Thought I would start a Columbia thread for all of us who were eagerly waiting for that acceptance letter in the mail last week. Guess you can call this the meet-n-greet and maybe wear like a sticker with our screen names so we can recognize each other during the Visiting Day (ok, might look a bit goofy) but hey, what a way to start off our nursing careers together at Columbia.
I was estactic when i opened that letter, seemed like a thin envelope and was prepared for the worst, and then read the first line! I can't wait and indeed it was a life changing letter for both me and my wife, who also got accepted!! I also got into my first choice of specialty, Nurse Anesthesia, and getting into that program without ICU experience (besides being a nursing assistant in the ER and neurosurg unit as an undergrad) is just simply overwhelming. It took the whole weekend to sink in, and now, I'm psyched! I look forward to meeting all of you and enduring the next 12 months of craziness starting in June together.
Well, I was hoping to be a 'student ambassador' for visiting day and get to meet y'all (momma's from virginia), but it looks like I'll have a Dr appt that morning.
In our class of 150ish, we have about ten guys...
And now that I'm in a better mood, I don't really hate Columbia as much.
Now that I have received the Columbia award letter it is aparent to me that I couldn't have went to Columbia even if I wanted to! OMG. How can there be this astronomical difference between schools? I know it is more expensive to live in NYC ($2100 month allowance compared to $1500 New Haven) but come on, the difference in cost is something like $32,000??? And, they didn't give out the maximum federal loans available to each student... instead they list Sallie Mae as my primary lender, expecting me to take out $56,000 in private loans...
Is anybody else freaking out about the award letter, or is it just me? YEP, i know I am not going to Columbia so it really isn't as important to me, but since I know you guys who ARE going, I'm interested in what you think! Also, I am now afraid as all get out for what my Yale award letter will look like!!!
I am currently a student at Columbia. I don't hate it (most of the time) but it isn't perfect. No program is. From what I have heard, many schools have students complaining of the same things. There are a lot of things people complain about that I think are really nitpicky but most of the things mentioned on this board so far are accurate.
HOWEVER, I think that most people aren't going to feel prepared to be a nurse after graduation because that is just how it is. That's why most hospitals have at least 6-9 weeks of orientation with classroom teaching and supervision by a preceptor. Nursing school prepares you to train to be a nurse, it really doesn't prepare you to be a nurse right out of the starting block.
Something not mentioned, If you want to work, this school is going to make it darn near impossible - unless you are going into family practice, it's encouraged by that program's director. Most master's programs don't even give you enough time off to orient (yep I have to take classes this summer). And you lose your scholarship if you go part time or defer for a year so unless you want to kiss $10,000 good bye then working during the master's phase is going to be a challenge.
Midwifery is hard but not impossible to switch into. Let them know immediately though because the lack of available clinical sites limits how many people they can take, you will probably be placed on a waiting list and then just wait for people to change out of it. Most of the other programs don't have problems with switching. You cannot switch into anethesia because there are different prerequisites (who want's to make six figures doing a really cool job anyways:wink2: ).
Not all the professors are awful. I can really only think of 3 that really should be replaced. Most of them are also pretty receptive to feedback. I've watched one prof continuously improve and change her approach upon receiving feedback. And the director of the program actually has a committee of student representatives (that we vote for) she meets with to get feedback.
I happen to really like NYC with the exception of the very crappy weather. You have to like big cities. I'm from LA so the transition wasn't too bad (exception: crappy weather). So if you can get past the crappy weather I'd say go for it. (Or be like me and complain about it every 3 seconds).:chuckle
So this is really long now. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Yes, the money situtation is outrageous, but I still believe that it is well worth it. I am interested to hear what Yale's package is like - let me know. I am going to have to make it work, it will be tight and I will be deep in debt but I will be a RN in a year and a Nurse Anesthetist in a few years!! :roll
Bruinlaura -
Thank you for the long post about the program. I agree with you that that there will always be some things that are wrong with a program. I am looking forward to living in the city for a few years. You mentioned losing the scholarship if you take a year off to work, but for the anesthesia program I think we have to work for a year before we start the specialty years. Do you know anyone in the anesthesia track or have you heard anything about this?
You mentioned losing the scholarship if you take a year off to work, but for the anesthesia program I think we have to work for a year before we start the specialty years. Do you know anyone in the anesthesia track or have you heard anything about this?
Anesthesia is exempt from that rule because of that requirement
So i guess you'll be attending Yale, huh? Just got an email today that the nursing office mailed out the accepted applicant packet which includes housing apps, medical insurance, etc, and I think the financial aid letter arrives separately. Now, my wife and I are curious to see how much Columbia is really providing, and I've actually started to look into private loans through Sallie Mae. Hope it works out for you at Yale with the financial stuff.
Bruinlaura, thank you for your detailed input. So, any study advice for classes, especially the summer session (8 classes in 8 weeks)? I'm in the ETP and anesthesia like krystellmarie. Hope to bump into you on campus. Thanks again.
krystellmarie, as far as i know from talking to the office and several people who were in the program, Columbia does not help with finding us job placements for that one year off. However, because we'll be doing so many clinicals at so many different places, that by the time we sit for the NCLEX and ready to work as RNs, we could just go to the HR where we had clinicals and they'll be able to place us.
I'm so looking forward to Visiting Day and meeting all of you, and learning more about the curriculum. :roll
I know that for neonatal, the answer is a big no, but that may be a function of the sucky program director. I believe that many students get an offer from their preceptorship/Integration site, which is done in a unit pertaining to your area (so for me, it'll be in a NICU, for you it should be in a regular ICU). Are you coming to visiting day? You should get a chance to talk to the program director and current students then, and there's a Q&A session if the director is not there.
Specializes in Perioperative Orthopaedics - scrub/circ.
I was hoping to receive the accepted applicant packet by today since the next time mail is delivered is the 21st... no such luck.
Has anyone out there received it? What are the most important time sensitive documents on there that I can try to email or fax to the admissions office? Is there anything in there that I have to know before visiting day? Are there required innoculations or certifications that I can begin/complete?
Thank you in advanced!!
ps. I know I may sound... anxious (dare i say... HYPERACTIVE :lol_hitti), but this acceptance to Columbia's ETP program is the silver lining i've been hoping for through a life of downpours!!!
I just want everything to run as smoothly as possible
Hi, everybody! I've also been accepted to the ETP program at Columbia. Yea!!! I was so excited to receive my letter too, but now I'm getting worried about the program after hearing from quite a few people on this forum that it's not all I am dreaming it is...Yikes! And spending so much $$ on it too.
To those of you who are currently in the program--would you recommend saving some $ and going to a cheaper, but less well known and maybe not as good, school?? I have also applied to Stony Brook but haven't heard yet, and it's basically night and day, as far as costs, compared to Columbia!
Is it possible that the MS/NP portion of the program is much better and more together than the RN portion? I have a friend at U Penn who said her BSN portion was really poor but that the MS part seemed to be much better.
HYPEractiveTTU--I received my acceptance packet today, and there's nothing due before the Visiting Day on March 7th. Here are the basics of the packet:
Just got an email today that the nursing office mailed out the accepted applicant packet which includes housing apps, medical insurance, etc, and I think the financial aid letter arrives separately. Now, my wife and I are curious to see how much Columbia is really providing, and I've actually started to look into private loans through Sallie Mae. Hope it works out for you at Yale with the financial stuff.
elizabells, BSN, RN
2,094 Posts
Well, I was hoping to be a 'student ambassador' for visiting day and get to meet y'all (momma's from virginia), but it looks like I'll have a Dr appt that morning.
In our class of 150ish, we have about ten guys...
And now that I'm in a better mood, I don't really hate Columbia as much.