Columbia ETP or MGH DEN for Psychiatric Nursing

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  1. Which school is better for a direct entry psych student?

    • 0
      MGH DEN
    • 3
      Columbia ETP
    • 0
      Northeastern accelerated NP program

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Hey AllNurses!!

I need some advice.... I was accepted into both MGH direct entry program and Columbia's entry to practice program. I am having a tough time decided between the two.

anyone in the same boat? I went to the MGH accepted students day last week. I loved the location and clinical placements but wasn't psyched about the lack of campus. Is MGH a reputable school? What do graduates / current students think? I am also waiting for Northeastern's decision...

I am drawn to Columbia for its name (which I know can be shallow but I may start a private practice one day). Their admissions process was amazing and flawless. They also seem extremely organized and already have a coffee hour planned as well as a facebook page where the class is already bonding / asking questions.

I love love love Boston.. and if Columbia was there it would be an easy decision.

So lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hey Lime44! I'm actually in the same exact predicament as you, struggling to make a decision between MGH's and Columbia's direct entry Psych NP programs! I feel like I change my mind every other day. Like you, I am drawn to Columbia's Ivy League status, as I feel it has a much more nationally-recognized and respected reputation. MGH has a great reputation in the northeast, but I feel as though people in other parts of the country associate the MGH name with the prestige of the hospital and have no idea it is actually academic institution as well. For me, this is important because I'm not positive I want to live in the northeast once I graduate. I'd like to know if a PMHNP degree from Columbia vs MGH lends itself to substantially better and more lucrative career opportunities in other parts of the country, or if it simply does not matter given the current and foreseeably increasing demand for Psych NPs. I've talked to several people in the field regarding this, and their opinions vary considerably. Seeing as we haven't received our financial aid package from Columbia yet, as it stands, MGH is about $60k cheaper than Columbia. If money weren't a factor in my decision (unfortunately it is--and a major one), I would ideally like to attend Columbia. However, I can't justify the extra cost (including moving from Boston to live in a more expensive city) with the uncertainty that I would be much better off with the Columbia education on my resume. And, it's not just about being better off financially and employment-wise when I'm finished, it's also about the experience I will have while in school. Like you, I attended the MGH open house last week. Those 2 hours neither deterred me nor convinced me to attend the MGH program. I was hoping it would sway me one way or the other. Perhaps Columbia's accepted student open house next Friday will help! I could be wrong on this, but the way I feel about the two programs is that Columbia is much more of a "school", where as MGH is, at its foundation, a hospital that happens to have an "academic wing". This presumption is based upon the differences in the application process at both schools, my subpar experience taking 2 online prerequisite courses at MGH, and my frustration with trying to contact different offices at MGH IHP, where the number on the website would be a non-working number, or lead to a different person, different department, or someone's personal voicemail who would not return my call, etc. Without attending both schools simultaneously, I'm unsure how to make an informed decision regarding which school will offer me a better educational experience. After all, we are about to commit 3 years of our life to these very expensive, time-consuming programs. I just want to make the right decision!

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Hello, I'm in a similar position as the two of you and I'm hoping to hear your experience and which school you decided on. I'm from San Francisco and I'm not too familiar with either Boston or NYC. I was originally leaning toward Columbia for the name and the connections, but MGH offered me a $50,000 scholarship which nearly cuts my tuition in half. I'm torn because I don't know how much weight a DNP will hold in comparison to a NP. Columbia's DNP is appealing since I can finish it in 3 years.... but it's a lot of debt to go into. I'm a returned Peace Corps volunteer and I'm really interested in global health. I know every program will have it's weaknesses... but do either of you have any opinion looking back?

Thanks so much, I hope to hear from you.

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I went to Columbia. The new DNP programs here changes a lot of things. I am trying to decide for myself whether it it worth it get a DNP in psych nursing. So far I have heard in terms of practice it does not make a difference. If you have an interest in teaching or managing its a good option. I dont even know if you can specialize in the new DNP program here....

the money things is tough. Columbia is well organized BUT so expensive. And end the end a degree is a degree... you get licenced and can practice. I eventually want to open my own practice and Columbia holds a much greater weight when someone is choosing a practitioner to work with off psychologytoday.com or something like that.

You need to go to the accepted students visiting day -- that is truly the only way to decide.

you cant go wrong. both are good programs and have equal prs and cons. visit and you will get a gut feeling.

the MGH info session did not grab me at all -- it seemed disorganized and haphazard

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