YALE GEPN 2022

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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!

 

Hi all! Another current GEPN here ? I've been meaning to pop over, as I lived on here last year.

CONGRATS to those admitted!! 

For those seeing the cold hard numbers for the first time, deep breaths. I remember very vividly when I learned I was offered absolutely $0.00 merit aid, only loans. I didn't expect much, but 0 felt like a hard pill to swallow. BUT there is some good news.

First of all, if you get a scholarship offer from another school, email Yale and ask them to match it. They won't, but they will likely give you something.

Second, be sure that when you're comparing programs, you factor in cost of living. Greater New Haven is SUPER affordable, especially compared to places like NYC and San Francisco. And I've loved living here, it's diverse, international, great food, and easy access to the East Coast/New England. 

Third, if you're planning to work with underserved populations, apply to National Health Services Corps. It's a government-backed full tuition + stipend scholarship for all three years, as long as you commit to working at least 3 years in a federally qualified health center (think: big urban hospitals serving low income populations, plus rural underserved hospitals). I know at least 4 current GEPNs who were selected for it. There's also nursing corps, which is the same deal, but you aren't eligible until speciality year (and then you're committed to serve 2 years). There's also state-backed loan repayment, which you get once you start work. The details vary by state and position, but my impression is that it's fairly easy to get if you're wanting to work in qualified settings. 

Bottom line - Yale is freaking expensive. You will feel varying levels of panic about this over the next few years. But my impression from those who came before (and common sense), is that debt is a reality for most people. And like most, you work and you hustle and eventually it works out, and you get to do what you really want to be doing. 

For me personally as to why I chose Yale -- I was deciding between Yale, Vanderbilt, and Rush (Rush only has a generalist MSN). I wasn't willing to pay the cost of living in NYC or SF, so I didn't even apply to schools there. I didn't apply to Penn because HOLY STICKER SHOCK their tuition is insane (that aside, I do hear it's a wonderful program). My read on Vanderbilt from admitted student day is that it's a great program, probably better than Yale (better run, more integrated into the broader University, etc). But I personally did not want to move to Tennessee, especially during a pandemic. And I spoke to as many practicing midwives as I could, and they all emphasized that career options would be the same coming out of Yale versus Vanderbilt. One is not viewed as better than the other. So I chose the place that worked best for my whole family (I moved with a spouse and three kids, and can also speak to that if anyone has questions). 

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Specializes in Educator.

First, thank you all for your help/advice etc. 


I have two little kids and was wondering about how you handled workload/balance. 
I am nervous and wondering if most the support and parenting would fall on the spouse. 
 

My specialty is PNP-PC btw. So was also wondering if specialties played a role in deciding to go to Yale vs the others? 
 

 

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18 minutes ago, rentelisi said:

First, thank you all for your help/advice etc. 


I have two little kids and was wondering about how you handled workload/balance. 
I am nervous and wondering if most the support and parenting would fall on the spouse. 
 

My specialty is PNP-PC btw. So was also wondering if specialties played a role in deciding to go to Yale vs the others? 
 

 

My kids are young as well (a toddler plus two in elementary). There is a solid group of parents in each class year, and we really band together and support each other (unsurprisingly, most of us are NM or PNP). My best advice is to have a really solid plan for childcare. Fall semester in particular is definitely a full-time commitment, between classes, labs, clinical, and studying for the endless stream of exams. However, if you treat it like a 9-5 (or 8-6) job on weekdays, you will be able to mostly unplug on nights/weekends. And then things lighten up in the Spring (right now we only have two class days, plus a 12 hour clinical). So you really have to get through the fall and then things level out. My impression is the masters years are more like our current, lighter schedule. I know it's light enough that a lot of people work at least part time, and some are working full-time as RNs. It's definitely, definitely doable with kids. Plus me being in school has been such a great enrichment for my kids. They love playing "nurse" and having me practice my assessment skills on them, hearing about what I'm learning, etc. 

Connecticut has also been a great place to live with kids. We relocated from another state for this program. My 8 year old said it's her "favorite place of anywhere we've ever lived." I don't know if you're already local, if not, feel free to DM me about neighborhoods/daycares/schools. 

Specialty played a role in my decision-making. As I didn't look into PNP, I can't speak to which schools are best for your specialty. Reaching out to current practitioners helped me get the lay of the land. Although my takeaway was that for NM, they are all fine, so finances and geography was how I narrowed things down.

 

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42 minutes ago, secondtimer14 said:

Hi all! Another current GEPN here ? I've been meaning to pop over, as I lived on here last year.

CONGRATS to those admitted!! 

For those seeing the cold hard numbers for the first time, deep breaths. I remember very vividly when I learned I was offered absolutely $0.00 merit aid, only loans. I didn't expect much, but 0 felt like a hard pill to swallow. BUT there is some good news.

First of all, if you get a scholarship offer from another school, email Yale and ask them to match it. They won't, but they will likely give you something.

Second, be sure that when you're comparing programs, you factor in cost of living. Greater New Haven is SUPER affordable, especially compared to places like NYC and San Francisco. And I've loved living here, it's diverse, international, great food, and easy access to the East Coast/New England. 

Third, if you're planning to work with underserved populations, apply to National Health Services Corps. It's a government-backed full tuition + stipend scholarship for all three years, as long as you commit to working at least 3 years in a federally qualified health center (think: big urban hospitals serving low income populations, plus rural underserved hospitals). I know at least 4 current GEPNs who were selected for it. There's also nursing corps, which is the same deal, but you aren't eligible until speciality year (and then you're committed to serve 2 years). There's also state-backed loan repayment, which you get once you start work. The details vary by state and position, but my impression is that it's fairly easy to get if you're wanting to work in qualified settings. 

Edited to add a fourth point - lots of people work during specialty years. You are a licensed RN, so you can do per diem work (vaccine clinic has been popular this year), and some are working full time in the hospital. 

Bottom line - Yale is freaking expensive. You will feel varying levels of panic about this over the next few years. But my impression from those who came before (and common sense), is that debt is a reality for most people. And like most, you work and you hustle and eventually it works out, and you get to do what you really want to be doing. 

For me personally as to why I chose Yale -- I was deciding between Yale, Vanderbilt, and Rush (Rush only has a generalist MSN). I wasn't willing to pay the cost of living in NYC or SF, so I didn't even apply to schools there. I didn't apply to Penn because HOLY STICKER SHOCK their tuition is insane (that aside, I do hear it's a wonderful program). My read on Vanderbilt from admitted student day is that it's a great program, probably better than Yale (better run, more integrated into the broader University, etc). But I personally did not want to move to Tennessee, especially during a pandemic. And I spoke to as many practicing midwives as I could, and they all emphasized that career options would be the same coming out of Yale versus Vanderbilt. One is not viewed as better than the other. So I chose the place that worked best for my whole family (I moved with a spouse and three kids, and can also speak to that if anyone has questions). 

 

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Is it possible to get research assistantship (RA) or teaching assistantship (TA) to cover tuition and stipends for GEPN?  Thanks!

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Specializes in pediatrics primary care.

@secondtimer14 One thing I've been thinking about is that compared to the UPenn program, Yale doesn't award a BSN diploma for the GEPN year, but rather a certificate. Of course you still have to pass the NCLEX to become an RN but was not having a BSN a factor at all for getting a job? Especially at a big hospital? I have heard varying things about this and I was just curious.

 

Thank you!

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Does anyone know what the actual schedule looks like? How many days of classes/ clinical each semester 

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Hi Everyone,

Another current GEPN here. CONGRATS (!) to all of you for making it through the application process. Welcome to those of you who may be joining us at YSN in the fall.

A few things to share (not in any particular order): 

1) Debt...whew...you will have debt. But this will likely be an issue wherever you go. Look for scholarships, work if/when you can, and accept the fact that you're going to be taking on debt. If this is something that your situation allows you to do, it's (quite literally) the price you have to pay to go to one of these programs. That said, there are excellent options at state schools, and I wouldn't overlook those opportunities if it fits better for your life. Nurses are going to be in demand for awhile. You're going to be employable, and lots of other programs have really excellent resources as well. Let's be honest - like most things, you're going to get most of your experience in the field/on the job.

2) Clinical placements - Yale organizes these for us, with the exception of a few situations. We are doing our Community Clinical Rotation now, and we have to find the placements, but it's really more like community service, and they're really open to anything - soup kitchens, tutoring through a non-profit, volunteering at a fundraiser, etc. I think that Midwifery also has something special their last semester (3rd year) where they work outside of CT, and I'm not sure how it works in terms of placements. 

3) Going to school as a parent/caregiver - Wow, I wasn't ready for that transition. I worked FT before coming to YSN, but it was still a huge transition for my family. Your partner should be ready to manage a lot of the childcare, and it's good to have additional childcare in place as well. The good thing has been that my partner has developed a much closer (and better) relationship with our kids as a result of me physically not being present, and them having to bond and figure things out, whereas I used to be the default for everything. I think it's been good for everyone, and it's something that couldn't have happened if I wasn't out of the house a ton. The major issue I found was that a lot of the time schedules were changed last minute or things popped up, and the whole family had to be super flexible. We have shared this feedback and I do see that they've given us a lot more lead time on additional events and clinicals than they did fall semester.

4) PNP program - This is my speciality, and Yale is ranked #3 in the country for PNP-PC. It's hard to say what the specialty experience is like because we don't start that until next year, but every PNP classmate and instructor I have met has been incredible. (Honestly, all of our peers are pretty amazing.) 

5) Actual schedule - In the fall it looked like this (17.5 credits): 

-2 days/week: on campus from 10am-8pm, with 4 classes each day

-12 hour clinical day, either done in 1 day or split into two 6 hour days

-2 hour lab one day/week

-2 additional courses that floated on different days (half-semester courses)

 

This Spring is much lighter - I think @secondtimer14 posted about our schedule now. 

 

I think that's all I've got for ya at this point! Like everyone else has said, feel free to ask whatever questions you have and we'll try and tag-team getting back to you. Also - I, too, have trouble getting emails back from the registrar - there has been a lot of turnover at YSN this fall and I think they're a little underwater. The good news is, it will give them some time to get some awesome new hires by the time you come in! In the meantime, just keep on emailing them - they'll eventually get back to you!

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One more thing to add - unlike @secondtimer14, I was not able to unplug at night. I did find myself studying from after my kids went to bed until about 12 or 1am. I think others tack on extra study time in the early mornings. We also made use of every single break or moment on campus. This is different than it will be for people who have more flexibility on weekends to study. My kids are all over me when I'm home and they're awake, so my only option was late at night, and it was very consistent (including weekends) throughout fall semester. 

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6 hours ago, TellMeSomethingGood said:

One more thing to add - unlike @secondtimer14, I was not able to unplug at night. I did find myself studying from after my kids went to bed until about 12 or 1am. I think others tack on extra study time in the early mornings. We also made use of every single break or moment on campus. This is different than it will be for people who have more flexibility on weekends to study. My kids are all over me when I'm home and they're awake, so my only option was late at night, and it was very consistent (including weekends) throughout fall semester. 

Oh yes, this is true! Especially when we have exams. Often the day(s) before an exam I get up early to study, but I'm a morning person. ?

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7 hours ago, nance2811 said:

@secondtimer14 One thing I've been thinking about is that compared to the UPenn program, Yale doesn't award a BSN diploma for the GEPN year, but rather a certificate. Of course you still have to pass the NCLEX to become an RN but was not having a BSN a factor at all for getting a job? Especially at a big hospital? I have heard varying things about this and I was just curious.

 

Thank you!

It does not impede you getting an RN job here in Connecticut. We are given a certificate that qualifies us under state law to take the NCLEX. From there, you are a fully licensed RN. However, if you decided you didn't want to continue to the masters and may move out of state, yes, it would definitely be better to have the BSN. Yale is geared to people who are certain they want to be APRNs, so if you're on the fence about continuing on, I wouldn't recommend Yale over other places. 

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Does anyone know 1. the maximum amount YSN awards for merit and need and 2. the amount of the Elizabeth Street Scholarship?

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