Athlein

Just checking to see what members of the board will be starting school in the next couple of months. Or, who has already been going part-time but is starting full-time? I am done with bedside critical care (doing a chair dance as I type that sentenc...

I think it would help if you clarified your long-term medical education/research goals. I completed a medical research internship as a post-baccaleaureate, and I came away with a completely different understanding of what it takes to succeed in this ...

Where the heck do you go to school where you can get to the gym before and after school? The only thing I can figure is that you are still in your didactic phase, because now that clinicals have begun, I am up by 5 to get to the hospital on time, an...

MJB, I think college is going to teach you a great deal. Do you have a roof over your head, food on the table, and clothes on your back? If so, then you are not as poor as you think. As you grow up, you will realize that affluence and wealth do n...

Ditto about Kaplan. I can't speak to other review courses, like Princeton, but I can tell you that the methods and review that you receive from the Kaplan study materials are outstanding - if you are a dedicated and self-directed student. I scored i...

The anticholinergics - atropine and glycopyrrolate specifically in this discussion - are competitive antagonists of acetylcholine at all the muscarinic receptors. However, there is compelling evidence that these drugs are not PURE anti-muscarinics. I...

Consider this: It's a short trip from driven to desperate. Admission to a CRNA program is more than just admission to a school - it is an admission to the profession. When I say that it takes more than GRE and GPA to gain admission, I am also referr...

A couple of corrections: 1. SMC is not truly front-loaded. There is a single didactic-only semester in the Fall of your first year. Clinicals start in the Winter semester of your first year. 2. Commuting is an integral part of the program. It's not a...

One of the CRNAs affiliated with the COA told us that about 80% of the programs in this country are quality programs. The other 20%? Well.... I think there is some merit to the rankings process. I thought of several programs that would make my top-te...

Dustin, Hats off to you for realizing that money does not necessarily equal career happiness. Finding a good fit for you in nursing is more important than chasing a paycheck! Flight nursing and anesthesia share autonomy and independent decision-makin...

I worked in an inner-city public hospital for a couple of years after graduation with my BSN. My federal Perkins loans were forgiven on a pro-rated schedule. For every year worked, X dollars were forgiven. I never had to pay a dime in repayment for t...

Hey Gooser, I think your concerns are valid. It is stressful and anxiety-producing to play the admissions game - that is unavoidable. When you consider that your first interview did not result in admission, that outcome contributed to the tension you...

There are only four schools West of the Rockies (Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington; Samuel Merritt in Oakland; Kaiser/CSUF in LA, and USC in LA). Competition for the limited number of slots is very tough. All the schools are excellent, but they are dist...

WntrMute2 has it spot-on. I have also heard that Florida, Colorado metro areas, and California can be tough in terms of scope of practice (not from a legislative point-of-view, but from one of limited scope by hospitals and MDAs [excluding the manag...

Woo-hoo! Congratulations!

Gooser, Hang in there! If you went to the interview prepared, answered the questions to the best of your ability, and kept your anxiety in check, then shrug your shoulders and move on to the next interview. You were smart to contact the director of ...

Yep, it's paper and pen for me. I have a Handspring Visor, but it is going to be used for Epocrates and storing contact information.

That is hilarious. I am attributing my mediocre performance on exams this week to the excellent FoxSportsWorld Rugby World Cup coverage. You are a dedicated student indeed to put studies over sports when the Game-They-Play-In-Heaven is being broadcas...

The issue I fear most is the litigiousness of patients in this current era of healthcare. With malpractice insurers discontinuing or modifying coverage to CRNAs, how will we be adequately covered in (God forbid) a patient injury or frivolous lawsuit?...

Believe me, I do sympathize with you! I had the good fortune of geographic flexibility and a competitive profile when I chose to pursue anesthesia, so I researched programs all over the country for the best fit for me. I was astounded by how difficul...

If you mean the corporate arena when you mention "industry", then yes, some CRNAs are employed there. Companies that manufacture and sell anesthesia equipment and drugs often have CRNAs working for them in some business-related capacity, like educati...

Overall GPA 3.5 BSN GPA 3.8 GRE just shy of 2000 (Math + Verbal 1340) Several years in pediatric and adult ICUs and ERs (I was a traveler for a few years and took whatever day or evening shift area I could get!) ACLS, PALS, TNCC, IABP FYI - Contrary ...

Hey y'all, Can anyone support or refute the anecdotal evidence that Ketamine is finding its way into fashion? Has anyone run across any recent publication regarding ketamine? Is anyone using ketamine in sub-therapeutic doses in outpatientsurgery set...

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DeepZ - Thanks for the reply. Very interesting link! This is the first I have heard of PK anesthesia. Any PONV with this reduced dose? Tenesma - Also thanks for the reply. I've used ketamine in the exact population you describe while a bedside nurse ...