UMASS Worcester - GEP 2021

Niithompson22 · Jan 8, 2021

I was thinking about the pandemic situation and how it has affected many, as reason for low activity on this thread. I will sure create a facebook page and make this site known on there.

I am particularly grateful for all the interview tips you sent to me and so far everything looks promising. I will know officially if I have been accepted today. Fingers crossed.

FAFSA- I have applied for FAFSA too. Did you get any money directly into your account after the school expenses were sorted? Like to take care of books and other expenses?

Thank you.

AMPatts1190 · Jan 8, 2021

I’m glad the questions were helpful! I hope you get in!! ?

You do get some additional funds for expenses like books, but it is through the grad plus loan, which is separate. You get it after the add/drop period each semester and it is direct deposited into your account (so you would have to reimburse yourself).

Niithompson22 · Jan 10, 2021

@AMPatts1190

I am happy to inform you that I have been officially accepted into the program for the Mental Health NP route. More than happy! I will private message you for additional tips.

Thank you for your help. There is the acceptance letter I have to return and the deposit I have to pay. What courses would you recommend I take while waiting for school to commence, just so I get a hang of things before starting full time?

Rouge_bbase · Jan 10, 2021

Congrats! Me too!

Niithompson22 · Jan 10, 2021

congrats

AMPatts1190 · Jan 10, 2021

Congratulations to both of you @wp650 and @Niithompson22! That’s so great to hear. ? I’m assuming this school is your first choice, so please let me know if you have any other direct questions that may not be now related to the admissions process. I’ll also be more than happy to provide either of you with any tips for success (that I wish I had) before GEP prep starts this upcoming August. My biggest piece of (public) advice would be to stay as stress free as possible leading up to the start of the semester. The program is stressful and you will need to be 100% mentally prepared to tackle it. But it will be worth it in the end!

@Niithompson22:

For courses, just finish taking the prerequisite courses that the school mandates if you haven’t already done so (A+P, medical Microbiology, stats, development across the lifespan, and nutrition). Take them at QCC if you live locally since it’s the cheapest. They don’t expect you to have any patient care experience. ?

psych2021 · Jan 10, 2021

I was also accepted for PMHNP on Friday!

Nnece · Jan 12, 2021

Hello everyone!

So happy someone finally created a forum for 2021. I applied super early and received my acceptance in October!

I also have a million questions regarding financial aide and I’m hoping to get them answered in office hours. I don’t have a facebook but I may have to open one for the sake of communication.

Feel free to ask any question regarding the interview I’ll do my best to answer. Good luck to everyone currently applying!

Nnece · Jan 12, 2021

On 12/11/2020 at 3:30 PM, AMPatts1190 said:

Hi Niithompson22:

I’m happy to hear you are applying to the GEP/DNP for 2021. I am a current year 1 GEP student and I can answer any questions that you (and others) may have. To sail through the interview, I would come prepared ready to answer:

1.) why do you want to be in this program (and sub track) at UMass? Why not MGH or MCPHS?

2.) What experiences made you prepared for this experience (it is rather intense)? How are you disciplined?

3.) (the tricky one) Have you ever not done well in a particular course or assignment and what did you do to overcome this? Explain with examples on your ability to be resilient or overcome adversity in an academic setting.

4.) Research your interview members before hand and integrate it into your interview. For example, I noticed that my interviewers published an article on getting jobs post graduation. I asked them to explain this article in a way it was relevant to my question (Do GEP/NP students get jobs easily?)

5.) Know a potential DNP topic of interest. Mine was working with Veterans in an acute care setting. It shows that you are thinking long-term and know what might interest you (fully knowing that could change).

6.) Lastly, I’ll include to think about your support systems and how you will utilize them. An example would be peers if you start to struggle (many do) or going to the professor for study strategies.

That was a little long, but feel free to ask more questions if need be. I don’t know if I will get notifications unless I’m tagged, but I’ll check this periodically. ?

Best of luck in your interview!

Thanks so much for taking time to answer questions and concerns! What would you say is the biggest con vs pro of the program?

AMPatts1190 · Jan 12, 2021

That’s a great question! I would say the biggest pro would be the professors and the timeliness of the program. Getting an RN in one year is awesome and we can work throughout the program as well. The Professors are there to help you as well and support you along the way and the clinical instructors are very good as well. Also, the (roughly) 40 of you will be very close to one another (there is usually 8-10 student per track) and that support system is EVERYTHING. Take advantage of having 40 heads trying to figure out nursing instead of just one. We use the group chat application “Group Me” to correspond with one another to share insights, concerns, questions, etc. that can be accessed through your smartphone.

The biggest con is stress (expected) and the disorganization of the program. Covid made it worse so many times you won’t know where your clinical site is until a few days before (hopefully that changes for you all). Also, the program is a lot of work. Figuring out how to manage everything is a struggle at times. I would recommend signing up for a mentor when given the option as our cohort can help guide you all into a successful year.

Please continue and feel free to ask any additional questions as they come up. ?

Nnece · Jan 12, 2021

Wow! I didn’t even know that a mentor was an option I’ll definitely be looking into that! Thanks so much for info. Is there anything you wish you would of freshened up on before starting the program or would recommend just relaxing?

AMPatts1190 · Jan 12, 2021

Yeah relaxing is what I would recommend the most. Even with the med math packet that you will receive over the Summer, do not... and I repeat DO NOT spend all that time reading the chapters. Just complete the packet and go to GEP Prep with questions or consult with your classmates. I’m willing to say that publicly because I was so glad when someone else told me that so I didn’t expend all my energy all Summer on studying 19 arduous chapters in the text book for one 25 question test that can be retaken (like many others have done to their frustration and dismay). And you get a one hour med math lesson prior to the test. ?