ACPE Program Frequently Asked Questions

Pastoral Care

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ACPE Program Frequently Asked Questions

General Program FAQ (Read this first)
Summer Internship FAQ
Extended Unit FAQ
Residency Program FAQ

General NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ACPE Program Questions

What is the cost of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ACPE programs?

11-Week Summer Internship: $650 ($150 non-refundable deposit due upon acceptance to the program + $500 due at the beginning of the unit).
Fall/Spring Extended Unit: $650 ($150 non-refundable deposit due upon acceptance to the program + $500 due at the beginning of the unit).
Residency Program: $650 ($250 non-refundable deposit due upon acceptance to the program + $400 due at the beginning of the unit).

Is there an application fee?

There is no fee to apply for any of our program offerings.

Are there scholarships?

The hospital offers a limited number of scholarships to cover tuition expenses for the full-time Summer Internship and the Extended Unit Internship. After acceptance into a program students may complete an application for financial aid for up to $500.00, depending upon your financial situation. There are no scholarships for the initial $150 deposit. Financial aid application forms are available through the Pastoral Care & Education Department. Also, your ecclesial body or seminary may have funds available to help defray the costs of your clinical pastoral education. There are no scholarships available for the Residency Program.

If I submit an application am I guaranteed a spot in one of your programs?

No. Unfortunately we are not able to accept everyone who applies. Most years the number of applicants to each of our ACPE accredited programs far exceeds the number of available openings. For this reason, we encourage you to apply early if you are interested in any of our educational offerings. We conduct admissions on a rolling basis, and our programs often fill up well before their start dates. If you are planning to apply for one of our programs we strongly suggest that you apply no later than December 1st for the Residency Program; January 1st for the Summer Program; and April 15th for the Extended Unit program.

Who are your ACPE certified supervisors

The Rev. Beth Glover (Columbia, 168th St.)
The Rev. Lynne Mikulak (Payne Whitney, Westchester Division, White Plains)
The Rev. Meigs Ross (Cornell-Weill, East 68th St.)
Rabbi Naomi Kalish (Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York, 165th St.)

I want to apply, how can I do this?

Application materials and program descriptions are available on our website:

http://nyp.org/services/pastoral-care-education.html

Please note that your application is not considered "complete" until we have received your three references (academic, denominational, and personal). We will not call you to schedule an interview until your file is complete. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that his or her file is complete and that we have received all essays, paperwork, and recommendations. If you have questions about the status of your application, feel free to call (212-746-6971) or e-mail (kab9033@nyp.org) to make sure we have received your materials. Also, please note that the essay questions in our application are slightly different than those on the standard ACPE application. We ask you to write a certain number of pages for the autobiographical/reflection essays in order for you to demonstrate your capacity to meaningfully reflect upon your life experiences and religious/spiritual journey.

I would like to work with a certain patient population; can I pick my unit assignments in the hospital?

We strive to make the ACPE experience rich and meaningful for each of our students, and we do take requests for working in certain medical areas into account, particularly if a student has already done previous CPE. However, other issues are also taken into consideration when making clinical assignments, such as the needs of particular hospital units, the supervisor’s assessment of a student’s educational needs, and other factors. Therefore, we cannot guarantee that students will be assigned to specific hospital units of their choosing.

Will I need to work “on-call” if I am accepted into the program?

Yes. All students spend some portion of their training time as the chaplain on-call for the hospital in which they are assigned. All students participate in the rotation for daily on-call while they are already on-site in the hospital, and they participate in the overnight and week-end on call rotations as well. While serving on-call overnight and weekends, students need to remain reasonably close to their clinical site and ready to respond to pastoral emergencies that may arise during their shift assignment (students should be able to reach the hospital within 30 minutes of the call). Typically, students also spend some portion of their clinical hours working weekend days at their hospital site. Specific scheduling requirements and on-call procedures vary across the four NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ACPE sites, however, and are worked out in consultation with your supervisor at the start of the unit.

At which locations does New-York Presbyterian Hospital offer CPE training?

Currently, we offer programs at the following clinical sites:

Weill Cornell Medical Center (68th & York Ave, Manhattan),
Columbia University Medical Center (168th & Broadway, Washington Heights),
The Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York (165th & Broadway, Washington Heights),
Payne Whitney/Westchester Division (White Plains, New York).

11-Week Full-Time Summer Internship

When does the 11-week full-time Summer Internship begin?

Typically, our Summer Internship begins the Tuesday after Memorial Day in late May/early June and finishes by mid-August.

When should I apply for the Summer Internship?

The application process begins in the fall and we encourage you to submit your application by January 1st if you are interested in this program.

What days are classes held for the Summer Internship?

Students in the full-time Summer Internship Program work 40+ hours per week in the hospital. Typically, class/group time is scheduled for approximately 12 - 15 hours per week, although this may vary from week to week at different sites according to clinical needs and other considerations. The remaining time is spent working in patient care units. Students will also spend some portion of their training time as the chaplain on-call for the hospital during evening and weekend hours, which means they need to remain reasonably close to the hospital and prepared to respond to pastoral emergencies that may arise during their shift. Summer students also typically work weekend shifts in the hospital. Generally, when someone works a weekend shift, they take a day off during the week when no classes are scheduled. Specific scheduling and on-call requirements differ across the four NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital ACPE clinical sites.

What is the typical workload for the Summer Internship?

Our Summer Internship is an intensive action/reflection educational experience. Students work continuously for 11-weeks, and complete a minimum of 400 hours of training. This includes the clinical hours spent working as a chaplain intern on one’s assigned units, in addition to required group/class time. Students must also complete regular homework assignments on their own "off" time. We strongly recommend that persons interested in the Summer Internship not plan to work other jobs or take other courses during these 11 weeks.

Is there housing available to students in the Summer Internship Program?

Possibly. After acceptance into the program one may contact the NewYork-Presbyterian Housing Department to inquire if there are student rooms available for rent for the summer. However, please note that we do not "provide" housing, nor do we pay for or provide any scholarship funds for housing expenses. Many students are able to procure student rooms. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee availability.

Extended Unit Program

When does the fall/spring Extended Unit Program begin?

Typically, we run Extended Unit Programs at each of our four hospital sites. Most years the extended units begin between mid-September and early October (depending on when the Jewish holidays start) and run through early May of the following year. Exact start dates are set by each supervisor in consultation with the supervisory staff and the students in each unit.

At which locations does New-York Presbyterian Hospital offer Extended CPE units?

Currently, we offer extended units at the following clinical sites:

Columbia University Medical Center (168th & Broadway, Washington Heights),
The Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York (165th & Broadway, Washington Heights),
Payne Whitney/Westchester Division (White Plains, New York).

When should I apply for the Extended Unit Program?

The application process begins in the winter and we work on a rolling admissions basis. We encourage you to submit your application by April 15th or earlier if you are interested in this program.

What days are classes held for the Extended Unit Program?

Class and group times depend on the schedule and availability of both the supervisor and incoming students, and vary year-to-year.

What is the typical workload for the Extended Unit Program?

Extended CPE units contain the same elements as full-time units, but they are done over an extended period of time - generally 20-30 weeks rather than 11. Over the course of the part-time CPE program, students complete a minimum of 400 hours of training. This includes the clinical hours spent working as a chaplain intern on their assigned units, in addition to required group/class time. Students also must complete regular homework assignments during their own “off” time. Generally, students are in class/group for 5 hours per week, and work an additional 10-15 hours per week on their assigned clinical units, depending on the length of the extended unit. Extended unit students also participate in the on-call rotation during evenings and weekends throughout the unit. The length of class time and the amount of clinical hours per week may vary for different groups according to the length of the program, the discretion of the supervisor, the needs of the hospital, and the contracted needs of the student. Students enrolled in our part-time, extended units generally are able to arrange their clinical hours around other life commitments.

Is there housing available to Extended Unit students?

No. Unfortunately, we cannot provide housing for Extended Unit students.

Residency Program

What are the requirements for the Residency Program?

The CPE Residency Program is a rigorous course of study and professional training. The commitment to pursue such intensive pastoral care training must be very high, regardless of the kind of ministry one envisions for the future. Residents are expected to start at an advanced level of understanding and experience of the CPE process, and be familiar with its procedures and demands. Therefore, applicants for the Residency Program must have successfully completed at least one previous unit of ACPE-accredited CPE to be eligible for the Residency Program.

"Successful" completion of the unit as preparation for entrance into Residency Program means that the applicant’s supervisory and self-written final evaluations demonstrate the following:

An aptitude for the action/reflection model of education
Personal maturity
Demonstrated ability, or strong potential, to work as a professional in an academic medical setting.

Students should have already completed their Master's degree in theology or a related pastoral field. If they have not yet completed their degree, they must have some Master’s level theological/pastoral training and be able to make a compelling case as to why they are pursuing a Residency Program prior to graduation. Residency applicants must be able to articulate clearly their professional goals and motivation for pursuing intensive pastoral training in this setting.

CPE residency programs, from their inception almost 85 years ago, have been based on the medical residency model of immersion learning, apprenticeship, and "on-the-job" training. They are highly demanding both educationally and professionally. Residents are employed by the hospital and therefore must also meet all of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s standards for employment. Our residents are educated by highly trained and respected professionals. They also are professionals who carry the responsibilities of being part of an elite medical team.

How long is the Residency Program, and when does it start and finish?

The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Residency is a three-unit intensive ACPE program that begins in late August of each year and concludes the following June. Between each unit there is an "integration period" in which regular CPE course work ceases for a period of 3-6 weeks and the resident functions primarily as a staff chaplain. Other educational modules are offered during those time periods as well, and residents may utilize their vacation time during these periods.

Is there a stipend for students in the Residency Program?

Yes. Residents are paid $25,000.00 for the nine month Residency Program. They also receive medical, dental, and other substantial benefits available to NYPH employees.

What kinds of employment benefits do CPE Residents receive?

In addition to the three units of ACPE they receive, as NYPH employees students may elect to participate in any benefit program the hospital offers. Some of the benefits are listed below. For more information about the wide variety of benefits offered to employees of NYPH, please visit www.nyp.org.

Health: Residents may select medical, dental and vision health benefits from a wide variety of options. All employees pay a portion of their benefits and may elect different levels of coverage for themselves (and their families) according to needs and finances. Residents may also take advantage of participating in the reduced rate health club memberships or on-site gyms available at some campuses.
Retirement: Residents may elect to participate in the Hospital’s 403B. However, the hospital contributes no pension or retirement benefits to anyone employed less than one year.
Parking: If a resident chooses to drive, on-site parking is offered at a reduced rate to all employees, if spaces are available. Payments are deducted automatically on a pre-tax basis.
Time-off: Residents are allowed ten paid-days-off during the program’s nine month duration. This time covers any vacation, denominational days or sick time, and except for emergency situations must be negotiated in advance with the supervisor and site administrator of the program. Residents also receive the eight holidays that the hospital allows for employees. However, residents are also expected to share in the coverage of holidays in the department and may take the holiday time on a different day or during a different time period.
Housing: Residents are eligible to apply for housing through the NewYork-Presbyterian Housing Department after they are accepted into the Residency Program. However, we cannot guarantee that the Housing Department will have rental units available and residents may have to make other arrangements. Check with the Housing Department to find out about availability, rental amounts and payment options.
Housing Allowance: the hospital finance department has established a contractual method in accordance with the IRS standards that allows for any ordained clergy to declare a portion of their stipends as housing allowance.
Conference Funds: There are some funds available for residents to attend professional conferences. The amount of the funds is determined each year by the supervisor, and must be approved in advance.

When should I apply for the Residency Program?

Interviewing for the Residency Program typically runs from the winter to spring prior to the program's start in late August. If you are interested in the Residency Program we encourage you to submit your completed application materials by December 1st of the year prior to the program for which you are applying. Please note that space is limited in the Residency Program and also that, in a typical year, the number of applications we receive greatly exceeds the number of available slots.

At which locations does New-York Presbyterian Hospital offer CPE training?

Currently, we offer residency positions at the following clinical sites:

Weill Cornell Medical Center (68th & York Ave, Manhattan),
Columbia University Medical Center (168th & Broadway, Washington Heights),
The Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York (165th & Broadway, Washington Heights),

What is the workload for the Residency Program?

Typically, residents work 40+ hours per week in the hospital. When CPE units are in session, students often work additional hours on their own "off" time at home or in the library preparing written assignments and other course-related materials. Additionally, residents are considered part of the hospital and pastoral care department staff. They participate in all aspects of the work of the department, including participating fully in the 24-7 patient care coverage cycle established at each site. We strongly encourage that residents not plan to work other jobs, or take heavy course loads, during their time in the Residency Program.