Medora

I am currently half-way done with NYU's 15-month accelerated program. It is incredibly expensive (I only received a small scholarship), but with nursing salaries today, I feel okay about taking out pretty big loans to pay for a short ticket to my RN. The program itself hasn't really lived up to all my expectations, but the clinical experiences make up for it. NYU has contracts with almost every hospital in the metro area, so by the time I'm done with the program, I think I'll have a good idea where I do and don't want to work. The lectures are huge because they have started letting in a lot more students. There's now a Spring semester start for the 15-month program too. I love the location and NYU's college facilities. I am glad I went, but if taking out loans is a problem, it probably isn't the place for you.

I posted here when I first got into NYU 15-month accelerated program. Now I'm half way done, and I want to make a few comments to anyone considering it in the future. The best part of the program is how short it is. I've come to realize that although a longer program might help with some of the anxiety of the first day on the job, a lot of the learning will happen once you start to work. Another good part about NYU's programs are the clinical opportunities. They have contracts with Mt. Sinai, NYP, NYU (obviously), Mamoides, St. Vincents, LICH, Bellevue and more. I've already had clinicals at 4 diffierent hospitals, which helps sort out all the options for after graduation. Finally, NYU is in a fun location and the perks, like the library and the gyms, are great. The negative aspects of NYU: disorganization. Starting last fall, they began accepting about twice as many nursing students into the accelerated program. My lectures have over a hundred students and sometimes my labs have over 25. Clinicals are still small(ish) with 8 students or less. It seems like the staff, despite their good intentions, have no way to stay on top of everything. The professors are generally pretty good, although some (specifically the Fundamentals of Nursing professor) are totally loony. Most of the learning takes place in the clinical and all the rest is mostly jumping through hoops. When all is said and done, I think I will just be glad it was such a quick entry into nursing practice. I wish my experience was a little better, but since it's mostly a skill-based profession, it doesn't matter so much where you learn the skills as long as you are able to do them and can get hired afterward.

It's a shame no one replied. I have the same question. I'm considering Lenox Hill, Mt. Sinai, NYP-Cornell, and NYU Tisch. Anyone have some advice? I would like to work in a step-down unit or possibly in L&D.

In response to someone's question about working at Bellevue, I am completing my adult health clinical in the ICU/CCU right now for NYU nursing school. The facilities on the ICU floor (floor 10) are very modern and clean. There are nurses' stations right outside of every 3rd patient's room and med rooms behind every nurses' station. The patients' rooms all have nice views. So far the nursing staff has been positive, accommodating and competent. I had clinical on a med surge floor at Bellevue for the first half of the term (15th floor) and I would say about the opposite for everything about that experience. I guess it really does matter which unit you work on.

I'm sitting at my silly office job wishing I could be there for the orientation today. I hope it's going well. Let me know all about it!!!

Ooops, I meant AndyRuth, not Mission on my last post. Sorry.

I wish I could go to the June 23rd orientation! I'm all the way in Oregon though and the July 12th one fits in perfectly with my June 13th trip to Spain, so I really can't justify making a separate trip in June. I wish I could meet all of you though. Maybe for those of you who are current New Yorkers, when I come for orientation on July 12th I could meet up with you on campus or after orientation. PM me if that sounds fun. And by the way Mission, I'm with Cutie, 26 is not old at all, it's just that 23 (or 22 in my current case) could be a bit young for the age group that applied to the accelerated program. I honestly don't care if I'm 15 years younger than everyone, it's just interesting to know that there are others who felt really young. Oh, and about those uniforms...how did they come up with purple? Is it a school spirit thing? So silly. To be honest though, I do already have a pair of purple scrubs from my nursing assistant job. The darker the better.

Maybe by the time the program starts we will all have talked already. We should definately all pick a time and place to meet up the week before classes so we aren't all strangers. Dberkeley: I was shocked at the price of Columbia too. NYU isn't cheap, but for god's sake, most of us chose nursing because we wanted to make money among other things. I just found out that after your 1st bachelor's degree, you are not eligible for Federal grant money any more no matter how needy your family is. It's private/institution scholarships and loans only. So, unless Columbia hands out a lot of there own money, with $80,000 in debt, it would be decades before you saw your paychecks. Yikes. Well, back to studying...

That's good to hear. I will be 23 when I start the program, but I chose NYU over a traditional program here in Oregon because, not only is it shorter, but everyone in the accelerated/direct entry program will have a bachelor's degree and a bit more life experience. The programs here are so competitive to get into, most people focus on nothing but taking the prerequisites and getting A's. I didn't want to get into another environment like my A&P classes where everyone has tunnel vision. I am excited about being a nurse and going to a respected program, but I am also looking forward to meeting some interesting people while I'm at it.

This is working out so well. I was afraid no one from the program would see it. So have either of you seen the Dental School, where the Division of Nursing is moving this summer? I saw the current location a few months ago when I visited and it looked wonderful. I wish I would have known about the move in time so I could have compared. What else is around E. 25th? That's pretty close to Union Square, right? I hope it's nice because I applied to live in one of the dorms on E. 26th right near the dental school. Let me know if it's horrible...maybe there's still time to switch. In any case, I think this program should be worth it. I thought about applying to Columbia. My boyfriend went there for undergraduate school and has a much higher opinion of it than NYU. As far as nursing though, Columbia doesn't offer a BSN only, right? Maybe I misunderstood, but I wasn't ready to choose an advanced practice specialty before I had ever worked in the field. I also thought about applying to Stonybrook's 12-month but I heard it was extremely competitive and I have never been to Long Island so I didn't want to risk getting out there and hating it. Well, I have to go take a microbiology test. Thanks for writing though!

Yay! I am so glad someone replied to me. If there are only 85 of us I guess that would explain why I haven't heard from more people. Have you gotten anything from the Division of Nursing since your acceptance letter? I am really anxious to hear more and get started now that I know where I am going. Do you plan to live in NYU housing? I just applied and I am confused about whether financial aid will cover these expenses or not. It certainly didn't look like it from my award letter, but maybe they put the package together before I applied for housing. It's so great to hear from a future student in the program. My name is Lyndsey and if you would like to keep in contact over the summer, please send me one of those private messages and I'll give you my real email address. I will check this thread again too. Talk to you soon!

Hi, I will be moving to New York from Oregon to begin the 15-month accelerated program at NYU. I love New York and I almost went to NYU four years ago. I wish I knew more about the school of nursing and the program though. Of course, I am just excited to be so much closer to becoming a nurse. In Oregon, the competition is ridiculous. It's like applying to medical school. Even though NYU is super expensive, the program is so much shorter than anything around here and the sooner you get to work the less expensive the program really is. So, I am trying to find out more about it. Does anyone know how many students got in, or better yet, is there anyone else out there who also plans to begin the program in September? I haven't gotten my packet of information yet so I really know NOTHING about the program except what is on the website (which is not very much). Any information would help my curiousity. -future NYU student

I applied to both the BSN program and a Grad Entry program at OHSU and they put me on the alternate lists for both programs. I think I have decided to go to New York University instead because the program is only 15 months. I just want to be a nurse. I never thought it would be this difficult to do something that's so common and in such demand. It's nursing, not medical school! I talked to a girl in my Anatomy class who has a degree in biology and has worked as a nursing assistant for years. She had a 3.8 GPA in her prerequisites and got declined from OHSU. I only had a 3.4 so I feel lucky to have even gotten on the list. I guess the upside is that with all the competition, at least there will be some smart nurses out there.

From what I'm reading it sounds like I should have applied to Columbia too! I am excited to go to NYU though and I am hoping to talk to some other students in the division of nursing before I begin. Has anyone out there already completed their first year in the 15-month program? Or is anyone out there planning to begin in September? I'd love to hear any NYU nursing gossip to inside information about the program. Good or bad.