Advice for CRNA

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I have applied to a couple schools recently and quickly realized my GPA is completely subpar.

I am waiting to hear back from TWU and Newman who I have spoken with a lot.

I am starting a graduate level chem/phys for anesthesia and plan on taking another science class to boost my science gpa. My overall GPA is 3.1 with a science GPA 2.5. After retaking these classes I will have a science GPA of 3.3.

I have 2 years experience in a CVICU with post open heart, EVMO specialist, LVADs, and everything in between.

I scored a 300 on GRE and will also retake to see if I can get higher.

I volunteer with a mobile healthcare clinic and am on the unit based council participating in new protocols and research for unit and patient improvement.

Any advice? I was denied two interviews specifically for my GPA which I knew going in would be a problem. I got married, worked full time night shift as a tech, had a baby, and divorced all in my undergrad but without skipping a beat in nursing school to get my bachelors.

Should i I take more science classes? Math classes?

My concern is I can retake as many undergrad classes but I can’t re-do four years and come out with a 3.8 GPA.

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15 hours ago, Mnurse18 said:

I have applied to a couple schools recently and quickly realized my GPA is completely subpar.

I am waiting to hear back from TWU and Newman who I have spoken with a lot.

I am starting a graduate level chem/phys for anesthesia and plan on taking another science class to boost my science gpa. My overall GPA is 3.1 with a science GPA 2.5. After retaking these classes I will have a science GPA of 3.3.

I have 2 years experience in a CVICU with post open heart, EVMO specialist, LVADs, and everything in between.

I scored a 300 on GRE and will also retake to see if I can get higher.

I volunteer with a mobile healthcare clinic and am on the unit based council participating in new protocols and research for unit and patient improvement.

Any advice? I was denied two interviews specifically for my GPA which I knew going in would be a problem. I got married, worked full time night shift as a tech, had a baby, and divorced all in my undergrad but without skipping a beat in nursing school to get my bachelors.

Should i I take more science classes? Math classes? 

My concern is I can retake as many undergrad classes but I can’t re-do four years and come out with a 3.8 GPA.

I just got into a school with a 3.2 gpa (had to retake every science d/t c’s and d’s in them), 302 GRE, less than 1 yr exp. and CCRN. Saying that to say just build your knowledge in ICU, get an interview and don’t let your stats discourage you! It’s all about who you are in person and them seeing your efforts to overcome academic downfalls ❤️).

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Thank you- that makes me really hopeful!

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4 hours ago, futureCRNA722 said:

I just got into a school with a 3.2 gpa (had to retake every science d/t c’s and d’s in them), 302 GRE, less than 1 yr exp. and CCRN. Saying that to say just build your knowledge in ICU, get an interview and don’t let your stats discourage you! It’s all about who you are in person and them seeing your efforts to overcome academic downfalls ❤️).

Not at all trying to be a jerk, but this is horrible advice. Horrible.

The OP's academic record is what it is. For a reason. They need to prove to themself, before anything else, that they are capable of doing the work needed to do well. CRNA is exponentially harder than BSN. Why quit a job, move, use savings, tell your friends and family, and everything else, just to be 50-100K in debt and kicked to the curb after the first year because school was more difficult than you could have imagined? You should prove to yourself that you are capable of scoring the requisite grades such that you can.

Sorry to the OP, but you need to be able to have some objective self-reflection. You might do great, and I hope you do. But you need something more upon which to base that huge decision than on being "hopeful".

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Sure absolutely.

Im willing to take the courses- but I’ve gotten mixed answers from schools on undergrad retakes versus graduate courses.

I got my bsn in four years married then divorced, having a baby, and working full time nights and my grades reflect that. Being said- I can’t redo my entire undergrad.

I know I can retake basic science courses and make As- but is it better to show I can take graduate level courses and score high versus redoing a basic chem?

Im willing to put the work and effort in but want to spend that wisely

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Specializes in CRNA.

What graduate classes would you take? An undergrad physiology is better than graduate pathophysiology. Look for programs that use the GRE, your score will help you. Plan for more than a year of ICU.

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26 minutes ago, loveanesthesia said:

What graduate classes would you take? An undergrad physiology is better than graduate pathophysiology. Look for programs that use the GRE, your score will help you. Plan for more than a year of ICU.

It’s an open class from a CRNA program a chem/phys for anesthesia.

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Specializes in CRNA.

If it’s the course I’m thinking of, it’s very expensive and debatable that it shows you can survive an anesthesia program. Take undergraduate physiology and organic chem and get As in both. That’ll help you more.

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I can vouch for that. I also had subpar GPA due to goofing off my first couple years. I had a 3.5 BSN, but my pre reqs were mostly Cs, and my science GPA they look at was something like 2.7. I retook physiology, and chem, got As, and that brought my science GPA up to 3.2. They didn't need to see that I had graduate level classes, they needed to see that I could do the work. I had plans to retake others but got into school so I didn't need to. Most of the people you are competing against will not have graduate classes, and it's not worth the risk of getting a B, when you could get As in undergrad work. It was also super helpful to have those classes/material recent in my brain as I entered school. I also had about 10 years in the ICU which was helpful, and a 310 GRE. I've heard many times on here that you can have one hole in your application, not two. If you only have a year of ICU, and a sub par GPA, that'd be 2.

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Specializes in Critical Care.
On 7/27/2019 at 7:48 AM, futureCRNA722 said:

I just got into a school with a 3.2 gpa (had to retake every science d/t c’s and d’s in them), 302 GRE, less than 1 yr exp. and CCRN. Saying that to say just build your knowledge in ICU, get an interview and don’t let your stats discourage you! It’s all about who you are in person and them seeing your efforts to overcome academic downfalls ❤️).

That’s awesome! Congrats! I’m curious what school it is! I’d be so happy if I could get in with less than a year ?

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Specializes in SRNA.

Work on the GPA retaking whatever courses you can to raise it. Also start networking. You would be surprised how far you can get by who you know. Problem is who you know will not help you pass exams, boards or clinical so whatever it was that made your GPA low in the first place needs to be addressed. You can do it and you will if you really want it. Good luck!

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Specializes in SRNA.

https://www.barry.edu/anesthesiology/post-baccalaureate-dnp/about/preparation-course-for-nurse-anesthesia.html

https://diversitycrna.org/

check these sites out and start shadowing a few CRNA's in the facility that you work. Enroll in a graduate level nursing program such as NP, masters in Ed or something that allows you to take DNP courses as all CRNA programs are moving the DNP route and most CRNA schools will let you transfer in two courses. Worst case scenario your two courses into a graduate level nurse program, best case scenario you boost your GPA with graduate level courses that will transfer into almost any CRNA program AND that is two less DNP courses you would have to take while in anesthesia school. Courses to look for are graduate level nursing research course, or a course called role of advanced practice nurse etc. these graduate level courses are usually common to all DNP programs whether your major is NP, Ed or Anesthesia.

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