Paramedic with CRNA Aspirations

Hidi74 · Feb 6, 2003

WELCOME VA Medic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

New CCU RN · Feb 6, 2003

While I am not a CRNA or even an SRNA yet.... (planning to apply within the next year or two) I would have to disagree with the statements made by those CRNA's. Your experience will make you stand out from others when it comes time for interviews and deciding who to accept. I can only see your experience as helping you!!!! So don't take those statements personally, I really don't knwo why anyone would say something like that. While your experience won't count as the "year of ICU RN experience that most schools require" it will most certainly give you lots of things to talk about during your interviews and include in yoru personal statement. I wish you lots of luck!!!!! :)

arkgolfer · Feb 6, 2003

I'm not sure how the paramedic experience is going to shake out yet either. I have essentially followed the same route you are taking. I was an EMT right out of high school, NREMT-P in 1988, ADN RN in '94 and will graduate with BSN in May. I think my experience as a paramedic was very valuable. While it may not impress the admission committee, it helps to build your character, and your "experience under fire". I anticipate as a CRNA, those "pressure cooking" experiences will come in handy. Being in paramedic school was what began my dream to be a CRNA, that was the entire purpose of my becoming a nurse. Life just got in the way between ADN and BSN. I hope to start my dream this fall. Keep the carrot dangling in front of you!

MICU RN · Feb 6, 2003

I believe you can use your critical care expeience gained as a paramedic to your advantage in your application process. As long as you meet the other criteria anything else you bring to the table can only be to your advantage. Maybe the crna you spoke to was trying to communicate that you still have to meet the other criteria and if you don't, it really wont matter what other experience you have. I think you, however, already realize that, so you will be fine.

I base my opinion on my own experience of trying to become a crna and I also looked into medical school. I am in the middle of applying to crna school for the fall of 2003.

An important fact that I have learned about competive programs is that they rely heavily on objective data ( gpa's and test scores, mcat, gre, ect) to initially screen the applicants and set up interviews. Then once you are interviewed you have a chance to emphasize your real world experiences and other attributes.

I work in an academic level-one trauma hospital. And I have watched a couple of my friends who had great critical care nursing experience and had the best reference letters from well known physicians who were faculty with the medical school they applied to and watched them get rejected because they did not meet the other criteria. Such as not having a high enough gpa or mcat scores. And the usually feedback I have gotten from them has been that they thought their experience and contacts were so good that they under prepared to meet the other standards, mainly the mcat. Now what I have also watched is that my friends who met the minimal criteria usaully got in some where and I think that is directly related to their valuable work experience. I also feel this applys to getting into crna school and that is why I decided to share it. Good luck!!!!!!!! :cool:

loisane · Feb 6, 2003

Anthony,

You are so, so, so SO right.

Your explanation of the application process is extremely compatible with what I know of how things are done.

Your advice is right on, bulls-eye.

loisane crna

TexasCRNA · Feb 7, 2003

VA Medic,

My friend you sound like you will make a great CRNA, don't be discouraged and go for it!! Yes, your experience is a great tool to get into school( aside from the usual gpa, gre, etc..) but even more so after you get into school. They will still make you meet the min requirements but it sounds like you got that under control.

You got a good fire burning..keep it going,

Lee.

London88 · Feb 7, 2003

VaMedic

If you have all the minimum requirements, as well as the additional experience you mention above, this can only help your application. Think about this logically! Regardless of what anybody tells you, your additional experience as a medic cannot hurt you.

VaMedic · Feb 8, 2003

Thanks everyone for the replies. Work has been nutz here, as I am sure it is for alot of you. I just keep "dangling the carrot" in front of me (as one poster put it). I also realized that I needed to spread my expectations and courses out for another year to allow me to focus on my exams and classes to keep my grades up and not bog myself down before I apply. Will also allow me to have everything paid off as far as my car and all past student loans. Thanks again everyone. This forum sure helps.

RW

yoga crna · Feb 10, 2003

At one time in my career, I was an anesthesia educator. While I don't like to generalize, I did have some problems with those who thought they had a lot of "experience". Clearly, they had technical experiste, but lacked the knowledge of "why" and the physiologic and pharmacologic background. I had one student who had been a Navy medic in the Viet Nam war and was very self-assured, tell me that administering anesthesia and being a student was a totally different experience.

My message to you--contact some anesthesia schools early and ask them for advise on what science classes you need to take. Downplay your experience during the interview, and be prepared to have an open-mind to new experiences. You will do well if you do that and also get good grades at a reputable college.

Yoga

VaMedic · Feb 10, 2003

Thanks for the reply. I knowI still have alot to learn and I am on the way with that. The new Paramedic curriculum is much more than anything a Navy medic may learn. Being a Paramedic and being a Medic in the Navy are two totally different things. Navy Medics as you stated are usually just Grunts whom are taught the skill, but not why (no fault to them, they do a great job for what they are taught). It is also the reason that when they get out of the Navy they still have to go through a Paramedic class and test becuase their Medic is not recongnized. We (Paramedics) are taught the techincal skill as well as why we are doing that. I have a degree in it and was required to take numerous A & P, Pathophysiology, Advanced Pharmocology and Chemistry in adittion to the material taught in the Paramedic Core Curriculum. The Critical Care classes that we usually must undergo are the same as what a RN takes to get Certified in Critical Care. I do always keep an open mind because almost every day at work I learn something new and usually whenever I come across something that I have never heard of or I am intersted in, I either research it on the internet or talk with the MD's to gain better insight. I have looked into a few programs and I am planning on taking two Organic Chem Courses next year and a few other courses as well. Have to get a statistics class done sometime too. Thanks again.

RW

loisane · Feb 10, 2003

Well said, Yoga. I agree, although I could not quite come up with the right words to reflect the subtle nuance of the message, as you did so well.

VaMedic, even if you have great evidence that your situation is far different from the one Yoga described, programs might PERCEIVE a similarity. And initial perceptions is all you have to work with, at first.

I encourage you to give Yoga's advice serious consideration.

loisane crna