Military CRNA vs civilian CRNA

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 30, 2014

Have you looked into the requirements for USAGPAN? USAGPAN - It's highly competitive, but of course someone's gotta be selected. :) Deployments are winding down, so at present, fewer are going. Yes, being deployed can be scary, but as medical people we are not out there kicking down doors and taking direct fire, generally speaking.

The military is a way of life, more than anything. You're wise to think long and hard about joining.

jfratian, DNP, RN, CRNA · May 31, 2014

The base pay doesn't seem like much, but if you factor in the BAH/BAS (housing and food) and getting your loans covered, you're not doing too bad.

A DNP is going to run you at least 80K at a public school (total cost of attendance) and the loan payments are going to approach $800 per month (~10K per year) for 10 years. A captain in the military would make ~ 65K per year if they were single in North Dakota (closer to 90K if they were in a place with COLA or a really high housing allowance).

If you get accepted into the military's CRNA program in Maryland, you get O1 pay while you're in school too. If you factor in free healthcare (with zero deductible), free malpractice insurance, and the retention bonuses (which I think are 35K per year for CRNAs) you'll get once you've finished your initial committment, I'd be surprised if you didn't keep up with your civilian peers.

A civilian CRNA will start off -80K out of school while a military CRNA will start off at +240K (free school plus your salary while in school). That's a $320,000 swing...a new house. It's going to take you 6 years minimum to recoupe that as a civilian CRNA. At that point, you'd be eligible for the military retention bonuses and it'd be a wash.

ckh23, BSN, RN · May 31, 2014

Also keep in mind if you do not make it through the military CRNA program, for whatever reason, you will still be obligated to serve in the military as an RN.

hollywhite59 · May 31, 2014

Thanks for your thoughts. I am trying to talk with a healthcare recruiter about USAGPAN now. He's not being very forthcoming with information. Is there a chance that there will be less direct commissioned officers and I would be wasting my time? I meet all the requirements for USAGPAN now. Except I haven't taken my GRE yet, I'm currently studying for it. My undergrad GPA is high enough for some regular graduate programs to accept me without taking the GRE, but I figure it cannot hurt. May make me more competitive if I rock it.

It almost seems to good to be true, you know? If I choose to go to school through the army, I will be debt free and paid to go to school with benefits. I'm really leary. Many military friends keep telling me how terrible it is, all discharged as soon as they could, but none were officers. Does this make a difference? Also, none really liked their job. I love my job and I'm sure I would love to be a CRNA. So maybe, that is it.

Failing CRNA school is not an option. Some people go to school and are unsure if they will pass or can take the cirriculum. I would not put myself in a position where I may fail. I'm not scared to take chances, but I make sure that I am well equipped for the challenge. Not saying it couldn't happen, because of course, life happens. If I failed out, are you still a 1LT or are you a Captian? Ranking is still kind of confusing to me.

Thanks again.

Holly

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 31, 2014

Many military friends keep telling me how terrible it is, all discharged as soon as they could, but none were officers. Does this make a difference? Also, none really liked their job. I love my job and I'm sure I would love to be a CRNA. So maybe, that is it.

The officer side of the house much different than the enlisted side of the house, so it makes a huge difference. A good friend of mine is a CRNA, and she loves what she does. She doesn't like the politics and admin work, but at her level that's something she has to do. But as a new CRNA, you wouldn't have to deal with that as much for many years.

If I failed out, are you still a 1LT or are you a Captian? Ranking is still kind of confusing to me.

First, your initial rank will be determined. Most RNs who qualify for USAGPAN will usually come in at 1LT (you need about 36 months of civilian experience for 1LT, because it counts as 18 months of constructive credit). If you have less than 36 months of experience by the time you commission, you'd be a 2LT but promote sooner than others. Right now for the Army, you must have 48 months/4 years of time in service (can include constructive credit time) to pin on Captain. Promotion from 1LT to CPT is not automatic - your file goes before a selection board. Promotion rates are lower now than they've been in a long time - my promotion board in 2013 saw only about 75 percent of 1LTs get picked up for CPT.

For me, I had been a nurse since 2008 and commissioned in early 2011, so I came in as a 2LT with one year, one month, and 20 days of constructive credit (almost 14 months of credit). I promoted to 1LT after about 4 months when I hit that 18 month mark, and then my file went before the selection board in 2013. I was notified of selection for CPT in August 2013 and pinned on CPT on 1 February, which was 48 months of time in service, including my constructive credit.