how to pay for CRNA school!?...Help!!

New CCU RN · Feb 16, 2003

Oh, what kind of physical requirements do you have to make in order to be considered?

ie) run x amount of miles....blah blah

gotosleep · Feb 17, 2003

Originally posted by New CCU RN
Go to sleep,

Did you have to move anywhere or are u able to fulfill your requirements without having to change where you live?
Are these options available for people that would just be joining? or did you get this bc you have been in for a while?
When you have to do drilling, are you there the entire weekend? Do you find it hard to drill once a month and attend school? Sorry for so many questions... just wondering."

This program is open to everyone who is qualified.

My drill schedule is usually 7:30 AM to about 4:30 on Saturday and Sunday(once a month). There on occasions (1-2/year) when they want the unit to spend the night, but once again, the Army has been very flexible with me on this.

I don't start the clinical phase of my school until July, so going to drill hasn't presented a problem for me. I will not drill when I start clinicals. I'll actually get paid and receive credit (the army considers the clinical time as drill for anesthesia students) for those drills but I won't attend.

The physical requirements are dependent on your age and gender. I'm requied (26 yo male) to run 2 miles under 17 minutes, do about 40 push-ups, and about 50 sit-ups. If you can't do this, don't worry, because I couldn't either when I first joined. The allow you time to get in shape (big anesthesia shortage, remember). CRNAs are only required to attend a 2 week Officer Basic Course ,and this is a "gentlemen's course" . Gentlemen's course simply means that there will be no Full Metal Jacket moments. In other words, they won't be mean to you.

Feel free to ask more questions if you have them.

smiling_ru · Feb 17, 2003

The people who are reserve in my program do not go to drill, they are assigned to a NAD(?) unit. This is where they assign people who are in CRNA school there is evidently only one, I know it is on the east coast but cannot remember where. They still get their drill pay, just have our instuctor sign off on paperwork, and mail it to the nad unit.

N2bate · Feb 17, 2003

Randy,

No problem with your disagreement, that's what makes this BB great.

Guess I'm speking from a position of experience and that experience was extremely sour. Given I'll be a new CRNA in less than two years, I figure that my weekends will be very valuable and the last thing I'll enjoy doing is giving them up for a little cash.

Be careful when you represent the Reserves though. You seem to portray them as weekend work. Years ago this was true but now our Reserves serve side by side the military--whether that is in California or Kuwait. In a time of mobilization (which we are), you MUST go when and where the military tells you to go--no options, no vote, no family and no whining. What happens to the weekend work now? Guess my point is (and has been all along) that one should not just think about the $$$ that the recruiters throw your way--look at what may and most likely will happen should we engage IRAQ or whoever else is next (N. Korea, Iran, etc).

But I do have alot of respecy for our military and those who wish to pursue that route. We need your type to serve when necessary and to keep our soldiers, sailors and airmen in battle. Good luck and thanks for doing what I used to do and what I never wish to do again.

gotosleep · Feb 17, 2003

"Be careful when you represent the Reserves though. You seem to portray them as weekend work "

N2bate,

It was never my attention to portray myself as a represenative of the Reserves. I'm simply a guy who is in the reserves and happens to know a little bit about it. I have no vested interest in whether people decide to take the route I did.

Also, I apolagize if I understated the risk for mobilization. It was not my intention. I assumed that people were aware of the possibility. Yes, there is a possibility that you may be mobilized and sent somewhere after you graduate from CRNA school. That is part of the deal my friends.

Smiling-ru,

You got it mostly right. It's called the NAAD, and that is the organization that I'm in. Located somewhere in Georgia.

randy

alansmith52 · Feb 18, 2003

let me put in my two cents here on the miltary issue.

I have made quite a lenghthy post in past about the detriment of working for the "great invsisible boss". I also joined the army on the day of my 18th birthday.

don't do it, don't do it., don't to it.

I have finally gotten out of the arm after Reserves and and National guard after 7 painfull, tortutous years.

any money they say they will give you is a hoax ( oh does that sound to extreme) if they say it is a bonus. then it is taxed as one. so say you got a 30000 dollar bonous. it is 40% taxed. ok let see that makes it. ummmm thats 12000 in taxes which leaves 18000 is yours. will you get a check for 18000 no sir-re bob. you will get half up front so 9000 and then 2250 on the aniversary of your enlistment over the next 4 years. now. does that sound like a 30000 sign on bous. its not.

but its only one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer. that sound pretty benign doesn't it. its not. every weekend you finally have off to spend with your family you will be falling in to formation with the other un-employable low lifes that were sweet-talked like yourself.

oh but being in the army souds like so much fun. I get a free set of BDU's (battle dress uniform) ohhh and some coool boots. and I get to through a hand grenade in basic training. not to mention my own m-16. puuuuullleeeeeezzzzzz. go find some fat kid and put him on your back and walk up a mountain at 0400 and then you've done all that they have done.

so there you are in the last semeter of CRNA school. and your buddy comes in. " guess what I just signed with a CRNA group that is going to pay my student loans off if I stay with them for a year. and I will be starting at 150000". " its in nebraska, but after my two years I can become a partner and make 220000". and there you are. what are you doing. I'll be in ft. watchuka. making about 90000 but my housing will be free and I did i mention the free combat boots.

maybe this is a little sharp.. but, I hate the army. the mismangment is actually worse than some hospitals.

matt

gotosleep · Feb 19, 2003

I'm not going to sucked into an argument here. Like I said in my previous post, I have absolutely no vested interest in whether anyone decides to join the military. None!!

I decided to wait awhile after I read the previous post so that I wouldn't type something I might regret. I'll let the tone and quality of alansmith52's post speak for itself.

For example,

"every weekend you finally have off to spend with your family you will be falling in to formation with the other un-employable low lifes that were sweet-talked like yourself."

And this is a nice one too

"so there you are in the last semeter of CRNA school. and your buddy comes in. " guess what I just signed with a CRNA group that is going to pay my student loans off if I stay with them for a year. and I will be starting at 150000". " its in nebraska, but after my two years I can become a partner and make 220000". and there you are. what are you doing. I'll be in ft. watchuka. making about 90000 but my housing will be free and I did i mention the free combat boots. "

I'll agree with alansmith52, if you're only interested in money, stay away from the Reserves.

I'd say the Army is now a better organization in the wake of your departure.

Randy

g8rlimey · Feb 19, 2003

I got sucked in too, I suppose...and I have to agree with Randy.

The fact remains that the Army is voluntary (now), and all restrictions and quantifiers about recieving the money are spelled out in the contract and those who are willing to read the fine print can be spell it out easily. I have many times considered the Army because I wanted to serve my country in a professional capacity rather than the way I did in the Navy as someone who chipped paint and picked up cigarrete butts. Although I disliked my military experience, I served my country, and I resent the comments made by alansmith52.

Those uneducated low-lifes you so easily denigrate are now protecting your a## overseas as you sleep at nite wondering how much money you are going to make post-crna school!!!

Might I add that the US Army along with all of our other fighting forces continue to be the best in the world despite the past presence of alansmith52.

CougRN · Feb 19, 2003

i have to agree with g8rlimey. the men and women in the military are doing all of us a great deal of good and deserve our respect rather than that lack of respect shown in that previous post. it's not for everyone but the people who do decide to serve and gain money for college are doing what they need to do to earn a living and possibly attend higher education.

gotosleep · Feb 19, 2003

Well said g8rlimey and coughRN.

alansmith52 · Feb 19, 2003

perhaps I made some hasty comments in my fit of rage toward the military.

I do agree that we should respect those who have left their families to keep us free. I do not wish to be counted amont the anti-war protestors.

my feelings come from the same hate that I feel for hospital adminstrators.

I spoke without thinking and wish to resend my statements about the qualitiy of people in the military. I would not however take back any comment about the way the orginazation is run.

and I do not admonish anyone to join the military. from a business perspective its a bad idea period and I would like to see everyone here make good decsions as there here to fore have made. ( am I only doing this for money? am I a hethen that can only think of the business end?, No but that is what this thread is about)

matt

London88 · Feb 19, 2003

I have never quite viewed my husband who has been in the reserves for eighteen years as an unemployable low life, neither do I view one of the physicians that I work with who has been in the military reserves for 20 years as an unemployable lowlife. I have always viewed this BB as a place where we can have respectable debates, and not one where we insult others.