FuturePsyNP

I applied to the PMHNP specialty and was admitted (but will not be accepting). During my interview, the interviewer commented that my letters were very strong. Ideally, your LORs will be fairly recent and from people who know you well and can speak to your strengths/abilities in various capacities that translate to nursing. More important than how recent they are or how good a fit they seem is getting letters from people who know you very well and can write a STRONG letter. For instance, I graduated in 2014 and chose to get my academic reference letter from my former Italian professor/major advisor. I chose not to ask any of the science/psych professors I’ve since come into contact with while taking nursing school prereqs, even though a few of them were awesome. Why? Because I knew them from one or two classes that I took and earned an A in. Even a well-intentioned letter from them would not have been as strong as a letter written by my Italian major advisor/professor from 7 years ago, who I took many classes with and earned As in, who approved my academic transfer from the beginner track straight to the advanced track, who saw the strong work that I did in my internship abroad, who selected me for a departmental citation award, and who I’ve since kept in touch with via email. My other two LORs were from professional references. One was a former research supervisor who I worked with for 4.5 years. My current work supervisor/director of programs offered to write me a letter but I didn’t take her up on the offer because my former research supervisor has known me for longer and is a Stanford researcher with a PhD. This was a strategic decision because I knew that he could simply write a better letter. Lastly, I work with a few psych NPs but one of them really likes me and offered to write my letter. The fact that she offered signaled to me that she would have lots of great things to say. I could have chosen to get all my letters from psych NPs which would seem to make sense but ultimately would have been a disservice to me. The point is that your choice of letter writers should be strategic - the most obvious choice isn’t always the best choice.

Yes! To be clear, Columbia’s program is still more expensive annually and in total as compared to Yale, even with all the aid. The two main reasons are because it’s in NYC and because it’s four years as opposed to three, although you do earn both an MSN and DNP (or PhD). All of these nursing programs are absurdly expensive - let’s be real - but I don’t necessarily think you should “do what’s most affordable”. There are sooooo many nursing schools that would be cheaper, but you get what you pay for most times in life. These programs are the best and that’s why we’re here. I think it really comes down to your personal goals, fit, and financial situation.

What a sad little financial aid package. I was thinking *maybe* if Yale offers a generous award, I would accept. But, seriously! Columbia is more expensive - of course it's 4 years vs 3 years - but they offered me $180k in scholarships that I DON'T have to pay back. Yale offered me a measly $36,990. Well, this makes my decision easier!

Accepted for PMHNP ? Congratulations, all! Will likely be giving up my spot so good luck! I hope someone here gets it!

I was pre-med in undergrad and shadowed a few psychiatrists over a couple of years, and while I loved clinical psychopathology, I was ultimately turned off by the fact that the primary focus is on psychopharmacology. APRNs provide comprehensive care. Yes, they prescribe/manage medication, but they also provide psychotherapy, primary care services, etc. It's such a dynamic role. Still, it was really hard to abandon the MD route and pursue nursing because of the lower pay, but I don't regret it. My partner at the time was a corporate attorney who made insanely good money - but he was miserable. Hated his job and would become visibly depressed every Sunday because he knew he'd be back at work the next day. Seeing that gave me the courage to make the switch because I thought - I'd rather make less money than be in a profession that's not for me.

I think what's clear is that we all have very different backgrounds, experiences, goals, and motivations for choosing one program/school over another. I've conferred with both masters- and doctorally-prepared APRNs (generalists and those in my chosen specialty), reviewed as much information as I could get my hands on, looked at stats, etc to try and make my decision easier. Ultimately, I'm relying on my personal goals and extensive research (Stanford research background - cannot escape it!) on the programs and nursing profession to make my decision. We can't place too much stock in other people's opinions or perceptions anyway, because if we did, none of us would be here. Many people still don't "get" why direct entry nursing programs exist and are adamant that these programs don't adequately prepare ANY nurses to enter the field, ABSN, MSN, or DNP/PhD. The way I see it, if direct entry programs are developed and delivered by some of the best higher education institutions in the country and world, like Yale and Columbia, it's good enough for me. People's dusty opinions don't have much bearing on my life ?

My interviewer did take notes and referenced my application package (e.g., essays, LORs) with strong positive feedback. At the end of the interview, she said, "I'm going to do my best to advocate for you, and if there's another school you're considering, email me and I'll do my best to advocate for Yale and twist your arm!". I think it helped that I spent some time the night prior mentally crafting, but not rehearsing, responses to questions I anticipated I'd be asked. They asked all of them and a few more that I was prepared for because I'd answered them in essays for other programs I applied to. Even if I'm offered admission, I probably won't accept. I was admitted to Columbia's MDE/DNP program and am leaning heavily towards that because it's a 4-year DNP as opposed to Yale's 3-year masters. Plus, Columbia has the #1 DNP program in the country (US News rankings), has an amazing and innovative simulation center, and is in NYC. There has also been a push for the DNP to be the required level of preparation for advanced practice nurse roles in the future. And personally, it has always been my goal to earn a doctorate. I'm 99.9% confident that Columbia is the right choice for me. The only scenario I can imagine I'd consider Yale if I'm admitted is if they offer me a free ride basically.

Even though interviews have concluded, I’d like to share my experience because when I was reviewing the threads, I’d wished for more transparency regarding specific questions asked. The questions I was asked were: 1. Tell me about yourself 2. Why nursing? 3. Why psychiatric nursing? 4. Would you say you know the advanced practice role well? 5. Why Yale? 6. Tell me about a time you experienced conflict and how you handled it 7. Tell me about a leadership experience you’ve had 8. How do you manage stress and practice self-care? About 10 min were allotted at the end for questions. Hope this helps someone in the future!