Western Carolina University CRNA Class of 2025

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Hi! Couldn't find a forum, so I wanted to start one. I applied to start 2022. Those who have applied, has anyone heard back?

 

Specializes in SICU/MICU/ER.

Hey, thanks so much for posting! It’s incredibly kind. The nurse anesthesia community seems to be so supportive.

It’s really great to hear the information that you shared, and I definitely appreciate the words of wisdom. During that 2nd year, are you spending time after clinical, late into the night to study and weekends? Is the 2nd year the hardest?

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Specializes in ICU.

Some people say the 2nd year Summer is hardest. Some say it's the 2nd Spring, it's different for different people.

 

As the clinical days ramp up, your classroom learning drops off, so by the time you're in Spring of your second year you're only really studying for one 'real' class with a second online class that's easy and then working on your senior project. 

 

I personally don't study nights other than to maybe look over notes for an hour after clinical, for me it doesn't stick so I'd rather get sleep and push studying to the weekend if need be. It gets tough but it's doable (as the low attrition rates attest). The other good thing to remember is no one really fails because of grades. If you put in the work, you're gonna do fine and pass, the only times people can't complete the program it's because of life circumstances that cause them to withdraw (eg a divorce, significant illness, etc).

 

The amount that people spend studying is pretty variable, and you'll figure out where you need to be. Some people can look through the material a couple times and know they'll be fine to make a low A, other people have to study a lot more. Generally though people tend to over-study trying to do their absolute best, which is great but the amount of studying it takes to make a mid to low A on a test is maybe 6-8 hours. To bump that up to a high A though is easily double that. So a lot of it comes down to are you content with low As and some Bs, or do you want to be making 97% everytime.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Hey everyone! I have applied for the 2023 cohort and am anxiously waiting for the deadline to pass. Of those that got interviews and/or accepted what were your statistics? I have a lower cumulative GPA but my BSN is a 3.7. This is my top school so a lot of pressure! 

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Specializes in ICU/ECMO.
On 9/14/2022 at 11:48 AM, AEller10 said:

Hey everyone! I have applied for the 2023 cohort and am anxiously waiting for the deadline to pass. Of those that got interviews and/or accepted what were your statistics? I have a lower cumulative GPA but my BSN is a 3.7. This is my top school so a lot of pressure! 

Howdy! First, let me say that you have a great first choice! I know exactly how you feel, we were all in your position only a year ago. Applying to schools and the seemingly unending waiting game is incredibly nerve-racking. My best advice for you right now is just to try to be patient on the school’s response to your application and try your best to stay out of your own head during the waiting period. 
 

As you probably already know, GPA isn’t everything but it is important. Western looks at your last 60 hours for cumulative GPA so make sure you are just using those last 60 to calculate, and then your sciences GPA, I believe both are taken into account when considering applications. And GRE, Certs, experience, etc. 
 

Remember that at most schools, once you are offered an interview, you are sort of on even ground with everyone else. I know this may not seem helpful to you now, but the best advice I could give you is to just put your head down and interview prep. Don’t focus on the question “will I get an interview based on my stats” because you have no control over that. Try and steer towards what you can control right now which is preparing to hit the interview out of the park when you do get one. 
 

Hope this helps, it’s what I needed to hear a year ago! 
 

 

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Specializes in CVICU.

@nickccrn  Thank you so much for your reply! 
this process is very nerve-racking! I love WCU! I did my first Bachelor’s there and then went through their ABSN program there in biltmore park. I’m really hoping I can interview and that they like me because I think it’s a top notch program based on alumni that I have talked to and worked with! 
As far as GPA I just know I’m so much better than my cumulative GPA reflects from a degree that was a decade ago. I’m hopeful they will see that too. 
that’s great advice on the interview, it’s hard to think about being on a level  playing field once your to that point so that’s a great perspective, thank you! 
I have been interview prepping and I have a mock interview scheduled for October 1st to try to help with nerves and guide me on weaknesses. I think interview is a weakness of mine especially EI questions so I’ve been trying to practice. 
You have great advice, thank you so much! Now to just be a great fit to their program and get in ??

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On 4/8/2022 at 12:48 PM, corn1 said:

 

Thank you for posting! I missed the deadline but I'm hoping to apply for May 2024. Do you feel like students reach the 2000+ clinical hours required? How are you liking the regional anesthesia training? That is what I am most interested in utilizing in my practice when I graduate so I'm scoping out programs that emphasize it. 

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Specializes in ICU.

Yeah, the 2000 hours comes easily. Not sure exactly what the final number is, but my guess is somewhere in the 2400-2500 range. 

The regional training is great. Although I can't speak for other programs, we're lucky that there's no competition from other anesthesia learners (no MDA residents who get all the best experiences). At Mission (the largest hospital we do clinicals at), blocks are done by MDAs, but many of the smaller hospitals are CNRA only and you get to do a lot of regional at those hospitals. A couple hospitals have some regional specialists who do research with blocks and do a lot more than your bread-and-butter brachial plexus blocks + ACBs. I'm not gonna say it's the best school in the nation for regional, but from talking to friends in other programs, I think it's fair to say we get more experience than the average SRNA student.

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Specializes in ICU.

Has anybody heard about interview invites for next years class 2023? It said "about two weeks after the deadline," but I have not heard! 

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Specializes in CVICU.

@Meow Nurse  No I haven’t heard anything yet! Hopefully this week ?

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Specializes in ICU.

Just got an interview invite ?

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Specializes in CVICU.

Has anyone else heard anything from WCU? Interview? Waitlisted? Denied? 

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Still waiting and praying for an interview!

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