graceface

hi myelin! i applied for adult psych but i heard that the psych np credentialing is getting streamlined into family psych by 2014. so i think everyone graduating after that will only have the option to get their psych np credential in family psych. i think this makes sense because mental health is inherently a holistic field which encompasses people's social environments, especially the family. if anyone else knows about the streamlining happening in psych np credentialing, please feel free to confirm or disconfirm this information!

I have heard that there are many more funding opportunities in the Masters portion of the program. I think contacting someone in your speciality about future funding and looking through the MEPN Financial Aid website may be a good place to start! I was also shocked, sad, and angry when I got the out-of-the-blue "hey what's up? by the way, you will have to have about $30,000 more in tuition. hehe" message in my inbox. But I am going to do my best, hope for more funding in the 2nd and 3rd years, and look forward to my career in psych nursing. Good luck!

thanks for the update, myelin! i'm excited to meet you and the other people in the program too :)

hi y'all! do you know the start day for the MEPN program? i read somewhere that is was June 15th and then I also read somewhere else that it was still TBA.

The administration at the Nursing School at Columbia has been wholly insensitive and unresponsive to my questions and needs as a student. When I asked simple questions about the training components in the program, I was consistently treated impatiently or aggressively. I think an integral component of a high quality education is respect. I am declining my admission to the ETP program because I do not think the program has a culture of respect for their students. However, I am happy to say that I do not believe that the students in the program exude this negativity. The students at Columbia that I have spoken with were respectful, honest, and helpful. I appreciated their input very much. However, I do not believe the leadership of the program truly care about their students I recommend that prospective students contact program leaders (i.e., directors, faculty) to see if they are able to communicate and treat you with respect. This was an important factor for me, especially for a decision that would involve over $100,000 and at least 3 years of my life. I want to point out that this is my personal opinion based on personal experience. I hope you make your decision based on your own personal experience as well.

Dear New Class of ETP, Congrats! I am looking forward to joining the program in May 2012. I am messaging because I won't be able to attend Visiting Day in early March. Let me know if you plan on going and are willing to talk with me about your experience afterward!

Thank you for each of your input on this forum. I am interested in learning more about being a CRNA and would LOVE to shadow someone. I live in Oakland, California and I am willing to commute for an opportunity to learn more. Can you help? Thank you!

Thanks for the update, mfg83. I'm happy to hear that you spoke with someone who hires CRNAs. I am also excited that you will be speaking to a recent grad as well. It took me a long time to find one! It will be great to get more perspectives. Where are you from, mfg83? Another concern that I had which may or may not apply to you is that I want to return to California after graduating. The student I spoke with said that the the program at Columbia helps students easily find CRNA jobs in NY because the program provides clinical placements at the best hospitals in NY. However, the student said that finding a job in CA would be much more challenging. The student explained that this was mostly because most CRNA jobs are about networking and personal connections. Are you planning on staying and working in NY after the program or moving to another state? Can you ask the other student you are going to speak to about this matter?

I am expressing the opinion of one person who entered the ETP NA program a few years ago. So I can't say with confidence if what I had is true or applies to the program currently.

I appreciate the conversations and input on this forum. Thanks! The ETP NA student I spoke with had entered the program two or three years ago. She did mention that she was not sure how the program might have changed. I am excited to hear good news from someone who entered the program more recently. Thanks for sharing, FL4763! mfg83, the student I spoke with did not talk about spending a majority of clinical time in the ICU. Thanks for letting me know! Are you planning on going to Visiting Day on March 2nd? Regretfully, I won't be able to go. Another thing that I heard from the student I talked to was that the NA track at Columbia does not train its students well in certain types of regional blocks, which can limit the types of CRNA jobs you are qualified for after the program. She said it would be difficult to go into some more independent practices. However, the student also said the strengths in training included general anesthesia, epidural blocks, and a few others. Do you have any perspective on this, FL4763?

Thanks for sharing, wtbcrna and nursemw. Also, Glad to meet another admit in Columbia' nurse anesthesia prg. I found it challenging to find current student and alumni contacts. I was able to reach one person who is a current ETP student and the future did not look very bright...and especially for the ICU portion of the prg.Let me know if you want to chat further about this.

I've heard that finding an RN job in NY is very difficult because the market is saturated with new graduates. Is anyone currently a nursing student, recent graduate, or RN in NY and have an opinion on this matter?

Does anyone have current knowledge about the rate or level of ease/difficulty for fresh BSN graduates wanting ICU jobs in NY? I was recently admitted to Columbia University's accelerated ETP program and I am exploring if the program is the best fit for me. I want to be sure I will be able to find a job if I am going to choose to pay $80,000 in tuition.

Thank you for your input! I am seriously reconsidering joining the ETP Anesthesia program at Columbia. I am looking for current ETP Anesthesia students and alumni to talk with and learn about their experiences in the program and their preparation as CRNAs. If this applies to you, please send me a PM or reply to this thread.

Hi A1551, Thanks for sharing your input in the forums. I was accepted into the ETP Anesthesia program this year. Can I ask you about your experience in the program? If you send me a PM, I can give you my email and phone number.

do you have any input or opinions on sgmaygeorge's questions below? i am considering moving to ny from ca to attend the etp anesthesia program there. the program requires students to find an icu job after completing the first year (bsn portion) of the etp program. i was wondering if any current students (post etp) could comment on the job market in nyc for new nurses and a salary range that a new rn in nyc can expect? also how much does having a bsn matter --*i think a lot of us are also looking at other direct entry schools that do not award the bsn. i ask because i think a lot of us are planning on working as an rn (either stepping out for a full year or concurrently with the masters portion) as a way to offset the crazy cost as well as gain experience.

Hi futurecrna16, I was accepted into the ETP Nurse Anesthesia program starting in May 2012. I also have similar concerns regarding the gaining adequate ICU experience after the first year in the program. Also, I have read in some forums that it is difficult to get hired into an ICU unit out of the ETP program. This potential Catch-22 worries me. Are you in the ETP Nurse Anesthesia program now? Do you have any advice, warnings, and tips regarding securing an RN position in the ICU after the first year in the program? Thank you.

Hi jqfish, Thanks for sharing this information with us. I am a new ETP student coming to NY from CA. I will be in NY Jan 26th to Jan 30th. I plan on coming to CSON on January 27th to check out the school because I may not be able to attend admit day in March because I left my job this month and I am currently doing volunteer work. If you are available to meet with me to speak briefly about your experience in the program, I would greatly appreciate it. I would also be open to meeting anyone who you think would be interested. I know you and the other students must be extremely busy, so I am just hoping for the best.

Hi greenscout, I talked about my experience/grades in response to ariana22's post. Other things I forgot to mention which might be relevant is that my GRE was 1300 and I was an assistant teacher at UC Berkeley for a course which covered topics in consciousness, neurology, and anesthesiology. Let me know if you have more questions.

Hi ariana22, I did apply for early decision. I'm not sure what you mean specifically by experience, but here are my general stats. GPA: 3.8 Worked primarily in mental health, child development, public policy. Most of my experience was in research and teaching at UC Berkeley and Stanford University. I also worked with First 5 California, which supports education and health services for poor children and their families. I discovered that I loved the fast-paced hospital and health care setting when I started doing research at a General Hospital last year.

I recently got accepted into the ETP Nurse Anesthesia program for 2012. If you are a current ETP Nurse Anesthesia and are willing to briefly talk to me about your experience in the program, I would greatly appreciate it.

I am planning on entering the ETP Nurse Anesthesia program this May 2012. Is anyone is willing to talk to me about their experience at Columbia? Thank you!