xkred27

A question for all of those who have had their dates changed and credit checked- did those two things occur on the same date? I have had my dates changed on July 12th but no credit check yet.....thanks

Can I plea the 5th on this one?

I was up late last night thinking I was working tonight-I got cancelled. I know its stressful when you are waiting to find out. GOOD LUCK!!! Bill

I don't know that much about the program other than it is supposed to be very competitive. A buddy of mine looked into it and they said that most people will have 3-5 years of high acuity ICU experience, not sure about GPA and stuff. I did some contract work in the ER and found it to be one of the better hospitals that I worked in. The campus is amazing, located on top of "The Hill" with stunning views of Portland. When you go for you interview make sure you leave plenty of time since parking can be terrible. If you arrive early there is a Starbucks in the bottom of Doernbecker Hospital. As far as the clinicals go I would bet that there would be some great experience although you may have to compete with the anesthesia residents. Living in the Portland area is fantastic, not to many places that I know that you can be skiing one day and running around on the beach the next as both the coast and Mt Hood are about an hour away. Also in close proximity is the Gifford Pinchot National forest which contains both Mt St Helens and Mt Adams for exceptional outdoor activity. On top of all that Oregon offers an array of some of the finest micro brews in the country! I would love to return there when I am done with my program. Bill

One thing that helped me in my BSN program was to dictate the lecture notes (pharm, patho, med surg) onto tape and then listen to them when I was driving in the car. I had a long drive, 45 minutes each way, so it was quite helpful. Going through the notes and dictating them was probably more helpful than the listening portion. I also liked to use flash cards so you can study quickly if you are at work or have some other down time.

You're best bet would be to contact some schools to see what they think about that kind of experience. As far as the opportunity to live in Ireland for a few years I would be all over that if it works out. Even if it does'nt it may still be worth it. My buddy who is a Sociology Prof lived in New Zealand for a couple years when he graduated and I am pretty certain he would not trade that experience for anything. Living in another country enables you to gain perspective of the world that apparently some on this board do not have.

Yes I believe that is correct, the rest comes in the form of a Grad Plus loan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grad_PLUS For my program I believe they set the COA @ about 57k for the first year and 47k for the second. So you get about 20k through stafford loans and the rest through Grad Plus Loans. If you need money above that then you have to go with private/alternative loans. I have contacted both Chase and Wells Fargo to see what they have. These are credit score driven loans that are not certified by the school, check is sent directly to you. They looked up on a database that they had in their system to see if my school participated and it does. You may want to call and find out for yourself the details and if your program participates.

The definition of COA is in relation to Federal Student Loans. I am inquiring about private/alternative loans, they use the phrase cost of education. When I talked to Chase the seemed to pull that amount (1,500-30k) from a list or something. Is that usually the case? When you apply for these, do you simply ask for what you need or will they determine that for you?

Hey just want to thank everyone for this useful thread, I have learned a lot about loans through it. Anyway one of the things that has been confusing about alternative loans is what criteria they use to determine how much you get. For example the Wells Fargo site says $1,000 - $25,000 "based on cost of education". Who determines cost of education? Is it a preset amount? I called Chase the other day and it seems as if they looked up how much my program allows which was 1,000-25,000. Will that amount be universal among Salliemae, Wells Fargo, etc? Has anyone had any luck getting more that one of these at a time? Also how does it work out the following year when you apply minus the employment? Thanks

Sorry if my now deleted post was a little inflammatory. It just seems like there is a better way to answer that question than the way piper did. Some people may not be trying to "skirt" anything, they are simply asking a question for which they do not know the answer. I am probably a little sensitive to the issue since I will be one of the minority entering into CRNA school without ICU expericnce.

I will be 36 @ the start of the program in May of 2008, 38 when I am done. Anesthesia is one of those areas where people can work for a long time if they desire. When I worked in the OR some time ago (prior to nursing) there were many anesthesiologists in their 60s and a few in their 70s.

By the time I start in May 2008 I will have about 7.5 years of experience. I have not worked in the ICU, but have experience in around 15 ERs of varying levels as a Traveler. Prior to nursing school I had worked in the OR as an assiatant to the RN for about 3 years. My interviewer appreciated this since she had done some work (as an RN) in the OR/PACU and ER prior to gaining her ICU experience for anesthesia school. Bill

I applied to one school and got in- Saint Mary's University. They also require a $1,000 dollar deposit. While I really enjoyed living in the Portland Oregon area I am looking forward to relocating to Minneapolis- I have heard nothing but positive things. Good Luck, Bill

Where do you live? I know of a great CPA in the Portland OR area. PM me if you are interested.

Where do you live? I know of a great CPA in the Portland OR area. PM me if you are interested.