timhortons

I know a few people who did have part time jobs but I think it's safe to say the majority of students did not work. I would say most people would advise you not to work if you don't have to, just given the intensity of the program and how fast-paced it is. It's different from having two specific midterm sessions during a semester as I find most people from science backgrounds experienced. You're literally doing something or preparing for the next day every day. You could try it out first term. Doesn't hurt to try :) I also forgot to mention the biggest difference between UT and Mac. UT is very much lecture-style, and Mac of course is PBL-based (but with a mix of lectures in between). The biggest factor in making your decision should largely be based on what type of learning environment you feel you are more comfortable in, which environment you think you will learn best in your training as a nurse, in alignment with logistic/program structure factors. Looking back, the transition to nursing was very overwhelming. You are learning a lot of new information and skills in a very compressed manner. I had experience with PBL and I think it helped make my transition to nursing less overwhelming than it could have been. I knew I would have found a lecture-based program a struggle. I guess, bottom line: know yourself and how you learn! Hope this helps!

I occasionally check these boards for curiosity and noticed that people had questions about the Accelerated program at McMaster. I am in the Accelerated program at McMaster now (going into the second year). I hope that I'm able to offer some insight on the structure of the program to help with your decision! First term, you will take pharmacology (two 1 hour lectures and one 2 hour tutorial/wk), intro to clinical skills (learning all your assessments, one 3 hr tutorial in the simulation lab/wk), PBL (two 3 hour tutorials/wk, pathophysiology (online 1-1.5 hour long module/two wks, plus one-hour tutorials in alignment with module timings), and social determinants of health (one 3 hour lecture/wk). PBL is a group-discussion format. You are given a care scenario (watching a video about a specific case), then the group follows a learning schematic (which you are introduced to in the first week) on researching into the care scenario, prioritizing learning gaps. You pretty much are teaching each other and making connections through the care scenario and your other courses. There is a facilitator who is nursing faculty, so you are not just left to fend for yourselves. There are many valuable discussions that occur during PBL that stimulate your learning and growth in the profession of nursing. It is less focused on clinical skills (you have your clinical course for that) but critical thinking and discussion around the roles of nurses in various settings, patient perspectives, etc. Since we had both lectures and PBL, I personally liked the balance. I found it to be a valuable experience working in small groups and learning how to function effectively as a group, which is definitely important in nursing. I do have to admit though that some of the assignments were painful. The PBL learning environment is definitely different, and people from lecture-style backgrounds do take some time to get accustomed to it. However, if you remain open-minded and willing to learn, I think many people find themselves surprised with how learning can occur in this way when they get more comfortable. Second term, you take microbiology (same format as pharmacology), research methods (1 three hour tutorial/wk), professional practice (4 hours in the lab+8 hours in the hospital/wk), pathophysiology (same format), and PBL (one 4 hour tutorial/wk). (FYI, you can receive advanced credit for some courses pending you meet with the academic supervisor and follow some instructions, but worry about that later :)). This term tends to be the most intense, just with clinical and a heavy course load. You are evaluated through different methods. PBL through papers/presentations/tutorial participation, pathophysiology through just midterm and final exams, pharm/micro through midterms/exams/tutorial assignments/quizzes, research methods through in-class assignments, clinical through skills examinations (OSCEs)/professional practice evaluations/reflections, etc. In the third summer term, you have a community placement (6 hours on one day of the week for the whole summer), pathophysiology (same format, whole summer), PBL (3 hours/wk whole summer), and you're in the clinical setting for 12 hour shifts x 2/wk (6 weeks on a surgical ward and then 6 weeks in mat child or mental health or peds depending on where you get placed). You get a 3 weeks to a month off in the summer depending on when things end. In fourth year, you are amalgamating with all of the over fourth years at McMaster and you pretty much follow your preceptor's schedule + you have PBL and a research course. I was also deciding between U of T and McMaster but I chose Mac for a few reasons. You finish earlier than Toronto (McMaster is a shorter 20 month program) so you can write the registration exam earlier (Mac finishes April - you write in June; UT finishes in June - you write in October). There are only three write times per year (Feb, June, October) and you have to be done your degree requirements prior to writing. Nonetheless, I have friends at UT nursing and we can both attest to the fact that both programs are intense! Tuition I would say is fairly equal - I remember Toronto being around $10,500 (Sept-Aug) and it works out similarly to Mac if you count tuition during the summer as well. I think U of T has more opportunities for financial support to students through scholarships, grants, etc. within their nursing program. No support financially is given to Accelerated students at McMaster, although there are bursaries and scholarships you can apply for here and there if you look in the right places (and also through Mac's financial aid office, pending you've applied for OSAP). Nonetheless, housing and cost of living is significantly cheaper in Hamilton versus Toronto, if this is important and relevant to you. Bus pass to get around Hamilton is also free, sort of (it's included as part of tuition costs, but at a very subsidized cost). Another major difference between Mac and UT is that McMaster starts clinical placements in the actual hospital in our second term. I know UT starts within the first few weeks of their first term (either Geriatrics or Mat/Child). This can work to your preference depending on what you're comfortable with. Some students like to ease their way into nursing first (which Mac sort of helps you do - you're just learning your assessments in first term, then you really get to apply them second term onwards in more acute settings), but other people might prefer to start getting exposure to a clinical setting right away (even though it's less acute). I'm not sure how UT assigns fourth year placements (I think it was largely based on geographic location), but Mac has a clinical lottery which at least gives you some autonomy in making a choice. The entire fourth year group is randomized and you pick from a large placement list in order; the order is reversed for the Winter term (e.g. if you picked first in fall, you pick last in winter to make it fair). Going to UT may work to your advantage if you are really set in working in Toronto after you graduate (there are relatively few placements for Mac students in Toronto, although there are some). I can't speak for which group of grads is more prepared after graduating. I think everyone faces a huge learning curve when starting out anywhere. However, if you used your clinical placements wisely and as opportunities to apply and build on your fundamental nursing skills and assessments, you have a good foundation. Being a motivated self-learner, good communicator and team member, those are sort of the assets that will carry you through in any type of work you do. Hope this helps!

Based on previous year FB groups, looks like around ~50? (probably more because a lot of people don't use FB too)

Look for McMaster Accelerated Nursing class of 2015

I also created a faebook group for those coming to McMaster :) McMaster Accelerated Nursing Class of 2015!!

Not that I know of.

I asked my friend who graduated from Nursing at Mac and is working as a nurse now about this quote and she thinks it's a pretty exaggerated view from someone in the program who likely had a bad experience. Everyone I know that has graduated from Mac's program has said that employers in fact place high value on Mac grads because of the skills acquired from PBL. I can speak to the value of PBL personally since I graduated from a PBL based undergrad degree and went into a Masters degree that was very much focused on didactic learning, etc. Let me tell you though, the first few weeks of PBL I thought ***, how is this helping me learn, etc..seems like such a waste of time, etc. etc. PBL is very student focused and puts students at the centre of their learning, which means you are responsible for your learning. This means the onus is on you to figure out what you need to learn and how you'll go about learning it but of course, there is support and feedback along the way which will help you. I often felt tempted to scream "SOMEONE JUST TEACH ME IT AND I WILL MEMORIZE IT AND KNOW IT!!!" Lot of the similar sentiments that people who aren't used to PBL often feel. However, this sentiment changed over time and changed drastically when I headed into my Masters and became so fed up with the same old boring lecture that no one listens to after the first five minutes, and some of the really terrible groups that I had to work in for group work, when there was any assigned...I really saw how my PBL degree helped me develop some of the skills around how to mitigate for these learning challenges. Of course PBL takes a lot of work and will require much more effort because you're working with others but I think it's preparing you for a reflection of the real world. In PBL, you're teaching and learning about how you learn best and reflect...and how to work in a group. While these things sound simple and straightforward, I don't think people realize how difficult it is. It sounds a bit cliche, I know but I think I can truly attest to this having had my foot in both worlds as well as having volunteer and research experience in clinical settings. Throughout grad school, I worked in jobs that were completely different, but while I learned to pick up the knowledge around content in a matter of time, it was always the research skills, the questions I asked, how I facilitated group meetings, my communication skills (both oral and writing) and the self-directed nature I went about my learning (while always looking for support when I felt it was needed), how I interacted with others that I was always complimented on through my evaluations. Everyone, in nursing and not in nursing, has told me that it is really the transferable skills you learn around knowing how to learn, reflect, work/communicate/lead effectively in a group that really helps you out in situations. By working through problems in groups, I retained so much more of the information that I just could have memorized (and probably forgot in less than a week...). I still remember the biochemical pathways of a bacteria causing diarrhea that I had to present an entire symposium on with my group members - a group PBL project that we worked on together for a whole year v. other biochem courses where I just memorized enzymes, etc. I forgot as soon as I set my pencil down following the exam. I was able to navigate and help put some structure and organization into the not so great groups I had to work with so we could accomplish our tasks effectively even though we didn't get along best naturally. I was able to take initiative to tell profs or supervisors when I thought I wasn't getting what I needed out of my learning, being upfront when I was uncomfortable with performing a task or asking them directly for help which I felt they appreciated. I think after talking to many health care professionals, my own experiences in undergrad/grad school/research+volunteer experiences, I felt Mac was the best choice for me because of their PBL learning environment, which I thought would ultimately help me become a better nurse. However, my nurse friend did say that at her first clinicals, she may have been less prepared than she could have been but it was a matter of time and application of the skill set that she gained. There's always a learning curve in a new environment. Anyways that's just my 2 cents! (Can you tell I'm going to Mac?! ) Of course, to each their own!

Also was admitted to McMaster's accelerated nursing program on Friday :) Good luck everyone!

I had a 3.91/2ish GPA in my final year and a 3.87 cumulative average. Hope this helps. I'll be declining my Western offer though, hopefully it helps someone else out!

I think it says that as soon as they receive your application. I'm pretty sure it also takes longer for the JoinUT site to update since mine also said Application being reviewed even after I received notification of acceptance. I've also heard first round of acceptances have been sent out - offers expire April 10th so if you haven't heard anything by now, there's a good chance you'll hear mid-April.

Anyone hear from McMaster yet?

I think everyone gets the same questions - yes, they were along those lines :) I'm sure if you filled out the application online and answered all the boxes you're good. Wish you the best!

Accepted to Western and UT so far! Still waiting on a few other schools but nonetheless very excited to start Nursing this fall :)!

Sure, my final year GPA was 3.91/2ish..(can't remember). My prerequisite courses required for UT, I had grades of: anatomy/physiology A-/B, statistics A-, humanities A/B+, life sciences A/A, social sciences A-/A. Hope this helps.

Accepted to U of T today! Hope everyone else got some good news as well.