USN class of 2013

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biolover

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It seems like invitations for interview were sent out for the coming year students at USN already. I think it's better to start a new thread for USN class of 2013. Anyone here got invitation yet?

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Ok I'll bite.....I received my interview invitation yesterday...Choices of interview dates were Nov 10th, and Jan 16th...I'll be choosing Jan 16th since I'm headed out to interview at Pacific Oregon on Nov 14
 
Aw, that makes me sad, because I didn't get an invite yet! Here's hoping one comes soon....:xf: What are your stats?
 
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They should really notify people through e-mail for interview invites, rather than snail mail. I'm getting kind of anxious too.
 
Last year I got my invite by email. I never got anything by snail mail until was offered a spot and made a verbal acceptance.

I wouldn't be too concerned yet. If it gets to late March and you still haven't heard anything, then I would freak out.
 
Aw, that makes me sad, because I didn't get an invite yet! Here's hoping one comes soon....:xf: What are your stats?

I received my invite through email...To answer your question though, I applied through academic forgiveness...My undergrad gpa was only a 3.0 (4 yrs of college hockey and I never picked up a book)...So my post grad gpa was a 4.0 for 40 credit hrs so far...therefore my overall gpa through the academic forgiveness was a 3.97...Since post grad I got certified and work as a pharm tech in both a retail and hospital pharmacy..holding both jobs while trying to get an "A" in every class has been arduous that's for sure...I have a ton of ECs from college and a ton of shadowing with a ortho surgeon,anesthesiologist,chiropractor,ER pharmacist and Mercy flight...good luck with your apps coastygrl
 
I got an interview offer on Friday too, via e-mail from Dr. DeYoung. I'm also the beneficiary of academic forgiveness, since my undergrad GPA was mediocre (3.0).

Good luck to all.
 
I got an interview offer on Friday too, via e-mail from Dr. DeYoung. I'm also the beneficiary of academic forgiveness, since my undergrad GPA was mediocre (3.0).

Good luck to all.

Congrats guys!!!

My undergrad GPA is 3.3. I am also applying thru forgiveness policy. So my postgraduate GPA is 3.93, but my application will not be reviewed until the school receives the PCAT score. I just took it last Saturday; I think I didn't do so well. I would have to wait for six weeks to get the score. I am so
worried as USN is my school of choice!!! So you guys must have completed your PCATs?? If you don't mind sharing your score info? Thanks in advance!!

To HCKPLR: I'll have an interview @ Pacific Oregon on NOV also. See you there!!=)...
 
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Okay...we'll see what happens. I'm not doing academic forgiveness and have 3.6 GPA for both overall and math/science. Good luck to you guys and share how it goes at the interview!
 
Haha, as I was reading this thread I missed a call. The message was from Dr. Deyoung making sure I received my invitation he sent Friday, and wanted to know if I decided to accept or decline...Thanks alot guys because of you I missed an important call...just kidding. My first PCAT was a 79 composite, so I just took the Oct 17th one to hopefully improve.

Yenli-Yea I'll see you in Nov in Oregon. I'm staying at the econolodge, I think its a motel...haha. Hopefully I don't get jumped walking from econolodge to the school the morning of the interview...haha. I'll be pissed if I have another black eye to get rid of
 
I would advise anyone who is going to interview to check out the interview forums. I did this last year and most of the questions were similar. I have no idea if they are going to change up the questions this year so don't be totally shocked if you get something new but it doesn't hurt to at least know what kind of questions were asked in the past. I would also recommend having questions to ask. I thought that the best part of my interview was when it turned conversational during the question phase.

Good luck. I know those interview dates are coming up fast for some of you.
 
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I would LOVE for more people to weigh in on this. Their program sounds so awesome so any other opinions out there from current students?
 
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for some reason this post reminds me of martin luther. Mrblah is posting his 17 theses against USN on the door of sdn.

but yes can we please get some anonymous confirmation/denial of these theses?
 
I'm finding school to be pretty easy. I get a three day weekend every two weeks. That part is kind of cool. I think the profs are decent enough. After reading what other pharmacy students have to say about the profs at their school, I'm guessing that the ones here aren't any different. Profs read powerpoints just about everywhere.

I haven't really experienced unfairness and I have no idea why the block system is fixed if it is. I can't really speak to the rest of the complaints because I either don't have experience with them or I haven't noticed that there was a problem. I come to class, study at night, take a test, pass the test, get a three day weekend with almost no stress. No major complaints here.
 
I'm finding school to be pretty easy. I get a three day weekend every two weeks. That part is kind of cool. I think the profs are decent enough. After reading what other pharmacy students have to say about the profs at their school, I'm guessing that the ones here aren't any different. Profs read powerpoints just about everywhere.

I haven't really experienced unfairness and I have no idea why the block system is fixed if it is. I can't really speak to the rest of the complaints because I either don't have experience with them or I haven't noticed that there was a problem. I come to class, study at night, take a test, pass the test, get a three day weekend with almost no stress. No major complaints here.

Thanks, diastole...Are you finding it easy enough during interning, etc. Mrblah made it seem like he wasn't learning enough to be a pharmacist. I want to make sure I'll know enough to be a great pharmacist and find a job!
 
I have gone to a couple different colleges and universities and have found that the quality of your education is mainly intrinsic. If you don't know what intrinsic is then maybe you should look it up.
 
Thanks, diastole...Are you finding it easy enough during interning, etc. Mrblah made it seem like he wasn't learning enough to be a pharmacist. I want to make sure I'll know enough to be a great pharmacist and find a job!

I had no pharmacy experience beyond volunteering and I wasn't allowed to do much as a volunteer. My IPPE is at a really slow store so the progress is coming slowly but the pharmacist and tech at my store are really helpful. I'm sure by the end of the year, I'll progress well enough. How helpful they are is hit or miss though. Some people love their experience and others aren't really happy. You might get a great preceptor or a not so great one. I think that is just the nature of interning and that won't change no matter where you attend school.

I would recommend trying to get paid tech experience if you can manage it. I have to start at the very bottom learning the basics while those with experience already know a lot so they are getting more out of their time behind the counter.
 
I found it is a lot easier to pick out negatives about school when you are going through the grind. Once you are done or almost done and look back on it then you can see which complaints may have some value and which don't. I believe any pharmacy school you attend will have their pros/cons. I know people that have attended schools that are quote more "prestigious" due to their years in existence and/or research dollars and still you find that they complain about their experience and sometimes more so. Although I have things about USN that I still wish they'd change I don't regret my decision in attending and do think it was the best fit for me. Every applicant just needs to find the program that is the best fit for them and their goals. I addressed a few of your points below with some of my responses/opinions. BTW, I'm sure the faculty has heard many/most of these things before and if they are legitimate then they'll see what they can do to improve and if not then at least you had your voice heard.
1.The block system is fixed. what does this mean? I like the block system a lot. One thing I think they could fix is making sure each test has 5-7 days on it and not more or less as the tests most people really struggle with are those where there were 8 or more days of material on them. The other thing that could be improved is the Thursday lecture day before Friday tests. One suggestion is to have class only till 11am on Thursday and then cover the rest of that material in the afternoon on Monday. The Thursday material could be on the Friday test as it would motivate more people to come and if class had to end at 11 am that would also encourage students in being there
10.Questions and answer sessions after a test is a joke (they ignore your questions). I think the school does these so that they'll be a learning experience for students however the students that are disrespectful during these sessions and those that don't have a good academic argument but rather are just fighting for a point so they don't have to remediate really make it hard on the faculty as well as all the students who have to sit through the session. It seems like a lot of the unjustified arguments happen from students who are lazy or who put other priorities above studying whether that be playing or working. Remember USN is a 3 year program so you'll likely be in class more each day and study more each day than if you were in a traditional 4 year pharmacy program.
11.The remediations are HARDER, and you can only miss 6 on monday remediations, and they can test you on anything.I remediated some and found that the remediation seemed harder at times but at other times it was easier. I think faculty should have to submit both tests before the Friday test and then one will be randomly selected so that that way there can be no "making the test harder or easier" after the Friday test. One other thing I've thought is that maybe the school should allow a team test on Mondays too. The school emphasizes teamwork but then throws that concept out on Mondays and during the summer remediation. They should do away with the Monday pre-remediation review session and use that time to allow students to take a team test instead.
12. Great professors leave, Lousy professors stay. Not sure about this. I've known of professors leaving but whether they are going to a COP that is closer to their hometown or to one that is more "prestigious" it is hard to say. USN does have good faculty and recruits good faculty.
14.Dean rolls around in a brand new lexus (Dr. Rosenberg). Haven't seen this but haven't looked but I do wonder if management is top heavy. Sometimes students wonder about why tuition keeps rising when salaries have stopped rising but I would bet this happens at all COP especially private ones.
16.No parking for students (somewhat fixed this year, but last year they made us walk a block).I've heard parking is worse at the Nevada campus but still one block shouldn't be something to complain about. In undergrad I often had to walk 4 or 5 blocks from my parking spot to class or use a campus shuttle
17. P2 rotation sites (IPPE) as far as outside of Vegas itself. My site is literally outside of vegas, 1 hour away without traffic. I'm not the only one.Distant rotation sites happen at many COP.

On another note, I do believe USN needs to put more emphasis on hospital pharmacy earlier in the curriculum. I'd like to see the community IPPE scaled down some and the Institutional IPPE scaled up. I know they are addressing this but I'd like to see a more aggressive approach to better prepare students for hospital jobs and/or residencies. Whether they do this over the summer or throughout the school year I'm not sure but one approach might be to reduce summer Community IPPE to 4 weeks and add a summer 4 week Institutional. If the summer remediations weeks were capped at 3-4 instead of 5-6 then this could be done and that would be possible if they allowed team points on Monday remediation days as most summer remedation students just miss passing Mondays by a few points. One other thing the school might look at improving is adding more admission pre-reqs such as Biochem so that some of the P2 curriculum can be pushed to P1 (and some of the P1 taken care of by the additional pre-reqs) and a few more "clinical things" can be added to P2 such as more on physical assessment and counseling and compounding. Lastly, I think that APPE sites need to continue improving as some of them are great while others aren't and would be better offered over 4 weeks instead of 6, if at all. All in All, USN is a good school and a lot of what you get out of it is what you put into it
 
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gsinccom - thanks for being honest and very insightful. USN is still in my list of potentials so its real good to hear from the students themselves, away from the facades that can come up during interviews or info sessions.

however I'd imagine the sjordan campus would be different from lv... any vegas students have anything to say? are you vegas, diastole?
 
I didn't know it was a bad thing for a dean to make good money. Is the idea to make him work for free, that doesn't attract the best canidates.
 
I didn't know it was a bad thing for a dean to make good money. Is the idea to make him work for free, that doesn't attract the best canidates.
You are right, competitive salaries are neccessary to obtain quality people.

On a related note, in my opinion the founders of USN currently place too much emphasis on the university's founding. The university has been around for nine years now, has campuses in two states, a nursing school, a MBA program and a dental school. In other words, I think they need to find a better balance between pubbing the current state of the university and advertsing its unique heritage with less emphasis on the latter. If you read the "About USN" link on the top of the homepage you'll see what I mean. But maybe this isn't it afterall and somebody just needs to update/modernize the website:)
 
gsinccom - thanks for being honest and very insightful. USN is still in my list of potentials so its real good to hear from the students themselves, away from the facades that can come up during interviews or info sessions.

however I'd imagine the sjordan campus would be different from lv... any vegas students have anything to say? are you vegas, diastole?

Yep, I'm in Nevada. I agree that every school has its downsides and upsides. One of the reasons I decided to come here is because it is non-competitive. I went to a very competitive UC that graded on a curve and I didn't really want to repeat the experience. People here are a lot more willing to help people out because it doesn't hurt you if more people do well. In fact it is a good thing because there are smiles all around the room after we get our exam results back if lots of people did well.

The downside to the whole, non-competitive, need 90% to pass is that I think questions that require a lot of critical thinking get left out. You have to know your information but there aren't many questions where you have to take what you know and take it one or two more steps to reason out an answer. I suspect that too many people would miss those questions so they don't appear often on the exams. Maybe that will change as we move further along but I suspect not. It is too hard to teach critical thinking but that skill is one of the most valuable in the real world. I think the testing format limits the freedom they have to really challenge us. They make it challenging by the volume of information we are expected to learn but that isn't the same. That's a shame because I really like the block system otherwise.
 
What hours do you guys usually have class? How much do you tend to study after class? Also, what's the deal with the sort of low NAPLEX passing rate? I think it was in the mid-80's% range somwhere I checked. Thanks for all your helpful responses so far.
 
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Yep, I'm in Nevada. I agree that every school has its downsides and upsides. One of the reasons I decided to come here is because it is non-competitive. I went to a very competitive UC that graded on a curve and I didn't really want to repeat the experience. People here are a lot more willing to help people out because it doesn't hurt you if more people do well. In fact it is a good thing because there are smiles all around the room after we get our exam results back if lots of people did well.

The downside to the whole, non-competitive, need 90% to pass is that I think questions that require a lot of critical thinking get left out. You have to know your information but there aren't many questions where you have to take what you know and take it one or two more steps to reason out an answer. I suspect that too many people would miss those questions so they don't appear often on the exams. Maybe that will change as we move further along but I suspect not. It is too hard to teach critical thinking but that skill is one of the most valuable in the real world. I think the testing format limits the freedom they have to really challenge us. They make it challenging by the volume of information we are expected to learn but that isn't the same. That's a shame because I really like the block system otherwise.

so you're saying that in a way, they make the tests easier because students do need a 90% on the test to pass?

but then in turn the students limit their critical thinking?

hmm... it seems like the 90% thing is just some claim of pride that students can say to others. what is the advantage of the 90%+ system?
 
What hours do you guys usually have class? How much do you tend to study after class? Also, what's the deal with the sort of low NAPLEX passing rate? I think it was in the mid-80's% range somwhere I checked. Thanks for all your helpful responses so far.

We go to school from 8 to 3 with an hour lunch break but sometimes we get out early. Study hours vary from person to person. I typically put in a 2 to 3 hours after class but I do take days off here and there. I think some of my classmates put in a lot more hours than that and I'm sure some put in less time.

I think you must have looked up older NAPLEX pass rates. One class in 2005 did get an 80% pass rate but it has been much higher since. We got an email with this year's results and it was above 98%. The two years prior to that were in the 97-98% range. USN is on the newer side (about a decade old) so if I had to guess why the old pass rates were lower, it would be because they had to accept a less competitive student body when the school was new. Now the average GPA is something crazy like 3.7 so I don't think that is an issue anymore. Of course, that is just a guess on my part as I wasn't around back then but regardless, the recent pass rates are very solid.
 
so you're saying that in a way, they make the tests easier because students do need a 90% on the test to pass?

but then in turn the students limit their critical thinking?

hmm... it seems like the 90% thing is just some claim of pride that students can say to others. what is the advantage of the 90%+ system?

I'm not really saying that the tests are easy but I am saying that the tests can't be hard. Let me explain. Back in my undergraduate education, I was graded on the curve where they tried to make the mean in the mid fifties or so in my chem classes and in the mid sixties in my biology classes. The profs had to put on difficult questions that they knew that only a few students could answer and required lots of thinking to get them right. With the 90% system, you can't really do that or too many people will fail.

Now every system has its advantages and disadvantages. With the curve like I described, people are missing a third to almost half of the questions. What if that information was really important? Too bad, the class is moving on anyway. With the 90% system, the rationale behind it is that all of the information is important and you had better know it. So with that kind of test, people need to have a solid grasp of the information but they won't be asked to stretch to reach an answer that is beyond the reasoning skills of the majority of the class.

So with a curve type class, you can get lots of critical thinking questions but you could come away with big gaps of knowledge. With a 90% mastery system, you won't have the gaps in knowledge but you have less opportunity for critical thinking. Does that make sense?
 
We go to school from 8 to 3 with an hour lunch break but sometimes we get out early. Study hours vary from person to person. I typically put in a 2 to 3 hours after class but I do take days off here and there. I think some of my classmates put in a lot more hours than that and I'm sure some put in less time.

I think you must have looked up older NAPLEX pass rates. One class in 2005 did get an 80% pass rate but it has been much higher since. We got an email with this year's results and it was above 98%. The two years prior to that were in the 97-98% range. USN is on the newer side (about a decade old) so if I had to guess why the old pass rates were lower, it would be because they had to accept a less competitive student body when the school was new. Now the average GPA is something crazy like 3.7 so I don't think that is an issue anymore. Of course, that is just a guess on my part as I wasn't around back then but regardless, the recent pass rates are very solid.
Thank you SO MUCH for the updated info! I am definitely hoping for an interview.
 
USN has officially extended the deadline for completing the PCAT for the 2009-2010 application cycle. The College will accept all PCATs completed on January 23, 2010. Students applying for admission for the fall 2010 may complete the PCAT in January (rather than by the original PCAT test deadline of October 17). The USN website was updated today (Monday, November 2) to reflect this change.

While we have tried to contact everyone who e-mailed the Admissions Office with questions about the PCAT deadline, we are trying to notify as many prospective students as possible that the College will accept a PCAT completed in January.

If you have questions, please feel free to directly contact:


Michael DeYoung, RPh., Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Admissions and Student Affairs
[email protected]
(702) 968-2006

or

Dawn Ihrig
Administrative Assistant for the Admissions Office
[email protected]
(702) 968-2007

 
Thats great news for those applying for 2010. Gives you a chance to do better on the PCAT, if needed. Me... I'm not applying until next fall, PCAT for me will be taken in June, hope I need only take it once.
 
I wonder why they changed their minds on acceptable PCAT dates... Sure could have used that info a month or two ago...

Does anyone think this will push back offers? It seems to me that if they dont evaluate your file until they get the PCAT results, the Jan test would push back evaluations even further, or am I reading too much into this?

Kinda nervous because I took the practice tests, and it gave me a range avg in the mid 80s, but when I took the test, it was much more difficult. I studied for the last five months for it and think I did well in everything except math... Another shot at it in Jan couldnt hurt, right?

The big question is: Will they average your scores, take the best composite, or only accept the latest?
 
I wonder why they changed their minds on acceptable PCAT dates... Sure could have used that info a month or two ago...

Does anyone think this will push back offers? It seems to me that if they dont evaluate your file until they get the PCAT results, the Jan test would push back evaluations even further, or am I reading too much into this?

Kinda nervous because I took the practice tests, and it gave me a range avg in the mid 80s, but when I took the test, it was much more difficult. I studied for the last five months for it and think I did well in everything except math... Another shot at it in Jan couldnt hurt, right?

The big question is: Will they average your scores, take the best composite, or only accept the latest?

You'll need to ask Dr. DeYoung or his assistant these questions.

I imagine the reason they are accepting the Jan scores is that they haven't had as many applicants as they've had in the past and/or as many as they want. In the past they've had more admissions applications than most pharmacy programs and I'd bet more of it than they realized was tied into the fact that the school didn't require the PCAT.
 
Is this the first year they dont require the PCAT? This is my first choice school, I'm applying next fall for class of 2014, and it would be nice to know that they are not going to have the 1600 applicants that states on their website.
 
Is this the first year they dont require the PCAT? This is my first choice school, I'm applying next fall for class of 2014, and it would be nice to know that they are not going to have the 1600 applicants that states on their website.

This is the first year that they do require the PCAT. I imagine the Admissions folks didn't realize how much requiring the PCAT would decrease their applicant pool by. I mean it pretty much rules out most Californians, right? And I know in the past USN, especially the Nevada campus, has drawn heavily from California.
 
All the better for us Californians who did take the PCAT :)

do you guys think this will have a negative or positive impact on anything? (ie naplex scores, cjpe, # of reassessments)
 
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I'm a current student and I have no complaints about the school. I want to reply inregards to a "Mr.Blah" posting.

1. Yes parking sucks at times but they rented another parking lot starting in September and are creating a new one during x-mas break so parking won't be a problem. At it was never a problem in the first place as long you showed up to class on time.

2. Regarding to the remediations being fixed, I don't know about that. The one remediation (re-take) that I took for 1.1 was harder I felt only due to that I was under more strees that on Friday previously and I had another two days to study compared to the people normally taking it on Friday.

3. The block system is a very structure system which I like. The week of the main test is like H**L week at times because you really have to work at some blocks to get the information down in an out. I like it though. So far I've had trouble understanding one instructor but if you don't understand- YOU NEED TO ASK QUESTIONS OR SAY SOMETHING. the teachers give plenty of ooportunities to do so in class. One teacher was very difficult to get in reach with out of class but everyone else was easy to get in touch with.

4. There is no sale of food in the cafeteria on a regular basis though the school has many fridges and microwaves and is less than a three minute drive to many choices. Many classes do fundraising lunch sales so there is usually at least one class selling food each week.

5. The school is open until 11PM for studing - which is nice!!!!

6. Each instructor that comes in specializes in there block so many types of instructors come in and you do need to adjust to every lecture style - though is do able.

7. Since the school is a 3 year instead of a 4 year school, be ready to study your A** off and learn a lot!

THE INTERVIEW COUNTS FOR 40/60 POINTS OF YOUR PACKAGE!!!!!!!!

The school rocks and I look forward to seeing everyone during interviews!:D
 
There were actually about 1,800 applications for the class of 2012 and for the class of 2013, they're the first class that is required to have the PCAT's.
 
You'll need to ask Dr. DeYoung or his assistant these questions.

I imagine the reason they are accepting the Jan scores is that they haven't had as many applicants as they've had in the past and/or as many as they want. In the past they've had more admissions applications than most pharmacy programs and I'd bet more of it than they realized was tied into the fact that the school didn't require the PCAT.


They have started to require the PCAT's I believe due to that before it was based on GPA's for interviews. Well if someone got a 4.0 for a hick town community college and then someone got a 3.6 for a top state university, who did they ususally look at first......the 4.0. So I think the PCAT is to help determine the quality of students.
 
Hi yall, I haven't posted awhile, but after going through my P1 year, and now in my P2 year. DON'T GO TO USN. I use to be a big fan of my school, but as the year goes on, the more I realize that USN is a diploma mill that really only cares that it gets its money. I wish I went somewhere else. Somewhere that I feel that I'm actually getting the education that I deserve with the money that I've spent. Enough with me, here is what many of the p2's feel about USN.

1.The block system is fixed.
2.Professor's don't really teach (they give you a powerpoint, and expect 3.you to read between the lines) (Jorvig, Dr. Barclay).
4.Professors that make up policies as they go along (Jorvig).
5.Professors that don't speak english (Dr. Mandel).
6.Professors that when you ask a question, tell you to figure it out (Dr. Rhee).
7.Faculty that tells us that ONLY ENGLISH should be spoken on campus (Karla Labbe, racist woman).
8.Faculty that says we don't understand english (Metzger, Dr. Lacy)
9.Faculty that refers us as orientals, blacks (Dr. Welder)
10.Questions and answer sessions after a test is a joke (they ignore your questions).
11.The remediations are HARDER, and you can only miss 6 on monday remediations, and they can test you on anything.
12. Great professors leave, Lousy professors stay.
13.BS policies (contract that says we can't complain at all about faculty on campus).
14.Dean rolls around in a brand new lexus (Dr. Rosenberg).
15.Faculty that parks in the handicap spot that arent handicap (those escalades).
16.No parking for students (somewhat fixed this year, but last year they made us walk a block).
17. P2 rotation sites (IPPE) as far as outside of Vegas itself. My site is literally outside of vegas, 1 hour away without traffic. I'm not the only one.

For obvious reasons, I can't tell you who I am (USN admin like to watch these threads, they did last year and the year before), but keep these reasons in mind when you apply. IT SUCKS TO BE at USN.


Admin if you want to verify that I am a student, feel free to email me.

Have a nice day.

P.S. there are definitely positives about this school, but at this point in time, I don't really have much to say about that. Check my old posts if you want to hear about the positives.


Questions for everyone, won't you drive a Lexus or a BMW or something better when the loans are paid off? Come on, basing the school of what the dean drives....come on! Dr.R is a great and is always there to help.
 
If I had known that the interview was worth 2/3 of my total, I might have lied and said I'd turn in my best friend for cheating.

If the powers that be are reading this, that is just a dumb question that doesn't tell you anything. People with no integrity are going to lie in the interview so what's the point? You'll just weed out people like me who are too dumb to lie when their future is on the line. Of course, I still got in and I didn't lie so maybe there is more than one way you can answer that question.
 
I agree with Mr blah... I am a P1 student and i was in love with this school until i started the school. I had the most unpleasant experience on an assessment day with Dr Metzger and Dr Jorvig. I am definitely over it now but i was punished for being honest. The biggest lesson i learned was never be honest. I do not want to share the details but they made my life hell for one whole weekend and asked me to come back on Monday for no fault of mine. The other students think they were doing their job, but i think that is BS. I was accepted at couple other schools on East coast but i moved all the way to west coast because i thought this school cares about their students, but i was absolutely wrong. I have become very apathetic about this school now after what happened with me. I was a pure Victim and am sorry to say this but do consider other schools if you guys have an options. I agree with a lot of points Mr Blah pointed out. THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS AT ALL.
 
Congrats on those who have received interview invites. Just be yourself and you'll be fine. It didn't seemed that long ago but now it's a start of a new cycle already.... time really do flies. I guess that's a good thing because we're all that much faster of being done with school. If anyone receive interview dates in UT in Feb or Mar, you'll probably see me or be interview by me, so be AWARE! I'm just kidding! Good luck everyone! :luck:
 
Questions for everyone, won't you drive a Lexus or a BMW or something better when the loans are paid off? Come on, basing the school of what the dean drives....come on! Dr.R is a great and is always there to help.

I think Dr R. is the best.. I love him. For the students who are applying this year. There is definitely few things good things about this school. The president is the nicest person i have come across in my life. He is amazing and i wish he taught more often. He is very sweet and always there for you.
 
Hi yall, I haven't posted awhile, but after going through my P1 year, and now in my P2 year. DON'T GO TO USN. I use to be a big fan of my school, but as the year goes on, the more I realize that USN is a diploma mill that really only cares that it gets its money. I wish I went somewhere else. Somewhere that I feel that I'm actually getting the education that I deserve with the money that I've spent. Enough with me, here is what many of the p2's feel about USN.

1.The block system is fixed.
2.Professor's don't really teach (they give you a powerpoint, and expect 3.you to read between the lines) (Jorvig, Dr. Barclay).
4.Professors that make up policies as they go along (Jorvig).
5.Professors that don't speak english (Dr. Mandel).
6.Professors that when you ask a question, tell you to figure it out (Dr. Rhee).
7.Faculty that tells us that ONLY ENGLISH should be spoken on campus (Karla Labbe, racist woman).
8.Faculty that says we don't understand english (Metzger, Dr. Lacy)
9.Faculty that refers us as orientals, blacks (Dr. Welder)
10.Questions and answer sessions after a test is a joke (they ignore your questions).
11.The remediations are HARDER, and you can only miss 6 on monday remediations, and they can test you on anything.
12. Great professors leave, Lousy professors stay.
13.BS policies (contract that says we can't complain at all about faculty on campus).
14.Dean rolls around in a brand new lexus (Dr. Rosenberg).
15.Faculty that parks in the handicap spot that arent handicap (those escalades).
16.No parking for students (somewhat fixed this year, but last year they made us walk a block).
17. P2 rotation sites (IPPE) as far as outside of Vegas itself. My site is literally outside of vegas, 1 hour away without traffic. I'm not the only one.

For obvious reasons, I can't tell you who I am (USN admin like to watch these threads, they did last year and the year before), but keep these reasons in mind when you apply. IT SUCKS TO BE at USN.


Admin if you want to verify that I am a student, feel free to email me.

Have a nice day.

P.S. there are definitely positives about this school, but at this point in time, I don't really have much to say about that. Check my old posts if you want to hear about the positives.
Mr Blah, thanks for sharing and contributing for all these years.
 
so you're saying that in a way, they make the tests easier because students do need a 90% on the test to pass?

but then in turn the students limit their critical thinking?

hmm... it seems like the 90% thing is just some claim of pride that students can say to others. what is the advantage of the 90%+ system?

I don't think you are going to find any students here at USN who want the 90% pass rate... (I am a USN P1).

Its really tough. I think the idea is they (the faculty) feel every piece of information they give us is important and therefore we should know everything.
 
I actually like the 90% pass rate. I wish I could have taught that way when I was a teacher though I would have settled for 70%. I would have loved to make my students come back on their day off to relearn the material they either didn't bother to learn or needed extra help with. I would have given up my days off for that.

So earlier I posted that I haven't experienced unfairness. Yeah, it didn't take long to change that. I tested out the appeals process on a slam dunk appeal. The prof agreed that I was right on a question on an assessment and even said it in front of the whole class. He offered to change the point. I didn't want to bother him so I told him I'd get the point back on appeal. Denied. How do you lose an appeal when the prof is on your side? There isn't even anyone arguing against you. I could have gotten the point back if I had the prof just change it in the first place but since I went through the appeals process he is powerless to change it. The guy in charge of the appeals process decided there is no basis for the appeal and the decision is final. How crazy is that?

Now I'm not like the above posters who now hate the school but I do think the appeals process is just there to make powerless students feel like there is some recourse if you are treated unfairly. No, we really are at the mercy of the Powers That Be. Our only recourse is to grumble about it on public forums which, as it turns out, is kind of fun. I think everybody should post their tales of woe and injustice. Aren't they more interesting than the USN rocks posts?

Now I shall attempt to atone for my crazy ramblings with some interview advice. Remember, USN is interested in getting a high quality student body. If you got an interview, you fit the bill on paper at least. Now make the sale. Tell yourself that USN would be lucky to have you and that they had better snatch you up before some other school does. If you answer your questions with confidence and don't say anything too outrageously bad, you are most likely getting in. No need to stress out too much.

And lots of alcohol the night before the interview helps. Just kidding. Well, it worked for me but I'm an idiot who can't even win a sure thing appeal.
 
Just wanted to make a quick comment regarding all thats going on. I 100% disagree with Mr Blah..
1. the program is challenging and it does take work. you will have to work hard to pass exams.. but if you put in the time and study... it is not bad at all!
2. the professors are very helpful and they DO stress whats important during lecture
3. coming here was the best choice i made... 3 yr program..awesome!
4.The complaint about parking is just ridiculous! any JC or University requires way more walking from car to classroom. Also, where have you ever gone to school that parking wasnt hard to find. To put it in perspective, "far away" is only one block! takes less than 10 min.. ive done it many times. this year actually, they added more parking, so thats a non issue.

I could see someone being upset with the school if they werent doing well on the exams, but you cant get by like in undergrad by just cramming..
but how can you complain about a program that gives you 3 chances to pass a test!??
 
I am a P1 at the Utah Campus. I have had a really good experience here so far, passed all my assessments, and am doing okay. The volume of material covered in the two-week period can be mind boggling and overwhelming, but if you stay on top of it, you can do fine. I typically study 2-3 hours a night and make sure I have that day's material down before the next day starts. The pressure of getting 90% is intense, but when you pass and get a three-day weekend, that is definitely a nice reward.

I definitely know several people who feel disillusioned with the school. Our first assessment was a joke, as over half the class did not pass and it was not a difficult class. The teacher was ridiculous and tested subjective material objectively. I lucked out and passed, but if I hadn't and had to come back in the summer, I definitely would be angry about it. I'm sure all schools have their pros and cons, but I am liking USN and am glad I made the choice to go here.
 
I applied in September, and interviewed on 11/10. Guess what, 3 days later, Dr. DeYoung called me on Friday 11/13 and told me the great news: I have been accepted...yeahhhhh...Friday 13 is not bad at all. I have friends studying at USN , and they all said this school is really great. The professors here are really nice. Just can't wait to attend the white-coat ceremony...I already love this school..

------------------------
Sullivan University (interviewed 10/30)
Touro University - California (accepted 11/13) :soexcited:
USN (accepted 11/13) :banana::banana::banana:
 
I applied in September, and interviewed on 11/10. Guess what, 3 days later, Dr. DeYoung called me on Friday 11/13 and told me the great news: I have been accepted...yeahhhhh...Friday 13 is not bad at all. I have friends studying at USN , and they all said this school is really great. The professors here are really nice. Just can't wait to attend the white-coat ceremony...I already love this school..

------------------------
Sullivan University (interviewed 10/30)
Touro University - California (accepted 11/13) :soexcited:
USN (accepted 11/13) :banana::banana::banana:
Congratulations! I was there, too, but no phone call for me yet...Holding out and hoping to hear early next year!
 
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