UMass Worcester GEP 2017

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Hi everyone!

Since application season is in full-swing, I thought I'd start a forum for those of us applying to the UMass GEP Program for fall 2017. I'm applying to the family specialty! Best of luck everyone!

Hey Becky! Thanks for taking time to address our questions on this forum. I'm really excited about going to graduate school and finally becoming an FNP. Do you have any tips for financial aid/scholarships/loans? We have an orientation in June and a two week blitz at some point, right? When are loan disbursements made?

How did you like your first year? Did you have clinicals as an RN and will you be working as an RN for the 2nd/3rd/4th years? Where does it look like most people work after graduation? Sorry, so many questions. Again, thank you for taking time to quell our curiosity and confusion. -- Christina

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Hi Becky, thanks for helping!

how do you like the school in general? How about the instructors? Are they supportive?

do you think the DNP is better versus the MSN? I'm having a hard time deciding.

Thanks.

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Hi Christina and npwant2be,

No problem! As far as financial aid etc., I would just say get everything in as early as possible because you have to mail hard copies. I waited and ended up in a panic at the last minute. Tina from financial aid is really great though, and makes the process as painless as possible (even when your parent owns their own business and you have to fill out a million "supplements"....UGH). In order to send out award letters financial aid has to wait on the trustees to meet and finalize everything, which I have heard historically takes a while. I got my award letter in the end of July. When it comes down to it, everyone seems to get what they need. (I'm sorry; I know that's not very helpful!)

We had a three-week intensive/blitz (they may have adjusted the timeline to 2, so if that's what they told you, go with that). It is focused mainly on basic nursing skills to get you up to speed (e.g. patient assessment, safety, med math, etc.) and to get everyone on the same page since we come from varying backgrounds.

I have liked my first year and have definitely learned a lot. It is very busy, but doable if you manage your time well and study effectively. We started clinical rotations right after blitz ended. So far I have rotated through medsurg trauma/ortho, medsurg general (for this floor it was lots of post-op oncology patients), pediatrics, maternity, and next I go to psych and community health. These are all as a non-RN. Then over the summer, we will each have an internship with a preceptor and take one class/study for the NCLEX, which will be around August/September. Once we've passed the NCLEX, we find jobs as RNs and work for years 2-4.

As far as DNP vs. MSN: both are great. I decided to go for the DNP mainly because the nursing field is moving toward requiring NPs to hold a doctoral degree. I also feel that it will allow me to work clinically with the flexibility to work in administration, teach, write, etc. (see this website for a more detailed explanation: What does a “Doctor of Nursing Practice” Mean to You? | The Michigan Center for Nursing)

I hope that this helps!

Becky

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Becky, I can't say how helpful it is for you to answer these questions! Thanks so much. I'm mostly wondering what your weekly schedule has looked like in the first year. I'm guessing it varies slightly, but can you give kind of a sense of how it's organized? Thanks!

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Good question! I actually really like how our schedule is set up. We have three days a week of class and two days a week of clinical. First semester was Monday lecture 9-5, Tuesday and Wednesday clinical 6-2 or 2-10(?), Thursday lecture/lab varying times but usually half day, and Friday lecture about a half day. Then this semester has been Monday class 9-5, Tuesday class 9-3 or 9-5, Wednesday and Friday clinical 6-2, and Thursday lecture/lab half day ish. Then you spend basically all of the rest of your time studying. You'll be paired up with mentors from my class too, so that's a nice resource to have.

Also I forgot to address part of your other question. In my opinion, the instructors are very supportive and do what they can to help us along (available for help, will sometimes have review sessions or give a study guide). If someone is struggling, I believe they're required to receive extra help because they really want everyone to succeed, which I think is a good quality of the program.

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That's really good to hear! How do you feel the market is for FNP? I'm having a hard time choosing FNP or psych as I hear that psych is in demand. What do you think?

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I'm actually not sure about FNP, I'm sorry! I'm on the ACNP track. You'll have plenty of time to think about your specialty though, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. You may even get into clinical and find that you love something you didn't expect to. And the psych rotation during second semester will help give you a better idea of whether or not it's for you. Shadowing is also always a great idea.

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Hi Becky! Thank you for answering some of the questions on this forum! I had a question about living in Worcester and maybe some others on this forum from the area can answer.

Do most students live in Worcester or do they commute from nearby towns? If so, what are some common towns students commute from? I've never been to Worcester but have heard it can be a rough city with safety as a concern and not much to do. I realize we will be very busy studying but I want to make sure you feel safe to walk around and have things to do in the area for when you need a break from studying. Any advice is helpful! Thanks!

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Wow, thanks Becky. Super helpful and informative!

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Hey wem50,

A lot of people live in Worcester, but a lot also live in surrounding towns- Shrewsbury, Marlborough, Hudson…those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I personally chose not to move to Worcester because I had heard that there were safety issues, but a lot of people like Worcester and haven't had any problems. I think it just comes down to what you'll be comfortable with. Right now I have a 17-minute commute and it's totally fine. If you do decide to move to Worcester, I would just do some research on which areas are safest/which areas to avoid. I didn't end up using this housing board, but it seems like a good resource: Housing Opportunities

I hope this helps!

Becky

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Hey wem50,

I just wanted to provide an additional perspective on living in Worcester. My sister has lived within walking distance of UMass for a few years and hasn't had any problems. We've gone for runs and walked to restaurants when I visit, and I know she walks to school from her apartment when the weather is nice. When I was accepted to the program, I considered also living within walking distance because I liked the area, but ultimately decided to live closer to Boston to save my husband some time on his commute. There are definitely some sketchy parts of Worcester that you'd want to avoid, but I think that as long as you are looking in the vicinity of the school you can sometimes find a good deal on an apartment and not have to worry about having a long commute.

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Hi Becky,

Thank you for all your input on this forum, so helpful. My name is Heather and I have been accepted to the FNP track at UMASS. I was wondering if many students find housing together. I am from Northern California, and would love to find a way to connect with other students on housing. Did your cohort find housing together at all, or was it more on an individual basis. Thank you for all your advice.

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