2012 UCSF MEPN Applicants

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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The MEPN deadline is less than 2 months away, so I thought I'd get a thread started for us 2012 hopefuls!

I'm a first time applicant to the WHNP/CNM specialty, and feel like I've been getting ready to submit this application for so long! I've been working abroad for a public health NGO for the past couple of years and am a trained birth doula. I've finished up all of my prereqs and GREs, selected people for recommendations (including a slightly awkward visit to my undergraduate advisor...), so now I'm just drafting my essays. Does anyone even know what the application is supposed to look like this year? I'm just going off samples I've seen from previous years.

Some days I feel sort of confident about my chances, and other days I feel as though this is a total shot in the dark and definitely not going to work out!

Any other hopefuls out there? And anyone know when the application is actually going to open?

FYI, looks from the website like the application will be open tomorrow.

Here we go!

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Still no application, hopefully it opens soon! While everything external can still be worked on, I'm really ready to get this process "officially" started.

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Same here cpsnap! I'm still working on my goal statement but it's one of the hardest things I have ever had to write. Hopefully its works for UCSF :)

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Ugh, annoying.

I've been trying to work on my essays without the app being open, but at this point I have to just wait until it does. The personal history statement is one thing, but without knowing how long all the short answer questions are allowed to be I can't really do any more work on them...

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The personal history statement is one thing, but without knowing how long all the short answer questions are allowed to be I can't really do any more work on them...

Maybe I missed something on the admissions webpage...what short answer questions are you referring to?

Thank you!

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Having seen a few examples of people's UCSF essays, my understanding was that in the past they required two essays - a goal statement, and a personal history statement.

Then last year, I believe they changed the format to a personal history statement, as well as a goal statement answering a series of specific questions (for an example of this, see http://ucsfmepn.blogspot.com/2011/01/personal-statement.html).

Maybe I'm misunderstanding it's still just supposed to be the two essays, as always...perhaps someone who was admitted last year could clarify?

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I had no clue. Good looking out. Thank you so much!

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"The Graduate Application is currently being upgraded and will be available again on Friday July 14th. We are sorry for the inconvenience."

Blah.

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Has anyone been able to get in? On my end, the page is simply down altogether. :down:

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Hi everyone!

It's good to see that a mepn 2012 thread has already started! :)

I am currently a senior at UCLA interested in applying for the Critical Care/Trauma track. It's such an encouragement to see that some of you have already started working towards the application! I am taking my GRE next week, so I am busy cramming vocab into my brain as of now, lol.

One of my biggest concerns at the moment is the recommendation forms. Have you guys already asked your recommenders? I am only a student so I don't really have any professional employers I can ask, only professors and personal contacts. Do you guys have any suggestions as to whom I should ask for recommendations, what's the best combination of recommenders to have, and how to go about with the asking? I sure would appreciate any input. Thanks!

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I thought for sure the app would be up today...I really don't get it. UCSF's app is due before every other school that I've heard of, and they give you the shortest time in which to complete the application. They seem to do this every year. :confused:

jcsong, welcome to the thread! Do you have any volunteer experience? I think that counts as a "professional" recommendation, and will be important to your application. (They probably want to see that you've done things other than excel in class.)

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Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing for sure how soon the app will actually go live. I def share your frustration, but man am I glad I was able to find out about this potential snag from last year's thread.

Anyone know how many slots are available within the ANP and FNP tracks for MEPN 2012?

I'm also applying for MEPN--most likely ANP, but possibly FPN. Still not 100% sure which track will best prepare me for my nursing career goals--both professional and volunteer. As an applicant, my weaknesses are a totally botched GRE exam and very weak Spanish language skills. My strengths include my UCSF background and recommendations and a near 4.0 junior/senior year GPA. I also bring strong communication skills and a natural ability to connect w/ patients and their families, partly due to my personal experiences with a rare medical syndrome dx at age 14. In the last few years, I've been a clinical research coordinator and database manager at UCSF with the Pulmonary dept. It's been a fantastic opportunity in many ways, including interactions with hundreds of patients and their families. I can definitely visualize myself as a nurse in a variety of similar specialist-based clinics. I'm also interested in home health nursing and research opportunities.

I volunteer for a really amazing clinic managed by a Pediatric NP. Last night, I co-facilitated a support group for parents who have a child with DSD (disorders of sexual differentiation) and have volunteered to facilitate a future support group for Gender Variant Youth. I was very active in the LGBTQ and DSD communities throughout high school and college. Down the line, I definitely see myself volunteering my nursing skills and expertise for these communities.

As for my GRE scores... let's just say I had a few catastrophic technical difficulties with the ETS testing software. My Analytical Writing score was hit hardest (though I could have fared far better on the math and verbal). I more or less managed to delete everything I typed for the 2nd essay right before time ran out, and I didn't even realize it. Unfortunately, ETS only reports the combined score of both essays, so UCSF will see I got a 2.5, but not know that I got a 5 on the first essay. :smackingf I'm totally mortified.

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