UCLA MECN FALL 2013

Hopefulxo · Feb 16, 2013

So we won't get any emails, only via hard copy? I was aware of the site to check admission status, but I wasn't going to start checking that until March.

Hopefulpednurse · Feb 16, 2013

From previous years, rejections were posted online and acceptances and alternates were by regular mail. No email.

choe.cm · Feb 16, 2013

For some reason they send out the later before updating the status online. So the hard copy of the letter through the snail mail arrives sooner. Why they do that? Beats me. It is killing me to just wait. UCLA was the only school I applied to.

Eli19t · Feb 16, 2013

Hi everyone! I'm glad this thread is getting longer. I can't sleep just thinking that March is getting closer. I think about it all day, every day. Good luck to everyone and talk to you soon.

superfryk · Feb 16, 2013

A friend of mine who also applied emailed and got a reply saying that we should have news around March 1.... here's hoping!!!

nextway55 · Feb 16, 2013

March 1 will be great. I cannot wait any longer

Hopefulxo · Feb 16, 2013

Where is this March 1 coming from? My e-mail said "you should know about your admissison status by Mid March". Is March 1 the day they begin to mail out decisions?

lisapett42 · Feb 16, 2013

I'm a 2nd year MECN in this program and finishing up my last quarter of classes and clinicals! Good luck to everyone. I remember being in your shoes awaiting news and I feel for all of you. Don't worry, you will know soon.

jkm07 · Feb 16, 2013

@lisapett42

How many days of class do you have per week? Weekends included? What are some things the program does well? In your opinion, what can be improved? Do you recommend part-time/per-diem work during school?

Thanks!

<3 nursing <3 · Feb 16, 2013

Hi Lisapett42,

Thanks for joining the discussion! I too am curious about you experiences in the program so far! Also, what were your credentials if you don't mind me asking? Were your accepted, wait-listed and then accepted, and when did you guys find out?? I am so happy that you were ultimately accepted and will soon be a UCLA MSN graduate!

lisapett42 · Feb 17, 2013

I was an english lit major and had a Master's in Public Health and 4 years healthcare work experience but don't let that scare you because most people didn't have ANY work experience or had majors that weren't science at all. I still don't know how they make their choices because we were all so different. They do want to make sure that you can keep up with the science portion of the program so you need to be strong or moderate in science at least.

THe program is good overall. I can't answer the questions about when we have classes because every quarter is different. In the beginning you basically live at school and take classes and study. Then you start doing clinicals and aren't at school much but are at the hospitals more. Then, next quarter, we do immersion and we don't have classes at all. We just get assigned to one nurse in our specialty of choice and we go to all of his/her scheduled work days and basically do everything with them.

The strengths are that it is a UCLA degree, you finish with a Master's and that is good because hospitals are NOT hiring nursing grads with associates anymore basically because of Magnet recommendations.

Negatives is that we tend to be on the lower side of amt of clinical hours compared to other schools which really sucks because that is where you learn! They also really drill the whole CNL thing into the workload which is a little rough since most hospitals don't utilize CNLs. Also, graduating as a new nurse with a master's degree will be hard when we first start working because you might get flack from experienced nurses who don't have master's degrees since you aren't experienced but have an advanced degree. THat's the biggest thing I am worried about...but after the initial year or so, it will be able to be put to use as we move up the clinical ladder.

Some people do student research work and some people work as CNAs at hospitals. The first quarter is hard but also, they COMPLETELY changed all the schedules and classes this year so the 1st year MECNs have a totally different schedule than we did so you might need to ask some of them at orientation.

<3 nursing <3 · Feb 17, 2013

@lisapett42

was your acceptance letter inside a large or small envelope?