[Tanguera]

Hi Columbiaetp04,

Although there were others that didn't your post, as a prospective student, I was glad that I read something truthful about Columbia's program. I live in NY and visited Columbia in the spring for an info session and I have been planning to apply simply because it is hailed as one of the better programs in the state.

I am wondering how many students who finish the first year of ETP continue for two more years, the master's portion. Are students that unhappy that the majority of them do the master's portion elsewhere?

Thanks!

[cozzy66]

Tanguera,

I just finished the ETP portion of the program. Obviously there are pros and cons to any school, Columbia not excluded. I think before you go and rack up tens of thousands of dollars in loans, you should really consider whether this is something that you want to take on. Can you get financial support from anyone you know so you can take less gov't and private loans? There is also a scholarship that many students receive that provides 20k in your first year and 10k for your masters if you go straight through. Another factor is that you will most likely work as an RN within a few months after completing ETP and normal salaries in NYC for a new grad nurse with no experience with a BSN are around 72000/year. Also, hospitals do full or partial tuition reimbursement, so that is something to consider for your masters.
Why do you want to go to Columbia? Is it for the name recognition (it was for me)? You get your RN in one year and that is the main reason people attend. I can't even imagine having to do a 2 year program after this. Unfortunately, in NYC ETP grads to do not have such a good reputation, but hopefully that will be changing. Because it is a one year program, it's impossible to learn everything and some new grads may slip through not knowing how to do basic things (you have to be aggressive in learning at your clinicals, it's very easy to kind of sail through and not do anything). Another negative is that the NYP hospital system will not hire a new grad unless they have clinical experience in addition to school clinical experience. So basically, unless you do your Integration in Columbia (or Cornell), they will not hire you, which is ridiculous. Of course there are plenty of other hospitals that don't have that requirement and most of the grads get jobs from their Integration site.
The professors... some are great, some are okay. A lot of self-learning. Just because you're paying 1000/credit doesn't mean you don't have to study on your own. The presentations are powerpoint and you have to print your own slides. There is no hand-holding. There are office hours and you can visit the professors and other faculty members if you are feeling overwhelmed. They are very open about expressing feelings, etc.
Continuing onto the Masters portion, I'd say about 50% of the class stayed on to go straight through. I know a lot of people who dropped out of the program all together, for a variety of reasons, not just being upset with the school. Some of the Masters specialties require you to take a year off or recommend that you do.
All of the higher-up faculty have a lot of Columbia pride and constantly say that Columbia is the best nursing school, etc. There is also a lot of physician bashing (especially at our white coat ceremony this year). You have to take everything with a grain of salt.
Overall, I had a great experience and am happy that I did ETP. The accelerated pace was great for me. The year flew by and I can't believe I am an RN and am starting in a dream position in a few weeks.
I hope this helps!

[SFChef]

Cozzy66,

Thanks for that very helpful post about your experience at Columbia. Are you going back in a year for the Master's portion?

What was your specialty?

Thanks! I am applying to Columbia and Hopkins...Columbia is my first choice (but only if I get into my specialty). I must admit, though, there are postings that make me wonder if Columbia will really give me the best education.

[cozzy66]

SFChef,

I am in the Masters portion right now. Unfortunately I could not take a year off, because of my time frame for finishing school.
My specialty is Acute Care and I don't like how it's being run. What specialty are you going for?
I think most people post about ETP on these boards, and nothing really gets said about the masters. I believe the admission criteria for the MS degree is much higher than for ETP and I know many students are very happy with their chosen specialty (except in Acute Care).
I would recommend researching the masters portion as much as possible, because the ETP portion doesn't really matter. Nurses who have an AAS from some community college may be just as good as a Columbia educated nurse.

[SFChef]

Oh, I hate to hear that the ETP portion doesn't really matter...I am applying to ETP Anesthesia. I know, it's a long shot...

My other option is get an ABSN at Hopkins (by all accounts, a great program with great faculty), then work a year, and then apply to anesthesia programs.

Columbia ETP appeals to me because I hate the thought of having to go through the admissions process all over again, and it would be nice to know that even after I finish ETP and work for a year, I would be guaranteed a spot in anesthesia school. Unfortunately, not a lot of people have very many positive things to say about the ETP portion of the program. I am very glad to hear that you think the Master's portion seems much better.

[cozzy66]

I know CRNA is hard to get into and I think there were only 10 ETP students from my year going in. It is also a great program, from what I've heard.
I know a couple of students who actually switched out of CRNA, because they decided it wasn't for them. This is a great thing about Columbia, because you get a year to decide if you really want to stay in it, and if you do, you have a spot.
The main thing about ETP is that you're there, you do what you have to do and then it's over. You become an RN - no better or worse in the eyes of a potential employer than an RN from NYU, Hopkins, UCSF, Yale, Hunter College, community college. Don't sweat that part, it's the Masters that really makes a difference, because you want the best training possible since you will actually be in charge of patients making life or death decisions.

[SFChef]

Thanks! Now I have two questions for you.

First, why are Columbia ETP grads viewed so poorly in the NYC hospitals?

Second, what is integration? And how difficult is it to get a job when you finish ETP?

Sorry...I guess that was 3 questions.

[cozzy66]

Well in Columbia Presby a lot of grads left after a year, I guess to pursue NP jobs. In Cornell I guess they had a couple of grads in their ER who didn't know how to do basic things. Also, a lot of nurses don't agree with accelerated programs like these, because they don't understand how you can possibly learn to be an RN in 1 year and then to go straight into becoming an NP without working for a number of years as an RN. It is a constant battle explaining to people that it is possible.

Integration is 'senior practicum' and the best part of ETP because you are doing clinicals full-time for two months one on one with a nurse who actually works in that place.

Since you want to go the CRNA route, you need to get an ICU job, which means that for integration you would get placed into an ICU. Without having an ICU integration, it is almost impossible to get an ICU job in the city. If you impress your integration site admins, you will almost surely get a position there.

[SFChef]

You are being so helpful...thank you!!!

Does Columbia help you find your integration sites?

[cozzy66]

Yeah they do everything for you regarding Integration.

Lemme know if you have anymore questions!