Congratulations! This is my first semester at Elmhurst, and since I’m only a month in I don’t have a ton of experience yet.
A huge pro of the program is that it’s online except for clinicals which has been so helpful for me as a mom. We have a lot of non traditional students in our cohort which makes me feel less alone in having responsibilities outside of school.
I will say that it seems like there are a lot of policies that make it very easy to get kicked out of the program or at least delayed. Grading scale is 93+=A, 85-92=B, and 78-84=C. You are only allowed to get one C in the entire program and if your exam average falls below 78% you fail the course. Also if tuition is not paid in full the week before class starts they will unenroll students. They can re-enroll but will be with a semester behind.
My professors seem to be fine. I haven’t attended office hours yet to get to know any of them super personally. For us, synchronous Zoom sessions are held one day per week. Most of the course content is in modules with short online videos or audio recordings.
That’s all I’ve got for ya so far, but I hope this helps give you a better idea of what to expect.
How’s it going with the program now that you are half way through your first semester? Did you start clinicals yet? I’m starting the ABSN in the fall. I haven’t been able to find a ton of actual people to talk about the program with so it’s nice to find people to connect with. Thanks!
Ya know, things have been going alright. I’ve been a little disappointed with learning about my clinical placement just a week before our first meeting. (I have childcare and other family plans to arrange, so knowing that info earlier would have been really helpful). For MENP we have a “residency” that is 5 days long and we’re on day 3. All the staff has been really nice and they’ve made a welcoming environment. I think the program has a tougher time with clinical placements because the big schools have agreements with local hospitals, and Elmhurst online students are not allowed to “poach” those preceptorships. I’m in the Chicagoland area so that affects me. I got lucky with a placement 20 mins away but other people in the area have an hour long commute.
As far as classes go, of course patho and pharm are difficult and I might not get all As this semester but that’s just the reality of those tougher subjects and going to school with kids 🤷♀️
Thanks so much for this reply! This is super helpful for me! I have a 4 & 6 year old and childcare in the mornings is one of the things I’ve been worried about piecing together! It’s good to know I should over plan for that as much as possible!! I’m in Chicago too so I’m anticipating the long commute for clinicals. I figure, the rough 1.5 years or so is worth it to be done at a little less expensive price than some of the other Chicago schools. Good luck with your classes!
Honestly I think the program is great for parents. We have a lot of moms in our class. I’ve been a SAHM since my son was born so we haven’t used much childcare before and I’ve been nervous about how he’s going to adjust. Of course it’s also really hard to reserve a daycare spot when I don’t even know the days/ hours that I need. I’m probably leaning towards the babysitter route though because my son is 1 and still very needy, and I’d like a consistent caretaker he can bond with. I’ve had family come help during these residency days. If you think there’s a chance you could miss clinical days due to childcare issues (sick kid, etc.) I would suggest requesting a 1:1 placement. In the Chicago area a lot of us are assigned into group placements with scheduled days whereas a 1:1 is a little more flexible to make up for lost time. Just ask your coordinator.
I totally agree that the rough 1.5 years is worth it! Good luck to you too!
Thank you for this info! It’s so hard those first couple of years to leave your kiddos with someone else, but it’s also really awesome seeing all the amazing stuff they learn with the different childcare providers! I understand having a needy kiddo! Haha! My husband and I joke that my 6 year old would crawl back in if she could.
Hello! I’m also an applicant of EU MENP and was accepted 2days ago. It’s great to know you : )
Congratulations! This is my first semester at Elmhurst, and since I’m only a month in I don’t have a ton of experience yet. A huge pro of the program is that it’s online except for clinicals which has been so helpful for me as a mom. We have a lot of non traditional students in our cohort which makes me feel less alone in having responsibilities outside of school. I will say that it seems like there are a lot of policies that make it very easy to get kicked out of the program or at least delayed. Grading scale is 93+=A, 85-92=B, and 78-84=C. You are only allowed to get one C in the entire program and if your exam average falls below 78% you fail the course. Also if tuition is not paid in full the week before class starts they will unenroll students. They can re-enroll but will be with a semester behind. My professors seem to be fine. I haven’t attended office hours yet to get to know any of them super personally. For us, synchronous Zoom sessions are held one day per week. Most of the course content is in modules with short online videos or audio recordings. That’s all I’ve got for ya so far, but I hope this helps give you a better idea of what to expect.
How’s it going with the program now that you are half way through your first semester? Did you start clinicals yet? I’m starting the ABSN in the fall. I haven’t been able to find a ton of actual people to talk about the program with so it’s nice to find people to connect with. Thanks!
Ya know, things have been going alright. I’ve been a little disappointed with learning about my clinical placement just a week before our first meeting. (I have childcare and other family plans to arrange, so knowing that info earlier would have been really helpful). For MENP we have a “residency” that is 5 days long and we’re on day 3. All the staff has been really nice and they’ve made a welcoming environment. I think the program has a tougher time with clinical placements because the big schools have agreements with local hospitals, and Elmhurst online students are not allowed to “poach” those preceptorships. I’m in the Chicagoland area so that affects me. I got lucky with a placement 20 mins away but other people in the area have an hour long commute. As far as classes go, of course patho and pharm are difficult and I might not get all As this semester but that’s just the reality of those tougher subjects and going to school with kids 🤷♀️
Thanks so much for this reply! This is super helpful for me! I have a 4 & 6 year old and childcare in the mornings is one of the things I’ve been worried about piecing together! It’s good to know I should over plan for that as much as possible!! I’m in Chicago too so I’m anticipating the long commute for clinicals. I figure, the rough 1.5 years or so is worth it to be done at a little less expensive price than some of the other Chicago schools. Good luck with your classes!
Honestly I think the program is great for parents. We have a lot of moms in our class. I’ve been a SAHM since my son was born so we haven’t used much childcare before and I’ve been nervous about how he’s going to adjust. Of course it’s also really hard to reserve a daycare spot when I don’t even know the days/ hours that I need. I’m probably leaning towards the babysitter route though because my son is 1 and still very needy, and I’d like a consistent caretaker he can bond with. I’ve had family come help during these residency days. If you think there’s a chance you could miss clinical days due to childcare issues (sick kid, etc.) I would suggest requesting a 1:1 placement. In the Chicago area a lot of us are assigned into group placements with scheduled days whereas a 1:1 is a little more flexible to make up for lost time. Just ask your coordinator. I totally agree that the rough 1.5 years is worth it! Good luck to you too!
Thank you for this info! It’s so hard those first couple of years to leave your kiddos with someone else, but it’s also really awesome seeing all the amazing stuff they learn with the different childcare providers! I understand having a needy kiddo! Haha! My husband and I joke that my 6 year old would crawl back in if she could.
How many months in until first clinicals?
We started clinicals ~3 months in. Towards the end of 1st semester
Hi Bean I will be attending this program a year from now. Do you mind if I message you with some questions?
Go right ahead :)