university of detroit mercy second degree program

U.S.A. Michigan

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I am thinking about going to Mercy's accelerated second degree program but I hear they lose many people during the year due to grades. Is that true? Is it too fast and should I consider a 2 year program? I am a good student but I'd hate to spend all that money then not make it as they don't allow anyone to retake a class so I hear as other schools do. I am open to all feedback. Thank you.

As a current U of D second degree student, it has been my experience that this program is extremely disorganized. We also were misled regarding the NCLEX pass rate which, as it turns out, is in the 70s somewhere. A clinical instructor reported that, if U of D does not improve the scores, they risk losing accreditation. I would not recommend this program over another. Apparently, this is a case in which you don't get what you pay for.

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Where are you getting that information regarding pass rates? I am also a current student and had a conversation last week with the chair of the program -- he told me the numbers were in the 90s.

Please don't falsify information on the internet. You are ruining reputations.

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I have also heard low pass rates, but that has not been the case with the last cohorts. The pass rates have been in the 90s.

And for what it is worth, I don't credit U of D with the passing rates. The students are very hard working and probably 80-90% of them take Kaplan or other review courses before taking the NCLEX.

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Just wanted to add, that a few years ago, the pass rates were indeed in the 70s. So neither of you are totally wrong ;). The program has made a lot of changes, including one policy that states that if you fail one class, you are out of the SDO program. You would have to switch to the Traditional (2-3yr program). If you fail two classes, you are totally out of the school. As of right now I believe the pass rate has been in the 90s for the Dec'10 and May'11 grads

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I've also heard similar rumors about the low NCLEX passing rates in the past. However, I have an extremely reliable source who states that the new graduate-level students are feverishly helping to change the course of the SDO program in order to help students better prepare for their transition. Thus, students are doing much better in their courses in order to successfully tackle the NCLEX. Nevertheless, I have since decided to forego UDM's offer and accepted OU's invitation. I didn't want to take any chances on a program that I cannot get direct answers about. After all, would a school really say, "We'll take your $52,000, but our passing rate for the board exam is creepily low!" I don't think so, but hopefully this is not the case. As for the person who stated that such negative information could ruin a school's reputation; I totally agree. Furthermore, this is why it's really important for individuals to their own research and not become overwhelmed by banter on the chat boards. Ultimately, every school has its pros and cons and I would recommend that anyone who is serious about their future in nursing do their homework before believing every post on the forum (including mine). Well wishes to all! :D

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I'll admit that it is incredibly disorganized (extra meetings at the last minute, 200-300 pages of reading per day) and we were often shocked at how poor some of the teachers were. I think one of my friends said it best "It's like paying for a fancy steak dinner and getting chicken nuggets."

Although I've heard similar things for many other accelerated programs. I'd be interested to see how the OU, UM, and MSU accelerated programs fair compared to UofD

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300 pages of reading per day???????????????????????????????? 2100 pages a week may be a bit over my head. Yikes.

I'll admit that it is incredibly disorganized (extra meetings at the last minute, 200-300 pages of reading per day) and we were often shocked at how poor some of the teachers were. I think one of my friends said it best "It's like paying for a fancy steak dinner and getting chicken nuggets."

Although I've heard similar things for many other accelerated programs. I'd be interested to see how the OU, UM, and MSU accelerated programs fair compared to UofD

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Thanks for the info.

Just wanted to add, that a few years ago, the pass rates were indeed in the 70s. So neither of you are totally wrong ;). The program has made a lot of changes, including one policy that states that if you fail one class, you are out of the SDO program. You would have to switch to the Traditional (2-3yr program). If you fail two classes, you are totally out of the school. As of right now I believe the pass rate has been in the 90s for the Dec'10 and May'11 grads
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Well, I don't think there are 2100 pages/wk... I hate reading so I'd never survive. Sometimes though there are 200 pages or so "due" for a certain day, but it's mostly laid out in the syllabus. So on your Saturday and Sunday "off" ... you are always doing something. Also, if you fall asleep reading like I do, it would be very wise to get the accompanying study guide book that goes with it. Especially for Fundamentals, Peds, and OB. I liked the med/surg one, too. If you get a "used" one on Amazon, they can be really cheap :)

Also, during my first semester (patho, pharm, fundamentals)... they'd tell us what to read but it was all so overwhelming, I couldn't get to all of it. My next semester (peds, ob, medsurg) they started doing this thing where they give quizzes before class starts, just based upon the reading. They didnt account for a huge part of the grade, but our grades overall improved... I think they are keeping that method for good.

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When all of you were accepted were you notified by email/mail? Also, did it show up on your online application? Thanks!

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I first received an acceptance email and then about 2 weeks later received the same thing by mail. On my application online it just said "decision made" in the status box but nothing about whether I was accepted or declined. I was accepted into the Jan 2012 Cohort and applied in February 2011. I did not hear anything until June 2011. Hope this is helpful :)

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Thanks for the reply! Does anyone know if all of the spots have been filled for January? They told me a couple weeks ago that they were evaluating my application for January, but I am still anxiously awaiting an answer. Thanks!

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