Columbia SON MDE 2019

The_Salty_Cat · Feb 1, 2019

On 1/25/2019 at 8:09 PM, duanereade said:
Thanks for the quick reply!
I was leaning toward Columbia, but Hopkins did give me some super generous financial aid... One year faster is a huge advantage though. I'm also based in NYC right now, so I'm a bit biased. Just wanted to make sure my bias is not clouding my judgment ?

I would highly recommend you attend JHU...less loans is always the better option.

Guest123456788, MSN, RN · Feb 1, 2019

15 hours ago, ellielianne said:
Ok thanks so much!! Last question, haha sorry! Do you remember what exactly we have to buy (scrubs, equipment, etc) just so I know how much to allot?

You'll have to buy at least 2 pairs of scrubs (but most people choose to buy more), Kaplan NCLEX review, and a kit that includes a stethoscope/penlight/other supplies for clinical. All of this is allotted for in your cost of attendance so you can get loans to cover it but I would probably set aside about $1000 to get started with school.

abcdenrse · Feb 1, 2019

4 hours ago, The_Salty_Cat said:
Hi! Congratulations on your acceptance! In my year, they offered a $40,000 grant if you continue through the MDE seamlessly (but keep in mind tuition is now flat rate now instead of by credit). I am sure you have a lot of questions about whether you want to continue, but I can assure you, you'll have time to think about this. You can apply through an internal application into the DNP. Columbia likes to accept their own students and generally, most students get accepted and if you aren't, it's probably because you were really struggling during the MDE.
A lot of students change their specialty, stop after the MDE, or apply to other schools after the MDE. And you will learn a lot about what you enjoy in nursing and how your personality fits in during the rotations.

What's the difference between flat-rate and per-credit rate tuition?

fnptobe123 · Feb 1, 2019

18 hours ago, abcdenrse said:
Hi, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. I wonder when and how much we would need to spend on buying scrubs, stethoscope, etc? Thanks.

Hi! I know you asked a couple questions that another MDE responded too as well. I'll try to aggregate all the responses here. Prices for supplies depended on where you bought them. You need scrub tops (must be purchased through school), scrub bottoms, and the school recommends two pairs of each. You also need a stethoscope, penlight, reflex hammer, watch with a second hand, and a few other items that you end up not really using (scissors, measuring tape, tuning forks - you will use one of them in health assessment). You also need to buy white shoes and account for travel expenses if you're coming into NYC to find apartments and get situated. So you will want to set aside at least $500. I think I ended up spending closer to $200 on all my supplies, but it's better to be safe. I did not buy any textbooks, except for one required one for the summer fundamentals of nursing course as there were videos that had to be watched and an access code to be used. A lot of textbooks are available through previous students and in most cases you will not need them for class but they are good supplemental resources. Most information is provided via ppt and from in class lectures.

In regards to the 21 credits question, it's not as bad as it seems. At any one time you're not really taking 21 credits because when Fall semester begins you rotate with each of the 5 rotations for 5 weeks at a time. There are two classes that run the course of the whole semester (3 classes in the Spring), otherwise you're switching between obstetrics, community, psych, pediatrics, and medical/surgical. It's a lot to balance, but it is doable. During the first semester semester is when you're balancing a lot at once, but again it's doable.

I hope I answered all your questions! Congrats and good luck!

abcdenrse · Feb 1, 2019

32 minutes ago, fnptobe123 said:
Hi! I know you asked a couple questions that another MDE responded too as well. I'll try to aggregate all the responses here. Prices for supplies depended on where you bought them. You need scrub tops (must be purchased through school), scrub bottoms, and the school recommends two pairs of each. You also need a stethoscope, penlight, reflex hammer, watch with a second hand, and a few other items that you end up not really using (scissors, measuring tape, tuning forks - you will use one of them in health assessment). You also need to buy white shoes and account for travel expenses if you're coming into NYC to find apartments and get situated. So you will want to set aside at least $500. I think I ended up spending closer to $200 on all my supplies, but it's better to be safe. I did not buy any textbooks, except for one required one for the summer fundamentals of nursing course as there were videos that had to be watched and an access code to be used. A lot of textbooks are available through previous students and in most cases you will not need them for class but they are good supplemental resources. Most information is provided via ppt and from in class lectures.
In regards to the 21 credits question, it's not as bad as it seems. At any one time you're not really taking 21 credits because when Fall semester begins you rotate with each of the 5 rotations for 5 weeks at a time. There are two classes that run the course of the whole semester (3 classes in the Spring), otherwise you're switching between obstetrics, community, psych, pediatrics, and medical/surgical. It's a lot to balance, but it is doable. During the first semester semester is when you're balancing a lot at once, but again it's doable.
I hope I answered all your questions! Congrats and good luck!

That’s very helpful! Thank you for your time! ?

abcdenrse · Feb 2, 2019

11 hours ago, The_Salty_Cat said:
Hi! Congratulations on your acceptance! In my year, they offered a $40,000 grant if you continue through the MDE seamlessly (but keep in mind tuition is now flat rate now instead of by credit). I am sure you have a lot of questions about whether you want to continue, but I can assure you, you'll have time to think about this. You can apply through an internal application into the DNP. Columbia likes to accept their own students and generally, most students get accepted and if you aren't, it's probably because you were really struggling during the MDE.
A lot of students change their specialty, stop after the MDE, or apply to other schools after the MDE. And you will learn a lot about what you enjoy in nursing and how your personality fits in during the rotations.

We'd appreciate it if you can tell us how much the total cost of tuition was for your cohort so we can compare and contrast with our new flat-rate tuition. You don't have to tell us how much scholarships you receive if you don't want to. Thank you!

katbx · Feb 3, 2019

On 1/31/2019 at 8:17 PM, fnptobe123 said:
Hey all! Current MDE, feel free to PM me to ask questions. I know I had a lot when I first got accepted and when I started. Would be happy to help you in any way I can!

Hey! Thanks for being willing to answer questions! how many hours can an MDE student expect to have by the time they graduate? Do you know of any students who studied abroad during the MDE and how that went? DO you know any MDE students who pursued research opportunities during their time there or after/ are there many research opportunities? Thanks again!

katbx · Feb 3, 2019

On 1/30/2019 at 11:03 PM, Merlin168 said:
Is anyone planning on commuting? I am thinking about commuting from Westchester, but I would have to drive for it to make sense and I am wondering about the parking situation. Anyone in the same situation?

I am also thinking of commuting from the Bronx but am curious about the parking on 168th...there are a lot of side streets/residential streets near 168 so i must imagine parking fluctuates, perhaps not that much at like 7/8AM.

fnptobe123 · Feb 4, 2019

18 hours ago, katbx said:
Hey! Thanks for being willing to answer questions! how many hours can an MDE student expect to have by the time they graduate? Do you know of any students who studied abroad during the MDE and how that went? DO you know any MDE students who pursued research opportunities during their time there or after/ are there many research opportunities? Thanks again!

Hey! I'm guessing you're asking about clinical hours - I believe we get about 1000 clinical hours if you add up both clinical days and simulation lab hours. In my cohort the study abroad is not until April when our integration begins, but Columbia has a huge network of global sites and I would say about 40% of my cohort is going abroad. I think everyone has been really busy with just getting though the program at this point, leaving little time for research, but there's a lot of resources you can always seek out. You can always reach out to faculty at the public health school or within the nursing school and ask to be involved in their research; just keep in mind you do have class every day and clinical once a week in the summer and twice a week Fall/Spring semester. It's a huge research university though, so you can always seek out the opportunities.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

The_Salty_Cat · Feb 5, 2019

On 2/1/2019 at 3:50 PM, abcdenrse said:
What's the difference between flat-rate and per-credit rate tuition?

The flat-rate tuition doesn't affect the first 3 semesters of the MDE. But it takes affect the last MDE and DNP semesters, as you will be taking fewer credits. But essentially, the change to flat-rate is a way for the school to get more money ? Columbia will tell you that you can fill up your semesters by taking classes at Public Health and during your DNP, you can choose a sub-speciality. But you will find that you won't have any time during the MDE to consider other interests and be sure to ask about the sub-specialities. In my year, they cancelled palliative care and HIV without letting our cohort know. I believe the only sub-specialty still happening is Women's Health.

The_Salty_Cat · Feb 5, 2019

On 2/1/2019 at 10:21 PM, abcdenrse said:
We'd appreciate it if you can tell us how much the total cost of tuition was for your cohort so we can compare and contrast with our new flat-rate tuition. You don't have to tell us how much scholarships you receive if you don't want to. Thank you!

The flat-rate tuition took effect for the 2018 cohort, so the 2019 cohort to feel this change. Here is the cost of attendance for 2018-2019. Hope this helps!

Tuition $82,234

CUMC Network Fee $585

Program Fee $150

Simulation Lab Fee $75

Student Activity Fee $105

Technology Fee $150

Transcript Fee $105

Health Insurance Fee $4,053

Room and Board $26,100

Student Health Fees $1,773

Transportation $1,452

Personal Expenses $2,050

Loan Fee $2,094

Budget totals....$123,326

I know this number is high, so you really want to consider the schools you were accepted to, what their financial aid packages look like, sit down and crunch some numbers, what your career goals are, and whether it's worth it to attend Columbia. There are outstanding nursing programs out there. I think my classmates and I can safely say...don't just pay attention to the name of the school.

abcdenrse · Feb 5, 2019

32 minutes ago, The_Salty_Cat said:
The flat-rate tuition took effect for the 2018 cohort, so the 2019 cohort to feel this change. Here is the cost of attendance for 2018-2019. Hope this helps!
Tuition $82,234
CUMC Network Fee $585
Program Fee $150
Simulation Lab Fee $75
Student Activity Fee $105
Technology Fee $150
Transcript Fee $105
Health Insurance Fee $4,053
Room and Board $26,100
Student Health Fees $1,773
Transportation $1,452
Personal Expenses $2,050
Loan Fee $2,094
Budget totals....$123,326
I know this number is high, so you really want to consider the schools you were accepted to, what their financial aid packages look like, sit down and crunch some numbers, what your career goals are, and whether it's worth it to attend Columbia. There are outstanding nursing programs out there. I think my classmates and I can safely say...don't just pay attention to the name of the school.

Hi, thank you for listing the numbers and advice for us! I appreciate it!