Rewind

I feel it would be appropriate to give a little background info on how I got here in the first place...in CRNA school that is, not on this Earth. No anatomy lessons yet!

Applying for school
I actually started applying to schools just six months out of college. Many of the application deadlines are almost a whole year in advance to the start of the program, so you really have to be on top of things. Ok, so I only applied to UAB the first time around. I figured I wouldn't even get an interview, much less get accepted but I just wanted to get a feel for the application process and possibly get my foot in the door somewhere. Much to my surprise I was actually offered an interview at UAB for December 2007. I did not study anything clinical for this interview and just practiced the basic personality questions I had been informed to prepare for.
The UAB interview was definitely in a personality-based format as I did not get questioned on anything clinical. All the candidates sat together in the same waiting room before going back for interviews. While waiting and listening, I heard everyone announcing their years of experience ("I worked PACU 2 years, ER 5 years and CVICU for 10 years, I just think it's time for something new") I kept my measly 6 months of ICU experience to myself. Did I mention I was the youngest person there by at least 10 years?!
The interview itself went well. It was very laid-back and I answered questions along these lines:
* Why do you want to be a CRNA?
* How have you prepared to become a CRNA?
* What are your strengths/weaknesses?
* Are you prepared to move out-of-state to work after you graduate? (There are few CRNA jobs in AL at the present time)

After leaving the interview I thought I might actually have a chance, but I didn't get my hopes up....good thing too. I received my "Thanks, but no thanks" letter a week later. Oh, well. There's always next year.

Fast forward to August 2008

Deadlines are here and this time I've increased my bidding to two whole schools, UAB and UT-Chattanooga. I say this because everyone knows, if you really want to get in, you apply to every school within a 2,000 mile radius. I just wasn't up for taking the GRE in order to apply anywhere else at this point. Toward the end of September I received a LONG letter from UAB with about 100 reasons why I didn't get an interview this year. They suggested I re-take classes to improve my GPA (my chemistry and math grades were sub-par) and told me to consider taking the CCRN (like NCLEX times 12). The letter was impressive, even included a couple of pie graphs with a lot of statistics you just don't feel like reading in a REJECTION letter. I would give specific examples, but that letter hit the trashcan less than 24 hours after arriving in the mailbox.
Well now what? Cause I know there's NO WAY I'll get an interview at UTC. Oh well, maybe I will look into taking that CCRN. But I refuse to take any more chemistry! But I've got plenty of time to worry about that. Then came Oct 24, 2008. CONGRATULATIONS! You have been selected to interview for the U of Tenn at Chatt. School of Nursing Master of Science in Nursing, Anesthesia concentration. Here was my chance. My interview was scheduled for November 21, 2008 at 9 EST. (The first time I actually thought about the time difference)

November 21, 2008- UTC interview

It was 5:30 and I was up before the sun, headed to UTC for my interview, and I was NERVOUS to say the least. For the past two weeks I crammed hemodynamics, ACLS, the workings of a Swan, and all those vasoactive drugs into my brain. I had heard that the UTC interviews were all clinical and I did my best to know my stuff. After finally finding the interview site (located inside Erlanger hospital) my nerves were rattled. After only working at GRMC, Erlanger is like it's own planet. You can read about Erlanger here.
While we were waiting, we met some of the current students in the program and they gave advice like "Don't bring up anything you don't want to talk about in depth, as in, cellular level." Now I wish I had paid more attention in that Chemistry class! Another pearl of wisdom "If you don't know the answer, tell them. Don't try to BS your way through it." One fellow interview-ee asked, "Who will be interviewing us?" (Now this just makes things ten times worse) "I think a few of the anesthesiologists from Erlanger, the chief of Anesthesiology, and a few department heads." GULP!
It was finally my turn to go back. I was led into a room with a big U-shaped table and seated at the end. I looked up to face about 10 interviewers and my stomach was in my throat. They asked what my background was and the interview proceeded as follows:

"What's the easiest and quickest way to alter intercranial pressure?"
(My thoughts are in red, what I actually said, in blue)
Wait, I didn't study this, this is an easy question. Where are the drugs, the hemodynamics?
"Changing the environment."
Stupid, stupid. That can't be right. This interview is going downhill fast!!
"Changing the environment how, specifically?"
Make it sound good at least!
"Keeping quiet, lowering the lights. Sometimes giving drugs to reduce ICP"
Wow, now I'm up a creek without a paddle
"What about positioning the patient, isn't there something you can EASILY do to affect ICP?"
Oh, gosh, I know now, this is sooo easy!
"Lowering or raising the head of the bed"
"And doesn't that seem easy?"
Great, now I'm being patronized
"Yes, it does."

"What is the pediatric dose of Mannitol?" --which I gave a quick "I don't know"
"When specifically does an intra-aortic balloon pump inflate and deflate?" (Didn't I tell these guys I didn't take balloon pumps?)
"What's normal ICP?" --one of the few I was confident about

Toward the end I got a few personal questions, but I was so ready to get out of that room I rushed through those. After the interview we had to complete a survey about how stressful we thought the interview was (which I put a "6" for maximum) and some other questions I barely read because I was sweating through my shirt, (Thank goodness for Dove deodorant!) I decided this was definitely the last time I would see the inside of Erlanger. Oh well, there's always next year.

November 29th 2008

We had just finished celebrating Thanksgiving and enjoying time with family and friends...I had come to terms with the fact that I would not be starting CRNA school for AWHILE. We get home around 9pm and Daniel says, "There's a letter from UTC, want me to open it?" I respond, "Yay, my rejection letter. I'll open it when we get in." I was thinking, well at least now I'll know for sure. While he was getting things out of the car, I walked onto the porch into the light and opened the letter. CONGRATULATIONS (and yes, it was in bold). "What!?" I looked again. CONGRATULATIONS. I scanned to the top to make sure my name was there, and to my surprise, it was. This has to be a mistake. Did they forget how bad I bombed that interview? (I waited for a letter saying there had been a mix-up for at least a week before I was confident enough to start spreading the word to anyone besides family.

So here we are...T minus 12 days until orientation May 4th and classes starting May 5th.

To be continued...

Welcome

After being unable to find an adequate answer to my question, "What is CRNA school really like," I took on the task of creating this blog to possibly help others who find themselves asking the same question. I also forsee needing a place to vent frustrations in the coming months, and hope this blog will be a way for family and friends to keep in touch even though my face will be crammed into some sort of book everyday until August 14, 2011 (graduation, of course). That's a Sunday, at 2pm. (I'm REALLY looking forward to it!) Whether you are someone I know personally, or just browsing, thanks for visiting. I'll try to update as often as possible. Hold on to your hats, here we go.....