BS in Biology to BSN - tranferring credits

Music in My Heart · Sep 16, 2007

hello all. i'm sorry to be redundant with the "i want to be a nurse" ordeal, but i have to share.
i'm 23 years old and just graduated from uc riverside with a biology degree under my belt. took me five excruciating years but now it's over and done.
the day right after graduation, however, i woke up and cried because i didn't know what to do with my life. in highschool i had aspirations to become a pediatrician because of my love for children. but because of my so-so effort and family crisis during the first half of my college years, i screwed myself over. i graduated with a 2.87 gpa and to this day still feel pretty crappy about it. medical school out of the question. and to this day, i'm feeling pretty depressed, a failure if you will.
i sympathize. i once hoped to be a physician but was not able to do it in the way that i needed to because of some poor effort in college. while i still sometimes lament what's happened, there have been plenty of good things in life that wouldn't have come my way had i been admitted to the med schools i was willing to attend.
while i did fail to achieve that goal, i am not a failure. neither are you... unless you choose to be. pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and kick yourself in the butt and start heading down a path on which you can be happy. let the pain of this experience serve to stimulate your best effort in things to come.
i looked into getting lab tech jobs that were related to the coursework i undertook, however, the thought of being stuck in a lab with no human/patient interaction is not appealing to me. i'm a people person.
a job as a lab tech would make me want to gouge my eyes out. it works for some but definitely not for me. you're wise to recognize that now before you head down that path.
i'm looking at colleges that offer the bsn program (specifically at cal state san bernadino- i qualify for a fee waiver that allows me to attend any california community college, california state university, or a university of california school at no cost)
wow, sounds like a great waiver. i hate to tell you this, though, i think you're not going to be very competitive at getting into a bsn program. your overall gpa is pretty weak and your science grades are mediocre.
i have completed most of the pre-requisites at ucr, i'm lacking a speech and critical thinking course.
i don't see a course in human anatomy nor one in human physiology. i don't think your vertebrate anatomy class is going to count. many programs also require nutrition. you may or may not need to take speech and critical thinking - you need to check with the specific schools.
but i know can handle the future coursework. it took me a while, but i have developed the study skills necessary to do well in a class and got my priorities straight. i plan on heading over to the nursing department over there, transcript in hand, and high hopes.
enthusiasm and optimism are great qualities. if your high hopes are dashed, keep those qualities and add in a boatload of persistence as well as self-discipline. you know that you can handle the coursework but your academic record doesn't back it up. in the current competitive environment, you need to show that you can handle it.
is there a way i can convince them to accept me?
frankly, i'd be surprised right now. you're probably going to have to build up a solid academic record in order to have a shot. you should definitely look at some of the community colleges whose entry requirements will likely be less stringent than the bsn programs. many of the former admit on lottery, waiting list, or first-come, first-served bases. with your gpa below 3.0, you may still run into trouble, though.
do i have to re-take some courses?
well, you definitely need the human anatomy and human physiology courses. your b- in microbiology probably warrants a retake. you might consider taking a 1-yr elements of chemistry (the one for non-science majors that provides an overview of general, organic, and biochem). if you could ace it, that would help offset your struggles in chemistry.
realistically, to have a shot at a bsn program, you need to put together at least 20-30 units of outstanding grades including the core prerequisites (human anatomy & physiology, chemistry, and microbiology).
i need advice, and quick. i grow more anxious with each passing day
are there other ways to qualify oneself to take the nclex-rn? nope.
what am i qualified for? i don't know. you're probably qualified to be a lab tech or a production tech at a biotech/pharmaceutical company. you could get a credential and try to become a high school biology teacher (recognize, though, that the subject-matter test is no joke...i took the general science one and the chemistry one and they were not easy.)
should i look into becoming an cna first? you'll hear both sides of this one. personally (being just 20 clinical hours and the state boards away from being a cna), i think it's a waste of time. it's a requirement for my demsn program, though, so i'm doing it. i couldn't work as a cna in an ltc (and i admire the heck out of those who do) but if you can, and you have a passion for helping people, there's a huge need for good, caring cnas. you'll be tragically underpaid, though.
do college credits ever "expire"? it depends on the "receiving" school but yes, they can. i've seen anywhere from 5 to 10 years as the "shelf life."
any input would be greatly appreciated. i want this so bad and i'm willing to do whatever it takes to get it. there you have mine. if you want it badly enough and you're willing to be persistent and work at it, you can recover. the truth is, you've dug yourself a hole and it's going to take time and effort to get out of it.
i also dug a hole and i put in the time and effort to get out of it. it wasn't easy and i've paid a price for it but i can testify that it can be done.
to show you all how serious i am, here is my transcript. what do you think? i think your grades are weak and that you've got an uphill climb. i also think you may need to repeat that 2nd-quarter f in statistics (you would for my program, anyway).
it's to your disadvantage that even on your third try at intro to molecular biology, you still only pulled a c+. likewise, your repeat of cell bio only yielded a c.
likewise, your grades don't show any real improvement.
i hope this doesn't hurt your feelings but it's important that you get honest, objective feedback to help in your decision making. perhaps other people will have a different take on it.
and yes i did a second repeat for my first bio class.
anth 001 cultural anthropology 03u 4.00 a
anth 002 biological anthropolo 07w 4.00 a
ast 065 intro southeast asian 03f 4.00 b
bch 100 elementary biochemist 05f 4.00 c-
biol 005a intro to cell & molec 03f (3.00) f repeat, no credit
biol 005a intro to cell & molec 04f 3.00 c+
biol 005a intro to cell & molec 04w (3.00) d repeat, no credit
biol 005b intro: organismal bio 05w 4.00 b
biol 005c introductory evolutio 05s 4.00 b
biol 05la intro to cell & molec 03f 1.00 c-
biol 102 intro:genetics 05s 4.00 b
biol 105 evolution 06w 4.00 c+
biol 107a molecular biology 06w 4.00 b-
biol 121l microbiology laborato 07s 3.00 a+
biol 161a func anatomy:vertebra 06f 5.00 b-
biol 161b func anatomy:vertebra 07w 5.00 c+
cbns 101 fundamentals of cell 05f (4.00) d+ repeat, no credit
cbns 101 fundamentals of cell 06f 4.00 c
cbns 106 introduction to neuro 06s 4.00 b+
cbns 121 developmental neurosc 06f 4.00 c+
cbns 150 cancer biology 06s 4.00 b-
chem 001a general chemistry 03w 4.00 b
chem 001b general chemistry 03s 4.00 b+
chem 001c general chemistry 03u 4.00 c+
chem 001w preparation for gener 02f 3.00 s
chem 112a organic chemistry 04w 4.00 c-
chem 112b organic chemistry 04s 4.00 b-
chem 112c organic chemistry 04f 4.00 b-
cs 008 introduction to compu 06w 4.00 b-
econ 002 intro to macroeconomi 04u 4.00 b+
engl 001a beginning composition 03w 4.00 a
engl 001b intermediate composit 03s 4.00 b+
engl 001c applied intrmtd compo 03u 4.00 c
engl 005 ideas in conflict 02f 4.00 b-
etst 001 race & ethnicity:intr 04f 4.00 a
etst 012 religious myths & rit 04s 4.00 b+
hist 020 world history: twenti 04u 4.00 a-
math 005 intro to college math 02f 5.00 b+
math 009a first-year calculus 03w 4.00 c
math 009b first-year calculus 03s 4.00 b-
mcbl 121 introductory microbio 05f 4.00 b-
mus 001 basic musical concept 05s 4.00 a+
mus 162 choral society 07s 1.00 a
phil 005 evil 05w 4.00 b+
phys 002a general physics 03f 4.00 c+
phys 002b general physics 04w 4.00 c-
phys 002c general physics 04s 4.00 b
phys 02la general physics labor 03f 1.00 b
phys 02lb general physics labor 04w 1.00 c
phys 02lc general physics labor 04s 1.00 c
psyc 001 introductory psycholo 06u 4.00 a
psyc 002 introductory psycholo 04f 4.00 b
psyc 011 psyc methds:statistic 06u 4.00 a
psyc 178 health psychology 07w 4.00 b
psyc 179 health and behavior c 07s 4.00 b+
rlst 007 intro to western reli 07s 4.00 b+
stat 100a intro to statistics 04u 5.00 b
stat 100b intro to statistics 06s (5.00) f
wmst 001 gender and sexuality 05w 4.00 b+
total 206.00 gpa 2.872, variance +181
i have good intentions... i'm sure you do. i hope that things work out for you.
i would love to eventually work in the pediatric section. perhaps even move on to a pa position but i do'nt want to get too ahead of myself. i think it's good to dream about what you want in the long run but you have a ways to go before you have a shot at an rn program, let alone a pa program.
dream, but focus.
thankyou for your time you're welcome. i hope that it's been helpful and not too discouraging.

so, you see all of my embedded comments. to summarize:

you can do this but you're going to have to invest some time, energy, and money to repair the results of your baccalaureate work.

you should take human anatomy, human physiology, microbiology, and nutrition and get a's in all of them. likewise, you should consider taking a 1-year elements of chemistry course and consider taking a 1-semester statistics course.

while you should apply to some bsn programs, you should also look at the cc programs. make sure that you have the prerequisites for all of them. find out if any of them require entrance testing. if so, prepare well for the test and knock their socks off.

persistence will show in your favor.

keep your chin up and keep moving forward, you're quite young and you have a whole lot of time still to get yourself to where you want to be.

again, my apologies if i've been too negative but i'm just trying to be honest about what i see. much success to you.

le_cheezy · Sep 17, 2007

W O W! thankyou so much for your input. It really put things into perspective for me. and i appreciate the honesty. (i'm just so glad i don't have student loans to pay off!)

So now i'm contemplating over a deviation in plans.

What if I were to get the license for an LVN and try the LVN-RN bridge program that a few colleges around my area offer? I'm looking into a healthcare specialty college which offers the LVN license. Reason being, there probably won't be a humongo waiting list... which community colleges are sadly known for....(talked to a couple still on the waiting list for our community college.)

While I'm working for the LVN license, I can volunteer at a local hospital....perhaps work into a part-time postion during that 1yr-2yrs of studying. Therefore, increasing my chances of being hired as an LVN.

Then i'll apply for the LVN-RN program, after completing the prereqs, part-time.

then NCLEX-RN! woohoo!

This is totally just a rough draft of my......life.....in the upcoming years.. that played out nicely in my head. I still need to talk to an academic/program counselor.

Is difficult to make that transition (LVN to RN)? Can I work as an LVN part-time....while I'm taking the LVN-RN program? or vice versa? Is it easier to get into? Would this sign me up for the dreaded "~100 yr program"? (Has anyone out there reading this actually done this?)

I know there's the option of working as a CNA and then go for the AA or BS for the RN while doing that part-time. but how long would it take to get into the program after finishing my pre-reqs.....

I just don't know which is the ideal path....for me...the more time efficient one would be ideal.

So many questions i need answered. I'll probably drive that couselor crazy with my incoherent concerns.

Sorry for being so naive on the subject matter. I do not know anyone personally who is an RN who could help me with this.

thankyou

sharann, BSN, RN · Sep 19, 2007

It sounds to me like you have being doing some serious soul searching. I would recommend talking with a career counselor or similar because from reading all your post I do not think you have truly forgiven yourself for not getting into med school. You may actually think that nursing school is easier and that nurses settle for nursing because we can't get into med school. You obviously know this is not true but do you believe it yet?

You talk about RN school and then talk about a PA position. If you get a degree in nursing then why not go the NP route if you want to be higher up on the totem pole. You may find you can't stand working with kids but you may love oncology patients.

You obviously have a brain for math and science and a persistent will both which will bode you well if you choose nursing.

I hope you find peace and a decision you are truly happy with. With a degree in BIO you are so far ahead you have no clue! Good luck in whatever you decide.

sunnyjohn · Sep 19, 2007

1. If you REALLY want to be a doctor check out the SMP (Special Master's Programs) or Post Baccalaureate programs offered by colleges. These programs are designed to IMPROVE the GPA of people who did so-so in college but want to be competitive for med school. I have friends with GPA's WORSE than yours who did one of these programs and got in to med school. PA school is even HARDER to get into than med school in many locals.

Check out the special section at http://www.studentdoctor.net for more information.

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2. If your REALLY want to be a nurse, I would suggest you look into the direct-entry MSN/MN programs. With your record, I know a few programs that would take you (Xavier and Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati for example.) Some might require the GRE. These programs are accelerated. You would be prepared to take the NCLEX for the RN license on a generic Master's level in 15-20 months.

3. California waiting lists are notoriously LONG. If you are willing to relocate or consider the Direct-entry Master's you can quickly avoid that wait.

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One more thing, nursing is not a fall back. They are two different career paths. If you REALLY, REALLY want to be a doctor, you will probably not be completly happy as a nurse.

Search yourself. Figure out which one you want. Then go all out to acheive it.

sunnyjohn · Sep 19, 2007

Here is a list of schools offering a Master's for Non-nursing College graduates.

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/IDS/pdf/GENMAS06.pdf

Here is a list of schools offering a Bachelor's for Non-nursing college graduates.

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/IDS/pdf/BSNNCG06.pdf

Here is a FACT SHEET from AACN on Accelerated Bachelor's and Master's degrees for Non-nurses College Graduates.

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/AcceleratedProg.htm

AACN = The American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Ambitiouz · Sep 19, 2007

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