schway

sounds like you need to be very flexible and nail your pre-ops...one question though, were you not exposed to central line placement opportunities while in anesthesia school? just wondering if other programs out there aren't getting chances to place lines...

How did you feel going straight from school to a CRNA only group? Also, do you feel that you might be missing out on the big cases that help develop new CRNAs when fresh out of school? I ask because I might be in the same boat as you in a year....

looks like you're on track. Try to get at least an 1100 on your GRE and moonlight in a busy MICU, STICU, or CTICU. also, try to send out more than one or two applications...with all of your hard work, you don't want to put all of your eggs in one basket if you don't have to. schwizz:cool:

fyi... most MDAs don't pay $100k/yr in malpractice.... http://www.asahq.org/Newsletters/2005/06_05/domino06_05.html

dfk, there are many types of personalities that you will encounter during your education. many of the MDs/CRNAs/residents will be great teachers and amicable, many will not. the advice I have received from new grads and current students is to be open to learn and humble.....and keep any wisecracks to yourself :roll good luck, schway

just trying to help you out, Reggie. There are many things to take into consideration when deciding where to attend school, it's just a matter as to what is most important to you. If buying a home and getting a top notch education is a priority, then I'd have to say VCU is your best bet. If the need for you and your partner to move is greater, then Charleston is a great place indeed. My wife and I bought a home for $250k in a great, safe neighborhood just north of the city. There are plenty of homes for sale here and you get MUCH more house here than in Charleston...townhouses behind my house in Charleston were going for $450k, on a busy street. Hopefully I have been able to shed a little light on my knowledge of the Lowcountry and best of luck to you in your future endeavors and pursuit of admission into the anesthesia program of your choice.... schway ps I start in August

celam, you can use any calculator you want, but I lived in both places and have been active in both real estate markets....trust me, Charleston is more expensive, unless you live 30-40 minutes away...but why move there if you can't be near downtown or the beaches? As far as salary goes, as an RN I was making $32.50/hr +shift diff as unit based temp...no sick leave/vacations, health insurance, but did have 401k, not sure what salary is in Richmond. As a crna, at MUSC I think they start at about 113k/yr. Only a handful of other hospitals in the area to choose from. Richmond has many more hospitals, which may increase the starting salary range. schwizzle ps I'd focus on getting into a program first and worry about the move later...

Celam, I lived in Charleston for 4 years. I worked at MUSC for almost 2 years in the MICU(a great unit to work in). I have several friends/past coworkers who attend MUSC. The director has been there for just over 2(?) years. He seems like a good guy but there is some reported disconnect between the program and the hosp anesthesia dept. I have heard CRNAs(who work at MUSC) say they would not attend the program under its current situation. These folks were most likely trained under the last director, who was a pretty popular guy. It is a front loaded program, students don't even observe in the OR until the 3rd semester. Competition with residents for big cases is tight. Leading to minimum ranging caseload numbers at graduation. There are also several sites that are out of town, that require overnight lodging(some provided, some not). Also, one of the students told me that they only have one 6 week rotation at MUSC(main hosp). The most glaring reason, I chose not to pursue acceptance at MUSC is when I was applying, the director was the instructor for ALL of the nurse anesth. classes. At the time, he had no assistant director and it seemed to me his workload was too great to be able to handle all of his responsibilities. By this time I had been accepted to two great programs and chose not to interview at MUSC. Yes, it was a total pain in the orifice to move, but I am betting that my education at VCU will help me achieve my goals as a SRNA and in the future a CRNA. As far as cost of living. If you are looking to buy a home, Richmond is MUCH cheaper. Charleston home prices have gone through the roof in the past five years. Charleston is a great place, but the best option might be to attend school at VCU and then move to chucktown when you finish. Then at least you could afford to live there. On my last shift, I worked with a CRNA who had done just that(she was a new grad from Georgetown). I have also heard that MUSC doesn't hire many new grads from the MUSC crna program. schway ps Celam-if you would like more info, please PM me

applied 6 interview offered 5 interviewed 2, accepted at both the schwizzzz :roll

Texas, I sent you a PM...

Hello everyone, I'm starting this august and wondering if I should apply for my full loan(living, not tuition) through sallie mae and pony up the upfront origination fee before the rate hike on 7/1, or wait until I can apply for a Wells Fargo(no origination fee) loan, which would be after the rate hike...my program won't have the documents ready that WF requires to process the loan(tuition bill or class registration) until mid July.... any insight would be appreciated. thanks.

Hey guys, Thanks for all of the useful info on this thread. I haven't started applying for my private loans yet, but was wondering.... Do I apply for each year's worth of money, or do I apply for what I will need for the entire length of the program? thanks in advance. schway

you're stats sound good, I 'd agree with getting your CCRN, especially in Texas. I got into a solid program with similar stats and about the same MICU experience...it's a great unit to learn in, because your pts will be very complex. most ICU nurses will tell you that taking a bad, bad GI bleed is one of the most acute scenarios that you can face as an ICU RN. schwizzle

I'd have to agree with you about MUSC, I don't think they are attracting as strong of an applicant pool. They have a new director who has had some obstacles to overcome, but I think in a few years(w/o any major setbacks) the program will be solid....

Firstly, thank you all for the information regarding finances for school. Just a quick question. Do I need to apply for my Stafford loans before the private loans? thanks, schway