Army and CRNA program

I have read on here that the Army needs CRNA's and that qualified people can enter directly into their CRNA program due to lack of applicants qualifying for their program, any truth to this? Also, for Navy, how long would it take to be allowed to apply to a CRNA progrm there? I have a friend in Navy as a medical officer and he said the Navy didn't even have enough qualified applicants to apply for all the seats this past year in their CRNA program. I have a bachelors in biology although it's getting old and some graduate classes in the sciences, will be attending 2nd degree BSN this fall, then hopefully military. Again, I wish I had some more feedback about how military compares to civilian as a nurse. I am hoping to make this a career move into the military.

Army CRNA program application procedures: http://www.dns.amedd.army.mil/crna/ It is on the left hand column.

Yes the Army has the only direct entry program for the military, but you still have to have met the same requirements as civilian programs ie. GRE/one year of critical care expeirence etc.

In the Navy a nurse has to basically do one tour (3yrs) before they are eligible to apply, but don't quote me on that. I am in the nurse anesthesia program at USUHS, but I am in the AF not Navy so I am just trying to remember what my Navy classmates told me.

The quickest way is to go the Army route after you met all the requirements on the civilian side.

How long did you serve in the AF before you applied?

I applied as soon as I could (3yrs), but I didn't get in the 1st time I applied so I PCS'd and had to wait to apply so it was just about 5.5 yrs before I started school.

If you had to do it all over again would you do it the same way? Or would you apply to the Army program? I am Air Force blue and blue but the Army has a direct accession program that will allow me to come straight in. What would you if you were my shoes given what you know now? Here a little background on me: I am prior services enlisted for 12 years and I have been commission for the 3 years. I was active duty for about 5 years and have been reserves and air national guard the last 10 years. Thank you for any advice that you can spare. Good luck.

Tejon

Knowing what I know now I would have still went the AF route, but I would have chosen Wilford Hall or Keesler as my 1st duty station. Your chances seem to be better getting accepted if you apply while you are at one of the bigger AF hospitals.

The Army has a different philosophy about teaching and clinicals than the AF or Navy. The Army's drop out rates during clinicals tend to be little higher than the AF or Navy.

It is really tough to decide. I have been in the Air Force for 14 years now. I am not active duty but I know the Air Force. I am afraid if I go active duty and wait I may not get into CRNA school. It is not a risk I want to take. The Navy recruiter told me that if I go their route is is a easier. Do you believe this? They told me after 3 years in the Navy I could and that my chances are much higher than coming in Air Force. Thank again for your advice.

The Navy recruiter is full of crap and has absolutely no idea what they are talking about! I went to Phase I with Navy SRNAs at USUHS and the rate of acceptance etc. is pretty much on par with ours in the AF. The time it takes for them to get in etc. is all the same.

My best advice if you don't want to do Army or USPHS is come on AD AF with your ICU identifier, go to Wilford Hall, Keesler, or Travis AFB as your 1st duty station. You should also come in by May/June of 2009 if you want to hit the 3yr mark for AF or Navy d/t TOS requirements. Then you will have 2 yrs to get your package together. In that time you should try to become an instructor in ACLS/PALS/BLS &/or TNCC, get your CCRN, and go to CCATT. The way the boards have been going the last couple of years if your grades/GRE scores are good and you did all those other things you should have an excellent chance of getting into CRNA school right at the 3yr mark.

Thanks for the getting me the real answers. I live in California and would love to go to Travis AFB. I was once an active duty med tech there. It is not that I am against the Army, I am just not sure what would be the best thing. I think what I will do is apply to the Army program and if i don't get in I will go active duty AF. I will be deploying this March and when I return hopefully I will know if I will be accepted to the Army program. Thank you again. Where will you be doing your clinicals at? I know the program director at Travis and if you want I can get you his info. Take care.

I am in my last year of school. I have been in clinicals at National Naval Medical Center for about 6 mo now. The AF students that go to Ft Sam do their clinicals at Travis.

The only real problem with applying to the Army for you is that you need to make sure that you do not owe anymore time to the AF. I can pretty much assure you that the AF will not let you do an interservice transfer if you still have anytime committment left.

Good Luck! The Army program is great program!