Ridiculous

[TexRN, BSN, RN]

I've been going back and forth with this particular school about my chemistry that I have. It's from George Washington University the chemistry that I did, but it's on my military transcripts and the GWU transcripts make it seems like its vocational when it isn't. So I pulled up the right transcripts that says its undergrad and sent them over. This is what my transcripts say.

Clinical Chemistry 7SH

General Chemistry 5SH

Clinical Chemistry 4SH

This is the response I received back.

After careful review of your chemistry credit it has been determined that it will not fulfill our chemistry prerequisite requirements. We require applicants to take inorganic and organic chemistry, and your transcript states credit in "clinical chemistry".

I attached a list of our required prerequisite courses for the Traditional BSN degree. We accept in-state and out-of-state transfer credits, as long as they are obtained from a regionally accredited institution.

THEN. I was like, I cannot keep e-mailing like this, and then wait 3 days for an answer so I called.

I said NOTHING on the prereqs says anything about inorganic and organic chemistry. It only says 6 hours of Chemistry.

So then, she said fine, your General Chemistry can count as Chem 101(so much for "careful review"). She said it was only 5 credits not 6. I don't understand WHY they won't take clinical chemistry. I know it counts. I just need to send her the course descriptions and objectives tomorrow. This is so frustrating to me. Does this make any sense to you all???

[loriangel14, RN]

If they require organic and inorganic chemistry and you didn't take it then you will have to do so. Your transcript doesn't say inorganic and organic so that's likley why they aren't accepting it. you have to take what is required, not something kind of like it.

[TexRN, BSN, RN]

All it says on the prereq page is Chemistry. It says absolutely nothing about organic/inorganic chemistry. If that's how they play then I feel sorry for the people who take other chemistry and get the run around like I do. They said General or Fundamentals would work, but clinical is much higher than that, so you'd think it would count!

[loriangel14, RN]

What kind of program is it?

[TexRN, BSN, RN]

The nursing school? It's in Texas San Antonio area, it's a traditional BSN program where you only do the nursing part there. I don't want to say the name because I don't want them to see me ranting about it. But the program I can from was my Lab tech training in the military. We received a Lab Tech Certificate upon completion and with a few more classes we get the associates degree for it. Its not vocational, every credit is undergrad level and should be counted. Everything had labs, there were clinicals, it was a 2 year program condensed to 6 months of book work and 6 months of clinical.

[TexRN, BSN, RN]

Clinical chemistry topics include biochemistry, carbohydrates, electrolytes, hepatic function, introduction to inorganic chemistry, Introduction to organic chemistry, lipids, mathematic equations, proteins, and renal function.

I found this, ACE | Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Servicest's the actual class I attended, hopefully that gets their chemistry jollies out and they will count it!

[loriangel14, RN]

So you are applying to a nursing program? Why does your profile say you have 5 years of nursing experience? You cannot call it nursing experience if you are not a nurse.Nurse is a protected title and you can only call yourself that if you actually a nurse.

If the chemistry you took doesn't meet their requirements they have every right to not accept it.You are the wrong track if you are going to argue every point with the school.

[ArrowRN, BSN, RN]

unfortunately, some nursing schools do require organic/inorganic chemistry.I avoided applying to those. Now, some schools will take just any chemistry with a lab and others are dropping chemistry altogether. Inorganic chemistry is a bit of over kill, it's all part of "fluff" credits which will not help with nursing school.

Does it make sense? no way. General Chemistry is noway equivalent to Chem101. That is not an accurate evaluation of your credits. See if maybe they will need to take a look at the full semester syllabus or something that gives all the topics your covered.

There is like 2 other levels of chemistry that lower than general chemistry. Introductory chemistry without lab component and Basic Chemistry with labs.

[tokebi]

Clinical chemistry topics include biochemistry, carbohydrates, electrolytes, hepatic function, introduction to inorganic chemistry, Introduction to organic chemistry, lipids, mathematic equations, proteins, and renal function.

Well, I see the problem right there. The typical general chem and org chem courses that are required for nursing programs start from very fundamental stuff and builds up to pretty complex concepts, because they're courses that are foundations for not only biological sciences but all other science majors. If your "clinical chemistry" included all the above you listed, then it is a "survey." In a typical academic progression, you would not even touch carbohydrates, lipids and proteins until you take an actual biochemistry courses, which must come only after you complete general and organic chemistry courses. Here's an example, did your curriculum teach you electron configuration of atoms -- atomic orbitals s, d, f, etc, and quantum numbers? Absolutely irrelevant to nursing majors but it is a topic that's covered in college-level general chemistry. Organic chemistry would be even more rife with synthesis reactions that are more relevant to petroleum engineers than nurses. But that is the requirement.

I totally understand your frustration. I bet your chemistry knowledge from your military lab tech education will be so much more focused and helpful in nursing education but unfortunately that is not the "college-level" chemistry schools are looking for. I know, because I had received a very focused medical education in military too, which didn't do squat towards my civilian nursing education in terms of college credits. Military education is very succinct, focused, and specifically customized to the job, and therefore, very difficult to translate into civilian education system. I'm sorry you have to go through this frustration but you can also turn this into positive experience. My belief is that there's no wasted redundancy when it comes to education.

[tokebi]

Now, some schools will take just any chemistry with a lab and others are dropping chemistry altogether. Inorganic chemistry is a bit of over kill, it's all part of "fluff" credits which will not help with nursing school.

Dropping chemistry altogether? My god, that's a shame. As for your "fluff" comment, well, I agree nursing schools tend to get bloated with "fluff" courses but foundational science courses are hardly it.

Sure, some topics in chemistry may not apply to nursing at all, but if a student does not learn a basic chemical nature of matter, how do you teach the nature of a biological being?

[TexRN, BSN, RN]

I have no idea why it says that.

ETA: I just looked at my profile, it asks what degree I have, which is in health sciences, and then how much experience I had. I don't know why it would link that to nursing right after asking for degree.

Also, I am not arguing every point in the school but I think its pretty darn important that they get it right. This can add a whole year to my goals when I have military education benefits with a limit. If I didn't stand up and say hey, this counts! Then I would have to take ALL of chemistry again, but no, I only have to do the second part. Pardon me for trying to get them to be thorough like they claim they are.

[IrishIzCPNP, MSN, RN, APRN, NP]

I have no idea why it says that. ETA: I just looked at my profile it asks what degree I have, which is in health sciences, and then how much experience I had. I don't know why it would link that to nursing right after asking for degree.[/quote']

Now it says your nursing specialty is lactation. Huh? Is this an area of interest or specialty?