daitheflu

If you research this forum you will find that this has been discussed many times. I think that most people who are driven enough to attend anesthesia school have seriously considered medical school as another option. As one of my anesthesia professors said, "it is healthy to question if you really want to be here; I would consider unwise not to do so." I went through the same thing that you are going through about three years ago. I actually posted here: https://allnurses.com/forums/f16/crna-vs-mda-pros-cons-102539.html and received some very good replies. Long story short, I decided to stick with the nursing route and I started anesthesia school this Fall. The major reason for my decision was based on my desired work/life balance. I am not willing to sacrifice eight years of my life to the pursuit of a medical degree. While I consider my professional career extremely important, I also realize that there is much more to life than what I do for a paycheck. There may be no right or wrong answer for you. You will be successful either way. Sometimes it is good to step back and realize that at the end of the day, regardless of what letters are behind your name, you are still the same person. Good luck

Well, sadly I can't answer most of your questions about CRNA practice on the west coast. I just started the program, and we haven't started clinicals yet. I know the west coast only has a handful of CRNA schools, so that may be some sort of indicator of its "CRNA friendliness." I will send an email address to you via private message.

I am actually in the Nurse Anesthesia Program at OHSU in Portland. I can ask my classmates and program director for some information next week. My program director is very nice and I'm sure he would be willing to talk to you.

Take CCRN. Yes, it takes some study time and some effort. You seem motivated, so get motivated and do this. With quality CTICU experience you should have no problems considering a good chunk of the test is hemodynamics. I used Laura Gasparis Vonfrolio's CCRN DVD (it is for sell on her website). Looking at your stats alone you look like a great candidate. I was accepted to UM with pretty much every stat lower than yours, but I performed well at the interview. I also did not have organic, so I don't think it is vital to acceptance.

i just used the same essay that i had used for applying to other programs. it was essay style and included the things that you listed below (what interests you in crna, what have you done to prepare for school, why you are a good candidate, etc..) . i actually did write a paragraph stating my goals. i was accepted to their program so i guess i did it correctly.

I will give a quick run down of the interview process. show up, go to lounge and meet current students. this is very laid back, the students were studying and conversing with the all the candidates. i am not sure about the number RN's that the program interviews. pretest given in separate room I was interviewed by 2 people in a small office (the program director and I think the assistant program director). it was semi-laid back, but definitely not a 'just get to know you' type interview. and like i said before, clinical questions, especially related to your specialty. i seem to remember that they liked CCRN and if you had any graduate nursing courses. the were also interested in support systems and stress management (both of which are very helpful during school!). if you get an interview, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, with someone else. i have a list of common interview questions that i encountered. i will post them later

I interviewed there earlier this year. They give you a exam with about 20 questions. You take it in a room by yourself before your interview. It is mainly about general critical care knowledge (ex. PA pressures, ABGS, etc). You definitely need to brush up on your knowledge. They also ask some clinical questions during the interview. Otherwise, the interview had the normal interview questions such as why do you want to be a CRNA, why did you pick MUSC, what does a CRNA do, what have you done to really be sure that you want to be a CRNA (ie shadow a CRNA), etc. They also throw an ethical question in there for fun. Just reply to this thread if you want to know any more specifics.

If you REALLY want it, you can do it. It will take hard work and sacrifice, but if you REALLY want it, go for it. You need to show the programs that you are 100% dedicated. Score very well on the GRE. Get your CCRN certification if you don't have it. Maybe even retake some old science courses, or even take some graduate nursing courses (and get good grades of course). Higher priority is placed on last 60 hours and well as your science GPA. I have heard of people getting in with less than a 3.0. It is very possible. If you have any specific schools in mind, go talk to them about your situation. They will give you recommendations on how to improve your chances. good luck

all of the schools that i know about do not care about your CCRN score, but they do want you to have it. it makes you look better and shows that you have the motivation for independent study. if you are applying to a school with only a few years of experience, i would definitely recommend having it. i actually did mention my CCRN scores during my interviews because i did very well. they seemed to be receptive to my mentioning them. i used them as an example of my strength in test taking.

http://www.nurseanesthetist.org/blog/ the entry "calling all applicants" has some useful information regarding what an admissions committee is looking for in a successful nurse anesthesia candidate also, i just read a great post by "biglum". i thought i would repost it for more to see.

I have a little dilemma on my hands. I have been accepted to OHSU for this fall. I have also been invited to an an interview at University of Miami in April. I am trying to decide if I should even take the time and money to travel to Miami for the interview. I currently live in San Diego (on a travel assignment), so would be a $500-$1000 dollar venture. The locations couldn't be more opposite, but I would enjoy Oregon's wilderness just as I would enjoy Miami's sun and beaches. I realize that both of these schools are fairly new, but I do know that all of Miami's first graduating class passed boards. One large factor is the cost of the programs. OHSU costs $70,000 just for tuition, while Miami is about $50,000 which includes most fees. OHSU involves a large amount of traveling for clinical (all around Oregon, Washington state, and even one in Tampa, FL!) I do not know how much traveling is involved with Miami's program. OHSU's class size in only 12, while I think Miami's is around 25. The cost of living is Coral Gables is quite high, while the cost of living in Portland would be somewhat cheaper. Lastly, Miami is closer to my home, friends, and family in Louisiana. Those are some of the factors may weigh in on my decision. Any advice would be appreciated.

i took it with 1.5 years experience and it was a breeze. go for it. i used primarily used this DVD by Laura Gasparis to study for the exam: https://www.greatnurses.com/exp/index.php/products/item/ccrn_review/ it is $150 but worth every penny. sometimes a unit in your hospital may have it and you can check it out.

I recently interviewed at OHSU and was accepted. The interview process was extremely organized and well presented. They even had a pre-interview meet-and-greet introduction to the program, faculty, and students. The first admitted class will be graduating this December, so there are no statistics regarding their board exams. The first year is all classroom, while the rest of the program is clinicals. There is quite a lot of traveling to clinical sites. Sites are located all over Oregon, Washington, and Tampa (yes, FLORIDA). The program still costs $70,000. The new director seemed very supportive and invested in his students success. The first class started with 10 students, but 2 dropped out. The second class started with 10 and still has 10. I think they accepted 12 students for this year.

OH SNAP!! rejected at MUSC. accepted at OHSU in Portland, OR.

you can also take this opportunity to do some travel/agency nursing. no one cares if you are going to anesthesia school when you sign a 3 month contract!