University of Cincinnati

Quiet1 · May 6, 2008

It looks like you are ready. You have good experience and stats. I would say start your application early and get good references.

beedog13 · May 11, 2008

I am starting at UC this Fall with Quiet1

Glad to hear you want to stay in town. UC is a damned good school--ranked 11th by U.S. News and World Report. The director of the program is his year's president of the AANA. I am originally an Ohio guy(Dayton/Springfield), so I am glad to be coming "home."

Ok here goes:

Application:

1)"Frustrating" is the word the comes to mind--you need to fill out an app. for the graduate school of nursing and the CRNA program--make sure you do both. There is a convenient checklist on the website under "nursing forms".

2) The guy who coordinates the graduate admissions is curt to say the least when you call with questions (I cut the guy a break since I am sure he is inundated in Sept./Oct...) and he tends to answer specific questions you email with the same form-letter info page without answering the questions. ??? GRRRR!

3)Once all of the material is in (send it with signature delivery confirmation for sure), you will get invites for interviews in 2-3 weeks (mine came via email on 10-19-07) (look a calendar and apply some leap-year math to figure out when it may be in '08)--that was the easy (but crappy) part. To my knowledge, my transcripts were not dissected to the point where I had to present evidence that my chemistry class was this or that etc. The other frustrating part of dealing with UC is that you never get any feedback on whether they have everything--other schools send out email reminders every so often and others have online "accounts" that you sign on to to check your status--not UC. They ask for 3 refernces: The rule of thumb better be to line up 4--someone will forget, trust me. The website has some conflicting info with regard to the references and some other stuff too--just use the electronic version of the reference letter that does not require an actual signature (your raters will appreciate the ease of the electronic version)--I filled in the demographic info for them too--make it as easy as possible without actually evaluating yourself.

4)My interview was on 11-12-07--monday--they run all that week (the week before Thanksgiving) with first choice given to out-of-towners for the time slots as a courtesy for travel arrangements etc. I got an email saying I made the cut in the p.m. the day before Thanksgiving--sometimes it is after (again look at calendar and apply leap-year math) Thanksgiving. The official hard-copy letter comes in mid-Dec.

5) The interview was very laid-back and lasted about 30 Min. It was me, the director, 2 faculty in a (freakin closet) small room. The 2 faculty and I did most of the talking--the director mostly observed and commented on a few things here and there. I had one clinical question--be prepared for anything--I compared notes with a buddy of mine after and some other girl who interviewed--none were the same--it is CCRN kinda stuff. The rest was stuff like "Name 3 qualities about you that..blah blah" "Do you have a support plan/system in place" "Why do you want to be a CRNA?" "What does a CRNA do?" "Why do you want to go to UC?" "Why should we pick you over everyone else?" "Tell us about your ICU (you need to sell your ICU like it is THE BOMB)?" The conclude with questions you have for them--think out and write down 4-5 questions--take them with you and read from your notes! You will be smoked by that point--written questions will help you not forget what you want to ask. Then, there was a written test of about 30 questions--like a mini CCRN test--get a CCRN book and study it a bit--not like you're taking the CCRN--just check it out. There will be questions you will not be able to answer--by design I am sure--admit what you don't know and don't bother BS'ing some lame answer. You will then get a time period for Q&A with current senior students. BTW my stats were 1.5yrs combined adult CV/Med/Surg ICU, meager GRE 1034, 3.87 undergrad GPA. Write a good resume and maybe take it with you to refer to during the interview as they will likely ask you about things it contains--it looks professional in my opinion. Oh yeah, dress up to be sure. Be yourself--they can smell fake like a shark can smell a drop of blood in the ocean.

Use the advanced search on this website and Google info about UC and other schools interviews--there is a ton on allnurses about UC from like 2004-2005. As for the buddy system...I did admit that my buddy from work was interviewing 30 min. after my interview and impressed upon them that if we both got in I would have a built-in support system. With that being said, we were not clones or anything--we were each accepted on our own merits--just happen to have come from the same place (very different strengths and weaknesses). Just be yourself.

Bryan

ljmb · May 12, 2008

Beedog,

Thanks for all the information on UC. I will be applying for that program this fall. I would like to add one small piece of info. for any others reading this post...

I left a message for the Director of the program. She personally returned my call within 2 days and answered all my questions. I was seeking advice about my experience, whether to repeat science and statistics classes, etc. She took the time to speak with me and I appreciate the advice she gave. In the end, I've decided not to repeat a stats class based on that conversation......just saved me time and money.

Beedog, can you comment about the chemistry class you had on your transcript? I've had 2 general chemistry classes and one organic. However, both were years ago. I am willing to repeat one prior to applying but am unsure what to take. Got any opinion on what UC would prefer???

THanks!

LJMB

jdiekhof · May 12, 2008

Thanks for all of the great information. I have been working toward this goal for about four years now, it is hard to believe that I am ready to apply this fall!

LJMB, Are you located in the tri-state area? I am about an hour from Cincinnati. I would hope UC would let us touch up on our chemistry between acceptance and starting school.

Currently, I am in the process of applying for an Ohio nursing license.

Beedog, Thanks for the info. I have had the pleasure of recieving the graduate counselors famous email page that doesn't really answer your questions and it is really frustrating. However, I have found it to be more effective if I email first and then call him on the phone. He actually has a pretty good sense of humor once he found out I wasn't going away.

Do you think 2 references from RN's in my current position (CVU) and maybe one from my OR experience or should it be a recent graduate professor? Do you think an RN from 2 years ago in the OR would be a good reference or not? Should the references be from CCRN, MSN, a manager, or just a BSN that knows me well? I guess it depends on what UC is looking for in the references if it is considered a good reference?

Any thoughts??

Thanks

ljmb · May 12, 2008

jdiekhof,

I live in Lexington, Ky. My options are UC, Texas Weslyan (Louisville and St. E's in Northern Ky), and Murray State (Morehead). I have a family and can't travel farther than that.

When I spoke with UC (I talked to the coordinator as well), he specifically said a reference from an ICU manager was important. When I asked the question and said a surgeon wanted to write a reference for me, he quickly replied that an RN was preferable.

Other schools I've investigated ask for references from a manager, a peer and a doctor. UC does not...so it's left up to us to figure out.

beedog13 · May 12, 2008

Beedog,
Thanks for all the information on UC. I will be applying for that program this fall. I would like to add one small piece of info. for any others reading this post...
I left a message for the Director of the program. She personally returned my call within 2 days and answered all my questions. I was seeking advice about my experience, whether to repeat science and statistics classes, etc. She took the time to speak with me and I appreciate the advice she gave. In the end, I've decided not to repeat a stats class based on that conversation......just saved me time and money.
Beedog, can you comment about the chemistry class you had on your transcript? I've had 2 general chemistry classes and one organic. However, both were years ago. I am willing to repeat one prior to applying but am unsure what to take. Got any opinion on what UC would prefer???
THanks!
LJMB

LJMB,

Yes, the director at UC seemed extremely approachable during my interview--FYI she is the current president of the AANA until October '08 or so (one year stint). I found out about her presidency status like 7 days before I interviewed-it made me nervous thinking about being interviewed by the top-dog in the country, but I must admit that when the time came I never felt more at ease and able to just be myself in any other kind of interview in my life. It factored heavily into my decision to go there as opposed to other options. Any CRNA program will be a challenge, this just did not seem caustic.

I will not be much help on the chem question--I just finished my ADN to BSN in 2006 and my whole one-year chem series was part of that program--pretty fresh in my mind. I can tell you that it was the "nursing" chemistry and not the pre-med stuff if that helps. I think that the chem part plays alot into being able to perform when you start CRNA school--a refresher would be helpful. I would email the nursing grad school coordinator and/or call him. I was sweating that issue and, again, like I said--the lack of feedback can be frustrating. Obviously, mine was alright--I would assume most any other chem from a BSN program would do.

Beedog

beedog13 · May 12, 2008

Thanks for all of the great information. I have been working toward this goal for about four years now, it is hard to believe that I am ready to apply this fall!
LJMB, Are you located in the tri-state area? I am about an hour from Cincinnati. I would hope UC would let us touch up on our chemistry between acceptance and starting school.
Currently, I am in the process of applying for an Ohio nursing license.
Beedog, Thanks for the info. I have had the pleasure of recieving the graduate counselors famous email page that doesn't really answer your questions and it is really frustrating. However, I have found it to be more effective if I email first and then call him on the phone. He actually has a pretty good sense of humor once he found out I wasn't going away.
Do you think 2 references from RN's in my current position (CVU) and maybe one from my OR experience or should it be a recent graduate professor? Do you think an RN from 2 years ago in the OR would be a good reference or not? Should the references be from CCRN, MSN, a manager, or just a BSN that knows me well? I guess it depends on what UC is looking for in the references if it is considered a good reference?
Any thoughts??
Thanks

jdiekhof,

Considering that you only get 3 shakes at impressing the admissions board with your references:

1) Get one from an ICU nurse manager type.

2)Get one from an Intensivist/Pulmonologist or another MD with whom you have worked in the ICU.

3)Take your best shot on the 3rd one. I had an MD anesthesiologist from my 3.5 yrs in the O.R. do mine for UC. He talked more about my personality, work ethic, sense of humor, and potential--not my clinical skill set so much. I had a CRNA do one for another school that I got into as well. I would make sure the 3rd one has the odor of desflurane and propofol on it (figuratively speaking) if you have that in your orificenal. I did not get the impression that the folks from UC who interviewed me were ICU purists. Geez, if we all wanted to be the world's greatest ICU nurses then we would not be applying to CRNA school and leaving the ICU now would we???--It just seems counterintuitive to me that you would become some kind of nursing equivalent of a Green Beret or Navy Seal (CCRN etc.) just to bail and do something else.

Hope that helps,

Beedog

PS a GRE of >1100 will put you in position to compete for a scholarship at UC (most above 1100 get something). With my meager 1034 I will be waiting to see if some Katrina Relief fund $ somehow ended up in UC's coffers by the end of summer, :smokin:

mammothsnw · May 13, 2008

Hello..I am a former Univ of Cinc Accelerated BSN student and currently accepted and ready to begin Kaisers CRNA program in the fall. First of all let me say that UC is a great CRNA program because of the clinical sites, the Director (Wanda Wilson is awesome), and they have some very good faculty.. ( I spent many hours shadowing CRNA faculty and students when I was there) ...That being said let me tell you from first hand experience that the frustrations you are experincing with the Graduate counselor (that's right I'm talling about "LC") are the beginning of a long and blood-pressure raising road!

It took me 3 months and countless unproductive phone calls to get my school info for RN licensure transfered CA....even after discussing the issue at length with "LC" months proir to graduation. He assured me everything would be fine..it was not. I ended up having to call the Head guy at the Office of Registrar to get things right. I know of 3 other classmates that were misguided by him with other issues of similar importance. When you talk to him face to face he will smile, make jokes, and tell you what you want to hear so you will get out of his office so he can plan his next fishing trip...

If you think I'm kidding I assure you I am not. I'm telling you this so that if you have pressing issues or NEED to make sure something is done right...follow up with other resources to verify the info he has given you is correct...I am warning you as a fellow soon to be SRNA :)....take what this man says with a grain of salt. :) The program will be challenging enough without having to deal with the monkey wrenches he will throw into the gears! There...I feel much better

jdiekhof · May 14, 2008

Mammothsnw

that worries me, I am from IN and I am currently taking graduate classes at U of I that he said would transfer to UC. I hope I don't have to waste time and money to retake these classes.

mammothsnw · May 14, 2008

I'm assuming the classes you are talking about are some of the "core" classes such as research, theory, etc..I would maybe email him (LC) your syllabus from IU and say that you are just verifying that the courses you are taking meet the requirements...then save all corespondence you get back from him so you have proof that he said the course meets the requirements.

I hate to scare you but a similar thing happened to a classmate of mine. He already had a Masters degree in another field and LC told him he did not have to take that research class (We took research with the CRNA students as part of our Accel BSN). Turns out halfway through the quarter that LC says sorry I made a mistake since your research class was not 800 level (grad level) it will not transfer as credit here "but hey don't worry... you have to work a couple of years before you can go to CRNA school here anyway so you have plenty of time to take it".

This guy had to wait till the next summer to take the class at UC. Just get everything he tells you in writing....otherwise he will deny he gave wrong information (it's exactly what he did in my friends case whe nhe went to the Dean over this issue). Again I hate to scare you but this guy is a retired HS principal who does this "counseling" as a side job...and he treats it as such. Again sorry to sound so negative..but I have never been so screwed up by someone elses mistakes as when dealing dealing with this guy. Good luck in your program.

cardiac.cure03 · May 14, 2008

There is great information on here. I'm thinking about appying to UC's CRNA program in a year or two. I live in the Dayton area, not sure if I'll commute or move, but I'm pretty sure I'll live in the Dayton area after graduation.

I'm just looking for any information about any contracts you can sign with hospitals in my area so that they would help pay for your education in return for a certain service comittment. If no one knows any specific details on that sort of thing, I would appreciate any info on how to go about finding that stuff out. I'm assuming I would have to go to each individual hospital I'm interested in and ... go where? to HR? the OR? I really don't know.

I don't have many "connections" in my hospital, and I know I really need them!

Also, I seen on UC's website that anyone applying must take the GRE test before Sept 2008. What happens to the people applying a couple years from now in regards to the GRE? Anyone know?

Thanks in advance for any info :)