Drexel ACE Program??

LUXOR21 · Mar 22, 2007

I am not planning on going to the ACE program. I hope to attend Holy Family University because it is nights and weekends and I can keep my day job. I have heard nothing but good things from former students that graduated from that porgram. They say it is very intense but since you can't work you do get a lot of study time. I hope this helps.

Neaner22 · Aug 23, 2007

Hi, I am also accepted to Drexels ACE program, and am starting in Sept, are you attending or did you decide not to?

k8dubcoran · Aug 24, 2007

Luxor - I am about to graduate ( in 2 weeks!). Yes its hard, yes a lot of people dont make it through the year and yes you will learn ALOT. Im in my young 20's with no young kids so in a way i had it "easy" since there are some people in this with 3 kids at home still able to pull it off. Its mainly just time consuming. You are doing schoolwork morning till night at least 5 days a week, but if ur not working (u cant and i believe they make you sign a contract taht u wont work, i forget) theres no reason you cant do it. Many ACE students are standard Type A people who have to study till they fall asleep in their books, i am definitiyl NOT like that, and would even venture to call myself a slacker, and i could still do it. You have to know how to teach yourself b/c a lot of teachers do nothing but read verbatim off powerpoints, but then again the tests usually only come from powerpoints so u cant go wrong. feel free to ask me any specific questions about the program you have.

phillygirl5858 · Sep 10, 2007

k8-thank you so much for your post. I just discovered this website today and am so curious to learn more about the ACE program. I start in 2 weeks and they haven't told us anything!!! We have our orientation on Friday where I'm hoping we will learn more. I know they say you can't work during the program, but I am going to try and bartend one night a week. Do you think that will be do-able? I also work out and want to try and fit that in before school in the mornings. I'm so freaked out I won't have time to move from my books!

I'm happy you said that you're sort of a slacker...because that's how I was in undergrad and during my prereqs. I did what I had to do to get As and Bs but never did more than necessary. I'm really not the type of person to sit with my books ALL night and fall asleep with them!

Can you tell me how your clinicals were? Do you only have 1 during your first term and then more the next terms? Were they tough or did you learn a lot during them? Also, did you ever have class during the day and then clinicals at night or they on separate days?

Did you have any sort of a life outside of school or should I expect to do nothing but eat sleep and study!?

I know I'll probably find out a ton during orientation, but I can't wait!!

Thank you!

k8dubcoran · Sep 10, 2007

Honestly you could pull off a night of bartending during FIRST quarter, i know some who did, but prob not after, maybe, but i personally dont think i could have done. But yes we all had lives outside of drexel, whether it was working out, or being with fam, going out etc. Yes the people you have class with are going to be your new best friends b/c itll feel like you are with them all the time, but i still made time to do the things i wanted to do.

I got lucky with clinicals, i cant complain about any, some students had awful teachers, but that wasnt really typical. First quarter you have one clinical, every other week ( the alternating weeks you still have school but you go to the lab and practice stuff). And the other 3-4 days you have class. 2,3,4 quarter you have class mon and tues 8-430, then clinical 3 times wed,thurs,fri or sat. ( so you could end up with a normal mon-fri week, or get a saturday clinical and have off a day in between). Clinicals are never on the same day as class, there are no night ones, theres mornings ( starting at like 615 ish, or theres a couple afternoon ones that start like 12 or 1). Starting 2nd quarter you have to prep the night before for adult health, SO that means if you had ur adult clinical on a wed, tues after class you have to go prep, or if it falls on another day you have to leave the clinical you are at to go to another hospital and prep. PRepping is by far the most annoying aspect of ACE, but it has to be done, u cant be giving meds the next morning having no idea what they are and what to monitor for. I learned a lot in clinicals. the only thing bad about them is they could be anywhere, so you could be in philly one day, nj the next, and bucks county after that. Drexel says they do TRY to make it so that you are somewhat geographically close, but its not a promise. Good luck to you, it was a long and somewhat annoying :) year, but im glad i did it. it still doesnt feel like its over ( my last day was friday). You can email me at [email protected] if you have any more questions.

phillygirl5858 · Sep 10, 2007

Kate, I just tried emailing you but the delivery failed. Thanks so much for your quick reply. It really made things so much more clear!

I'm happy to know that I won't have to have night clinicals-I was so scared I'd be having days that went till 10pm and then I'd have to come home and study. The schedule you told me sounds absolutely doable. I was actually thinking it would be more time in class/clinicals so I feel better.

Another question-I actually just posted another question on the boards about this- what did you wear to class? Do I have to buy scrubs? I just purchased my uniform for clinicals, but wasn't sure what we'd be wearing in class.

Congratulations on finishing the program!

Shay

JdNNurse2B · Sep 10, 2007

From what Ive been told you only have to wear the uniforms to the clinicals. i start on the 24th too!

k8dubcoran · Sep 10, 2007

no class u wear whatever you wore to college before. jeans, sweats etc. people will prob show up dressy the first 2 weeks trying to make a good impression, but after the exhaustion kicks in and u realize theres no one to impress everyone is in comfy clothes. you just need the blue pants and yellow top for clinical days and lab days -first quarter you have a health assessment lab and then a principles clinical/lab - so youll wear them twice a week first quarter . i dont know why the email failed. you can try [email protected] also sorrry!

JdNNurse2B · Sep 10, 2007

ewww. We have to wear them twice a week first semester? Yuck.

Oh well. K8 you are so helpful!

phillygirl5858 · Sep 10, 2007

Oh I have no one to impress haha. I lost the glamour after moving in with my bf...I think I might be taking a trip to the GAP and Old Navy being that I'll be living off student loans! Comfy clothes are a must!

k8dubcoran · Sep 10, 2007

yea. i HATED those scrubs with a passion, FYI if you know anyone thats starting the program that doesnt have a lot of cash our class donated some to the CLRC ( youll learn what that is), i odnt know what sizes or what condition they are in, but they are def more expensive then theyre worth.