University of Oklahoma ABSN- Duncan applicants???

U.S.A. Oklahoma

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Is there anyone out there that has applied to OU's ABSN program in Duncan???

Sweetlo- if you don't mind me asking...what were your application stats (GPA, sci GPA etc)? I will be applying for January 2013 and I am looking for some comparison for this year! Congratulations on your acceptance! Duncan is a pretty small town but I've always liked the feel of it! My boyfriend lives there now and grew up there do I've spent quite alot of time in that area! Congrats again!!

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Sure - I had a 3.7 overall GPA in my undergraduate major. A's and B's in my science prereq with one C. I'm hoping to hear back from some of the current students though I realize this thread is a year old.

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Sweetlo and Carlygh, I will be starting my last semester of the Duncan ABSN program next week. It's a fast and furious program, but definitely worth the time and expense. First, be prepared to be flexible, can't stress that enough because your schedule will change a lot throughout the program- which can be either convenient or not. There is not a lot of time to study for your tests because you will be very busy. The first semester is front loaded, so you will have a lot of tests. Around March or so you will have a test every other week, and your online class should be finished. The content of the material for the tests isn't hard to understand it is the wide breadth of information that you will have to retain, and apply during your tests that will make the courses harder during the first semester.

Your tests throughout the program will have between 65 and 75 questions, you'll have between 3-4 tests and comprehensive finals. I suggest taking the time to do the study guides because they will help you immensely. Not all the test materials are on the study guides. A lot of the tests will have questions that aren't in the reading or powerpoint slides, those you will have to think through logically or guess at. A good idea is to form a study group early, this is especially beneficial during the first semester. Once you find a study group you work well with you can work with those people to complete your online class busy work, and do assignments because you will be overwhelmed with busy work, studying, clinicals, papers, and care plans. Your care plans will a take significant amount of time the night prior to your clinicals, during your first semester so be prepared.

The summer is pretty intense, you have a test every week plus 250 clinical hours and labs. Acute and Chronic I during the summer is probably the hardest class because there is not much time to study, the questions involve much more critical thinking than rote memorization, and the course grade is based only on 4 exam grades and a comprehensive final, the easiest test is worth the least amount of points. The summer clinical experience is amazing because you will rotate through the cancer center, family practice, hospice, home health, and wound care in addition to your regular clinical hours in OB and Med Surg- this opportunity exists only for ABSNs.

The pace slows a lot in the Fall when you will be integrated with the traditional students from both Duncan and Lawton. You have the option of attending either campus. In the Fall, you will do your clinicals in ICU and psych....

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The instructors seem much more lenient in the Fall. You will have much more time off in the Fall as well so you will have more time to study for your exams. Just to backtrack a little you will have an online class between spring and summer, but it's easy and only two weeks long- your break between those semesters is also two weeks long. One bonus of the OU program is that you have the opportunity to be ACLS certified during your critical care rotation. You will have the option of choosing ICU, OR, ER, or cardiac step down for your critical care rotation. I enjoyed my time in ICU and the mental health rotation was a nice break from hospital nursing. You will also attend an osna convention in Norman, which is a lot of fun.

When the Fall semester is over, you will have an online course to take, again it is pretty easy especially if you work with your group to get the work finished.

In the beginning we had 21 students and now we have 19. I know our cohort definitely raised the bar with our GPAs and I think that it will only get more competitive. This is purely speculation but the program might be accepting less students from now on because of issue with students overwhelming the resources within the program and at DRH. I'm thinking that 14-16 students is what they might be shooting for. Anyway, the instructors are all amazing and are willing to do what they can to help you succeed. While they expect you to be flexible, they are flexible as well and will work with you if you have scheduling issues or need to miss clinical or lab days. I can honestly say that throughout my education, my nursing school instructors are my most favorite instructors. And Ms. Cooper is actually awesome.

Just some miscellaneous things... you will have ATI testing at the end of every semester. These are mock NCLEX tests on specific subjects that indicate how well you would do in those subjects on the actual NCLEX. Be prepared to do some studying on your own for some of those tests, like nutrition, fundamentals of nursing, and pediatric care because a lot of the material on those tests aren't covered in in your courses. Also, when you get to your floors to do your clinicals be ready for some grumpy nurses with bad attitudes, just keep your head up and do as much as you can to learn as much as you because that's what you are there for. By the end of your first semester you will understand what it means for nurses to eat their young.

All in all, I've enjoyed the program and can't believe it is almost over. The last year has gone by so fast. I've learned so much in such a short time and have made some amazing friends along the way. Shortly after I began nursing school and was feeling overwhelmed, someone said to me that being in nursing school was like being up a creek without a paddle but that fortunately I had 20 other people in the boat with me. I couldn't agree more. If it wasn't for my nursing school buddies I would've lost my sanity long ago.

Carly-- I know that science gpa plays a big role in the selection process, I think that if you have a lower cum gpa than you would need a higher science gpa to offset that. I know that you definitely need to do well in A&P and micro, I don't think the other prereqs matter as much. I had a 3.25 cum gpa and a 4.0 science. I know someone in our class had the bare minimum cum gpa but a 4.0 science gpa and was accepted. Apparently there is an unpublished point system that they use for selection. **** at OUHSC would be helpful in answering your questions.I hope that helps.

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Correction I her name is *****

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Thank you jjohncar for all the info. I wish that OU would put more info into what they use as an admission requirement. I for one am a little worried about my gpa. I have an awesome cummulative gpa, but i goofed the first time I took anatomy. I'm at a new university now(university of Alaska Fairbanks) and got an A in A&P I. Hopefully I get As in A&P II and Micro. I just don't want them judging me by the first bad grade. Oh well, we will see what happens. I emailed the admin counselor at Duncan and am waiting to hear back from her.

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Thanks for the info! I'm hoping I can do really well in anatomy and physio to make up for my not so stellar c in chem... Thanks again for all the info!

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