Columbia University ETP 2011

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Thought it'd be a good idea to start a thread for prospective applicants to Columbia's ETP program starting Summer 2011. I was going to apply last year but passed on it in favor of working for another year.

Applications are due November 15, 2010! :eek: Right around the corner ...

Anyone else preparing for this also? :clown:

thanks a lot cu1234!

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WOW! Thank you cu1234 SO much for taking the time to type all of that up! I had an extremely busy undergraduate, so I think that this will absolutely be do-able. I can't wait to get to integration! Oh, another question: Where are the typical clinical sites for the mental/psych rotation? I think I am most nervous about this particular rotation. And what do you typically do during your different rotations? What is the summer rotation like?

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No worries, Ladubya, happy to try and make the transition into ETP easier. I know I had tons of questions last year and not a lot of answers.

Anyway, Summer clinicals are basically just getting acquainted with the hospital setting and caring for patients. You, plus your clinical group of like 7 others, are assigned a preceptor and a Med/Surg floor in a NYC hospital. While at clinical you learn/use the skills you learn in class and lab to assess patients and do basic procedures like inserting or d/c a foley catheter. You'll also be exposed to many of the conditions/pathophysiology you'll be learning about. By the end of the summer you'll be able to take care of/manage 2 patients on your own (well with your preceptor watching and the nurse as well :)

In fall clinicals it is broken down into 5 specialty areas: Psych, OB, Community Health, Med-Surg and Peds. Each of these rotations are for 5 weeks, 2x week. The groups are smaller and these rotations are more indepth/focused on using your learned skills and critical thinking skills. Your clinical preceptors expect a lot more from you during these rotations because you are "growing" into the RN role. I've loved my 5x5 experience and feel like I'm really "becoming" an RN.

Psych is varied in acuity. Mostly the sites are at NY Presbyterian Hospitals (Columbia's affiliated hospital system) but some are at non-NYP hospitals (like St.Luke's) and one is at the NY State Psych Institute (they do treatment/research here). Psych clinical was good, it's obviously not a hands on skill but it's really different and challenging. I know most non-psych specialty students were nervous but it turned out well. In Psych you'll interview patients, establish therapeutic relationships, do mental status exams, do a case study on a patient etc.

Hope this helps.

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cu1234,

thank you so so much for all this info!! you have no idea how grateful i am for all this info :)

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cu1234, Thank you so much for typing all of that out! I was kind of afraid of 'bootcamp' but I think it'll be do-able since my undergraduate was pretty intense as well. I have a question, I am attending visiting day next week by myself and was wondering what is the best way to get from JFK to Bart Hall. Jose recommended that I take the airtrain since traffic in the morning will be horrible. He told me to take the airtrain to Jamaica station and then the E to 42nd street and then the A to 168th. How straight-forward is taking the train and how will I know when my stop is and how to change trains? I know these questions are ridiculous (I've lived in California my whole life, never went without a car!) Thank you again!!!

I just paid my deposit! YAYY!!!

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cu1234, Thank you so much for typing all of that out! I was kind of afraid of 'bootcamp' but I think it'll be do-able since my undergraduate was pretty intense as well. I have a question, I am attending visiting day next week by myself and was wondering what is the best way to get from JFK to Bart Hall. Jose recommended that I take the airtrain since traffic in the morning will be horrible. He told me to take the airtrain to Jamaica station and then the E to 42nd street and then the A to 168th. How straight-forward is taking the train and how will I know when my stop is and how to change trains? I know these questions are ridiculous (I've lived in California my whole life, never went without a car!) Thank you again!!!

I just paid my deposit! YAYY!!!

hi hlu5,

i'm coming from california too! what time is your flight getting in? J is right about taking the trains... changing trains is pretty easy because there are signs everywhere so don't worry about getting lost or anything. there are also route maps on the train themselves so you can track where you are. hope this helps and hope to see you next friday!

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Hi guys, I've never taken the airtrain to campus (maybe someone else can jump in here) but by looking at the airtain map I believe you can take the "howard beach route" (the green one) and then transfer to the A train? The A goes directly to campus and is an express train. This is probably easier than all the transfers mentioned (ie go to Jamaica, transfer to the E and then to 42nd street and transfer to the A).

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Hi guys, I've never taken the airtrain to campus (maybe someone else can jump in here) but by looking at the airtain map I believe you can take the "howard beach route" (the green one) and then transfer to the A train? The A goes directly to campus and is an express train. This is probably easier than all the transfers mentioned (ie go to Jamaica, transfer to the E and then to 42nd street and transfer to the A).

the A takes a lot longer timewise than if you take the E then the A... from experience when i visited last summer. hope this helps!

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There you go (see I knew someone would know better than me...I'm also from CA). Take the E and then transfer to the when you are actually in Manhattan.

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It's about hour and fifteen min - hour and a half from Stamford. The metro north is a solid 45-50min, so I use this time to study, read, or sleep. There is another ETP student that I commute with and it's really not as bad as it sounds...During the summer and fall semester you go Monday-Friday. During the winter term (Jan-March), you go four days a week. March through June varies depending on your integration site (8wks a one hospital with one nurse--I was lucky to coordinate getting it here at Greenwich Hospital, so I won't be commuting at all March 20-May, yay!) During the Masters portion that I will start in June, it's only 1-2 times/wk.

In the summer class lasted till 4pm on Mon, Wed and Thurs. Tuesdays we had advanced phys from 4-8, Fridays done at noon. Remember, your schedule may differ from ours... In the fall we had class Mon. 9-6, Tuesdays 1-5, Wednesdays/Thursdays 7:30-3:30(clinical days), and Fridays 8-1. Spring Mon 9-4, Wed/Thurs 7:30-3:30 (clinicals), Friday 8-12.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

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hi hlu5,

i'm coming from california too! what time is your flight getting in? J is right about taking the trains... changing trains is pretty easy because there are signs everywhere so don't worry about getting lost or anything. there are also route maps on the train themselves so you can track where you are. hope this helps and hope to see you next friday!

Thank you Cu1234 and Ayu531! Where in California are you guys from? I am from Elk Grove (outside of Sacramento). My flight is getting in at 8am on the 4th, I couldn't get a flight that would get in earlier than this so I told J that I would probably be very late :-(. I just turned in my housing form but do you know what are the chances of us getting into on-campus housing? Or do you recommend living in an apartment? Also, how did you move your stuff to NY from california? Thank you again!!

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Thank you Cu1234 and Ayu531! Where in California are you guys from? I am from Elk Grove (outside of Sacramento). My flight is getting in at 8am on the 4th, I couldn't get a flight that would get in earlier than this so I told J that I would probably be very late :-(. I just turned in my housing form but do you know what are the chances of us getting into on-campus housing? Or do you recommend living in an apartment? Also, how did you move your stuff to NY from california? Thank you again!!

i'm actually an incoming student not a current student... i just visited last summer which is why it seems like i know so much which in reality i don't haha i'm from san francisco and my flight gets in on the 4th at 7 am... i don't think you'll be too late if your flight gets in at 8 cuz its rush hour so there should be plenty of trains and it should only take you about 1 hr 15 min-ish to get to columbia so you wont be too late.

cu1234, i also have the same questions about housing!

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