Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) CRNA 2024 application

Updated:   Published

Hey everyone,

This form is for all VCU CRNA 2024 applicants to discuss the upcoming CRNA cohort. Everyone introduce yourself and give a little background about your experience. Tell us what campus you are applying to and ask any questions about the application process. If you have applied previously, please share your experiences that you had during the application process.

Specializes in Neuro ICU.

Hello everyone, 

For those of you who have been accepted to Richmond Campus, do you know if the classes are going to be in person for the first year or online? Do we have to move to the area before we start the program? please let me know if you know anything. thank you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NEURO ICU/MED SURG ICU.
Lulata said:

Hello everyone, 

For those of you who have been accepted to Richmond Campus, do you know if the classes are going to be in person for the first year or online? Do we have to move to the area before we start the program? please let me know if you know anything. thank you.

Congratulations on your acceptance! This is an awesome program.

I am a current student in my first year. The school year will be divided into trimesters (Spring, Summer& Fall Semesters). During your first two semesters (January-Mid August), classes will be online, but you will be asked to come to Richmond campus (even distance site students) for a short, in-person session at the start and finish of these semesters (2-3 days). You can continue to work full time during these first two semesters if you like.

In late August, (start of fall semester) you will begin in-person classes.It is strongly discouraged to continue working at this point in the program.

Keep in mind that you will not be given substantial time off between semesters (less than 1 week break between Spring-Summer and Summer-Fall). So keep that in mind if you do not live near campus, and are making plans to move. 

If possible, it may be easiest to move before the start of your program or during the Spring when the course load is relatively light. I personally moved in August during our break between Summer/fall semester, and found that difficult to pull off.

Also, just wanted to add that you will have a month off in December-January of the first year, so there will be a real break eventually!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Neuro ICU.
BrainsRCool said:

Congratulations on your acceptance! This is an awesome program.

I am a current student in my first year. The school year will be divided into trimesters (Spring, Summer& Fall Semesters). During your first two semesters (January-Mid August), classes will be online, but you will be asked to come to Richmond campus (even distance site students) for a short, in-person session at the start and finish of these semesters (2-3 days). You can continue to work full time during these first two semesters if you like.

In late August, (start of fall semester) you will begin in-person classes.It is strongly discouraged to continue working at this point in the program.

Keep in mind that you will not be given substantial time off between semesters (less than 1 week break between Spring-Summer and Summer-Fall). So keep that in mind if you do not live near campus, and are making plans to move. 

If possible, it may be easiest to move before the start of your program or during the Spring when the course load is relatively light. I personally moved in August during our break between Summer/fall semester, and found that difficult to pull off.

Also, just wanted to add that you will have a month off in December-January of the first year, so there will be a real break eventually!

Thank you so much!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Has anyone on the waitlist heard anything?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello...this question may be best answered by a current student. 
 

from your experience, do you believe you are getting enough regional block in clinicals?

 

how are your caseloads compared to AA med students?

Is there a ton of clinicals with independent practice so you see the full scope of the job? 
 

are the clinical rotations balanced in urban and rural hospitals?

thank you so much! 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SRNA.
Afraks said:

from your experience, do you believe you are getting enough regional block in clinicals? how are your caseloads compared to AA med students? Is there a ton of clinicals with independent practice so you see the full scope of the job? 
are the clinical rotations balanced in urban and rural hospitals?

 

Current NA3 here done in 9 weeks, here to address your questions briefly. As VCU operates four NA subcohorts across the state, clinical experiences vary in urban and rural settings. NOVA students will not experience a rural setting by default, unless you choose some elective rotations. This may also be changing in the future due to the expansion of the cohort and need for additional clinical sites so obviously I can only speak from my experience. I chose to take advantage of experiences outside of the bubble of Northern Virginia, where supervision is relatively strong (that's just the nature of the ACT model there).

That being said the program will provide the opportunities to get all of the case numbers you need per the COA case requirements, but as with any program it will always be the case that you need to advocate for yourself and speak up at any given site, especially if you want more regional, OB, etc.  In the last four months of the program I will have been away from home for three elective rotations of my choice to get more autonomous experiences with PNBs, OB, and Peds.  Military hospitals that I've rotated through and a VHA facility provide a lot of insight into a functional CRNA independent model, with a strong regional program.

Not sure why you're comparing CRNA Education to AA education, unless you're still considering choosing between the two roles.  I'm not here to speak on that, in the state of Virginia AAs are not currently permitted to practice and SRNAs don't train alongside AA students (who are not medical students, by the way), I can't speak to their clinical training.

 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello friends, 

Has anyone who has been waitlisted in the Richmond campus heard anything?

Thank you for your time,
Al ? 

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was accepted off of the waitlist for Richmond 10/16 and will be attending. 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
cvicurn_03 said:

I was accepted off of the waitlist for Richmond 10/16 and will be attending. 

Awesome. Congratulations! Thank you for your reply !!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was accepted to the Richmond campus on 10/16, and will be attending as well. Hoping you come off of the waitlist as well!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Alan Garcia said:

Hello friends, 

Has anyone who has been waitlisted in the Richmond campus heard anything?

Thank you for your time,
Al ? 

I was accepted to the Richmond campus on 10/16, and will be attending as well. Hoping you come off of the waitlist as well!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SCVICU.

Hi everyone, 

for those waitlisted, has anybody heard anything/gotten off the waitlist since October for the Richmond campus? 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion