Starting UPenn this summer

Specialties CNM

Published

I'm starting the CNM program in UPenn this summer fulltime, 18 months. It's a dual program for CNM/Women's NP.

Wanted to share this info with you all. For those looking to see how the program goes, please feel free to email me.

I meant to go into the CNM program, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Women's Health is built into the CNM program so that you can end up with a dual degree. It was very forward thinking of UPenn - to make sure that you can be licensed as a woman's NP as well.

Wish me luck.

Well, I'm definitely routing for you guys to be in the same shoes. One day a time, right?

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Specializes in tele, ICU.

I'm going to apply to penn's CNM program and was wondering if you could answer a question for me.. I plan on working as long as I can going through the program (I would be doing it part time) and noticed the website says you can't work when you're on call to go to deliveries. that makes sense, but do you know how long that particular part of the program is? Is it over one semester, one year, or more?

Are you at the point where you're lining up jobs for after graduation? Do you think it'll be easy for you to find a place to work?

also- I know Penn emphasizes leadership.. what kind of leadership experience did you have when you applied?

sorry for the millions of questions but you're a great resource! thanks!

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I'm going to apply to penn's CNM program and was wondering if you could answer a question for me.. I plan on working as long as I can going through the program (I would be doing it part time) and noticed the website says you can't work when you're on call to go to deliveries. that makes sense, but do you know how long that particular part of the program is? Is it over one semester, one year, or more?

Are you at the point where you're lining up jobs for after graduation? Do you think it'll be easy for you to find a place to work?

also- I know Penn emphasizes leadership.. what kind of leadership experience did you have when you applied?

sorry for the millions of questions but you're a great resource! thanks!

1. most people work, even on call. they want you ideally NOT to work, but they end accomodating you. Don't worry about it.

2. Program starts in summer is done at the end of the following year. you can see that in their full time curriculum. It's all outlined in there.

3. Plenty of jobs in the area. More jobs than students, IMO. There was one integration(mini residency in the final semester) that wanted students who were willing to stay - so the job is guaranteed right there. Faculty posts job offerings frequently. Really, its EASY to get a job unless you are fussy about being in a particular setting.

4. nobody really comes in with much leadership experience, don't worry about that. honestly.

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Specializes in tele, ICU.

2. Program starts in summer is done at the end of the following year. you can see that in their full time curriculum. It's all outlined in there.

QUOTE]

thanks for your replies. i would do the program part time, so i guess my question was more - which classes in particular do you have to be on call for? it does not specify that in the plan of study.

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2. Program starts in summer is done at the end of the following year. you can see that in their full time curriculum. It's all outlined in there.

QUOTE]

thanks for your replies. i would do the program part time, so i guess my question was more - which classes in particular do you have to be on call for? it does not specify that in the plan of study.

The final intrapartum portion. the baby delivery. You have three clinicals sessions to do subsequently - well woman, antepartum, and intrapartum, so that would be whenever you get to it on your part time course. get it?

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Specializes in L&D, QI, Public Health.
1. most people work, even on call. they want you ideally NOT to work, but they end accomodating you. Don't worry about it.

2. Program starts in summer is done at the end of the following year. you can see that in their full time curriculum. It's all outlined in there.

3. Plenty of jobs in the area. More jobs than students, IMO. There was one integration(mini residency in the final semester) that wanted students who were willing to stay - so the job is guaranteed right there. Faculty posts job offerings frequently. Really, its EASY to get a job unless you are fussy about being in a particular setting.

4. nobody really comes in with much leadership experience, don't worry about that. honestly.

Can you give me an idea of how much the starting salaries are for the positions you've seen? Also, are the posted positions just for the Philly area or in the Northeast region?

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Can you give me an idea of how much the starting salaries are for the positions you've seen? Also, are the posted positions just for the Philly area or in the Northeast region?

Mostly Philly, but also NJ, Delaware, some New York but mostly near Philly. Salaries range from 70K to 90K.

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I just applied to UPENN for summer 09-they told me I should hear within 6 weeks since I am applying so early (did you find that to be a correct time frame) Also I was interested in hearing about your experience during the interview-what type of questions did they ask? I was also interested in hearing how you feel your clinicals have been-do you feel that they have good clinical placements? Finally do you feel that you made the right choice going to UPENN-

Thanks!

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I just applied to UPENN for summer 09-they told me I should hear within 6 weeks since I am applying so early (did you find that to be a correct time frame) Also I was interested in hearing about your experience during the interview-what type of questions did they ask? I was also interested in hearing how you feel your clinicals have been-do you feel that they have good clinical placements? Finally do you feel that you made the right choice going to UPENN-

Thanks!

If they say you are applying early, they are probably right. I was just as anxious as you, but they took their time getting back to me, too.

I highly recommend you attend their open houses ( on their website) because you can ask for an interview at that time. Once they've put a face to you, they'd treat you less like a stranger. That's been my experience.

Interview: no particular questions, just chatting. I highly suggest you come up with some very innovative questions and so that you won't feel at end of a pointed gun. It really does help the interview environment to be more of a discussion.

All our clinical placements have been hit or miss. They ask you in the beginning for you site of preference but this is all in order to make them look good on paper. The person in charge of placement randomly assigns you, regardless of what you ask for. So one semester you can have a nightmare experience and the next a decent one. Don't believe a word they say about trying to fit you with the right site. They don't have enough sites to have that luxury, and they don't really bother looking. I know that because some sites who would have been happy to take students don't even get asked. I haven't even been given my final integration site yet and it's coming up real soon.

Finally, have I made the right choice? I don't know because I don't have anything to compare with. I can say that UPenn does not deserve to be one the top ranked schools. I chose this school because it didnt require a GRE and because I thought, well, how bad can it be if it's ranked up there? Well, it's not been the "ivy league". The Nursing department is not called the orifice of Upenn for nothing. It started well because I was doing basic curriculum, but when it comes down to the real midwifery program, I've changed my mind.

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Specializes in L&D, QI, Public Health.
If they say you are applying early, they are probably right. I was just as anxious as you, but they took their time getting back to me, too.

I highly recommend you attend their open houses ( on their website) because you can ask for an interview at that time. Once they've put a face to you, they'd treat you less like a stranger. That's been my experience.

Interview: no particular questions, just chatting. I highly suggest you come up with some very innovative questions and so that you won't feel at end of a pointed gun. It really does help the interview environment to be more of a discussion.

All our clinical placements have been hit or miss. They ask you in the beginning for you site of preference but this is all in order to make them look good on paper. The person in charge of placement randomly assigns you, regardless of what you ask for. So one semester you can have a nightmare experience and the next a decent one. Don't believe a word they say about trying to fit you with the right site. They don't have enough sites to have that luxury, and they don't really bother looking. I know that because some sites who would have been happy to take students don't even get asked. I haven't even been given my final integration site yet and it's coming up real soon.

Finally, have I made the right choice? I don't know because I don't have anything to compare with. I can say that UPenn does not deserve to be one the top ranked schools. I chose this school because it didnt require a GRE and because I thought, well, how bad can it be if it's ranked up there? Well, it's not been the "ivy league". The Nursing department is not called the orifice of Upenn for nothing. It started well because I was doing basic curriculum, but when it comes down to the real midwifery program, I've changed my mind.

I appreciate your honest feedback. I almost got caught up in the name versus the experience. I still question myself sometimes, but your post puts everything in perspective

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If they say you are applying early, they are probably right. I was just as anxious as you, but they took their time getting back to me, too.

I highly recommend you attend their open houses ( on their website) because you can ask for an interview at that time. Once they've put a face to you, they'd treat you less like a stranger. That's been my experience.

Interview: no particular questions, just chatting. I highly suggest you come up with some very innovative questions and so that you won't feel at end of a pointed gun. It really does help the interview environment to be more of a discussion.

All our clinical placements have been hit or miss. They ask you in the beginning for you site of preference but this is all in order to make them look good on paper. The person in charge of placement randomly assigns you, regardless of what you ask for. So one semester you can have a nightmare experience and the next a decent one. Don't believe a word they say about trying to fit you with the right site. They don't have enough sites to have that luxury, and they don't really bother looking. I know that because some sites who would have been happy to take students don't even get asked. I haven't even been given my final integration site yet and it's coming up real soon.

Finally, have I made the right choice? I don't know because I don't have anything to compare with. I can say that UPenn does not deserve to be one the top ranked schools. I chose this school because it didnt require a GRE and because I thought, well, how bad can it be if it's ranked up there? Well, it's not been the "ivy league". The Nursing department is not called the orifice of Upenn for nothing. It started well because I was doing basic curriculum, but when it comes down to the real midwifery program, I've changed my mind.

I would not be hard on your self or worry to much about it as long they give you enough information to qualify - the school and the experience that they give you is what it is - the person thats makes the midwife has ability to investigate and use experience to reflect that will help you grow.

No novice midwife comes out of school the true midwife they are going to be - you are just at the start line some of you may feel a little fitter due to your pre race training but even the fittest will struggle and come up against challenges. What am I trying to say yes the School dose not make the midwife the person makes the midwife. This is not to say that a good dose not help - but even a good school cant made the midwife if the person is not right.

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I would not be hard on your self or worry to much about it as long they give you enough information to qualify - the school and the experience that they give you is what it is - the person thats makes the midwife has ability to investigate and use experience to reflect that will help you grow.

No novice midwife comes out of school the true midwife they are going to be - you are just at the start line some of you may feel a little fitter due to your pre race training but even the fittest will struggle and come up against challenges. What am I trying to say yes the School dose not make the midwife the person makes the midwife. This is not to say that a good dose not help - but even a good school cant made the midwife if the person is not right.

A lot of what you say - that the kind of midwife you are going to make may not reflect the schooling is true, but I will have to disagree in some respects, now that I'm going through the program.

Yes, a lot of internal resources is important in being a midwife, but power and autonomy that a school can provide you, as well as the positive experience can give a good head start - and in midwifery as in life a good head start can influence your practice in huge way. For instance, the thing that was good about UPenn was the fact that we needed to rely on research heavily, which shapes my thinking in many ways. That was a good thing about this school. I know that if I had been in a school that didn't rely so much on research, I dont know how I would ever get to be research savvy on my own. I know I could look at research, but now I actually look at it critically for strength and weakness. This, however, was not the actually midwifery component. The midwifery component IMO is weak in providing consistently good clinical experience. The theory part is superficially at best.

I don't think everyone in my class agrees with me completely but I can tell you that EVERYONE is going through duress at clinicals. The feeling of powerlessness and hazing and harassment that you go through at the wrong site is indescribable. Why would you want to waste 2-3 years, or however long it takes of a pivotal part of your journey experiencing something unpleasant? The problem is that you never know until you get there. I can only hope people understand to take my advice base on my personal experience and know that everyone's different.

I understand why people come here searching for answers and I try to be honest about it, but my advice to everyone in general is - do you research, give yourself time to think through your decision, make up your mind, take the jump, and don't look back. And take comfort in what Belinda has said on the flipside of my view - you can be the midwife that you want to be if you keep at it.

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