2014 UCSF MEPN Applicants

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Hey everyone! Given that applications are due a month from today, I figured it was about time to start a thread. How are everyone's personal statements and applications coming?

samdaman, I'll see you this weekend!

Belatedly I'm on this forum, but I've been following it on and off all year. Right now I'm nervous as hell and it's only Monday...

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For those of you who had your interviews today and last Friday, how do you think you did? As for me, I thought I did pretty well. I was definitely nervous, but it wasn't really because of who was interviewing me. The two nurses (Faculty and Nurse Manager) were actually pretty mellow and non-threatening in a better-than-though sort of way. I think my nerves stemmed from wanting to do my best in explaining my reasons and providing solid answers. The orientation was actually really helpful in calming my nerves a bit as the relaxation breathing we did and the reminder speech of why were are here really put things into perspective.

What are your stories??

Good luck to you all! I really enjoyed getting to meet many of you today. You all were very nice and welcoming. Hope to have the opportunity to study with you in MEPN .

Now, onto waiting for another couple of months :angrybird10:

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Hi all! i want to share my interview experience here, especially since I know there are future applicants who are reading this thread.

We all met in the school of nursing building. This place was sort of tricky to find, so be sure to arrive early in case you get lost. The day started off with a 30-minute orientation, and each applicant was given his/her appointment time including the name of the faculty interviewer, and room number. The first group of interviewees proceeded to their assigned room/floor, while the rest of us stayed in the room chatting with each other. Some people didn't want to wait in the room, so they either walked around the campus or found a quiet place to relax or practice. Tip: DO NOT drink coffee or tea before your interview, because it'll make you feel even more jittery.

The interview was with a nurse manager and faculty. I remember reading previous years' threads and some people mentioned that their interview was more like a conversation rather than an interview...however, I didn't find that to be true from my experience. The interview was very straight forward. The nurse manager and faculty took turns asking questions from their list. I answered, then the interviewers moved on to the next question without providing any feedback or comments. There wasn't a lot of time left in the end for me to ask questions.

From my experience, I think it's very important to show a positive attitude; however, don't come off as being too unrealistic. For example, let your interviewers know that you know nursing is a hard job, although you know that you can't fix everything that is wrong or help a patient with everything, you are going to work to the best of your abilities. I think it's important to state something like that, because according to one of the interviewers, the students/nurses who come in with the "I want to save the world" attitude are usually the first to burn out.

one of the interviewers also mentioned that they are looking for nurses who are not just passionate about helping patients, but also helping fellow nurses. In other words, someone who can lend a hand to their colleagues when the job gets really tough and busy. so, it'd be a good idea to think of an example from your own work experience and use it to answer the "what do you think are qualities of a good nurse?" question.

i can't remember all the questions they asked, but here are some:

Why UCSF?

Why did you choose your specialty?

What do you think are the qualities of a good nurse?

What have you done to prepare yourself for nursing school?

What do you know about the demands of this program/school?

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I couldn't agree more Gudbee!! Coffee is definitely a no no, especially if you're not use to it's effects...lesson learned. The interview peocess definitely didn't feel like a conversation with the back and forth questions, but it also didn't feel too rigid. I would advise others to not get too caught up in trying to formulate the perfect answer, because they've heard the canned responses before and can tell when it's not genuine. Prepare for the interview by reading the most commonly asked questions the nursing grad schools ask (as those are the main questions you'll get), but don't overprepare. Just get an idea of what you want to say, and when it's time for the interview mention that experience, and elaborate what you want to convey from your heart...and not your head. That's the approach I ended up taking. I initially did all this planning and as they started to ask me questions, I realized I didn't have the time to recall every little detail of what I practiced. That approach was not going to work if I truly wanted to sound genuine and authentic, so I ended up just speaking from the heart and I could it made a positive difference.

I would also advise future interviewees to read up on the trends and issues of the nursing profession, as a couple of the questions are geared towards understanding your perspective on this matter and ways to solve/handle these issues.

Finally, don't be afraid to go back and answer a previous questioned that was asked if you weren't satisfied with your original answer. Also, don't be afraid to integrate important information you want them to know about. I found myself doing this when I wanted to elaborate on experiences that I had or give context to why I did certain things. It may not be 100 percent relevant, but if it contributes to your story, then go for it! This is your one shot to demonstrate your capabilities!

Hope this info can help someone out there who will be in this same situation next year!!

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I have to agree and say that my interview was not "conversational" at all. It seemed as though my interviewers were just there to get the job done, and didn't seem particularly excited about the program or about answering any questions I had at the end of our interview. The director of the program who talked to us beforehand seemed really nice, and I expected my interviewers to have a similar sort of personality/vibe, which wasn't the case. They weren't mean or rude or anything, but just seemed kind of unaffected by my presence in general! Overall, I felt like if I hadn't known I was at the prestigious UCSF School of Nursing, I wouldn't be all that impressed from what I saw on interview day. However, I suppose when you are the number 1 ranked nursing program in the nation, the faculty doesn't feel like they have to really impress or woo their applicant pool to want to come to their school.

In fairness, I will say that I came into the interview with some initial reservations due to the fact that I have heard it is hard for UCSF MEPNs to get jobs as RNs in the Bay Area during the second two years of the program (as UCSF does not award a BSN after you pass the NCLEX).

Today's session with the current students went well, and I felt like they were a really nice group of people which made the overall experience better. Just my two cents and of course I am sure everyone has a different perspectives on the day. :)

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I agree, Saturday's meet and greet really impacted my overall perspective and motivation to attend the school! It was very refreshing!!

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I really enjoyed my interview, though like other programs I wish it had included a session with each speciality so we could ask questions about the curriculum, types of jobs new grads have found, etc.

I believe they said they are reviewing applications this week, so hopefully we hear back soon!

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Could you please post a link to that page? I searched fb, but wasn't able to find it. Thanks!

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Here's the link to the UCSF MEPN 2014 applicants ---> https://www.facebook.com/groups/649930798399320/

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Specializes in Midwifery/Women's Health.

Just a heads up! I heard from one of the professors on the admission committee that they are meeting to make decisions tomorrow. Which means you can hear as early as Friday! Good luck everyone :)

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Specializes in Midwifery/Women's Health.

I'm a current MEPN too, so this is a credible source ;)

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Specializes in Emergency.
However, I suppose when you are the number 1 ranked nursing program in the nation, the faculty doesn't feel like they have to really impress or woo their applicant pool to want to come to their school.

Good job on the interview! I just wanted to correct you that UCSF is not #1. UPenn is. UCSF happens to be #2. ;-)

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