YALE GEPN 2022

Nursing Students School Programs

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Hi everyone! Wanted to start this conversation for those who are getting ready to apply once the application opens on June 1st 2021.

I am hoping we can all share information, ask questions, and support each other throughout the exciting journey ahead!

 

That all sounds good. I am planning on taking pre-req’s, but planning on taking them online so not sure how much of a personalized LOR I’d be getting if I were to ask one of those professors. 

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Do you have any advice for the essay portion of the application? I am struggling with how to stand out in my essay, or find a unique voice that doesn't feel like what everyone else is writing or pandering to the admissions committee.  

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Specializes in PMHNP Student.

Was accepted (and attending) Yale starting this Fall. I am an incoming GEPN student (PMHNP) so I’d be willing to answer any questions/give some advice if anyone needs it! Good luck! 

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Specializes in NP Admissions and Interview mentoring.
36 minutes ago, rmbugella817 said:

Do you have any advice for the essay portion of the application? I am struggling with how to stand out in my essay, or find a unique voice that doesn't feel like what everyone else is writing or pandering to the admissions committee.  

Great question. I totally know what you mean. This is a really big topic and the aspect that takes by far the most time and energy. (It takes up well over half of my mentoring time. haha) If I had to give a quick piece of advice, it would be to dig deeper into the "why" of your most elevating/inspiring and/or lowest/most frustrating experiences that led you to pursue this degree. I have a really silly filling-filled cake analogy I use. (I have a big sweet tooth. haha) Going to go ahead and write it and embarrass myself. 
The outer layer is the frosting. It all looks and tastes pretty similar. This is the "because I like caring for people" and "because science is interesting" layer. Boring. Dig deeper. Why? 

Then there's some sponge cake. Possibly a bit more unique/interesting. But it's still missing your complete, unique flavor. This is "I've always cared a lot about helping patients feel empowered." etc. This is great but is still pretty common and doesn't say a ton about you.
Deeper still. Why? When did you first feel this way?
You'll hopefully get to moments in your life that led you to where you are  now and to the goals you have. This is where you want to be. This is the good stuff. Your unique flavor. (I know, SO cheesy of me. haha). Go ahead and be specific. Tell a story! (And then edit it down to its essence and build from there.) 
As far as feeling like you're pandering, as long as you genuinely believe what you are saying, go for it. Even if it feels like you're sucking up.

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Incoming GEPN FNP here! Happy to answer any questions ?

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Specializes in Educator.

I’m interested in applying but don’t have any NP shadow experience.  Is that a must ? I have been having a very hard time finding any shadow/volunteer work during COVID.
 

perhsps I could get a phone interview with a PNP if that…though. I’m also fairly confident that I know the roles and responsibility of the PNP specialty.  
 

Any advice on the necessity of shadowing would be greatly appreciated ! 

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On 7/23/2021 at 3:00 AM, rentelisi said:

I’m interested in applying but don’t have any NP shadow experience.  Is that a must ? I have been having a very hard time finding any shadow/volunteer work during COVID.
 

perhsps I could get a phone interview with a PNP if that…though. I’m also fairly confident that I know the roles and responsibility of the PNP specialty.  
 

Any advice on the necessity of shadowing would be greatly appreciated ! 

I’m a prospective pmhnp applicant, and I’m also having this issue. I was fortunate enough to shadow a ER psych team for about a month but I only could interact with the pmhnp only a handful of times; I could only do a month because they had an actual NP student coming in, but I guess I was lucky enough to get that month.

I tried contacting several hospitals and other outpatient centers but they were unable to accommodate, whether it be due to covid, not being affiliated with a school, liability, etc :(

I really do hope this won’t be any kind of a detriment to the application.

Good luck to you! I hope you get in contact with PNP soon!

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Specializes in Midwife, OBGYN.
On 7/27/2021 at 1:01 PM, Maverick said:

I’m a prospective pmhnp applicant, and I’m also having this issue. I was fortunate enough to shadow a ER psych team for about a month but I only could interact with the pmhnp only a handful of times; I could only do a month because they had an actual NP student coming in, but I guess I was lucky enough to get that month.

I tried contacting several hospitals and other outpatient centers but they were unable to accommodate, whether it be due to covid, not being affiliated with a school, liability, etc ?

I really do hope this won’t be any kind of a detriment to the application.

Good luck to you! I hope you get in contact with PNP soon!

The application process is a holistic review where the admissions committee will take into consideration all aspects of your background that you will bring to the Yale cohort and community.  While shadowing is not necessarily a requirement, it is looked upon favorably if you have some experience that is healthcare adjacent or related to the specialty that you are interested in pursuing.  This also differs by specialty with some specialties placing more weight on shadowing experiences or having some experience in that field prior to applying.

That being said, the faculty are all aware of the impact the pandemic has had on graduate nursing education so they will take into consideration what has happened in the last year when reviewing applications when it comes to related experiences.

An example I use is for the PNP specialty, if you can't shadow a provider prior to applying, I would ask the candidate to think a little more broadly in terms of their experiences.  Have they had experiences working with children?  Were you a babysitter or a nanny?  Have they taken care of younger siblings?  Have they taken early childhood education classes or childhood psychology in school that demonstrates an interest in this area?  If the candidate is interested in the PMHNP specialty are they clear about which population that they would like to work with (children or adult populations)? Has the candidate thought of the pros and cons of going into the specialty?

One of the more important factors is if the candidate has communicated not only through their essays that they are passionate about their chosen specialty but that they have done their research into the specialty itself.

In the case of the PMHNP specialty, previous students have had experiences working with autistic children or worked as a counselor or therapist prior to applying.

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Specializes in Educator.

Thank you all for the tips.  That was extremely helpful :) Good luck everyone.

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Hi there! Looking to apply to Yale GEPN for Fall 2022. I was wondering if anyone knows how common it is to apply to the DNP program after finishing the GEPN portion. Thanks!

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Specializes in NP Admissions and Interview mentoring.
On 7/23/2021 at 9:00 AM, rentelisi said:

I’m interested in applying but don’t have any NP shadow experience.  Is that a must ? I have been having a very hard time finding any shadow/volunteer work during COVID.
 

perhsps I could get a phone interview with a PNP if that…though. I’m also fairly confident that I know the roles and responsibility of the PNP specialty.  
 

Any advice on the necessity of shadowing would be greatly appreciated ! 

I completely agree with everything @Ohm108 said. Of course, shadowing experience is nice to have. But I think 1. Plenty of people get in without it. 2. Schools will be understanding of the circumstances given all the COVID barriers. In a year where much of healthcare happened via telehealth anyway and family members weren't even allowed in rooms, I'm sure they realize how difficult it is.
You're already on track by thinking about why shadowing would benefit your application. It can help in more ways than just adding it on your CV. Understanding what the role looks like in real life (the good and the bad) and understanding the needs of your patient population can go a long way for you. It can help you write a more compelling personal statement and give you material for stronger answers during your interview. I think phone interviews are a great option if possible. But like @Ohm108 was saying, it's also about experience with/exposure to your patient population. For example, as a CNM applicant pretty much anything about pregnancy and birth is helpful to have. I got a job as a birth assistant right around this time in the admissions cycle the year I applied. Before that, I had zero birth experience; I still got in. So it's never too late and even brief experiences help. 
Of course, do what you can do gain experiences with your patient population and with PNPs, but if you can't find anything right now, I wouldn't stress about it too much and would just put my energy towards reflecting on the experiences you do have. Sometimes we write these experiences off as not "advanced" or "medical" enough. But there is really quite a bit there. A lot of NP school is medical knowledge and hand skills, but a lot is how to listen to and communicate ideas to patients. It's a science and an art, as they say. So it might be helpful to take another look at your experiences, ask yourself what you've learned, and give yourself a little more credit. ?
What you come up with might not be something you can put on your CV, but it could do wonders for your essays and interviews.
@Maverick (tagged you because you had this question too.)

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Specializes in Educator.

I don’t think I ever thanked you all for your answers!!! 
 

I meant to. 
 

Thank you and good luck everyone. 

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