Yes I am a current student and No I would not recommend the program.
You should know that the clinicals are not graded and 50% of your grade is on the final day of each course. 2 tests each - one on the computer. If you get lower than a 76 you will fail the course. If you fail a course you will need to wait 3 months before taking just that class over again, thus you are 6 months behind orig. grad date.
Be prepared that if you have 4 courses that your finals will be scheduled mon-thurs 2 tests a day for your final week. These exams may be one at 8 am and the other as late as 5pm each day. You could have an A going into the final and still fail the course. A comprehensive course covering over 1000 slides, 50 chapters..comes down to 50 random questions on your final day. Nothing else matters...your care plans, etc are not graded. You will receive multiple math exams that if you don't pass on 2 attempts you fail the course.
I have over a 3.5 gpa currently and I wish someone told me how bad the program was and is. If the class has a high average on the midterm, then the Professors make the final that much harder in an attempt to bring the class average down. Once you are in this program, just remember you can not transfer anywhere, you are stuck. Drexel knows this, so it is to the schools financial benefit if you need to repeat a course. And if you need do not pass the final HESI be prepared to pay Drexel 4 thousand more to fix what they failed to teach you.
... BTW, regardless if you are a straight A student with a 4.0, passed all of your clinicals with great recommendations, if you do not eventually pass the HESI you will NOT get your nursing degree. They will give you something else. Talking to students in a nursing program you're thinking about attending is really important because they can give you the inside scoop.:typing
My "else" question was what do you get if you don't get the nursing degree.
Is there any books or supplemental material you suggest future students look at prior to starting the program, so that we're more prepared?
Thanks!
Yes there are. I would definitely invest in getting "Reviews and Rationales." They have a book for each area of study except for community health. They also have one big book with all of the subjects in one. Whether you buy them separately or the comprehensive they come with a CD with tons of sample questions. I personally liked them for studying class material along with the power point slides the professors provide. At times I didn't even use the text book unless I wanted more in depth information. For Maternity, I liked "Straight A's." "Straight A's" has there own line of review books like Reviews and Rationales but I didn't care for them as much. For one, the CD that comes with it is not Mac compatiable Last but not least, get the "HESI Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination" It's blue and green. The CD again is not Mac compatible:banghead: however, it's broken down into content areas of study and provides "Hesi hints". Hope this helps!
I just bought the HESI book today. I was torn between that and the Saunders, but I figured since Drexel places so much weight on the HESI, I should get their book first. Thanks for the book recommendations- very helpful!
I just bought the HESI book today. I was torn between that and the Saunders, but I figured since Drexel places so much weight on the HESI, I should get their book first. Thanks for the book recommendations- very helpful!
Yes, that's it. I think there is a newer version though-not that it really matters:
Drexel recommends a lot of books which can be too overwhelming. I would leave it up to personal preference whether you buy the textbooks. As for review materials those are the ones I stuck with.
I just got the HESI Evolve book in the mail... it seems a little thin for what I was expecting. Like, 1/2" thick. That's the right one?
The HESI book is pretty thin but it holds a lot of information. You have to remember it does not put review questions in the book like other books--only on the CD. Take the time and look at the HESI hints and do the questions on the CD. They may look "familiar" later on. I found it most useful for it's psych and pediatric section. It outlines growth and development pretty nicely. It also has some really good charts with meds. You'll find that some review books go more or less in depth of certain topics, which makes it good to have more than one so you can reference between them. I put the amazon link at the bottom with a picture of the book so you can see if you have the same one.
There are definitely frustrating things about Drexel's nursing department, but I'm pretty sure that these issues aren't limited to just Drexel. I've met many people from other programs (including Penn and other schools in CA and AK) who have the same complaints of disorganization, bad teachers, sorry clinicals, etc (though the HESI complaints are uniquely Drexel). However, the ACE program does carry out its purpose of cranking out nursing graduates in an amazingly short period of time.
Because of this short period of time, though, I would recommend not buying too many textbooks or review books. You just don't have the time to adequately read all the material! Some people have recommended the review and rationales books, and I highly recommend them too, at least for the review questions. Of course,
Drexel's ACE program did its job of getting me my nursing license. As a result of the shortened program, I am working now as an RN while friends of mine who did prerequisite courses with me are just starting their 2+ years programs. Even though I had a few bad teachers from whom I learned nothing, I had a few teachers who really helped me establish a good nursing base which I am now building upon. Your learning really doesn't stop with graduation -- as one friend said, nursing school preps you for the NCLEX and then you really learn nursing at your job. Even more, I don't believe the ACE program ill-prepared me for my current job; all us new grads come with some knowledge but we're just now learning how to apply it. The ACE program is fast-paced and fairly intense, and it may not be for everyone. But for those who can deal with its nuances, you will get your license and most likely find a job (can't guarantee a job these days...but that's a separate topic).
I'm just curious how the classes are set up. I asked earlier. Are the courses huge lectures, or are there class options? If there are options, are the same people teaching each course, or are there "better" and "worse" professors that you can chose from while selecting classes?
I know admissions told me that we do not register - that we are automatically placed in our classes as a cohort which leads me to believe that it's more of a 'bundle' what you get is what you get.
Does anyone know about the orientation event prior to the start of class? I start spring and was told I will get information at orientation - however they did not have the date of orientation or when it would be released and since I am cross the country I'm trying to gauge the importance and approx date of the event..
Last but not least, get the "HESI Comprehensive Review for the NCLEX-RN Examination" It's blue and green. The CD again is not Mac compatible:banghead: however, it's broken down into content areas of study and provides "Hesi hints". Hope this helps!
CalicoKitty, BSN, MSN, RN
1,017 Posts
My "else" question was what do you get if you don't get the nursing degree.