Samuel Merritt ABSN Insight

[ganymede12]

I have a few questions regarding Samuel Merritt ABSN.

1) What is the outcome/job prospects for students who have completed ABSN? Is the degree well regarded?

2) Any comments on the intensity/workload during the ABSN program, especially for someone with a young family?

3) Any difference in the experience between doing the ABSN degree in San Mateo v/s Oakland v/s Sacramento?

[danielle2812]

I finished the ABSN at SMU San Mateo in December and passed my NCLEX in February. Many of my classmates are picking up good jobs with hospitals quickly. I have an offer from the VA as well and am very pleased. The application process can be quite lengthy depending on what hospitals. It takes time to apply, interview, do preemployment screen and actually start. Some of my friends began applying in December before we graduated and before they took the NCLEX. They were the first to land jobs - those and people who worked internally already at hospitals. SMU graduates seem highly regarded from what I can see.

The intensity of the program is extreme. Each semester varies but overall it seemed relentless and tiring. There were a handful of us with families/children at home and what is important is that there is a good support network. You will need to make sure childcare is taken care of. The program is so quick you do not want to miss clinicals or lecture. I felt like I neglected my family during the ABSN but my husband really stepped up and filled in where I couldn't. It is just temporary so yes it is doable with a family. There was a student with 3 small children and 1 student with a newborn.

I'm not sure there is much difference in location however I will say the ABSN at San Mateo has the most cohorts and seems to have trouble filling the clinicals and preceptorships which is frustrating. It seems Sacramento does not have that problem as there were a handful of my classmates who ended up going to Sac for preceptorship because they were able to get much coveted units such as surgical ICU at UC Davis. There is an infamous critical care professor - Bowman - at the San Mateo campus who routinely fails many in her class so that is a downside of San Mateo. This class was the hardest course I had ever taken in my life and very stressful. If you fail a course you have to repeat at a later time and wait to get back into the program.

Overall, I'm happy. I'm an RN and received an offer for the VA which was my first interview.