Sticky Situation

[Tbellx12]

Hey guys!

This is my first post on All Nurses...I have a few questions since I'm in sort of a confusion situation. I have just graduated from Stony Brook with a Bachelor's in Health Science (with a Disability Studies & Human Development concentration) and am trying to decide the best path to take. At first I thought that I wanted to go to PA school, but now I'm leaning towards nursing school, with the intention of eventually going on to graduate-level studies. The most appealing programs for me are the combined degree programs, and I have been looking at Pace, NYU, Columbia and will probably end up applying to Stony Brook's accelerated program also. However, I'm not exactly sure what I should do in regards to taking/retaking courses since, as I'm sure most of you know, the pre-reqs for each nursing program vary slightly. Here are my main issues:

-I still need to take micro, and will probably take it at my local community college - is this acceptable?

-During my undergrad, I took the upper-division human anatomy course offered at SB along with mammalian physiology and statistics in the same semester, and as a result poorly managed my time and ended up earning a D in anatomy, C- in physiology and C+ in statistics. However, I then took a&p I and a&p II, earning a B+ and A- respectively. Which courses will nursing adcoms more likely look at? Did I screw myself over by taking the first two courses only to do poorly in them?

-Has anyone taken either developmental psych or nutrition online and been successfully admitted to nursing programs?

Thanks guys!

-Tbellx12

[Fireman767]

I myself went to Stony Brook (2007-2011 (Healthcare Administration)) and many of the colleges your looking at will prefer to see classes in person rather than online. They may say they will take online credits, but preferred applicants take classes in person (especially Stony Brook, I know they hate online classes). And most schools prefer Anatomy and Physiology separate, so your ones where you did well are fine. And psych will have to be taken again, since most schools require a C minimum, and some require a B, but check with them.

[Kvedaa]

I was just accept to a BSN program that is currently ranked 7th in the nation, I had to apply for 3 years before getting in and when I started I had similar stats compared to yours. I would retake anything you have a C in, my school did care if a&p was taken together or not (I took a&p 1-3 together before applying), but they did require a minimum 3.0 prerequisite GPA. I took nutrition online, and microbiology online, I had to make my own incubator and keep cultures in my fridge!

The first year I applied I had 3 B's and the rest where A's no healthcare experience, the second year I had 2000 hrs experience as a CNA, the third year (this year I was accepted) I had my B.S. in Sociology, 2000 hrs experience and a 3.91 GPA (my only B was in microbiology).

So if I where you I would call each school and ask about what Anatomy/Physiology they want, and retake any other classes that are lower than a B. You will do great, dont stress now everything is fixable!

Good luck :)

[Tbellx12]

Thank you both for the enlightening responses and kind words! @Fireman767, the C- was in mammalian physiology, not psych, and I have already retaken it by taking both a&p I and a&p II. Similar to my question about the differing a&p courses, being that I originally planned on applying to PA school, I have taken both general chem I with lab (earning a C) and general chem II with lab (earning a B)...most admissions sites that I have seen list just "general chemistry" as a pre-req...so which do you guys think they would look at; both? just the first? or the second because it is generally more rigorous and I fared better?

Thanks again!

[Kvedaa]

I got to pick at my school, I filled out a form with my class numbers and then they looked at my official transcripts and I was good to go. I needed a total of 45 prereq credits so they required social science and math classes as well. I would talk to an adviser at the school you are trying to apply to, that is what I did (at all 8 programs I applied to!). They will go over your grades and give you advice specific to that program.