The school gave us a TERRIBLE online course!

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Hi there,

I start LPN school on July 1st, however because the program is so competitive and the list is so long, the school offers medical terminology and dos. calc. ahead of time and then adds it to your points list for entrance. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and take the med. term class that way I wont have to take it later. The class is supposed to run from June 4- July 4th. Well the first day of class the instructor tells us that their curriculum has changed and they are going online for the class. So she says we will be given a username and password for a website with the modules on it and then come in on Tues. and Thurs. to do the tests. So basically it is all online, and there isn't any instruction (which is actually ok with me.) My problem actually lies with the curriculum quantity! We have 1 month. Twice a week. I looked on the site and was shocked to see that there were 18 modules all with like 4 sections which were divided into SEVERAL lessons. My first week I did 2 modules (we are supposed to be doing 4 a week.) I am on the 4th module now which is actually pretty good considering everyone else is on the 2nd or 3rd.Anyway, these modules have over like 200 words/word forms a piece! Plus the diagrams we have to memorize! Every module has like over 50 pages ( if you print it out and I have 2 children and cant sit online all day)so if we do 4 modules a week that is at least 200 pages a week to memorize! I know that this will be trying and I know I can do it, but it sure heps to vent on how frustrating it is! My niece took this class before it went online and said they only had between 10 and 20 words a week!

I am going to get through this. I am. lol But I am left wondering what about the students who wait for entry into the program before taking the class.With all the other info they will be receiving will it actually be humanly possible to retain that much info? Ok I am done going nuts now Its is hacking into my study time...... :banghead: :chuckle

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Well if it makes you feel any better this is pretty much the way nursing school is so you are getting a good introduction. I'd be hard pressed to believe there is any nursing class that only requires 20 new terms to be memorized each week, more like each minute. :)

Good luck.

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well I think they used the old class for med aide and LPN so I guess thats why they changed it! :clown:

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

i taught medical terminology and i told the students on the first day of class and reiterated it often: medical terminology is all about memorization. make flashcards. if it's possible, download your 100 or 200 pages to a cd or a flash drive to minimize your time on the actual class program. learn how to use copy and paste commands. flashcards can be made on the computer in word and worked online or printed out. if interested, i'll send you the instructions on how to do it. there are only so many terms that are included in basic medical terminology courses. look for a glossary that might include all of them. when i taught this, i used the glossary at the end of the book to write the final exam since it included every prefix, suffix and word root included in every chapter of the book.

post #20 of this thread has all the internet medical terminology links that i know of:

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To Jules: Why would you not believe what I said about the previous class? I wouldn't just fabricate something like that. But you don't know me personally so I will take no offense :)

To Daytonite: Thanks for the help! You are certainly right about the memorization part! I have been using neon colored note cards (for some reason it helps) and using bright hi-liters in the sheets I print out. I have also just been copying and pasting the diagrams and definitions and putting them on Word to print them out. I will definitely check out the link as well. Right now we are studying the integumentary system and although it is turning out to be pretty lengthy, most of the terms have been fairly simple to memorize. The baby is asleep so back to the printouts! lol :chuckle

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
To Jules: Why would you not believe what I said about the previous class? I wouldn't just fabricate something like that. But you don't know me personally so I will take no offense :)

To Daytonite: Thanks for the help! You are certainly right about the memorization part! I have been using neon colored note cards (for some reason it helps) and using bright hi-liters in the sheets I print out. I have also just been copying and pasting the diagrams and definitions and putting them on Word to print them out. I will definitely check out the link as well. Right now we are studying the integumentary system and although it is turning out to be pretty lengthy, most of the terms have been fairly simple to memorize. The baby is asleep so back to the printouts! lol :chuckle

I'm glad you didn't take offense because none was intended. It was more that I wondered if the person that told you was possibly exaggerating, thats all.

;)

In my med-term class we did several chapters each class so that is my only frame of reference. The good news is that as you start to memorize different things like *itis* for example you can put them with the root word and easily know what the term means. Maybe Daytonite can add her expectations/work load for the classes she taught. Again it sounds like this is a good experience for you and will help prepare you for nursing school.

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Jules: If I were in your shoes I would probably think the same thing, but I saw her workbook and it was only like 200 pages (maybe.) Now, when we had our first class, out instructor had said it was either the state or the school (don't remember which) that had said the curriculum this year for nursing students needed to be changed ie., harder I guess? Anyway, I'm sure this class will help, especially with RN school as well.

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I just finished Med Terms 1 & 2 online and it is NO JOKE!!! I had 4 other classes online as well. I ended up with a 98 average but I had to work MY BUTT OFF to get it. I know it will be very beneficial for me in the Nursing program this fall so that is why I took it and also for the points;) What book do you have to have? My book was The Language of Medicine by Chabner eight edition (GREAT BOOK)...I will definitely hold on to it for future reference. I wish you the best of luck and you can do anything you put your mind too!!!:heartbeat

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thanks:) We actually dont have a book everything is online but we can print out the info if we need to. The course is from http://www.evolve.elsevier.com in case anyone has heard of it. I am def. keeping ALL my printouts lol

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Hey!!! I just took a look at your course and it is THE SAME one I just finished!! My advice to you and I am looking at my book now and the site... is to buy the book with the CD and you will not have to have all those print outs. The info in the book and your site are the SAME...maybe a word different here or there but the same material. I bought my book off of E bay and it was the best investment I ever made!! :D

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