Well folks, I have been reading all postings about interviews and just completed my first interview and boy was it a doozie!!! I wasn't nervous until right before the interview! it was 3 30 minute interviews and thought it went well for 2 of them but flubbed the 3rd. The 3rd is the 'do or die' section where you run a megacode and the interviewers are the CRNA director and the MDA director of the hospital. I knew in advance that this was going to be the 'good cop/bad cop' part and that they would try to intimidate me to see how I handle stress. I think I answered most of their questions ok(you seem to be an overachiever, why is your GPA so low (3.2) for your business degree and 3.8 for nursing, you havent had pharm in 7 yrs why do you think you can do grad pharm with no probs etc). MY BIG QUESTION (also a running thread here) was the MDA vs. CRNA debate. THe question: DO YOU THINK ANESTHESIA IS A PRACTICE OF MEDICINE OR NURSING_PICK ONLY ONE AND DEFEND YOUR ANSWER!! I, of course, picked the nursing aspect (since I can't speak from any prior medical experience on the MDA opinion) stating the medicine is primarily treatment of disease process and nursing is caring for the whole patient ie. preanesthesia assessment, pt safety in OR while under, post anesthesia followup etc. I did not view anesthesia as a disease process so that it was therefor primarily a nursing function and had been for over 100yrs. I got the 3rd degree from the MD stating that anesthesia is THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE and he has 8 yrs of medical training for it, that nothing in nursing school prepares a nurse for the complex task of anesthesia etc. He also questioned the safety of CRNAs practicing in rural areas etc without MDA backup. Anyway I stood my ground on that. My big test it seemed was: I'm practicing in rural area, no MDA backup, surgeon wants to do LIFESAVING procedure (pt has 45min to live takes that long to transfer to bigger facility) and I've never done anesthetic case like pt scenario before-do I do the case. This was an extension of an earlier scenario with rural surgeon wanting to do procedure on a stable pt ie elective surgery that I did not feel safe doing and had declined to perform the case for pt safety reasons. This was then advanced to the procedure is now the lifethreatening case: at this point I said yes because procedure was necessary to save life of pt (would die before transfer complete). Anyway, sorry for rambling, 1st interview second guessing myself and just wanted a cyberhug from those that have been there and felt like they totally flubbed the interview and also, any opinions on the above.
congratulations on handling that interview well and standing your ground. Personally, I wouldn't have done so well. I've only had one interview (MTSA) and it was thankfully nothing like that. It would make me seriously wonder what the environment was like in school (If their teaching MDAs looked down on CRNAs).
If you plan to interview at other schools, I wish you luck. If this school is the one you really wanted, I think you did well and showed backbone - that can only help.
Sorry it's taking so long for me to reply-I was wallowing in my misery yesterday plus have a chemistry lab exam today. Did I mention I ate a whole sleeve of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies in consolation-no wonder my hips keep getting bigger!!! I did like the program-it's small only 7 students, was impressed by all the students' comments and the faculty I met. Like the fact they emphasize teaching projects. Was surprised at the MDA response though because one of their clinical sites is rural run by all CRNA practice. Still hope to get in but am fully expecting a 'regrets' letter. I do have another interview in Oakland next week, I think it will be less stressfull due to its only 30min and mostly about why I want to be a CRNA and my understanding of the role. Hope that one goes better.
It's interesting to hear your perspective. I had the same questions posed to me two years ago. I like your answers. Best of luck to you.
P.S. The docs really aren't that bad.
Another prospect I shared a taxi o the airport with said he had been on 5 interviews already and this was a tough one to be first with due to the stress of it. By the way, he said anesthesia is the practice of medicine because nursing school doesn't teach s*** about in depth knowledge (which I have to agree with). I still think it's a nursing practice ( nursing were doing it long before it was ever a medical specialty) and the MDA's I've seen are practicing more in a supervisory role than a medical role. What do you think of the opinion about rural CRNA practice not being safe when one of the clinical sites is rural all CRNA run??? Just curious. PS-I loved the program which is why I applied but am concerned about lack of central line (swans, not arts)-do you feel you have enough line experience??? Thanks for the support!!!
Yeah they had no right asking you those kinds of questions in an interview.
Some of those questions did get asked in our ethics class for us do debateonce we were in the program. But yeah, absolutely no right to put you on the spot like that. Interviews should be about the quality and quantity of information that you know and how well you might be able to learn the material. None of that nonsense stuff. My advice, keep looking at different schools. Good luck!
I do think we get enough central line experience. Perhaps not as much as some other programs, perhaps more than others. I don't personally think Swan's are that big a deal. The truth is (and perhaps others will agree with me), Swans just aren't really used in anesthesia all that much.
As far as anesthesia practice, or course, it is the domain of both nursing and medicine. Physicians were the first to administer anesthetic, but nurses were the first to do it professionally. If I had to choose one, I would have also said nursing. Physicians have the ability to perform anesthesia, but it really has much more in common with nursing than medicine.
While I continue not to like the approach the anesthesiologist took in that interview, it made me think of the issue. All of us, prospective CRNAs, students and CRNAs should consider that question or variations of, will be asked of you throughout your career. First of all, the requirements for CRNA educational programs, both pre-admission or during school, provide an in-depth scientific education, as well as practical application to the clinical area. Secondly, CRNAs would not be around, except for our history of safe practice. Thirdly, I like being able to apply my nursing skills to patient care. (Today, I gave an anesthetic to a 92 year old man for cataract surgery. He kissed my hand on discharge and said no one had ever held his hand before when he had surgery. He had a big smile. It was worth it; even though I had to manage his hypertension and a-fib, while keeping him comfortable and pain free.)
Be able to answer the question of CRNA/MDA differences with pride and confidence.
AnesthesiaBound
39 Posts
KESTRELL1121
congratulations on handling that interview well and standing your ground. Personally, I wouldn't have done so well. I've only had one interview (MTSA) and it was thankfully nothing like that. It would make me seriously wonder what the environment was like in school (If their teaching MDAs looked down on CRNAs).
If you plan to interview at other schools, I wish you luck. If this school is the one you really wanted, I think you did well and showed backbone - that can only help.
BJ