Vanderbilt MSN 2018

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Hi! I'm starting a thread for Vanderbilt MSN Fall 2018. Anyone else applying too? Please comment!

Chappie-

I didn't prepare in advance for advanced pharm or patho, and I currently have an A average in both of those classes right now. I mainly use the lectures and the lecture powerpoints to study, and use the books to clarify anything that I didn't understand from lecture. From my experience, the tests come straight from what they cover in lecture. It will help to get a head start in these classes, but I don't think it's 100% necessary to do so in order to be successful in the class! Hope this helps.

Is there anything you recommend? I'm very excited and have extra time so I would like to start getting into some material. Thanks!

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Is there anything you recommend? I'm very excited and have extra time so I would like to start getting into some material. Thanks!

Hi Laura.S,

If you're a pre-specialty student, I don't have any recommendations because I entered the program in my specialty year.

If you will also be starting the program in the speciality year, I recommend using your free time to do things you enjoy before starting this program. Although the workload is manageable, it is still intense. I spent the summer before starting this program traveling, reading for pleasure, and relaxing--all things that I'm not able to do with much frequency now that I'm in the program.

The 3 Ps (advanced pharm, advanced patho, and advanced physical assessment) will require the bulk of your attention and time in the first semester (at least this has been my experience). For all 3 of these classes, test information is based not only on lecture, but on assigned research articles, guest lectures, videos, etc. So even though you could theoretically spend time reading textbooks or review books before the program starts, you don't know which topics to spend time on because you haven't started yet or had your lectures. And in the case of guest lectures or specific research articles that professors assign you to read, there is obviously no way to prepare for that before you start the program. It would be a waste of your time to read multiple 80+ page chapters, or work through a review book, ahead of time and find that the professor only covers a fraction of that in lecture. Most people in my specialty came to orientation and the first couple days of classes without having even ordered books.

If you are OMTA and if you will be responsible for finding your own clinical sites, I would start on that as soon as possible. It's never too early to start identifying preceptors.

So, basically, breathe and enjoy yourself before the program starts. I can tell by your eagerness to get started that you will do just fine :)

I hope this helps, and I'm sorry if it wasn't quite the answer you were looking for! Let me know if you have any other questions.

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Did you guys hear anything today? I didn't hear anything. Hhaha no patience

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Does Vandy interview students who applied for the FNP concentration? I haven't received anything from them.

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I haven't heard anything from them. The "Application Status" page isn't very helpful, as it just tells you that you have all of your documents uploaded and everything. To be fair, I applied to 2 other programs whose deadline was Nov. 1st and haven't heard anything from them either. Anyone know a timeline based on previous years?

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Haha, I'm checking emails constantly hoping to hear today as well. Patience is hard during app season.

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Now you guys are making me antsy! Is there any reason I should start checking mine frequently?

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Have some people been hearing back about interviews already? Why is everyone checking emails??

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Specializes in Midwife, OBGYN.
Have some people been hearing back about interviews already? Why is everyone checking emails??

The reason is because previous cohorts started to hear back about interview invitations from Vanderbilt starting this week. That is why everyone is checking their e-mails. If the timing holds true then we should see the first invitations come out this week but personally I would wait until either the end of this week or next week because everyone just came back from the Thanksgiving break and there were two major events that have happened with Vandy this year. Their hospital and their school are now two separate entities which just happened this year and they are currently in the process of building a brand new nursing academic and clinical building to be complete by Aug 2018 which is taking up a lot of the administration's time.

From previous threads, Vandy actually sent out e-mails telling applicants in previous years whether they were in the first wave of students to be reviewed by the admissions committee if they submitted their applications by the Nov 1st priority deadline. But this year it seems that none of the applicants have received that e-mail or a timeline of what to expect so there is more anxious waiting.

My best guess is because of the structure change and the new nursing building, they just haven't had as much time to keep us up to date so I personally am expecting them to be a little later this year in letting applicants know about interviews. On top of that, they have seen exponential growth of their nursing school population these past two years and Vandy is now one of the larger nursing schools in the entire country at around 800 students which is why they are building the new nursing building and why I expect later notifications this year because of all the activity happening at the nursing school.

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Does acute care program with the direct entry have interviews ? Or only the FNP

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It's happening!! Just received my interview request for FNP/CNM specialty.

Feeling so fortunate. Good luck everyone!!

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Specializes in Midwife, OBGYN.
It's happening!! Just received my interview request for FNP/CNM specialty.

Feeling so fortunate. Good luck everyone!!

Yeah! Was it via email or phone call?

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