Published
Hi. I am currenly in CRNA school with hopes of joining the Air Force after graduation. I have no military background but it has always been a dream of mine to enter the AF as a medical professional.
A lot of posts seem to be geared towards those who want to enroll in a military CRNA program. I merely want to hear from some AD AF CRNAs who either share my background or can provide some information on the transition. The main questions I have are:
1. I'm not concerned about the pay. Obviously it's going to be lower than what you make in the civilian sector. That's not why I am choosing this route. However, I do not want to let my student loan debt linger for a significant length of time. So would it be recommened to apply for the HPSP or to enlist after graduation?
2. When it comes to CRNA school rankings, I know that the military CRNA schools are at the top of the list. Since I do not go to one of these schools and I will be joining the AF as a new grad, will that reflect the type of cases I start out having? For instance, will I have to start out at ambulatory care centers or outpatient surgery centers before I go to high acuity trauma hospitals? Also, what restrictions do AF CRNAs have when practicing (ex. central line insertion, blocks, trachs, etc.)?
3. I know COT training is somewhere between 4-5 weeks. About how much time after that will I begin to start practicing?
4. How is the deployment experience as an AD AF CRNA? I've read a lot of posts about the potential length of time but I am not concerned with that. Just curious about your personal experience. Where did you go? What patients did you care for? Did your family ever go with to any of the countries?
5. Lastly, after talking with some of the recruiters here in town it sort of seems like the demand for AD AF CRNAs is low. Is this true? If so is there another branch with a higher demand?
Thank you to whoever responds. I am very ignorant on this topic and would appreciate any info provided. If anyone also knows of how I might be able to shadow an AF CRNA that would be awesome too.
Thank you for your service and I hope to join you in the future!!