futurecrna16

Columbia accepted me into their entry-to-practice program for nurse anesthesia. In this program, the student receives a BSN in 12 months, then has 15-16 months to pass the NCLEX and finish the one year ICU requirement before starting the master's portion for anesthesia. [Another student's post on this website gave me the impression that there is not an option to defer the master's portion for an extra year without being kicked out of the program.] I would graduate with a BSN in May 2012 and have to start the master's part in fall 2013. I know that the AANA only requires one year of acute care work, but I am nervous about only having one year of ICU experience before starting as an SRNA. From what I have gathered from this site, most current CRNAs recommend having at least 3-4 years in order to feel confident in their skills and to deliver safe care. I am very excited to become a nurse and to have been accepted into this program, but I am wondering if it is a safe route into the practice. I don't want to give up a great opportunity like this, but I don't want to just be a nurse anesthetist... I want to be a great and SAFE one as well. I'd like to hear the opinions of current SRNAs and CRNAs, especially any that are going through or went through the Columbia ETP program for anesthesia. Do you feel that you are prepared to be a CRNA? Is it worth the money? I read a few posts from a student that seems very unhappy with the program and I would like to have more feedback. For those of you that don't know Columbia's ETP program: http://sklad.cumc.columbia.edu/nursing/programs/etp.php Thank you for any help you can give me!

Case Western has rolling admissions and a direct-entry program as well.

Hi, I was admitted into Columbia's ETP class for 2011-2012. I applied for the master's program in anesthesia as well. At first, I was admitted into the BSN portion, but not the MSN for anesthesia. If you are accepted into the ETP program, you are automatically accepted into the MSN for certain specialties, but not all. Anesthesia is not one of the ones you can switch into easily. Recently, I was informed that a spot opened up and that I had been admitted into the CRNA program. I was unable to attend the visiting day or an information session, so I can't give you the statistics on admission. As for my academics, my grades were not perfect, but I did pretty well (all A's and B's) and my GRE scores for verbal and math were high. I would suggest getting very strong recommendations and having health-related extracurricular activities, such as volunteering at a hospital or teaching CPR classes. Also, while Columbia does not do interviews, you can still get in contact with people on the admissions committee who can answer your questions and might remember you when it comes to admissions time. I was wait-listed at UPenn, though, so I am not sure how Columbia decides whom to admit. As for the expenses for the BSN portion, Columbia estimated that the anticipated cost of tuition is 106k for 2011-2012. This includes 70k for actual tuition and 24k for room and board, which is if you expect to live in their dorm housing (which is limited, and priority is given to international and CA/west coast students). I have heard that others who chose to live off-campus were told to expect to pay 36k. Most of the students are eligible for the 25k pre-licensure undergrad scholarship, but the funding for the scholarships is limited and it's a good idea to turn your FAFSA in early (before you are even accepted into the program) and to put your deposit down early if you are accepted. The rest of the funding is through private and federal loans. They might offer you about 25k in federal loans, but the rest is going to be private. The financial aid department so far has not been very helpful. The bachelor's program is 60 credits and the master's program for anesthesia is 61 credits, but 10 of them will be completed during your BSN education. Since the tuition is by credit, the tuition (not including living expenses) for your one year BSN will be comparable as for the MSN (master's credits are slightly more expensive). I hope that helps and I am sorry if any of the information is incorrect.