TCU CRNA

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TCU says in their website that they encourage students to work for the initial 8months of the program. Is there anyone who is a current student in TCU and can give more info on this? I would like to work if schedule permits. How are the classes like when you start the program? Or it is not a good idea to work?

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Specializes in critcal care, CRNA.
TCU says in their website that they encourage students to work for the initial 8months of the program. Is there anyone who is a current student in TCU and can give more info on this? I would like to work if schedule permits. How are the classes like when you start the program? Or it is not a good idea to work?

Not a TCU guy but I believe that first portion is/can be done as online classes that are manageable but after that it would be much tougher to work.

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Not a TCU guy but I believe that first portion is/can be done as online classes that are manageable but after that it would be much tougher to work.

Thanks for the info. Can you work in the beginning of the program in any school or this only applies to TCU.

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Specializes in critcal care, CRNA.
Thanks for the info. Can you work in the beginning of the program in any school or this only applies to TCU.

Every program is different. Many state that it is not advised while others stated that you were not allowed. If you have a front loaded program, then sometimes people will work a shift or two a week to maintain their insurance and have a little cash.

If you do a search on AN then you may find some TCU students or grads that can specifically answer your questions.

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Specializes in CRNA.

TCU is my number one program right now. The way I understand it is that you have your first 8 months, spring and summer, online. Then everyone spends their fall semester in Fort Worth. The second spring and summer can be completed in Fort Worth or at one of four distant learning sites, Hillcrest Medical Center and Saint Francis in Tulsa, OK, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center in Lafayette, LA, or Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, FL as long as two people choose that option. Then second fall is when you start your residency. They 19 primary site scattered throughout FL, LA, OK, and TX. They have They have 21 Rotational sites scattered throughout AK, FL, LA, OK, and TX. They encourage you to work in your units the first 8 months but strongly discourage working the last 28 months. I believe you have to have it approved to work during that time period.

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Specializes in critcal care, CRNA.
thanks. So There is a chance that u will have to go to a different state for clinicals. Do they give u preference if ur TX resident.

Friend of mine went there and was based in Wichita Falls but still had to go to Florida for like 3 months for pediatric rotation.

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They do take into account where 'home' is. They try to keep Texas people in Texas. Reason is, they have clinical sites in Alaska... they have people from Alaska who apply. The people from Alaska want the clinical site in Alaska to be close to their family again. So while they have all these satellite clinicals - for the most part they are reserved for people who apply from those areas and odds you will be get placed there permanently are low.

That's not to say that if you are from Dallas, that you won't get placed in South Texas, near the boarder for your permanent (no rotational) clinical site.

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Specializes in CRNA.
They do take into account where 'home' is. They try to keep Texas people in Texas. Reason is, they have clinical sites in Alaska... they have people from Alaska who apply. The people from Alaska want the clinical site in Alaska to be close to their family again. So while they have all these satellite clinicals - for the most part they are reserved for people who apply from those areas and odds you will be get placed there permanently are low.

That's not to say that if you are from Dallas, that you won't get placed in South Texas, near the boarder for your permanent (no rotational) clinical site.

That is a very good point, but there are some sites where you won't be able to get everything you need and will need to rotate. I know for me I will be trying to do the spring and summer of the 2nd year at Hillcrest or Saint Francis in Tulsa then try to stay there since the Tulsa area is where I live. I have met a few of the SRNA that are at Hillcrest and they say that they absolutely love the program and would recommend it.

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Thanks guys for taking time to respond.

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Specializes in CCRN.

Hi, 2015 TCU CRNA grad-to-be here...

working during the first 8 months is your call...the classes are online...I have friends who worked full time up until we started school full time, and I myself did not work at all. It's your choice, nobody will follow up with you on it. I recommend giving yourself at least a few weeks off until the real full time on-campus classes start. Lots of people worked up until around the end of July.

I had a friend who picked up night weekend shifts during the fall semester, I don't know of anybody else who worked during the fall. During the spring is definitely impossible, and obviously during clinical as well.

The classes are insane when you start. I N S A N E. No matter how prepared you think you are for the time and work commitment, you are not, and anybody in the program will tell you the same. The point is that you begin the program knowing you'll be working day in and day out towards your goal and not giving up.

The clinical sites vary and change through the course of the year as clinical time gets closer. Some people (myself included) were offered clinical sites with the acceptance letter, others just found out this past week (2 months away from when clinical begins). Flexibility in anesthesia is a MUST, it will be tested often. Learn it quick ;)

Best of luck, let me know if I can help!

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Hi, 2015 TCU CRNA grad-to-be here...

working during the first 8 months is your call...the classes are online...I have friends who worked full time up until we started school full time, and I myself did not work at all. It's your choice, nobody will follow up with you on it. I recommend giving yourself at least a few weeks off until the real full time on-campus classes start. Lots of people worked up until around the end of July.

I had a friend who picked up night weekend shifts during the fall semester, I don't know of anybody else who worked during the fall. During the spring is definitely impossible, and obviously during clinical as well.

The classes are insane when you start. I N S A N E. No matter how prepared you think you are for the time and work commitment, you are not, and anybody in the program will tell you the same. The point is that you begin the program knowing you'll be working day in and day out towards your goal and not giving up.

The clinical sites vary and change through the course of the year as clinical time gets closer. Some people (myself included) were offered clinical sites with the acceptance letter, others just found out this past week (2 months away from when clinical begins). Flexibility in anesthesia is a MUST, it will be tested often. Learn it quick ;)

Best of luck, let me know if I can help!

Thanks for taking time to respond. I will be applying next year. Did you shadow a CRNA before you applied. I'm having difficulty finding a place where I can shadow.

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TCU15SRNA, Congrats on making it half way through! I'm curious, how many students have spent the spring and summer at the 4 primary clinical sites? Are they all available pretty much every year, or are there sometimes not enough or too many people for any of them? Do you know whether the students at Tampa are able to do all their rotations in Florida at TGH, or are they required to go to other clinical sites? Thanks!

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