Rebeccas23

Frontier may be very easy to get into, but finding midwives in your area who are willing to preceptor you is completely your responsibility (and incredibly difficult!) I've heard of several students having to take semesters off because they simply couldn't find anyone to take them on. This real-life challenge is definitely something to consider (as well as the reputation of the school once you're out and working).

Vanderbilt offers a dual program for CNM/FNP, just sayin'.

Hmmm, doesn't seem like a great way to promote the profession...

Oh my goodness, this makes me so angry! How can CNMs be so poorly compensated for the work they're doing/hours they're putting in/results they're producing? Am I reading that link wrong? How do practicing CNMs feel about their compensation? How much of your salary goes towards malpractice insurance?

I think it's very important to remember that there are TONS of opportunities in nursing, and if nosebleeds or childbirth or surgery aren't your thing, then you can always choose to pursue another direction. Most people want to become nurses because of the human aspect- the opportunities to care, show compassion, provide support to vulnerable populations, etc.- not for the blood and guts (though there are some of those nurses too!) If you never see a dressing change without fainting, you can still find a type of nursing that allows you to show these traits and work towards improving healthcare and individual lives along the way. Check out informatics, case management, nurse educators, and many, many other directions that minimize the gore :)

Thank you CNMBFA! How did you go about managing your time well? Was it a matter of finding balance between study and the clinical hours? Do you have any favorite journals that you keep up with/find particularly relevant to CNMs? Thanks for the tip about the EFM resources! I'll have to look into those!

Thank you LibraSun, I am lucky that I will not have to work through my program (they pretty much told us to forget about it anyway). You mention your peers "phoning in" the classwork. Was that possible because the class work was easier then the demanding clinical schedule? Is adjusting to an SNMs hours incredibly difficult? Thanks again!

Just curious, why don't they accept North Carolina students? Is there something different about the education/clinicals? You mention Vanderbilt also not accepting NC students? I hadn't heard of that before.

Maybe you could ask a question or start a discussion related to a topic you're interested in...

Where did you go to school Jules?

I'm curious what you ended up choosing to do.

Hello all! After a year of applications, fees, GREs, interviews, waiting, compulsive email checking, prayers, tears, and then happier tears, I was accepted and am finally starting my CNM program this August. Of course, now that there isn't anything more to do but actually BE A STUDENT NURSE MIDWIFE, I'm totally adrift. I've spent so long working to get to this moment that the idea of actually starting is completely thrilling/overwhelming/nerve-wracking. So what else is there to do but turn to the internet for advice? CNMs: What do you wish you'd known before starting your CNM program? What is your best advice for CNM students? For those of you that volunteer as preceptors- what makes a great SNM? What traits do your favorite students consistently demonstrate? What are your absolute DO NOTs? Thank you!

Hi TarHeel, Many programs are open to accepting students wtihout nursing L&D experience because they themselves offer direct entry programs for second degree students who will graduate with a masters degree without any nursing experience. That being said, getting into these programs as a current BSN-graduate nurse is very competative and usually requires A LOT of experience within the field, either shadowing, working in clinics, volunteering/working as a doula/IBCLC/childbirth educator. If you look at any forum dedicated to graduate student programs, you'll see how qualified these applicants are, both scholastically and as a volunteer/working student. I would definitely get yourself involved in those areas however you can before applying. Like the previous poster, I don't know about Georgetown personally (wish I'd know it was "semi-easy to get into"), but I went through the application process last fall for CNM schools and, trust me, it is a wildly competitive field, especially for those of us who already have their BSNs. Good luck!

Hi, I don't have an answer to your questions specifically, but I would 1000% encourage you to shadow actual CNMs/WHNPs/AGPCNPs and not make your decision based off the responses you receive here. (Also, do you have volunteer experiences in either area? UCSF is a very competitive program, and even if you've been working as a doula, IBCLC etc for years they still have tons of candidates to choose from). This is a major decision and will effect the rest of your professional life. If you are only heading into advanced practice nursing to become and NP and not a specific kind of NP, I'm not sure you've found the direction and passion that they're hoping for in a candidate. Absolutely shadow these professions so that when you're interviewed, you can cite real reasons why you have chosen that path. You might find that one is totally not the avenue you've been wanting or that the hours/expectations aren't what you were hoping for.

Hi Rawz, how long have you been a nurse? It tends to be a rule of thumb that the more experience you have/years working, the less important your GPA is. So, five years of experience will have them glancing over it, and ten years might have them not caring at all. I would consider retaking your GRE if you're worried about it being low AND your GPA being low. Also, what kind of volunteering are you doing? Depending on the program you're choosing to apply to, I know that volunteering/outside experience is vital. You can also call their admissions office and set up a time to ask them all these questions/review your stats and see what they think. They can give you advice on what else you could be doing to round out your resume/improve your chances. All that being said, it's definitely worth a shot to just apply. Interviews and essays have nothing to do with grades, but they hold a lot of weight as well. Good luck!