Any Boston College NP students or graduates?

allnurses Guide · Oct 10, 2009

I'm a May 2009 BC direct entry grad. My background, along with the majority of my classmates was in health care/science, but we did have some students who were from other walks of life. You have to take all the science pre-requisites, of course. Your GPA seems strong, and BC looks at the whole person, not just the GPA. I did the program full time, and it was extremely challenging and time consuming, but worth it. The program accepts about 10% of the applicants, and you need to be willing to put forth a lot of effort outside of classes. That being said, I would advise that you at least apply to some of the other programs in Boston. Would one additional year of school make that much difference in the long run, if it was the difference between getting into a program or not going at all? I'm not trying to discourage you, but these programs are getting more competitive every year and it's good to have other options. You might also find that another program, such as Simmons or MGH is a better fit for you. I think they're worth exploring, anyway.

luckylady5 · Oct 11, 2009

Thanks so much for the reply! If BC only accepts 10% of applicants I am very worried - makes me wonder why they would choose me over anyone else? Can you tell me how your degree/experience were regarded when you were looking for a job, and just how intense the program is? I have young children, so of course I'm concerned about the time that is involved - I know it will be difficult to manage both school and home. Thanks again!

allnurses Guide · Oct 11, 2009

Well, you have to tell them why they should choose you over someone else..LOL!! Your essays are your chance to shine...they take them very seriously. To the best of my knowledge, BC does not do personal interviews.

I graduated as a family nurse practitioner and had no difficulty finding a job, despite never having worked as an RN. I believe other specialties found it a little more challenging. Most of the psych students chose to do the program part time (i'm not sure why) and will be graduating this upcoming May. The program was very intense. That is the nature of direct entry programs. I didn't do much else besides study for the 2 years. I very rarely took a day or night off from schoolwork, and rarely missed a class (and never missed a clinical). I have 2 children and it was tough on them. I just wasn't available a lot of the time. My husband really had to step up to the plate and we were fortunate that his schedule was somewhat flexible. I missed a lot of sporting and school events, and didn't see much of my extended family or friends while I was in school. However, we all survived and I have no regrets. The students were not competitive with each other and we all helped each other succeed. I made some wonderful friends that I'll have all my life and I have a great career that I'm happy with. It's just important to know that it will require hard work and sacrifice, but it's not impossible.

luckylady5 · Oct 11, 2009

Thank you very much for your reply! I have a question - did you work at all as an RN after you took the NCLEX exam? If I get into the program, I was thinking I would do that - work very part time or per diem, just to get a bit of experience. Also, can you tell me if you had classes or clinicals every day of the week? Is there any flexibility in scheduling?

BC sounds like a great place. I am starting to think about applying to a few more schools - maybe Regis? Location is important - I don't think going in to Boston would work for me. Thank you!

allnurses Guide · Oct 11, 2009

I did not work as an RN. I tried to find an RN job after passing NCLEX but there were no jobs available in the Boston area at the time. I had classes/clinicals 4 days a week most semesters. There's not a lot of flexibility in scheduling. You're assigned to clinical groups for the RN portion, and then your NP clinicals are based on your preceptors' availability, which could mean evenings and/or weekends. There's usually one very long day of classes your NP year (9AM-7PM), and one shorter one.

I've heard good things about Regis' program. I also wasn't thrilled about dealing with downtown Boston traffic and parking, and BC has parking on site, although the commute there wasn't exactly a joy either. However, it's likely that your RN clinicals will be in Boston, no matter what school you choose. Your NP clinicals can be anywhere. Mine ranged from Belmont to Scituate down to Bristol, RI. Some students went to NH, and others had sites on the Cape. So, it can make for a long day if you have to commute an hour or so each way. Again, I'm not trying to discourage you but I'm just trying to give you an accurate picture of the time commitment involved.