sleepless1

Im in school now and i remember that feeling so well. It was the best night i had ever had at work knowing it was the last time to clean up someone else's "mess." But soon the real fun begins. The sad thing is that at times you will wish you were back at work giving a bath when you have to face some of the challenges of CRNA school.

My program costs 650/hr. Total hrs for the program will be around 72. This doesnt count the 750/semester lab fee, books, PDA, ear piece, clinical software and multiple other misc. costs throughout the program. Im not trying to bash the costs of the program, it is a private university so its probably on the high end of avg. But in general, CRNA school will be 60k to 150k by the time you graduate. Most are probably over the 100k mark. Loans will help, but things will still be tight. Especially if you have a family.

Im in CRNA school now and i think it would be pretty pointless to keep the CCRN certification anymore. Im just going to let mine lapse. And especially if you are not going to work as an RN at all while you are in school. It wont be of any use anymore anyway.

Application deadline is in May and Interviews arent until June, so you have a long time. What you can expect from Union is fairness. There will also probably be more and more competition as time goes by. The anesthesia faculty is top notch and want students to succeed. It is a great new program and i would recommend taking steps to be as competitive as possible. CCRN, ACLS instructor, experience, great science grades, well rounded and down to earth with lots of motivation.

I dont know for sure, but i would think that they are numbered. That way the panel doesnt have to re evaluate when a spot becomes available at the last second. But if an alternate completes a new class or gets a new credential, they may reconsider the rank of the alternates on the list. Also, they wont release information on where you are at on the list. THat part really sucks, but i can see where it may cause problems for people. For instance, if you knew you were first on the list and passed up an opportunity somewhere else but still may not get a call at Union. They dont want to do that to anyone. Its just another waiting game now, and there is no way to know where you are at on the list. Im pretty sure there is no re evaluation of alternates unless someone's profile has a significant change.

There were 2 or 3 that made it as alternates in my class. So it can happen. It does kind of put you in a bind because you could be notified from now until January. But on the bright side, there is still a chance. Nothing you can really do but wait it out. Some people who were accepted may get offers elsewhere and there are a lot of things that could happen in six months. Its a very precarious position to be in, i can only imagine.

Congratulations to those of you who were accepted to Union. Im in the program here and I love it. I couldnt have made a better decision about anesthesia school. Hit me up if any of you have any questions.