CSUF EL-MSN Fall 2009 Applicants

[mnguy016]

are there any fall 2009 applicants out there?

[msnapplicant]

Hopewishpray, did someone you know get accepted?

[This is the year09]

Does anyone have any updates on when we should hear back? I called today, and they're always so abrupt... the lady I spoke to said we should hear back in the next month or 2?! When I told her that in the interviews they said we would hear back April 1-15th, she said emails/letters may go out by then, but they're backed up?! I cannot imagine waiting any longer!!

[levoila]

Does anyone have any updates on when we should hear back? I called today, and they're always so abrupt... the lady I spoke to said we should hear back in the next month or 2?! When I told her that in the interviews they said we would hear back April 1-15th, she said emails/letters may go out by then, but they're backed up?! I cannot imagine waiting any longer!!

I don't have any updates yet, but I have an interview tomorrow morning, so I'll let everyone know what they say. I haven't tried calling them, but I was definitely frustrated early on when I wouldn't get responses to my emails. :anbd:Hang in there!

[This is the year09]

Levoila! Fill us in! :rcgtku:

[levoila]

There were only 7 people interviewed and Dr. Wickman conducted the interview herself. There wasn't an individual portion this time. We sat in a small conference room near the nursing dept office.

She began by going over the schedule, classes, program info, full-time/ part-time options (after the spring of the second year, those who wish to work can transition into the part-time schedule to be able to work but it would take an extra year). Those interested in the midwifery program could transition into that beginning the Fall of the third year (but this would also add an extra year).

She said that half of the class started working after taking the NCLEX (January of the second year), but she recommends waiting until the end of that Spring semester.

We got a tour of the simulation lab! Everything looked so nice and new! They have several dummies on hospital beds w/ privacy curtains around them (I think at least 10 or so, plus the baby-sized dummies)--some of the dummies could even breathe, talk, cough, puke, have bp and pulse...the dummy to insert a foley catheter actually has "urine" that will come out into the collection bag if you do it right.

Navy blue scrubs! Yay for no whites--I hate them for the CNA class I'm taking.

We would have to take two online courses the summer before starting, Medical Terminology and Dosage Calculations. She said that people who had already taken them would be exempt.

She then basically went over what the schedule would be like...1-2 days on campus, 2 days of clinicals. She showed us the main classroom that we would be using--it has individual computer stations (so that we can take notes on the powerpoint outlines)!

The first three weeks of the first semester we would work in that awesome simulation lab (learning how to take vital signs, make beds, give bed baths, start IVs, insert catheters, change dressings), then start clinicals after the third week.

As she described the program we asked questions and she paused to answer them, then toward the end, she asked each person a question (one each) and then we took a tour of the simulation lab and that was it.

She said to expect decisions in 1-2 weeks.

She said that they received around 350 applications, interviewed 60 people during the first round, and 7 people this round.

Most of the clinical sites she mentioned were in Orange County, with a few exceptions, such as Long Beach.

That's all I can remember...good luck everyone!

[This is the year09]

Wow! Thanks Levoila! So, what's your overall feeling about CSUF? Did she mention why they had a second round of more intimate, more detailed interviews?

[levoila]

Wow! Thanks Levoila! So, what's your overall feeling about CSUF? Did she mention why they had a second round of more intimate, more detailed interviews?

You're welcome. She said that our GPAs hadn't been calculated correctly or something and so after that was completed, we were competitive applicants.

I definitely left with a wonderful impression of the program. She mentioned that we would be the third class starting the program, so there were still things that they were addressing as issues have come up. She made it clear that the department was open to our input about the program and that while it wasn't perfect, that the students are doing well and helping to improve it with their input.

She also mentioned that the NCLEX pass rate was in the 90s--just 1-2 out of 60 had to retake the NCLEX. She recommended using the Kaplan Review course.

[This is the year09]

Well, thank you so much for the update, and I'm glad you were able to be a part of the interview process!!

Good Luck!!!

[jm394, RN, CRNA]

Voila,

Merci for your tres bien reporting. I have to say that I'm still bewildered by their selection process... Well, regardless there's nothing to do but wait and see... I'm jealous that you got such a nice tour, we didn't get the red-carpet treatment during our short visit! Did they mention how many people they'll be admitting by any chance?

[levoila]

Je t'en prie, Jm394!

Dr. Wickman said that they are still only admiting 36.

When she was talking about the simulation lab, I asked if it was possible to see it and she graciously agreed to walk over with us and give us a short tour. There was a BSN class in there when we got there and they answered some of our questions. Then their instructor (a grad student in the EL-MSN program) told us about her experience in the program and showed us the features on the dummies. They were really sweet to us.

I regret not asking if I could see the simulators for the other programs.

Good luck everyone.

[shoppingbigtime]

wow! LeVoila is awesome! Thanks a lot! good luck to you too!

[jm394, RN, CRNA]

I agree, wonderful intelligence gathering. Good luck all