Any PhD in Nursing Applicants?

calinp · Dec 27, 2009

Congratulations on turning in your PhD application! I felt the same way about the application process, and also about the interviews (at least I HOPE that I get to be nervous about interviews).

If you're willing to say, what is your specialty or area of research and a little about your background? I'm just curious since you're, so far, the only other person in my exact waiting situation....

ctbtrini · Feb 4, 2010

Im so sorry for the later response Calinp. The last couple of months have been hectic for me. To answer your question about my area of interest..........I would like to focuse my research on patient education and behavioral counseling and interventions in the emergancy department, specificially related to STDs and HIV in young adults (thats a mouthful). I am a nurse practitioner in a major Atlanta Hopsital, so hopefully i can used that setting for my research.

I just had my interview yesterday, we will see how it goes. I should hear something by April they said. If I get accepted, I then have to find a Statistics course and an Epidemiology course to take over the summer.........ugggghhh.

calinp · Feb 14, 2010

First, Congrats! on your interview (even though it is belated congratulations)! I hope that it went well, and that the wait time is starting to feel like it is finally moving along .

Thanks for posting your research interest and background. I find it really interesting and I can't wait to read your publications!

I'm a Nurse Practitioner and CNM, and I work at a clinic in California. My research area is *hopefully* going to be women's health. I've been a nurse in women's health for a while now, so my interest in specific topics is pretty broad.

I haven't heard much of anything except from one school with a really late app. deadline, letting me know that they lost some of my paperwork. I re-faxed it to them and now all is silence....

I did have a meeting with a wonderful researcher who is connected to my top-choice school to discuss working with her if I am accepted. And she's letting me try to be a second-author with her on a short piece, which is taking up all of my free time, but is an incredible opportunity (and will look great on my application for next year if it comes to that)!

But I don't know how much that matters to the actual acceptance this year. No word on interviews, which is making me very nervous, as two of the programs I applied to notify in early March. I'm trying not to think of that as a bad sign as most of the programs didn't say that they would interview at all.

Good Luck! Let us know if you hear anything. I've been whiling the time away looking at the "results search" on http://www.thegradcafe.com website. It doesn't raise my anxiety too badly since there haven't been any nursing results posted and the comments are pretty funny...

BayArea2010 · Feb 17, 2010

Hi,

I am graduating from a BSN program this Winter 2010 in the Bay area. I used to work in research and gave up my career to be a nurse. While in the BSN I was selected to be a McNair scholar, I applied to 3 PhD programs and 1 masters program (UCSF) in the past few weeks. I also believe the application process was very challenging (and got it done while precepting at Stanford), and also wrote my Statement of Purpose several times. I was also worried in regards to admittance. That worry has now been replaced by not knowing where I should go. I was admitted to two of the programs (haven't heard from the 3rd PhD) and the Masters will not reply until March/April. I am extremely excited but just as worried as both programs are great. I am also very grateful and understand this is an opportunity of a life time, the faculty at both universities has bene very supportive and both schools want a written reply by March. My research interest is in the cardiovascular area and the Hispanic population. Good luck. where did you apply? I applied to University of Minnesota and University of Michigan, and OHSU (haven't heard from them). Good luck you will make it!!!!

calinp · Feb 17, 2010

Your reply was great to read for two reasons: I was a McNair Scholar during my undergraduate program :yeah: . I loved that experience and it helped me decide to continue. Also, I'm from Chicago, and I see that two of your schools are in the midwest!

Congratulations on being admitted! Do you have to respond to them before you know from OHSU, and would the result from OHSU change your decision? They're all great programs and your research topic is very interesting.

I applied to Rush (in Chicago), UCSF, UW, and SDSU (in public health, not nursing). Notifications for UCSF and SDSU will be sent out in March. UW notifies in April, and Rush notifies by May, but also possibly before that. I'm nervous.

What are the pros and cons of each program? Did you have a top choice when you applied?

BayArea2010 · Feb 19, 2010

I don't see flaws with any of the two programs and that is why it is so difficult to choose one over the other. The only thing is that UM wants a reply by March 1st while UMICH gave me until March 26th. I do not know anything about financial aid either. My McNair program just approved travling funds, I plan to visit each university in the next 2 weekends. The finals and NCLEX

What is your research interest? did you contacted faculty before you applied? Are you excited about one program over another? Hope to hear from you again. I see that you applied to UCSF. It is a fantastic university. I have been there in the past few months. It is right next to the Young Museum and the New Academy of Sciences, beautiful scenery, dining etc. The UCSF medical center is also excellent.

calinp · Feb 20, 2010

My research interest is in women's health, I've worked as a labor and delivery nurse, a WHNP and a CNM. My research focus is not quite as defined as yours, but I did narrow my applications to programs with strong foundations in women's health research.

I did contact faculty before I applied at every university except for SDSU's public health program. (I applied there on a bit of a whim....) UCSF seems to be the best fit, and I love San Francisco. UW appeals to me for a multitude of other reasons including the reputation of the program, the location and the city affordability. Rush is in my hometown and allows distance learning for parts of the program, which would be sooooo convenient for me. SDSU is my husband's first choice since then we don't have to move. I want the strongest research foundation when I graduate and I want more teaching experience.

At this point I just want in somewhere!

I think that your visits to the programs may help you decide. Hopefully one program or university will clearly become your first choice after you see them. I hope that your visits go well. Let us (anyone reading this, including me) know what you like about the programs: profs, other students, areas of research, location, etc...

Also, good luck on NCLEX! I remember all the digoxin questions. (My partner at work told me later that she didn't get one question on digoxin, I guess they gave them all to me!)

calinp · Feb 20, 2010

Oh, I forgot to add:

I don't know anything either about financial aid. I have a couple of friends who have completed their PhD using a combination of TAs, RAs, and loans. I assumed that's what I would have to do as well.

NPtoPhD · Feb 22, 2010

Hi Calinp-

Any word from schools yet? How were the interviews? I am new joiner to this forum. I am a PhD applicant right now also, and as you can by my title, I'm hopeful. I suppose if things don't work out I'll need to change my name here. I applied to 4 schools, too. No word yet but I got an interview at the 3 that do interviews (UCSF doesn't do interviews!). It's a real nail-biter right now! I know one of my top choices meets tomorrow for an admissions decision. They said we will know the decision at the very latest by the end of this week. I think we're about down to the last 2 weeks of waiting for decisions across the board. I can't wait to just know! Good luck!

calinp · Feb 22, 2010

Hi NPtoPhD!

It's nice to talk to you! And also, thank you so much for letting me know that UCSF doesn't do interviews. I have been freaking out about that very question. I was really getting concerned!

What other schools did you apply to and what is your research interest? Also, what's your practice specialty?

No news yet. When I sent in my applications I was nervous. Then the nerves faded a little and now I'm really, really freaked out again. Two of my schools notify in March and another says "All notifications will be sent by April 15th." Finally, Rush doesn't notify until May!

Good Luck!

NPtoPhD · Feb 22, 2010

Oh, a few more things since I see I had skipped an entire page of comments! First, congrats to BayArea2010 on your 2 admission offers! That's wonderful news!

Calinp, I just realized you are also in SD. My current division chief was actually pushing for me to apply to SDSU public health so I could stay local. I also applied to Penn, Yale, and Hopkins...but did not go for the public health thing. I work in trauma and would like to do my research in trauma prevention in the elderly. My schools are actually divided though- Penn and Yale would be research in that, but for UCSF and Hopkins I would study violence. I know, I felt much better knowing that UCSF doesn't interview (but seems a little weird to not interview- hey, I'm not complaining). The faculty member I had been talking with during my application process at UCSF had actually reached out to me to make sure I applied and that's when I clarified the interview situation.

I can't believe you have to wait until May for Rush! Aye! Are they one of your first choices or would you accept a different offer before May? Even April feels far. Gosh, I feel anxious to just get through this week. Penn is the committee meeting tomorrow, and I am so anxious to know! That's where I got my MSN and I loved it there, so I would definitely go back. Hopkins was actually a top contender until I went to interview (I did all interviews in person) and I fell out of love with them. The faculty I would work with were good, but it reminded me of what it was like living in Baltimore (did BSN at UMB) and the city campus feel. Plus I wasn't too impressed with another faculty member that kinda turned me off.

I can totally understand wanting to stay in SD. I hate to give it up but the closest would be UCSF. The downside of UCSF is they are the only school that won't fully fund the degree. The other 3 schools fund the tuition and pay a living stipend. But you do have to do teaching and research residencies to earn your keep. :lol2: Nonetheless, that is an incentive to move back east...again. Ugh. Born and raised in CA and I seem to always go to school back east. I'll keep you posted about my results. Fingers crossed I come back here with good news!!!

calinp · Feb 22, 2010

NPtoPhD, you are a wealth of info. Except for Rush, all of my schools are west coast. None of the schools that I'm applying to fully fund and it has been a concern for both me and my husband. I considered some schools out east, but my husband's job wouldn't tolerate that move, and while I might have to move somewhere without him for a while, I don't really want to do that. Funding could be a huge deciding factor for me.

Also, I can really relate to your experience at Hopkins. I have had a very positive experience in the application process to UCSF, which quickly made it my new first choice, and a very mediocre one at my original first choice.

The fact that Rush's acceptance is in May is a problem. Whether it would make me turn down or wait to accept an offer depends on who makes the offer and if there is any funding with it. UCSF and UW made it pretty clear that there might not be funding if I was admitted.

There are some things that I would do differently if I could start this application process over, and there is a possibility that I will get that chance. I comfort myself with the thought that if I have to apply again for 2011, my application will be that much better!

On http://www.thegradcafe.com, it shows that last year both UCSF and UW notified the first week of March for nursing programs. Yikes!!! I looked for Penn, Yale and Hopkins but no nursing PhD applicants posted their results last year.

Hopefully we'll both be posting some good news soon!