Financing Anesthesia

Hey All-

I have always wanted to get my CRNA, and I currently work in an intensive care setting. I'm realistically looking to apply in about 30-36 months.

I have read the stickys a few times now, but I just want to ask again. It is possible to do anesthesia school, financially speaking, if I own a house and have kids right?

My wife and I are so sick of apartments and seeing as it is a buyers market we are starting to seriously consider purchasing a house. We also want to start a family. Now I realize it would be best if I lived in a studio apartment 4 blocks from anesthesia school, but that's just not realistic.

I will of course purchase a house well within my affordability. But I guess it just seems odd that I should have to loan out for everything we will need when I am in school. Though I know there is no chance at working when I am in school.

So my questions are

1. You don't have to put a kidney down for collateral for a grad school loan right? (I have good credit).

2. It is normal to look at paying my mortgage from student loans as slightly insane right? (go big or go home; I realize that...I'm not afraid of the commitment, just looking for some feedback.)

Thanks for your responses!

Well, here is my situation and my plan for school (hoping it will answer your question from my perspective). I have a wife and two children (2 and 4 year olds) when school starts, my wife is a RN and will work to pay the bulk of our bills while I am in school. I will most likely, but not definitely, sign on with an Anesthesia group and collect a 1000.00/month stipend to help, also I will take out loans for the rest. In the perfect world I will end up with 20,000 in student loans, but if things go south I might see about 80,000-100,000 in school loans.

To prepare for school my wife and I have paid off all of our short term debt which will include one of our cars. We do own a home and our mortgage is small from my perspective, not much more then rent for a family of 4.

Personally, I would not goto CRNA school with a child under 12 months or with one on the way especially if it is your first child. You have no idea how that will effect your life, your priorities, your ability to manage your time and your marriage. Now, if you got like 5 kids already well it is "old hat" then. My plan was to have the kids be about preschool age so that we have a relatively normal sleep wake pattern and they have not begun school yet, therefore they are home most of the time and allow me more time with them when I am not studying or at class or at clinical.

Bottom line...IMHO....It is very doable especially if you do a little planning and I recommend going to school asap before kids. Get the wife prego with 6 months to go in school if she is really chomping at the bit, otherwise wait til you are done with school. Having kids is awesome and will change you forever. So absorb every second of it if you can.

I hope that helps some and answers your questions.

-Smiley

I am applying for tuition loans only, which will be the Stafford and the Graduate student loan (this one is credit based), both of which have deferred payments until graduation. There are other private loans for cost of living that can be deferred as well, but I haven't checked into them. I suggest calling the financial aid dept. at the univ.'s that u will be applying to & getting their loan info. Honestly, I think that the living expenses r the least of ur worries. Planning on starting a family? In 3 years your child will still be very young (if u have one within the next 2 years) and u must be realistic in the time u will be away from ur family. With studying and all most SRNA's tell me that they only get to spend a couple of hours each day with their family & the rest in spent studying on their own or in study groups. During interview I was asked how I would deal with being virtually non-existent from my son's life (he's 12) for the next 2.5 years. Physically it can be done, but that's a lot to miss with a young child. Question...why wait so long to apply?