mace8704

At the time of my interview, I had job shadowed an anesthesiologist. I was left with the impression the faculty strongly preferred a recent CRNA shadowing experience over an anesthesiologist. It might of just been my insecurities creeping in though, because one of TCU's lead professors is an anesthesiologist. Didn't get the vibe the faculty members preferred shadowing one CRNA specialty over another. The faculty members just want you to have a strong grasp of what a CRNA does prior to your interview.

Hey MedicRN, I'm a student in TCU's anesthesia program. Just started my 2nd year so I'm currently in the didactic portion. TCU's administrative assistants, ***** ***** and ***********, are great at answering any questions you may have, but if you have any informal questions you want to ask a current student, I'll try to check on this board once a week and answer them. Keep in mind since it is a front loaded program, I do not have any clinical experience. Tip: They want you to have job shadowed a CRNA prior to the interview. It may take awhile to line this up so I wouldn't slack on this. Best of Luck

155 verbal. 149 quantitative. 3.5 writing. I used Barron's, but only for a math review. I literally spent no time reviewing verbal or writing. Accepted at TCU.

Last year, I was asked, "How are you going to afford this program?" during my TCU interview. Stafford loan is ~20,000/year. Texas CAL(college access loan) would cover the remainder of tuition fees. I also had saved up ~$50,000 to cover cost of living expenses. That answer seemed sufficient.

To be honest, I have no idea. I would guess that means the faculty is asking everyone the same questions, or at the very least, asking questions from a predesigned approved set of questions, and allocating the same amount of time to every interview. After speaking with my other classmates, it appears there was a lot of variability from one interview to the next last year, because the faculty had a lot of freedom in choosing what to ask They could reduce this variability by having all faculty members ask similar questions. Therefore, the difficulty of the upcoming interview will depend on what questions the admissions committee thought up. Do they now include clinical/scenario questions? Will they still have two group interviews? Again, I have no idea.

**Important update*** I'm assisting with interviews this year, and on Wednesday I received an email which stated the interview structure is going to be different this year. The administrative assistant said, "[COLOR=#1f497d]Several of you have asked about what to say regarding the structure of the interview” being different this year. The best response is that it's a timed, structured interview rather than a discussion[/COLOR]" Best of luck

I was accepted on 9/22/14. I was notified via email.

Just to clarify, I'm in the TCU anesthesia class you're referring to. There are currently 57 of us registered in the Fall semester. I've heard rumors that one or two individuals dropped during online portion prior to the Fall. The program director, Dr. Sanders, showed us a slide during orientation which stated the average attrition rate is 14%. She assured us that there are clinical spots for all of those accepted into the program despite certain students assigned to the DFW area not having a designated clinical site. We then had Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Donovan, inform us that university is planning to maintain the size of its current student body. He stated at this point the university's goal is to increase quality not increase the number of students. If this information is accurate, approximately 60 people will be accepted, and approximately 52 people will graduate due to individuals dropping or failing out (Keep in mind a C is ***Additional interview advice to below*** I've already written in this thread regarding my personal experience with the interview at TCU so see my previous posts in this thread. However, I have some additional information. A faculty member at TCU stated he was very unsatisfied (he referred to our responses as ********. I laughed) with our answer to the question, "Why do you want to obtain a doctorate instead of a masters degree?" The 'right answer' should revolve around translational research. The goal of translational research is to bring biomedical research into the clinical area. The slang phrase of this concept is 'bench to bedside'. This involves medical providers learning to "research the research." This is the key difference between masters program and a doctorate program. Below are some links to some articles that my class is currently using to discuss translational research in class. These may assist you with 'correctly' answering interview questions regarding your desire to obtain a DNP. Defining Translational Research: Implications for Training : Academic Medicine JAMA Network | JAMA | The Meaning of Translational Research and Why It Matters Translational research: Crossing the valley of death : Nature News Lastly, TCU's anesthesia program is heavily affiliated with the Joanna Brigg's Institute, JBI. One of the faculty members travels across the globe speaking for them, and this individual stated TCU may become the JBI anesthesia hub soon. If accepted, you'll go to JBI seminars and have the opportunity to perform and publish a systematic review while in TCU's DNP-A program. If this interest you and you're having difficulty expressing why you're choosing a doctorate program over a masters program, this fact may help you. Below is a link to JBI's web site JBI | Welcome ***Keep in mind there is a difference between a PhD and clinical nursing doctorate.*** I'd recommend understanding the difference prior to the interview. Clinical doctorates are about comprehending and applying/implementing research. Obtaining a PhD prepares you to perform research. Some of the people interviewing you have both. Hope this helped. Best of luck

Last year, there was only one pre-interview assessment. We took it at home. No pre-interview assessment on campus. It was by Pearson Vue. The only thing I can compare the pre-interview assessment to is an IQ test. It tests your ability to manipulate objects in space, decipher anagrams, locate words of a specifc length but they are surrounded by random letters, and perform simple math. The test is timed which really stressed me out. The exam contained significantly more questions than I could complete due to these time contraints. The exam ended with a 'personality test', but the questions were difficult. You're asked to agree or disagree with controversial statements like "In certain situations, one needs to cut corners to get things done." The exam strongly encourages you to be honest and supposively has a built in algorithm to assess for inconsistencies. For what it's worth, I felt awful about the pre-interview assessment especially the anagram/word location and was still accepted with a 3.49 GPA (2 Cs) and 3yrs experience at a large hospital in Dallas. Congrats again to everyone who got an interview.

For your own sake, please job shadow a nurse and other healthcare professionals before you decide what career path you want to pursue. The "I enjoy helping people and want to do something in the medical field so I should be a nurse" rationale is a very weak indicator of your interest in nursing. All healthcare professionals "help people" in one facet or another. I'm not saying nursing isn't for you. I'm saying find out for sure which career path appeals to you the most by job shadowing various professionals. Regarding the math question, you're fine. Yes, you can use a calculator, but it is relatively simple math, and there is a plethora of information available to assist you if you ever struggle with dosage calculation. You may have to take an exam regarding medication dosages where you will not be able to use a calculator, but with your grades, you'll be able to brush up on your manual math skills immediately prior to the exam. Here's a website that covers the math nursing students were responsible while I was in college (2007-2011): DosageHelp.com - Helping Nursing Students Learn Dosage Calculations

It is very easy to qualify for an unsubsidized loan from the US Department of Education for graduate school. Keep in mind, these loans will accrue interest at 5.84-6.21% while in school, but payment will be deferred until after graduation. This will give you $20,500 per academic year. The financial aid office of whatever academic institution you're accepted into should walk you through it. After all, they have a vested interest to keep you in the program. The financial aid office should also help locate loans for additional costs accrued while in school including cost of living expenses. I'd encourage you to explore the US Department of Education website: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized

It will vary widely from one CRNA to the next Undergrad (BSN): 4 years minimum Critical care/intensive care unit experience: 1-2 years minimum. Keep in mind, your first job may not be in the ICU. Actual CRNA school: 28-36 months. Total time after high school to become a CRNA: 7-9 years (minimum) Personally, it will take me 10-11 years

http://www.aacn.org/wd/certifications/docs/ccrn-exam-handbook.pdf Go to page 13-16 in the official CCRN handbook (link provided above) If I were you, I'd pass the CCRN and then evaluate your career plans. Regardless of what you decide, you're still an ICU nurse. The certification helps validate your competency in critical care nursing to employers. That fact may very well have utility regardless of whether you decide to become a CRNA or not.

Respectfully, I understand you're excited at all of these potential career opportunities, but you're too far ahead of yourself. Undergrads routinely underestimate how difficult it is to obtain the prereqs for CRNA school or flight nursing. My advice: focus on your immediate goals. 1) Graduate with a 3.5-4.0 2) Consider taking Biochem or O-chem. These prereqs prevented me from applying to several CRNA schools. 3) Study and pass the NCLEX on your first attempt 4) If you have time, study and take the GRE. Get a score > 302. Your GRE results are typically good for 5 years. 5) Lastly, focus on landing a job in an ICU. Do you have any critical care internships in your area for new grads? Do the hospitals in your area hire students who worked as part time nursing assistants on an ICU during school. If so, get a job as part time nursing assistant at the largest hospital in your area. If you're lucky enough to land a job in the ICU, get your CCRN. These aren't trivial tasks. Obtaining the prereqs for CRNA school will take years. And no, taking years to obtain the necessary prereqs and experience will not be viewed as a negative, but focus on getting into the ICU as soon as possible. That's the work experience schools are looking for. Relationships between MDAs and CRNAs vary wildly from one facility to the next. CRNAs assume all of the responsibilties an MDA would for their cases. Depending on the state and facility you work in, CRNAs very well may be provding anesthesia independent of MDAs. No idea about working overseas

Allow to me clarify, the question was what are the most common surgical procedures anesthesia providers assist with not the most common procedures anesthesia providers perform themselves. The answers were c-section and hysterectomy. Well at least according to this TCU faculty member. I never verified the information myself.

Their concerns were based on the fact that the last time I shadowed a CRNA was 2006-2007 and that I enjoy nursing roles that are typically regarded as stressful/fast pace. Based on these facts, their assertion was that I had a poor grasp of what CRNAs actually do on a daily basis and the "slow CRNA pace" would not appeal to me. I defended my knowledge and interest. To highlight my ignorance, they questioned me on the most common procedures anesthesia providers are responsible for. I didn't know. Based on their criticism, I asked for their email address and said I would email them after I job shadowed another CRNA. I shadowed another CRNA for one shift 1-2 weeks after my interview and emailed all three of the faculty members who were involved with my second interview. Two responded. One did not. I was accepted into the program about a month later.

Every professor I've worked with in the online portion of the program has been great. Kind, helpful, quick responses.

I was not asked my CCRN score in the interview. For that matter, I was not questioned about any specifc score (GRE, CCRN, GPA, etc).Last year, there were two interviews back to back on the same day with 3 faculty members each. The interviews were around 10-15 minutes each. The first interview was very relaxed. The most difficult question asked was why I didn't achieve more As in undergrad. The second interview was challenging but not in the way I expected. The faculty members aggressively questioned whether I was a good fit for the program and why I wanted to study anesthesia. These were not softball questions like, "Tell me why you're interested in anesthesia." These were hardball questions like, "You're not a good fit for the program because *insert faculty member's opinion here*." Occasionally, the tone in the second interview bordered on rude, and all three of the faculty members showed absolutely no emotion and appeared thoroughly unimpressed for majority of the second interview. There were no clinical questions in either interview, but this may change from year to year/interview to interview. It's too late for any of you who are applying to change your standardized testing scores. Therefore, my recommendations are to shadow a CRNA if you haven't already, have a strong grasp of why you want to be a CRNA, and be able to explain what you did to improve upon the weaker aspects of your application.

My overall GRE score was 305, but my quantitative score was 1 below what they wanted (150 versus 151). My writing score was a 3.5 and they stated they wanted a 4.0. I was still accepted with a GPA of 3.49 (2 Cs in undergrad nursing courses but A-Bs in the important science courses). I also applied last minute. Unlike you, I had a PALs completed. IMPORTANT NOTE, I had not shadowed a CRNA prior to my interview. The admission board grilled me on this in the interview. Might want to shadow a CRNA to avoid this debacle.

It varies from person to person. I am soley borrowing money for tuition. A co-worker of mine still has student loans from her undergrad degree and is borrowing money for grad school tuition and living expenses. Obviously, the less debt the better. Interest on the Stafford loan is ~7% and interest accrues while in school. I'd recommend an aggressive savings regimen while you are obtaining your SRNA pre-reqs and applying to schools.

The first 8 months of the program are all online. I'm finishing up the 5th month currently.They encourage students to work full time during this first 8 months. So far, the classes are primarily discussion board assignments with specific instructor requirements (min. 150 word topic responses, respond to two peers, respond to all peers who posted on your topic response, cite sources in AMA) You'll also have 3 written assignments during a semester. Lastly, certain classes have 5-10 question exams at the end of each unit. When it's all said and done, I'd say I'm spending about 3-4hrs a week with the discussion boards and reading assignments. The assignments for each class require about an extra 3-4 hours of work the week the assignment is due. Tuition is $85,000 for 3yrs with the vast amount of debt occuring from fall semester of your first year and spring semester at the very beginning of your second year.

Be cautious with the career advice you receive on here. It always very hasty. I worked as a CNA part time during the summer of my junior year in college on a rehab unit while getting my BSN. I had 6 shifts delegated to orientation. I despised it. The workload was overwhelming and filthy. The nursing staff was passive agressive with me when I asked for assistance bathing or transferring obese patients. I had anxiety during and after my orientation due to the work load and debated quitting. Ultimately, I asked my boss for an extension of my orientation. She was kind enough to extend my orientation, but I still felt very uncomfortable that entire summer. After that horrible experience as a CNA, I thought about switching majors and did some serious soul searching. The great thing about the nursing profession is there are so many specialties with widely varying responsibilities. You can choose a specialty based upon what you enjoy doing and find important. Ignore the "What did you expect? Nursing is all about BMs, stress, and dying people. Duh! Shoulda done your research" comments. Ultimately, your job responsibilites are dictated by your specialty. Ultimately, I stuck it out that summer and if nothing else, it helped me with my time management skills which helped when I landed a job in an intensive care unit where I was only responsible for two patients. Then after working on an ICU for a few years, I started feeling guilty about providing aggressive care to patients with very poor outcomes whose quality of life was very very low. Sooo...I started working with a rapid assessment/response team and applied to graduate school. When I was in a similiar situation to yours I did the following Short term plan -Understand that the stress and anxiety that comes with the job is a barrier all bedside healthcare workers must overcome. Learning how to cope and reduce that stress is part of the orientation process -Come up with routine/process that you do every shift to expedite the daily routine tasks. Ask the orther CNAs what their routine is. -Learn to multi-task well. It's crucial. - Let your nurses know when you start to fall behind and ask if they can help you out. Be kind and apologetic. You don't want to be perceived as delegating tasks to the RN. Long term - Understand that your current dissatisfaction is temporary (3 months) and is part of the learning process - Find a nursing specialty you enjoy. Write down specifically what you like about that specialty and what you don't like about your current job role. Shadow someone within that specialty. - Once you've found a specialty you enjoy and you've shadowed an individual within that specialty, look up the specific requirements to get into the career and the job outlook for said profession. If you do aforementioned tasks, I think you'll start to perceive your current dilemma as part of the learning process and temporary. Try to perceive it as a stepping stone to your goal more satisfying career.

I'm an SRNA at TCU. If you are accepted in the program, they will notify you of your clinical assignment in the acceptance letter. With that being said, a coworker of mine had his clinical assignment changed a few months prior to the start of his clinical residency. List of TCU clinical sites: TCU Harris College | School of Nurse Anesthesia

Good morning, I'm a 1st year SRNA in Texas. Some of the loans I'm applying for have grace periods after graduation before payments are due. One of the loans I am eyeing has a grace period of 4 months after graduation. How long did it take you to obtain your state license after graduation? I have co-workers at my hospital informing me it will take around a year to jump through all the hoops of licensure. Has this been your experience? This will affect how I budget my limited financial resources. Thanks in advance

Once you complete all of the CRNA prerequisites, you will have an idea if you can cut it intellectually. After all, the prerequisites are there to test whether admission boards believe you have the work ethic, intellectual capacity, and personality to be successful in their program With that being said, you are thinking way too far into the future. You need to graduate nursing school (BSN) with at least a 3.5 on 4.0 scale, pass the NCLEX, get hired onto a critical care unit at a respectable hospital and work there for a few years, obtain your CCRN certification, and get a respectable score on the GRE before you even apply to graduate school. Certain programs may require you to take organic chemistry or biochemistry prior to application. I know this is difficult, but you need to slow down. At a minimum, you are 6-7 years ahead of yourself. One step at a time. Focus on getting accepted into a good nursing school (BSN program) right now.