Distance Nursing Masters Programs

Q: I would like to study to be a heart surgeon entirely by distance. What are my options?

A:Bogus response: Contact Les Snell at Monticello University, or Ron Pellar at Columbia State University (c/o California Penitentiary). I'm sure that one of them will have an "accredited" degree program that will suit you fine. Legitimate response: Assuming you're serious, there are obviously no complete DL medical programs, however there is one program that is something of an enigma: the IUHS program in St. Kitts. http://www.iuhs.webnet.net Note that I'm not *endorsing* this program, per se... only that I've checked out the credentials of the top administration folks, and they're all apparently legitimate folks with legitmate, verified ties to accredited hospitals and medical schools, so if it's a scam, it's a *really* good one. I've also had some email correpondence with one of the founders, a physician on the staff of a teaching hospital in Florida. Their program apparently offers DL delvery of the basic science and most of the classroom/lecture portion of the medical education, and claims to partner with a number of hospitals and residency programs in the US, UK, and in Europe for the clinical education portion. So... you certainly can't get a legit credential in cardiac surgery through a 100% DL program, but you *might* get a non-traditional program that would allow you to complete the medical program while doing something else part time. Keep in mind, though, that at the end of the process, you'll have to pass the ECFMG exam, which by all accounts I've heard is about 10 times tougher than the exam that US-trained physicians must pass. Students from some schools fare quite well, others (particularly the ones in little, out-of-the-way places like obscure countries in South America and St. Kitts) typically fare dismally. I'm not sure what Regents College means by 'residency', since they are, as far as I know, a 100% external, non-instructional institution. Also - I checked their web page, and they directly state that it is an 100% online course. The only residency of any kind that they require is a 3-day visit in the final phase of the program. Refer to their MSN FAQ at http://www.regents.edu/844.htm . They do require weekly *participation* for most (if not all) of the courses, but this is a different thing from *residency*, in which you be expected to actually show up on campus. As for the University of Phoenix, you may have misunderstood what you saw on their web site. They do have a residential MSN degree. However, you can also complete the MSN degree via their Online Campus or (apparently) via directed study, where you (typically) email your assignments to your instructor and communicate weekly that way, or via telephone. The main difference between online and directed study is that with the online program, you must sign on for some period of time each week, and participate with an assigned group of people as a 'study group'. The directed study option is more or less a correspondence course... except the correspondence is via telephone and email (vice regular old US mail). As for Taft, I strongly recommend that you reconsider your preliminary decision. Taft is not regionally accredited, and particularly in YOUR case, where licensure is an issue, they represent a poor and perhaps dangerous (to your career) alternative to regionally accredited institutions such as UoP and Regents. The mere fact that this gentleman from Taft is offering you an MSN for a money order payment of $10,000 speaks volumes, don't you think? How many legitimate institutions have you seen who will do such a thing? Would you be so kind as to divulge the gentleman's contact information (name and email address would be fine), so that we can engage him in further discussion of this matter?

Discuss It!

Jason said:

Les Snell will award you a master diploma for 3000 dollars and you don't even have to leave home to get it. He is at it again. www.theamericancolleges.org

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