prereq. dilemma / "putting all my eggs in 1 basket"

[c360]

I am interested in becoming an RN, and have looked at several programs, but I have noticed the prereqs for each nursing program are different. I have been considering Rogers State and have been told I would need to take Cell Biology and a combined course for Human Anatomy and Physiology. OU, on the other hand, requires a separate Anatomy and Physiology course as well as Chemistry, Microbiology, etc. What scares me, greatly, is that I can't even apply for the actual nursing programs until I have completed the prereqs. I don't want to take, for example, the prereqs for the Rogers State Program only to be denied entrance into the nursing program and then have to start all over again, adding an extra year or so to the process. I am in my late 30's and can't afford to keep starting over, time wise or from a financial standpoint. Any advice you have would be *greatly* appreciated!

Thanks!

[juliaann]

I had this same issue. To be honest, I just chose my #1 program preference (OU-Tulsa's accelerated BSN) and started working on those pre-reqs. I'm taking my pre-recs at TCC, and OU's requirements are the same as TCC's + a few more courses, so I suppose if I don't get into OU, I can always try applying to TCC's program.

If RSU is what you want, and you like what you've taken there so far, and you meet will meet the average accepted GPA/test scores/whatever other admissions requirements from past years they have (I'm not familiar with thier application process), then chances are when you get your pre-reqs done you will get in, I would think...you might want to meet with a nursing advisor and tell them your concerns - especially with the a&p, and ask them if they think you would have a good chance of getting in after completing them. They should be able to tell you if your GPA is competitive with past accepted students.

I'm personally glad I'm taking A&P seperate, because it seems like more schools in the area require them that way - and like you, I don't want to spend the time and money re-taking something I've already essentially taken, as well as some masters-level programs I'm looking at for way, way down the road. :)

Does RSU not require micro at all? Or is cell bio equivalent to micro?

[caliotter3]

I would agree that you pick the program you prefer and take it from there. As for the anatomy and physiology, take the separate classes. This is the preferred way to do it for the majority of programs. If you take the separate classes, the other school will accept them that way, but not the other way around. My physiology instructor, when I asked him about the combined versus separate issue, told me that schools were moving away from the combined classes. He stated that the combined course was going to be dropped altogether from that particular school in the near future and also said that it is better to take the separate classes when trying to meet requirements of different programs. HTH