MUSC Spring 2019 ABSN

Nursing Students School Programs

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Just putting feelers out there to see if anyone else on here is applying...

Can you add me on facebook or give me your email & i’ll send my application to you from there? I have been talking with Susan Coates in admissions & she told me to include in my resume that I am unhappy with the education I am receiving at my program now & that’s why I want to transfer. Can you tell me a little bit about the program? I obviously know how heavy the work load is & that I will not have a social life. How are the instructors, are they willing to help? How is lab/clinical & does that count as a portion for your overall grade?

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

Once you get to 15 posts - this system will allow you to send private messages and you can send it that way - we are almost there.

The instructors are willing to help. You can make appointments with them for help, we have a student lab with an instructor who helps with just about everything - class material, skills labs, you name it and she helps, plus we have the student center in the library where you can get help also. Plus if you aren't doing well, you are required by contract (they call it an academic warning) to fix your problems and they help you with a plan to do just that. Academic warnings are terrifying but they help you to not fail. There are always study groups (which don't help me but I have a tendency to remember everything wrong people say).

Most classes are set up so that you have a 20-25 point quiz every week or every other week that you grade is based upon. You also have in class points to make sure you show up, clinical points and other random stuff. Its not just 3 test scores and you are done. You can pass the class and fail clinical or vice versa - in either case you have to retake it.

The general perception is that we have a great program - and we do. The perception from a portion of those in the program is that it ranges from "unorganized" to "terrible". None of that is true. I feel that those who are unsatisfied are really unsatisfied with their own progress and abilities in the program and instead of accepting reality for what it is - they need to study more and complain less - they blame their failures on everything and everyone else. You can't skip class, get drunk on the weekends and expect to show up early Monday morning and do well. Speaking of - gotta. get to clinical!! Tell you about those later.

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Lol I am just getting out of clinical for the day I have been here since 6:30 & I got to start an IV for my first time today! Do you know how soon I should hear back about my application? Also do you have any tips or advice for your program?

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

I got my acceptance on September 21. It seemed like forever though. I was surprised it came then. I expected it to be mid-October.

For my program... you need a computer to take the ATI tests. I use an iPad and pencil for everything else. Notes - everything - but I'm geeky like that. I download the powerpoint before class and "print" it to a pdf with the notes on it so I can see them and then thats what I take notes on in class.

Come with a charged computer. If it won't go full force for 8 hours buy one of those battery pack things. The plugs are only on the wall and there aren't a ton of them. There isn't a place to plug in in the center of the room. The new cohorts will have 2 full days of class first semester. I don't know how patho/pharm will go - we had it online and although our professor was very smart, it was difficult to force yourself to really study the way you needed to study to learn. When it came time for tests, I always felt under prepared and it was difficult to learn how to incorporate it with everything else because they just didn't coincide. I think with them teaching it on campus - the curriculum will line up better with the other courses. You will probably hear a ton of whining about "the cohort before us did..." Trust the professors. They have been doing this for a couple years and they know best. It doesn't matter what the cohort before did. They make changes based on what didn't work in the cohort before so you are doing it different for a reason. They really do care about us and our progress. They have a good name - they don't want to put out bad nurses.

Set up a study schedule and stick to it. I try to study the same stuff at the same time every week. I usually end up spending most of Sunday studying Med Surg because that class is on Monday and then I study Psych on Mon pm because psych is tue. I also study on the week nights but that's when I do my "make sure you know this" studying.

You will need a backpack and rain boots. You park about a mile away and sometimes it floods. I've only needed my boots once so far but hurricane season is coming and the flooding will commence shortly. The street in front of the CON looks more like a river than a street. At the end of first semester you need to have about $300 spare cash for parking. If you don't want to park in the free parking lot a mile away, then you can pay for parking closer. Its first come first served (once they open it and give you access), but you have to be ready to buy your other 3 semesters RIGHT THEN. Credit card online. I don't remember how much but its more than $200 and less than $300. You can only do one semester but then you may not get a chance to get the others.

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I really hope I get it, i’m already so excited. So how are your tests? Do you feel like the instructors prepare you well for the tests? How often do you have tests?

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

We have tests every week just about. For They are quizzes. 20-25 points each depending on the class. For med surg we had 7 quizzes and a final and for Psych we had 6 quizzes and the ATI test. Our semester this time was 14 weeks I think. For Psych you pre-study, go in and have lecture, do a peer led study period and then take the test. For med surge is like "normal". You study, listen to lecture and then the next week take a test. You have to be studying what you will take a test on this week as well as what you are learning next week because you have to be prepared to do in class work on "next week" after you test for "this week". Its a lot and it moves fast.

I really do the readings for med surge and psych also. I didn't read everything for foundations but I at least skimmed it.

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So do you have tests or quizzes? or both?

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On 7/30/2019 at 9:45 PM, Brynn Strawderman said:

I have many questions lol! I am currently in my second semester of a nursing program and am applying to MUSC cause I am not happy with the program that I am in. I know the minimum GPA they accept is 3.0 but do you know anyone that got in with that GPA or around that GPA? Also what do you think of the program, what is it like?

Sorry just seeing this! I graduate in december so I have one semester left after next week. It looks like you have had a lot of questions answered. I can add you on Facebook if you still have other questions ?

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

Its mostly quizzes but don't let that fool you - they are no joke. For foundations you have quizzes and the ATI. If you go to ATITESTING.com it will give you an idea of what that is. Its a bunch of NCLEX style questions and you have to get a certain level on the test in order to pass the semester. Pharm is the only one I think you can fail and still pass the course - but don't quote me on that. Med Surge 1 is a normal 100 question test for the final and 7 quizzes. Psych is quizzes and ATI for final. Research is.... ugh. who know what it will be then. Its a project mostly. They changed things on our cohort and there was more than a little bit of confusion. No real tests though - just some daily quizzes - like 3 questions to make sure you did your prework. I don't know about the rest. For med surge 2 I know there is an ATI. Most likely for Peds, Community and Maternity also (they are at least listed in the ATI section so its a possibility that's what we have to do).

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So ATI sounds like this program that we use called Kaplan. We have to take a test each semester & hit benchmark to move on to the next semester. Sorry for all of the questions, I just want to be as prepared as I can if I get in.

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Specializes in Emergency / Disaster.

It is similar yes. There is a ton of crap hidden in there and its very useful. They make some stuff mandatory but the rest of it you can just go in and look around and start learning it. No one really pays attention. I paid for it and we use it for nclex prep. I can only hope that doing this crap now will help me not have to study as much later. One can hope right??

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