UVA MSN CNL 2015

Keepupwithkaitlyn · Dec 25, 2014

Haha!! I may like the program... still deciding Yes, So we have a bunch of people that commute from outside of Charlottesville- I know of 2 specifically from Richmond that commute and others from surrounding counties. And yes, doing clinical in Richmond is a definite possibility. The way it works is that you will request to work in Richmond with Dr. DeGenero who sets up our clinical placements and she does her best to make things convenient for those that live outside of Charlottesville. I know that the 2 that have lived in Richmond have had some (not all) of their clinicals in RVA. That being said, however, your first clinical during the summer is OB/GYN. All of us were split between UVA and Martha Jefferson (another hospital in Cville) so people had to commute, however you do this clinical in a 2-3 week time period after classes are finished for the summer so it's not so bad.

For anyone else reading this that will be living in Cville, like myself, you will most likely have to travel at some point. In the fall your clinicals are psych and Med/Surg 1 - for both of these clinicals (you do each over 7 weeks and then swap) I was at Rockingham Memorial which is in Harrisonburg and about an hour away. It was a good experience. But just a warning that you are not always at UVA. Others have been sent to Culpepper and Hospitals in Richmond. The reason for this is so you can get community setting experience versus a big teaching hospital experience, which is completely different. So that's just a run down of how clinical works.

Anyway, I will contact a couple of the CNLs who live in RVA for you Shrupert1 and see if they would be willing to email with you in regards to your specific concerns about clinical since they have first hand experience with it. All I can say is that it is definitely doable, a challenge at times, but definitely a possibility. As an FYI, one girl is married, no kids and the other woman is married, 2 small kids, husband and gets up at 4am everyday to run before coming to class (more power to her!)!! I will get back to you as soon as I hear from them!

Hope this answered your questions!

Hi Ocwin - thanks for offering to set up a FB group. I'm definitely interested in joining!
Hi Keepupwithkaitlyn - I remember reading your posts last year as you were waiting to hear from UVA. So do you like the program? I couldn't tell for sure. Thanks for joining our postings here and offering your suggestions and encouragement! A question for you please: I live in Richmond and will be commuting (ughhh!), and I know from the info session last summer that there are other students who commute from Richmond, and I also learned that it may be possible to do clinicals in Richmond hospitals. Can you recommend the best way to get in touch with one or more of your fellow students who live in Richmond? I'd really like to email or talk with someone, within the next 20-25 days, who is/has done this so I can determine if it's doable for me. UVA is my top choice BY FAR and I am absolutely thrilled to have been accepted, but I want to make sure I know what to expect before I commit. (I have a teenager who won't be driving until next year, two dogs, and other stay-close-to-home sort of commitments). Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can offer! Sorry about the long message, but I don't know how to private email anyone (nor do I know if I can do that yet).

Keepupwithkaitlyn · Dec 25, 2014

Hey! I'm going to request to join if ya don't mind. We had now 2nd year CNLs join our FB group last year to answer questions and it was really helpful. Eventually everyone moves from this site over to the FB group anyway.

Hey guys I don't know if anyone was planning on making the group but I just went ahead and made one. It is called UVA CNL Class of 2017 and should be searchable.

Keepupwithkaitlyn · Dec 25, 2014

Hey TomCarlos,

So during my OB/GYN rotation about half of my patient population was hispanic and only spanish speaking! I thought, it would be really helpful if those 5+ years of spanish I took in HS and undergrad would come back to me. I can still piece things together, but it is rough! I would really love to take a Spanish speaking class to "get it back" and looked into it at PVCC- which is the local community college in Cville. It was online and about $400 for the Fall semester- it was a Health Professionals class too. But your fall semester is one of the most class heavy course, everyone says it is the most challenging. I did not look at UVA's class offerings (figured it maybe more pricy? not sure). So that being said, I think it would be a big commitment to add anything else on. They really ease you into the program in the summer, don't get me wrong, it's still intense. But Fall is on another level. We, you, will take 5 classes over a two day period and have clinical hours to complete and clinical assignments in additional to tests and papers. Not to scare you, but I just think it maybe overwhelming to add on something else, even if you are doing it just a pass/fail. Certainly, you know yourself best and what you can handle. But for me, I know it was going to be a lot of work and I didn't want to add anything else on my plate. I still want to take the class, so I'm going to reassess next fall. But for now, I'm glad I held off on it.

Hi there!
I have a question for Kaitlyn, Danielle, or any other current CNL students.
Do you guys know of any students who have also taken a language course while enrolled in the CNL program, even if it is just pass/fail or audit? As a CNA in Southern California I have quite a few patients who *only* speak Spanish, and I've been self-studying for the past few months to better work with these individuals. It has made a huge difference in my caregiving and I would love to continue learning in a more formal setting. Is there any possibility I might be able to enroll in one of UVA's language courses, or do we simply not have enough time? Any thoughts?

Keepupwithkaitlyn · Dec 25, 2014

Hi Yungrudy,

Congrats on accepting UVA! You've made a GREAT choice :) This was my biggest priority after accepting UVA. I started looking immediately and ended up signing my lease in January, though I didn't move in until May. I am very much a type A person and do not wait to the last minute on things like this. I asked people from the program that already lived in Cville and the current, now, 2nd year CNLs about it and it all kept coming back to anything on Jefferson Park Avenue (or JPA for short) is the best because it is within walking distance to the hospital etc. Specifically I live at 1800 JPA, by myself, and love it. It's a big complete with both one and two bedroom apartments and another birth in the program lives in the tower there, I will one of the garden complexes. There is no website for it as the apartments are owned separately. I found mine on Craigslist (kinda sketch I know) but it ended up being amazing. It was the one and only place I looked at and fell in love. The location is perfect, so I signed a 2 year lease upfront. Anyway here are some things to consider when looking around

1)Do you want to live alone or with a roommate(s). We have some CNLs that room together. But remember to consider that fact that during the summer you are with them 24/7 basically because class is everyday and then you go home with them too. Also, consider personality types that would work with yours/balance you out.

2) How much do you want to pay in rent? This could also effect how if you want to live alone or not. Starting out I wanted to pay max $700 for rent (w/o utilities). To get a nice place, and I'm not talking something with top of the line stuff, it nearly impossible in Cville. Currently I pay $855/mo plus electric and internet for a 1 bedroom apt that does not have central air.

3)Create a list of wants for your apartment. This was the first time I had a place of my own. So I had specific wants and got almost all of what I wanted, minus about 2-3 things. Somethings I was not willing to budge on. Others I just let go of (i.e.: having a W/D in my apartment, nothing was in my budget, but my complex has a laundry building, which was fine enough).

4)Look at the proximity of your place to the SON/Hospital. My place is a 10-15 minute walk or a 3-5 minute bus ride to school. Some people live further out, have to drive in park in a commuter lot and then take a bus to school. I didn't want to deal with that, so I am paying more to live closer to school.

5) Sites to check out: Craigslist, BRAC.com, livewithmsc.com

6) Place that current CNLs live: 1800 JPA, Brandon Ave (this is literally two streets over from the SON - my friend has a tiny 200 sq ft efficiency, but she LOVES it), over near the corner - wertland street. I'm just going to "warn you" unless you like undergrad party life, I suggest you avoid housing in this area - including Rugby road. This is frat/sorority/party central and gets loud. But if that doesn't bother you, then there is another option. Some other place CNLs live are the Villas at Southern Ridge, Eagle's Landing and University Place - there 3 places are quite a distance from school and I would not recommend living here. The benefit however, is that Eagle's Landing, and I think University Place, are probably the cheapest place you can find to rent. But sometimes paying more to be closer is worth it, in my opinion at least.

Also just an FYI - I am paying for my apartment from loans.

Hope this is informative and helps you on your jumpstart to looking around. Please let me know if you have more questions. Also, if you find a place and want me to give you my thoughts on location- since I am familiar with the area now, I'm more than willing to do that. Also I definitely recommend going up in the next month or so and just looking around, checking out some places, etc.

Hey All☺️For all students who have been accepted or previous students, not quite sure where to start now after submitting deposit. Any suggestions on where to start looking for off campus housing or best places to live? any type of information would help. Thank you

yungrudy · Dec 25, 2014

Thank you, this is really helpful i will start looking. i plan to take on loans also if i have to. If you dont mind me asking did you pay for your apartment up front before the loans came in and were they loans from the school?

Keepupwithkaitlyn · Dec 25, 2014

I had to pay for the deposit, and the first month or two out of pocket. The loans doing kick in until June/July, which is annoying. So you definite want to make sure you have some money saved up for the first few months of school! Fall loan money comes in, in August.

Thank you, this is really helpful i will start looking. i plan to take on loans also if i have to. If you dont mind me asking did you pay for your apartment up front before the loans came in and were they loans from the school?

yungrudy · Dec 25, 2014

okay thank you for the heads up

blondyesb · Dec 25, 2014

Kaitlyn,

Thank you so much for all the information on getting started! I was already looking at places online including 1800 Jefferson, so I am glad to hear you like it. Also with your advice I will definitely go and look at places next month for housing, the last thing I want to be searching right when I need to moving as well.

Don't know if you saw but you have been added into the Facebook group. Thank you for being such a great resource for us all!!

Emily

Keepupwithkaitlyn · Dec 25, 2014

Hey Emily!

Glad to help. Yes, 1800 JPA is super quiet and mostly grad students/professionals.

Thanks for add! I will check in time to time to see if their are any questions on the Facebook page! I just remember having SO many questions and always found it helpful to hear from the current students!

Kaitlyn,
Thank you so much for all the information on getting started! I was already looking at places online including 1800 Jefferson, so I am glad to hear you like it. Also with your advice I will definitely go and look at places next month for housing, the last thing I want to be searching right when I need to moving as well.
Don't know if you saw but you have been added into the Facebook group. Thank you for being such a great resource for us all!!
Emily

tomcarlos · Dec 26, 2014

Thank you so much Kaitlyn for all of your insights! I think 5 classes over a 2 day period is enough to focus on, for now, too...

buckeyecass08 · Dec 26, 2014

Congrats to all the new CNLs. I'm you are all excited and full of questions. First of all take a deep breath and enjoy your holiday. Please try to refrain from asking Gina D. a ton of questions via email. She is awesome and so helpful but so so busy!! The current class reps will be getting your emails soon once everyone signs commitment to UVA. We will then link you to a mentor in this current class. We are trying to give Gina and others some respite to answer questions for y'all. My short words of wisdom are don't buy uniform bottoms until very close to the start of summer semester. The graduating class will be selling them and you will never use them after this program. The same with books...we rarely use them and people resell them for wayyyyyy cheaper. Also, some of the current class may need roommates for the coming year and I will relay them as I hear of them on the facebook page so please add me!! I requested to join today! I promise not to be annoying but sometimes class reps get info from Gina and try to relay it as fast as possible. Congrats again, you will all do great!!!!

buckeyecass08 · Dec 26, 2014

There is also a program from UVA that you can borrow around $3000 on short notice to cover yourself until loans come in, then you pay it back with the loan money. I don't there is any fee or anything. Just FYI, I know two people in the program who did this past summer.

I had to pay for the deposit, and the first month or two out of pocket. The loans doing kick in until June/July, which is annoying. So you definite want to make sure you have some money saved up for the first few months of school! Fall loan money comes in, in August.