Samuel Merritt ABSN Summer 2020

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Hi All,

I didn't see a thread for the Samuel Merritt ABSN summer 2020 cohort and just wanted to start one, as I know most of us are in the process of applying right now. I applied to the Sacramento campus, but am currently waitlisted. I just wanted to see if anyone has any recommendations on how to be more competitive aside from GPA (as I am going to retake some courses to up my GPAs). I love that Samuel Merritt looks at applicants holistically. Please share the wisdom , whether you are applying or you are already in the program. Thank you and have a blessed day !

Cpowers129,

Congrats on getting into the program!!

How has it been? How rigorous is the schedule? Any recommendations on how to prepare before starting the program? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

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3 hours ago, Cpowers129 said:

Hey, y'all. I'm in the spring 2020 cohort that just began early this year. Sacramento campus. If you have questions - ask 'em and I'll do my best to answer =).

I know this is a stressful time for you all right now, but just try to enjoy the process!

Hi!

First off, congrats !!! I'm curious how your experience is thus far ? Is it super fast paced like you expected ? What was most difficult for you ? What advice you may have for future ABSN students? Lol sorry, lots of questions but I've been extremely curious about how the program is since it is accelerated . Thank you in advance !

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Being the stalker I am, here is a quick list of the acceptance dates for the past 5 summers. I hope it helps! The “days” are how many days from due date

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Specializes in New Grad RN.

Haha! I was trying to do this math in my head a week ago after looking at all the old forums. Thank you for posting it! Looks like we may have another couple weeks ?

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5 hours ago, morningjo said:

Cpowers129,

Congrats on getting into the program!!

How has it been? How rigorous is the schedule? Any recommendations on how to prepare before starting the program? Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! The program has been great. The schedule is definitely time consuming. In the short time I've been in school, the in-class and out-of-class time is between 40-50 hours a week. Time put into things tends to taper off as you figure out how to time manage well ?. Still, most people aren't working - very few are working per diem or part time.

The academic rigor is...really going to be a person-to-person experience. If you paid attention in pre-reqs and have some healthcare or hospital experience, it might seem more straightforward. If not, you'll likely have to spend a little extra time reviewing pre-req info and might feel a bit out of place at first. BUT that'll be short lived as the faculty and staff are great and help you to feel part of the team quickly.

How to prepare before starting:
Sounds ridiculous but really..don't worry about all that until you get accepted. Once you do get accepted, start enjoying your free time. If you're rusty on anatomy/physiology and pathology..it might help to do some quick Khan academy or youtube Crash Course review. It'll help you to get back in the groove of things. If I went back, I'd maybe review medical term.

Best of luck!

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4 hours ago, Chongcolatealmond said:

Hi!

First off, congrats !!! I'm curious how your experience is thus far ? Is it super fast paced like you expected ? What was most difficult for you ? What advice you may have for future ABSN students? Lol sorry, lots of questions but I've been extremely curious about how the program is since it is accelerated . Thank you in advance !

Thank you=) My experience has been excellent. Yes, the program is fast paced. If you want a concrete example: we finished a class and textbook in 5 weeks. That said - the university does an excellent job of using multiple modalities of teaching so students really LEARN the concepts. It's not just lecture and take notes.

Most difficult for me so far has been learning a new role in healthcare as I come from a healthcare background. My background has been helpful in many ways - but putting on my new "nurse hat" has been challenging. Different scope of practice, different focus on how to care for patients are a few examples.

My advice for future ABSN students...thats a tough one as I've only done this for 5 weeks so far. I'd say prepare yourself for an accelerated program to sort of take over your time.

Best of luck!

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15 minutes ago, Cpowers129 said:

Thank you=) My experience has been excellent. Yes, the program is fast paced. If you want a concrete example: we finished a class and textbook in 5 weeks. That said - the university does an excellent job of using multiple modalities of teaching so students really LEARN the concepts. It's not just lecture and take notes.

Most difficult for me so far has been learning a new role in healthcare as I come from a healthcare background. My background has been helpful in many ways - but putting on my new "nurse hat" has been challenging. Different scope of practice, different focus on how to care for patients are a few examples.

My advice for future ABSN students...thats a tough one as I've only done this for 5 weeks so far. I'd say prepare yourself for an accelerated program to sort of take over your time.

Best of luck!

Thank for sharing !! Sending you positive vibes for the rest of your journey !!!

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Cpowers129,

Thank you for taking the time to share your insights, it's much appreciated!! Good luck with the rest of the program!!

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On 2/3/2020 at 4:04 PM, pandamonium521 said:

PSA anyone planning to apply in 2021 to absn Sacramento. Professor Bowman has moved to this campus. Avoid at all costs. We will probably lose over 10 people from our class. Pick another campus unless you want to risk failing, losing time and money.

Hey everyone! Good luck to everyone applying! I loved the ABSN program!

Actually, contrasting to some thoughts, MCA3 tends to be the toughest class of the entire program. Any teacher that is responsible for teaching this class is facing stressed out people! I really liked Professor Bowman! Her lectures were well thought-out, organized, and challenging. Nursing school isn't supposed to be easy, especially when people's lives are in your hands/care. Are her exams challenging? For sure! Do you need to study a lot? Probably. There's a reason why students only take her one class at the time. It's heavy content, focusing on critical care/ICU nursing. My biggest advice...pass the medication math exams. They aren't that hard since it's the same stuff on repeat.

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I just received the email today that my application is under review / that they have completed a preliminary review, and not to contact them as it will just slow down the decision process. Fingers crossed that we hear back soon!!

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Specializes in New Grad RN.
8 hours ago, RN.just.a.matter.of.WHEN said:

I just received the email today that my application is under review / that they have completed a preliminary review, and not to contact them as it will just slow down the decision process. Fingers crossed that we hear back soon!!

Yay! I got that toward the end of last week too. I think I got it so late (compared to others who got it shortly after submitting) because they still had to receive my final grades/transcripts from the pre-reqs I took during the fall semester. Was it the same for you?

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4 hours ago, aheld said:

Yay! I got that toward the end of last week too. I think I got it so late (compared to others who got it shortly after submitting) because they still had to receive my final grades/transcripts from the pre-reqs I took during the fall semester. Was it the same for you?

Yeah I’m certain that’s why; I had to submit my final updated grades from my last semester as well.

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