University of Rochester ABPNN Sept 2016

Esmeraldap · Apr 27, 2016

Today marks the 8th week since the application was due... anyone else going crazy?

oldsockventriloquist · Apr 27, 2016

I've tried to research this program, which sounds very promising. But, could someone explain how they plan on managing the cost of this program, after they graduate? I believe the cost should be around $70k before room and board. Are New York hospitals really paying that much? Otherwise, it sounds like a good program, if you have a degree all ready.

Esmeraldap · May 10, 2016

I see it as an investment, and i don't plan on staying in NY. I'm hoping to move elsewhere in the east coast before moving back to California.

EDnurseNY · May 17, 2016

Hi everyone!

I graduated from the UR ABPNN program three days ago (5/13/16). If anyone has any questions about the application process, interview, program, or anything URSON, please ask away!

EDnurseNY · May 18, 2016

Esmeralda, I got your PM, but the system isn't letting me respond since this is a new account. Do you want me to put any information here in this thread?

anvalent · May 18, 2016

Just so everyone knows, absolutely NO decisions will be sent out before June, specifically the second week of June is when we will all be hearing. Just so people aren't stressing too much until then. Pretty ridiculous for a program that starts in the fall...

Esmeraldap · May 19, 2016

YES PLEASE!

EDnurseNY · May 20, 2016

Sorry if this is in no order at all, I'm just putting down what I think of (and answering PM'd questions). I'm also known to ramble, so sorry.

First off, I was in the May cohort, so my application was due at the end of November. I got the call to interview in early January, I interviewed the second week of January, and I got the acceptance phone call February 10th (yes, I remember that haha). So June is a completely normal wait, even though it's nerve wracking.

I'm originally from Buffalo, but my family's lived all over New York state. So transitioning to Rochester wasn't hard at all, that and it's a nice little city, depending on where you live. I live in the Park Ave. area, and it's pretty nice and mostly quiet, except on weekends because of the bars. Even then it's not bad.

My undergrad GPA was terrible. I mean really, so much that I'm not putting it here. It was well below what would've gotten me in to nursing school. What saved my application was grad school, where I became a mostly straight A student. My background is in Math and High School Math Education. Side note on that: every cohort has people from every background, that's one of the bragging points of the program. That is a good and bad thing. I also had experience in the medical world, as a caregiver and as an ED tech, so I knew a lot of how things work already. Same with a lot of my classmates. But a lot of us came from non-medical fields with no healthcare experience on any level, and at first there was a huge gap between us. That went away by (at the latest) mid-second semester, but still. If you have classmates that might be in over their heads, help them out! They're most likely working double to "catch up" on the little aspects of patient care, even things like how to check blood pressure and how to talk to patients. If you're in that boat, don't worry! You may be working a bit extra in the beginning, but you will get there! Like I said, the experience gap goes away. Ask your classmates for help!

As for comparing the cost of the program to the salary later... well, I'll just go ahead and say that Strong's (a good number of us got jobs at Strong) starting pay for a new grad RN is $24.14/hr, right now. Obviously that changes over time, and doesn't count overtime and shift differential. I can't speak to any other facility in the area, though.

Advice going in...

Make sure you have your life in order before starting. That may sound silly, but as of graduation day I still had boxes to unpack from when I moved to Rochester because I didn't unpack them before starting. I had no time to finish unpacking all my stuff. If there is anything else major going on (moving, getting married, whatever), make sure it's wrapped up before you start the program. All the other "life stuff," make sure it's taken care of. Like bills, rent, etc. Again, it sounds insane, but you will probably end up losing track of time at some point. I ended up putting "PAY CAR PAYMENT" and things like that on my assignment calendar, because I didn't know what day it was. I know that doesn't sound reassuring.

Oh, on the topic of calendars: keep a big calendar. Time management is essential. There will be weeks where class times change, there are two exams on one day or multiple exams a week, multiple assignments due multiple days in a row, simulation schedules, group work, mandatory events, events where attendance is "highly suggested" (mandatory), and all other manner of things. Keep a calendar so you can keep track of everything. The calendar the SON puts up is really, really good. Keep it handy either on your computer or printed for portability, and check every once in a while for updates.

For all the classes that allow lecture recording, either record the lecture yourself or find out who is recording the lecture and ask them to share. You might listen, you might not, but there will be at least one thing you'll want to go back over so you may as well have it.

Everyone is a type A person when it comes to academics, at least my whole cohort was. I know they'll tell you this, but I really want to stress: do NOT push yourself to get As if doing so will burn you out. Seriously. It took a long time for me to back off the perfectionist-must-have-an-A attitude, but I did for my own sake. The program is hard and hectic, and if you stress yourself out so much over getting a 4.0, you will burn out. It's much better for you not to get As but maintain your sanity as much as possible. You'll also need to sleep. Really, as the program went on, I got less and less sleep. Third semester during Med/Surg (Medical/Surgical, a.k.a. Adult and Home Health Nursing) there were pre-clinical assignments due at the start of clinical Wednesday and Thursday (so at 6:30am), and at one point I was getting three hours of sleep a night to finish them. Don't do that, they're pass/fail. I realized I needed to sleep, so I compromised only a tiny amount of quality to get more sleep. On that note, keep an eye on what is pass/fail and how much everything is worth. I'm not saying to slack off, but my entire cohort was freaking out about a Patho case study that was 5% of our grade. Not as big a deal as we all made it.

Somewhat related, help each other out!! There is no curve here, so no competition. Help your fellow classmates out if they need it. I have to say, my cohort was amazing with this. Lecture recordings, help with studying and assignments, help during clinical, everything. Also, one of my classmates made a huge packet of notes for every test, every class and shared it with all of us. Those were our lifeline. You're all in this together, may as well lift each other up instead of push each other down.

Make time for you. I already mentioned sleeping, but go to the gym, see a movie, do something. The gym is a really good idea, since you're not going to be sleeping well, you're not going to have as much time to prepare meals, and on class days, you'll be sitting in the same spot all day. 90% or so of my cohort, myself included, cannot fit into the pants we started with in the program. I'm serious. It's a big problem. Take care of yourself as much as possible!!

If you're a night person like me, I'm sorry. Clinicals in the first and third semester are all 7am-3pm, Wednesday and Thursday. If your instructor does pre-conference, it's 6:30am, non-negotiable. Thankfully, second semester has day and evening shifts, and I was on the only overnight shift of the program.

I can't think of anything else at the moment, so... any other questions?

Esmeraldap · May 25, 2016

WOW, THANK YOU! Your advice is greatly appreciated, seriously, thank you!

You definitely offered us some insight into the program & your personal experience.

THANKS for all of that information!

kd022 · May 31, 2016

i never noticed there was a forum for the Sept. 2016 cohort so hi everyone lol but I'm getting really nervous bc we should be receiving answers soon

from last years forum, people started getting phone calls on their admission decision the first week in June...i can't believe its a phone call though i feel like thats unusual

EDnurseNY · Jun 1, 2016

i never noticed there was a forum for the Sept. 2016 cohort so hi everyone lol but I'm getting really nervous bc we should be receiving answers soon
from last years forum, people started getting phone calls on their admission decision the first week in June...i can't believe its a phone call though i feel like thats unusual

It's a phone call, then a letter sent the day you get the call. I guess they like letting people know ASAP? They didn't even get me on the phone, so they left a voicemail.

kd022 · Jun 1, 2016

It's a phone call, then a letter sent the day you get the call. I guess they like letting people know ASAP? They didn't even get me on the phone, so they left a voicemail.

oh wow so then you already got your decision right