CRNA Prerequisites

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What are the prerequisites for CRNA?

First, you must be a Registered Nurse, and you must have a bachelor's degree. Not all programs require a BSN. In many cases, being an RN with an unrelated bachelor's degree is sufficient for admission. Check with programs where you intend to apply for this information.

This is in the FAQ. I'm planning to get my ADN. I want to have experience as an RN.

After that, I was going to get my BSN from Stony Brook University, and hopefully take my premedical requisite courses in order to apply to medical school. If I got in, I'd go that route. If I didn't, I'd have a BSN so I could pursue graduate school as a CRNA instead.

My issue is two-fold:

One, if I do the BSN program at Stony Brook (http://sonce1.nursing.sunysb.edu/nursingweb.nsf/OnSiteBasicBaccalaureateProgram?OpenForm - everyone, please take a look near the bottom, at the list of courses you take, 71 credits worth) - it doesn't seem to have ANY of the premed requirements - organic chemistry, physics, biology, and calculus - and I need 2 semesters of all of those (1 of calc) to be eligible for medical school application. I thought most BSN programs have all those sciences in them - what gives here? Am I missing something?

Two, since I can't fulfill my premed requirements with a BSN (apparently, again, unless I'm missing something), I'd have to go for another bachelor degree. I figured I'd major in something like biology, so I still stay within the sciences, get my medical prereqs complete, but then if I don't get into medical school, I'm shaky about not having the option of getting into a CRNA program. Would a BS in biology likely be accepted in most (if not all) CRNA programs?

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Specializes in SICU--CRNA 2010.

You need to check with specific programs, some allow a Bachelors in something other than nursing, but most require a BSN.

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You need to check with specific programs, some allow a Bachelors in something other than nursing, but most require a BSN.

Yeah, that's what I'm finding out. I looked at about 10 programs, and they all require a BSN, and not any bachelors.

What about the Stony Brook BSN program, then? There's no organic chemistry or physics or anything, right? Is that common, or do BSN programs usually have those courses?

I doubt it'd be feasible to cram in two semesters of physics, organic chemistry, and a semester of calculus on top of the 71 credits for a BSN.

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Specializes in SICU--CRNA 2010.

BSN programs will not require organic, biochem, physics, or calculus. I got a BS in biology prior to nursing school and it would be difficult to take those courses while in nursing school.

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BSN programs will not require organic, biochem, physics, or calculus. I got a BS in biology prior to nursing school and it would be difficult to take those courses while in nursing school.

That's what I was afraid of. Damn.

Well, my plan is to aim for medical school first, and if that fails, a CRNA program, and if I don't get in to that, stay as an RN.

Right now, I'm working on my ADN, then I can either enter a BSN program or get a BS in biology or something, and take the premedical requisites.

What would you think? Since med school is my first attempt, go for the Biology degree?

The thing is, if I do that and fail to get accepted, then I have to go back and get my BSN on top of that, before I can try to be a CRNA anyway, right?

Are there any programs to go from a BS degree to a BSN (if you already had your ADN before) in something like a year?

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That's what I was afraid of. Damn.

Well, my plan is to aim for medical school first, and if that fails, a CRNA program, and if I don't get in to that, stay as an RN.

Right now, I'm working on my ADN, then I can either enter a BSN program or get a BS in biology or something, and take the premedical requisites.

What would you think? Since med school is my first attempt, go for the Biology degree?

The thing is, if I do that and fail to get accepted, then I have to go back and get my BSN on top of that, before I can try to be a CRNA anyway, right?

Are there any programs to go from a BS degree to a BSN (if you already had your ADN before) in something like a year?

If your plan is to go to medical school, then get your degree in the sciences first. I just took the MCATs myself and you HAVE to have them. As far as having another degree and your ADN, there are some programs that will allow you to have a B.S. in something else, like the Univ. of Pittsburgh CRNA program, as long as you are an RN. And also, not to be smart and put down the nursing education, but sometimes ADCOM will not except some of the science courses taken through the BSN degree (like chemistry) because they are not concidered the hard core sciences ( I feel a bashing coming on for this one) :trout:. It depends on whether you took , say for instance, chemistry for the health sciences , or General Chemistry 101 and 102 with labs. Some BSN programs take the same courses as the bio. and engineering majors, but many do not....So check the programs that you are looking into.......Also, things like O. Chem 1 & 2 and Physics 1 & 2 and Calc. aren't required for nursing school, period, so you would have to take them regardless if you get your BSN......

Id like to add, I have nothing against the nursing education, I am just giving the facts about med school admissions.......;)

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If your plan is to go to medical school, then get your degree in the sciences first. I just took the MCATs myself and you HAVE to have them. As far as having another degree and your ADN, there are some programs that will allow you to have a B.S. in something else, like the Univ. of Pittsburgh CRNA program, as long as you are an RN. And also, not to be smart and put down the nursing education, but sometimes ADCOM will not except some of the science courses taken through the BSN degree (like chemistry) because they are not concidered the hard core sciences ( I feel a bashing coming on for this one) :trout:. It depends on whether you took , say for instance, chemistry for the health sciences , or General Chemistry 101 and 102 with labs. Some BSN programs take the same courses as the bio. and engineering majors, but many do not....So check the programs that you are looking into.......Also, things like O. Chem 1 & 2 and Physics 1 & 2 and Calc. aren't required for nursing school, period, so you would have to take them regardless if you get your BSN......

Id like to add, I have nothing against the nursing education, I am just giving the facts about med school admissions.......;)

Yeah, I know I need those prerequisite courses, so I'll just get my ADN, go to school for a Biology BS and try to medical school. If I don't get in, I can either find a CRNA program that accepts non-BSN graduates, or just go back and finish off my BSN if I must.

Are the CRNA programs that don't require BSN graduates any less qualified or are they looked down upon compared to those that do?

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My suggestion is going for BSN. That way your choice of schools for anesthesia won't be limited. If electives don't cover all the pre-med sciences during the course of the BSN, pick a science minor (or major if you feel like it) that will cover all of them. Good luck.

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