MidwifeMinded

Breathe, guys! Breathe! Was in your shoes last year and I know how on edge you are waiting to hear. YES, the email you got from Kristie is a standard form email that went to EVERY applicant who indicated they will be interested in using Financial aid. It is NOT an indication of your admission status. Give the faculty time. They are working on putting together a cohort of highly qualified and extremely intelligent, diverse students. They are also dealing with the current students and the changes at the university. The university and the medical center are no longer part of the same entity and there are lots of details to work out. There are SO many moving parts going on behind the scenes. They will give you admission decisions as SOON as they have them done. The faculty here are EXCELLENT communicators. Hang in there! And btw - I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU START A FACEBOOK GROUP. It is a much easier and more widely used resource. You might even get current students in there to help answer questions.

If they are done selecting the cohort sooner then they will send out the admission offers sooner. They don't hold back the decisions if they are ready to go out. Remember that VUSN has a rolling admissions program, not set deadlines like other programs.

Just a suggestion - you guys may want to create your own FB group. It got a lot more participation than this board does when one was created last year.

I haven't asked what countries of origin everyone is. I also haven't asked everyone what their GRE/GPA are. Really all I can emphasize is that they are as much interested in you for YOU as they are in your academic credentials. Remember that the numbers published are typically averages - unless you are specifically told they are minimums. Don't NOT apply because you think your scores are low. You just don't know what they may see in you.

Hey all... I'm a current Pre-specialty student so if I can help answer any questions I'm happy to do so. I will say that the school adapts their processes every year to make sure that they are serving the needs of the students at the highest levels so if you receive contradictory information call the school and get clarification. For your own sake, please note that the non-nurses coming into the MSN program are called Pre-Specialty students and current RN's are called Direct Entry. Every school's language is a little different. ALL Pre-Specialty students are required to be on campus during the Pre-Specialty year - and it's an entire year (3 semesters). Several of the specialties require you to remain a Nashville resident for the Specialty portion of the degree (I believe NMW and Acute Care - maybe one other). OTHER specialties may leave Nashville and complete their program through distance. Don't count on being able to work during this program. If their application process holds true to last year's, there is no end date by which you can apply. My roommate applied in February and got into the program. Don't WAIT, but don't panic if you don't submit by Nov 1. Application submissions may START Nov 1, but I didn't submit my application personally until the end of Nov. I also didn't submit my final transcript until just a couple of weeks before the program started. Acceptance for students who haven't completed everything is conditional - meaning you have to finish the requirements before you can formally enroll in August. So when they say submit the application even if you haven't finished everything, they mean it. Submit the application. Not all specialties do interviews. There are people from all different walks of life in this program. My understanding (from what I was told when I asked after being accepted) is that they are looking at you holistically. Not just your GPA and your GRE scores. Yeah, they're important minimum qualifiers, but they are also looking at who you are as a human being. Are you the kind of person they want to be out in the world as a representative of this program? Will you be a positive contributor to the class? Do you have a unique perspective or experience that may bring something different to the table compared to your classmates? Hope that helps. If you have specific questions, lay them on me! If I can answer them I'm happy to.

Hang in there! They went out of their way to tell me during my interview that the wait list moves, so don't count yourself out yet.

I called in this morning after stalking my application and also learned that I'm accepted for Pre-Specialty CNM. Some of the acceptances are having to be manually processed and they're going through financial aid as quickly as they can. Hang in there if you haven't heard yet. My online application STILL hasn't been updated yet.

Anyone who is Pre-Specialty heard anything yet or is everyone direct to MSN?

Any of the CNM acceptances for Pre-Specialty students? My app isn't updated yet. I'm wondering if it's different for PS versus direct to MSN?

Nope! Was told mid February and I'd imagine they stay pretty true to their schedule.

Thanks so much!

Hey all... I'm applied for the Pre-specialty with CNM/FNP focus. I got an interview invite Thursday and had my interview yesterday (Friday). It was a quick 20 minute phone call and as previously mentioned was questions about scope of practice, why Vanderbilt, personal vision for the future, etc. It's a faculty member from the specialty that called. I very much enjoyed the conversation! Good luck to everyone who is still interviewing! I know there is another round happening on Monday. It's a fantastic program and what an honor to get an interview!

Hmmm... difficult to make any real assessments without anything more specific to consider. Thank you for the info, though!

Absolutely! [email protected] - email any time!

Not a CNM, but on the path myself... and am currently an active doula, so wanted to chime in there. I actually would say go for the doula training! It shows you a totally different set of skills and a different aspect of birth that even midwives sometimes don't see (unless they do home birth). I love my doula experience and how much it has taught me about not just physiologically normal birth, but what it has taught me about my clients - how to listen to them, how to understand their needs, and how to learn to read birth and understand my client's boundaries. It is so humbling to be able to help them find their process. You have to learn to get out of their way and take your ego out of it. It is actually NOT impossible to work full time and also be a doula. I know many doulas who do it. What they don't do is work alone. You may need to find another doula to partner with and establish a plan with that doula to make sure your clients are well taken care of. I know a handful of nurses who also work as doulas. Its just a function of finding out how it works for YOU and then making it work for the clients. I have 2 or 3 backups available to me at any given time... so I never worry that my clients will be taken care of. You're welcome to reach out to me with doula questions!