PIMA Medical Institute

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Nov 1, 2006

Has anybody done the nursing program at PIMA?? If so what do you think. Is it worth it?

FYI there's more than one 'Pima' nursing school in AZ. There's also Pima Community College in Tucson which is a large, well respected program with hundreds of nursing students.

Back to your regularly scheduled thread. Hopefully someone will chime in with info about Pima Medical Institute.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Nov 2, 2006

Has anybody done the nursing program at PIMA?? If so what do you think. Is it worth it?

No, 36K for an associates degree is not worth it. IMO.

BigDinkel · Nov 2, 2006

pima is a very good school. I am in the RN program there currently. It is quite tough mentally and physically. Tuesdays are our clinical days of 6am to 5:30pm

wednesday 8am to 5:30

Thursday 8am to 5

This semester (block 2) we have a new nursing director and she really cares about the students. Its a very good school, but extremly expensive. Also classes are very hard. In our human growth and development class more than half the class is failing. in our nursing transitions class more than 3/4 of the class are failing. I was kicked out of last semster cause i didn't pass there A&P class by a few points, but the school director took me back in if i retook the class, which i am.

Its a good school, but extremly expensive. Plus the days are long and hard. I was talking to a girl at gateway and they don't even go to school 20 hours per week. I am thinking of leaving after my lpn and getting some classes done at MCC and then getting my RN at MCC

AZmom · Nov 2, 2006

Can that be done? I've heard it said on these boards that because PMI isn't accredited, those courses won't transfer over to other institutions.

newstudent2007 · Nov 4, 2006

Can that be done? I've heard it said on these boards that because PMI isn't accredited, those courses won't transfer over to other institutions.

Yes, it can be done, actually. Anyone who has passed the LPN-NCLEX can apply to the MCCCD RN accelerated programs, providing they've completed the community college pre-reqs.

A word about accreditation to clear up some common misconceptions. Pima is approved by the State Board of Nursing for their students to sit for the PN and RN exams. Pima is not currently accredited by the NLN, but that isn't an indication that their program is of poor quality. In fact, Pima's program is quite good, and is in high demand, as evidenced by the over 400 applicants for the 30 seats in January 07. Pima is not currently accredited by the NLN because NLN requirements stipulate that a program must have a class graduate, and then sit for the exams, before an accreditation review takes place. Once that happens, then Pima will have the same NLN accrediation that MCCCD, ASU, UofA and other schools within the state possess.

UofAPNP2B, ASN, BSN · Nov 4, 2006

Hey, I'm at Gateway and we're there way over 20 hours a week! I'm getting shafted then!

CrazyPremed, MSN, RN, NP · Nov 4, 2006

This semester (block 2) we have a new nursing director and she really cares about the students. Its a very good school, but extremly expensive. Also classes are very hard. In our human growth and development class more than half the class is failing. in our nursing transitions class more than 3/4 of the class are failing. I was kicked out of last semster cause i didn't pass there A&P class by a few points, but the school director took me back in if i retook the class, which i am.

I've heard the same from another student who is currently in block 5. I would say if a person has the money and really dosen't want to wait a year or two (or more) then go that route. I think that many so called vocational schools (PMI, Apollo, etc.), require more hours in the classroom, but the education ends up the same. I've got to support myself while I'm in school, so I'm not to keen on taking out thousands in loans to go to a mon-fri program. Basically, I think it depends on where you are in your life.

Also, remember that Pima's first RN class is in its last semester. The program is one of the newest in the valley. Most new programs need a couple of classes to 'work out the kinks'. This is what scared me away (I was accepted to the first class). Good luck.

CrazyPremed

TerreP · Apr 16, 2007

I am about to finish my first sequence (16 weeks) at PMI, and I have to say I love it! The teachers are great, and really willing to help you, as long as you ask for the help!!! Yes, the classes are hard...but I'd rather have hard classes and know that I have learned something than have classes I can just breeze through and not learn enough to do my job when I graduate...and they are not so hard that you can't pass them if you study! Grades are done on an honors point system (93 and up is an A, etc.) so when you get your grades, you KNOW you've done well! (or not so well, as the case may be!) And yes, it's expensive...but my husband and I determined that we'd rather pay more and get my degree sooner, rather than wait years to get into a nursing program elsewhere (like at the community colleges). I have talked to several students from the two PMI RN classes before me, and they have nothing but good things to say about the program! I'm very happy to be one of the 30 of 500 applicants chosen for this class!!!!

Kabin · Apr 18, 2007

I'm very happy to be one of the 30 of 500 applicants chosen for this class!!!!

That sums-up nursing school realities these days. Congrats! :balloons:

VIXEN007 · May 11, 2007

TerreP, I start at PMI in Albuquerque on June 11. I would love to find out more about the class structure and any pearls of wisdom that you could provide.

TerreP · May 11, 2007

We met the Albuquerque campus' nursing director a couple months ago, and she seems really great! She toured our campus and spent a couple of days observing the classes.

Be prepared to study A LOT!! Of course, that goes for any nursing program, but it seems like most of my time out of class is spent with my nose in the books. The nice thing is that the teachers really care about you and want to help you graduate!!! They are always there when you have questions or need extra help, which I didn't find when I was in the community college.

I'm in my 2nd sequence now, and I absolutely love the program!!! We start clinicals in 5 weeks, and I can't wait!

Oh, just a comment to some other posts about the cost at PMI. Yes, it's $36,000...but that includes all your books, uniforms, and nursing supplies (such as stethoscopes, scissors, etc.). At community colleges and universities, you have to buy your books separately, as well as your own stethoscopes and such, and you pay for your uniforms separately as well. I have a large collection of books for school already...over 25 books, most very large, very new, and VERY expensive! So I figure with the cost of books at other colleges' bookstores, I probably have a minimum of $2500 worth of books!!!! And by the time I finish, I guarantee there will be at least double that amount in books! So if you figure in $150-200 in uniforms, about the same for nursing supplies, and over $5K in books that are included in the tuition, it's not really as high as it seems!!!!! Plus, you get what you pay for! I have gotten a great education so far at PMI, and soon we will be accredited with NLN, because the first class just graduated and is now taking their boards. So I think it's worth every penny!!!!!