University of Miami: ABSN, Costs, Hospitals

fazeila921 · Dec 10, 2007

Great question! I'm not ready to apply to nursing school yet but UofM was one of the schools that i was interested in (accelerated BSN)..that is until I saw the tuition. Yikes! After already having a degree, I am hesitant to rack up a bunch of student loan debt again. Ok, i'm waiting for a reply. i too would like to know what it's like to work in the Miami hospitals. My choice is between going to NYC or South Florida. The pay in NY is much higher, but so is the cost of living. I know FL is no longer cheap either, but you can still make out better. The part that concerns me is that it's a Right to Work state, whereas in NY, you've got strong unions. That's one of the reasons why the pay is higher and the nurse to patient ratios lower.

phosophorus · Dec 10, 2007

I want to add that I'd be pumped to live in Miami, and if it worked out financially it would be my top choice as for places to live.

jerrylundergard · Dec 11, 2007

hey there,
I'm pretty sure I got into UM's ABSN program and have some questions about it. It's categorically more expensive which makes me hesitant, but they now have a program to pay off all the tuition, if you agree to work 2 years in their partnered Miami hospitals. Couple of questions then-
Has anyone gone to the ABSN program here? Experiences?
I'm nervous to sell myself for 2 years of work, where I could be coerced into working in dangerous situations with financial constraints held over me. I understand that that's a problem with nursing generally, but I'm nervous that the hospital could have control over whether I have to pay 40k or not. (the other option for me is wait a little longer, take more prereqs and go someplace cheaper).
How are the hospitals UM works with? Are any union?
thanks so much!

Hello there. I was also thinking about UofM. That tuition program they have seem pretty cool but I think there are many other schools that have something similar. The thing that threw me off about that program is that it seems you still have to pay for the first semester up front anyway. I may be mistaken but I think you apply to that program during the summer semester and after youve already paid for 1 of 3 semesters. So maybe its only gonna cover 2 semesters than your signed up for 2 years in their hospitals.

Anyhow, congrats on the possibility of acceptance to Miami. Im curious, how did you find out you were accepted, was it for this coming up May 08?

phosophorus · Dec 11, 2007

I didn't notice that detail. That would be a deal breaker for me. I should look into that. I called them the other day to make sure they had everything and they told me that I would be getting a letter soon in a fairly cheerful/suggestive voice. So whatever that means.

Honestly to go there I would need the tuition paid and then some.

phosophorus · Dec 11, 2007

I reread it. You get pre-selected before you get in, and it applies for the whole year so there should be no suprises. When I went there I spoke with the dean or something and he made it sound like nearly everyone will get it (they were conscious of how the cost hamstrung them, though there are lots of schools with comparable costs sadly like John Hopkins, OHSU, Samuel Merritt, etc).

pkohm · Dec 12, 2007

I've heard of that too... I'm at F.I.U. (good school too, but public so much cheaper).

My father is an electrical engineer (fixes x-ray equipment) and i have friends in a bunch of florida nursing programs.. and some family etc in nursing. (k my credentials done lol).

Baptist Hospital- Offers the pay for you to go to school thing, had a friend who did it, and they liked it, still at baptist (they are 27 now).

My dad loves baptist, says they got great updated stuff.

Jackson South/Jackson- good equipment, hard on nurses sometimes.

Kendall Regional- Supposedly outdated and not that great.

idk too much about other hospitals, but if u can def. try to go with baptist.

LeavingTeaching4RN · Dec 12, 2007

I want to add that I'd be pumped to live in Miami, and if it worked out financially it would be my top choice as for places to live.

Just curious to know, where do you live now? Miami is ridiculously expensive and the pay is not comparable! :angryfire Please remember to factor that into your decision. I love living in S. FL, but it isn't cheap. Good luck with your decision.

valkyria, BSN, RN · Mar 26, 2008

if you can find other postings from me, i have written very long explanations about all the major hospital systems down here but i will give you the readers digest version. no, um does not have any union shops, union is a dirty word. no. um does not have a program to pay off their accelerated program in 2 years at a partner hospital. that would be baptist who will pay for you to go to fiu or miami dade and if you chose to go to um or barry, i went to um and worked at baptist at the same time, they will give you a 7500$ scholarship, if you are chosen, and you agree to work for a hospital in the baptist network for 1 year following graduation. jackson memorial, who is a sister hospital and partner of universityof miami miller school of medicine, sylvester comprehensive cancer center, university of miami hospital(formerly cedars), and bascom palmer eye institute=all of that huge complex together with the mailman institute for pediatric medicine, the debbie school for elementary and early education, papnicolau institute for cancer research, the diabetes research institute and the lois pope life center will all soon be referred to as miami medicine. kendall regional is referred to, down here, as killing kendall. jmh may have outdated equipment but the best minds in the world go there to study and more money is going in every day and as far as training, the military trains their medical people there. baptist is a tight knit family that can stiffle a person after a while. they claim to be all for education but they are not supportive of you unless you do things "the baptist way". um has tuition remission. after you work there for a certain amount of time, you pay for tuition and they pay you back, for everything except md and jd, i think. so while the pay for nurses may not be as competitive as in other institutions, um offers opportunity for learning, training and being around some of the greatest scientific developments of out time.and baptist will not be recognized outside of south florida but um/jackson/sylvester is known all over the world. it all depends on what you want from your career. i hope i was helpful.

phosophorus · Mar 26, 2008

that was helpful. thanks

Have you seen this?

http://www6.miami.edu/sonhs/grad/acceleratedbsn.html

"

Nursing Scholars Program

The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine is committed to providing educational and employment opportunities for individuals interested in the nursing profession. Through its Nursing Scholars Program, the Miller School provides full tuition plus a stipend for books and fees for students in the Accelerated BSN program. Students selected to receive scholarships commit to full-time employment at the University of Miami Hospitals and Clinics for a consecutive twenty-four month period following their graduation. Employment opportunities are available at:

UM Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

* ER

* Surgery

* Orthopedics

UM Department of Medicine

* Cardiology

* Hematology

* Hepatoplogy

UM Department of Surgery

* Surgery/Transplant

UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center

* GI/Endoscopy

* Head & Neck

* Hematology/Oncology

* OR/Perioperative Services

* Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)

* Inpatient

* Outpatient Ambulatory

Other UM Clinics

* Cardiovascular Center

* Diabetes Research Institute

* OB/GYN

* Pediatric Immunology

* Urology

* Pain Management

"

That was what I was talking about.

thanks, todd

lmb13 · Jan 14, 2009

how hard is it to get into this program? I WOULD LOVE to go to UM and work at one of their hospitals for 2-3 years if they pay tuition! anyone doing this now...