing incase their other plans dont' work out..
So yeah.. competition is tough
to give you some actual numbers I got from the admissions office
lowest cGPA accepted last year (from all credits taken at post-sec) was roughly ~73%. The average GPA was 77%. About 400-600 applicants apply, and only ~120 make it to the interview stage.. and after that only ~60 are accepted. I say roughly 60 because some people may fail their 3rd year in UBC's nursing program, and have to repeat it.
Pre interview they look at your:
1) GPA
2) Extra curricular work/personal statement
(both are equally weighted
Post interview (decision whether your accepted or not)
will be based on 3 things
1) GPA
2) Extra currics/personal statement
3) Interview
I believe interview makes up around 40% of their decision
while 30% goes to GPA and 30% goes to extra curricular work.
Anyway, Good luck to you!
Maybe we'll be in the same class together next year,
noworries

Hi noworries,

The information you posted is VERY helpful to me so I just want to say thank you! Also, do you know if UBC still weighs volunteer experience and GPA equally? If so, that would make me feel A LOT better because I have a lot of hospital volunteer experience, but my GPA is 3.3 and that makes me very nervous.

Sarah_604 · Jun 4, 2009

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone who said there were applying to UBC for the Accelerated BSN program from 3rd year, has got accepted. If so, how is the program so far? is it quite intesense since it starts from 3rd year? Is there enough clinical work/involvement? How intense is the program?

Thanks!

VanLpn · Jun 4, 2009

My wife is finishing her BSN at UBC this August. The first semester was very intense. Several people failed/dropped out. You are just kind of thrown into it. They start clinicals in the third week and a lot of the students were lost. My wife hated the first semester and thought she had made a huge mistake. She toughed it out and the next semester was a little smoother. According to her(and other people in the program) the first semester is brutal and the 3rd semester is pretty rough as well. Now that she is in the homestrech she has lots of assignments due every week as well as 3 days a week of clinicals. Everyone that I have talked to in the program says that the time just flies by. I am working on my A&P classes right now and will be applying for the Sep 2010 intake. I just finshed my RCA at Douglas College so that I could gain some practical health care expierence. I also have a B.A in psych from U.B.C. I think I have a shot but yeah it's very competitive. Good luck!

Edited to add - as to your question about clinical hours, UBC claims that students get as much hours as the other colleges, however, my wife's expierence with nursing students from other colleges contradicted that. Also, I have heard that UBC nursing students lag behind in clinicals compared to the 4 year colleges. UBC students seem to catch up though. My wife works as an employed student nurse to get extra expierence.

Sarah_604 · Jun 5, 2009

Hi VanLpn,

Thanks so much for the information. I actually applied to UBC for the accelerated BSN program, went through the interview and have now been accepted for September 2009. I am a bit nervous and I've heard just about the same stuff from others, that you have told me as well. Although it is a great opportunity to studying nursing at UBC, I am quite confused. I guess I have some time before I decide! Thanks for the info and best of luck to you!

Higgs · Jun 5, 2009

...reassuring to know that in future, we'll be nursed by people who ended up in nursing because they couldn't have a career in something they were interested in...

Are the people allocating places on the course aware of this? Surely they should be handing out places to those who want to nurse, not those who want to be social workers or whatever...

Fiona59 · Jun 5, 2009

...reassuring to know that in future, we'll be nursed by people who ended up in nursing because they couldn't have a career in something they were interested in...
Are the people allocating places on the course aware of this? Surely they should be handing out places to those who want to nurse, not those who want to be social workers or whatever...

Preaching to the choir.

Part of this stems from elvation of nursing from hospital/diploma to degree status. Now, only the best of the best are being accepted into the degree, not those who are interested. A girl in my son's class is doing her PN because her overall 85% couldn't get her a degree spot.

Now, we can put on our hard hats and start ducking. My fire extinguisher is close at hand.

Ts88 · Dec 13, 2010

Hi Sarah 604...just wondering if you had a previous degree before you got accepted? and if so what was it in?

tareija · Dec 16, 2010

I started the nursing program at UBC this September. I don't think the perception that our students are in nursing because it was their back-up plan is accurate at all! We have students of different ages (I would say early 20s to mid-40s), many of whom, like myself, are going in to nursing as a second career. We have students who have master's degrees in other disciplines, and came in to the nursing program because they really, really want to be nurses. I don't think it is at all fair to depict as a group of people who actually wanted to be doctors, pharmacists or social workers, but couldn't make the cut. Not trying to offend anyone, but I just wanted to defend my classmates. I'd hate for anyone to see a UBC grad and think "Oh, that person didn't really want to be a nurse, so they're going to be inferior to someone from a 4 year program". It's just not true!