Not too long ago, I was reading the same threads and posts over and over again to gain insight, confidence and reassurance while going through the process of applying to CRNA school. I'm bored at work and figured that I'd share my story and maybe alleviate some anxiety. Honestly, I've always wanted to become a CRNA, and it's the only reason why I went to nursing school. With that being said, I do enjoy nursing, but couldn't imagine retiring at the bedside. I worked on a Med-Surg floor for 2 years and worked in the ICU for exactly 1 year at my application deadline. I worked in a trauma ICU at a level 1 trauma center but I honestly believe that I could have gotten similar experience at a non-trauma hospital. If you've seen one trauma, you've seen them all. We did a lot of invasive monitoring, gtts, CRRT, hypothermia, etc., but I've never had a swan. My cumulative GPA was 3.17 and my science was 2.9. I got a 296 on my GRE and I passed my CCRN 10 months after working in the ICU. I had my ACLS and PALS and got some excellent recommendations. I shadowed a CRNA for only about 8 hours. I applied to 6 schools and got invitations to interview from them all. (I was careful to apply to schools that I felt were not as competitive because I wanted to get in right away).
Interviews
School #1- Short 15 minute interview. Mostly personal questions and 1 clinical question on s/s of increased ICP. Alternate
School #2- 20 minute interview with a mixture of personal and clinical questions. Rejected
After being rejected by 2 schools, I had to do some self-reflection. Interviews and public speaking have never been my strong suit and I realized that I was not adequately preparing myself for my interviews. I fumbled on basic questions such as "why do you want to become a CRNA?" and "why did you choose our program?" Before my 3rd interview, I recited my answers to those questions for hours in front of the mirror. The more prepared you are, the more confident you'll be, which is what the admission's committee is looking for. Everyone will not have this issue, but the point is, the interview can be everything, especially if your stats are borderline like mine were.
School #3- They asked me all the personal questions that I practiced, how levo, vasopressin and neo worked at the cellular level, and something about vent settings. I was confident, made them smile and they loved me! Accepted
School #4- 45 minute brutal and agonizing clinical interview. Accepted
School #5- Brutal, intimidating, 20 minute, 15 member panel interview with the PD from hell. Lol Not accepted
School #6 (First Choice) Personal and clinical interview. I was very nervous and honestly thought that I wouldn't get accepted because I didn't know most of the clinical questions. Accepted
Post Acceptance
I'm now traveling and trying to save some money before school starts in the fall. I was probably the most mediocre applicant ever. BUT, I do believe that obtaining my CCRN really helped me. I was also a charge nurse, and received a great recommendation from a CRNA. My personal letter was also amazing! (I revised it about 30x and had multiple people read it.) Also, during my interview, I told the adcom that despite my sub par academic performance in the past, I've matured and I WILL become one of their best students. Preparation and confidence is the key. Getting into CRNA school isn't as impossible as everyone makes it seem. It does take work, but everyone that really wants it, will get in. If your stats are like mine, your best bet is to apply to multiple schools. Also it IS very possible to get in with a GPA below a 3.0; you'll just have to do a little extra work. Good luck to all my CRNA hopefuls.
I doubt that more hours shadowing a CRNA would help. Intubations/extubations really are only a small picture of anesthesia. If you haven't gotten interviews, your application is weak. You need either better grades, ICU experience, GRE, or references. On paper you are missing or deficient in something. Bottom line is when they are flipping through 100's of 10-page applications yours didn't catch their eye. It wasn't because you had only 10 hrs of shadowing instead of 50. No amount of hours of shadowing will make up for a weak GPA or minimal ICU experience.
If you are getting an interview and getting rejected, most likely it is your personality or your "interviewing skills". Like OP said you must do a little self-reflection and then work on some weakness. I can spot a neurotic student interviewing from across the room. I wouldn't accept them no matter how great their GPA is. Anesthesia is HIGH stress and you are put on the spot in literally life-or-death situations. I want somebody who is calm cool and in control of their thoughts and emotions. Someone who can handle these situations and not lose their composure can easily get in with a less than perfect GPA. The interview is to help determine who is ready and who is not.
1. I've never applied...
2. Bringing up a GPA is difficult when you have 200hrs+
3. When I said my GPA wasn't good, I meant that it was just above the minimums.
I disagree about the shadowing...I fail to see how 50+ hours of shadowing and 10+ intubations wouldn't look good on a CV. It shows desire to be in the field, initiative to learn before school, and real hands on experience that you won't get anywhere else. I don't know any floor or ICU nurses that intubate, ever. In fact, pretty much the only people that intubate are EMS personnel, docs, and CRNAs.
1. I've never applied... 2. Bringing up a GPA is difficult when you have 200hrs+ 3. When I said my GPA wasn't good I meant that it was just above the minimums. I disagree about the shadowing...I fail to see how 50+ hours of shadowing and 10+ intubations wouldn't look good on a CV. It shows desire to be in the field, initiative to learn before school, and real hands on experience that you won't get anywhere else. I don't know any floor or ICU nurses that intubate, ever. In fact, pretty much the only people that intubate are EMS personnel, docs, and CRNAs.[/quote']
I agree it doesn't hurt but once you get into school you will find out how little intubating means. Managing the airway as a whole is the most important. I did over 1,000 cases and intubated 500 or so times but I managed the airway very time.
I sat on the adcom my senior year and reading about the one student who got to intubate in the OR did not impress me. I have let nurses intubate as well but they were limited in what they did. I showed them the cords and had them place the tube through. Almost like T-ball. I set the ball up and they hit it off the tee. Not to knock your OR experience bc shadowing shows initiative to give up your free time. Good luck to you.
2. Bringing up a GPA is difficult when you have 200hrs+
3. When I said my GPA wasn't good, I meant that it was just above the minimums.
I disagree about the shadowing...I fail to see how 50+ hours of shadowing and 10+ intubations wouldn't look good on a CV. It shows desire to be in the field, initiative to learn before school, and real hands on experience that you won't get anywhere else. I don't know any floor or ICU nurses that intubate, ever. In fact, pretty much the only people that intubate are EMS personnel, docs, and CRNAs.
As someone who has applied, interviewed, been accepted, graduated, sat in on admissions, been certified, and currently practicing I know somewhat about the process. I never said intubation/extubation wouldn't look good. I said "I doubt that more hours shadowing a CRNA would help. Intubations/extubations really are only a small picture of anesthesia." Shawdoing is good to a point, and intubations/extubations are good. It exposes you to the profession and it does show initiative. However pounding away on this is investing into something with low return. Very few applicants, including myself, fail to understand the full scope of anesthesia practice. Not only that but they don't even have the mental architecture to begin to understand what is really happening. I heard a nurse once say "anesthesia isn't that hard, all you do is sit at the head of the bed and turn the gas dial." On the surface this appears to be true. But does this nurse understand MAC values, or blood gas coefficients, or hemodynamic affects of differing gas concentrations, or the flow rates, or bispectral index and different depths of anesthesia. Nope. And when I even attempt to explain this I am met with a blank stare.
So when you tell me you shadowed 50 hrs and intubated 10 people, hoping that makes up for a deficiencies in your application I think cool story bro. Its no different than telling me you turned the dial on a vaporizer. If you were to tell me that you intubated 10 times and each time went home and learned about the innervation to the airway, or denitrogenation, or FRC, or pair/unpaired cartilages, or a double lumen tube, or...you get my picture. I then would be more impressed. However, very few applicants have the mental architecture to understand these things. Intubation, although important, is a big whoopdeedoo to me because I know you have no idea what intubating really entails. I once thought the exact same thing watching IM residents intubate ICU patients.
If you want to stand out on your application I would try impressing me with your ICU experience: your time as a nurse, your experiences managing sick patients, how you learned to communicate with other professionals, and how you pushed yourself mentally/emotionally/physically to become an excellent nurse.
You may disagree with me on this but once you go through anesthesia school your mind will be enlightened and i guarantee your opinion will be closer to mine.
Congratulations! It's such a surreal experience to finally be accepted. I still can't believe it sometimes. The closer I get though, the more nervous I'm becoming.
More shadowing hours would definitely add to your application and you intubating is pretty awesome. Many shadow hours show that you are well aware and informed on exactly what a CRNA's job entails. Do as much as you can in terms of certifications, leadership roles, learning experiences, additional classes, etc., between now and when you're ready to apply. There's not much that you can do about your GPA now, but taking a difficult grad class like Patho or Biochem will show that you are more than capable to succeed in a NA program. You'll be fine. Good luck!
I agree. I am always open for advice, especially from people that have been there, done that, because essentially, I know nothing. The PD at TWU made a comment during my interview that intubating is a very small part of anesthesia and "even EMTs do it." She went on to say what matters is "why" you're doing what you're doing. This all stemmed from the ad com drilling me to the point of asking how the light in the pulse-ox works.
Foramen Magnum -- what was the difference between the denied interviews and the one that you were accepted to?
MeiLana- On the first interview, the competition was super tight because only 9 candidates were taken out of the 29 of us who were interviewed. In addition, the bull of the interview are more on clinical questions and just few personal questions. On my second interview ( which I got accepted- I was interviewed Friday morning then I got the acceptance email Monday afternoon?), I was more relaxed because somehow I already knew how it's gonna go ( got the experience from the first interview) . There were several clinical questions asked (vents, head trauma since i work in a level 1 traima hospital; mechanism of actions of some drugs; code scenario) but I nailed all of it because the interview was timed when I was reviewing for my CCRN and it really helped a lot!
kbl7td
62 Posts
1. I've never applied...
2. Bringing up a GPA is difficult when you have 200hrs+
3. When I said my GPA wasn't good, I meant that it was just above the minimums.
I disagree about the shadowing...I fail to see how 50+ hours of shadowing and 10+ intubations wouldn't look good on a CV. It shows desire to be in the field, initiative to learn before school, and real hands on experience that you won't get anywhere else. I don't know any floor or ICU nurses that intubate, ever. In fact, pretty much the only people that intubate are EMS personnel, docs, and CRNAs.