Columbia MDE 2022

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I know the application hasn't opened yet, but wondering if there was anyone else thinking of applying to Columbia MDE/DNP programs for June 2022 entry?

1 hour ago, strivingfornp said:

Hi Everyone,

Congratulations to everyone who gained acceptance into the 2022 program!

I will be applying for Summer 2023 and was wondering if there's anyone willing to discuss more in depth what your application process was like? How you structured the essay topics, prepared for the video essay etc.

You can also message me. I don't know how to contact you on here.

1
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On 2/2/2022 at 5:43 PM, pmhnp99 said:

Hi! I saw your other post too.. two masters and work in psychotherapy, thats all so amazing! And seems like you're more than qualified! I do know that they look at the applicant holistically and maybe you can contact admissions inquiring on what maybe they were looking for and what your application didn't portray. Bc I too only have a BA in psych hahah...

To answer your question, I just graduated college in May 2021 with a BA in Pre-med Psychology. My GPA was around a 3.4 and my prerequisite GPA was probably around a 3.8. I currently work as a case manager at a psychiatric urgent facility serving the underserved/housing insecure population and I sit in on my clients primary care and psychiatric appointments and collaborate with their providers to get them back on their feet and re-assimilate back into society. In high school and during my summers in college I worked front desk at a behavioral clinic. I was in 2 research labs and volunteered at food pantries and rescue missions and had an internship in an ICU department in a hospital. 

In my application I really pushed/emphasized on my experiences and how that drives my want to be an advocate and a resource for disenfranchised communities. And how my end goal to open my own behavioral clinic, like the one I started at, incorporating a collaborative integrative model of care for long term outcomes as oppose to bandaid fixes we see today.

I hope even some of my rant helped you a bit LOL

Hello! Congratulations on your acceptance! I know it's a little silly to reply to an old thread, but I'm currently applying for CUSON MDE program and I was wondering if you opted for the optional essay? The admissions counselor I spoke to said it doesn't make you more competitive if you do write it but I'm hesitant. On the other hand, I also don't want to write something that isn't super compelling. 

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37 minutes ago, socalforever said:

Hello! Congratulations on your acceptance! I know it's a little silly to reply to an old thread, but I'm currently applying for CUSON MDE program and I was wondering if you opted for the optional essay? The admissions counselor I spoke to said it doesn't make you more competitive if you do write it but I'm hesitant. On the other hand, I also don't want to write something that isn't super compelling. 

Best of luck to you on your application! I am a current MDE student and would love to provide you with some insight on how I used the optional essay. I believe this essay is reserved to discuss or further elaborate on something you felt you did not have the opportunity to do in the rest of the application. I took this essay as an opportunity to discuss how my hardships impacted my undergraduate performance and ultimately my cumulative GPA. Let me mention that my cumulative GPA was a 2.93! So for anyone thinking they cannot apply because their GPA might not be competitive, here is your sign to APPLY! Your cumulative GPA is not reflective of who YOU are and I finished the first semester here at Columbia making Dean's List with a 3.8 so that just goes to show you that your undergraduate GPA does not define your intelligence. Best of luck to you throughout your application and please feel free to reach out to me at ANY time as I am more than happy to help!! ?   

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Also wondering the same thing about the optional essay. I am at a loss on what I could talk about in the optional essay as I addressed mostly everything else in the other parts of my application. Open to hearing some ideas. I am not sure if it was the same for you when you applied, but they offer an addendum which is where you could talk about anything related to academics. This is where I personally discussed the GPA aspect in my application. 

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Hello current MDE/DNP students! I was just admitted for the Summer 2023 MDE/DNP (Nurse-Midwifery) start and am hoping for insight on class schedules (generally, how many classroom hours per day/per week and how many hours/days/weeks for clinical), and hybrid vs in-person class formats. I'm trying to figure out whether/how I could commute to Columbia from another city (by plane) so that my kids can stay in their current location and schools, at least for my MDE year. 

Additional questions: 

(1) Do you know any students who commute from far away who might be willing to speak with me about their experiences? If so, I can DM you and pass along my email address.

(2) Do you know whether there is any kind of priority enrollment or other flexibility for students with young children? I'm really hoping to condense my in-person attendance to 2 or 3 days each week so that I can mostly take classes online and maximize the days each week that I can see my kids. 

(3) Are in-person clinicals typically every week of each semester, or are they condensed into portions of each semester? 

(4) Are there clinical intensives where students need to be present in-person 5 days/week? Are there weekend clinicals during the MDE program?

(5) Any other general thoughts about the program that you'd like to share?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

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mmCA said:

Hello current MDE/DNP students! I was just admitted for the Summer 2023 MDE/DNP (Nurse-Midwifery) start and am hoping for insight on class schedules (generally, how many classroom hours per day/per week and how many hours/days/weeks for clinical), and hybrid vs in-person class formats. I'm trying to figure out whether/how I could commute to Columbia from another city (by plane) so that my kids can stay in their current location and schools, at least for my MDE year. 

Additional questions: 

(1) Do you know any students who commute from far away who might be willing to speak with me about their experiences? If so, I can DM you and pass along my email address.

(2) Do you know whether there is any kind of priority enrollment or other flexibility for students with young children? I'm really hoping to condense my in-person attendance to 2 or 3 days each week so that I can mostly take classes online and maximize the days each week that I can see my kids. 

(3) Are in-person clinicals typically every week of each semester, or are they condensed into portions of each semester? 

(4) Are there clinical intensives where students need to be present in-person 5 days/week? Are there weekend clinicals during the MDE program?

(5) Any other general thoughts about the program that you'd like to share?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Hi there! I'm a current MDE student (not planning on pursuing a DNP, so no information on that, sorry!) and can answer a few questions for you: 

1. I don't personally commute from far away, but there are definitely students who come in from Brooklyn, Queens, NJ, Westchester County, Rockland County, Orange County, and CT as some examples. It's definitely possible, but the commute is not particularly fun and parking in Washington Heights is very hit or miss, and the parking is an added expense for clinical days (I'd use spot hero to find a spot near your site if you choose to park, hospital parking is $$$$$).  

2. There is no priority enrollment, but everyone has pretty much the same schedule (there are 5 by 5 rotations in which people will be taking different subjects, but they are all in-person classes and at the same time of day). It isn't like a lot of undergraduate experiences where you're fighting for a spot in a certain class - you're guaranteed to have a seat in your required classes. For fall and Spring semester, we only had 1 remote day, so I'd plan on being either on campus or at clinical 4 days a week. 

3. Clinicals are once a week in the first Summer semester and twice a week in the fall/Spring semesters. They usually start at 7am and go until 3pm, however some rotations have an after noon shift (12pm - 8pm if I'm not mistaken) due to what the sites can accommodate. We don't get a say in our clinical sites or the order in which we do them - everyone starts off with fundamentals in the Summer and then for fall/Spring you rotate between med surg 1, med surg 2, psych, OB, and pediatrics. 

4. There aren't normal clinical where we're on site 5 days a week, but we do have a 6 week integration towards the end of Spring semester. We haven't done that yet, however there are no classes during that time and we work the same schedule as the nurse we're assigned to, and we were warned this could include nights, holidays, and weekends. I don't have a lot of information on that yet since we haven't completed it yet, but it sounds like standard nursing shifts are expected for that. 

5. I like the program, but have to admit that it is taxing at times. It's a lot of work, and it's important to focus on every subject, even if it's a topic you're not passionate about, because things really are interconnected and it's important to have a good foundation in all of the didactic subjects. The program can be a bit disorganized at times, so staying flexible is important since a lot of things are coming from the clinical sites. Time management is so important, and it never hurts to form some good friendships for studying and providing a good support system during this extremely rigorous program. I've found most of the professors to be responsive and willing to help students. 

Congratulations to everyone! 

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mmCA said:

Hello current MDE/DNP students! I was just admitted for the Summer 2023 MDE/DNP (Nurse-Midwifery) start and am hoping for insight on class schedules (generally, how many classroom hours per day/per week and how many hours/days/weeks for clinical), and hybrid vs in-person class formats. I'm trying to figure out whether/how I could commute to Columbia from another city (by plane) so that my kids can stay in their current location and schools, at least for my MDE year. 

Additional questions: 

(1) Do you know any students who commute from far away who might be willing to speak with me about their experiences? If so, I can DM you and pass along my email address.

(2) Do you know whether there is any kind of priority enrollment or other flexibility for students with young children? I'm really hoping to condense my in-person attendance to 2 or 3 days each week so that I can mostly take classes online and maximize the days each week that I can see my kids. 

(3) Are in-person clinicals typically every week of each semester, or are they condensed into portions of each semester? 

(4) Are there clinical intensives where students need to be present in-person 5 days/week? Are there weekend clinicals during the MDE program?

(5) Any other general thoughts about the program that you'd like to share?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

Hi! Congratulations on your acceptance. I am currently MDE/DNP midwifery so we would be excited to welcome you. As far as your questions, I am going to answer them honestly from my perspective. Everyone experiences this program differently...

1. There are quite a few students who do commute who are from NY, CT, and NJ but I have not met anyone else any further than that. But for the students who do commute from just those distances many of them talk about how stressful the commute can be with this program, but that does not make it impossible to commute and do this program. MDE, for me, takes many hours of my day and if I personally had to commute by plane, I do not know if I would be doing as well as I am. Even during orientation, they said the workload and studying can take anywhere from 20-40 hours a week outside of class time. Just deeply consider that. 

2. Everyone gets the same set schedule. Classes are only offered once a year so you only get one chance to take them. During the Summer we were required in person 3 days out of the week and that is subject to change due to COVID and how big your class is. So you would really need somewhere to stay. Those 3 days were full 8-hour days so once again consider that. The fall and the Spring have been 4 in-person days so deeply consider commute times. 

3. Clinicals are 1 day a week during the Summer, and 2 days a week during fall and Spring and the schedule is a set time. You have no control over your schedule. It is fair game for everyone. You cannot miss clinical unless it's for a really good reason... During our integration period, we are on our nurse's schedule and we can not change but we have not made it that far yet. 

4. Only time clinical can possibly be on the weekend is during integration when you are following your nurse's schedule, but once again you have no control over that. They give you the schedule and you follow it.

5. This is a really good program in my opinion. It is very intense for me personally (because I am far away from home with no family who lives here) but you can get it done. You will have to make sacrifices while you are here so deeply consider that and many lovely people in our cohort have kids and are doing just fine! Try to go on one of the visiting days too. It may help you with your decision! Good luck and hope you can join Columbia! Congrats on your admittance 

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EllenLovesCorgis said:

Hi there! I'm a current MDE student (not planning on pursuing a DNP, so no information on that, sorry!) and can answer a few questions for you: 

1. I don't personally commute from far away, but there are definitely students who come in from Brooklyn, Queens, NJ, Westchester County, Rockland County, Orange County, and CT as some examples. It's definitely possible, but the commute is not particularly fun and parking in Washington Heights is very hit or miss, and the parking is an added expense for clinical days (I'd use spot hero to find a spot near your site if you choose to park, hospital parking is $$$$$).  

2. There is no priority enrollment, but everyone has pretty much the same schedule (there are 5 by 5 rotations in which people will be taking different subjects, but they are all in-person classes and at the same time of day). It isn't like a lot of undergraduate experiences where you're fighting for a spot in a certain class - you're guaranteed to have a seat in your required classes. For fall and Spring semester, we only had 1 remote day, so I'd plan on being either on campus or at clinical 4 days a week. 

3. Clinicals are once a week in the first Summer semester and twice a week in the fall/Spring semesters. They usually start at 7am and go until 3pm, however some rotations have an after noon shift (12pm - 8pm if I'm not mistaken) due to what the sites can accommodate. We don't get a say in our clinical sites or the order in which we do them - everyone starts off with fundamentals in the Summer and then for fall/Spring you rotate between med surg 1, med surg 2, psych, OB, and pediatrics. 

4. There aren't normal clinical where we're on site 5 days a week, but we do have a 6 week integration towards the end of Spring semester. We haven't done that yet, however there are no classes during that time and we work the same schedule as the nurse we're assigned to, and we were warned this could include nights, holidays, and weekends. I don't have a lot of information on that yet since we haven't completed it yet, but it sounds like standard nursing shifts are expected for that. 

5. I like the program, but have to admit that it is taxing at times. It's a lot of work, and it's important to focus on every subject, even if it's a topic you're not passionate about, because things really are interconnected and it's important to have a good foundation in all of the didactic subjects. The program can be a bit disorganized at times, so staying flexible is important since a lot of things are coming from the clinical sites. Time management is so important, and it never hurts to form some good friendships for studying and providing a good support system during this extremely rigorous program. I've found most of the professors to be responsive and willing to help students. 

Congratulations to everyone! 

Thank you so much for this fabulously detailed response! Your insight is really helpful and greatly appreciated. Do you have a sense of what the second Summer looks like? Is is mostly didactic and preparing for the NCLEX?

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InclusiveSociety said:

Hi! Congratulations on your acceptance. I am currently MDE/DNP midwifery so we would be excited to welcome you. As far as your questions, I am going to answer them honestly from my perspective. Everyone experiences this program differently...

1. There are quite a few students who do commute who are from NY, CT, and NJ but I have not met anyone else any further than that. But for the students who do commute from just those distances many of them talk about how stressful the commute can be with this program, but that does not make it impossible to commute and do this program. MDE, for me, takes many hours of my day and if I personally had to commute by plane, I do not know if I would be doing as well as I am. Even during orientation, they said the workload and studying can take anywhere from 20-40 hours a week outside of class time. Just deeply consider that. 

2. Everyone gets the same set schedule. Classes are only offered once a year so you only get one chance to take them. During the Summer we were required in person 3 days out of the week and that is subject to change due to COVID and how big your class is. So you would really need somewhere to stay. Those 3 days were full 8-hour days so once again consider that. The fall and the Spring have been 4 in-person days so deeply consider commute times. 

3. Clinicals are 1 day a week during the Summer, and 2 days a week during fall and Spring and the schedule is a set time. You have no control over your schedule. It is fair game for everyone. You cannot miss clinical unless it's for a really good reason... During our integration period, we are on our nurse's schedule and we can not change but we have not made it that far yet. 

4. Only time clinical can possibly be on the weekend is during integration when you are following your nurse's schedule, but once again you have no control over that. They give you the schedule and you follow it.

5. This is a really good program in my opinion. It is very intense for me personally (because I am far away from home with no family who lives here) but you can get it done. You will have to make sacrifices while you are here so deeply consider that and many lovely people in our cohort have kids and are doing just fine! Try to go on one of the visiting days too. It may help you with your decision! Good luck and hope you can join Columbia! Congrats on your admittance 

Thank you, @InclusiveSociety! So kind of you to provide all those thoughtful details! I would have a place to stay along the 1 line, so I would be trying to fly in on a Sunday/Monday redeye and fly home on a Thursday/Friday red eye, depending on which days I am able to do remote/online. I hear you on how hard it must be to go through the program without family close by--good for you for having the dedication to make it happen! My heart hurts just thinking about trying to pull this off and being thousands of miles away from my kids for most of each week.

Do you have a sense of what the second Summer schedule looks like, leading up to taking the NCLEX? 

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