I really need some advice right now. So I'm currently in the middle of a medical assisting program and will finish up next spring (I started the program before I made the decision to go for nursing). The problem is that I need to take physio (my last prereq) this fall in order to get my application in for the nursing program by January 15. This wouldn't be a problem except that I also have 3 MA classes to take this fall, one of which is a clinical rotation. Would I be crazy to take physio and 3 other classes in the same semester? Last semester I took 4 classes and pulled off a 4.0 but the classes weren't too hard. Back when I took anatomy, I took it alone.
Thank you SO much! One of my biggest challenges with school so far has been all the papers that I've had to write. I'm not bad at writing them- just HATE doing it.
After thinking more about it a bit more I'm sort of leaning towards dropping the MA program and focusing on nursing & degree requirements. I'm most likely going to take physio and the 2 GE classes that I have left this fall. I really don't like quitting but since being a nurse is my ultimate goal I think it's best to put all of my attention on it.
The MA could be helpful in bringing in a little money during school and getting some experience in healthcare. It is a plus on the ol' resume. It sounds like you've put a lot of work into it already.
Trust your gut, though. If you feel it is better for you to finish GE's and go on to nursing school, by all means. Just some food for thought.
Specializes in CrItical Care, Street Medicine/PHM, School nurse.
I have been an MA for the last 13 years. Over the last 6 years, I've gone to school part time for 4 of those (pre-reqs) and full time for the last 2 years (BSN). I still work as an MA for about 6 early morning hours on the weekends. Those few hours keep my connections with medical colleagues (and possible future nursing references) open! While I gathered tons of experience as an MA, I believe it will be harder in todays day and age to obtain a job as new MA and go to RN school at the same time. I tell you this from a medical office manager/hiring managers perspective. I've gone through hundreds of MA resumes and anyone with less than 1 years experience as an MA was not a candidate at all. Furthermore, most flexible MA jobs (hospital care tech, nursing home, urgent/after hours clinic) require at the very least 1 years experience for all applicants. Regular clinics (where most new MA's have better luck getting hired) are generally open on a regular work schedule which tends to come in conflict with most nursing school class hours.
My second point deals with the financial aspect of MA vs RN schooling. Most MA courses at CC's cost between $6k-$8k. For profit schools, such as Virginia College, are astronomically higher. If you'd like to get your moneys worth from MA school, you really have to work for at least 3-4 years. Otherwise, it will be a waste of resources (time and money) to attend MA school then soon after nursing school, that is unless you have solid and flexible MA employment lined up and ready as soon as you finish school. On the flip side, Ma experience looks great on your resume when you are looking for jobs, however the diversity and years of experience is once again taken into consideration. Also, anything less than one year of MA experience will really not benefit you as a nursing student or as a nurse, given that most of that 1 year experience will typically be concentrated in one discipline (ex: Family practice) as opposed to a more diverse background such as Family practice, OB/Gyn and Pediatrics. Obtaining that mutli-discipline experience requires a large investment of your time (4-5 years as so to avoid looking like a serious job hopper).
It took me forever to get to where I'm at but that's mostly because life has a way of throwing in monkey wrenches at times (marriage, kids, life in general lol). Besides, my MA schooling cost me a grand total of $1500, an amount that was worth the investment! Personally, I would of gone straight to nursing school. It is much harder to study with kids vying for your attention in the background, lol.
As for study habits, you must be willing to be very dedicated to your education. Here is an example of my study/home schedule for a 15 hour class semester: Pharmacology, Med Term, Ethics, Physiology Lab and Lecture.
Tuesday-Thursday
Class from 8:15 am-3:00 pm (Studying during breaks and before class from 7:15-8:30)
Home from 4:00-8:30 pm: Cook, minor cleaning, bathing, kids HW
Study from 8:30-11:30 pm (mostly Phys and Pharm)
Friday (no class for me in this case)
STUDY all day
7:30-9:30 am Phys
9:30 am-12:30 Pharm
12:30-1 pm Lunch Break
1:00 pm-2:00 Ethics
2:00 pm-3:00 pm Med Term
Ethics and Med Term were not that hard for me so I sometimes used those slots to work on class projects as needed.
Saturday and Sunday:
Set at least 4-5 hours aside each day to study and work on projects/papers (if this means at midnight, then at midnight it is).
I pre-read posted lecture material the day before class. This helped me better understand the subject, research the material, listen more intently and clarify any confusion during lecture as opposed to after class or maybe even days later. Open lab hours and office hours are important to attend. It allows you to have more contact with the subject and professors. As a bonus, you might even get a reference letter or two from a professor who notices your dedication and work ethic (I got 2 this way!). I also use flashcards and find Quizlet very helpful, especially for harder memorization courses such as Pharm and Anatomy.
Finally, to answer your question of "is 3 classes plus Phys doable"? That really depends on your study habits and time management. Also, you have to ask yourself "What is my ultimate goal: finish MA school (and risk getting a lower grade in Physio) or get into and start nursing school (and risk not finishing or failing MA courses)?
Physio can be hard by itself and even harder when taken with other science courses. I took it with Pharm and some other general courses and let me tell you, I aged about 10 years, lol! But I got what I wanted: an A for all my courses that semester!
Does anyone have any advice for effective studying, organization, and time management? As far as studying goes, I seem to wait till the last minute, which hasn't been a problem, but I'd like a more organized system.
Dear one, get out of that habit right now! You cannot wait until the last minute to study anything in nursing school. I have to study what we covered in class that day at the end of the day, and then again a couple more times before the exams. Start getting into that habit now, so you will be prepared now before you get into nursing school. Btw, getting into nursing school isn't the hard part; retaining information and your sanity will be the issue then. It's tough even if you are a good student and generally make A's. I tend to get completely organized at the beginning of each semester; one binder for each class, syllabus and schedule handy, write down all due dates in pencil in my personal calendar, and start reading and doing homework before the first day of class. Read texts before lecture, go over your notes that very evening to make sure you solidify the current information in your brain before going on. There is soooo much information thrown at you constantly. Thankfully, my school has a policy of teaching the same concepts over and over again in each subsequent class. I can study for 12 hours and not look up once, so make sure you take breaks and workout to cleanse your soul. Keeping your physical health in nursing school is as important as anything. The first semester is the hardest, so don't assume that the next 2 years will be a horror as much as the first one was. My fellow students are generally very smart, I'm the kind of person who has to work harder to get that A. And get a PCI or PCA job (patient care assistant/intern) as soon as you can. It will help you to understand what's going on in class, and possibly get your foot in the door later (though I've known lots of RN's who get their first nursing gig right after passing the NCLEX). Most importantly, don't be too hard on yourself. You will question yourself along the way; why am I doing this?, why am I punishing myself like this?, am I not smart enough for this? etc. I guarantee it. Don't give up.
It depends on what else you have going on. For some people it is doable and for others it wouldn't be.
Personally, I did A&P 2, Microbiology, Speech, Theatre Appreciation, and English together last semester. Got straight As. I'm no super-student either, I just made some sacrifices with my social life and took less hours at work.
Thanks so much, guys! I bought a planner not too long ago but I think I need to get an even bigger one as it's a bit small. I've been pretty good about time management and studying ahead this semester. Definitely going to utilize all of these suggestions í ½í¸Š
Ilargia99, LVN, RN
221 Posts
Thank you SO much! One of my biggest challenges with school so far has been all the papers that I've had to write. I'm not bad at writing them- just HATE doing it.
After thinking more about it a bit more I'm sort of leaning towards dropping the MA program and focusing on nursing & degree requirements. I'm most likely going to take physio and the 2 GE classes that I have left this fall. I really don't like quitting but since being a nurse is my ultimate goal I think it's best to put all of my attention on it.