kangaroo2

Hi Liz, Not sure if you're still considering this, but I thought I would chime in. I've also been in your shoes before. It sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you'd be getting yourself into with medical school, and I think its very mature to assess whether its the lifestyle for you. But I also understand your point about not wanting to be working on becoming an NP for longer than med school will take. Both pathways are a big investment of time and money, so its important to chose wisely. I would suggest you consider some accelerated MSN programs where you do graduate eligible to be an ANP. Many of these programs will make you put down a specialty when you apply, but I think most are also willing to work with you if you change your mind throughout. If you think you're interested in pediatrics or family practice, you could pick one of those after doing some shadowing, while knowing you can change if needed. One nice thing about APNs is that you can add something on with a post masters certificate - so you could become an FNP, for example, and then later decide to go back for another year or so part time to do the PNP. Hows your decision coming along? You are welcome to PM me if you'd like some more specific info about this. Good luck!

Hey Category X, I was also a little displeased with the short turn around time - especially when they require such a giant deposit! $600 is a little overboard, I think. I am also doing some soul searching and lots of research by asking current students who are willing all of my questions. I can let you know what they've said if you want to send me a PM or something. What specialty are looking at and what other schools are you considering?

I talked w/ financial aid today and had some info I thought you all might be interested in. I was curious to know if the scholarship amount was likely to stay the same throughout all 3 years or if it would decrease by about the same amount that the tuition decreases (i.e. if it covers 30% of the 45k tuition, will it cover 50% of the 30k tuition, or will it decrease to cover 30% of the 30k tuition). The woman I talked to said while she doesn't know if the proportion of scholarship:total will stay the same, that the scholarship will definitely decrease in years 2 & 3 because the tuition is going to decrease. This might have been obvious, but I wanted to confirm it so I could make an educated decision on whether to attend given the cost.

I don't think it will look that bad - you usually get to explain anything that might stick out on your transcripts if you are applying to another program, and I don't think anyone would hold it against you that you dropped the classes because they weren't required by the school you attended. The most important thing in that case will likely be your transcripts from yale.

manhattandoula - I would drop the classes! I think they will teach you what you need to know, and if you got in then they think you will be able to learn the material w/o the prereqs. I would just enjoy your time now before you start grad school in the fall!

I also got the acceptance letter for CNM - I'm not totally sold on the program, though. For all those for who this your 1st choice - what are your reasons? (not meaning to rain on the parade here, congrats to all!)

Hi pro-student, How long do the dual FNP/CNM programs take to complete? I'm interested in doing something like this and would probably want to get one degree first and then complete the other part time while I'm working under my first degree. I'm sure it varies by school which courses they will waive for the post masters part, but I'm just looking for an estimate. I'm going to be entering an accelerated/masters entry NP program this fall (either a 2 year or 3 year program) but was also accepted to med school so could accomplish these career goals in family practice as well. Would getting a dual cert FNP/CNM be a similar time/tuition committment as med school (4 yrs school and 3 residency)? Thanks!

This is a great question! I see it hasn't had any response yet...if there aren't any NHSC scholars out there, how about midwives doing the loan repayment options? I'm looking at both and have questions for that route, too.

Yes, NHSC and other loan repayment programs are a great option - I would be planning on that too if I do attend a direct entry program. Its also an option for midwifery. Its too bad that 6 figure debt is the norm in these professions that are are so badly needed. Am I wrong in thinking that the starting salary after completing one of these programs is nowhere near 6 figures? It makes it a very tough financial decision, especially considering one could go to medical school for the same price tag at many state schools and make double the salary of an NP.

This thread hasn't gotten a lot of response, but in case anyone would like to know...I called the financial aid department at Yale today and they said the average student debt from the GEPN program is 109K - this is a little scary because most types of NPs probably won't see salaries close this for several years. I plan to call the BC department on Monday.

Thanks again for your comment! I did read this before the post disappeared. Which field did you get a masters in? Did you find it reasonable to work part time during your program? How much debt do you think this saved you from taking on? I know this might be an option for me as a gepn student after the first year. However, the debt will be much more as well because the prespecialty year for the gepn program is around $45K alone.

Hi, I started a thread on here last week but some how it got deleted... I am wondering if anyone who has gone or is currently a student at BC or Yale's master degree programs could share their experiences with the type of financial aid they received? Was it mostly loans, or were scholarships available, and how much scholarship money was available? Were there opportunities for teaching or research assistant-ships that offered tuition remission? If it was mostly loans, what are your experiences with being able to pay them back? I really appreciate any input, as financial considerations will be a big part of my decision in choosing a program. Thanks!

Thanks Krshmt! This is actually the ideal situation for me - to do the CNM curriculum, and then maybe just work in gny/women's health for awhile if I don't feel like its a great time for doing births and all that entails... I was wondering if many CNMs did that, and what the job market was like. Do you need the WHNP certificate as well? I'm not sure if this is possible, but if any of the CNMs you know who only work in gyn now might be interested in talking w/ me, I'd love the opportunity! Feel free to PM me. Any other CNMs out there w/ experiences of working in gyn/women's health but not catching babies?

Thanks! Does it make more sense to become a CNM instead of WHNP for scope of practice reasons? It seems that CNMs can do all the women's health care that WHNPs can do. Am I wrong about that?

Hello! I have been debating for awhile about becoming a CNM vs a WHNP. If I become a WHNP, how easy is it to transition into CNM training? Any idea how long this would take? I really like the 2 year GEP that BC offers for WHNP, and my thought is that I could do that now, work for a few years, and then go back to train as a CNM. Thanks!