Karotte

Hey, I graduated from the UCSF Mepn/CNM program and can provide my opinion based on my own experience. 1) I had very little birth experience, but I did have international maternal health research experience, so it is possible to get in with few births under your belt. That being said, it is worth your while to get more birth experience, especially in a hospital environment, if you can (as a doula?). I only say this because that would best reflect the type of training you would receive as a CNM student at UCSF. I had very little understanding of how the typical hospital L&D unit works, and I think my idea of the role of the midwife was a little rosier than it should have been. I think more exposure definitely has its benefits, but I understand the pressure of wanting to start a family. 2) MEPN is so intense and midwifery school is even more so. If you can avoid it, I would not have a baby in the middle of all of that. It's just too much. I did get pregnant at the end of midwifery school & gave birth 6 months after graduation. The truth is that your first job as a new grad CNM has a learning curve just as steep as being in school. I wanted to enjoy my son's infancy and decided not to immediately take on the advanced practice role. It's been 2 years since I graduated and I am finally starting my first job. The timing feels right. I would avoid having a baby before or during school. You'd probably end up feeling like either your schooling or your family were short changed. It's so hard to juggle school, job, family... but it does somehow work out. Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions!

I took the exam Aug 1 and my name was posted on the website by Aug 3. Keep in mind that the BRN will wait to post your results if they don't have your school transcripts or other necessary documents by the time you take the exam.

Oooh, that hot topic. There were a few people trying to get pregnant, and two student who were vocal about their pregnancies at the end of the year. Yes, there's a summer break after MEPN from June until the beginning of September. I think most pregnant MEPNS choose to take a year off to be full time moms. Trying to get jobs when pregnant can be difficult and there are often a lot of conflicting priorities. It seems like it's doable to make it through MEPN while pregnant, although it all depends. Hyperemesis gravidarum? It would be hard to keep up the pace if you're not feeling well.. As you probably know, a lot of women can't perfectly time their pregnancies, even after "taking charge of their fertility" and measuring temps and cervical fluid. So, that makes scheduling a little tricky. I think it's also important to consider the challenges of being in the Master's portion with an infant at home...or while breastfeeding? childcare? all of that. Good luck with your planning!

I'm going to be starting work as an RN on an inpatient psych unit in a couple of months. As I've been thinking about it, I've realized that the suicide issue is definitely the one I'm most concerned about. I know it happens relatively rarely, but I'm not sure how I would deal with finding someone who was "successful"...

Wow, looking for books already? You're on top of it. Don't worry, you'll get a book list mailed to you soon. You'll also be partnered with a current MEPN "buddy" and hopefully that person can hook you up with their books, or point you in the right direction. That's how it worked out for many of the current MEPNs.

None that I know of...

Another hospital to consider in San Francisco is San Francisco General Hospital - especially if you are interested in trauma nursing and/or working with underserved populations. As a student graduating from an accelerated program in June, I'm in the midst of a mad rush for jobs right now. The good thing about San Francisco and the Bay Area is that hospitals are familiar with accelerated programs and may be more comfortable hiring students from such programs. Honestly, most everyone in my program applied in late March/early April, and by now UCSF and SF General have most openings fillled. I would recommend applying at least this early, and offering to fly out for interviews. There are a lot of student graduating around here... Good luck to you both, and I'd be happy to answer any other questions. :)

I'm in UCSF's MEPN program, midwifery track. Feel free to private message any questions you may have.

Congrats to everyone that made it! You'll learn a lot!

UCSF is accepting more MEPNs because the MEPN program received more funding. Simple as that. Good luck!

Yes, I found out in late December that they were intereste in interviewing me. Then you interview, and get to wait some more. The good news is - if you haven't heard already - UCSF will be accepting 90 MEPNs this year instead of 75. So there will be 180 people to interview...

So, in the world of nursing, which jobs tend to be the most attractive and popular?

I'm in a program that offers RN-MSN and we're not required to take a year off between RN and MSN, but many students do. Even though we "only" get the RN, nobody has any trouble finding jobs. Two months into the program, we are already being wooed by hospitals. It might be a regional thing (I'm in CA), but in our case the RN/BSN distinction is not important to finding work.

I had the same problem in SoCal. I tried to get into anatomy at Long Beach City College and was 102 on the waitlist. By the time I started searching for the class at other schools, they were all full as well. The admissions/registration people at Golden West College (Huntington Beach) were generally really nice and helpful. I took a Spanish class there so I could register as a continuing student and managed to slide into one of the last 8 spots in anatomy the following semester. And once I got that done, I got into Physiology no problem. FYI, at Golden West you can petition every single section of the class and try to get in. The instructor usually pulled names out of a hat to fill the spots of people that didn't show up. If you didn't get pulled out the first time, you could petition the second anatomy class that day, and then the third...seems like your odds are better that way than via waitlist. Anyway, good luck! I know how frustrating it is!

Hi Nidhi, I'm a current UCSF MEPN, so I thought I'd share some thoughts on the program. First of all, it is quite competitive - this year there are 76 students chosen from over 500 applicants. That being said, it does depend on which specialty you choose. It's my understanding that midwifery and the family nurse practitioner track are the most difficult to get into. I don't think your BA in Literature will put you at a disadvantage. Make sure you take the prerequisites for the program (Stats, A&P), while also keeping in mind that the California Board of Nursing has certain requirements for becoming a registered nurse. You'll need a certain number of social science courses, at least one psychology course, and at least one communications course... As long as your major covered that, you're fine. As far as volunteering goes, I think it's very important. Find something you're interested in - or better yet - passionate about. Most MEPNs have extensive volunteer or research backgrounds in the health sciences. I think you should shoot for GRE scores of at least 500 points in V and Q. Good luck with everything, and feel free to ask any other questions.

Based on my research, every direct entry MSN program seems to have a different list of prerequisites (which can be frustrating)...check out the schools you are interested in and CALL THEM to ask your question. My grad program required proof of prerequisite completion prior to starting the program. Plus, some of the prerequisites have to do with the state's Board of Nursing, and their requirements in bestowing an RN liscense to direct entry students. For instance, the state of CA requires Anatomy, Physiology, Stats, Psychology and a number of other courses...thus even if my grad program had accepted me without the prereqs, I wouldn't be able to get an RN liscense from the state....

Congrats on deciding to become a nurse! I just started a direct entry MSN program last week, which has been very exciting. I decided to go the direct entry route because I was sure of my specialty (midwifery) before I even loked into the options... Take some time to look at what your role as a nurse vs. an advanced practice nurse in the different specialties looks like. Are you drawn to any in particular? The more you inform yourself via the internet and people in those professions, the clearer your ultimate goal may become. Also, I know that there are direct entry programs that don't make you chooe right away (UPenn comes to mind)...I'm sure there are more. Good luck!

Bambou, Did you get at least a 500 on the verbal GRE? I think at least a 500 on each section of the GRE is what the school expects. That being said, I think the variables other than GRE, including language skills, volunteer and international experience are much more important. The MEPN program is very diverse in just about every way, so remember the fact that UCSF really does value bringing different experiences to the table. So, do your best on the GRE. If you didn't get at least 500, perhaps you could take it again. Even if it's not a stellar score, focus on all of the other strengths you listed (and of course your passion for advanced practice nursing) and you will probably be fine! Good luck!

I'm also in CA and will be starting the Master's Entry program at UCSF next month. It seems like a good deal, comparatively speaking - 27,000 for the first year, 13,000 for the second and third. In addition to Stafford Loans, it seems like the GradPLUS is the way to go. It's just starting this summer, so it's brand new. The fixed 8.5% interest rate stings a bit, but I guess it's better to have it capped than not...

Long Beach is about an hour north of Laguna Beach. There are young people (Cal State Long Beach), and I would not describe the weather as humid or damp. I've lived in NC, and compared to that, it never feels humid here.

Just wanted to mention that I really like living in Long Beach. I live 2 blocks from the beach, close to downtown and the OC border and I think it's really fun. Plus, rent is reasonable - I pay less than $1,000 for a one bedroom and I do not live in a bad area. People are laid back, the weather is great, and I like taking long walk on the ocean every day. :) Someone mentioned that there's a VA hospital here as well.. I'll be moving to SF next month, which is even more exciting, but I definitely liked Long Beach a lot.

Congratulations, tiareeser! I'm starting to think about moving to SF, finding housing, my husband's job hunt, etc. It's a lot to think about!

Congrats, bostongal! I think we met at the orientation - you're interested in being a periatric NP, right? Will you be attending UCSF?

So, it seems like everyone here is from the North East... I'll be starting the Midwifery program at UCSF in June (I still can't believe it's that soon! 3 months! AHH!), I'll be moving from SoCal to San Francisco, so there's a lot to think about right now. Congrats to everyone! It's great to feel like you're on the way to your dream!

Diddle, Let me share what I've heard: 1. It sounded like the FNP and Midwifery tracks are the most competitive. 2. I got in the first time around, so it can be done!! Good luck!!