What chances do I have? Any advice would be appreciated!

[fnptobe123]

Hey everyone!

I'm really interested in Columbia's MDE/DNP program but I want to know what my chances are. I haven't taken my GREs yet, but here are the rest of my stats. I have a 3.24 undergrad GPA from a good state school. I double majored in Psych and English. I'm now an MPH student, studying epidemiology. I have a 3.7 GPA. I'm also a research assistant working on a cancer study. I've done medical mission work abroad. I have a lot of leadership experience on campus and within my community. I've worked in pharmacies and gained patient experience working in an internal medicine practice. Over the summer I'm going to be interning at a company doing more research. I'm really interested in clinical practice (why I want to be a nurse/nurse practitioner) but I also think the DNP is perfect because I want to pursue research. I'm currently taking Microbio and I'm missing A&P I&II and nutrition, but I'll be finished with them in the next two semesters. Any advice? Any ideas on what chances I have?

Thank you so much in advance!

[RegularNurse]

It's a competitive program, but I think you have a chance.

If you truly want to do research, why not become an NP, then get a PhD?

Clinical practice degrees don't hold a candle to true doctorates in preparation for independent research.

[fnptobe123]

Thank you for your reply! I'm definitely more interested in the clinical route. Once I really got immersed in my MPH courses I realized how much more fulfilled I would be promoting health and treating patients on an individual basis. I just felt that having the DNP could also lead to outside research if I wanted to go that route amidst clinical practice. Overall, I'm definitely more interested in clinical practice than in research. Becoming an NP then getting a PhD may be too time consuming, but definitely an option to consider. Thank you, again! I appreciate the insight!