Has anyone done the externship at University of Michigan?

[pre-nurseshan]

I'm thinking way way ahead here (waiting for Spring 13 SON acceptance right now ) but I like to have some sense of what options are available to me down the road.

What is the externship like? What do you get to do? Do they accept GNs from outside UM/out of state? Was it valuable/ a foot in the door to UMHS? What is UMHS like to work for?

Thanks so much for any responses!

[pre-nurseshan]

:bump:

[allybear]

I've participated in the extern program at U-M. It was a fantastic experience. They described it as "at the beginning of the externship, you will be observing your preceptor. Throughout the program, you will take on more responsibilities until at the end where your preceptor is observing you providing care to a team of patients." You can do many things that graduate nurses can do, with the exception of administering meds (and some other things, but you can be right there with your preceptor as he/she does it). They expect you to act independently and it kind of becomes an experience similar to a new hire orientation. One of the only drawbacks I can think of to learning at a big teaching hospital like UM is that nurses aren't expected to do certain "nursey" things, like putting in NG tubes, or even sometimes starting IVs. Sometimes that can be a bummer when you're trying to learn as much as possible, but hey if a doctor wants to put in an NG tube then by all means they can go for it The members of the healthcare team at U-M including MDs and their students, nurses, techs, PT, etc., are all fantastic to work with. It is obvious that the level of excellence UM professes carries over into how staff interact and are treated. They do accept students from out of state. As I have not yet pursued any jobs at UM (it is a far commute from my current home), I cannot speak to how valuable it is in obtaining employment but I can say that any externship looks great on a resume, as well as a job at UM. We worked closely with people in recruitment and retention, and they updated us on job opportunities, even offering us the first shots at certain positions. They really want their externs to work in the health system. Additionally, they told us that they would help us to find jobs at UM if we desired and would recommend us to managers. I hope to go back to UM in the future, if my externship is any indication of what it is like to have a career there, I couldn't ask for much better as a nurse.

[pre-nurseshan]

Thanks for your response - that is both exactly what I expected and exactly what I wanted to hear. Do you have any idea what the applicant:acceptance ratio is?

[allybear]

I think it's around 50 people accepted, and I think around 200 apply? Give or take a few. Doesn't hurt to apply, and volunteer experience is something they definitely look for, fyi.

[TammyAmmy]

Hi

I was reading your response to this question. Very helpful information. I've recently been accepted into a program. I was wondering if you could tell me how much the stipend is. The program will be my number one priority, but i still have financial obligations. Thank you.