Differences in CNM schools?

mednurse · Feb 14, 2006

I've been taking grad classes at UIC and I looooove it there, good luck.

ParalyzeDragon · Feb 15, 2006

What about University of Cinncinatti online. Is this a good program? The only other program in my state is Vanderbilt but is to expensive.

rigbyk · Feb 15, 2006

It's so nice to have all this info before I even begin my application process! i spoke with one of my instructors today who is a doctoral student here at BC, and she worked in CA for a long time & even at UCSF for a while. She said UCSF has a fantastic program but when she visited she felt the atmosphere to be extremely competitive even among professors, so that was interesting to hear as well. She also said she had heard negative things about Yale, that it had perhaps gone downhill and that they've gone through several deans in the past few years? Hmm. And I don't seem to be hearing ANYTHING good about Columbia. I've heard some really good things about Georgetown though, and they offer a 50% scholarship I'm interested in!!! Wee! Though UIC would probably still be more affordable even WITH the scholarship if I were to get it..ha. I am really excited about UIC now as well. If I could just get my fiance into the law school in the city of our choice we'd be all set...Unfortunately law degree programs are a lot harder to get into than midwifery programs I fear...

Also, I wonder if I could take Advanced Pharm my last semester at BC? I know they allow undergrads who sign up to do the accelerated 5th year master's program to take advanced pharm in their junior or senior years, and I'd be a last semester senior. Though I don't know if I'll want the headache my last semester when I COULD take just 4 classes for the first time..

naggytabby, BSN, RN · Feb 16, 2006

before you sign up for advanced pharm, check the regs/requirements (for your anp specialty, including cnm) for the state you wish to practice in after you graduate--some have restrictions on when you took advanced pharm before you graduate.

it happened to someone i know...

beckinben, CNM · Feb 16, 2006

before you sign up for advanced pharm, check the regs/requirements (for your anp specialty, including cnm) for the state you wish to practice in after you graduate--some have restrictions on when you took advanced pharm before you graduate.
it happened to someone i know...

I second this - in my state, you must take adv. pharm, assessment, and patho after being accepted and matriculated into the MS program in order to get prescriptive authority. Glad I learned that before I signed up for one. I took the master's nursing theory, statistics, and research classes while finishing the BSN, instead.

Becki, SNM (graduating Aug 2006)

lovingpecola · Feb 19, 2006

****"the financial aid office and administration office were much more honest and upfront with me than YSN .... I've overheard gossip that the Yale administration is aware many potential students, esp. RNs, won't apply here because of the cost. "******* CAN YOU CLARIFY THIS PLEASE? (I am considering Yale, and I would love to get more of an actual student's perspective) :rolleyes: ...

How was Yale dishonest with you?

UIC would have been cheaper for you only because you would have been a resident - knowing what you know now, would you still have chosen UIC over Yale *IF* they were the same price?

I just wanted to add my 2cents...the original poster was trying to compare schools including Yale and Columbia, and I just wanted to clarify something said in the first reply to the post....YES, Yale is very, very expensive...but Columbia is much, much MORE expensive than Yale, in fact more than $30,000 MORE than Yale....and my award package from Columbia is WORSE.

I agree UIC is a great school, by rankings especially. BUT, if you are an out-of-state applicant, the cost is over $12,000 per semester (as quoted in the info session), which is about the SAME as Yale and (as previous posters have said) don't count on having in-state tuition-but if you can somehow manage this, I'd go for it. I visited UIC and was not at all impressed, but maybe that was just my experience...I agree with the advice to not ignore your state schools...LOL, but there are some states that don't have these programs (including mine)! I wish I would have been more impressed with UIC, I was so excited about it before I actually arrived there and had my so-called information session!

**This is not to take anything away from the folks who are posting who actually attended or are currently attending these programs because they (obviously) have the first-hand experience of what these programs are like, and I haven't began my program yet!**

Selke · Feb 19, 2006

...............

epiphany · Dec 14, 2006

anyone from UPenn midwifery program

birthmamaew · Dec 17, 2006

I was accepted at Penn but am attending Georgetown. This was maily a decision that I made with my family in mind in regard to the financial aid I was offered and the timing of the program. Feel free to contact me if you'd like more info!

:)

allig · Mar 26, 2007

Hi there,

I applied to all the same programs for the 2nd degree bsn/msn/cnm program. I can only speak to UPenn's program, which I chose, ultimately because they gave me the best financial aid package.

However, I was sorely--appallingly--disappointed in the program and left. I stayed long enough to finish my BSN and took 4 of my MSN classes during that time. I found the academic standards to be insultingly low---it was very easy to get straight A's without attending a day of class. I expected a lot more out of an Ivy League school, especially for the price! I work alongside new nurses who graduated at the same time from local state RN programs (even just associates degrees) who I think got a much better clinical education than I did. Throughout the undergrad portion, I should in theory have had lots of interface with the midwifery faculty. It's a small program--only 4 students in my cohort, and 20 in that year's midwifery class. But I found the faculty to be completely disinterested and unresponsive to students' needs. I ended up doing my senior thesis with a professor of GERIATRICS (can you believe it? so my area!!!) b/c I couldn't find a midwifery faculty member who gave a darn. My own advisor in the course of a year woudn't respond to either ph calls or emails (not even to sign my graduation application! I had to find a proxy!) I'm not sure if they're just so into their research that they don't care much about students, or if they just have really low standards/work ethic...I've always had great relationships with professors at other schools...so the Penn midwifery faculty left me pretty befuddled, but also pretty bitter. And financially kaput!

Of the 29 people who started our BSN/MSN program, 13 people left at the end of BSN (about half because they hated Philly, the other half b/c they were disappointed with the school).

Needless to say, I just transferred to San Diego State (now doing the "traditional" master's route, since I already have my BSN). It may not be a fabulous program, but at least it's not 45 grande a year. And it's not Philadelphia! (which--Penn aside--is not a locale I would recommend to anyone!) I am much, much happier. I can honestly say that I had more direct communication (wonderful communication) with SDSU faculty long distance during the application process than I did with Penn's midwifery faculty over the course of a year and a half.

So, I guess I would say, don't go for a place just for the big name (which I doubt you are); no guarantees that you'll get a good education. I think that when it comes to grad programs, you can get just as good of an education and often better at a public university, because those schools tend to have faculty who are there because they love to teach, not because they have to teach in order to keep their research grants.

There were a couple students at Penn who transferred from Columbia's program because they weren't happy there--I'm not sure why though. I know 2 people who went to UCSF and loved it. And I've heard nothing but wonderful things about Frontier's program.

I wish I had better things to report about Penn, but I just really wouldn't recommend it. And I think the attrition rate speaks for itself. All the best to you in whatever program you choose!

Does anyone have any feedback on the qualitative differences between Yale's, Columbia's, U-Michigan's, UCSF's, Penn's, and Georgetown's CNM programs? I am interested in all of them but am wondering how to distinguish between them. I suppose if I got in with more financial aid at one or something; or if I like/dislike the towns/cities they are located in...but other than that, what are the real academica/program differences? Is anyone an alum that can give me benefits of one over the other? Anybody recently applied to these schools or visited?

27YearRN · Mar 27, 2007

We work with 4 midwives in our hospital. The one with the best bedside manner, the most common sense, and the best clinical skills went to the cheapest (instate) school. I don't think it matters if you are ivy league or not. What matters is how you practice when you are done.

The Ivy League grad (U Penn) did not like her program.

The "cheap" program at ECU cost our favorite midwife $2500 TOTAL for tuition. Books and such were extra, but jees, she could pay for her program as she went...

Pick the program that is right for you. Our midwives have students from all over the US because its the clinical training that matters, and clinical sites will take students from everywhere.

Just my 2 cents.

Nurse-One · Apr 19, 2007

wow, the responses on UPenn is making me second guess my desire to apply. I wanted to apply to UPenn just for the dual degree program NP/CNM and the commute would be resonable since I'd be away from my family, but if the clinicals and professors seem to suck then I need a plan 'B'.

Anyone else with good/bad experience that attended UPenn?