MGH IHP DE NP 2018

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Hi There!

Thought I'd start a thread for anyone applying for Fall 2018 entry. I'm about 3/4 of my way through the application and feeling a bit anxious and nervous about it all but mostly excited! :)

I'm all set to go to the DEN open house! I'm from NYC so I'm super excited to explore Boston and the campus. I look forward to meeting you guys :)

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Hi!

I have been admitted to the Direct-Entry Master of Science in Nursing Program (DEN) in the Family Nurse Practitioner Speciality at MGHIHP. I am from California and am facing a difficult decision. I need to choose between UCSF's Master's Entry Program in Nursing and MGH IHP's DEN Program. My goal is to return to Los Angeles after graduation to work as an FNP in LA and I have been told attending UCSF is a good option to achieve this goal. However, I have been offered a $90k scholarship by MGHIHP, and this would cover approximately 70% of the tuition. Whereas, UCSF will most likely not be able to offer as generaous a scholarship. I would love to hear some thoughts, what would you do?

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Hi!

I have been admitted to the Direct-Entry Master of Science in Nursing Program (DEN) in the Family Nurse Practitioner Speciality at MGHIHP. I am from California and am facing a difficult decision. I need to choose between UCSF's Master's Entry Program in Nursing and MGH IHP's DEN Program. My goal is to return to Los Angeles after graduation to work as an FNP in LA and I have been told attending UCSF is a good option to achieve this goal. However, I have been offered a $90k scholarship by MGHIHP, and this would cover approximately 70% of the tuition. Whereas, UCSF will most likely not be able to offer as generaous a scholarship. I would love to hear some thoughts, what would you do?

I'm facing a similar decision and also from California, except mine is between Columbia and MGH! I really can't decide either. $38,000 for a BSN AND MSN is SO GOOD. Let me know what you choose!

One benefit over UCSF is that you get a BSN and MSN compared to just a MSN though.

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Does anyone know what neighborhoods most current MGH students live in?

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Has anyone started looking into housing options? I'm from California and I'm worried about housing.. it seems a little early but since I've never really been to MA, I've been stressing over it already... Does anybody know what areas I should be looking into? Or perhaps when I should really start looking?

I can't make it to the Open House next month, but I was planning to taking a trip sometime in the summer to get to know the area and familiarize myself with the surroundings...

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Has anyone started looking into housing options? I'm from California and I'm worried about housing.. it seems a little early but since I've never really been to MA, I've been stressing over it already... Does anybody know what areas I should be looking into? Or perhaps when I should really start looking?

I can't make it to the Open House next month, but I was planning to taking a trip sometime in the summer to get to know the area and familiarize myself with the surroundings...

Hi! I'm from California too :) When people pay their deposits and we make a Facebook group, I think that's when we can start posts about roommate searches! Not sure when that will be though. MGH has an off campus housing database that we can use as well.

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I'm facing a similar decision and also from California, except mine is between Columbia and MGH! I really can't decide either. $38,000 for a BSN AND MSN is SO GOOD. Let me know what you choose!

One benefit over UCSF is that you get a BSN and MSN compared to just a MSN though.

@qbcd08 and @ABfutureNP, I was in a similar boat as you. I was deciding between UPenn and MGH. MGH gives me $60,000 scholarship, which is probably easier than you. After some extensive research and self-reflection, there are several factors I decided on. First, is the school going to provide extensive support for all the students in case of academic failure, clinical placement, future job search? Does that school has the resources to ensure the success of all its student? Second, will I be adequately prepared to practice when I graduate? I can make mistake as a learning process while I am a student, but if I make mistake after graduation, I am risking my license. My friend told me that it is better to feel prepared with a large sum of loan than feeling scared to practice with a large sum of loan. Third, is there any way I can pay off the large debt in the future? If the answer is yea, I realize that I should not let money be the only deciding factor.

That being said I decided on UPenn. Hopefully, the scholarship they give me will be allocated to other students in need. @qbcd08 and @ABfutureNP, feel free to PM if you will like to talk about it too.

Best of luck!!

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@qbcd08 and @ABfutureNP, I was in a similar boat as you. I was deciding between UPenn and MGH. MGH gives me $60,000 scholarship, which is probably easier than you. After some extensive research and self-reflection, there are several factors I decided on. First, is the school going to provide extensive support for all the students in case of academic failure, clinical placement, future job search? Does that school has the resources to ensure the success of all its student? Second, will I be adequately prepared to practice when I graduate? I can make mistake as a learning process while I am a student, but if I make mistake after graduation, I am risking my license. My friend told me that it is better to feel prepared with a large sum of loan than feeling scared to practice with a large sum of loan. Third, is there any way I can pay off the large debt in the future? If the answer is yea, I realize that I should not let money be the only deciding factor.

That being said I decided on UPenn. Hopefully, the scholarship they give me will be allocated to other students in need. @qbcd08 and @ABfutureNP, feel free to PM if you will like to talk about it too.

Best of luck!!

Thank you so much for your input! I've heard good things about MGH's program from current students too, and they feel it adequately prepares them to start off as a new nurse. That's why it's so difficult to choose, since both programs are good! Everybody I've spoken too from both schools told me that no program will truly prepare you for nursing though, and that the learning will come from experience and working.

I've sent you a PM, thanks! Are you a current student at UPenn right now, by the way?

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Hi all - Congratulations to those who have been accepted and good luck to those on the waitlist!

I was accepted to the DEN program in the FNP speciality, also with a large scholarship and am currently making the very difficult decision between going to MGH and going to Penn. My heart has been set on Penn but finances are a substantial concern for me.

Some questions I have about the MGH program, if anyone is able to shed some light:

Is it possible to work part time as a nurse during the masters component? / to take time off after the ABSN to work before starting the MSN?

Are people aware of the NCLEX pass rates and the and FNP board exam pass rates?

Does anyone know if it's possible to switch MSN specialities at MGH? I am pretty set on becoming an FNP, but believe that the hands-on experiences in the ABSN clinical placements and the connections we make professionally can influence our specific interests, so that flexibility is important to me!

The information session I went to said that clinical placements were guaranteed in the ABSN (though maybe not our top choice placements) - are people aware of whether this guarantee is also true for the MSN component?

Thanks in advance and good luck to those making the hard $ vs. fit decisions!

Also, since this came up in other posts - I've also heard that students exiting the program at MGH are very well-prepared and well-trained. The reputation is strong, and the faculty seem to be amazing.

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This is probably a silly question, but does anyone know what happens to scholarships if someone turns down their admissions offer? I was admitted but not given a scholarship, and I'm curious if unused scholarships are ever then offered to other admitted students.

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They informed me that scholarship allocations are fixed, but it is probably worth calling their office and asking. The financial aid advisor Alexis Guay seems really willing to help.

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Hi all - Congratulations to those who have been accepted and good luck to those on the waitlist!

I was accepted to the DEN program in the FNP speciality, also with a large scholarship and am currently making the very difficult decision between going to MGH and going to Penn. My heart has been set on Penn but finances are a substantial concern for me.

Some questions I have about the MGH program, if anyone is able to shed some light:

Is it possible to work part time as a nurse during the masters component? / to take time off after the ABSN to work before starting the MSN?

Are people aware of the NCLEX pass rates and the and FNP board exam pass rates?

Does anyone know if it's possible to switch MSN specialities at MGH? I am pretty set on becoming an FNP, but believe that the hands-on experiences in the ABSN clinical placements and the connections we make professionally can influence our specific interests, so that flexibility is important to me!

The information session I went to said that clinical placements were guaranteed in the ABSN (though maybe not our top choice placements) - are people aware of whether this guarantee is also true for the MSN component?

Thanks in advance and good luck to those making the hard $ vs. fit decisions!

Also, since this came up in other posts - I've also heard that students exiting the program at MGH are very well-prepared and well-trained. The reputation is strong, and the faculty seem to be amazing.

Let me know what you end up choosing! I'm in a similar situation.

From talking to current students, I found out that you aren't awarded your BSN until you graduate with the MSN. It's hard to break into Boston's healthcare job market as a student and new grad without experience. Even if you wanted to work, you might not be able to find a job especially since you won't have your degree yet. You might be able to work as a personal care assistant, just not as an RN.

Switching specialties might work like other schools, where you have to apply to the other specialty? I'm not entirely sure though.

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