2bcrna4heisman

it was a pretty chill interview. you can expect to have the program director, and a couple other faculty in there with you. you will sit at a table and just talk anesthesia school in an informal way: why are you interested in going into anesthesia, how do you plan on paying for school, how do you handle stress,---> a lot of logistics related questions on how you plan on getting through school in a dedicated & healthy manner. then they'll most likely ask you about your ICU experience, maybe discuss your pt. population, and maybe ask 1-2 clinical questions that pertain to your particular ICU (i.e. if you work in a neuro ICU, you may have to describe a little neuro pathophysiology & pharmacology, but you won't be expected to know how milrinone works at the cellular level). Bottom line: a fairly informal, friendly, get-to-know you, type interview

I am assuming you mean the program at University of Miami, Coral Gables. I am slated to start there in a few weeks. I applied/was accepted to 5 programs over the past year, and, after doing a lot of homework on the matter, decided that UofMiami was the best fit for me. They are new and do have some kinks still (as some students in the program report), but the new program director has the program headed in a great direction. I also heard some insider info on the latest accreditation review by AANA that they said they would rank the program at UMiami in top 10 of newer programs.

you may have a better chance of directly contacting the anesthesia department via telephone & inquiring about the prospect of shadowing a CRNA. I'll bet they would have no issues with your request and would let you shadow at your earliest convenience. Sounds like you are on the right track for acquiring a great assest for entrance into anesthesia school--networking!!

thanks for the valuable feedback. I agree, I wouldn't want my CRNA half-____ his/her through school, either. i plan on hitting the books just as hard, if not harder, as my fellow classmates and taking anesthesia school very seriously. I just thought there might be some down time to take advantage of your surroundings. But i guess if in all reality, it's all work and 0% play, then picking a school w/ a favorable location may not be a wise choice. I guess what I was thinking was this: when the going gets tough, I think nice weather & beautiful scenery (i.e palm trees) may provide an extra kick to keep my spirits up. If what you say is true about anesthesia school, just seeing the inside of an apt, library, & classroom for a couple years will be enough to make anyone go insane. any more feedback from current SRNAs who chose to attend a school in an exciting locale? any regrets? was it a distraction for you or did it provide some much needed relief when there was time for mental-relaxation?

first, congrats on getting an interview....that's half the battle i hear. second, don't stress out. Just be confident in what you learned as part of your stint in the ICU. They'll most likely ask you what kind of pt population you care for and ask you ?'s asking you to maybe explain some disease processes. For example, I work in a medical I.C.U. and are pt's are mostly admitted w/ septic shock, COPD exacerbation, PNA, etc...and they asked me to explain the disease processes behind sepsis. They didn't expect me to know the effects of milrinone down to the cellular level b/c quite honestly, i'm not at all familiar w/ that drug b/c I don't work in a CICU. So just be confident and if you have absolutely no idea to an answer...don't BS. Finally, I interviewed w/ 5 schools and found some commonalities b/t questions asked... Tell about a time... 1). You catch a co-worker doing something dishonest. what did you do 2). You & a MD disagreed on how to manage a pt's care. what did you do 3). obviously, why do you want to be a crna 4). do you plan on working through school 5). you maybe didn't take right approach to managing a pt's care & what lessons you learned from it Definitely a lot of honesty ?'s were the theme Godspeed & g/l

I've been struggling w/ the decision on where to anesthesia school in the fall of 2008. Essentially, it comes down to location vs. program ranking, but maybe there is more to the matter that I am overlooking. Hopefully, some current SRNAs can provide some relevant feedback/advice on the matter. University of Pittsburgh: ranked #5 in the country by those smoke-in-mirror World News & Report rankings. Main question here: How much should program ranking be taken into consideration b/c I am putting a lot of weight in Pittsburgh's corner alone based on this stat alone. University of Miami: just emerging onto the scene. Obviously, will have kinks as a program r/t its newness, but location & scenery is arguably second-to-none. Main question here: Are anesthesia schools in general so time-intensive that there is little-to-no time to enjoy your surroundings? In other words, should location be irrelevent when choosing a nurse anesthesia school. I've done good research for both schools, but honestly it is these two x-factors that have me still on the fence, w/ all other things considered.

it's difficult not to take offense to your bitter post. some people like to have options to choose from. people don't apply to these schools just b/c they want to have a feel-good moment when the acceptance letters roll in (the application process is too expensive/time-consuming for that). we all hear how competitive these programs are so the goal is to apply to several schools so that when the dust settles, you have a few choices on where to attend school. and if you get accepted to most or all of these programs, one should feel honored rather than guilty that they snubbed another applicant. this field of study is cut-throat from the start...

my thoughts on the matter is that it would be wise to waive your rights. just trust your references in that they will write good words and leave it at that. i would have to imagine that the program director (or whoever processes the letters) would be a little skeptical about what was said if the recommender knew the applicant would be able to view it. I had to write a letter of recommendation for a friend applying to nursing school and couldn't be 100% honest on the "weaknesses" ? b/c I knew she would read it. On the flip side, if you don't waive your right then you are pretty much guaranteed a reference letter full of praise w/ little-to-no mention of any weaknesses.

i was accepted to Pitt starting in Fall of 2008 & have done a little research r/t the living situation there. from what one student told me: it's best to check craig's list for apartment listings (you may discover a diamond in the rough). he rented from herbert halsband company: 271 Shady Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15232 412 661 8589 i've pretty much heard what you've heard: shadyside or squirrel hill are best bets and to avoid the oakland area. I've heard shadyside may be w/in biking (or busing) distance to all the major hospitals (Shadyside, West Penn, Presby, Childrens, Magee, VA, etc. hospitals.)

i am looking into attending UMiami starting this fall & have been in contact w/ a few students r/t the living situation down there. what i've heard: Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Ft. Lauderdale (maybe southern part) and Miami Beach (north or south) are good places to live & I would avoid Kendal, Hialeah, and South Miami. I'm heading down next week to check out the renting scene and will let you know what I find. On a side note, I speak no english but hope I can get by learning how to say "take a deep breath in" & "you'll start to feel sleepy" in spanish. hopefully, that's all there is to it...