the wait game is still going...

RN34TX · Feb 17, 2006

this was actually a problem that a friend of mine had. this is not unique to utmb. texas universities do not honor the quarter system. if you have classes on the quarter system that are required for a specific nursing program, chances are you will have to take those classes again.
i've heard that there are programs (not at nursing schools) where you can bridge from quaters to semester credit hours, which means you don't have to take the entire class over again, but i'm not positive about that. anyway...just thought you should know you're not alone with this, and it's not specific to your school. my friend who had quarter hours wasn't told that twu "dropped the ball", because they didn't. they flat out told her they didn't honor quarter hours and that she would have to re-take several of her classes.

UTMB does, in fact, honor quarter system hours. They honored mine.

It's just that the person that they put in charge of evaluating transcripts has no idea on how to convert quarter hours into semester hours.

Can you imagine?

I told the dean that having this woman in charge of evaluating transcripts would be like having a nurse taking care of him or his family that had no idea how to convert safe dosages of meds.

If TWU doesn't honor quarter hours it's because they're too stupid to figure out a simple formula on how to convert semester equivalents. Its not that difficult. It's 5th grade level math.

Most of my classes converted to be more hours than what is taught in a semester system. For instance, a 5 quarter credit english class = 3.33 semester hours. Most classes here are 3 semester hours.

Yes, I'm aware that UTMB is not unique to this. I've experienced plenty of disorganization and mix-ups in both my LPN and ADN classes.

Now here I am, back in school for the third round, with more idiots with big titles and degrees after their names who assume zero accountability or responsibility for anything they do at their jobs.

It's a good thing none of them ever chose nursing for their careers, because with their "It's not my fault-that's not my responsibility" attitude, they all would have had their licenses revoked in no time.

Sorry for the rant. I just want you all to be aware of who exactly is handling your future and that you all need to take charge and not sit around waiting for letters to arrive.

And don't just take a rejection letter as a final decision and give up either.

A friend of mine who is going through the generic BSN program to become an RN got rejected last year. Then she found out that her friend got accepted, but had a lower GPA (by far) and fewer prereq's completed.

How did that happen?

Because UTMB screwed up, once again!

She formally complained about this, sat through meetings with officials, and was then granted admission to the program because she should have been selected in the first place.

Had she never known that her friend got accepted with a lower GPA and fewer prereq's completed, she would have just accepted her rejection letter and tried again next year.

And who knows if the same thing wouldn't have happened to her again the following year.

Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2006

I know what you mean. I had to correct UT-Houston and UTMB. UT did not credit me for several classes that they should have accepted and UTMB wanted me to take some test that I was exempt from. Both have been corrected. Oh, and don't get me started on HCC's financial aid system. :angryfire

Lene_625 · Feb 18, 2006

Yah, UT-Houston messed up on my classes too...they told me I needed to take classes I didn't even need...I almost had a heart attack when they sent that progress report and I had all these classes marked "NO". But I cleared it up and all is well....

Man I didn't know they messed up on so many apps!

G-BOZ · Feb 18, 2006

Let me tell you poor suckers a thing or two about UTMB!!
I got accepted, so I'm not some bitter would-be student who got rejected.
However......they are the most disorganized, !!#&?@# school I've ever attended, and I've attended a few.
They have lost my transcripts, screwed up my transcript evals and caused me to have to take more classes than was originally indicated, causing me to start the program a semester late, and guess what?
No one at that school accepts responsibility for anything they do.
The "pre-admissions advisor" is some ditsy 20-something that is not even a nurse or anything close to medical in nature let alone academic and she is not to be trusted with your future. She does not know what she's doing and she's making decisions that could negatively impact your future.
My transcripts were from two out of state schools that were on a quarter system, not a semester system that Texas is accustomed to.
It is stated at the top of my transcripts, in big black letters, in English, that the credits are on quarter hours.
When they screwed up my admission and admitted me on the contingent that I "completed" classes that I'd already taken and submitted transcripts for, I complained to the dean of academic affairs and had a big meeting with him.
The "pre-admissions" advisor's defense?
She claims to have never seen the "small indication" on my transcripts that my credit hours were on a quarter system.
In addition, she couldn't even explain away the numerous other errors, such as telling me that I needed other classes that I'd already taken.
I just want all of you to know that the UTMB School of Nursing has these types of incompetent people in control of your future as nurses!
Do not wait around for an acceptance letter. The dean of academic affairs fully admited to me at our meeting that they've "dropped the ball on this one" and many mistakes have been made in the admission process.
Call, visit, e-mail, call again and again. Demand a meeting with the dean if you meet their program requirements and still didn't get in.
That school is disorganized and if you hold your breath waiting for them to act and accept you, it may not happen.
I've seen many UTMB hopefuls posting here, and now that I'm in the program, I have no problem telling people what happened to me.

I never had any problems with the admissions office, and I think both of the ladies Karen and Lana have done a great job. This is why you have to check out UTMB's website periodically, beacuse there are always changes. For example starting in 2007 you have now be an EMT, Medic, or CMA and take pathophysiology and pharmacology as a pre-req, this info is on the UTMB of nursing website. Remember nobody is perfect. I disagree with you the school is not disorganized, I have had better success with UTMB than with UT Houston.

Kim O'Therapy, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2006

I agree. I am checking the web sites constantly. That is how I caught the errors. So far, the difficulty I had with UTMB was very minor and was changed over the phone.

I also noted the 2007 admission changes for Galveston and, personally, think it is a smart move on their part. Of course, I'm biased because I've worked as an aide. :rolleyes:

G-BOZ · Feb 18, 2006

I agree. I am checking the web sites constantly. That is how I caught the errors. So far, the difficulty I had with UTMB was very minor and was changed over the phone.
I also noted the 2007 admission changes for Galveston and, personally, think it is a smart move on their part. Of course, I'm biased because I've worked as an aide.

Lately besides checking the UTMB website, I have also been in constant contact with pre-admissions advisor, and would even email them course outlines to make sure I'm taking the right course, and they responded to my emails promptly. The nursing pre-admissions advisor at UTMB told me the reason why there are changes in 2007 is so that the nursing school can be shorter due to the shortage of nurses.

RN34TX · Feb 18, 2006

I never had any problems with the admissions office, and I think both of the ladies Karen and Lana have done a great job. This is why you have to check out UTMB's website periodically, beacuse there are always changes. For example starting in 2007 you have now be an EMT, Medic, or CMA and take pathophysiology and pharmacology as a pre-req, this info is on the UTMB of nursing website. Remember nobody is perfect. I disagree with you the school is not disorganized, I have had better success with UTMB than with UT Houston.

You sound just like them.

All of that stuff about needing to check the website for changes, they continued to tell me that until they were blue in the face as if it's an acceptable generic "cover all of your bases" excuse for poor job performance.

I'm beginning to wonder if you are one of them or a co-worker/friend of theirs because I never even mentioned curriculum changes in any of my posts, but it was another problem I had with UTMB.

In my post, I referred to their inability to convert quarter to semester hours, and adding classes to my prereq list that I'd already taken and submitted transcripts for.

I never mentioned curiculum changes.

They both hid behind that "you need to check the website for changes" rhetoric forever but it doesn't explain away anything I mentioned that happened to me.

Yes, I'm aware of the changes. That's why I'm taking ceramics along with my nursing classes because they added a fine arts requirement.

No wait. Fine arts has always been a "Core" requirement of all Texas universities, it's just that UTMB wasn't following it for many years.

Many graduated with BSN's without taking a fine arts class, and I was accepted before it became a requirement at UTMB, but it is now imperative that I take it because UTMB got caught not following the rules.

I won't mention who it was, but one of those fine ladies you referred to, during a meeting, told me that I should stop complaining because I should be greatful that I was "chosen" by UTMB for admission and its an honor to have been chosen by UTMB.

That didn't sit very well with the brand new dean who replaced the "old school" one, who at the time, went right along with those ladies and backed them up 100%. She's gone now, and the new dean apologized up and down for those comments, in addition, he told me that it was the other way around.

With my grades and coursework taken, "any BSN program in the country would be honored" to have me choose to be in their program and fortunately, i chose to attend UTMB. His words.

ree-nee · Feb 18, 2006

You sound just like them.
All of that stuff about needing to check the website for changes, they continued to tell me that until they were blue in the face as if it's an acceptable generic "cover all of your bases" excuse for poor job performance.
I'm beginning to wonder if you are one of them or a co-worker/friend of theirs because I never even mentioned curriculum changes in any of my posts, but it was another problem I had with UTMB.
In my post, I referred to their inability to convert quarter to semester hours, and adding classes to my prereq list that I'd already taken and submitted transcripts for.
I never mentioned curiculum changes.
They both hid behind that "you need to check the website for changes" rhetoric forever but it doesn't explain away anything I mentioned that happened to me.
Yes, I'm aware of the changes. That's why I'm taking ceramics along with my nursing classes because they added a fine arts requirement.
No wait. Fine arts has always been a "Core" requirement of all Texas universities, it's just that UTMB wasn't following it for many years.
Many graduated with BSN's without taking a fine arts class, and I was accepted before it became a requirement at UTMB, but it is now imperative that I take it because UTMB got caught not following the rules.
I won't mention who it was, but one of those fine ladies you referred to, during a meeting, told me that I should stop complaining because I should be greatful that I was "chosen" by UTMB for admission and its an honor to have been chosen by UTMB.
That didn't sit very well with the brand new dean who replaced the "old school" one, who at the time, went right along with those ladies and backed them up 100%. She's gone now, and the new dean apologized up and down for those comments, in addition, he told me that it was the other way around.
With my grades and coursework taken, "any BSN program in the country would be honored" to have me choose to be in their program and fortunately, i chose to attend UTMB. His words.

Gees where's a MODERATOR when you need one!!...It was nice reading this thread for a while till all of this started....Since no one else is gonna say anything I will...

Enough already!!!...We get it!!!--UTMB made mistakes!!! WOW! A major university/company making mistakes on records and files, GEES never heard that one before!!! (yes, im being sarcastic). Forgivable or not, is it necessary to do what you're doin on this thread? Get over it! This thread was started for all of us who are nursing student HOPEFULS that really would be grateful to get in anywhere. We didn't send out a call for someone who is obviously unhappy and bitter as a nursing student and with life in general I suspect (regardless of how much they say otherwise). And if my last comment is way off mark, then what else are we all supposed to think by what you're writing?? And THEN you proceed to pick a fight with someone you claim is person from there??!!!!

If any of the others reading this are like me, then we are all over it and you pretty much lost us at your "hello" when you had the nerve to call us "you poor suckers". ...

I do ask that you write back and let us know where you get a job at--with an attitude like yours Im sure that'll be THE place to work.

If I get locked out fine-it was worth it.

Oh, and don't bother PM'ing me, I wont respond-its not worth the keystrokes.

G-BOZ · Feb 18, 2006

You sound just like them.
All of that stuff about needing to check the website for changes, they continued to tell me that until they were blue in the face as if it's an acceptable generic "cover all of your bases" excuse for poor job performance.
I'm beginning to wonder if you are one of them or a co-worker/friend of theirs because I never even mentioned curriculum changes in any of my posts, but it was another problem I had with UTMB.
In my post, I referred to their inability to convert quarter to semester hours, and adding classes to my prereq list that I'd already taken and submitted transcripts for.
I never mentioned curiculum changes.
They both hid behind that "you need to check the website for changes" rhetoric forever but it doesn't explain away anything I mentioned that happened to me.
Yes, I'm aware of the changes. That's why I'm taking ceramics along with my nursing classes because they added a fine arts requirement.
No wait. Fine arts has always been a "Core" requirement of all Texas universities, it's just that UTMB wasn't following it for many years.
Many graduated with BSN's without taking a fine arts class, and I was accepted before it became a requirement at UTMB, but it is now imperative that I take it because UTMB got caught not following the rules.
I won't mention who it was, but one of those fine ladies you referred to, during a meeting, told me that I should stop complaining because I should be greatful that I was "chosen" by UTMB for admission and its an honor to have been chosen by UTMB.
That didn't sit very well with the brand new dean who replaced the "old school" one, who at the time, went right along with those ladies and backed them up 100%. She's gone now, and the new dean apologized up and down for those comments, in addition, he told me that it was the other way around.
With my grades and coursework taken, "any BSN program in the country would be honored" to have me choose to be in their program and fortunately, i chose to attend UTMB. His words.

Number one I dont have any friends who work there and two I'm not one of them. You are making a big deal out of nothing. Everybody experience is different you will sometimes run into problems. The lady is right you should be very blessed that UTMB accepeted you inspite of your negative attitude.

The website is there for a reason, I had some minor problems with UTMB, but I was able to resolve them with the admissions office, please change your attitude before you become a nurse, the nursing field doesn't need attitudes like yours in the field.

God bless

RN34TX · Feb 18, 2006

I do ask that you write back and let us know where you get a job at--with an attitude like yours Im sure that'll be THE place to work.
If I get locked out fine-it was worth it.
Oh, and don't bother PM'ing me, I wont respond-its not worth the keystrokes.

Why would you get locked out?

I'm the one writing inflammatory comments about UTMB school of nursing.

I just wanted to share my experience and let others know that they are not alone and to not take a rejection letter without challenging it.

I was trying to help people get in and ranted about my experience in the process. I apologize for that.

I'm in the RN to BSN program, not the generic program that you are all trying to get into. I've been a nurse for 9 years and by the way, work in a very sought after unit. It really is the place to work, despite my attitude about the UTMB school of nursing. They don't take new grads, so you don't have to worry about working with me upon graduation.

But my friend who initially got rejected is in the program that you all are trying to get into.

She's in the program, but she had to fight for it, and that's what I was trying to tell all of you.

I thought that I was being helpful but instead I was being self-indulgent.

I apologize for ranting but I don't take back anything I said about UTMB SON, it's all true.

Good luck to you all, I know that you're all just trying to get into nursing school and that my jaded, bitter comments about UTMB aren't very helpful.

G-BOZ · Feb 19, 2006

Why would you get locked out?
I'm the one writing inflammatory comments about UTMB school of nursing.
I just wanted to share my experience and let others know that they are not alone and to not take a rejection letter without challenging it.
I was trying to help people get in and ranted about my experience in the process. I apologize for that.
I'm in the RN to BSN program, not the generic program that you are all trying to get into. I've been a nurse for 9 years and by the way, work in a very sought after unit. It really is the place to work, despite my attitude about the UTMB school of nursing. They don't take new grads, so you don't have to worry about working with me upon graduation.
But my friend who initially got rejected is in the program that you all are trying to get into.
She's in the program, but she had to fight for it, and that's what I was trying to tell all of you.
I thought that I was being helpful but instead I was being self-indulgent.
I apologize for ranting but I don't take back anything I said about UTMB SON, it's all true.
Good luck to you all, I know that you're all just trying to get into nursing school and that my jaded, bitter comments about UTMB aren't very helpful.

A lot of hospitals take new grads so those of you who will graduating from nursing school dont be discouraged from this negative post!

labcat01, BSN, RN · Feb 19, 2006

Ok- I'm am REALLY GOING TO INSIST that we stick to the original post. Please.