UC Davis MEPN

KO.SRNA, MSN, RN · Mar 22, 2016

What did you find out when you visited Davis? Any new opinions or information from them??

Unfortunately no. I called prior to going there, but they were pretty adamant that they could not accept walk-in appointments or drop-in counseling/advising. They kept directing me to the Betty Irene SON email. They sent us an e-mail regarding a checklist of what we need to get done and that there is also a student leadership immersion week before the start of the program, where we meet MEPN students, faculty, and other staff, get introduced to curriculum, and have a welcoming ceremony. I have sent them a list of questions last wednesday and still await a response. These were my questions:

1. What is the margin of error for the proposed tuition amount? Do you think it will it be within 10% of the proposed $15,600 per quarter?

2. What are the odds of this program not starting this quarter due to being a self-supported program? I've heard about this happening to another self-support program from one of my colleagues at UCSF a couple of years ago?

3. Is it at all possible that accreditation is not achieved during the accreditation survey in this upcoming October? If that happens, will you re-seek accreditation before the inaugural cohort graduates?

4. Where do students have their clinical experiences? Are most of them held at UC Davis Medical Center?

5. Is my scholarship award that I have received renewable for the second year of the program? Are there certain specific criterion needed to be met in order for it to renew? What is the likelihood of it renewing?

6. Do graduates of the MEPN program get preference or any guarantee for an offer to the UC Davis Medical Center New Graduate Residency Program?

7. When will students be able to take the CNA Exam?

8. Is it possible to tour the nursing school facilities within the next week and possibly speak with a faculty member?

I'll let you all know what they say when I receive a response. I would think that faculty/staff would want to meet the inaugural cohort aka the ones who will shape this program. I was kind of turned off by how definitive it was that they could not speak to students in person (even those who are accepted and would like to know more before committing to a program of life-changing magnitude). How are you all feeling towards the program?

bay area FNP-to-be · Mar 22, 2016

I've asked similar questions (although they'll probably write back to you, too).

Fees are up in the air until the UC Regents make budget decisions. Clinicals are within the UC Davis Health system (for the first cohort, then planned to be in the Sacramento area after). You might get more info from the financial aid office, but regarding scholarships, I was told it depends on funding year to year.

I was very excited about this program, especially since it gives the opportunity to get some experience before applying to NP programs. Nonetheless, I think they're trying a little to hard to get it going in time. The application started late, decisions came out late and there's not a lot of transparency. In their defense, I've faced similar challenges at nearly all the schools I've been accepted to (several ABSN programs and a few ELMSN programs). Given that it's UC Davis, I have no doubt it'll be a great program that will open lots of doors, but, like JHU's ELMSN that just started, it will probably get off to a rocky start so it's likely I won't take my spot and one of you on the waitlist will be offered a spot. :)

KO.SRNA, MSN, RN · Mar 24, 2016

I definitely agree in that they are trying awfully hard to get it going in time, but I'm sure it'll be a very reputable program down the line. I just don't know if I want to commit to this program over other established programs that I have received acceptances to. Anyhow, I received a response for all the questions I had from the Betty Irene SON e-mail. Here are the answers I received:

What is the margin of error for the proposed tuition amount? Do you think it will it be within 10% of the proposed $15,600 per quarter?

Unfortunately the School of Nursing does not have information about this topic. Tuition and fees continue to be discussed by the University of California Regents. We apologize for the inconvenience.

What are the odds of this program not starting this quarter due to being a self-supported program? I've heard about this happening to another self-support program from one of my colleagues at UCSF a couple of years ago?

We are sorry to hear about your colleague's situation. We do not anticipate this happening to our MEPN program this year or in the future.

Is it at all possible that accreditation is not achieved during the accreditation survey in this upcoming October? If that happens, will you re-seek accreditation before the inaugural cohort graduates?

The MEPN program has received provisional accreditation through CCNE and will be formally reviewed in the fall of 2017. Once CCNE approves our accreditation, it will be retroactive to the start of the first cohort. Therefore, our inaugural cohort will complete an accredited program at the time of graduation. We do not anticipate that our program will lose accreditation in 2017.

Where do students have their clinical experiences? Are most of them held at UC Davis Medical Center?

Clinical placements will occur each quarter as a part of the curriculum at a variety of hospital and community based settings all within the Sacramento area. For this first cohort, all hospital experiences will be at the UC Davis Health System. As the size of our cohorts grow in future years, different hospital settings will be used in addition to UCDHS.

Is my scholarship award that I have received renewable for the second year of the program? Are there certain specific criterion needed to be met in order for it to renew? What is the likelihood of it renewing?

Students are eligible to receive School of Nursing funding during their second year. Awards for the second year of the program will be determined in early 2017 based on financial need and academic performance.

Do graduates of the MEPN program get preference or any guarantee for an offer to the UC Davis Medical Center New Graduate Residency Program?

We are unable to answer this question, as we do not have a direct connection with the nurse residency program. However, all clinicals for our inaugural cohort will be held within UCDHS.

When will students be able to take the CNA Exam? I plan to obtain a position as a CNA on a per-diem basis toward the end of the MEPN program.

We do not have an answer to this question at the moment, as our Associate Dean for Academics is out of the office at a conference. We will follow up with you sometime next week.

Is it possible to tour the nursing school facilities within the next week and possibly speak with a faculty member?

We are unable to offer formal tours or faculty visitation at this time. Because the Health System is an open campus, you are welcome to explore the Education Building and surrounding campus on your own. If you have any specific questions for our faculty, we would be happy to obtain answers on your behalf.

AggieMSN-RN · Mar 29, 2016

Have any waitlisters heard anything yet? I'm figuring we won't hear anything until around the 15th when everyone's decisions are due. It would be nice to hear back sooner, though!

jjuan · Apr 1, 2016

Congratulations to everyone that got in! That's awesome!

I got on the wait list as well. So i'm definitely keeping my fingers crossed. Although I wish their wait list pool was numbered. Curious to find out how they'll pick and choose from the wait list pool.

AggieMSN-RN · Apr 6, 2016

Update: I've moved from waitlist to accepted!

KO.SRNA, MSN, RN · Apr 6, 2016

Update: I've moved from waitlist to accepted!

Great news!!! Congrats nealopp! You planning to accept or you have other options?

AggieMSN-RN · Apr 6, 2016

@KO_1219 I've accepted! I was also admitted to CSUSM's ABSN, but the location alone puts UCD ahead of the game for me, so I'll be heading to Sac! Plus, coming from the bay area, you can't beat the cost of living comparison.

AggieMSN-RN · Apr 7, 2016

Since I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but I've seen other threads do so, I've created a closed FB group for the cohort, so people can get to know each other a little before we head over there. Search for "UC Davis MEPN Cohort 1" on Facebook if you've accepted admission.

k_student · Apr 8, 2016

I have a couple questions regarding the MEPN program, if anyone can clarify. I know the MSN would be in Public health nursing and we would not receive our BSN, but take the NCLEX to become an RN. Does anyone know if that will deter a hospital (acute care) from hiring us? Since we will not have a BSN, but an MSN in public health? I would like to work in a hospital setting, eventually in the OR.

And also, I feel like many people here want an MSN but are you really passionate about public health or is it more of a stepping stone to NP? I kind of want to get a sense of what your goals are, if you dont mind sharing.

I'm a little iffy about the real benefits of an MSN vs ABSN. I know eventually, after you pay your dues, you could receive a higher pay, but doesn't it matter in what specialty? Or just having an MSN alone opens many doors?

AggieMSN-RN · Apr 8, 2016

We wil receive a Master of Science in Nursing. The public health nurse portion that you're asking about might be a little confusing. The public health nurse certification is something that most schools in CA (actually, all the schools I've looked at that offer BSN/MSN's) include in their curriculum. It's an advance practice certification recognized by the CA BRN (I'm not sure about other states).

So, it isn't an MSN in public health. It's just an MSN. Pretty much everyone in a CA state BSN/MSN program (at least from what I've seen) gets the public health certification. Does that make sense? The other benefit of the MSN program is the possibility of more or better or different financial aid than an ABSN program, since it's a graduate level degree instead of a second bachelors. I should be eligible for more federal loans in a graduate program that I would be getting a second BS.

You'll also get more nursing leadership courses in an MSN than with a BSN. Unfortunately, Davis doesn't grant the Clinical Nurse Leader certification like UCLA does, but that program is also 6 months longer...

Hope that helps!

k_student · Apr 8, 2016

Thanks AggieMEPN! That helped me a lot.