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?

I agree, I'm thinking HRSA loan forgiveness is what I'm going to look for. I hope tuition doesn't go up! Although, like thuyd, I was accepted to Penn as well (and almost went). The tuition for UCSF seems so much more manageable.

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Hi LookingAhead,

I read your post awhile ago and wanted to get an update. Have you heard back from UCSF yet?

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Hi meli.avila - sorry, what was it you wanted an update on? I posted a lot on this thread so I've lost track of all the things I was waiting to hear back about! :)

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Psych MH.

hi y'all! do you know the start day for the MEPN program? i read somewhere that is was June 15th and then I also read somewhere else that it was still TBA.

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Just got an email w/the dates. It sounds like orientation is the week of the 18th and classes start the following Monday (25th). Looking forward to meeting everyone! :)

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Specializes in Anesthesia, Psych MH.

thanks for the update, myelin! i'm excited to meet you and the other people in the program too :)

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Hi everyone, I want to apply to UCSF MEPN this year, just read through much of your thread, which I thought had a lot more information than anywhere else I could find, but I still have some (many!) questions...

Anatomy & Physiology. The website lists the requirements at 6 quarter units/4 semester units. Does this translate to 4 credits, and thus just A&P I? If only 4 credits are required, would it be in my best interest (for a more competitive application and for my own educational/learning purposes) to take a second course, as well? Most of my pre-reqs will have been completed at the University of Connecticut, which has quite reputable science departments, but I may have to take a couple of classes (psychology and microbiology with a lab) at the local community college in order to finish all of the classes on time. Are CC courses less acceptable/frowned upon? My academic record is otherwise quite strong. (I'm hoping the addition of microbiology and nutrition this year will mean a small applicant pool...wishful thinking, probably...)

The website also warns of submitting everything well in advance of the deadline. I may not be completed with several of the pre-requisite courses until August and am nervous about submitting official transcripts in time, but I expect students often finish courses in August to apply by September? Could this be a problem, or does this happen frequently?

Finally, I am (of course) concerned about actually getting in to the MEPN program. I believe I will have a solid application, but I am obviously unaware of just how competitive the program actually is. What is the background of a typical applicant who is accepted? How many people apply and what is the acceptance rate? Is there an average GPA or particularly advantageous work experiences that you can share? Do you all have clinical experience?

Until I read your thread I was pretty sure I would ultimately pursue midwifery, but now I get the impression the level of competition there is VERY high, and that makes me VERY nervous since the extent of my experience in that area is working as an admin in a nonprofit that trained midwives. I am just as interested in more general women's health and pubic health, and have a passion for nutrition that I never considered "academic" until recently...(still, I feel sure that I want midwife training...but do I need to have this as my specialty to do that?)

I'm already incredibly anxious about this application. I have a track record of choosing one program and obsessing...I feel like maybe I should take the GRE again in May because my scores aren't very good, but my science grades ARE, so I don't know. And it will soon be time to send out my recommendations' requests, too...

As people who have stressed over the application experience, any advice will be greatly, greatly appreciated! (:

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1. If you're concerned about the credits, contact UCSF directly and make sure it will transfer. No, community college classes are not frowned on. I did all of my nursing prereqs at a CC.

2. You should be okay, as long as you have your courses complete on time. Remember, microbiology and nutrition are new requirements.

3. The program is extremely selective and so is midwifery. They have made the program smaller this year. Our class is only 60 people. I believe 500 people applied, 125 were interviewed, and 60 were offered admission. Everyone has really diverse backgrounds... just focus on strong grades, good GRE (what is your score right now?), but most importantly: excellent letters or rec and goal statement. You want to have a coherent narrative for why you're choosing nursing, why UCSF, how this both relates to your background and will allow you to achieve your career goals.

Do not choose one program and obsess. Do not do it. You will regret it. You should not put all your eggs in one extremely highly basket. It is very important that you have a plan B. When I was there at interview day I remember talking to people who had only applied to UCSF and they either had a plan B or they were so stressed I was afraid they'd have a stroke, haha. Either apply to multiple programs if you absolutely want to start somewhere ASAP (which is what I did), or realize that it might take you several years to get into UCSF. Don't go into it thinking "UCSF or bust".

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I second what myelin said - I would only add a couple things:

1) Don't count yourself out in advance! If you want to apply for midwifery, that's what you should go for. That said...

2) Get direct patient experience, ASAP! Get doula experience. You have five months before the application is due, which is plenty of time to get good direct experience if you start now. Then in your essays you can speak about this experience.

3) It doesn't seem absolutely crucial, but being able to speak a second language (preferably, but not necessarily, Spanish) is looked on favorably (and will serve you well during the program and in your career). Again, five months is plenty of time to become competent in the basics of Spanish.

Best of luck in your applications!

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Thanks, myelin and LookingAhead! Very useful advice...I certainly do have a few other schools I'm considering, but UCSF is definitely my first choice. I don't want to delay the education any more than necessary so I'll probably be sending out applications this year only and I'll just have to see who takes me. I'm looking into some A-BSN programs, too.

I'm going to try to shadow, at least, some local doulas and hopefully I can snowball that into some more volunteer work.

Off the top of my head I can't remember exactly what my GRE scores were...only that they absolutely did not reflect my academic record and my writing score was really poor. It was a last minute decision to take them a couple years ago and then I very foolishly had a few (too many) drinks the night before...

What would you all consider "excellent" letters of recommendation? From health professionals (doctors & nurses), or from people in the field I'm specifically interested in (women's health)? From professors? From former bosses?

I feel that my work and education histories provided me a clear narrative of why I want to pursue nursing, but I'll obviously have to work on the way I communicate this because most people I know seem surprised by my decision. But, I did work on a (non-medical) research grant in a department of emergency medicine right out of undergrad, for which I interviewed people in all departments of several hospitals and the nurses were just so...important...and awesome. Anyway, I suppose that's for me to worry about.

Thank you for taking the time to read & respond, it was very sweet of you both!

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I think LookingAhead and myelin gave excellent advice. Keep in mind that there are many who don't get in until their second year of applying so don't get discouraged if things don't work out this year. I would also advise getting more direct patient experience related to your specialty.

Letters of recommendation should come from people you feel believe in the quality of work you do and can attest to your professionalism and character. I'd advise getting recommendations from a nurse who observed your paid/volunteer work, professors, and bosses. At least some should be related to your specialty. I submitted 4 recommendations but I think you can submit up to 5.

Also, the ABSN route is not a bad idea if you don't get into a direct-entry program. There are pros & cons to both routes but both will get you to your goal eventually.

Good luck with everything. I certainly did not think I was going to get accepted and was expecting to do my state's ABSN program. My acceptance into UCSF threw me for a loop!

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Does anyone know what the average GRE score is for those accepted? I am thinking of applying for the 2013 cohort. Also any other advice besides the awesome ones already on here would be helpful.

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