Any U Penn Students/Grads?

Published Jun 3, 2020

1,593 Posts

Hi all,

Are there any current or former U Penn NP students who would be willing to answer some questions or share their experience?

I've been checking out Acute Care Pediatric NP programs (still not completely sure I'll pursue that path), and I absolutely love the program at Penn. I would be able to get a concentration, minor, and potentially even a dual degree in fields that I love without spending way too much extra time/money on school. TBH, I love school, and reading through the courses and curricula for the extra concentration/minor/degree got me really excited.

I honestly do think that the name brand and specialty concentration might help me get hired as a new grad NP, since I bring a ton of NICU experience to the table but not a ton of peds/PICU.

However......it is so expensive.

For Penn students/grads, do you think that the program gave you enough value for your money, and how are your student loans? I don't anticipate that I'll end up in a higher-paying specialty like a procedural area or ICU.

Do any of the local hospitals have tuition reimbursement for employees who are Penn students? It looks like CHOP doesn't provide any type of assistance, and that's where I'd want to work as a peds nurse during school. It looks like the hospitals that do provide tuition assistance don't have peds units (beyond NICU). ?

I'm also a bit skeptical about moving to Philly. I toured Penn's campus for my undergrad degree, and I loved the school but wasn't totally convinced about the city. Granted, I'm really excited about the possibility of having in-person classes, even if it means I have to move.

I currently work for a swanky, brand-name hospital with a Top 5 nursing school that offers an acute care PNP degree. Employees are able to pay off their tuition reimbursement 'time' as they move through the program; upon graduating, you only owe back about 1 semester worth of tuition. Unfortunately, I don't like the program as much, and I worry that I'll have a harder time getting into it than the program at Penn.

Any and all feedback is appreciated!