Pros and Cons of each of the MCCD nursing programs?

DesertWolf · Jun 3, 2007

Bumping..... Inquiring minds want to know!!! :lol2:

boomerfriend · Jun 4, 2007

There's been lots of previous posts on the pro's and con's of each school. Do a search on the name of the school you are interested in.

All I can say is that there's good and bad to all schools. I would recommend you put down as your choices only the ones you are actually willing to take. Do some soul searching as to how much time you are willing to dedicate to NS. It is time consuming, mind boggling and it can be consuming. (did I mention consuming....) However, if you buckle down, you can actually be done pretty quick (18mos). I guess I'm saying....what are you willing to forfeit for 18-24 mos.? I'm a mom and the fast-track was too fast for me. I need summers off to be with my kids as they're out of school (and to get my head back together). Others, however, really like being able to work straight through the program and get it done and start working. It is all in what YOU want.

arual56 · Jun 5, 2007

My application is in! Now I just need to figure out where I want to apply to. Can any of you lovely people give me information about the nursing programs in the MCCD? (Whether through reply to this or PM.) My only dilemma is that I have a 6 month old baby and so naturally I want to apply to the Glendale weekend day option so that I can have my husband or mom watch her. However, I am considering day care so that I can just get in to any school and finish asap. Can any of you moms tell me how you got through nursing school with children? Also, last question, which MCCD schools should I apply to in order to get in faster?
Thank you very much in advance!

I don't know how much help this will be because I don't have small children to worry about, but I wouldn't suggest going through Rio Salado. While Rio works for some people, it is not the best program for others. Among my own biases with Rio, I think you should be aware that they lost their Chairperson in January of this year and it has taken them nearly 5 months to replace her. Before the end of last year, they lost their clinical coordinator, who they still have not replaced. As of last Friday, they lost their other clinical coordinator. In short, they are running their program, which was having problems before, with two people instead of four, and one of those two people is incredibly new to the job and the school. I recently emailed the assistant director of the program, the person who has been there the longest now, asking if we would be receiving study guides for our finals and midterms. I finally received an answer today in which she told me we would be getting study guides, and "would I please let her know the due dates for those exams." May seem like nothing to some, but when the assistant director, who has always been the one to send us out study guides before, now needs the students to tell her when the exams are due, there is something terribly wrong with the situation and the program. Be careful what you get into. All programs will have their "bumps" but this program seems to have more than most, and has bumped two of their four member staff, right out of their jobs.

CrazyPremed, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 5, 2007

Honestly, you aren't really given any choice. You apply, and then go where they send you. Each program has pros and cons, but - in my opinion - it really depends on what kind of environment you do well in. Many, many people find themselves in programs that are faster, slower, or much further away from their homes than they expected. You just need to go with the flow.

The only advice that I could give is to have a day care schedule idea before nursing school starts. It seems that absences are the most inflexible aspect of nursing school. If you need the part-time program, it might be worth it to wait a semester or two for it.

CrazyPremed