CPNE Application

I think there are things in the materials they send you that have to be filled out -- health status form, a study module for infection control that you have to read, then sign documentation saying you read it ... I think those things have to be submitted with your application. I did find those on the EC website, though, and downloaded them; you could do that and get a head start on it. But I don't think they take that long to ship your ginormous binder (AKA "carjack") to you once you're eligible. That's what I've heard, at any rate!

How exciting ... I'll be right behind you after October 17th when I take my final concepts exam!!

Yeah, I need to dig out my immunization record and make an appointment with my doctor. Luckily at the hospital where I work, they keep records in our employee health department of our immunizations and TB tests, so I should be able to get that, then take it to my doc. But I might have to get another MMR -- I think I only have one documented, even though I've had it more than once. And I might get a varicella vaccine titre done -- I never had chickenpox as a kid, so I got the vaccine a few years ago, before starting paramedic school. I'm wondering if it worked, because I had an awful localized reaction to the second half of the vaccination. But I've taken care of patients with shingles and chickenpox, and never gotten it ... who knows? :)

What a bunch of hoops! I'll start jumpin' through them soon ...

I enrolled last July (2006), but didn't take my first exam until just this past May (2007). I didn't realize I could take exams before enrolling ... whoops. I was studying VERY slowly for A&P, but a couple of things helped me kick it up a notch -- first and foremost, I got a sizeable scholarship from the hospital's Ladies Board that I had to use within a year. The second thing was the discovery of study guides. Previously I had been working my way through the A&P textbook and the accompanying study guide. It was slow-going, but then I met another Paramedic who was doing the Excelsior thing, and he told me about the various YahooGroups for EC students. I joined a couple of those and read about TCN and Chancellor's study guides, and that's what I ended up using. So it really hasn't taken me all that long ... my first exam was May 14th, and my last concepts exam before I'll be CPNE-eligible is scheduled for 10/17. I still have to take Micro and do the sociology and human growth/development CLEPs in the interim, too.

Don't be hard on yourself for not taking exams yet ... but you're wise to set a deadline for yourself to get started. :) Stick to it! My problem with A&P was that I never felt ready, never felt ready, never felt ready ... then I just went ahead and scheduled the darn thing! (And once I took one exam, I was just as you said you'd be -- full speed ahead!) I've done that for all my exams -- I schedule it, then study for it up to the deadline. It works well for me. You might find that some subjects will take you more than a month, some less, depending on your current level of knowledge of a particular subject. :)

Good luck!

Wooo hoooo!!! You go, grrrrrl! LOL

My last concepts exam (NC6) is tomorrow. YAY!!!