Ex-Dilbert

Just a few weeks ago I had a pt in pain tell me she was ready for her "Oxymoron" (Oxycodone)!

Hi, SpudID - I'm at Clackamas right now, and I'll try to answer your questions. As far as the NET goes, the higher your score, the more points you get, although it doesn't add very many points to your score, so as long as you pass the NET, that's the most important thing. Your points are what determines whether or not you get an interview. I didn't take the computer literacy exam because I took CS120, so I don't know if it's difficult. One of my classmates took it, and she didn't think it was that hard. The interview carries the most weight of all. That's when they really try to get a feel for the kind of person you are, and how you will do in the program. All of our clinicals are at hospitals. As far as GPA goes, they're currently reviewing the grading. Right now, an A is a 91% - one of my classmates got a 90.4% and so got a B in the class; they're thinking about changing that. They don't differentiate between an A- and an A here. P.S. - Michael, I didn't see your note about the NET test until now (finals have been keeping me busy!), but you are right, it stands for Nurse Entrance Test.

Hi, Michael - I'm in my first year at Clackamas CC. You do need to pass the NET test, which has both a reading and a math section. Also, even if you've taken Math 095 or above, you have to take a placement test and test at or above Math 095. Otherwise, the requirements are all of the usual (GPA must be C or above, pre-reqs completed, etc.)

Hi, Michael - You're right, there are 40 spots available for the CCC program. This last year they increased the standards that you had to pass in order to be granted an interview, so they ended giving only 50 interviews for 40 spots. The school accepted 40 people with 10 alternates. However, 22 of those people had applied to more than one school and were accepted at OHSU, Linfield, etc. The school took all 10 alternates, and still only ended up with 28 students. I'm sure they'll do something next year to prevent the same thing from happening, but I'm not sure what. I think that most of my classmates got A's and B's for their pre-reqs. You are given points for your GPA (for pre-reqs only) during the acceptance process, but as long as you get a C or better, they don't put too much weight on good grades. If you ask any of the staff they will tell you that they believe that a person can be a great nurse and not have to be a straight-A student. As far as the pre-reqs go, some of them were tough (especially A&P), but they are definitely passable. More than anything, they require lots and LOTS of time (time studying outside of class). I'm doing my clinicals at Providence Milwaukee in the med-surg unit. Others in my class are at OHSU, Legacy Meridian Park, and Willamette Falls. What area you begin in really depends on which hospital you're at. You have a chance during your second year to participate in preceptorships, where you spend time in a specific area that is of interest to you. Also, if you have an area you're interested in, the instructors are really good about trying to expose you to that field. I think that covers about everything you asked! I know when I was starting my pre-reqs, it was SO helpful to get info from people already in various programs. Because of that, I'm very happy to answer any questions. If you live near Clackamas and are interested in the transfer to OHSU, there's a counselor at CCC who specializes in the nursing program and has info on it. Her name is Jean Deveney and she is very helpful.

Michael - So far I really love Clackamas CC (of course, I may be somewhat partial). There are only 28 of us in the class (4 males) and we have about 6 instructors (all fantastic). In recent years, Clackamas has had a great pass rate for the board exams, and the college has just built new facilities for the program. I guess the main reason I like it so much so far is the teacher to student ratio; there's always someone to help you out. Plus, we went into the hospital the third week of school, and I really like hands-on learning. If you have any questions about pre-reqs or the program, I'd love to answer them!

Right now I'm attending Clackamas Community College, and they have a deal with OHSU that once you gain admittance into Clackamas' program, you are automatically accepted into OHSU if you wish to go on for a bachelor's degree. Some of the other community colleges may have the same kind of deal. One of my classmates was looking into Chemeketa, and currently they seem to have a good reputation. As far as competiveness goes, at Clackamas I know they normally receive about 200 applications but only have 40 spots. This year there are only 28 of us because they increased the qualifications for applicants. And to clarify about the OHSU deal, if I wanted to, after my second year at Clackamas, I could go straight to OHSU, attend only one more year, and have a Bachelor's degree. They have a few more pre-reqs, but if it's something you know you want to do, you have time to complete them before you transfer.