I'm new to this site, but have been following the allnurses posts regarding Samuel Merritt program applications religiously for a while now. I recently applied to the ABSN and ELMSN - FNP program for the July 1 deadline. Thought it would be great to have a place to provide insight, stay updated and share experiences with all of you through this terrifying journey. I mean we ONLYYY have to wait until October - November to hear anything. Let the wait begin.....
Thank you all so much for your thoughtful and in-depth responses! A month ago I was not going to consider applying to the ABSN program at all and was just going to apply to the CSUEB program, but after reading your comments I'm all in for ABSN! There are so many things to consider:
-Three semesters vs. 2.5 years of school is a huge difference, and CSUEB is much farther from my house. So that's an additional year and a half of commuting, paying for full time child care (sounds like we will have to get an au pair), clinicals, and the stress of being in school.
-It's more expensive to go to SM than CSUEB (80k vs. 50k), but I'll be able to get a job a year and a half sooner
-The admissions councilor at SM said the ABSN program is "a two year program compressed into a year" but that's not true, since it's a three semester program with 15 units less course work, so at least on paper it should be somewhat comparable to their regular BSN
-I think it will be easier to get into the SM program than CSUEB
Thank you!
Oh, you haven’t applied yet? Good luck! It’s been an intense program so far, but I’m relieved that I’ll be done in the fall.
Hi Everyone! I start at rhe Sac campus in September this year for the upcoming Fall cohort. By chance can someone share with my the schedules that you got for clinicals? Were they ok in placing you near your home? Know some ooted for mixed. What are the times you are in clinicals? Is every roration 12 hour shifts? Or is it different depending on the hospital and type of roration? :)
I am currently in the sac program, started in Jan.
At orientation we put our preferred clinical site. And on the first day they gave us our placements, and allowed us to switch if we wanted and someone else wanted to. There is Sutter sac, Sutter Roseville, Dignity, UCD, or Kaiser Roseville and then a MIXED clinical group. (The mixed rotate between hospitals) it depends where you get placed. I asked for mixed, those days switch depending where they’re placed, but I got Sutter Roseville which was my second choice and I love it. Sutter only allows students monday and Tuesday. Kaiser was on fri/sat but are moving to Sat/Sun. UCD is sat/sun. I am not sure what dignity is. It might be Sun/mon. So it really depends.
Currently we are on two 12 hour shifts 6:45-18:45, and will be like that until psych and mental health.
During psych and mental health we will be somewhere else and probably different days.
Awesome! Thank you so much for the ferdback! Just trying to get an idea of timing of schedules in the program, clinicals, exams, lab days, etc..It's a juggling act it sounds like! How are you doing as far as juggling clinicals with exams and other assignments and maintaining decent grades? That's my #1 concern! Just keeping up and maintaining really good grades!
Thank you, WebbC1! Excellent information. I very much appreciate it!! One last question, hope you don't mind. Do you by chance know how the job market is for new SMU graduates? I was just curious ?
RegisteredNurseRNnnnn, BSN, RN
50 Posts
Oh, you haven’t applied yet? Good luck! It’s been an intense program so far, but I’m relieved that I’ll be done in the fall.