az827

Hi! I am a current student. I will be starting level 2 in August. Your stats are great. You will likely get in with those stats. I have worked every single weekend since the program started (every single sat/sun, 10 hour shifts). I may not continue to do that as I do not know how the schedule and course work will pan out later in the program. However, since the start and through the competition of level 1, working has been totally manageable. There are several of us that hold PRN jobs and pick up shifts but I might be the only one consecutively working. It's doable for me and I will continue to work until it's not. If you are hard working and have excellent time-management skills, it will be doable for you too! I think this program is great. I would recommend it. Also, if you graduate with a 3.5 you will have an automatic acceptance into the DNP without having to go through the application process (as per one of my instructors- although she recommended working a few years and then coming back for the DNP). That's always a perk! In fact, several past graduates began the DNP in August immediately after MEPN graduation. So, it is not uncommon. Also, the program really prepares you for your future. I am amazed at how quickly I am learning and growing in this field. As far as the program not being different than a BSN, I would slightly disagree. Education requirements are not getting lower and you will be more competitive with a MS degree. There will also be more opportunities in management roles. Currently, a UA MEPN grad is the infection control advisor for a medical center in NW Tucson. Another graduated and became the director of a luxury long-term care facility. These are titles that typically prefer that you have a MS degree. So, there are advantages to the MEPN degree. You will just have to know how to 'sale' your strengths in an interview. Don't worry about the interview process to the program. It was much less stressful than I thought it would be. Come prepared and be yourself. Check under UA MEPN 2017. I posted about the interview process in that thread. Good luck in choosing a program!

Are you guys sending your transcripts to the PO BOX or the address on Martin? Both are listed on our acceptance packet and no one from advising has emailed me back... Thanks!

I second this! @cyclone67, I want you or either of the other two in your group... if you three choose to participate.

I believe that once they receive a 'yes' on your offer letter and the grad college officially accepts you, then they will be sending us our student ID and pin. From what the website states, you need both to create a Net ID.

I got accepted! To the Tucson cohort! I got my BLS FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS through CPR2U (just google it) it's here in Tucson and the course was three hours and cost $40, there was a small cost for the book too.

Hope everyone had a good interview experience! I was in the 1030 group and before we were paired in groups, the advisor made the announcement that emails would be sent out on Monday the 27th. So, that's plenty of time to get those personally written thank you notes sent out to those that interviewed you For future hopefuls of this program: The interviews were very quick. I was paired with one candidate and there were two faculty members. The four of us sat at a table and each person was asked to answer the same question. We worked through a series of five questions. At the end, we were provided the opportunity to ask them questions. It is my recommendation to remain calm, listen to the question being asked, and respond intelligently. The questions were as follows, 1) Describe a moral dilemma you have encountered and how it was resolved. 2) What are two words/attributes/characteristics you believe most importantly describe a nurse and why? 3) What is one word your peers and manager would say to describe you? 4) Describe a time and your reaction to receiving constructive criticism. 5) Describe how you will manage the workload of this program and the stress that comes with it? *** Please note these questions are NOT word for word. I am going off of my memory. Also note, that these questions may not be the questions you are asked. I am listing them only to provide you with my experience and to provide a helpful tool in preparation for your future interview. After the interview, we were provide the opportunity to meet with the current class of MEPN students. This was an excellent experience! I highly recommend that you pop in and chat! I personally really enjoyed hearing their perspectives of this program. I felt they were honest and straight forward about all of my questions. This was a great opportunity to ask any and all questions about the schedule, class/instructor interaction, study tools, what it takes to get the grades you want, ideas on how they are paying for the program, etc. For the record, each student I spoke to said they would HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PROGRAM and it has been a challenging but rewarding learning experience. Each person I asked noted that they felt very prepared for the future. Hope this helps. Best wishes to you all!

Got an interview invite for 2/18! Good luck to you all!

Aspiringpractitioner, I would say give it a second shot. It can only help. If you do better, then great! If by chance you score the same or lower then they will take your highest score. I am retaking it too (scored an 88), just to give it a shot at a higher score. It doesn't hurt! Good luck!!!!

According to the advisor, the MEPN admission averages in the most recent application cycle showed the ranges of 3.55-3.89 (with the average being a 3.7) for prerequisite GPA and 3.56-3.87 (with the average being a 3.69) for the last 60 unit GPA. So, if you fall in those ranges and have a competitive HESI, chances are you will be selected for an interview. My current stats include a 3.78 prerequisite GPA and a 3.5 GPA for my last 60. Again, an 89 cumulative for the HESI. However, chances are I will retake the HESI before I submit the application. I know I can score above a 90 if I give it a second try.

What was your HESI A2 cumulative score? My cumulative was an 89. I contacted advising to see what the averages were looking like, but they said they could not provide any stats at this time on HESI scores and to try back in Dec. However, they did say for the BSN program the scores were averaging in the high 80's, low 90's.

Yes, it is true! They pushed back the application deadline for this cohort. It is now Jan 15, 2017. This was to provide adequate time to take the HESI A2.

Rea55, Thank you for your response! You're going to do great in your interview. Let me know how it goes, I'd love to hear. I am actually applying to the MEPN program, not the BSN. So I have some time before I hear anything. This is also why I am thinking about retaking the exam. I'd love to score at or above a 90. I was so close, I feel it's reachable. What did you study for vocab/grammar? Thanks again!

Hello! I took the HESI A2 last week. I was wondering what fellow applicants scored. This was my first attempt, I did very little studying, and the assessment center at the UA experienced connection errors for the better part of two hours while I was sitting for the exam. Literally, the computer screen froze and/or shut down the program multiple times. Considering I paid the testing center for a reliable spot to sit for the exam, this created a very anxiety stricken center among myself and fellow testing peers. ANYHOW, I received an 89 cumulative score (Reading comp: 96, Math: 90, Vocab: 88, Grammer: 82). That said, I have no idea how a cumulative score of 89 compares to others applying to the same program. I am not certain if that is going to be competitive enough or if I should try to retake the exam a second time. If there is anyone who would not mind sharing their HESI A2 score, please do so... Thank you!

My Arizona finger print clearance card arrived in 14 days. It was my first application. I used FieldPrint. I chose the regular application for students/volunteers, then selected health science students/volunteers.

mepnaz, Thanks for responding. Share any info you receive. It looks like they have made changes for the 2017 class. Perhaps making it more competitive due to the overwhelming applicant pool. The personal essays were replaced with the HESI A2 standarized assessment test. This created a shift in the admission score evaluation; prerequisite GPA being worth a little less and the HESI being worth a bit more. I attended an application workshop in Dec. of 2015 but due to this restructure, I may attend one this August. Good Luck!