2012 UCSF MEPN Applicants

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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The MEPN deadline is less than 2 months away, so I thought I'd get a thread started for us 2012 hopefuls!

I'm a first time applicant to the WHNP/CNM specialty, and feel like I've been getting ready to submit this application for so long! I've been working abroad for a public health NGO for the past couple of years and am a trained birth doula. I've finished up all of my prereqs and GREs, selected people for recommendations (including a slightly awkward visit to my undergraduate advisor...), so now I'm just drafting my essays. Does anyone even know what the application is supposed to look like this year? I'm just going off samples I've seen from previous years.

Some days I feel sort of confident about my chances, and other days I feel as though this is a total shot in the dark and definitely not going to work out!

Any other hopefuls out there? And anyone know when the application is actually going to open?

Specializes in FNP.
My application homepage says "admitted" and congrats, etc - and then when I click on the link for the letter it gives me an error message...oh well!

Click on the messages link on the left side of the page.

After working hard for this for the past three plus years...it finally paid off! I just stared at the page that said "admitted" for ten minutes in disbelief. My heart hasn't pumped that hard for a long time without exerting myself!!!

Congrats to all who've been accepted and best wishes for those who've been denied....I was there last year. Keep at it, it will happen!

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I'm in! Peds for me as well, thuyd527. I stared at the word "Admitted" for a couple minutes in awe.

Congrats to those admitted! To those who were not I hope for good things to come in other places!

For those waitlisted, my acceptance letter states I have until 3/8 to decide.

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Anyone trying to decide between UCSF and other programs? I also want to look into becoming a CA resident, since I would be coming from out of state. It seems like if I register my car, get a CA drivers license, and register to vote all before classes start, then after one year I'll be an in state resident. Being in-state would be huge for the last two years of the program!

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Anyone trying to decide between UCSF and other programs? I also want to look into becoming a CA resident, since I would be coming from out of state. It seems like if I register my car, get a CA drivers license, and register to vote all before classes start, then after one year I'll be an in state resident. Being in-state would be huge for the last two years of the program!

I'm deciding between programs - I'm not sure what I'm going to do just yet.

Becoming a resident is easy, as you say. And the MEPN year costs the same thing whether you're in state or out of state, so you're not losing out in any way by not getting residency until year 2.

Congrats to all who have been accepted!!

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Yeah, lookingahead, the residency thing is definitely appealing. What other programs are you considering?

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Fry123, how do you know that you are the 3rd alternate? My letter didn't state. Did yours, or did you ask? I'm starting to look into ways to improve my application for next year too -- because if we don't get in, the application is just 6 months away. It's not that much time! Wishing you the best of luck.

Congrats to those who were accepted, and if there's anyone else out there still waiting, let us know!

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Yeah, lookingahead, the residency thing is definitely appealing. What other programs are you considering?

I'm still waiting to hear from Yale, but regardless, I think I'm choosing between UCSF and Columbia. What about you?

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I'm torn between Penn and UCSF. It's such a hard decision. I am interested in practicing on the west coast, specifically the Pacific Northwest, so I'm wondering if it would be easier to get a job coming from UCSF...?

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Hi tenaya. I replied that I would like to be an alternate and then I was told what position on the list.

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Hi accepted and hopeful MEPNs! I'm a current MEPN who has been shadowing your message board and silently cheering you all on through this process! HUGE congrats to all who have been accepted. I ugly-cried from total relief when I got my acceptance last year at this time - totally get it and am excited for you!

For those who got wait-listed - there IS hope, but it's a tough one. There are a few students in our current cohort who were alternates and did end up getting a spot, but it is really hard to predict if that will work out. One student I know for sure was initially waitlisted is in the AGNP specialty. Such a difficult purgatory to be in, I'm so sorry! I wish there was more I could say that would be helpful, but it really is a waiting game until the chips fall as they may :(

For the applicants who didn't get accepted, I wanted to write this post specifically to encourage you to let the initial madness die down and then give the office a call to see if you can get some specific feedback and advice for how you can improve your application. I know other students in the past have done this and it was helpful for their application the next year. Don't just reapply with a similar application as last year! Seek out experiences that demonstrate your commitment to your specialty area. Faculty members love to see that in repeat applications!

Good luck to all of you - so excited to see some of you on campus next year sporting the mighty green and khaki!

-From a proud 2011-2012 MEPN

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subject: so i got in, now what?

hi everyone!

first of all, congrats to all the folks have been accepted, and to those who weren't, take heart! i'm yet another of those folks who was denied on his first try but who (very luckily) made the cut the second go-around.

so for the first time ever i'm actually faced with the prospect of paying to turn my dream into reality. are any of you scared to death by the prospect of taking on six figures in student loans? current mepns, please feel free to chime in here as well!

how long do you anticipate it will take to pay off our debts, and how are you planning on doing so? hrsa loan forgiveness or just years of steady payments? something else?

cheers,

david

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Hi Nurseorange,

Thank you so much for your insights! Is it okay if I ask you some questions? I have quite a few and I think I'll just type them all out. lol. I'd really appreciate any info you're willing to provide at all.

Okay, so here we go... How are you liking the program so far? I've read that some students have been frustrated by issues involving disorganization, etc. How is it going this year? I've heard about issues with clinicals and having too many people, not enough spaces. Although, that might not be as much as an issue with my class since there are only 60 of us, I believe. How are the instructors? There will be a new patho instructor this year, right?

I'm trying to choose between UCSF and another program and I'm trying to compare costs. I know the MEPN year is the same for everyone, and then the MSN portion is significantly cheaper (especially with the in-state tuition), right? Are people considering trying to find work for the MSN portion, or is that not feasible?

Do you find that you need a car for clinicals? How is parking in the city? Also, how easy was it to find housing? I hear that on campus housing is pretty tough to get and most people live in Sunset... does that sound right?

Lastly, I'll be coming from out of state and I'm not familiar with the area, although the prospect of living in SF is very exciting. Do you feel like you are part of the city? I know that MEPN is extremely intense and that you don't have much time, but are you still able to get out and explore the city, go out downtown some nights, go hiking/biking, meet people, etc.?

Hahaha... that was a lot of questions. Feel free to ignore them, lol. If you could provide any information at all (or anyone, for that matter), that would really be great. Thank you!

PS - corazonconrazon, I love your name. :)

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