Mercy College of Health Sciences
Des Moines, IA, USA

Reviews

Mercy College of Health Sciences

Amber from Des Moines, IA

a current student here
1 person found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
The faculty is very helpful and knowledgeable.
Clinical sites give a lot of different experiences and the clinical instructors are always willing to try to get you to the area you are interested in.
Classes can be a little disorganized and sometimes grades are not promptly given.
Tips for prospective students
You will most certainly get what you put into the program.
Sometimes it is hard to see why they are teaching something a certain way but there is a bigger picture to keep in mind.
Ask lots of questions and be involved.
Academic Rigor
I have a BS in Animal Science already and the nursing classes are much harder. You need to build off of the information you learned in previous semesters and if you didn't do well you will have to work 3xs as hard to pass the current semester. The nursing classes might only be 3 credit hours but in reality there is as much work as if it was a 6 credit hour class.
Dorm Life
I never lived in the dorms so I don't know. I only know you can live on the Drake campus or at Mercy court. I believe students like the Drake campus better.
Food and Dining
Mercy is located in downtown Des Moines so there are a lot of restaurants close by. The hospital has very well priced food and there is Mercy Court across the street from the college that also serves well priced food.
What to do for fun
Once again Mercy is located in downtown Des Moines so there are a lot of events and activities every weekend. Des Moines has marathons, art festivals, food fairs, an event arena for concerts, the Civic Center for musicals and plays, Principal park for I-Cubs games....ect
Bang for the buck
Expensive compared to the community college in the area that offers an ANS degree. Mercy though allows you to do either an ASN or BSN and there is no wait list like at the community college. All the BSN classes are online so you don't have to come to campus once you are done with your ASN.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
This is a catholic college but you are not forced to attend church or pray. There are crosses in every room and at the hospital they do a morning prayer over the loud speaker for the patients. You also have to complete a service project for all degrees. This a 9 hour volunteering project anywhere you chose.
Great for these types of students
Anyone serious about a career in the health science field. You have to be self motivate and really want to work hard. I would also recommend it to anyone who wants a BSN as you can do the integrated program if you have enough transfer credits.
Clubs and Activities
There are too many clubs to state here. They do a good job of letting you know all the clubs and what activities they do. I know they have MCANS and such.
Greek Life
None that I know about.
Campus Safety
Building is badge enter only, when the secretary at the front desk is not there. There is a shuttle that picks students up and takes them to the lab and the hospital. Security also patrols the area.