CRNA schools: choices and more choices

Specialties CRNA

Published

I know that location, obviously is one of the biggest factor in deciding which CRNA school to choose. But besides location, (speaking to SRNA's, CRNA's, and those accepted), what made you choose the school that you did?

I am trying to collect some information about schools to aid me in my decision on which schools to apply too. Thank you in advance for the help.

Sincerely,

Bryant (preCRNA)

i know for me, the campus itself was a big selling point, there are a lot of resources for students, an excellent library, computer access everywhere you go, notes for class given on powerpoint so you don't have to try and write everything during class and you can listen and learn easier, there's also a really nice rec. center so i can work out and get my mind off the books, there is also a strong sense of school pride here, which i really like, i'm starting to sound like a commercial for the school, but i couldn't imagine a better educational experience. TCU ALL THE WAY!!

for me it had to do with clinical experience. line placement and regional experience was a huge part. i know there is a thread going right now about line placement. and after talking with a lot of practicing CRNA's it became apparent to me that regional experience in school is really important. so i chose a school that got a lot of it. not only that but i wanted a small class. that way i know i have good access to professors and won't get lost in the crowd. i wanted a school with a high first time pass rate on boards also. a school with a long track record of graduating students who did well on boards and got great experience. i got lucky and found all of this plus not a lot of late night call and little weekend requirements even in clinical. i will get excellent experiences and won't have to give up my entire life to get it. last thing i thought about was to live some place i had never been before. i figured i had to go somewhere for 28 months and i would like to live somewhere i have never been. that's just me. best of luck.

The instructor.

the hidden factor. are the instructors good or bad. will they actually teach you or will you invest in home schooling. I don't think this is a predicable vairable but one that does make a diffrence.

for me it had to do with clinical experience. line placement and regional experience was a huge part. i know there is a thread going right now about line placement. and after talking with a lot of practicing CRNA's it became apparent to me that regional experience in school is really important. so i chose a school that got a lot of it. not only that but i wanted a small class. that way i know i have good access to professors and won't get lost in the crowd. i wanted a school with a high first time pass rate on boards also. a school with a long track record of graduating students who did well on boards and got great experience. i got lucky and found all of this plus not a lot of late night call and little weekend requirements even in clinical. i will get excellent experiences and won't have to give up my entire life to get it. last thing i thought about was to live some place i had never been before. i figured i had to go somewhere for 28 months and i would like to live somewhere i have never been. that's just me. best of luck.

what school do you attend?

Level 1 hospital as primary site, NO RESIDENTS:-), affiliation sites for regionals and central lines that all the students love (and housing is provided at), insurance provided, opportunity to do pedi hearts, school within walking distance of the hospital......those are the main ones. Oh yeah, and living in a city- I didn't want to live in some podunk town.

kaiser in pasadena

no graduate entrance exam required.

about 15,000 total for tuition

20 hospitals in southern ca for clinical rotations.

good ob and regional experience

Specializes in Nurse Practitioner/CRNA Pain Mgmt.

Hi,

The main factor for me in selecting a school back East was the cost of living. I won't be working and will have to pay existing bills..etc. By uprooting myself from LA, and living off from the sale of my home, I will live comfortably.

The rural, beautiful scenery of the landscape of OH was definitely a change...no 405 traffic, rude drivers, etc. :)

The small class size of St. E's was a selling point for me. This showed me that there's lots of interaction and one-on-one with the trainers, etc. Oh, and the hospital, being a level 1 trauma center...in the middle of a high need area...lots of OR cases from (unfortunately) crime related injuries..etc, which means more cases to learn from was a plus. I come from a level 1 trauma center and I relate to the type of clientele that the hospital deals with. So, there's no surprises there for me.

Lastly, I wanted to be in a program that was STRICT and INTENSE. As someone in my interview had mentioned, "We don't have time for someone who's a whinner. This is a hard program to get into." And for someone to get interviewed for the 1st time and be accepted was definitely an honor.

Cheers,

Vince.

Bryant-

I was lookiong for experience (lots of variety-hearts, heads, trauma, peds, etc.), line placement, and regional experience. The other factor that was really important was small class size. I will be attending Newman University in the fall. Best of luck to you.

Maria

I was looking for an integrated program that offered a lot of clinical experience and no competition with residents for cases. Since my wife and I are tired of moving around, I also wanted to go to school in an area that I was planning on staying for a while with a good environment for my kids.

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