As of yesterday evening, another interview season came to a close!  I had the good fortune of meeting a number of candidates interested in joining the Baptist Nurse Anesthesia Program and was wholly impressed.  In fact, just yesterday some of my classmates and I were talking about how we couldn't be sure we would get into the program if we were to interview with the current crop of applicants!

Congratulations to those individuals who interviewed - it's a nerve-racking experience, but you got through it!

I'm realizing that I am, quite possibly, the luckiest girl alive.  You know that beer that I told you was my new second favorite brew?  I arrived home the other day to find three bottles of the stuff hanging out in my fridge, just waiting to be consumed after a long day of class.  To think, I'd been sitting on an ETOH goldmine for two whole months!  In addition, I successfully found my sister's email containing a list of behavioral interview questions.  It was originally sent on June 19, 2002, so yeah.  Oh, and I have a really cute boyfriend.  Like I said: Lucky.

Anyhoo, below is the lengthy list of questions.  Like I mentioned previously, they were originally given to me as I prepared for business interviews, though I also found them to be helpful for my grad school interviews.  A fair number of these questions may not be related to nursing or anesthesia per se (I tried to alter them to make them as CRNA-specific as possible), but the point is to get your mind thinking big picture while helping you to identify specific examples from your life experiences that you can draw upon in an interview setting.  My suggestion would be to go through the list and answer each question.  Basically, just do whatever it takes to avoid looking like this:

What is your most significant accomplishment?

Now that the application deadline for the Nurse Anesthesia Program here at Baptist has come and gone, I've received a few emails requesting advice on how to prepare for the next harrowing hurdle on the road to becoming an SRNA - the interview.  (Sorry guys, but the term "harrowing", while not pleasant, is the most applicable adjective given the situation.)

I've written posts offering advice on this subject in the past (click on "The Application Process" tab located on the right to view these entries) but, like usual, I don't know when to quit and would be more than happy to provide you with additional information on the topic.  I should, however, alert you to the fact that my colleagues' interviews at Baptist were not identical to mine, and Baptist's interviews no doubt differ on a number of levels from those conducted elsewhere.  Thus, I'd like to encourage my classmates - along with the graduates or current students at similar programs - to add their advice in the comments section below.  If you are interviewing this year, please consider doing the same following your interview date to ensure that the information remains relevant and to assist those applying in the future.  As my classmate, Dave, would say, "preash!"

Now, without further adieu...

1.  Shadow a CRNA.  Seriously, people.  If you're only going to do one thing on this list, this is it.  This subject was broached in both of my interviews and I drew upon the experience in answering a number of questions.

2.  Read a few journal articles that relate to your current role as a critical care nurse, as well as some that are applicable to CRNAs.  I wasn't personally asked anything related to journal articles, but I know for certain that one person in my program was.

3.  Start discussions with and learn from colleagues in other disciplines.  For example, ask a respiratory therapist to walk you through the rarely-used settings on a ventilator.  This demonstrates an interest in important anesthesia concepts, a willingness to learn, and respect for other disciplines and would be a great example to reference when answering any number of interview questions.  Just be sure to retain the knowledge you gained (take notes if you have to!) so that you don't get caught off-guard by a follow-up question.

4.  Practice answering behavioral-type interview questions ("Tell us about a time when...").  My entire interview at Baptist as well as the majority of questions asked at my other interview centered around these kinds of questions.  Since I hold a bachelors degree in commerce and spent a few years as a peon in the business world prior to my foray into nursing, I felt quite comfortable with this style of interviewing.  However, not everyone does and that's okay - extra practice is all that's needed.  (I was much less comfortable answering clinical questions than many of my counterparts, so I spent the majority of my preparatory efforts there.)  I'll do my best to locate the practice interview questions that I used, which were given to me years ago by my older (and much, much wiser) sister, Katie.  (If I'm successful, you can expect them to be posted by the end of the week.)

5.  Did I mention that you should shadow a CRNA?

6.  Mentally prepare yourself.  Realize that you will be surrounded by a sea of qualified applicants.  Imagine yourself facing 20 other medical professionals from across a conference table, considering their questions and responding cogently.  Neither situation is likely to be familiar to you - they certainly weren't to me - and creating a mental picture of the event may help you to avoid unwelcome surprises on the big day.  You can even go one step further and imagine yourself nailing the interview.  I realize that sounds corny.  But many noteworthy athletes, such as Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan (go Tar Heels!), regularly visualize themselves achieving their goals, and just look where it got them:


7.  Know what makes you a unique and desirable candidate.  Why would it be a grave mistake for your school of choice to overlook you?  Compose a statement that will sell these qualities to the members of the interview committee.  You will often be asked at the end of an interview if you have anything else to add.  (Note: you should always have something else to add!)  Use that time to really sell yourself.  Even if you aren't directly asked for a parting statement, you can and should request the opportunity to highlight any overlooked attributes before walking out of the room. 

8.  Follow-up with a timely, hand written thank you note.  Maybe my business background is to blame, but this is a no-brainer to me.  I'm consistently shocked at how often this simple but impactful gesture is overlooked.

...and I'm spent!

I really hope that all this information didn't frighten you into ditching your CRNA dreams in favor of moving to Greenland.  (That would be an unfortunate decision, as one of the many life lesson's I've learned from The Mighty Ducks trilogy is that "Greenland is covered with ice, and Iceland is very nice!")  Yes, grad school interviews are nerve-racking and uncomfortable, and yes, you will have butterflies.  But you'll get through it, just as I did.

(Oh, and at the risk of overloading you with sports footage, take a look at the following video whenever you're lacking inspiration or confidence.  Anything is possible, my friends.  Anything.)


[Click on photo for source information]

A description of my interview at Baptist, the program in which I'm currently enrolled, can be found here.  The other school I applied to conducted their interviews in a similar fashion.  The day included an introduction, a meet-and-greet with current students, and an individual interview with members of the selection committee.

The tone of the day at this particular interview was, in my opinion, markedly different from my experience at Baptist.  Suffice to say, I felt that Baptist's administration arrived prepared and maintained a professional tone throughout the day.  They were proud of their institution - for good reason - and it showed.  Unfortunately, this isn't the same impression that I received from the other program I interviewed with.


As for the interview itself, it differed slightly as compared to Baptist's.  Seated at the head of the classroom, I faced roughly 8 members of the selection committee.  The interview was only around 5 minutes in length and consisted of a few behavioral questions as well as one "clinical" question.  Like the others interviewing that day, I feared the clinical question.

Fortunately, a CRNA forum I'd read months earlier (I don't recall which one) provided sage advice regarding clinical-related interview questions.  One of the CRNA contributors, in discussing interview questions, wrote (and I'm paraphrasing):

If you don't know the answer, say that you don't know the answer!  But follow it up with an example of what you would do in the clinical setting if faced with a similar situation (e.g. consult a reference manual, ask another anesthesia provider for assistance, etc.).

Former students at this particular school had also advised me to highlight my accomplishments in the interview but steer clear of any "one-off" experiences or areas that I was not incredibly  proficient in, as the committee generally drew the clinical question from the procedures and medications the interviewees had previously identified as being familiar with.  My clinical question involved the drug vasopressin and why I might choose to use it in lieu of epinephrine.  Fortunately, I had taken the time to review the important medications and disease processes affecting my patient population (Surgical/Trauma ICU) and was able to confidently answer the question.


I was fortunate in that I was accepted to both programs.  Ultimately, I chose Baptist because it better fit my goals and learning style.  Robin, Baptist's Program Secretary, was available, prompt, and helpful.  This is incredibly important to me as I've found that maneuvering my way through "the system" is often the most challenging aspect of higher education, and Robin makes that process as pain-free as possible.  Furthermore Baptist's Nurse Anesthesia Program Director, who teaches many of the classes, explains complex and abstract concepts in ways that resonate with my learning style.  I believed him to be an invaluable resource given the type and amount of information that I would need to understand in order to pass the board exam and provide safe and effective anesthesia care.  I also appreciated the well-rounded training offered to the Baptist students.  More than simply passing the certification exam at the end of their coursework, Baptist students are expected to develop professionally and benefit their communities, and are given the tools and freedom they require to do so.


Truthfully, it wasn't any one thing that led me to my decision to attend the Baptist program.  Part of it was the intangible feeling of excitement I had when I left the interview.  All I know is that Baptist was the right decision for me.  I would encourage anyone interested in becoming a CRNA to examine each option closely and remember that, while each program is interviewing you, you should simultaneously be interviewing them.  Ask yourself, is one program more conducive to your learning style than others?  If you learn best by doing, you might consider an integrated program, in which you engage in both class and clinical  at the outset (Baptist is organized in this manner).  Otherwise, a front-loaded program, in which classes take place for the first year or so before you begin clinical rotations, may be best.  Do you prefer a larger/smaller class size?  Does the program offer students a diverse set of clinical locations and opportunities?


Ultimately, the best school is the one that is best for you.

1. Know what a CRNA does!  How does it differ from the job of an anesthesiologist or an anesthesia assistant?

2. Research the school.  Know why you want to attend anesthesia school and that program in particular.

3. Prepare yourself to answer any topic that comes your way.  Review the common medications and disease processes you see on your unit and arrive ready to discuss what you know.

4. Spend some time thinking about what you would want to know if you were a member of the selection committee and practice answering those questions.

5. Identify your shortcomings.  Can you turn them into positives?  If not, what have you done to minimize or negate their impact on your success as a CRNA?

6.  Get a good night's sleep the night before your interview.  Lord knows, you'll need it!


7. Dress professionally as well as comfortably.  You don't want to be worried about a "wardrobe malfunction" when you should be concentrating on the task at hand.

8. Arrive early.  As my Assistant Director says, "Early is on-time and on-time is late."

9. Remember: While they are interviewing you, you should also be interviewing them!  Keeping this in mind always helps to reduce my anxiety by "evening the playing field".

I'm not going to lie, anesthesia school interviews are scary.  And this is coming from a girl who actually enjoys public speaking and engaging in conversation with new people.

Before I delve into the details of my experience, I feel I should remind you that I personally interviewed at two institutions.  Currently, over 100 programs exist in this country alone, so to say that my experience will be yours would be unwise.  However, both of the interviews I attended shared a similar schedule of events and interview format so I'd imagine these features might extend to other schools as well.

My interview at Baptist Hospital, the program in which I am currently enrolled, took place within the program's classroom.   I'd guess there to be roughly 15-20 applicants in attendance (I believe there were 7 separate interview dates), all of whom dressed and carried themselves very professionally.  The program director kicked off the day by introducing himself and his colleagues, followed by an overview of the program and a schedule of the day's events.

I was immediately impressed by the planning and execution of the day's activities.  A professional and informative visual presentation accompanied the director's address and applicable handouts were made available to us.  While we waited for our individual interviews to take place, members of the junior and senior class were present to answer our questions and lead groups of applicants on tours of the hospital.  Clearly, a lot of thought went into ensuring that our time at the school was well-spent.

Once it was my turn to face the admissions committee, the director met me outside the classroom door and provided a short explanation as to what to expect, which left me feeling just a bit more comfortable than I had moments earlier.  I took a deep breath and walked through the door... only to find 20 faces staring back at me.  As I mentioned earlier: scary.  Fortunately, they were all very welcoming and, after introducing themselves, the interview began.  I was asked what I would consider to be typical behavioral interview questions over the next 15 minutes.  Examples included "What led you to want to become a CRNA?", "Tell us about a time when you disagreed with a coworker or physician and what you did to alleviate the situation.", and "What do you do for fun?"

I left feeling positive about my performance, but unsure of the selection committee's decision.  Because, although my interview went well, I was also very impressed with the caliber of the other applicants and, from what I could tell, I wasn't any more qualified for a slot than those sitting to my left and right.  So, while the stress of the interview was over, the uncertainty and anticipation of waiting for the school's decision had only just begun.

1. Familiarize yourself with each institution's requirements and deadlines.  Some schools require certain prerequisite courses while others may not.  My school, for example, requires that students submit applications to both UNC Greensboro as well as the anesthesia program itself.  A small detail can render your application inadmissible.

2. Shadow a CRNA.  I can't emphasize this enough!  My shadowing experiences were immensely helpful.  They strengthened my desire to one day practice as a CRNA and provided me with numerous examples to draw upon during the interview process.  In addition, committing a small portion of your free time to observe a nurse anesthesia provider demonstrates to the admission committee that you're truly interested in and dedicated to the profession.

3. Talk to SRNAs or CRNAs that you know.  Ask them what aspects of career they like the best/least.  Find out what they wished they'd known before they entered anesthesia school.

4. Complete any and all prerequisite or core courses prior to the interview date if possible.  Earning favorable marks in relevant graduate level classes indicates that you have what it takes to master the anesthesia school coursework.  In addition, if your program allows you to complete any of its courses before entry, that's one less hurdle you'll have to jump through during the incredibly challenging years ahead of you.

5. Apply early.  A number of schools use the rolling admissions process, providing early applicants with an increased likelihood of admission.  Even if your school of interest reviews all submissions following the application deadline, it's a good idea to submit your packet well beforehand so you'll have the chance to correct any missing or erroneous information before it's too late.

While a second-degree nursing student at UNC Chapel Hill, I was afforded the opportunity to observe an OR procedure.  I was assigned to an open heart surgery and was fortunate enough to work with a number of helpful and knowledgeable individuals that day.  The PA provided a general overview of the case and what to expect before the patient arrived, the surgeon took the time to describe his actions throughout the procedure, and the CRNA and SRNA present discussed the drugs they administered, why each was necessary, and those that they anticipated using as the case unfolded.  I was intrigued, and from that moment on, I knew that anesthesia was my calling.

Over the next 2 years, I researched the profession: I scoured the American Association of Nurse Anesthetist website and frequented online forums, spoke with and shadowed numerous CRNAs at a variety of institutions, and took the time to reflect on what I wanted from my career, both personally and professionally.

The time and effort I put forth prior to applying for and entering anesthesia school was invaluable.  It solidified my decision to become a CRNA and provided me with a clear understanding of the reasons behind this choice.  Over the next two-years I will no doubt encounter numerous low points that leave me to wonder if it's all worth it.  Fortunately, I'll already have my answer.