Let me start by saying that I greatly appreciate all of the knowledgable posts from everybody in this forum.
Since I got such a great response from the last question I posted, I figured I could throw out a more personal question and see what I get.
I went 5 for 5 this year on applications converting to interviews. So I figured that surely I'd get in somewhere unless I really freeze up or say something stupid during the interview. I had prepared for the interviews by studying my CCRN stuff and rehersing for all the potential CRNA inteview questions I could find online. Leaving the interviews (I've done 3 of 5 so far) I felt pretty good about them. I did not feel caught off guard. Then the denial letters started coming in (though I did make the alternate list at one program). The feedback I recieved was that my ICU experience was too low of an acuity (it's a 6 bed medical/surgical ICU). This is despite trying to inflate my experience as best I could without lying.
Now I'm realizing that the only reason I went 5 for 5 was b/c of my high stats (GPA, GRE score, reference letters, CCRN, ect) {trying not to toot my own horn} I now feel that what is primarily judged during the interviews is the depth, not the time length, of experience. So while I feel that their feedback has merit, I also know that there have been many others that are now CRNA's who also came through our ICU for far less time than I've put in (3.5 yrs).
So I'm holding out on an ICU change while I await the outcome of the next 2 interviews. I'm doing registry shifts now and then around town to get a feel for what other ICU's I might want to go into and I ask questions everywhere I go. I'm thinking that maybe the schools have a bias toward CVICU just from an inclination I get from what I've read here (though the schools won't say that explicitly). If I don't get in this year, I will go to the highest acuity ICU I can find (probably CVICU), and I'll continue to apply every year.
Being in a uncommon and perplexing situation, I appreciate any advice since you all are definitely the best group of people to ask about my unique situation.
