Miami Dade Community College Nursing Students...

Im currently taking pre reqs at Dade. Im looking forward to any replies you get. Ive still got a year to go before I can apply.

Hello! Are there any MDCC nursing students out there?? I'm currently wrapping up my pre-req's at MDCC and will be applying to MDCC for their Accelerated ADN program for January of 2006. Is anyone currently enrolled in that program? Was it difficult to get in? What is your schedule like..(between class hours and rotations). And can you pick which hospital to do the rotations at? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Patty

Hi, I am 2nd sem at MDC with a Baptist scholarship. I originally applied to accelerated but was shut out at the time due to administrative snafu. Now I am glad iit turned out like this because Baptist is great (& only 1 sem longer). In my program there are very few options for clinicals since the work is Baptist Health centered, however when I do psych (3rd sem) there are more options since Baptist has no psych dept. Good luck, you'll love it. It's hard & intense but very interesting & rewarding.

To check your options I recommend going to the admissions dept. at Med Campus & just looking at the schedules posted on the bulletin board. That's how I found out in advance of receiving documents at orientation.

Thank you so much for replying! I've been hoping to meet or email someone that's actually in these nursing programs! I just had a couple of more questions to ask:

1.) What are your hours like (classroom and rotations..for example, are you in class from 7am to 3pm on mondays, and then on rotation from 6am to 2pm on wednesdays??)

2.) was it difficult to get into the scholar's program?

3.) if you had to do it over again, would you do the scholar's at baptist program or go to the medical campus and do rotations at jackson?

any advice would be greatly appreciated!! :)

1st sem hours 3 days classrooom, 1 day clinical rotation, 1st month ina nursing home & 3 mo in hospital. Study required estimated at 3 hours per class hour. 2nd sem 2 class days & 2 clinical days, all hospital. With each clinical day we must research and present a care plan (you'll find out what that is!) including listing of drugs the patient is taking, what they do, how they act, what they are for & contraindications.

Scholars' program was easy to get into because my grades are good. The hard part was getting into MDC because they have limited # of teachers so there is a cap on # of students. Once MDC accepts you, then fill out the Baptist application right away. Whatever they want, give it to them. And if you can get your immunizations out of the way now it will save you lots of aggravation later. Start with your Hep B, MMR.

I like Baptist because they have a culture of cooperation. But for variety and intensity of experience I'd go to medical/Jackson. Depends what you want. Also I live in Homestead & am hoping to get stationed at the new hospital (plus going downtown EVERY day in traffic would be irritating). However med campus does have the best learning resources. Really I could go either way, I think the program is very good in both places.

1st sem hours 3 days classrooom, 1 day clinical rotation, 1st month ina nursing home & 3 mo in hospital. Study required estimated at 3 hours per class hour. 2nd sem 2 class days & 2 clinical days, all hospital. With each clinical day we must research and present a care plan (you'll find out what that is!) including listing of drugs the patient is taking, what they do, how they act, what they are for & contraindications.

Scholars' program was easy to get into because my grades are good. The hard part was getting into MDC because they have limited # of teachers so there is a cap on # of students. Once MDC accepts you, then fill out the Baptist application right away. Whatever they want, give it to them. And if you can get your immunizations out of the way now it will save you lots of aggravation later. Start with your Hep B, MMR.

I like Baptist because they have a culture of cooperation. But for variety and intensity of experience I'd go to medical/Jackson. Depends what you want. Also I live in Homestead & am hoping to get stationed at the new hospital (plus going downtown EVERY day in traffic would be irritating). However med campus does have the best learning resources. Really I could go either way, I think the program is very good in both places.

Hey there! Thanks so much for your valuable input. Did they require insurance from you? Also, what other immunizations besides HepB and MMR do they require? And can I go to a regular doctor for that or does MDCC provide a place where I can go and pay for them? Reason I ask is cause I won't have health insurance after March 31st. Thank you again! :rotfl:

Yes, health insurance is required for you to be able to do clinicals. If you are under 30 YO you can get student insurance (forms are near student life offices on each campus)- not good coverage but just to have. I am having a problem myself getting coverage since I am over 30 & my COBRA from last job is used up. I don't remember the other immunizations...do you have an advisor? Or you could ask at the Nursing Admissions office on 3rd Floor Med. You need to use your regular Dr because MDC doesn't offer, however once you are an employee (I think scholars qualify) of Baptist you can get them (don't know cost, cheap or free anyway). After you get the list maybe you could ask the Miami-Dade County Health Dept. for immunizations. Be sure to keep a separate file on all your immunizations and admission documentation, also make sure your CPR is current (they last 2 years before renewal). You can take the class at MDC Medical on Sundays if you can't go another day. The 1st class is 8 hrs, updates 4 hrs. You do have to pay for this, about $40 for the 8 hour class & $25 for renewal class. There are cheaper ways to do this (Red Cross?) but this is the most convenient. Plus the class shows up on your MDC schedule. Re documentation - always make a complete copy of your originals. Some of your originals will end up in your MDC file, but you must must must keep your own copies, and make plenty as each semester your clinical teacher must have a copy of all the immunizations & CPR card. Also Baptist needs a copy of your driver's license & social security card. Don't count on the teacher or the school being able to keep these from semester to semester....you just provide the entire set anytime a prof or administrator needs it. It saves lots of grief to be prepared this way! Good luck & good night!

Yes, health insurance is required for you to be able to do clinicals. If you are under 30 YO you can get student insurance (forms are near student life offices on each campus)- not good coverage but just to have. I am having a problem myself getting coverage since I am over 30 & my COBRA from last job is used up. I don't remember the other immunizations...do you have an advisor? Or you could ask at the Nursing Admissions office on 3rd Floor Med. You need to use your regular Dr because MDC doesn't offer, however once you are an employee (I think scholars qualify) of Baptist you can get them (don't know cost, cheap or free anyway). After you get the list maybe you could ask the Miami-Dade County Health Dept. for immunizations. Be sure to keep a separate file on all your immunizations and admission documentation, also make sure your CPR is current (they last 2 years before renewal). You can take the class at MDC Medical on Sundays if you can't go another day. The 1st class is 8 hrs, updates 4 hrs. You do have to pay for this, about $40 for the 8 hour class & $25 for renewal class. There are cheaper ways to do this (Red Cross?) but this is the most convenient. Plus the class shows up on your MDC schedule. Re documentation - always make a complete copy of your originals. Some of your originals will end up in your MDC file, but you must must must keep your own copies, and make plenty as each semester your clinical teacher must have a copy of all the immunizations & CPR card. Also Baptist needs a copy of your driver's license & social security card. Don't count on the teacher or the school being able to keep these from semester to semester....you just provide the entire set anytime a prof or administrator needs it. It saves lots of grief to be prepared this way! Good luck & good night!

Hi, you said you had the grades to get accepted in the scholars program and Im wondering what your GPA was. I dont want to have to fight the traffic to go to the medical/Jackson campus and I definitely want to get into the scholars program. I also wouldnt mind working at the new hospital in Homestead, it should be an awesome facility. Thanks

Hi, you said you had the grades to get accepted in the scholars program and Im wondering what your GPA was. I dont want to have to fight the traffic to go to the medical/Jackson campus and I definitely want to get into the scholars program. I also wouldnt mind working at the new hospital in Homestead, it should be an awesome facility. Thanks

GPA was 3.6, good luck, hope to meet you... in Hst!

Hello Whomeanurse!

Thanks again for everything. I do have an advisor at the Med campus, but he didn't want to go into details as to immunizations, etc. He said once I get accepted, then the "welcome to MDCC nursing program" package would detail everything. nice, right? all i wanna do is get these things out of the way now! as for insurance, i'm over 30 also and my husband just lost his job last week...so who knows how i'll ever get insurance. when you find a way (that doesn't cost an arm and a leg), could you let me know? and is it basic health insurance or do they specify what the policy must cover? sorry for all the questions, but dade wasn't to informative as to what i could get done now as opposed to "crunch time". And thanks for the "make copies of everything" advice..i will be sure to do that! Thanks a million and good luck in nursing school. maybe we'll meet one day! Patty :)

Were you covered under your husband's insurance? Either way you or you and he need to TIMELY apply for health insurance continuation under COBRA, this is federally mandated that his prev employer has to offer it. (If he was covered while employed.) Also he should get unemployment benefits if he was fired or laid off (but not if he quit)...that takes several weeks so the 1s thing he should do is go stand in line at unemployment office (take a book, it's a long wait) and get that in the works. Don't be shy about requesting this, it's one of the good things our taxes are for. Get food stamps too if you qualify (I don't know about food stamps but he should ask when he goes to unemp. where to apply for stamps). The other thing you and he could do is get a part-time or fulltime job at Baptist, ANY job, to get into their system. They are very generous with insurance, offer it even to part timers who have worked a certain # of hours (I don't know #). And if you got a job as a tech you would get invaluable floor experience that even the students don't have. Thanks for your courteous correspondence! Good luck, hope to meet you some day. CSP