Yale GEPN Applicants 2011

partera · Oct 1, 2010

Thanks for your offer of answering Yale questions... can you shed any light on how much debt the average GEPN student has at the end of the program? I have very little money in the bank, but surprisingly good credit -- still not psyched about the loans. Is it feasible to work much during the specialty years and keep the debts down?

I'm applying to the midwifery track too -- I heard the CNMs at the hospital aren't on call 24-hrs so it's getting harder to see as many births... rumor or true? How many students are in the CNM specialty?

And, a biggie -- this (blasted) webpage is full of postings about how anyone who goes into expensive nursing programs right now is out of their MINDS because the nursing shortage is turning into a nursing glut, and why pay so much to be just as (unemployable) as everyone else. I'm paraphrasing, and playing the devil's advocate, and I think it's different if you're an RN than an NP -- but do you know how employment options have been playing out for recent grads? Does it seem like people are finding it harder to get a job without the BSN?

Thanks so much for any help you can offer! MUCH appreciated! And now, on to my essays... Hope you are enjoying New Haven and the program!! Congrats on starting!

Intlmidwife · Oct 1, 2010

Hi Partera,

I'll try to answer your questions as best as possible. I haven't started my specialty year yet, so I'm a little less versed on the details of the midwifery on-call schedule.

1. Debt: I would say that the average GEPN has anywhere between 100,000-130,000 at the end of the 3 year program. The first year, at least for us, was approximately 68,000. This includes 3 semesters of tuition (approximtely 15,000/semester), living expenses, books, travel, health insurance, etc. Pretty much everything you are going to need to get through 11 months of school and live fairly comfortably. The next two years can vary a bit more as far as costs, but it will be less for the next two years.

You can definitely keep costs down by finding cheaper housing and trying not to make any major purchases just prior to starting the program (ie - car) so you won't have car payments on top of everything else. I'm currently working now - about 8 hours a week as a babysitter. It actually pays quite well and there is a good network of Yale staff/students who can find each other on the Yale network. Most of my friends do not work and I know that the admissions office doesn't "recommend" that we do. However, I felt that I could handle about 8-10 hours of work a week.

In your specialty years, I do think that it becomes more feasible to work - particularly as an RN. It'll be a juggling act, for sure, but I think that it definitely helps defray costs. One think I have heard is that if you choose to work as an RN at a local hospital, they like you to continue working through those two years so they don't just train you for the summers. It's not cost effective for the hospitals.

I had little money in the bank as well, not to mention all the money I shelled out for application fees, travel, interviews, etc. I haven't found it a problem. The school does have scholarships and I took out loans. I wasn't thrilled about the loans either, but I have come to realize that there really isn't going to be any way around it unless I finally win the lottery :)

If it helps, I also evaluated my financial situation had I chosen to go to Columbia and it is quite a bit more. The first year cost estimate for Columbia (12 months) was approximately 101,000. While they did give me about 11,000 in scholarship, it still was quite a bit to swallow. Especially when I felt that I could almost get my entire education done at Yale for that much. I also know that Johns Hopkins, Penn, and Georgetown are somewhat similar in costs.

2. On call - I'm not entirely sure about the on-call nature of the specialty years. I would perhaps email the admissions office on this one. I don't want to give you any false information.

3. Expensive schools: I do think it's different for NPs vs RNs as far as handling costs after getting out of school. I do think you have to be aggressive in getting your first job. You may end up not finding your dream job right away, but I think that as long as your a qualified practitioner, finding a job shouldn't be an impossible feat. I personally am considering doing a federal program (National Health Service Corps) when I graduate for a few years. It pays approximately 50,000 of your federal debt off for two years of service. Since I'd like to work with rural populations/underinsured, it's perfect - I get to do what I want to do and get some of my loan weight taken off.

Ok, I hope this helps a bit! Good luck on that essay.

danceluver · Oct 2, 2010

K Anderson- Does the midwife track require any prior experience in a related field for DE students? If so, what? Or is it based more on GPA and GRE scores? Also, do you recommend doing a combined program like FNP/CNM or WHNP/CNM? What do you think of the program so far at Yale? Also, I think babysitting is a great way to work and go to school? Did you find the job through the Yale network or on your own? Thanks for the help!

Intlmidwife · Oct 2, 2010

Dancing Nurse 13 -

I'm not entirely sure what the requirements are for direct entry students. It's my guess that some of the students were doulas or otherwise had some sort of birthing/labor&delivery experience prior to coming to here to complete their masters. I don't know how GPA/GRE scores play into the selection process for DE. I know for GEPN students, it is only A PART of the applicant's profile.

As far as the combined program - I think it's a great idea. I believe that Yale offers a WHNP certificate for CNM students with the addition of an extra semester of classes. It's something that I'm going to look into further (I don't think I need to make that decision anytime in the next few months or anything). I'm hoping that having the extra qualifications will help in the future job search. I also think that it might be helpful in working abroad or in low resource areas. I do know that Penn has a great WHNP/CNM program that's automatic. If you graduate as a CNM, you also graduate as a WHNP.

So far, I like the program here. It's challenging, but definitely achievable. I honestly haven't had much contact with the direct entry students, so I can't particularly comment on their feelings thus far.

I did find my job through the Yale network. It turns out it's fairly easy to find a babysitting job when you're a nursing grad student here :)

Hope this helps!

danceluver · Oct 2, 2010

K Anderson I guess at Yale, my mistake, DE would be called GEPN and that's exactly what I was referring to-those of us who have bachelor degrees in other fields and are entering the nursing profession at the masters level. I know many NP programs don't require a whole lot of work experience in order to be competitive and I was wondering of GEPN students interested in CNM would be the same. I am looking to apply next year, and want to make sure I am covering all my bases when it comes to being a competitive requirement including if we need to show some sort of related experience or shadowing to CNM. What was your background prior if you don't mind me asking. I have a good GPA and GRE score, so now i'm thinking what else :) Thanks so much again! Very helpful advice from you so far!

CuriousMe · Oct 11, 2010

I'm not applying till next year (I'm a senior in a BS nursing program this year and want to work a year first, so not applying to the GEPN, but coming in as an RN).....but love to get a head start on everything. I'm hoping I'll be accepted to the Adult Acute Care NP program and will likely apply to U Penn and Johns Hopkins as well, but Yale is my first choice.

I'll be watching this thread and wishing y'all luck!

Intlmidwife · Oct 12, 2010

Dancing Nurse 13 -

Sorry that it took me so long to get back to you - I just got done with a slew of tests.

Anyway, my background wasn't all that related to midwifery, but I do think I had some aspects of women's health incorporated throughout my undergraduate career as well as very clear reasons as to why I wanted to go into midwifery.

In college, I studied abroad for a semester in Asia. I spent time in Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam studying emerging diseases in Asia and I was also able to conduct a bit of research on women's access to health care, particularly reproductive health care on the Thai/Burma border.

I had a major in biology and had minors in Asian Studies and Women's Studies. After college, I spent a year abroad teaching English in South Korea. Upon returning to the United States, I worked in an ER with physicians writing medical notes and then also did work in a group home, working with individuals with varying intellectual and physical needs. Having previous experience in the medical field is by no means a requirement for this program, but I do have to admit that it has been tremendously helpful to me both in understanding what is happening in my clinical experiences as well as helping me understand some of the applications of what we are learning in class.

Hope this helps!

Intlmidwife · Oct 12, 2010

Oh and I did do some CNM shadowing as well! (Just saw that you had mentioned that in your post above!)

Mon2009 · Oct 16, 2010

Anyone have any idea what the number of applicants are for the Yale GEPN vs. the number of spots available? I can't find the admission statistics. I.E. OHSU ACC BAC program has over 400 applicants for 46 spots (something close to that, according to their website). I'm also looking for Duke's and John Hopkins programs. Aloha

Thanks!

CuriousMe · Oct 16, 2010

Anyone have any idea what the number of applicants are for the Yale GEPN vs. the number of spots available? I can't find the admission statistics. I.E. OHSU ACC BAC program has over 400 applicants for 46 spots (something close to that, according to their website). I'm also looking for Duke's and John Hopkins programs. Aloha
Thanks!

I was told by Yale that they have 300 - 400 GEPN applicants, but I don't know how many spots they have.

partera · Oct 16, 2010

I went to an info session at Yale the other day, and was told that they take 75-80 out of 400 or so applicants. The number they take is dependent upon the distribution of GEPN students in the previous year (how many students matriculated/specialty), as well as clinical availability. What I don't know is how many they interview out of the applicant pool...

Good luck!

CuriousMe · Oct 17, 2010

I went to an info session at Yale the other day, and was told that they take 75-80 out of 400 or so applicants. The number they take is dependent upon the distribution of GEPN students in the previous year (how many students matriculated/specialty), as well as clinical availability. What I don't know is how many they interview out of the applicant pool...
Good luck!

Did they mention how many RN's they accept in to their MSN programs each year?