Any UCSF Mepn Applicants?

sci-fry · Feb 11, 2007

I sympathize! I contacted them last week because I was offered admission at Yale and they want an answer in a couple of weeks -- I wondered what the soonest we could find out was. Got an email back basically saying sorry - we'll do our best, but probably won't get the letters out before March 1st.

Breathe.......

NurseInTraining76 · Feb 11, 2007

There are a number of people I know who have heard from Yale and are waiting on UCSF . . . I only applied to UCSF, so I just need to wait on that one answer

Which has its ups and downs, i suppose.

:)

Nat3433 · Feb 11, 2007

Oh yes...waiting, waiting, waiting. I wish I had an offer from Yale in my pocket already. I have all my eggs in the UCSF basket too.

jaxnaud · Feb 13, 2007

I'm waiting too. I was really hoping we'd hear early but it sounds like March 1st it is. For those of you who got into Yale- congrats.

ChickenLLBird · Feb 17, 2007

Yeah, I am trying hard to stay busy until the 1st. But I can't help checking the mail every day with way too much emotional attachment. For many of us it will be rejection, so I am trying not to rush it. I have a back-up school, but UCSF was just incredible. 2 more weeks...

ChickenLLBird · Feb 17, 2007

After interview day at UCSF, I think one of the really weird and unknowable factors is which specialties will be heavily impacted in a given year. Midwifery candidates I met were all doulas. Every single one! That's an accomplishment in itself. It's a very tough specialty. They gave out the number of spaces for each specialty at interview day (hopefully this isn't a trade secret or something) and it was clear that some specialties are just tight. Midwifery, FNP - tons of applicants (there were 12 or 14 spots for those, too, I can't remember exactly), at least 2 for every spot. I'm applied for CNS Critical Care/ Trauma and they said there was no limit on how many candidates they could take in that category. However, they were also clear to say that they didn't necessarily have to take the maximum number of spots that the departments said they could fill. If they felt that only 8 of the Midwifery candidates were acceptable, for example, they'd only accept those 8. Also, the majority of primary care specialty candidates were bilingual or proficient in Spanish. One person I talked to said that since 70% of patients at SFGH speak Spanish, her interviewer told her that they might not accept any candidates without Spanish. There were a high number of bilingual candidates. Without blathering on for too long, I will echo that the MEPN candidates I met on interview day were all truly extraordinary people (I wondered how I got there! haha!). Not that those who weren't accepted aren't as well, frankly, I think that they pull a pool together that is unique from year to year based on a multitude of factors. If one of you had applied last year, you might have been invited to interview. Who knows. That being said, it was kind of crappy to interview knowing you had a 50/50 chance. I know someone said 90 spots, but they aren't sure they are going to do that. The minimum is 75 MEPN positions. They went through every crazy detail including immunizations, financial aid, TB mask fitting, for those who would be accepted and only half of the candidates would get in. Kind of tough. The good news is that many of those interviewing (and MEPNs I talked to) were reapplicants. If you apply again, you will have a leg up in admissions it seems. Also, they told us that the most critical factor, at that point, was the interview. No pressure. So anyway, if you didn't get in this year, don't lose heart. In another year we will have better resumes, better transcripts, more life experience, hopefully more money, and generally be better prepared than this year. Did I convince you? I'm still working on it believing it myself. Good luck to all of you, we will make it - ChickenLL

jaxnaud · Feb 19, 2007

Wow, what a great summary of interview day. It was a tougher experience than I anticipated- since I really thought the whole day was about my one interview I had scheduled and didn't realize how much anxiety would come up just being crammed in a room with 74 other super qualified but none-the-less anxious people. I wasn't a big fan of getting all the schedule and financial information that day either. By the end of the day, I felt slightly like I might throw up - long day, lots of butterflies, icky food, too much mingling, realizing the financial impact, etc.

As far as the spanish speaking thing- I hadn't heard that. Although I did get interviewed for a few minutes in spanish to test my skills - my worst nightmare come true! Luckily I underestimated my skills on my application instead of overestimated and my interviewer thought I did pretty well. But for those of you filling out applications, I wouldn't "talk-up" your skills- but rather be honest on your application. I think being biliungual helps, but I'm sure they'd admit someone who seemed like a perfect candidate if a second language skill is the only thing they're lacking- just my guess though.

One last thing I learned from my second interviewer (who stated that she wasn't good at following rules) was that each interviewer is instructed on how to conduct the interview. They are told to not respond to any of your answers in ways that give you any indication of whether they like your answer or not. It was a fairly one way dialogue (i.e. here's the question, now go) which threw me a bit. I guess that was why.

I hate that it is February 19th and even though I promised myself I wouldn't start being hopeful that I'd come home to a large envelope in my mailbox until March 2nd, I secretely hope it will come early. This waiting period sucks.

ChickenLLBird · Feb 20, 2007

I was totally exhausted after the interview day - it's hard to be "on" that long and definitely a bit unnerving to hang with your competition for so long. If I get in, I will have amazing classmates. I just wanted to share one more tidbit, when we asked current MEPN students about the size of their envelope, they said that their acceptance letters were thin! So don't throw anything away without opening it! It may not be a fat package. 13 days and counting - ChickenLLBird

Nat3433 · Feb 20, 2007

I've managed to work it in my calendar so that's we only have ten days to wait...Sounds like a lot less. Thanks for the "small envelope" tip. I'm planning on taking Friday off work and sitting next to the front door!

I've managed to convince myself that I won't be accepted - not speaking Spanish, and the fact that my interview only lasted 30 minutes instead of the 40 minutes they told me to expect. This is all insanity..

jaxnaud · Feb 20, 2007

I was glad to get the small envelope tip too! thank goodness you told me or I might have had a small-envelope-fit and torn it to bits before I read it! :-)

As far as the short interview and non-spanish speaking thing- perhaps it was love at first site and they didn't need 40 minutes! and I don't think they would have interviewed so many people who didn't speak spanish if they didn't plan on admitting them :-) I'm sure there were a lot of spanish speaking applicants that didn't get an interview.

Good luck!

And I'm with chicken ll - if I get in, I will be excited to be amongst such qualified peers.

ChickenLLBird · Feb 20, 2007

Yes, 13 days until March 5th, which I figure is a drop-dead mail delivery date... but I like 10 days much better! That's a great idea to take the day off. When I applied to Yale, they called us on the phone, no idea if UCSF will do that. But that was nice to know definitively on that day.

I'm sorry, I think I've blown the Spanish thing out of proportion! This was all third-hand speculation from one interviewee who had a weird conversation (obviously not following the rules laid out). So, I wouldn't worry that not being bilingual guarantees a rejection. I doubt it is a deciding factor at this point, sorry if I emphasized it too much. :mad: - Chick (this is my family nickname)

diddle · Feb 21, 2007

Hey everyone!

So which day did you guys interview? I interviewed the first round, the 19th...I wonder if any of us met? And yes, I certainly agree that all those accepted are going to make an an amazing class. And there were lots in primary care that I met that didnt speak Spanish, so some of them I am sure will get admitted!

Also, I agree about the thin envelope thing because Columbia sent me my acceptance letter a few weeks ago and the envelope was a TINY little business size envelope. As soon as I saw it my heart dropped because I thought it was a definate rejection. But when I opened it, I had been accepted! But of course I would rather go to UCSF :)

This waiting period sucks. It drove me crazy right before Christmas too when the interview letters came out. I start running to my mailbox everyday for weeks until if finally came. Oh well, just 9 more days now!

Good luck to all of you! I hope that we all get admitted!