UCONN Mbein

U.S.A. Connecticut

Published

Hello,

Just wondering if anyone was enrolled or a graduate of UCONN's Mbein program? I was hoping to gain some first hand knowledge from students in the program. I'm considering changing careers and I was interested in the possibly interested in the program.

Thanks any information would be appreciated!

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Specializes in CTICU.

I'm will be graduating from UCONN with a Bach in General Studies in May 09. I've been a Respiratory Therapist for 8 years. I applied to the Mbein program for Jan 2010. As long as you have a bachelors degree, A&P I and II, Cemistry, Biology, Microbiology ( all sciences bust be B or better), Statistics (C or better), a Genetics course, and a research course. With all that, you need 3 letters of recommendations ( one being from a professor), and a resume. Complete apps are evaluated in Jan, June, and December.

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Thanks! So once you have all the requirements is your portfolio reviewed? Do you know if the program is very competitive? I still need to take care of the chemistry and genetics requirements.

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Specializes in CTICU.

They get around 300 apps, they accept a little over 100( around 120 I think). Yes, once app is complete and requirements are met, it is reviewed Jan, June and Dec for the following January. The program begins every January. Get ur Chem and Genetics done and apply by Dec.

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Specializes in CTICU.

jells1026, if you have your bachelors degree already, you could apply now and establish your place in queue. Meanwhile make sur you r taking the other 2 prereqs.

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Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care.

I am in week 7 of the UConn MbEIN program at the Waterbury campus. Admission did not seem competitive there. But it's tough to say, I guess. I am in class with 21 other people all of whom have very impressive resumes and are all very smart. Without seeing the whole pool, who knows. I got crappy grades as a undergrad since I was more concerned with boys and partying, but always aced every science class I took, and I had about a 3.9 in my nursing pre-reqs. But I don't have a stellar CV by any stretch of the imagination. I was admitted after the August review because I didn't finish my pre-reqs til the beginning of August.

I'm loving the program. I feel extremely well prepared. Ask away, I'll do my best to give good info!

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Specializes in CTICU.

StudyinginCT, how many days of the week and what times are you in class. Is it possible to work while in the program? Did you have any medical background? In what ways did you feel prepared? Which campus do you attend?

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Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care.

So let's see, I'll do this in list format:

1.) possible to work if you are highly motivated and have a flexible (possibly per diem) job. If you work in a hospital, it should reinforce what you're learning and could be "study time." Could be good to take a CNA class as you won't have time to do so once you start the program and could work per diem as a PCA or CNA in many CT hospitals. You can get grandfathered as a CNA after your first semester, but have to have a transcript proving you've taken a fundamentals of nursing class (So I'm told my recruiting @ Manchester Memorial Hosp.).

2.) We have class all day (8:30a-6:30p) on Fridays, and simulation lab on Saturdays 8a-2p. My clinicals are M/T 2:30p-10:30p. Basic format is 6hrs of class for the U/G class, and one 3 hr grad class per week + 21 hrs of clinical. 1st semester, 6 of those 21 are spent in sim lab, and the other 16 are broken down into 2 clinical days on a surgical floor. Summer and Fall semesters, we drop the sim lab and add a clinical day, or depending on which clinical you get in the fall, you might end up with 2 10 hour shifts. Summer clinicals are peds, maternity, and community health and there will likely be more days with fewer hours on each day. Fall is adv med/surg.

3.) I am @ the Waterbury campus. Storrs has different days for class than we do, I think they're M/T instead of F/Sa

4.) I feel prepared because I spent 2 years in a Level I trauma center ED. I worked registration, but had to do all the filing of the charts and we were fully integrated into the floor with computers on wheels @ the bedside, so I have a fluent knowledge of med terminology and am pretty familiar with the plan of care for a diverse range of medical problems. I googled EVERYTHING and asked tons of questions, and just basically acted like a sponge. I worked nights, and they were great about letting me watch procedures and looking @ films, answering my questions, etc... Never realized how much I learned. Also, I believe I had the best A&P prof/class in the state. He was thorough. It helped. A LOT.

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Specializes in CTICU.

WOW, thanks a lot! This reallyhelps.I too work in a hospital, I'm a Respiratory Therapist and I spend most of my time in ICU and ER. I have a strong clinical background and feel that I am ahead of the game. My application has been has been in since January, I'm graduating from UCONN Wtby in May 09. I have to clep Micro, Chem and Biology because I got B- instead of B(that sux!). I should have everything in by June review. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed. I applied to ASN programs, but the Mbein program seems logical because I could work as an RN in 1 year (as oppose to getting another ASN in 2 years). I too am interested in the CRNA program, but if I get into Mbein, APRN would be the way to go. The reason I would like to be a Nurse Anesthetist is because I will getto incorporate my skills as an RT (eg: intubations, maintaining airways and working with ventilators) with nursing skills (assessments, hemodynamic monitoring, starting lines). Thanks again StudyinginCT!!

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Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care.

Well, just FYI, CCSU will accept the UConn RN as preparation for their CRNA program, so long as you have the grades and the pre-reqs they're looking for. I took Organic Chem this past fall since they require that for the program.

Also, you would have a guaranteed spot in the NP program @ UConn as long as you get nothing less than a B in any of the courses in the program. They do want you to work for a year before returning to start your NP course work. From what I understand, much of the first year of the Graduate program is taught online and consists on Nursing Theory courses, which are pretty abstract and very much like philosophy or social sciences. I may still go that route, but I prefer the technical hands-on sciency stuff, personally. For me, I think I would rather get the masters in Biology/Anesthesia because it's more technical and more science focused.

But yes - you should definitely be way ahead of the game. If you are used to critical care - be aware - floor nursing is way different (as I'm sure you're already aware) and might not be very exciting, but you just have to keep chuggin'. Nursing school is a lot more basic in scope than what you're used to in your job.

Good luck with clepping - not familiar with any of the tests. You might send Lisa Santor @ UConn SON an email with any of your other concerns/questions. She's pretty great about responding.

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Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care.

also - I got your message, but it appears as though I'm not allowed to send private messages? Maybe I have to reach a certain post threshold or something? No idea.

But I am willing, just reticent to post private info in public spaces. Since you seem to be able to send me messages, perhaps send another one with an email address, and I can reply that way.

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Specializes in CTICU.

Cool, will do!

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