[Nitecap]

Slightly more women.

[szndanga]

Hey, everyone!

To all of you that are in, Good luck to you. I start August 22 @ University of Michigan-Flint. I am counting down the days. For those that are working on getting in, keep your head up. It's very encouraging to see people like us interested in and ultimately getting into such competetive programs. The odds are not always in our favor but I won't get into that. I could be here all day. I hope to be in touch with some of you (strength is found in numbers). Feel free to drop me a line.

I'm out.

[asianrn]

I am applying to at least 4 programs that are active on diverse student body. Hopefully one of these schools will give me a chance and prove to them that I have the ambition, personality of a good qualified CRNA. Once accepted I am determined to reach out to minority associations and be active as a resource and a teacher...not just for asian american and african american, but to Hispanics, Indian nurses and to all minority nurses out there..As a health care provider, we know that there's an urgent need to provide competent care to an increasingly diverse patients; be able to emphatize and adapt to the needs of our patients.

[zzzno2]

Minority students be very careful about applying TWU in TX , this school may accept you to fill in their large class about 130 students! Number of minority students completing at TWU is very less. If the students happen to pass the front loaded 1 year theory (It is very very difficult to pass the torture of Dr R he is a ridiculas obstacle ) often this school fail students even for 1 mark shortage in exams you have to repeat whole first year ! not just that course if the school allow you to do that count 50,000 additional expense on this. Even if you pass few of the clinical sites associated with this school including the largest site nearer to school is very tough , instructors literally intimidate and harass and history of kicking out students even around completion , it is a no brainer for any crna aspirants to stay away from this school especially minorities .

[zzzno2]

students looking for crna schools be careful in interpreting the 100% pass rate in licensing test . This does't mean 100 % students in the class passes failure rate during the course is about 20 -30 % some people fail in theory and if you get a bad clinical site that is it . 100 % pass rate mean those who finish the theory and clinical training and take the board exam pass . Also remember AANA is not a organization think in student perspective there is no way you could trasfer the courses from one university to another .

[endorphinrush]

I have a friend that is a black CRNA. I know a number of black RN's but he is the only one that I know of that applied to CRNA school........he made it. He had to apply twice but he got it. The second attempt he had two whole years of NICU experience. Pretty impressive in my book. When I interviewed just recently at Erlanger and UAB, there were no black applicants. I wonder if that is why they are in the minority? They don't apply as much. I have no idea why. I have several black friends that are RN's that in my opinoin would make excellent CRNA's......they just have no interest in it. I dont know why but i respect it.

[SigmaSRNA]

Originally Posted by zzzno2

Minority students be very careful about applying TWU in TX , this school may accept you to fill in their large class about 130 students! Number of minority students completing at TWU is very less. If the students happen to pass the front loaded 1 year theory (It is very very difficult to pass the torture of Dr R he is a ridiculas obstacle ) often this school fail students even for 1 mark shortage in exams you have to repeat whole first year ! not just that course if the school allow you to do that count 50,000 additional expense on this. Even if you pass few of the clinical sites associated with this school including the largest site nearer to school is very tough , instructors literally intimidate and harass and history of kicking out students even around completion , it is a no brainer for any crna aspirants to stay away from this school especially minorities .

Wow. Interesting. Here is another perspective.

I'm a black male SRNA/RRNA presently at Texas Wesleyan Univ Class of 2007.
We have a total of 7 black people currently in my class and more than 5 or 6 in the class behind mine (most of them I'm friends with). We have other races represented but I don't know the numbers so I will just focus on my african american counterparts.
As far as why there isn't alot of African Americans (AAs) in CRNA School I can only theorize; and that theory would be the following:
We are a small percentage of nursing in the first place. Within AAs in nursing there is even a smaller percentage working ICU. Breaking it down even further, a small percent apply to grad school IN GENERAL, so to have 6 other black people in a class of 128, I was GRATEFUL. TWU is unique in that the requirements to get entry is not as rigid as most schools around the country. They really look at more than a GPA (even though they are getting a little harder with that because some people can't get past " THE R!!" :-). This was my case. I had a 2.5 overall and a 1210 on the GRE (my saving grace). This just simply got me an interview based on the standards of that time (which have since gotten more rigid). Then they saw me and accepted me. Since starting school I've only made one B (Cardiopulmonary Phys which was an absolute beast) and the rest As. I guess my point is that they gave a young black man with a crappy GPA a chance because they saw potential when they got to know me. Very few schools in the country would have done that. That's why I'm personally trying to recruit AAs to come to this school because I know the staff, I know why DR. R is the way he is (and I'm grateful), and you will get a great education. How do I know that? Okay.
I'm currently at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in California and we have 3 different anesthesia programs come here. TWU/TCU, Kaiser, and USC. Most of the staff CRNAs are from california having went to Kaiser and USC and constantly tell us (TWU/TCU) how far ahead of the game we are in comparison. Considering that 10 to 12% of the CRNAs in the entire country trained at TWU, it speaks for itself. I'm not discounted what the previous poster wrote; I can just tell you about the experience of 13 African Americans RRNAs currently in the program and its vastly different.

[XIGRIS]

Originally Posted by zzzno2

Minority students be very careful about applying TWU in TX , this school may accept you to fill in their large class about 130 students! Number of minority students completing at TWU is very less. If the students happen to pass the front loaded 1 year theory (It is very very difficult to pass the torture of Dr R he is a ridiculas obstacle ) often this school fail students even for 1 mark shortage in exams you have to repeat whole first year ! not just that course if the school allow you to do that count 50,000 additional expense on this. Even if you pass few of the clinical sites associated with this school including the largest site nearer to school is very tough , instructors literally intimidate and harass and history of kicking out students even around completion , it is a no brainer for any crna aspirants to stay away from this school especially minorities .

Where did you get this idea?
Im graduating this December and I am a minority.

[lonestargas]

I must say, as a minority student in the current class at TWU, in my class of about 150 students, I'd venture to say that 20-25% of us are classified as minorities. The atrition rate for the school is about 10%. Of those 10% that choose to return, the following year, 99% do so successfully. Also, the % of repeating students that are minorities are proportionate to the % that are in class. These are observations I've made based on the current class of 2008 for TWU. As a minority, I was accepted with a GPA >3.5, GRE >1100, and an excellent interview; I am not filling a seat. ALL of the people in my class are there because they deserve to be there. Yes, "Dr. R's" class is hard, but I believe I will learn what I need to know because of it. If you give it your best, you will succeed. Anyone not willing to give their best need not apply!

[Teacher2bCRNA]

Best of luck to you. Bumping this thread for more responses.

Originally Posted by SheRN1

I find this thread very interesting because these are some of the same questions I have pondered. I was fortunate enough to meet 2 African American female CRNA's. Since, this meeting they have always been a great source of encouragement to me and my goals of becoming a CRNA. As a African American woman I know that we have to strive and work harder to enter the field. But, never give up and my best advice is to try network with these CRNA's they are always willing to help other minorities who have drive and determination. I know that hard work, determination and drive is what got me accepted into an Anesthesia program for 2006.