Any past nurses who were successfully accepted to Western?

[Guest andrea55]

I was just wondering if there were any past nurses on this forum who had successfully been accepted into Western?

 

I am looking for any advice as to how you achieved the course load requirements due to the pass/fail criteria of the clinical components.

 

For ex.

My first year had 5 full courses

second year had 4.5 full courses (1 half pass/fail credit)

my third year had 3 full courses and 2 full pass/fail

fourth year had 2 full courses and 3 pass/fail

 

All years were full time- but did include pass/fail for the clinical components.

My2nd/ 3rd and 4th year were above the 3.7 cut off.

 

I am just looking for any thoughts as to how to make this course load work or if my only option is to take two more full years.

thank you

[rmorelan]

I was just wondering if there were any past nurses on this forum who had successfully been accepted into Western?

 

I am looking for any advice as to how you achieved the course load requirements due to the pass/fail criteria of the clinical components.

 

For ex.

My first year had 5 full courses

second year had 4.5 full courses (1 half pass/fail credit)

my third year had 3 full courses and 2 full pass/fail

fourth year had 2 full courses and 3 pass/fail

 

All years were full time- but did include pass/fail for the clinical components.

My2nd/ 3rd and 4th year were above the 3.7 cut off.

 

I am just looking for any thoughts as to how to make this course load work or if my only option is to take two more full years.

thank you

 

I am not a nurse but your second year meets the rules for the school (you are allowed one full pass/fail course per year at max. Worst case that suggests you need one more year (a special year) and can apply under conditional status.

[Guest andrea55]

So the two years do not need to be consecutive? If I took a special year and achieved greater than 3.7 that woule be acceptable? And so next year I could apply under the conditional status? Am I understanding that correctly?

Thank you !

[uwomedhopeful]

So the two years do not need to be consecutive? If I took a special year and achieved greater than 3.7 that woule be acceptable? And so next year I could apply under the conditional status? Am I understanding that correctly?

Thank you !

 

no

yes

yes

yes

 

rmorelan correct me if i am wrong

[Guest andrea55]

haha ok thanks! I appreciate the answers !

I think I have one final question-

For the special year, is that only an option if i do it immediately after my degree as a 5th year? Or is is possible to take a year off and then do the special year? I am just looking through the possibilities for financial reasons so I want to know all the information before I decide.

thank you very much !

[rmorelan]

haha ok thanks! I appreciate the answers !

I think I have one final question-

For the special year, is that only an option if i do it immediately after my degree as a 5th year? Or is is possible to take a year off and then do the special year? I am just looking through the possibilities for financial reasons so I want to know all the information before I decide.

thank you very much !

 

There is no requirement that you do a special year right after graduation. I strongly recommend if you go down that route to just let the office know what you are doing so they can confirm you have the right course mix in advance etc. No surprises (hey that could my moto!)

 

Since you already have a year above cut off you could apply to Western (if you have the MCAT scores) at any time.

 

and uwomedhopeful, yup on track

[Guest andrea55]

There is no requirement that you do a special year right after graduation. I strongly recommend if you go down that route to just let the office know what you are doing so they can confirm you have the right course mix in advance etc. No surprises (hey that could my moto!)

 

Since you already have a year above cut off you could apply to Western (if you have the MCAT scores) at any time.

 

In terms of the course mix, for a special year what mix of course levels would be required? Would it be 3/5 4th year courses?

 

[Guest andrea55]

Yes 60% courses from that year.

 

Right, so in the context of a 5th extra year- the requirement falls to 4th year classes to meet the 3/5 ?

[rmorelan]

Right, so in the context of a 5th extra year- the requirement falls to 4th year classes to meet the 3/5 ?

 

Special years are strange - this is what the FAQ says about them:

 

10. Does Schulich Medicine allow applicants to take additional undergraduate years to improve their academic standing?

 

Applicants who have earned a degree from a recognized North American university, may elect to continue in full-time undergraduate studies (a so-called special year) so that their academic standing may be improved for application to medical school. Only the first special year taken by the applicant will be considered for determination of GPA. (Applicants must already have one undergraduate year that meets the GPA cutoff.) A special year will only be considered if it contains five full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours) taken between September and April. First-year courses, repeat/antirequisite courses, and second-year courses that do not require a first-year prerequisite are not acceptable in the special year. (Revised and approved by the Medicine Admissions Committee, May 2008)

 

Notice it say nothing about course loads - this is exactly why I think you need to clear them with the office in advance to be safe. I have heard unconfirmed reports of people getting away with not 3/5 rule.

 

Actually to be fair even if the course load rule applied you could take either 3rd or 4th year courses to fill it, so you are not restricted to 4th year courses

[rmorelan]

Yes, since there are no 5th year courses.

 

Yeah but in year four you can take 3rd year courses to meet the requirement as well. You don't have to take 3.0 4th year courses in year four for Western.

 

Important as some programs don't even have that many 4th year courses at all

[rmorelan]

But don't you need a 4 year degree for Western? Wouldn't it be flawed if you could take a 3 year program but then take a year's worth of 3rd year courses (outside of your degree??) just to fulfill the requirement?

 

Oh yeah you need a 4 year degree - just that many four year degrees let you fill your last year with some third or fourth year classes.

 

That is common enough there is a rule and section in the FAQ for it. 3rd and 4th year courses are interchangeable in your 4th year

[rmorelan]

Ok thanks, I just wasn't sure if they altered the 4 year degree rule or not! But I certainly hope people are taking mostly 4th year courses in 4th year.

 

Oh most are - but seriously there are some programs that don't have more than 4 total 4th year courses. It would be impossible for someone to take that degree and get 3.0 4th year credits (unless they did some double major or something etc). I was surprised the first time I ran into one but they are not that unusual it seems.

[Guest andrea55]

Special years are strange - this is what the FAQ says about them:

 

10. Does Schulich Medicine allow applicants to take additional undergraduate years to improve their academic standing?

 

Applicants who have earned a degree from a recognized North American university, may elect to continue in full-time undergraduate studies (a so-called special year) so that their academic standing may be improved for application to medical school. Only the first special year taken by the applicant will be considered for determination of GPA. (Applicants must already have one undergraduate year that meets the GPA cutoff.) A special year will only be considered if it contains five full or equivalent courses (30 credit hours) taken between September and April. First-year courses, repeat/antirequisite courses, and second-year courses that do not require a first-year prerequisite are not acceptable in the special year. (Revised and approved by the Medicine Admissions Committee, May 2008)

 

Notice it say nothing about course loads - this is exactly why I think you need to clear them with the office in advance to be safe. I have heard unconfirmed reports of people getting away with not 3/5 rule.

 

Actually to be fair even if the course load rule applied you could take either 3rd or 4th year courses to fill it, so you are not restricted to 4th year courses

 

Ok, I see where you are coming .

Wonderful, thank you very much for the clarification- I will be sure to check everything with admissions.

 

As an afterthought, were there any prior nurses in your year?

[rmorelan]

Ok, I see where you are coming .

Wonderful, thank you very much for the clarification- I will be sure to check everything with admissions.

 

As an afterthought, were there any prior nurses in your year?

 

No worries - and please do

 

I don't think in my particular year there were any - but there have been some! The degree (as you know) doesn't lend itself towards admission nicely just because of the max number of pass/fail course rules. Kind of annoying. A shear army of them have been admitted to Mac of course because they don't have those limitations regarding the the required pass/fail practical courses you have to take (unlike a lot of other schools).

[Guest andrea55]

 

I don't think in my particular year there were any - but there have been some! The degree (as you know) doesn't lend itself towards admission nicely just because of the max number of pass/fail course rules. Kind of annoying. A shear army of them have been admitted to Mac of course because they don't have those limitations regarding the the required pass/fail practical courses you have to take (unlike a lot of other schools).

 

Well its great to know that I can at least improve my course load situation enough to make the cut off, I suppose now my MCAT scores will have to be up to par. I am writing in August.

Yes, Mac definitely has more exceptions to the course loads, and i do intend to apply there as well. Your right, a nursing degree certainly presents some obstacles to admission.

I like the idea of Western though, I would love to live in London or Windsor, and i like the 4 years as I want to have the time to learn all that i can and ensure I pick the right specialty for me.

[Guest andrea55]

Does anyone know if Western accepts full time studies through Athabasca? As in if I did a full time year through distance education is this still acceptable to be used as one of the two years for admission?

thanks !

[rmorelan]

Does anyone know if Western accepts full time studies through Athabasca? As in if I did a full time year through distance education is this still acceptable to be used as one of the two years for admission?

thanks !

 

You would have to look at the special year rules and as I always say you have to make sure to check with the office to confirm you plan works with those rules (nothing wrong with being a bit paranoid and making sure all you are set - you can only have one special year so best to be sure it counts )

 

That all being said in principle there is nothing wrong with that at all and others have completed a special year by DE in the past. Athabasca is not the only option either.

 

Just do not enrol in a degree program - Western expects you to finish degrees you start.

[Guest andrea55]

You would have to look at the special year rules and as I always say you have to make sure to check with the office to confirm you plan works with those rules (nothing wrong with being a bit paranoid and making sure all you are set - you can only have one special year so best to be sure it counts )

 

That all being said in principle there is nothing wrong with that at all and others have completed a special year by DE in the past. Athabasca is not the only option either.

 

Just do not enrol in a degree program - Western expects you to finish degrees you start.

 

I have emailed admissions to verify. thank you once again for the answers.

I have to agree with you, I would much rather be paranoid and double check everything than make a mistake

 

I have done a bit of browsing and I know that Waterloo offers a few distance courses. Do you know of the top of your head any other schools that are well known for offering distance classes?

 

[rmorelan]

I have emailed admissions to verify. thank you once again for the answers.

I have to agree with you, I would much rather be paranoid and double check everything than make a mistake

 

I have done a bit of browsing and I know that Waterloo offers a few distance courses. Do you know of the top of your head any other schools that are well known for offering distance classes?

 

 

awesome! Email them the exact courses when you have them - that is the really careful part. I am sure of course about the the approach you are taking would work, it is the details I am concerned about

 

yeah I agree - waterloo is one of the schools I have degrees from. I took quite number of DE courses from there. I don't think it matters much but that school doesn't mean let anyone know the courses you took were DE (on campus and off campus courses have the same course code).

 

Most schools have some sort of program - to be honest Waterloo and Athabasca are the main ones I have seen -