Question for SUNY Downstate students.

[vunderbar]

Hi all,

Just a quick question regarding the admission requirements for SUNY Downstate's CRNA program: does the school take into consideration your particular hospital's ICU, or is it strictly label-based? I notice they seem to absolutely require a minimum of 1 year experience in MICU, SICU, or CTICU. I currently work in a very "heavy" NICU and have the opportunity to transfer to another hospital's much less acute CTICU, and I'm only doing it for the label (in other words, to meet Downstate's requirement). I'd much rather remain challenged in my current unit, but SUNY won't accept it if they are rigid about this requirement.

I've called and asked them, and also e-mailed, but have yet to receive an e-mail from the school itself. Any insight is appreciated, thanks!

[I_See_You_RN]

NICU as in neonatal ICU right... no neuro...

If you're in Neonatal ICU i don't think its about labels,.. its about logic. they want you to have experience with dealing with the patient population that you will mostly serve. There is a slew of chronic diseases and surgeries that you will most likely not see in a neonate. Yes neonates do have some difficult to manage congenital disorders but they still don't mirror the adult population. Everything from lab values, appropriate treatment, and pharmacology is different. I think the idea of preferring SICU and CTICU is that they know that you have experience with dealing with the general population and should be able to comprehend basic principles of treatment geared to them. They worry about training in sub-populations later.

[vunderbar]

I should clarify when I say NICU I'm referring to adult neurological ICU.

Hopefully a SUNY SRNA can shed some light on my inquiry? Admissions has still yet to respond to my e-mail, and no one can seem to answer over the phone.

Thanks.