RPCV

I jsut left my third message with the Dean of Nursing about my Organic class situation. No reply. It has been over a month. However the housing department calls me every week to confirm if I am off campus.... Do the seperate dept even communicate??? THis is absurd!!!

Hi all - Well I was provisionaly accepted to Catholics accelerated program. I was told I absoultly needed organic chem in order to start in the fall. I took 5 weeks of leave (unpaid) from my job and enrolled at Montgomery college (well over an hour to get there every day, out of state tutition for a total of $1,600). Well I could not keep up with the course at all. 5 credits in 5 weeks in insanity. I am also taking micro at night. My contract threatened to pull my health insurance while I was on leave so I had to come back and work at least 15 hours. The Prof (who is amazing) would give 3 or 4 homework assignments (10 questions per assignment) each night - but I had to go to work after class and then onto micro until 10 PM. There was no way I could pass. So I am taking the class as an audit now. If I had dropped it I would have only gotten like $100 back. I see it as an investment into the next tiem I take the class. So long story short - Catholic might now deny my entry in to the program becasue of this ONE class. I have served in the Peace Corps, I currently work for large international aid organization, I volunteer, I am a doula -- I think I am pretty decent canidate.... I have been taking pre reqs since spring of 04. Paying out the orifice, no life, no time.... Just to get this far into it and to be told to turn back. I am waiting for the Dean/person in charge of accelerated admissions to call me back. So now I am filling out applications for Georgetown accelerated spring entry program. Worst part - I had told my office I was leaving. THey started to recruit for my position --- now all that is on hold. ARGHHHH!!!! sorry for the rant, but no one else seems to empathize.

You can take organic without the general chemistry classes - a lot of schools chemistry departments will waive the pre-reqs dependant on your situation. I think you will be better prepared with the general chem classes - but it is not a hard fast rule. In my case I am taking orgnaic chemistry with only 4 credits of general chemistry (section I) - I have premission from the department. Asking never hurts! Good Luck!

A good book to read is "Under the Banner of Heaven" - goes into the history of the LDS church (even though officaly these plural marriage sects are not recognized as a part of the church), it's culture, dogma, and leadership. I find it helpful in my work setting, most of my co workers are LDS and very religious. Just be careful - a lto fo them hate the book and I "mysteriously" have copies of the book of Mormon on my chair some days. I have a very dear friend who did rural health care nursing for these plural wife families. Her philiosohpy - children and women need care iregardless of their lifestyle. You can't judge. She loved her job. They respected her. Kids got good health care.

Thanks for the feedback. Now I am a bit nervous. The Organic offered at UDC (where I did my pre-reqs) is 5 credits and not offered in the summer. So I may be stuck taking it through the consortium, when I enter the program in the fall. Oh well, I guess that is what you gotta do - that's what you gotta do. I am interviewing at Case Western next week. Their pre-reqs are a bit different, in fact I have OVER taken classe according ot their admissions. So I think it sounds like Case may be the first choice and Catholic second. It all depends who lets me in and what type of financial aid I qualify for.

Could you elaborate on the pre-reqs issue? Why would they let people in who hadn't yet completed the pre-reqs? And more importantly why would they let them in to an tough accelerated program? I found out last week I was accepted into the program. I am waiting to hear back from a few other universities, but at least I got into one great program! Any idea where they send you on clinicals?

They do have a 2nd degree program. But getting a hold of alive person to talk to is ridiculous. I have called HU several times wanting to talk to admisssions or someone in the nursing dept. When I get someone I say "I'd like to speak with you about the program" - their response "what do you want?". IN addittion they have lost my transcripts twice and the signature page of my application. Ridiculous.

Univ of DC. Right off the Red Line at Van Ness. You can take classes, as a DC resident, for $75 a credit hour. Beware though, a lot of beauracrcy (no suprise) and nothing is easy, even registration. BUT is it right off metro, cheap, and accredited. A lot of other folks like myself (acclerated nursing, no car, work full time) are taking the pre-reqs there. Georgetown's accelerated program accepts the credits from UDC, however Hopkins won't. No idea why - I think b/c UDC is an "urban" university. I have had mixed expereinces on the campus. But over all very dedicated teaching staff (they have to be to put up with all the DC gov't crap they go through) The No VA comm college is NOT metro accessable. You have to take metro to the end of the orange line and catch a bus. Beware. Even if you take an on line class - your tests will be administered on that campus.

now that summer is coming up I bet the local community college will have 4 or 8 week long classes. Usualy to finish by end of July.

I am not a nurse yet either, but I am doula. Often a pad with some witchhazel on it can help speed the healing process too...

A lot of times good law schools will offer free clinics to the non paying public. this way a student lawyer can study your case. I think there are even a few NGO's to aid in these situations as well - refugee rights or some such. Mostly to protect against unfair labor or landlords. Try and "google" it and see what pops up. Maybe they can give you some solid advice.

Even though I am just now applying to nursing school, my family and friends are so supportive. With a few exceptions. I am leaving a career at a major international donor agency --- I work with nurses, midwives and Doctors who are paper pushers and they couldn't be more supportive. Only one gal said I should go to be a nutrionist instead --- She is an PhD in public health from an ivy league and is very snobby... So I just smile and say no thanks and watch her walk back to this tiny grey cubical where she sits for 9 hours a day... and laugh -- I NEVER want to be like her! The two family memebers who aren't - my dad and step mom. They are NYers. She is a big corporate executive. They see nuring as a "lowly" profession. they don't undertand why I don't just go and get my MD. They don't get it! I am CHOSING to be a nurse. They see international public health as more "productive". I just ignore the comments and say well it is my dream. I guess there is nothing glamourous about it to them!!! I guess he'll change his tune once he goes into the hosptial for some reason or another -- and sees what nurses really do... K

Well I did not get into Hopkins. Suprising, I have a 3.5 undergardaute GPA, 2 years teaching health in Africa, work in Maternal Health currently.... Still trying not to be too heart broken over it.... Onward and up wards I guess! where did you all recieve your degrees from? Suggestions for acclerated programs? Thanks, K

Wow, thanks to both of you for such great responses. I was seriously on the MPH track (especially because most folks i work with were pushing me) and after some soul searching (and a trip to visit friends in the West Indies) I decided to jump full on into the RN idea. I am hoping for Hopkins - they have an incredable community health program. If not, well I hope for a state school and work part time. I definatly know I am not a paper pusher nor can I be a traditional hospital nurse. I want to make sure I can secure employment after racking up even more student debt - I know money is not my motivating factor for most life decisions, but realisticly I need to think on these lines as my mother ages. I could go over seas again, however I have many ethical problems with international development that I think the last thing a poor nation needs is another American telling them what to do!! America has so many cultures and people in need. Along with languages, cultural practices and such --- it is very exciting. Thanks for all your help.

I am planning to enter a nursing program in the fall, as an accelerated student. I am looking for any information about community health nursing in America, preferably Indian reservations or resource poor communities. I currently work at an government aid organization as a unwilling bureaucrat and want to get back to working with communities (I have 2 years of oversease community health expereince) in public health (rather then the paper which plans the programs). I decided agains the MPH track in my career for fear of becoming a life-long paper pusher. I am hoping a nursing degree coupled with my public health experiences will help me get back to helping people and communities in which they live! Anyone out there have any public health nursing expereinces they would like to share? Thanks!