Zale66

Thank you! Yes, I ran from Concorde. It wasn't good. I have all the pre-req's but Galen won't take them Sad part is, I did them all 20 years ago and my GPA isn't good enough for SPC right now. I don't mind the schools in Tampa, but I live in Seminole and with 2 young kids and being a single mother....Well, daycare closes at 6pm! I need to stay close to home. I do have a few options, though, and will continue to pursue them. Thank you so much for your response! My gut instinct on Concorde was not a good one.

Thank you so much for your reply and the information! For a variety of reasons I will probably heavily pursue Galen but will continue to apply at many other schools in the area. I have an AA from SPC from 1990 but the GPA isn't nearly enough to get me into the program. I'm a focused and dedicated student now and want to move forward as quickly as I can. Thanks again, I'll be sure to check out the link you posted

DSBL, I certainly understand your predicament! I myself didn't do very well in college back in 1990 (yes, this is a second career for me) and it has made the private school sector more appealing, in more ways than one. I have not yet seen or heard of any shortage in my area for RN's. Each facility I did exterships with were hiring PCT's and RN's. I was offered jobs at three facilities where my RN education would be paid for. I just don't feel I can be a single mother and do all three successfully at the same time so I have chosen to continue my education full time. Best of luck to you! I'm trying to get into the Nov. start class at Galen and take the PAX-PN next week. It's not my only application, but I'm starting to think it's my first choice. Feel free to PM me if I could give you any info you don't already have.

I am posting this for any future lurkers who may have some of the same questions I did regarding Concorde and their Tampa location RN program. They started their first class of 30 students and will begin another class late September, early October. The facilities were not as nice as Galen's and there did appear to be an issue with staffing/instructors. Also, while the counselor was very nice, he was unable to tell me where the clinicals would be held and even mentioned having to travel up to 100 miles and stay in a hotel room with other students to finish them, which sounded very, very strange to me. It appears they do hot have a very established program here. The program is six, 10 week courses and is very intensive. Obviously, I'll be looking into other schools. I still would be interested in hearing from other students at the Tampa location. I doubt this is the right place for me as it is too far to drive for the hours (he said it was 8am- 6pm). Just some FYI for others who might be looking into Concorde. Oh, and yeah, the cost is 41 K for the program.

I"m in a similar situation and need to complete my RN as quickly as possible. I recently completed a very comprehensive PCT program and my nursing instructors there said wonderful things about Galen and fully recommended them. I am considering Galen, but would prefer a straight RN program without getting my LPN first. They have wonderful facilities. When I was doing my clinicals at Bayfront Medical the Galen students were professional, educated and raved about their experiences at Galen. As of yet, I myself have not heard anything negative about them. I think the cost is off-set by getting to work sooner rather than later. If other options don't work out, I will probably attend Galen. I hope things work out for you! Best wishes.

Just giving this a little bump.... Since there doesn't seem to be any Tampa Concorde students, does anyone know of any other straight RN programs in the Tampa/Clearwater/St. Petersburg area? I really liked Galen but you need your LPN for their bridge program. They would be my next choice as I have heard nothing but fantastic things about them and their equipment is state of the art. Thanks for any advice or information anyone might have. Perhaps I should reconsider SPC as I have an AA from there (20 years ago!) but am concerned with not being able to get into the program after taking all the pre-reqs. Time is a huge factor for me as I am a newly single mother and need to get back on my feet as quickly as I can. Thanks again for any advice or information :)

Hi! I've just finished a very comprehensive PCT program and want to quickly get started on my RN. I cannot find much information regarding Concorde in Tampa. Anyone here going to that school in Tampa for RN or LPN? I have only spoken to one person about Concorde (because they are new to Tampa) but she didn't have nice things to say regarding the South Florida location. They have an A+ rating with the BBB despite being very expensive. I am considering Galen but would prefer to skip the LPN program and go right for my RN. Thanks for any and all information any of y'all might have! :) FYI- PTEC, SPC are not options because they take too long to get into. I need to get into a program right away and finish as quickly as possible. I am a dedicated student and am willing to put the hard work and effort into a any program to make it successful. Cost is not a factor as I see this as an investment in my future, but time is. I am not overly concerned with getting a BSN later on as this is a second career for me and I probably will be happy staying an RN. I just want to be able to sit for the RN boards as quickly as I can. Uh, can you tell I'm ready to get this over with? Thanks again!