Ken,
It's true what you are being told, a good repeatable golf swing takes time and practice but you should soon be in a position to see some real progress.
I would question whether you are using the right coach though, you do not seem to be clear on what he is telling you or what you are trying to achieve. I suggest you tell him that and if it seems no clearer afterwards then consider a different one.
Don't feel isolated, just about all golfers slice when they start and around 75% of them never stop, they just use band aids to plaster over the problem. I wont confuse you by trying to explain why you are slicing and what to do about it now but if you need some further help then please ask.
The best advice I can give you now is to practice with your 7 iron, forget the other
clubs until you have created a good swing with it, the swing is the same with all the other
clubs, the only difference is ball position and the length of the
clubs, the swing speed and shape will be the same.
Keep up the lessons and practice, play some par 3 golf and enjoy your self.