Merritt College Fall 2012

DisneyDreamer · Aug 22, 2012

Yay! I passed!

jon510 · Aug 24, 2012

Me too :) thanks Chris. You were right we didn't really need calculators. It just sucks how I don't have Wednesday off cuz of the skills lab. Wish I could switch to the Monday and Tuesday 1s

ProudMom511 · Nov 3, 2012

Hi, just curious, is everyone who attended the program is still there? did they change from last year or is it still a bootcamp program???? I was in the program last year.

uni1602 · Nov 15, 2012

Class is at 35 now, down from 48

From what I heard from the year before, nothing has changed..

My experience has been generally good and tolerate-able.

lmcclain · Jan 10, 2013

Is anyone currently in the ADN program at Merritt college? I'm going to apply there next application pull, but I have heard so many negative things about the program, any advice would help.

LeftCoast · Feb 5, 2013

I am a current student and I would NOT recommend this program. There are two major problems, in my opinion. The first is the total and complete lack of organization on the part of the instructors and administrators. Tests were scheduled for holidays, instructors didn't show up on time, classes were held at different times than scheduled, classrooms were unavailable/ill-equipped, etc. etc. etc. If you didn't know better, you'd think this was the very first year the program has been in existence, simply because of the extreme disorganization. It's almost as if no one is in charge- they need better administrators and more responsible, accountable instructors.

Speaking of instructors, my second major problem is the quality (or lack thereof) of instruction. Basically, Merritt's program is a self-taught ADN program. Seriously. If you are willing to learn ALL of the material on your own, with only cursory "lectures" (consisting of powerpoints that you can look at on your own at home), and keep up with the ridiculously rigorous schedule (reading, exams, skills lab requirements, clinical rotation, clinical prep) with no emotional or practical support from the staff, this just may be your dream program! But if you need actual instruction, answers to questions you may have, a sympathetic ear, an encouraging word, test questions that actually reflect the readings, and an overall supportive environment, turn and run the other way. As a disclaimer, I haven't had all of the professors yet and supposedly a couple of them are good. In my personal experience, though, I have found hardship, frustration, and discouragement.

Yes, ALL nursing programs are difficult, overwhelming, and stressful. However, I have spoken to many students in other programs and they at least have instructors who support them on their educational journey and act as a resource to their students. If I were the only one who felt this way, I would question my own intentions or abilities. Most people in my class, though, feel the same. I don't know one person who likes the program or would recommend it. And we are not stupid or lazy students. Many of us have degrees in other fields, have worked in the medical field before, etc. We are sticking with this program because we have already invested a lot of time and money into it and to walk away now would be accepting defeat. We want to be nurses and are determined to make it through this program, and rely on each other for support. But I can attest to the validity of all of the other negative comments about Merritt and would really urge prospective students to take any alternative they have.

Oh, and one more thing- Merritt faculty like to flaunt their 100% NCLEX pass rate as an indicator of success. What they don't tell you is that the majority of students who enter the program don't complete it, so the pass rate isn't actually representative of their success as a program. When you start with 60+ students and a mere 18 are left at the end to take the NCLEX, even if all of those students pass, the program is still a failure (in my humble opinion).

uni1602 · Mar 10, 2013

^^^ agree wholeheartedly

We're down to 28 now.