CU Denver 2020 Traditional Program

[buffy31207]

Hello!

I hadn't seen a post from anyone about applying to the June 2020 start so I figured I'd make one! I submitted my application back in September and just received notification that it was verified and eligible for review. They stated that they plan to get back to everyone no later than Monday, December 16th.

I just wanted to link up with some other people in the same boat! I have a Bachelor's degree from CU Denver in Communication, and am now going back to get a BSN. I spent the last couple years getting my science prerequisites, and got a 4.0 in all of those! I kind of screwed up my first couple years of college way back when, so my cumulative is only like a 3.2 including my previous Bachelor's (graduated with a 3.0), but my last 9 or 10 semesters (including summers and prereqs) come out to almost a 4.0 (one A- in there). I have my CNA certification and worked as a CNA for about 6 months as well.

I'm so anxious to hear back!! I almost didn't apply because I thought CU was too competitive, but I just went for it. My backup plan is MSU Denver accelerated. I think I have a decent chance of getting called for an interview, but after that it's anyone's game!

I'd love to hear from others who are applying, or who have applied in the past/gone to CU Denver!

Good luck to everyone!

[npwannabe, CNA]

Hello! This is a couple of months old but I was just wondering what yalls overall and prerequisite GPA’s were that got accepted (or even waitlisted)? I want to apply this cycle so badly, but I’m so afraid my GPA isn’t good enough! I actually didn’t apply for the 2020 cycle for the same reason ?

[buffy31207]

5 hours ago, npwannabe said:

Hello! This is a couple of months old but I was just wondering what yalls overall and prerequisite GPA’s were that got accepted (or even waitlisted)? I want to apply this cycle so badly, but I’m so afraid my GPA isn’t good enough! I actually didn’t apply for the 2020 cycle for the same reason ?

Hi! My overall GPA was maybe a 3.2? I had a previous Bachelor's degree and my GPA was a 3.0 from that. In my prerequisites I got a 4.0, so that brought my overall up. My first half of college was maybe a 2.0 GPA average, with a handful of Fs, but they certainly didn't judge on that! I think the fact that they greatly improved toward the end of my degree and later in my prerequisites was enough. I also had great recommendation letters and put a lot of thought into my essay, and I know that helped a lot!

I would highly encourage you to apply!! It can't hurt and you never know! The wonderful thing about this program is that they really take a look at the whole person, not just the GPA. That's why the application process is so in depth. Academics are important, but I would argue that their impression of how you would be as a nurse and why you want to be one is more important. Additionally, I had CNA experience and I know that helped!

I say go for it!! You have nothing at all to lose! I wasn't sure I'd be accepted either but I decided to just go for it, and I was accepted! Good luck!

[Sadie508]

Hi, I am currently applying to the program right now and waiting to hear back about interview status. I would to love to hear about the program from current students and what the program has been like.  When did you get assigned your first clinical assignment?

[buffy31207]

32 minutes ago, Sadie508 said:

Hi, I am currently applying to the program right now and waiting to hear back about interview status. I would to love to hear about the program from current students and what the program has been like.  When did you get assigned your first clinical assignment?

Hi! 

I'm a current junior in the program. It's been great so far, albeit different than I anticipated this time last year, pre-covid! All of our classes have been remote which sucks,  but I think we're just used to it now. Our clinicals for Health Assessment and Foundations were cancelled - I think we were supposed to get one or two hospital days for each. We would've done those in August/September. We did have onsite simulation clinicals for Foundations though, so we got to go to South Campus to practice skills like medication administration and injections and stuff.

We have been able to do our Med/Surg 1 clinicals at the hospitals. Those started in November. I just finished mine this week - we were originally supposed to go in November but it got cancelled due to a covid exposure. That has happened to a few groups, rescheduling due to covid exposures. It looks like we will get to do Mental Health and Med/Surg 2 clinicals in the Spring at the hospitals as well, so that's great.

From what I've heard, a lot of the OB/Peds clinicals have been cancelled, so it's all been simulation as opposed to in person at the hospitals. I won't have those classes until next fall, so hopefully by then the clinicals are back on.

Overall it's been great, and we're really lucky that CU has a great relationship with the hospitals, so they seem to give priority to our school for clinical placements. I spoke with a couple students from Denver College of Nursing who worked at the hospital I was in clinicals at, and they've had zero hospital clinicals. So it definitely pays off to be at CU and get those hands-on experiences!

Good luck and happy to answer any other questions! 

[Gabriel_CU]

I agree with buffy31207,

I am also a current junior in the program and the Summer/ first block of fall semester everything was simulation (VSIM) or clinical essentials with a few in person onsite clinicals at CU South campus. That being said, The CU south campus is anticipating closing its doors, so I cannot speak as to what will be augmented in lieu of those onsites we were able to get. 

Additionally, I am taking OB/PEDS Spring 2021, this is where things change, some groups will be divided so I can only speak for myself. I was able to have all my clinical offsites, this year even with COVID-19 I guess it depends on availability and CU relationship it has with other offsite locations. I did my MED SURG 1 rotation at the VA hospital and I am scheduled to do my PEDS at Childrens Hospital in the Spring.

Some advice I can say, is our experience will be different from yours, fortunately the campus was able to use the UCAN and our cohort as beta, to work out the online difficulties so maybe, it will be smoother for you if you are accepted. Additionally, you will get most of your clinicals and experiences offsite, this is based on my experience. I didn't think didactic learning (in class) helped my ability to grasp concepts as efficiently than, being in person and hands on!

I wish you all the best! Goodluck and what an exciting time.

[Sadie508]

Thank you both for such awesome right ups! They were both so helpful. It sounds like they have some really good clinical placements at CU.  With COVID, has there been as great of a variety of hospitals? What are the main places people are assigned? 

Why is the south campus closing? Will all of the accelerated classes moving back to Anschutz? 

Are your classes in person in the Spring!

I am glad to hear that didactic online isn't impacting your learning! Thanks again for answering my questions.

[buffy31207]

8 hours ago, Sadie508 said:

Thank you both for such awesome right ups! They were both so helpful. It sounds like they have some really good clinical placements at CU.  With COVID, has there been as great of a variety of hospitals? What are the main places people are assigned? 

Why is the south campus closing? Will all of the accelerated classes moving back to Anschutz? 

Are your classes in person in the Spring!

I am glad to hear that didactic online isn't impacting your learning! Thanks again for answering my questions.

There has still been a wide variety of hospitals once they opened clinicals back up to students! There have been placements at UCHealth, Littleton, Swedish, Sky Ridge, the VA, Medical Center of Aurora, Denver Health, Medical Center of the Rockies... and I think more that I’m forgetting. 

South Campus is closing because it isn’t profitable. They have it until August so they will continue to have classes until then, but not sure what they’ll do after that, I’m assuming they’ll send UCAN students back to main campus, or maybe they’ll acquire a new property? They haven’t really said!

Classes are still remote for the Spring, unfortunately, but clinicals are still on for now which is what counts, LOL. We just roll with the punches at this point! 

[Kast]

Hi all, so happy to have found this page with recent activity! I wanted to ask those in the program what the classroom hours are like weekly? Is it 8-5 M-F? Is it possible to work while in the program?!

[buffy31207]

2 hours ago, Kast said:

Hi all, so happy to have found this page with recent activity! I wanted to ask those in the program what the classroom hours are like weekly? Is it 8-5 M-F? Is it possible to work while in the program?!

Definitely possible to work but you need to be able to have flexibility! The schedule is always changing, it’s hard to even describe. For example, you may have class Tuesday, Thursday, Friday for like two weeks, and then just Thursday and Friday for a couple weeks, and then have clinicals Mon, Tues, and class Thurs, Fri for a couple weeks. It’s just always moving and changing so it’s hard to schedule anything too far in advance. But yes, many of us work! Full-time might be a little much but part-time is very doable.

[Kast]

Thank you for the input! Also, do class hours vary often or is it pretty common to be 8-5? 

[buffy31207]

1 hour ago, Kast said:

Thank you for the input! Also, do class hours vary often or is it pretty common to be 8-5? 

It just depends... the first block of this semester I had class like 8-12 and 1-5 Thursdays and Fridays. Second block I had them 1-5 Thursdays, 8:45-10:15 and 1-5 Fridays. So.... there are periods where you may need to block out 8-5 one or two days a week for didactic, but it doesn’t tend to last the whole semester in my experience. However, this is with classes being remote, so it may be a bit longer and more rigid if they go back to in person. And clinicals are 8 hour days for on-site simulation, 12 hours days or nights for offsite hospital clinicals. 

[Sadie508]

I know everything different with COVID and so hard to predict. If we go back to in person,  at most how many days would you be at Anschutz for classes?  It sounds like from your last post 2-3?