Umass Worcester fall 2018 GEP

NurseJeffreyMA · Dec 1, 2017

Hi everyone! I got a call yesterday and I'm accepted to the FNP track! Did anyone else get an interview or accepted?

boston212 · Dec 1, 2017

I submitted my application just last night.

Anyone know how long it will take from the time we apply to hearing from the admissions team?

futureFNP123 · Dec 1, 2017

Hey NPToBe527, thanks so much for your offer! Can you provide some insight as to what your day-to-day is like as a first year student, and is there anything you wish you knew prior to starting the program?

NPToBe527 · Dec 1, 2017

Hi futureFNP123!

Day-to-day (or weekly) looks like this for us:

Monday: Class 9-5

Tuesday & Wednesday: Clinical 6a-2p - one group which is about 1/6 of the class has clinical 1p-9p

Thursday: Half day lab (sometimes it's 8-12 and others it's 12-4; you'll get a schedule at the beginning of the semester)

Friday: Class 9a-3:30p

The week is broken up really well & it goes by very fast for sure; no complaints with the schedule (even being an hour away and waking up at 4am for clinical!)

As far as things I wish I knew...first off, know that you WILL feel like things are a little disorganized & you may not understand what's going on behind the scenes (for example, we didn't receive clinical placements until the few days before clinical started). I'd say this is a weakness of the program, but have faith that the faculty definitely have your back and they really do work very hard to make things run smoothly.

Second, I wish I had better prepared myself to not do as well as I did in undergrad. We are learning a massive amount of information in one year, and held to really high standards to end up as great nurses. It's hard, and it's harder when you're expecting a 4.0! However, as you'll hear over and over again, "trust the process"

I hope this helps. It is a really really great program and they certainly want the best for you! Best of luck!

futureFNP123 · Dec 2, 2017

Hi NPtoBe527 - This is incredibly helpful, thank you so much! Given the academic load is pretty rigorous, do you have any suggestions as to how to prepare for the first year? Anything you wish you had done before enrolling?

NurseJeffreyMA · Dec 4, 2017

Hi NPToBe527! Thank you so much for the info! Can you let us know how orientation is?

NPToBe527 · Dec 7, 2017

Hi FutureFNP123 and NurseJeffreyMA - So sorry that it took so long to get back to you. It's finals time, and I haven't had time to do much of anything!

FutureFNP123: I definitely have suggestions. If you aren't already used to coming to class with notes on your assigned reading, I highly recommend making it a habit! By no means is it necessary, and you can certainly succeed without working that way, but I have found it to be SO helpful to do my assigned reading, take good notes and then use class time just to augment my notes. As far as something I wish I'd done first, it's WORK! Not only to save up some money, but I also came straight out of undergrad and started at UMass the following fall. Not only do I feel tired & burnt out, I feel like I could really have taken some time to hone my professional interests and decide what really motivates me!

NurseJeffreyMA: Unfortunately, orientation wasn't all I had hoped! It's certainly informative, you'll learn a lot about UMass and the program's expectations of you. However, the orientation is for the entire Graduate School of Nursing, and though you'll pull away and have some time just as a GEP program, I left feeling like I still wanted to know more! Just have faith. It will all come in time!

melodeeya · Dec 7, 2017

Hey NurseJeffreyMA, when did you apply? Congrats on getting accepted! I applied just before the December 1st deadline, and am wondering when I will hear back. Anxiously waiting!

Glad this thread was made. Anyone apply anywhere else? I was just accepted to Regis but my top choice is UMass.

NurseJeffreyMA · Dec 7, 2017

Hi melodeeya! My application was submitted by Nov 1st and by mid Nov I received a call for an interview and then a week later I received a call that I was accepted! I also applied to Simmons and Boston College, but this is my first choice! I love everything about the school! Good luck Melodeeya! Keep me posted!

NurseJeffreyMA · Dec 7, 2017

Hi NPToBe527! Thank you for the info about orientation! Did you have a lot of time to sit and meet your classmates?

melodeeya · Dec 7, 2017

Awesome, good luck to you too! I am from the UMass area and work there so it would be wonderful to get accepted. I guess since I just applied December 1st there will be some time before I hear back.

NPToBe527 · Dec 8, 2017

Did you have a lot of time to sit and meet your classmates?

We did get a good amount of time to meet each other and instructors, but only as much as one day will allow! If you don't feel like you know your classmates after orientation, you DEFINITELY will after GEP prep (a two week intensive at the beginning of your first semester). Its 8-4 every day for two weeks; you'll feel like you've known each other for years!