I am currently a P1 student at USN. Yeah, it is hard but it is doable, you have to be in it for the right reasons (that will keep you motivated.) As for transferring, I don't believe any of your credits will transfer from a different pharmacy program. You will have to do all the blocks with your classmates. Here is how our program works:
This year, we have
17 regular assessments (scheduled every 2 weeks).
There is a
Pharmacy communications (2 assessments) and
Pharmacy Calculation block (5 assessments) that goes throughout the year, the lectures are spread out along with their tests. All the assessments are a pass or fail (90% is a pass), except PCalc, where you need an average of 90% to pass the block. FYI: most normal assessments are 60 questions in length.
You are given 3 chances to pass the assessment:
Day of the assessment (normally Friday)- If your team achieves score of 95% on their test, you will receive 5% added to your score, so you can receive 85% to pass instead of 90%.
Day of reassessment (normally the Monday that follows) -You must receive 90% on your assessment to pass.
Summer reassessment (last 6-7 weeks of your summer before your P2 year) - You will be lectured again on the material and tested again. You must receive 90% to pass. I have heard that the length of the lecture depends on the block, but averages a week. I believe this is why you can only have 5 summer reassessments, b/c you wouldn't have time to reassess otherwise. FYI: On your 6th one, you will be kicked out of the program
After the summer reassessment - If you do not pass all three times, you
can't go on with the program until it is offered again. To rephrase, the part of the block/assessment that you missed will be given again the following year. That is when you can take it again. This is the final straw, after this you are kicked out. Oh, and if you receive a no pass
3 times in the summer, you will be dropped as well.
FYI: 3 summer remediations = academic probation
6 summer remediations = gone from the program
Rotations:
IPPE- Every other Friday (for most of the year, becomes more frequent toward the end)- The Fridays that we do not have an assessment we are normally at an assigned site (chosen for us). We work 8 hours and have an assignment that is given to us by our professors.
CPPE- 6 weeks of 40 hr/wk at a pharmacy of our choice, any state, city in the US, as long as we are certified interns in that state. We are given plenty of time to choose our site. If you do not choose a site on your own, one will be assigned to you in Henderson/Las Vegas. This is the first 6 weeks after the final. The next 6 weeks depends on your summer reassessments.
APPE- P3 rotations - not sure about this one, yet. I believe the requirements for choosing a site is the same as CPPE.
Now about my experience. I am originally from California. I have also noticed a lot of my classmate from Cali as well. I decided not to go back to SoCal this summer, because (believe it or not) Henderson feels like home now. For your CPPE, you won't have a problem finding a site, just need your Cali Intern License before the deadline. I got in without a bachelor's degree ... pretty much straight from San Deigo CC. I am 21, and proud of it!!! Decided to go to USN b/c I like the block program (such a generic answer.) I also wanted to save money and time by skipping the BA/BS part.
GPA when admitted:3.59
Science GPA: 3.7
No experience other than working at a nursing home for a few months.
Stats aren't that great considering that they are all CC classes, but I made it and I love it here.
Yes, I have remediated before. I do have a summer remediation as well. It is ok to, you won't die from it.
😀 I assumed that I would b/c never took a university course, let alone a graduate course. There are students who have not, and I think that's wonderful. However, things do happen to you personally, mentally, physically. We are only human. (Or maybe I use this as my excuse...
😎 :: poker face).
The people here are wonderful, at least that's my experience at the Henderson campus. Lots to do, and eat. Yum Yum!
I believe our program works, which is why I am here. Just for some stats these are cut outs from some e-mails from Dr. Coffman (Dean) sent to the students. (I sure hope I'm not one of those 3 that don't make it on the first try
) :
(Jun-Aug test window) 99 of 101 first time takers passed the examination for an overall percentage pass rate of a little over 98%. 13% of first time takers scored in the top 5% nationwide, while 7% scored in the top 1% nationally.
USN had 36 grads take the NAPLEX during that window (most grads take the NAPLEX during the Jun-Aug test window) and 35/36 passed for a passing rate of 97.22%. This surpasses the state average of 81.25% passing and the national average of 81.96% passing. The average score for USN was 108.67, again surpassing the state average of 92.66 and the national average of 96.61. As would be expected, we also had higher averages on each of the 3 individual areas within the NAPLEX testing blueprint as well. 35% of USN candidates scored in the top 10% nationally and 22% of USN candidates scored in the top 5% nationally.
OK...so that's all I can think of. After typing all this I forgot what the initial question was. hehe...
Feel free to ask any questions.
