Getting An Acceptance Letter

I received an e-mail recently from someone that was worried about whether or not they were going to get into Downstate's program.  They didn't hear anything, but other applicants already got their letters of acceptance.  

My only word of advice to you is to not give up hope until about a week after the program starts.  They will eventually send you a letter if you didn't get accepted.  And they will send you a letter if they have you on their wait list.  So if you are wait listed, all hope is not lost.

In my particular graduating class, one guy got in about a week into the semester.  Sometimes people enroll and decide at the last minute to withdraw from the program and a spot opens up.  So don't lose hope!!!

VOLUNTEER

If you want to get into this program and you have no prior health care work experience then VOLUNTEERING is the single most important thing you have to do.

It's not difficult.  Just pick a hospital, go to their website, and put volunteer in the search box.

Although I do recommend that you volunteer at the best hospital possible.

Don't be lazy and just choose whatever hospital is closest to your home.  

It's important to be able to sell yourself.  And being able to name drop counts.  Even if only on a subconscious level.  If you say you volunteered at a first rate hospital they will equate you mentally with that hospital.  

For my particular class they chose 60 students out of 700+ applicants.  You need to do whatever you can to stand out.

When I decided to volunteer I put: 10 best hospitals in New York City into Google's search engine.  

If you have to start working your way up from the bottom.  Start from the bottom of the top.  Be at the bottom of the best place that you possibly can.

It's also a great opportunity to see what your future is likely to be like.  People see the dollar signs, but often times don't realize the amount of hard work and dedication required to work as an RN.  Not to mention all the shenanigans.  And people trying to throw you under a bus.  

If you are smart and get good grades, that's great!  But can you work 12 hours straight or more.  And how are you with people?  And do you enjoy the work environment?  Getting in the hospital helps you to figure all that out so you don't end up devoting a lot of time and energy to something that you hate doing in the end and wind up quitting.  

My godmother worked 26 years as an RN.  She retired from North Shore LIJ, Lenox Hill.  When she retired she was making 136,000/year.  And this is what she said to me, she said, "I worked a lot of years and I was getting good pay when I retired.  But you better believe me that they made me work my butt off for every penny of every dollar I earned."

Negative Aspects of SUNY Downstate's Accelerated Nursing Program

I need to take a second to say that I have only posted on this blog about the positive aspects of SUNY Downstate's Accelerated Nursing Program. 

 I, like many of my peers, had issues with the program.

I, like many of my peers, had issues with some of the professors.

But there are 2 main reasons I didn't write anything negative about the program on the blog.

#1 I researched about the program before enrolling and I was aware about what the problem issues were before I started.  So while some things were annoying I never really freaked out like some of my classmates.  

#2 Many of the professors or issues that annoyed the hell out of me didn't bother my classmates in the least.  And many of the professors and issues that annoyed the hell out of my classmates didn't annoy me in the least.

Everything is subjective.  That being said I would recommend that you do your homework.  Go on allnurses.com and read the negative things people write.  Come here and check the positive things I write.  Then weigh the pros and cons.  

I would also like to take a second to mention the fact that if there is a major issue with any professor.  The department generally boots the person out next year and seeks a suitable replacement.

While the folks in the nursing department may not respond to student's complaints as quickly as they would like them to.  They do eventually respond and make changes.

Why I Recommend Going to Downstate Reason #4

Cheap tuition.

Compare Downstate's tuition to other institutions out there.  

There's a major difference.  

That's where the differences end.  There isn't a major difference in your ability to find a job after graduating.  Employers aren't really going to stress where you graduated from.

Better to finish school with little to no debt and get a job earning 75K, than walk out with a ton of loans to pay back.

What's So Special About Brooklyn College?

Look below to read my post about Brooklyn College if you haven't already!!!

So that's it I just go to Brooklyn College and do good and then I'm sure to get into Downstate's Nursing Program?  

No!  It's a good idea to volunteer or intern at a hospital as well.  
I will post something about this later.

And there is a catch with Brooklyn College.  

A bunch of my nursing classmates graduated from BC.  I only vaguely remembered seeing one of them around campus.  Former classmates I ran into once I got to Downstate were in the PA and M.D. programs.  

At Brooklyn College you take Chemistry, all your Bio classes and Anatomy and Physiology classes together with those planning to apply to medical school.

The classes at Brooklyn College are no walk in the park.  

While at Brooklyn College my physiology class started with about 35 students.  In the end there were around 15 or so and a few of them flunked the final.  

I saw the same thing happen in my chem 1.1 class where we had the good luck of getting a professor who normally teaches graduate level classes.  His exams were rough.  No multiple choice.  Only partial credit.  3/4 of the class were gone by the end.  I got an amazing tutor and managed to ace it with his help.  My chem tutor is now a medical student here at Downstate doing research.

They don't just love Brooklyn College Students because both schools are in Brooklyn.  If you can do well at BC then you will likely do well in the nursing program.

Why I Recommend Going to Downstate Reason #3

The Program is Fast and Effective!

You are finished in just 15 months and are eligible to sit for the NCLEX exam!!!

The program has a 100% NCLEX pass rate!!!  

It costs $300+ dollars to sit for the exam, so it would really suck to not pass.  The program is totally geared towards all of its students passing the NCLEX exam on the first pass.

Also by the end of MedSurg III you will be answering patients and their family members questions.  You will be your families go to gal or guy for questions about their health issues.  This was one of the highlights for me after 12 tough months of grinding through textbooks.

Why I Recommend Going to Downstate Reason # 2

SUNY Downstate has an excellent reputation!

While doing my second independent study, I had the head of the hospital's stroke unit walk up to me in the middle of his rounds, look at my ID and say, "Oh look we have a nursing student here today from Downstate!  An excellent school.  Good luck with with your studies."  I later found out that he himself was also a Downstate graduate.

I interned at Mt. Sinai and know for a fact that they love Downstate grads.

I've also heard from a family member that retired recently from Lenox Hill that they love Downstate grads.  She was extremely happy for me when I got in the program.

Downstate is known through out New York City hospitals for turning out excellent students across the spectrum of health care programs.

Why I Recommend Going to Downstate Reason # 1

12 months into the program I started asking classmates the following question: if they could go back in time, and do everything all over, would they still have chosen Downstate?  
The answer I kept hearing was yes.  It wasn't a happy yes.  It wasn't a smiling yes.  Most of them thought it over for a second or two before they gave an answer.  But I kept hearing yes. 

The only no I heard thus far was from someone who realized that nursing itself wasn't really for them and they would have studied something different.

Working While in the Program???

Yes!  You can work!  And many of my classmates do work!  

If you are a financially strapped student, know that it is possible to both work and get good grades.

 The program begins in June, and is pretty busy through August, so  I don't really recommend working until September.  The second summer session is kind of hellish actually.  People managed to work through it though.

One of my classmates worked as a PCT (Patient Care Technician) through the entire program.  Start to finish.  Many students got jobs working as waiters, bartenders, or baby sitters.  Another classmate was a unit clerk at a hospital.  One classmate worked as a valet, parking cars.  Another classmate worked as a lifeguard.  

Downstate doesn't recommend that you work while in the accelerated program.  And some professors will be totally inflexible with you, but still more than thirty percent of the students in the program started working by the start of the new year.

Lighten Your Load Before the Program!!!

Take Pathophysiology before you enter the program.  It will make life a lot easier for you during the first summer semester.  One less class on your plate.  Not to mention that if you take Patho at Downstate you will be subjected to NCLEX style questions.  NCLEX style questions turn straight A students into B- students. 
I've seen it happen.  You will too.  If you get in.  

If you do take patho before coming into the program be sure to review during summer session I, as you will need the information fresh in your head for the MedSurg classes coming in fall.

Take a research class and do some research before you enter the program.  You can place out of Research class, and will only have to write a critique at the end of the semester.

If you have a masters degree in education you can place out of the Teaching and Learning class.  If you didn't take graduate level teaching courses you will have to take the class anyway.  I had a classmate who was a former art teacher in the public school system that wasn't able to place out of the class because she didn't have a graduate degree.

You can also take pharmacology before entering the program and place out of that as well.

Downstate Loves Brooklyn College Students

Want to get into Downstate's Accelerated program?  One thing that can really help is completing your undergrad degree at CUNY Brooklyn College.  There is a deal between Brooklyn College and Downstate where applications from Brooklyn College graduates go right to the top of the pile and are reviewed first.  

If you go to Brooklyn College, maintain above a 3.0 gpa, and take a couple of courses over and above what's required, like say Chem 2 and Orgo, it greatly increases the chances you will be accepted.  Out of my graduating class there are 8 Brooklyn College alumni.  I graduated from Hunter College, but completed my science prereqs at Brooklyn College.  So it's kind of like eight and a half really.   

For more information regarding the nursing school track at Brooklyn College, contact Dr. Silbering, the Brooklyn College Health Professions advisor.


Downstate also has a summer enrichment program.  It's offered to Brooklyn College juniors and seniors.  Involvement in the program will also increase the likelihood that you get accepted into the program.

Question, comments, suggestions: ramonbritt@gmail.com