CSUDH Entry MEPN Program - Fall 2010 Applicants

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i've been following a few threads and i love the excitement and anticipation of those waiting for acceptance letters/phone calls to a particular program and the camaraderie that it creates. i would love to get a thread going to show support and updates for those of us who have/are applying to cal state dominguez hills mepn program for fall 2010. i submitted my portfolio and application on november 30th. i was told that i should expect an interview in january. this is the only program i'm applying to. i know some may say that isn't smart, but i've done alot of research and it is the best/only one that meets all of my needs: prereqs, location, program duration, nclex pass rate and cost. being 30 and already having an expensive master's from usc in a field that i have decided to walk away from in order to follow my heart, i know that this program is the one for me. so i'm stepping out on faith and claiming my spot in the fall 2010 cohort. in my workshop, they said that they only expect to accept 35-40 students for fall. would love for others to share their experience with applying to this program and hopefully many of us will start this journey together are csudh in the fall! good luck to everyone!

mya

I live in Baldwin Hills, but originally from Inglewood. So I'm local - been here all my life.

One thing that I couldn't get a definite answer on was class schedules. Are you in class all day, then clinicals in the evenings?

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Jill,

Did you get a HUGE folder envelope or a teeny weeny letter envelop??? I just want to prepare myself for when I receive something!:lol2: :p

And if they accepted you and didn't say anything about the patho class, then don't you!! Just roll with the punches! ;)

It was a small envelope -- only had a letter that said "Congratulations, yadda yadda" and a piece of paper that tells you how to access your student email account, etc. There was nothing that told me how to accept/decline, so I assume that will come the department...eventually. If you guys get something different, let me know!

And no, I am keeping my mouth shut regarding the patho class!

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Are most of you from around the South Bay? I live in North Torrance, fairly close to Dominguez.

Thanks for asking the question about envelope size - I can't wait to get the response. If it is only from admissions, then maybe it's a pretty small envelope. Would be good to know before I have a heart attack if I received a small envelope.:redpinkhe

Kim

I currently live in Santa Barbara, but I grew up in the South Bay...my family lives there. I want to move to Torrance, but the rents are more than I expected...so I may look at Long Beach. We'll see...I am so excited to move!!

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I currently live in Santa Barbara, but I grew up in the South Bay...my family lives there. I want to move to Torrance, but the rents are more than I expected...so I may look at Long Beach. We'll see...I am so excited to move!!

Long Beach has some great, affordable areas. Yes, Torrance, Redondo Beach and all of those surrounding south bay cities can be high. You may want to check some parts of Harbor City and San Pedro that can be pretty reasonable - you just have to check the areas first. While the surrounding carson area around the school is good, it's mostly older homeowners and families, and doesn't really offer the type of housing for a grad student (i.e. apartments). Other parts of carson are..........well, a NO NO! LOL

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Yeah, I need to be careful with parts of HC and SP...and Carson! Well, and LB for that matter. I was looking at Belmont Shores or Belmont Heights...though it's a bit of a trek to the freeway from there. Maybe worth in the end...for the ambience. :) My sister lives in Old Torrance, so ideally I would like to live around that area...but I would have to hunt around for an affordable place. Though I am getting a little ahead of myself...still have months to worry about this!

So where are you thinking about taking classes for your CNA? The program at SBCC is full-time for one semester, so that is out of the question for me...

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I'm enrolled in the program at West LA college. We started class last week. Theory lecture T/Th 630p-930p and Clinical hours S/Su 7a-4p (although clinicals start Mar 13). The program goes through May in which red cross will come to the campus to do the state testing. I'm so exhausted already with school, trying to finish up these classes and working fulltime (which I need to get to and stay off of allnurses.com :lol2:). I hate being in limbo tho, it's like freaking purgatory - I won't be able to breath and really plan until I know something from Dominguez. I had to find a different Microbiology course other than UCLA extension as their spring qtr course conflicts with the CNA classes. I found an online course at Eastern Oregon University with lab (virtual/simulated) and was able to get in for the spring qtr (mar 29-june 6). Thankfully they don't charge out of state-tuition, So I sent JE the syllabus last week and he notified me yesterday that the school approved the course, so thankfully I can still stay on track and still be in the running. :p I told him that I was taking the CNA program (but not that I have intenions of working as a CNA should I get in :p). I'm looking at every type of work that could possibly fit in around school - I will need some type of income coming in!

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They make it sound like you can't work at all. I was going to see how the fall semester goes, then see if I can find something for a few hours per week. I need some source of income other than high interest loans!

Glad they accepted your microbio class! I wonder how they do the lab online? Let me know how that goes.

I still feel in limbo too, even though I know...because I haven't received anything directly from the school. I think I might wait a month and then email CP (she responds quicker) to see if they are going to be mailing out packets with more info in the near future.

Good luck with the CNA class!

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Yeah, I'm glad they accepted it also! I would've thrown a tantrum!:crying2: The crazy thing is that they accept Micro from UCLA extension (several other schools accept the course as well, including UCLA), yet it doesn't have an official lab component. I think you may do some "lab-type" activities in class, but no seperate lab section.

Anyway, this is the lab description for the course at EOU:

Laboratory:

The self-guided virtual lab exercises will cover the basic methods of handling, culturing, and identifying common micro-organisms. A detailed procedure for each exercise is provided in an online lab manual which can be printed off of the instructor's web page. They are designed to illustrate basic microbiological procedures. Virtual Unknown Microbiology is a lab simulation that offers over 50 microbiological tests including Gram staining, carbohydrate tests, nitrite metabolism, blood hemolysis, etc. are included to help identify 124 bacterial species. These activities are highly realistic and will utilize the basic procedures learned in the hands-on laboratory sessions. These labs will be conducted by student at his or her home and reported to the instructor in written and photograph form. The organisms used are found in common food products, so are entirely safe

So this should be interesting! My kitchen is going to be a mess!:lol2:

And dont' worry too much, as long as you have your letter from the University, I'm sure you're fine. The SON is probably busy trying to figure out what to do with us slackers who didn't have all of our classes completed :p!!

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Wow, that's crazy! Do you have to buy petri dishes, etc? You'll have to remember to warn your friends before they open the fridge in your house! I loved microbio (though my area of interest is infectious diseases), but it certainly was a lot of work!

Ha ha, you guys aren't slackers!

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Ha ha, you guys aren't slackers!

LOL, you're too kind! But I guess I will speak for myself. But I really should've started taking prereqs last summer (or spring for that matter, to avoid the urgency I'm dealing with now) since I only had 4 to complete (anat, physio, micro, and speech), but no I waited around and then the reality hit me when I was trying to crash courses everywhere last semester- science prereqs are so freaking impacted, it's ridic! Luckily I got into speech and anatomy (which I loved). I'm enjoying physiology as well, but I'm not too excited about micro (I'm hoping that will change).

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I've been taking classes for almost 2 years -- my original plan was to get my ADN at a CC, so I had to complete Anat, Phys, and Micro BEFORE I could even apply. It wasn't until last summer that I stumbled upon CSUDH and received some advice from nursing faculty to not bother with the ADN programs. So all I had to take at that point was Patho. I am so glad I decided not to go to a CC -- I was admitted to Saddleback to start this semester. Plus SBCC has a THREE YEAR waiting list (my current estimated start date is Fall 2012)!!

I think micro lab in your kitchen will be fun! I assume you can't do gram staining in your home, unless they make you buy a bunch of chemicals and a bunson burner?? :p

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oh, I agree! In my opinion, it's like going backwards to get an ADN if you already have a BA, even in a different field. I guess some just want to get into a program and not have to wait so long, but many ADN programs have crazy waitlist, just like you mentioned re: SBCC. And the programs are the same length of time, yet you will come out with so many more opportunities for growing your career out the gate, as opposed to having to do additional schooling that ADNs have to. I hope you send the nursing falculty thank you cards for the good advice!:p

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