Does being a guy have any affect on being accepted into your schools nursing program?

time4masters · Jun 3, 2008

I know this seems like a really stupid question but I wanted to see what the people on here have found out from personal experience. Not too long ago I was talking with a group of fellow nursing students about the process of getting accepted into the nursing program at our college. A few of the students said that out of all the students they knew that applied for the program most of the time men who applied were accepted after their first or maybe second attempt, while most other students are accepted after their second or third time applying. During the discussion, I told them that I didn't really think that being a guy (and a minority) was what led to this situation but they seemed to disagree and suggested I ask some other guys at this website and some other nursing students overall and see what they think. What does everyone think about this?

Most schools, including mine, have to accept a certain ratio of male students as well as foreign students. So yes, it is easier to get in if you are a male because we are only competing against the other male students if that ratio hasn't been met.

mcubed45 · Jun 7, 2008

it really depends on the individual school's admission policies. personally i think enforced ratios and whatnot are pretty ridiculous. the schools in my area simply add up your pts for grades, scores, etc and rank the students. no other personal information is used. that's the way it should be.

when talking to other pre-nursing students at my university, i once had a female student remark "well you're a guy so you shouldn't have any trouble getting in..." i quickly corrected her and told her that gender had no bearing on admission to our school's nursing program. i'd find it a little offensive if people thought my admission was based on having a member rather than the fact that i busted my ass off to get A's in all my pre-reqs.

8mpg · Jun 9, 2008

The school Im trying to get into is strictly GPA based

kstec, LPN · Jun 9, 2008

I remember taking a PRE-REQ for nursing school, while I had a gentlemen in my class taking it as a CO-REQ. You can figure that one out. I asked him how he got into the nursing program without having this pre-req done and he said that it was because he was a male. Whether that is true or not, I don't know, but I did take the class with him. I think that due to lower male and minority people in nursing, they do try and mesh more diversity into programs. And yes, this gentlemen did have a great GPA, so he was deserving of being in the nursing program, but it was kind of a slap in the face when I heard the answer as to why he was in before his PRE-REQ's were completed. I actually would think that due to societal (sp)norms of the white female being nurses, that diversity (with a great GPA) is a good thing to bring to the nursing field. I think different cultures, sex and race are an excellent assest to nursing. Since nursing has broadened so much over the years as far as different job choices, anyone who wants to really become a nurse, has something unique to offer. I know that society has a lot of stereotypes, like male doctors, female nurses, etc., but slowly we are changing and anyone can do anything no matter your race, sex, or cultural background. As far as working with male nurses, they are so much more laid back and do not gossip like female nurses are prone to do. Not all female nurses, but a lot of them. I almost feel for the male nurses listening to all of us women at work. Ha!Ha! Good Luck in whatever you choose or whatever chooses you.

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 9, 2008

Thanks for all the answers ladies and gents, I was just wondering what other people have found. I did get accepted this semester so I am pretty stoked. Thanks again!

!Chris :specs:

PhilGN · Jun 10, 2008

I just got accepted to the local associate degree program, and I think all of the programs here in California use a formula to decide who gets in. They take all of your GPAs and come out with a percent and the higher ones get in. Unfortunately, despite that unbiased admission policy, I've already had multiple friends who want to get into the program tell me "well this girl I know who didn't get in said they admit more men than women." So I'm wondering if that misconception is very widespread, or just used by a few people to redirect their frustrations at not making it.

vballmanrn · Jun 10, 2008

I don't know if it helps or not, but I would find it offensive if it did help. That being said, I got in on my first attempt. I also, out of a class of 85 students, was the only person to finish on sequence and graduated Magna Cum Laude. :yeah:

Mexarican · Jun 12, 2008

Hmmm maybe it's because your GPA is higher?!? lol i go to an all womens college nursing program that admits men and i was told jokingly that i got in cause i was a boy...i quickly fired back and said, "Uh no actually YOU got in cause you are a GIRL!! lol your GPA sucks and the only reason you got it is because we are in a women's college, it's no secret that all of us guys (five of us) are probably in the top ten in GPAs...we actually had to have great GPAs to get in!" it was funny...she a cool friend and even she had to laugh at that bit of irony...lol.

mcubed45 · Jun 13, 2008

I just got accepted to the local associate degree program, and I think all of the programs here in California use a formula to decide who gets in. They take all of your GPAs and come out with a percent and the higher ones get in. Unfortunately, despite that unbiased admission policy, I've already had multiple friends who want to get into the program tell me "well this girl I know who didn't get in said they admit more men than women." So I'm wondering if that misconception is very widespread, or just used by a few people to redirect their frustrations at not making it.

if a school is actually admitting less qualified male applicants over highly qualified female candidates then i'd imagine that'd be grounds for a sex discrimination lawsuit. if female applicants genuinely feel they are being discriminated against then i'd encourage them to pursue legal action. it shouldn't be hard for a good nursing program to clearly show why particular applicants were accepted over others. this is why most programs have a clearly defined point system.

it may simply be a matter of male applicants being more qualified. in my experience, the few male nursing applicants i've met have all been very determined and driven. when you consider the much larger volume of female applicants, there's a much wider variation in levels of commitment. you'll find those that are dead set on getting in but there's also the bunch that chose nursing b/c they didn't know what else to go into and they heard it pays well.

if all 5 of the male applicants applying to a program have awesome apps and get accepted it does NOT mean the program accepts 100% of male applicants. lol that's just a silly misinterpretation of stats.

Batman24 · Jun 15, 2008

The male applicants will need to meet the same requirements that the females do for acceptance to the school. That is completely equal. Entry can be easier for males that meet the criteria if the school has a quota because not as many men apply. I had 4 males in my class and 3 graduated.

Asklepios · Jul 3, 2008

I don't know how my school goes about deciding who gets in sooner. All I know is that I waited two semesters from my intial signup to acceptance. This gave me time to finish all but one pre-req (Micro). But, since I already had a Bachelors degree in another field, I was able to take Micro concurrent with Nrsg I.

Listening to others in my class tell of being on the list for 2 - 4 yrs before acceptance does make me sometimes feel as though I had someone in the admissions dept looking out for me, but I hope it's because I had a 3.5 GPA from my Bachelors and I got all As on the pre-reqs I had to take while waiting to get accepted, rather than because I am male.