Questions about vanderbilt specialty year

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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I am seeking information from current or past vanderbilt students.

Specialty year only : What is the course load like? Is it possible to work full-time and attend as a distance student? How many students are generally accepted into the FNP program? Considering the cost to attend Vanderbilt compared with other programs do you believe that it is worth the investment ? Also any insight from a distance student would be appreciated: what are the week long intensives like?

I am seeking information from current or past vanderbilt students.

Specialty year only : What is the course load like? Is it possible to work full-time and attend as a distance student? How many students are generally accepted into the FNP program? Considering the cost to attend Vanderbilt compared with other programs do you believe that it is worth the investment ? Also any insight from a distance student would be appreciated: what are the week long intensives like?

I'm just finishing up Specialty Year and will do my best to answer your questions. I'm in the Adult NP program, so some things may be different.

The course load is heavy, particularly the first 2 semesters (in Adult, anyway). Pathophys, Advanced Assessment, Pharmacology, etc. are NOT fluff courses! Add in Theory & Research each semester with scholarly paper writing...plus you must be self-disciplined and keep on top of all this without anyone "seeing" you in class.

I know one or two people who have continued to work, but full-time is really not do-able from my perspective. I taught (part-time) during 1st semester because I didn't start clinical hours until 2nd semester, at which point I quit teaching. One friend has kept her full-time job as an RN with the VA, but she had so much time-off banked that she's had at least one month where she's only worked 4 days and still is paid for full-time!

I'm not sure how many students are accepted into FNP, but you can likely find that out by calling the admission office.

Is the Vanderbilt financial investment worth it? For me, definitely. Your mileage may vary, of course. For me it meant I could continue to live at home with my husband for specialty year, which was very valuable! The program is very well-respected, even in my small town in another state. I believe it will open some doors for interviews and give me an edge over new grads from other schools; people seemed intrigued that I'm a (near) graduate of VUSN vs. the nearest FNP program to my home. Incidentally, I did my pre-specialty year at VUSN as well and that clinical experience at several of the large medical centers in Nashville was VERY valuable to me! It would take me YEARS as an RN in my rural area to see half the types of patients I cared for while there.

Intensives (or blocks, as some refer to them) are good and bad, like anything else. Long days of lecture (7 or 8 hours) where you're sitting all day are not so fun. But we do have access to excellent lecturers, many of whom are experts in their fields and who PRACTICE rather than just teach. There are scheduled check-offs for particular exams (babies, kids, adult head-to-toe exams; episodic exams; male/female surrogate exams) which are stressful because you know you're being observed and critiqued. Many, many, many papers to write. Loads of research to read, review, critique. All things relevant to what lifelong learners should be doing automatically to stay abreast in a rapidly-changing field.

Feel free to let me know if you have further questions.

Thank u. So much the information you provided gave me great insight

Specializes in M/S, Psych, ART, CM, MT.

Hi mammac5

I read your post and was wondering if you wouldst mind answering a few questions for me?

I too am headed on down to VU, and I cannot begin to tell you how how nervous I am!

I am from Boston, how should I dress? I have viable tattoo's on my leg, should I wear ppants?

Another silly one, does Vanderbilt do something to help introduce us to one another? am going down their knowing NO-ONE...

Just a few about the classes:

It has got to be a killer, semester one? I thankfully already took Health Assessment to lighten the load a bit. But Patho and Parm has got to be touch? I heard they use dvd lectures? is that true? And, this is something.

I will be workin NO hours during the semester, is that a good move? I did apply for a substitute teacher job, for extra cash--- But I plan on being broke for the next year :yeah:

Overall, taking everything into account so far, has it been worth it> Do you feel like you are bomb.pnglife? Do you ever get a chance to just sit back and watch tb?

I appreciate your help and your honesty,

thank you so much! I am so lost, i do not know anything?

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