Mount St. Mary's College LA - Accelerated BSN 2010

[BNice74]

This is a new thread for anyone that has applied to the Mount St. Mary's College Accelerated BSN program in Los Angeles for 2010 entry.

This is my second application for admission since I wasn't offered admission for Fall 2009. Did anyone hear anything back yet for Spring 2010? Is there an interview process? I have read conflicting information on this topic. I also applied to Samuel Merritt in the Bay Area (also turned down twice to 2 programs for Fall 2009 entry). They wont be sending out admission offers until February for March start dates!! Would love to hear from fellow nursing school hopefuls )

Good luck to all you!!

Betsy

[newbiepnp, MSN, RN, NP, CNS]

I am not sure, she is the one in charge of all our clinical placement and she was there the whole time answering questions. She was super nice and very helpful. I hope I don't freeze my ass off. I am glad to hear you wear the hoodie in class, because I was hoping to do the same thing. Can we wear what we want on class days??? Or is there a dress code for that as well?

Thanks for all your feed back. You are helping all of us understand the program more.

I believe that is the Director of Nursing, not the director of clinicals. She was way nice, however.

[newbiepnp, MSN, RN, NP, CNS]

yeah..

I was in MSMC Accelerated program and I left the program early and I am glad I did (I am now in a different school).

I realized I couldn't afford MSMC (they increased the tuition) and with all that money students were paying, student to clinical instructor ratio was the same as the community college nursing schools..

I thought "Why do I have to pay so much more if I don't get as much help and care from the professors than other schools that are way cheaper?"

and I also felt that some of the staffs were not very supportive of students. I feel that if i paid less, I wouldn't have expected alot from the program and complained as much about the program.

I do not want to make MSMC look bad but I did have some negative experiences myself..paying more money doesn't necessarily equate to better education and care for students from school so watch out!

Well when you go to a private school, yes it will be more expensive than a state college or ADN program. I've never heard of a cheap private school. Glad you found a school that you found as a better fit and hope you find placement once you graduate. Besides the money, what else specifically did you not like about the program? You complained that the teachers weren't supportive, in what way?

[princessandraya]

I believe that is the Director of Nursing, not the director of clinicals. She was way nice, however.

Thanks Ki WI...I didn't know what her title she was...but she was hella nice!

[rocky16]

yeah..

I was in MSMC Accelerated program and I left the program early and I am glad I did (I am now in a different school).

I realized I couldn't afford MSMC (they increased the tuition) and with all that money students were paying, student to clinical instructor ratio was the same as the community college nursing schools..

I thought "Why do I have to pay so much more if I don't get as much help and care from the professors than other schools that are way cheaper?"

and I also felt that some of the staffs were not very supportive of students. I feel that if i paid less, I wouldn't have expected alot from the program and complained as much about the program.

anyways MSMC isn't a bad school but they do overcharge! (and when I requested the school for my tuition back after dropping out, they first refused to give me the money back by saying even though students drop out they still need to pay the professors (I was like what the heck? if I don't get the service (education) then why do I am I getting charged?.. I was about to report this school to Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education for not giving my money back and they eventually did... about a year later.. thank God..the lady (the head of the Financial Aid)listend to my plea and help me out!)

I do not want to make MSMC look bad but I did have some negative experiences myself..paying more money doesn't necessarily equate to better education and care for students from school so watch out!

I'm sorry you had such a "negative experience" at MSMC. I really find that surprising...I also find it really odd that you say the staff wasn't "supportive" of students. It's safe to say that my whole cohort right now would completely disagree with that statement. Personally, I find the staff, directors, and instructors extremely supportive of all of us. My dad recently passed away last month and I got nothing but support from everyone at MSMC. Our teachers would always email and call to make sure I was doing okay and emphasized the importance of having a strong, supportive cohort during this difficult time. Needless to say, my cohort, the entire ABSN nursing department, and even the teachers were there for everything...from the viewing to the funeral and all the days in between and all the days there on after. I even have friends who went to other nursing schools who were impressed and surprised at how supportive the entire school has been. I highly doubt that you would get that type of support from any other school.

Also, there have been people who have been struggling with school or time management and they have also found the staff and instructors to be extremely encouraging and supportive. Trust me when I say that everyone wants you to succeed in this program and they will go out of their way to help you succeed.

And I agree with Sugarlips...no private school is cheap. I can't emphasize enough how you get what you pay for.

That's why MSMC really asks you over and over again BEFORE you even apply if you can go through this program financially. I've taken out loans up the wazoo just to pay for school but in the end, it doesn't matter because I know it is an investment and that we will all be getting a good education.

[BNice74, BSN, RN]

@ princessandraya regarding "Can we wear what we want on class days??? Or is there a dress code for that as well?"

You can wear whatever you want to class except on Tuesdays for skills lab. That instructor requires you to dress a little more professional - no jeans, no sweats, no open toed shoes or flip-flops, no long earrings, or necklaces and you have to wear your white lab coat - but that is only for skills which is the second half of the day. Most of our class bought the white sweatshirt jacket and blue fleece b/c the uniform people told us we could wear them to clinicals. Then we found out we couldn't wear them during our clinical shift. But everyone still wears them in class b/c it's usually cold in there. If I wear flip flops, I bring a pair of comfy socks to put on in the classroom b/c my feet get cold ) Some people wear the jackets to UCLA b/c you can wear them during lunch and at post-conference. You just can't wear them over your uniform when you are on the floor and you prob wouldn't want to anyway b/c you will be in and out the patient's room so you would have to wash them every night. I find that it's warm on the floor anyway, but people that get cold easy wear a long sleeve white shirt under the uniform top.

[princessandraya]

@ princessandraya regarding "Can we wear what we want on class days??? Or is there a dress code for that as well?"

You can wear whatever you want to class except on Tuesdays for skills lab. That instructor requires you to dress a little more professional - no jeans, no sweats, no open toed shoes or flip-flops, no long earrings, or necklaces and you have to wear your white lab coat - but that is only for skills which is the second half of the day. Most of our class bought the white sweatshirt jacket and blue fleece b/c the uniform people told us we could wear them to clinicals. Then we found out we couldn't wear them during our clinical shift. But everyone still wears them in class b/c it's usually cold in there. If I wear flip flops, I bring a pair of comfy socks to put on in the classroom b/c my feet get cold ) Some people wear the jackets to UCLA b/c you can wear them during lunch and at post-conference. You just can't wear them over your uniform when you are on the floor and you prob wouldn't want to anyway b/c you will be in and out the patient's room so you would have to wash them every night. I find that it's warm on the floor anyway, but people that get cold easy wear a long sleeve white shirt under the uniform top.

so does that also rule out scrubs on Tuesdays?

[BNice74, BSN, RN]

juninunmul

i was in msmc accelerated program and i left the program early and i am glad i did (i am now in a different school). i realized i couldn't afford msmc (they increased the tuition) when you applied, were you aware of how much tuition was? it's pretty clearly stated, and they even ask about it in the interview. and with all that money students were paying, student to clinical instructor ratio was the same as the community college nursing schools.. student to clincial ratio is 8 or 10:1 but you also have your rn and a care partner to help you too. the instructor is always with you to pass meds and for your first few times at new skills (ie. foleys, wound care, and emptying drains)

i thought "why do i have to pay so much more if i don't get as much help and care from the professors than other schools that are way cheaper?" the reason you are paying so much is b/c it's a private school and they offer an absn meaning you will have a bsn in 12 months. most programs take 2 -3 years to complete, so initially, you may be paying less out of pocket but you are not working either so really it's not cheaper when you do the math. if you find an absn program at a state school like cal state northridge, good luck getting in. tuition is only $15k for 15 months but they only have one application deadline a year for 2 start dates. with over 700 applicant for 36 spots, there is a good chance you will be waiting a year or 2 trying to get in. so you wont be working as quick as a msm's grad that got in right away and graduated a year or 2 sooner. if you get in to csun right away - good for you! but not everyone can do this b/c there are only 36 spots.

and i also felt that some of the staffs were not very supportive of students. i feel that if i paid less, i wouldn't have expected alot from the program and complained as much about the program. like rocky said, i am sorry you had such a bad experience. since you were able to get a refund, i am curious as to how long you actually attended msm's to make such a brazen statement about the school's staff. i can't speak about your experience but i can speak from mine and i am extremely happy with my decision to attend nursing school at msm's. it's an amazingly supportive program. my cohort is like my family. everyone is beyond helpful. both students and instructors go out of their way to make sure we are doing ok. if one of us has a bad day, there is always someone there to talk to, provide support, and there are lots of hugs too. :hug: the instructors do care about you and will do whatever they can to help you succeed. they understand how challenging the program is and encourage us to be supportive of each other. like rocky said, when her father passed away, our class was there to support her and so were the instructors and even the director of the program. it's a small school so they know you by name. even the class that started before our cohort is there to help us out and we are now there to help out the new cohort that will be beginning in a few weeks.

anyways msmc isn't a bad school but they do overcharge! msm's along with other private schools that offer absn programs with a few start dates a year are similar in price (samuel merritt in the bay area is $55k for 12 months, nyu is $60k for 15 months, fairfield univeristy is $55k for 12 months) it is expensive but some of us are anxious to get in, graduate, and begin working. :rckn:

(and when i requested the school for my tuition back after dropping out, they first refused to give me the money back by saying even though students drop out they still need to pay the professors (i was like what the heck? if i don't get the service (education) then why do i am i getting charged?.. how long were you in the program? every school, including state schools and community colleges have a clear guideline as to when you can get a refund. i was about to report this school to bureau of private postsecondary education for not giving my money back and they eventually did... about a year later.. thank god..the lady (the head of the financial aid)listend to my plea and help me out!)

i do not want to make msmc look bad i highly doubt your opinion will make the school look bad, their reputation is pretty good in the community and their nursing program is brn approved but i did have some negative experiences myself..paying more money doesn't necessarily equate to better education and care for students from school so watch out!" no one on here has ever said that paying more money equates to a better education. but msm's does care for their students. :redbeathe and like i said earlier, if you got into a less-expensive program at a state school - good for you, but not all of us have that luxury. i moved down here from oregon to attend mount st. mary's because i wanted to attend a one year absn program. time was one of many factors in how i chose my "nursing school short list" and since that was the case, i didn't even bother to apply to state schools b/c they get so many applications, it's like a lottery system. in the end each of us is responsible for what we put into our learning. as a current student, i am extremely happy with my choice. the instructors have impressive backgrounds - most have over 30 years of nursing experience, and all of them have advanced degrees - some have msn's, some have phd's. no school is perfect but msm's is an excellent choice.

[Pauliwankenobi]

@ BNice74

Hey there. I've never gone to a private school, so im not used to dealing with an enforced dress code. I was wondering how particular the staff were about haircuts/hairstyles/haircolor.

I have a faux-hawk, but i dont know if thats' considered "offensive" or "unprofessional" to MSMC staff. could you shed any light on this?

also, my sister currently attends cal state la's bsn program and her boytoy currently attends PCC's RN program, and both programs are STRICT about hair color.

good thing that my hair is boring brown and im not planning on changing it.

[rocky16]

Dress code is NOT strictly enforced except for Tuesdays when you have your nursing fundamentals theory and skills lab....refer to BNice's prior post abt dress code (Nice, dressy clothes...no jeans, open toed shoes, etc...in other words, dress professionally and keep it classy). Other than that day, you can wear whatever you want on lecture days.

they don't care about hair...they just dont want "unnatural hair color" (i.e. blue, pink, blah blah blah...just keep it lookin fresh and clean). girls have to keep their hair up and in a bun on tuesdays for skills lab and for clinicals (although the whole having it in a bun thing isn't always enforced..).

your faux-hawk will be fine....just as long as it doesnt have any wild colors. :)

[BNice74, BSN, RN]

@ princessandraya. in response to "so does that also rule out scrubs on Tuesdays?"

You only wear your uniform for clinicals. No one wears them to school. And you probably wouldn't want to b/c those uniforms are not as comfy as regular scrubs.

[BNice74, BSN, RN]

@ pauliwankenob

hey there. i've never gone to a private school, so im not used to dealing with an enforced dress code. i was wondering how particular the staff were about haircuts/hairstyles/haircolor. they are really laid back about this. the only requirement for hair is, like rocky said, no unnatural colors like pink, purple, green, etc. and you have to wear your hair back if it's long.

i have a faux-hawk, but i dont know if thats' considered "offensive" or "unprofessional" to msmc staff. could you shed any light on this? our clinical instructors will tell you "we are not trying to turn you into different people" they will not find a faux-hawk offensive or unprofessional. the instructors are very down to earth and non-judgmental. you can wear jewelry to clinicals. you can wear false eyelashes if you wanted to. the instructor that teaches fundamentals and skills on tuesday has the strictest dress code for skills lab, but even he doesn't really get crazy over it.

also, my sister currently attends cal state la's bsn program and her boytoy currently attends pcc's rn program, and both programs are strict about hair color.

good thing that my hair is boring brown and im not planning on changing it.

[Pauliwankenobi]

thanks rocky. my plan was to start dressing super conservatively, and then gradually transform to my normal state (which really isnt that crazy). i used to have a faux hawk that went all the way behind my head, but ill stop that. time to grow up and be mature *sniff sniff*

so on tuesdays, you basically have to wear prom gear? slacks and button ups?