adaniels17

Great questions NickelHERSH! So just to be clear, I'm only 10 weeks in, and although I don't expect things to change all that much, it isn't like I've been here for a while. How rigorous is the program? Rigorous. Very rigorous--but there are a few dimensions to that. The first is the sheer amount of work/material. This summer that I'm in now is considered to be the most intense part of the whole program bc so much is crammed into so little time. This 12 week summer has 18 credits in two 6-week sessions. I took my pre-reqs all at once--full-time science courses, and it was intense. But it was not like this is--it's super super fast. There simply isn't enough time to cover everything, and you're just forced to do whatever you can. Besides the pace, the material is radically different from anything we've ever covered. Nursing school tests are very different, and completely geared toward clinical decision making. By the time you get used to the type of studying and the type of test, half the session is over! Few of us have seen grades this low in a long time.... Courses/Instructors/faculty.... This actually ties into the rigorousness--- This program, at least at this point, seems to be far more difficult than it has to be. Many courses (not all, but many) have unclear requirements and feel like a waste of time. Sort of like, "go study for pharmacology, but also weave a blanket. And we're gonna grade you on how well you weave the blanket and be very unclear about how to weave a blanket". We are often left to fend for ourselves, fighting an uphill battle to get information, clear correct instructions, and the ability to review a test to learn from mistakes. This is the hardest part. The administration and faculty on a one-to-one basis are helpful, but when it comes to class-wide deadlines, requirements, programs--unless all 70 people contact them, nothing happens. The disorganization makes the program very difficult physically and emotionally bc we are frequently jerked around and told different things by different people. Now, much of this isn't the school's fault- they are publicly funded, and are therefore short-staffed. Most of the professors are adjunct. As an aside, I've studied full-time at 4 different schools--3 undergrad, and 1 grad. They were all very different--one was HUGE (like 36,000 students), some small, some really small. I have never been to a school or program that was run this poorly. Very small things take a long time and are needlessly made to be difficult. This will echo what students of previous classes have reported--we were all warned about it and find it to be true. BUT (there's always a but!)-- it's done in 15 months, your classmates are always there to help, bc its accelerated you're looked at first for grad programs and jobs, and you learn a TON!--- AND THE TUITION IS LOW!---- many nurses graduate from a regular program with $40,000 in debt. Depending on your life situation, that could be way worse than dealing with disorganization for 15 months. I have also heard (i have no proof) that the other accelerated programs in the tristate are not much better than downstate. Even though it's hard, we all love it :) In the end, the decision is up to you--- have to weigh different things against each other. Please ask any other questions you may have

Yes you can do that--- Take your prereqs throughout the coming year--- You can apply as long as your at least enrolled in the preqs. I'd say, depending on your confidence, get the TEAS done bc the sooner you do, the sooner you can apply. I'm in the current class, and I would also highly recommend finding a way to take pathophysiology and pharmacology prior to attending Downstate. It'd make your first summer WAYYYYY easier, and if you generally do well in science courses, they would only help your GPA. Good luck!

Thanks!--yes there was a link around a week before I received the email. It drove me nuts haha

So I was accepted but never got anything in the mail- it was all through e-mail and was electronic. I don't know if they send stuff out via real mail, I'd think that they do, but its been over a month and they still haven't sent anything.

My checklist doesn't have anything for "health requirement"

I didnt have a link for a health form on my checklist-- I saw a link for the deposit, and when the page I saw when I clicked on Admissions/Health, contained two sections--the one on top was a checklist whose title was "Accelerated Nursing Initial Review", and then a second section was added once I was accepted. Its title was "Accepted/Alternate List Accelerated Nursing Checklist" with a sub-heading of "Required Items Needed for Registration". I don't know if a wait listed student would have the same thing, so I didnt get my hopes up until I officially heard back.

I think they send them out on a constant basis, from back in November up until the spring.

I worked in a residence for the developmentally disabled for 2 years, and as an aid in the psych unit of a hospital for 2 years. I don't know how much all that actually weighed in my acceptance, but I would imagine that any healthcare experience is a lot better than none.

For the facebook group, you can add me, Ari Daniels. I saw there were a bunch of others from previous years and it looked like a good idea.

Congrats to all who've been accepted and good luck to those who are still waiting-- Gratefully I was accepted--I received the email last week. My TEAS scores were as follows: Reading: 97 Math:90 Science: 85 My cumulative GPA was 3.1 and my science GPA (all the prereqs) was a 4.0. Once again, congrats/good luck to everyone-- any questions please feel free to ask-- We should make a facebook group or something--share resources, textbook exchanges, etc.