Allegheny CRNA program 2019

12BCRNA · Jan 21, 2020

Hello all,

I applied to allegheny for the 2020 cohort. I was wondering if anyone can give me an idea of the kind of questions they ask during interview. I work in a cvicu. I have heard that their interview is hard and that makes me super nervous. I am trying to prepare for interview in case I get an offer. Thank you.

LucidDreaming · Jan 28, 2020

On 1/21/2020 at 3:08 AM, 12BCRNA said:
Hello all,
I applied to allegheny for the 2020 cohort. I was wondering if anyone can give me an idea of the kind of questions they ask during interview. I work in a cvicu. I have heard that their interview is hard and that makes me super nervous. I am trying to prepare for interview in case I get an offer. Thank you.

Current student here. The interview is miserable and you won’t be able to tell how you did. It’ll be about two hours of clinical questions with the director and a few minutes of personal questions with the assistant director. With a cardiac background, it will be heavily cardiac based. Know the entire anatomy of the heart and be able to draw it. Be able to identify rhythms and explain what each wave on the ecg represents. Know invasive hemodynamics well- index, output, svr, wedge pressure, how to interpret and treat abnormalities in each. Be able to verbally walk through the anatomy involved in a swan insertion. Do not mention any drugs you don’t know very well, because she will grill you down to the chemical action on the cell. Study neo, levo, beta blockers, hydralazine, propofol, fentanyl. Know dosages and concentrations. Know your receptors well. Understand vent settings, the concept of dead space, and v/q matching. She’ll start asking about a topic and continue with deeper detail until you don’t know anymore. If you aren’t sure of something, straight up say you don’t know. Don’t guess or *** anything. Don’t try to suck up. She tries to stress you out to see how you’ll handle it. Stay calm and confident. Occasionally if you give her a few seconds, she’ll start to answer the question she asked. She accepts students based solely on the interview. As long as you meet the minimum application requirements, all that matters is the interview. Regardless of your situation, say you are financially prepared, don’t plan on working, and have a supportive family. She likes dogs so if you mention a dog that could be a plus. Random little things I remember her asking (in addition to everything I listed above)- propofol is relatively contraindicated with an egg allergy, morphine causes a large histamine release, avoid beta blockers in asthmatics (beta receptors in lungs cause bronchoconstriction), becks triad.

Her program is much like her interview. Grades come from tests only and her tests are hard. She does care about the students and want them to succeed, but she is strict with grades and you have to meet the expectations consistently. Very few classes have made it to graduation with everyone who started, usually one or two don’t make it through. However, it’s a short cheap program with good clinical experience. Once you make it to senior year it does get better. If you prepare well for the interview you’ll get in. If you stay focused and dedicated you’ll graduate. Good luck!!

12BCRNA · Jan 30, 2020

Hi LucidDreaming,

Thanks for the response. I hope my interview goes well.

Killin it · Jun 9, 2022

On 1/28/2020 at 5:11 PM, LucidDreaming said:

Current student here. The interview is miserable and you won’t be able to tell how you did. It’ll be about two hours of clinical questions with the director and a few minutes of personal questions with the assistant director. With a cardiac background, it will be heavily cardiac based. Know the entire anatomy of the heart and be able to draw it. Be able to identify rhythms and explain what each wave on the ecg represents. Know invasive hemodynamics well- index, output, svr, wedge pressure, how to interpret and treat abnormalities in each. Be able to verbally walk through the anatomy involved in a swan insertion. Do not mention any drugs you don’t know very well, because she will grill you down to the chemical action on the cell. Study neo, levo, beta blockers, hydralazine, propofol, fentanyl. Know dosages and concentrations. Know your receptors well. Understand vent settings, the concept of dead space, and v/q matching. She’ll start asking about a topic and continue with deeper detail until you don’t know anymore. If you aren’t sure of something, straight up say you don’t know. Don’t guess or *** anything. Don’t try to suck up. She tries to stress you out to see how you’ll handle it. Stay calm and confident. Occasionally if you give her a few seconds, she’ll start to answer the question she asked. She accepts students based solely on the interview. As long as you meet the minimum application requirements, all that matters is the interview. Regardless of your situation, say you are financially prepared, don’t plan on working, and have a supportive family. She likes dogs so if you mention a dog that could be a plus. Random little things I remember her asking (in addition to everything I listed above)- propofol is relatively contraindicated with an egg allergy, morphine causes a large histamine release, avoid beta blockers in asthmatics (beta receptors in lungs cause bronchoconstriction), becks triad.

Her program is much like her interview. Grades come from tests only and her tests are hard. She does care about the students and want them to succeed, but she is strict with grades and you have to meet the expectations consistently. Very few classes have made it to graduation with everyone who started, usually one or two don’t make it through. However, it’s a short cheap program with good clinical experience. Once you make it to senior year it does get better. If you prepare well for the interview you’ll get in. If you stay focused and dedicated you’ll graduate. Good luck!!

This could not be more true for the interview