First of all, I would like to congratulate everyone who has been accepted into the next starting cohort for this program!
I am starting this super early because I have already begun to freak out lol.
Is anyone applying for the MDE MDE/DNP or MDE/PHD program for 2017?
This is my dream program !!
I am prepping for the GRE at this point which I am taking in August. It has been a long arduous road for me to say the least and I am ready to send my app off with a prayer. Any advice from current/previous students of this program or applicants welcome! And to my fellow applicants what other programs are you applying to? And most importantly good luck to everyone. The application opens August of 2016
Same I've been volunteering at my hospital as well, im trying to look out for things to add cuz I am really interested, thanks for ur input i appreciate it! and Good luck to you too!
I'm applying for the 2017 MDE/DNP program, as well. I saw a few people say that they couldn't attend the info sessions because they live out of state. I just wanted to let you know that there is a online info session, too. I signed up for one on July 12.
I, too, am applying this fall for a summer 2017 start. I just graduated from UCSD with a degree in biochem. I'm pretty stressed about my chances of getting into a program since my gpa is pretty darn low (~3.0) and the only health care experience I have is volunteering at a hospital for a little under two years. But obviously that's not gonna stop me from applying.
I'm currently studying for the GRE which I'm taking in mid-August, and I'm spending the next year at CC finishing up my pre-reqs.
I've emailed countless NPs to ask about shadowing and I've had no luck. I've never worked because my family always discouraged it--they wanted me to stay in school and were afraid that if I worked I would drop out (silly, I know, but that's what happened to a lot of my relatives). I've wanted to do a CNA program but I've never been able to fit it in with school.
To make things worse, I never built any relationships with professors. I did well on some pre-req classes but my professors don't actually know me, so I feel like it's a long shot to ask for letter of rec. Unfortunately I can't ask my CC professors because the Columbia app is due mid-October and I won't be done with any classes there yet.
Anyone have wise words of advice for me to strengthen my app? I want this more than anything, as I'm sure you all do!
So UC student to UC student, I'm gonna ask you the questions I asked myself and tell you what I was told at a 2 day nursing conference at UCSF for their direct entry program, Boston College's direct entry program, and from students who got into Columbia, Yale, etc.
1) the fewer prereqs you have done, the smaller your chances are of getting in.(Direct quote from two admissions programs) If you have a lower GPA you need to show them that you're able to handle their prereqs with A's. Without those completed they have almost nothing to go off of
2) If you have a lower GPA, you NEED to have astounding work experience/volunteer experience/life experience that they can see on your resume and/or a GREAT story in your personal statement and vice versa
3) they favor the most well-rounded students with diverse experiences (languages you speak, places you've traveled, companies you've worked for, places you volunteered, anything that makes you STAND OUT)
4) A main area people fumble is not having solid recommendations and it leads to many reject letters they send out. Recommendations should be diverse and from people that know you well. If you don't have them from faculty, supervisors, volunteer coordinators, where would you find them?
5) If you're applying for the acute care route, then hospital volunteering is something. However, if you want to be a family nurse practitioner, they don't really work as often in acute care facilities. You need to know what/where your specialty works and why and have seen them in action
6) They don't want medical school rejects. If you can't define exactly why NP and exactly what you bring to the table to your specialty, you should spend more time soul-searching. I was directly told that by two schools. I always keep this one in mind. Their criteria are different in that "some" of there programs may be less grade focused in comparison to medical school, but they are less grade focused so that they can accept people who draw from their amazing extracurricular activities and life experiences to be the very best nurses possible.
7) Rushing to do healthcare experience a couple months before the deadline isn't meaningful healthcare experience. We want to see long term investments or else strengths learned from your previous career that can complement the NP profession. (Directly told that by both schools)
If I were in your shoes, I would wait another year. I waited another year and was able to do so much in that time and gather all my recommendation letters. Go abroad, learn languages, work in a vaccine clinic in West Africa using no english, etc etc. If the experience won't get you, the lack of strong recommendation letters will. If you just google "NP program/nursing program app downfalls" the first thing will be a lack of strong letters of rec. I'm not trying to be discouraging, but last year I had a similar talk with myself and spent the entire year making myself the best applicant possible to come to this point. If you don't feel like you're the best applicant possible yet, it may be worth your efforts to make yourself one. At the end of the day, you will be competing with students with all of their prereqs done, good test scores, good undergrad gpa's, applicable work experience, related volunteer work, graduate degrees, amazing research experience in public health, social justice, etc., and personal statements polished with the help of 5 other people. If you feel like you are ready today to compete with those people, then I absolutely wish you the best. If you aren't though, maybe I would wait.
Disclaimer: My grammar was horrendous in this comment. Please ignore it. I promise I can write the English language more coherently than this.
Hey everyone! I'll be applying to the MDE program too. Not sure if I want to apply to MDE/DNP straight away or wait til I'm finishing the MDE portion and apply to DNP. I do want to work in mental health, so I might do it now. Anyway, I actually applied to their ETP program, and was accepted, last May. I rejected my acceptance in order to go to law school. I went through a year of law school and realized it's not what I want to do. So I'm back here. Can't wait for the application to come out. Good luck everyone!
Ha - yes. That is terrifying. Seems like this app is a bit different from previous years. Honestly, I am happy to have it (assuming I don't totally mess it up) since I feel like my background doesn't necessarily make me an obvious candidate. Maybe showing that I can speak articulately about becoming a nurse - or whatever it is they ask - will help. We can do ittttttt
aspirnj
6 Posts
@futureprovider
Same I've been volunteering at my hospital as well, im trying to look out for things to add cuz I am really interested, thanks for ur input i appreciate it! and Good luck to you too!