How to increase GPA

[konp]

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Hi Everyone,

I want to apply to a professional school and I am concern about my GPA right now. I want to get into a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school.

My undergraduate GPA was a 3.54 (I majored in Sociology). Then after undergrad, I took a few classes for nursing school and the prerequisite science class grades were decent, not great or bad; the only C was for my microbiology class.

I graduated from undergrad in May 2009.

In March 2011, I was accepted into an Associate Nursing Program at a local community college in Southern California and started the program there in August 2011. I did decent in the lecture portion of the ADN program; my grades in lecture were all Cs. The nursing classes had a different curve than other science classes I had while I took the nursing prerequisites and during my undergraduate years. I had to get at least an 83% to get a B in the class and it was tough for me since there was the clinical component to the program. The program was a two year program. I completed the first year, with all Cs and dropped out at the beginning of the second year because I was having trouble in clinical.

I was doing decently in the lecture portion of the program and was getting better grades on tests in the second year but in clinical, I just couldn't do the work. I felt pressured by the nursing instructors (my school is a public school and the instructors were tough cookies) and by the amount of work I had to do for the patients. I understand that many of you might think nurses' work might not be as hard as I make it sound to be right now and I agree. However, during the training, I just couldn't think straight and the thought of how there is an instructor watching over me did not make me feel any better. My point is it was not the work in clinical that was hard, it was the fear of the instructors and the lack of confidence I had in clinical that was something I was unable to handle, thus I dropped out because of this-- the fear of not being able to care for the patients and do the work correctly.

The nursing students there all encouraged me to just pass the program. Many of ex-classmates had Cs too and later on they were enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and some even went on to enter a Nurse Practitioner program after they completed their ADN degree. My initial goal was to become a nurse practitioner.

I quit the nursing program in September 2012 and have been working full-time since then.

So that is my background. All that is said, I am ready to go back to school and get a professional degree. My undergrad GPA was decent, my GPA for the nursing prerequisite classes were decent. However the problem I have is the grades I had in the nursing program when I started in 2011. I had Cs and they might hurt my chance of getting into a professional school. I want to go for physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school. I am still unsure which to choose yet.

My question is what step should I take next to get in accepted in a professional school I want (PA, NP or Pharm school) WITH the nursing classes on my record?

Like I said before, my main concern is my GPA, with all the nursing classes grade combined.

Thank you and I apologize if this thread is too long!

 

[johnpharm01]

Well you can't change your grades they are permanent. If there are other factors that could increase you chances of getting in i.e. public service etc I would look at those. References maybe. Have you addressed what the reasons were that led to you getting undesirable grades?

 

[konp]

Well you can't change your grades they are permanent. If there are other factors that could increase you chances of getting in i.e. public service etc I would look at those. References maybe. Have you addressed what the reasons were that led to you getting undesirable grades?

I can do nursing prerequisite classes. I find them manageable. The nursing classes were tough due to the program work load and the different type of nursing instructors the students have to deal with. I believe nursing programs are one of the tougher field of studies out there and the reason is the students have an easier time to get a job after they graduate due to the type of training nursing students get, as compared to other majors.

As for the undesirable grades from the nursing program, the main causes were 1) nursing classes were tougher than other classes I have taken in the past 2) I found that I didn't like nursing much when I was in it

 

[johnpharm01]

Well any professional program is going to be tougher. A "C" is nothing to be ashamed of. I graduated pharmacy school with honors but had a C. Some people get average grades but flourish in practice. And the reverse is true. I enjoy practicing pharmacy more than studying it, helping people is rewarding.

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Hi Everyone,

I want to apply to a professional school and I am concern about my GPA right now. I want to get into a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school.

My undergraduate GPA was a 3.54 (I majored in Sociology). Then after undergrad, I took a few classes for nursing school and the prerequisite science class grades were decent, not great or bad; the only C was for my microbiology class.

I graduated from undergrad in May 2009.

In March 2011, I was accepted into an Associate Nursing Program at a local community college in Southern California and started the program there in August 2011. I did decent in the lecture portion of the ADN program; my grades in lecture were all Cs. The nursing classes had a different curve than other science classes I had while I took the nursing prerequisites and during my undergraduate years. I had to get at least an 83% to get a B in the class and it was tough for me since there was the clinical component to the program. The program was a two year program. I completed the first year, with all Cs and dropped out at the beginning of the second year because I was having trouble in clinical.

I was doing decently in the lecture portion of the program and was getting better grades on tests in the second year but in clinical, I just couldn't do the work. I felt pressured by the nursing instructors (my school is a public school and the instructors were tough cookies) and by the amount of work I had to do for the patients. I understand that many of you might think nurses' work might not be as hard as I make it sound to be right now and I agree. However, during the training, I just couldn't think straight and the thought of how there is an instructor watching over me did not make me feel any better. My point is it was not the work in clinical that was hard, it was the fear of the instructors and the lack of confidence I had in clinical that was something I was unable to handle, thus I dropped out because of this-- the fear of not being able to care for the patients and do the work correctly.

The nursing students there all encouraged me to just pass the program. Many of ex-classmates had Cs too and later on they were enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and some even went on to enter a Nurse Practitioner program after they completed their ADN degree. My initial goal was to become a nurse practitioner.

I quit the nursing program in September 2012 and have been working full-time since then.

So that is my background. All that is said, I am ready to go back to school and get a professional degree. My undergrad GPA was decent, my GPA for the nursing prerequisite classes were decent. However the problem I have is the grades I had in the nursing program when I started in 2011. I had Cs and they might hurt my chance of getting into a professional school. I want to go for physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school. I am still unsure which to choose yet.

My question is what step should I take next to get in accepted in a professional school I want (PA, NP or Pharm school) WITH the nursing classes on my record?

Like I said before, my main concern is my GPA, with all the nursing classes grade combined.

Thank you and I apologize if this thread is too long!

Why bother?
You're what, at least 30 now?
It's simply too late for you to get into one of the ~$100K/yr professions right now and have it be financially worth it.

If you couldn't make it in a nursing program, why do you think you'd survive a more intense program?

 

[DIPEA]

Why bother?
You're what, at least 30 now?
It's simply too late for you to get into one of the ~$100K/yr professions right now and have it be financially worth it.

If you couldn't make it in a nursing program, why do you think you'd survive a more intense program?

It may sound harsh, but that's the bloody truth. Nursing could be one of the easiest healthcare programs out there. If someone can't survive that, how can they survive any other programs?

 

[Seriously Serious]

I can do nursing prerequisite classes. I find them manageable. The nursing classes were tough due to the program work load and the different type of nursing instructors the students have to deal with. I believe nursing programs are one of the tougher field of studies out there and the reason is the students have an easier time to get a job after they graduate due to the type of training nursing students get, as compared to other majors.

You're in for a rude awakening. Any professional school will easily have several professors with differing expectations for a single class, and each program will have a heavy clinical curriculum.

 

[DrVader]

Hi Everyone,

I want to apply to a professional school and I am concern about my GPA right now. I want to get into a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school.

My undergraduate GPA was a 3.54 (I majored in Sociology). Then after undergrad, I took a few classes for nursing school and the prerequisite science class grades were decent, not great or bad; the only C was for my microbiology class.

I graduated from undergrad in May 2009.

In March 2011, I was accepted into an Associate Nursing Program at a local community college in Southern California and started the program there in August 2011. I did decent in the lecture portion of the ADN program; my grades in lecture were all Cs. The nursing classes had a different curve than other science classes I had while I took the nursing prerequisites and during my undergraduate years. I had to get at least an 83% to get a B in the class and it was tough for me since there was the clinical component to the program. The program was a two year program. I completed the first year, with all Cs and dropped out at the beginning of the second year because I was having trouble in clinical.

I was doing decently in the lecture portion of the program and was getting better grades on tests in the second year but in clinical, I just couldn't do the work. I felt pressured by the nursing instructors (my school is a public school and the instructors were tough cookies) and by the amount of work I had to do for the patients. I understand that many of you might think nurses' work might not be as hard as I make it sound to be right now and I agree. However, during the training, I just couldn't think straight and the thought of how there is an instructor watching over me did not make me feel any better. My point is it was not the work in clinical that was hard, it was the fear of the instructors and the lack of confidence I had in clinical that was something I was unable to handle, thus I dropped out because of this-- the fear of not being able to care for the patients and do the work correctly.

The nursing students there all encouraged me to just pass the program. Many of ex-classmates had Cs too and later on they were enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and some even went on to enter a Nurse Practitioner program after they completed their ADN degree. My initial goal was to become a nurse practitioner.

I quit the nursing program in September 2012 and have been working full-time since then.

So that is my background. All that is said, I am ready to go back to school and get a professional degree. My undergrad GPA was decent, my GPA for the nursing prerequisite classes were decent. However the problem I have is the grades I had in the nursing program when I started in 2011. I had Cs and they might hurt my chance of getting into a professional school. I want to go for physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school. I am still unsure which to choose yet.

My question is what step should I take next to get in accepted in a professional school I want (PA, NP or Pharm school) WITH the nursing classes on my record?

Like I said before, my main concern is my GPA, with all the nursing classes grade combined.

Thank you and I apologize if this thread is too long!

Get As

 

[CetiAlphaFive]

Get As Buff As Possible

 

[lalaland33]

Hi Everyone,

I want to apply to a professional school and I am concern about my GPA right now. I want to get into a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school.

My undergraduate GPA was a 3.54 (I majored in Sociology). Then after undergrad, I took a few classes for nursing school and the prerequisite science class grades were decent, not great or bad; the only C was for my microbiology class.

I graduated from undergrad in May 2009.

In March 2011, I was accepted into an Associate Nursing Program at a local community college in Southern California and started the program there in August 2011. I did decent in the lecture portion of the ADN program; my grades in lecture were all Cs. The nursing classes had a different curve than other science classes I had while I took the nursing prerequisites and during my undergraduate years. I had to get at least an 83% to get a B in the class and it was tough for me since there was the clinical component to the program. The program was a two year program. I completed the first year, with all Cs and dropped out at the beginning of the second year because I was having trouble in clinical.

I was doing decently in the lecture portion of the program and was getting better grades on tests in the second year but in clinical, I just couldn't do the work. I felt pressured by the nursing instructors (my school is a public school and the instructors were tough cookies) and by the amount of work I had to do for the patients. I understand that many of you might think nurses' work might not be as hard as I make it sound to be right now and I agree. However, during the training, I just couldn't think straight and the thought of how there is an instructor watching over me did not make me feel any better. My point is it was not the work in clinical that was hard, it was the fear of the instructors and the lack of confidence I had in clinical that was something I was unable to handle, thus I dropped out because of this-- the fear of not being able to care for the patients and do the work correctly.

The nursing students there all encouraged me to just pass the program. Many of ex-classmates had Cs too and later on they were enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and some even went on to enter a Nurse Practitioner program after they completed their ADN degree. My initial goal was to become a nurse practitioner.

I quit the nursing program in September 2012 and have been working full-time since then.

So that is my background. All that is said, I am ready to go back to school and get a professional degree. My undergrad GPA was decent, my GPA for the nursing prerequisite classes were decent. However the problem I have is the grades I had in the nursing program when I started in 2011. I had Cs and they might hurt my chance of getting into a professional school. I want to go for physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school. I am still unsure which to choose yet.

My question is what step should I take next to get in accepted in a professional school I want (PA, NP or Pharm school) WITH the nursing classes on my record?

Like I said before, my main concern is my GPA, with all the nursing classes grade combined.

Thank you and I apologize if this thread is too long!

NP, Pharmacy, and PA schools will have a harder curriculum than the ADN degree you were doing. Right now, NP and PA are very competitive so you do need good grades and lots of patient contact hours to get into those. Pharmacy schools are a little too easy to get into these days so please do your research before settling on pharmacy. My retail pharmacists have said how saturated it is and you'll have to do residency to get a hospital position. None of theses schools will guarantee you the type of professor you want. You may end up getting professors like the ones that made you nervous in your APN courses.

My suggestion is to continue to get your Associates or BSN, try to get a hospital position (work as a CNA while you're in nursing school in a hospital to get your name out there), and after about three years, get into NP school. You could also do the same thing if you choose to do PA instead of NP. Working as nurse will help you earn some money before continuing to study.

 

[BidingMyTime]

What everyone else said. If you could only get C's in the nursing program, you will have a extremely hard time passing pharmacy, PA, or NP classes. Seriously, you had trouble getting through the basic nursing program, and you think NP will be easier? Pharmacy schools are desperate right now and will take anyone who can get a loan. Acceptance from pharmacy school does not mean you will actually graduate from pharmacy school. There are lots of stories here from students who have failed out of pharmacy school, after accumulating 2 -3 years of huge debt. Even more harrowing, are the stories from the pharmacy graduates who managed to squeak through school, but are unable to pass the NAPLEX and actually practice as a pharmacist.

You need to find a job that will utilize the talents you have, it may not pay as well as well as pharmacist, NP, or PA, but it will be far better than racking up thousands of dollars in debt and never actually practicing as a pharmacist, NP, or PA.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Also, a BSN is required to for admittance to a NP program (albeit their are all-in-one programs that get you your BSN first, then your NP.) So, I'm not sure why NP is even on your list, when you couldn't make it through the BSN program.

 

[BidingMyTime]

I believe nursing programs are one of the tougher field of studies out there and the reason is the students have an easier time to get a job after they graduate due to the type of training nursing students get, as compared to other majors.

Easier compared to what? Nuclear physics? Aviation? Statistical Mathematics? Biochemistry?
The fact that you think nursing is harder than other undergraduate majors, is evidence that you are completely unprepared for a professional program. Nursing is a far tougher program than sociology, but rest assured, nursing is far easier compared to NP, PA, or pharmacy.

Edit, I meant OP thinks nursing is harder, not easier than other undergraduate majors.

 

[Dr. Pill]

NP, Pharmacy, and PA schools will have a harder curriculum than the ADN degree you were doing. Right now, NP and PA are very competitive so you do need good grades and lots of patient contact hours to get into those. Pharmacy schools are a little too easy to get into these days so please do your research before settling on pharmacy. My retail pharmacists have said how saturated it is and you'll have to do residency to get a hospital position. None of theses schools will guarantee you the type of professor you want. You may end up getting professors like the ones that made you nervous in your APN courses.

My suggestion is to continue to get your Associates or BSN, try to get a hospital position (work as a CRNA while you're in nursing school in a hospital to get your name out there), and after about three years, get into NP school. You could also do the same thing if you choose to do PA instead of NP. Working as nurse will help you earn some money before continuing to study.

So you know, a CRNA is a Nurse Anesthesis, you mean a CNA I’m assuming which is a nurse assistant.

 

[konp]

in this situation, the right answer is to get As

 

[lalaland33]

So you know, a CRNA is a Nurse Anesthesis, you mean a CNA I’m assuming which is a nurse assistant.

Oops, yeah I meant CNA.

 

[konp]

Z

 

[pencilandpen]

You will get in pharmacy school no problem they will take anyone as long as you are willing to pay

 

[Robbin]

What everyone else said. If you could only get C's in the nursing program, you will have a extremely hard time passing pharmacy, PA, or NP classes. Also, Grads and fixed you can't change it. you can fill some improvement test for updating your grads.

 

[Dred Pirate]

study?

 

[VictorOfHungerGames]

Hi Everyone,

I want to apply to a professional school and I am concern about my GPA right now. I want to get into a physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school.

My undergraduate GPA was a 3.54 (I majored in Sociology). Then after undergrad, I took a few classes for nursing school and the prerequisite science class grades were decent, not great or bad; the only C was for my microbiology class.

I graduated from undergrad in May 2009.

In March 2011, I was accepted into an Associate Nursing Program at a local community college in Southern California and started the program there in August 2011. I did decent in the lecture portion of the ADN program; my grades in lecture were all Cs. The nursing classes had a different curve than other science classes I had while I took the nursing prerequisites and during my undergraduate years. I had to get at least an 83% to get a B in the class and it was tough for me since there was the clinical component to the program. The program was a two year program. I completed the first year, with all Cs and dropped out at the beginning of the second year because I was having trouble in clinical.

I was doing decently in the lecture portion of the program and was getting better grades on tests in the second year but in clinical, I just couldn't do the work. I felt pressured by the nursing instructors (my school is a public school and the instructors were tough cookies) and by the amount of work I had to do for the patients. I understand that many of you might think nurses' work might not be as hard as I make it sound to be right now and I agree. However, during the training, I just couldn't think straight and the thought of how there is an instructor watching over me did not make me feel any better. My point is it was not the work in clinical that was hard, it was the fear of the instructors and the lack of confidence I had in clinical that was something I was unable to handle, thus I dropped out because of this-- the fear of not being able to care for the patients and do the work correctly.

The nursing students there all encouraged me to just pass the program. Many of ex-classmates had Cs too and later on they were enrolled in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and some even went on to enter a Nurse Practitioner program after they completed their ADN degree. My initial goal was to become a nurse practitioner.

I quit the nursing program in September 2012 and have been working full-time since then.

So that is my background. All that is said, I am ready to go back to school and get a professional degree. My undergrad GPA was decent, my GPA for the nursing prerequisite classes were decent. However the problem I have is the grades I had in the nursing program when I started in 2011. I had Cs and they might hurt my chance of getting into a professional school. I want to go for physician assistant, nurse practitioner or pharmacy school. I am still unsure which to choose yet.

My question is what step should I take next to get in accepted in a professional school I want (PA, NP or Pharm school) WITH the nursing classes on my record?

Like I said before, my main concern is my GPA, with all the nursing classes grade combined.

Thank you and I apologize if this thread is too long!

Before worrying about your grades, make sure you know why youre getting into the field. Just vaguely wanting to go to a professional school may not help you pull through.

 

[lord999]

I've taught in the undergraduate nursing programs (and even the graduate ones) a couple of times. Everyone in pharmacy thinks of the difficulty of the basic sciences classes, and yes, they are more rigorous in general. However, pharmacists do abysmally in the physical assessment and the practical classes (injections, etc.) and generally have bad bedside manners especially at first (as in, if they took the nursing versions of those classes, I would expect the majority to be at a D or lower and we now separate the two groups because pharmacists can't perform in that class at that level).

The experiences are not as comparable as between medicine and pharmacy (where medicine is more difficult due to both the much faster pacing and higher drama than pharmacy over the same material). Pharmacy is quite a different major than either sociology and nursing.

I'm going to ask a couple of questions:
1. How did you do in your Demography classes? Good, bad, indifferent? Demography, GIS, and Survey/Sampling classes are much closer to pharmacy's usual style than are the writing classes.
2. For what reason did you go to nursing, and like others, why another professional program now?
3. How comfortable were you in your math and statistics classes? Did you have a hard time with Stata or R?

By the way, although pharmacy is not medicine in this regard, even good students find the course schedule burdensome. It's a lot of material to cover in a short time, I certainly thought much of it was a blur. This will be no different from nursing, so if you do not think you can sustain that kind of pace, pharmacy and especially PA where the course is compressed, is probably not for you.