Nurse Enlisted Commissioning Program (NECP)-- Help!

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I just have a few (maybe a lot) of questions about this program. I don't want to get too wrapped up with the counselors here at the Ed Center because I am about to PCS within the next week, so I figured what better way than to post on this forum for questions and advice ((:

Little background info. I'm currently an A1C stationed stateside about to go OCONUS. I put on SrA in March of 2013 (I'm not planning on applying anyways until the 2014 board, assuming there is one.) So I have the whole minimum rank out of the way. Here are my main questions:

1) I know you need 59 credits of graded coursework (including the following psych, anatomy & physiology, microbiology, chem, nutrition, and stats). Do the other courses in those graded semester hours need to be anything specific or pertaining to an RN degree?? I'm enlisted comm and spent the last year working on my CCAF for IS Management. I haven't finished my CCAF so I figured I could use the generals I had transcripts for to put towards those 59 hours (public speaking, psych, management classes, math, history, etc) I don't want to start at ground zero, because I have little to none "science-y" type classes. I haven't taken any cleps for these so they should count, right?

2) Once you get accepted into a school AND selected for the program, do you have any affiliation to the military after that? I know I would still technically be "in" but do I need to pt test everyone 1-2 years/etc? I don't mind, I've always been curious about that :)

3) This is a whole nother discussion in itself, but any chance of anyone being mil to mil and complete NECP? My husband is a weaponsloader and it's been hard researching for nursing programs by bases that he can go to(unless we want to be separated.) Wondering how that impacted your school searching/choices/decisions. He also wants to commission so we are looking into applying to different programs at the same time so we could possibly be separated only once rather than twice if we both went at different times.

Any other tips and advice you could give me would be great. There's a 33 page thread floating around here that I've been searching through for answers but it's taking me a little while to get through haha thanks!!

-Miranda

Also do you have any tips for making yourself more competitive or is it just based on your EPR's and GPA? I was going to get the credits through UMUC or AMU before I apply. Not sure what all they look for.

Oh wow I didn't know that. So once I get commissioned through the necp program I can't apply for the PA one later on?

The Army is the only service that allows current officers apply for the Physician Assistant Program. To be competitive for NECP you need to keep up your grades so you can get into a nursing school. My school was really tough, luckily I kept my GPA up at 3.85 and I got in. My EPRs were all fives and I got a really great recommendation. I don't know how my Chief nurse interview went because I didn't see the finished document from the Colonel (they send it directly to AFPC) I felt I did pretty good. Hope this helps!

I'm mil to mil with two small kids, and a 2013 applicant, was it pretty easy to get joint spouse orders? There's a FB page, and a few of the current NECPers that have been separated, and may not get orders to the same base, just concerned we'll get separated, I know I have much bigger things to worry about, like CN interview & acceptance letter from my one and only school (didn't want to risk being separated) but I can't help it, some of the "what ifs" are starting to bug me :( any tips for CN interview? I'll have to go TDY for it and nervous!!

If you are considering UT in San Antonio I would recommend UT in Houston. Reason being is that Houston has the world's largest medical center so your clinical rotations you will see a lot of cutting edge stuff. I am Army in the AECP here in Houston and wouldn't have it any other way, the exposure I'm getting is unreal. Just food for thought.

If I wasn't going to be separated from my spouse who's also military, I would have def app to more than one school! Are you at SAMMC?

I'm mil to mil with two small kids and a 2013 applicant, was it pretty easy to get joint spouse orders? There's a FB page, and a few of the current NECPers that have been separated, and may not get orders to the same base, just concerned we'll get separated, I know I have much bigger things to worry about, like CN interview & acceptance letter from my one and only school (didn't want to risk being separated) but I can't help it, some of the "what ifs" are starting to bug me :( any tips for CN interview? I'll have to go TDY for it and nervous!![/quote']

Hi Jessica S!

I am mil to mil with kids also and we were both stationed at MacDill when I applied to NECP. I applied to the 2 closest schools to our duty station so we wouldn't get separated while I was in school.

I got my email from AFPC about 8 months before I graduated asking me all my demographic information (married, kids etc) plus my top five assignment choices after graduation. Once my husband and I picked the locations and I submitted the list back to AFPC he started calling AFPC to work the assignment on his career field end. He's a MSgt so he was able to call up to AFPC and coordinate his assignment to match mine. We both got orders to Elmendorf. As long as you pick assignments you both can go to then you shouldn't have any issues. I do know some career fields don't have a lot of assignments to choose from and if your husband is in that type of AFSC then it may be harder for you to get orders together.

The CN interview shouldn't be an issue. I wore my service dress, and I read over the AF mission and leadership issues. I made sure I had my application put together do I could present it if asked. Overall my interview ended up being a question and answer session where I got a lot of my questions answered and it was great!

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much for the info! We had decided to do the matching thing too, and it's def going to help that he's a MSgt too. he's heavy aircraft maintenance, so we're kind of limited but not that bad.

But I need to get accepted into the program 1st :) thank you so much for your help! Do you enjoy being an AF nurse, is a lot different than nursing school?

Thank you so much for the info! We had decided to do the matching thing too, and it's def going to help that he's a MSgt too. he's heavy aircraft maintenance, so we're kind of limited but not that bad.

But I need to get accepted into the program 1st :) thank you so much for your help! Do you enjoy being an AF nurse, is a lot different than nursing school?

Your husband being a MSgt will help you so much! My husband was a MSgt and he could call AFPC directly to speak with his career field assignment personnel to coordinated our assignment.

I love being an AF nurse!!! I think it's completely different from nursing school. I feel the main difference is I found my way of practicing and I can take care of my patients the way I feel is the best way to advocate for them. I love working with AF officers as opposed to civilian nurses because the level of professionalism is so different than what I experienced in the hospital I did nursing clinicals in. Of course my opinion is completely subjective and you'll have to make your own judgments about this but you will absolutely love coming to work everyday :-)

Did you happen to go to University of South FL? I'm looking at applying to schools close to heavy acft bases. Then he can contact the functional & see what are chances for joint spouse if I was accepted into the program.

Hi I am planning on joining the Air Force. I will have my BA in Sociology once I join. I know that can make me a officer but I see that being a officer disqualifies you for the NECP. Should I just enlist without the officer training?

Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

Nope. Read the other thread. You'll start as an E-3 in the AF and have be a stellar medic for at least 6 years for really be competitive for the NECP. Although with your BA, you'd also be eligible for the PA-C enlisted commissioning program at that point.

I am a SSgt and am looking to commission by completing the NECP program. I have already completed my CCAF but I only took to classes that would apply to this program. Does anyone know what I should make my major so my prerequisite courses fall into my degree plan and TA will pay for them?

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