mildcigar_2001

Thanks. Fullerton's online application does not inspire confidence. What's the point of filling out an online application if you have to then cut and past it into Word and then print it out and mail it to them. It seems like a process problem here.

How did you figure out the print problem. The directions say to print each page prior to submission and when I try to do this I get garbage from the printer. What is the secret?

I am not yet a SRNA, but I assume from reading the boards that 4 hours of travel time would be too much. You might look into doing what my mom did when getting her MSM (at a school about 2 hours from home); rent a cheap apartment and go home a couple of weekends per month. The 2.5 years will fly by.

I'm really surpised that they contacted the references. I guess I always thought that was just a pro forma part of the application package. I guess I thought it was too big of a chore for the admisions department with the numerous application packages which they receive.

You current size is fine. A good share of my female collegues of Asian heritage seem to be right around your height and weight. The size is also okay for CRNA. A year or two ago we had a female ICU fellow who was about 4'10" and she seemed to do okay with intubations, central lines, etc. However, with some of our bigger patients we did have to find her something to stand on. Good Luck.

The one way it might hurt you is with regard to your references. A lot of schools seem to want one letter from you current nurse manager. If you just have a year or so to go till you go back to school, then if it were me I'd stay put at your current hospital (perhaps change to critical care float pool for more control of your schedule). Floating around to a lot of different hospitals is generally a bad idea. Most agency nurses tend to pick one or two hospitals to focus on. That way the hospitals get to know you and you get to know the hospitals. If you just show up for a day here and there then it makes life more difficult (you don't know where things are, you don't know the doctors, people you don't know aren't as eagar to help you). Plus you generally don't get the best assignments. Ever here the phrase "agency nurse assignment"? That would be the patient in DTs with c-diff.

I ended up getting a positive response and am interviewing in September. Does anyone have a feeling about how the Wolford interviews work? It was my general impression that they were fairly low key/informational. Also any ideas what percentage of people who are interviewed get offered admission?

I would also concur in the suggestion to use the Laura Gasparis Von Frolio books/tapes. Several years ago I spent 2-3 months listening to her tapes on the way to and from work, and used her review booklet. Prevously I had purchased one of those thousand page review books that sat on my coffee table basically unopened for a couple of years because it was so intimidating.

I think we are getting bogged down in "nurse think" that tries to divorce economics and health care. That somehow it is wrong to want to be have a good paying job. From what I understand of CRNA school, those that go and in for a rough/challenging two-three years. If we are going to put that sort of effort into our education, shouldn't we be fairly compensated for it? As far as a profit motive, I would much rather be treated at a for profit hospital than at the VA (do a google search on the VA exposing their patients to HIV).

I feel your pain. I also have my applications in and am waiting by the mailbox (with my fingers crossed) for an invitation to interview.

Just looking at the various CRNA schools websites, at least one-quarter of the schools do not require the GRE (or will waive it for those with a prior master's degree).

I would concur wit the above poster. The CRNA school rankings are all very subjective at best. I have been reading internet articles on how some graduate schools (not specifically talking about CRNA programs) are gaming the system to improve their U.S. News and World Report rankings. The schools know how the ranking determinations are made are do little things to improve their score.

Good Luck to you.

I have a few more posts to go until I can PM someone. I've been in nursing 10+ years. I'm currently working in a busy public hospital in Los Angeles. I'm sure part of my anxiety is that I'm more than ready for a change of pace, and while I think I'm fairly well qualified, you never know exactly what the admissions committe wants. All my patience was used up waiting for almost 2 months for a M.D. to return a reference form for Wolford and another school. To get my form back it took numerous emails and pages (and even then I barely rec'd it in time to comply with an admission deadline at the other school). I'll call Wolford tomarrow and confirm they have rec'd everything. Then nothing to do but wait by the mailbox.

Did you do any email correspondence with them? I've sent them a couple of emails (which have yet to be responded to) asking if they rec'd my transcripts, etc. My thinking that this would be less bothersome than a phone call for them. However it looks like I'm going to have break down and call and bother them. I'm feel slightly neurotic calling and checking on things, but so much of the future is riding on the application. I'm sure they get plenty of phone calls from anxious prospective students such as myself.

I hate to advocate the cowardly route (but I will). I would keep my mouth shut about CRNA hopes/dreams until you have graduated nursing school and have a year or two of ICU experience under your belt. It is sad to say but nursing tends to eat its young (and having expressed a desire to be a CRNA will not endear you to many fellow nurses). As staff nurses we have limited "power" and what power we do have, some of us use to excess. For example, at the ICU I work at there is generally a two visiter at a time policy and couple of bitter RN's make it their life work to strictly enforce the rule (even on other people's patients). As a general rule as long as it does not tire out the patient or impede my work, I could care less about the number of visitors. But the nurses I mentioned feel they have so little control over things that they have taken things overboard in this one little area they can control. With that in mind I would keep my dreams to myself or to my friends (early in your nursing career).

People or organizations are unable to check your credit score without your permision. For example, if you apply for a credit card the fine print on the application gives your permision for the credit card company to run a credit check. At the admision stage the school is unable to check your credit.

Your student loans (from the government) should cover the cost of tuition and basic living expenses. Do a search on this forum or other forums regarding financial aid. Also there may be priviate eduation loans available through Wells Fargo (but a cosigner is likely required). Save up as much as you can for the next 11 months. I'm sure there will be plenty of incidential expenses that will arise during school.

I'm in my forties and at least for me the cost benefit ratio leans towards going to CRNA school. At least for me a good part of the equation is job happiness. I'm more or less planning on working until age 70 (if not beyond if I had a teaching position). At least for me working in the ICU another 25+ years fills me with dread for a variety of reasons. At least for me the finances seem to be a wash. The 2.5 years without a job while in CRNA school will be balanced out be the slightly higher CRNA paycheck.

Earlier today I rec'd an email from the admission cordinator that Wolford rec'd my package. The only thing I'm semi-worried about is that they rec'd all my college transcripts. I've taken several additonal courses over the years at various colleges and online, so I hope the colleges all send the transcripts off in a timely manner. (I was ordering one transcript from Berkely and the weasels wanted extra money to send out the transcript in 2 days versus two weeks) I'm crossing my fingers and hope I get an offer to interview as well. I am currently living in California, so the trip out to FL will be quite a production. In the hopes that I get an interview, I've also been looking online for apartments in Naples area. Does anyone know, are there good and bad areas of Naples in which to live? With all the studying in mind I'm hoping to find someplace quiet to live.

Thanks for the info. Good Luck on your interviews.

I just mailed off my application package to Wolford today. How long did it take for you to hear back from them? Do you know if there are still slots available for the Feb Class?