Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice Frequently Asked Questions

Applications must be received and completed by July 31st for a January cohort start
Apply on NursingCAS (supplemental PDF app no longer required)
National University application for the program found HERE
National Board Exam Pass Rates are found HERE

July 31st: The fully completed application is due.
Mid- to End of September: Interviews will commence either by Zoom or in person at the Fresno Campus.
End of September to Early October: Successful applicants will be notified for a January cohort start.

National is approved to accept up to 30 residents per year. After deficient applications are reviewed, we have more than 15 qualified applicants per seat and interview 100+ applicants. It is highly competitive.

The personal statement is a chance for you to sell yourself and your experience. You should highlight your career achievements and explain any deficiencies (low grades from the past). You should address why you chose Nurse Anesthesiology and National University and what you have done to prepare for it (shadow CRNAs, read Watchful Care book, go to meetings, etc.)

Do not send us a generic letter where you replace one program name with ours. We expect a paragraph about WHY you want to go to National. We have received several generic letters with OTHER program names in them.

Applicants must be currently working full time as a licensed registered nurse in an area of critical care nursing. A minimum of 1 year is required but 2 is preferred at the time of application deadline (July 31). Applicants must have experience in continuous ECG monitoring, invasive monitoring, vasoactive infusion management, and ventilator management.

Emergency Room: High acuity emergency room experience particularly where there is critical care area within the ER.

Flight Nursing: We accept flight nursing experience particularly with a high volume of scene calls.

ICU (preferred): High acuity adult ICU (ICU, CCU, CVICU, SICU, Neurosurgical ICU, MICU, etc.) 

PICU: Pediatric ICU (PICU) experience is acceptable if the applicant can demonstrate excellent experience or knowledge in caring for children and young adults who are on ventilators, have invasive lines, and have a variety of experience with medicated infusion, as well as with medical conditions common to adults. 

NICU: Neonatal ICU experience, while highly specialized and critical, due to its limitation of caring for only newborns is not acceptable for our program. We recommend getting additional adult ICU experience to apply (6 months min with 6+ months NICU).

Areas that do not meet the requirement are: PACU, OB, OR Surgery, step-down units and cath lab. 

The average nationally is ~3 years of RN experience. The short answer on international experience is yes but all applicants to this program must be licensed as an RN in one of the 50 states in the United States. When it comes to international RN experience, we will evaluate your experience individually (Canadian RN Experience is accepted) as it must be similar to US critical care experience.

Just as all RN experience does not count and we require critical care experience (ER, ICU, Flight Nursing), not all NP experience will count. While any NP role will be helpful in anesthesia training, we only accept critical care roles for such as ER and ICU. ER/ICU experience. An NP will be individually evaluated based on the nature of their role.

The preferred terminology utilized in the program is “resident registered nurse anesthesiologist (RRNA) or Nurse Anesthesiology Resident (NAR)”, which are synonymous with student registered nurse anesthetist (SRNA). This terminology has been used by programs for over 20 years.

National uses RRNA/NAR as RNs are licensed professionals before nurse anesthesiology training with years of critical care experience taking care of the sickest of the sick therefore they are not “students”. The term “student” adds additional fear and confusion for patients assuming this is the first time an RRNA/NAR has ever seen a patient which is far from the truth.

The American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology replaced the term “student” with “Nurse Anesthesia Resident” officially in 2023. 

Words matter for patients and using appropriate, accurate and transparent terminology eases patients’ fears.

We require all pre-reqs to be less than 10 years old, but 7 years is preferred. They also must be completed at an accredited institution. We WILL accept graduate level science courses in place of these. For example, your pharm is >10 years or is a “c” take a grad level pharm class. Makes your app stand out. 
These MUST be completed by the interview and an A is preferred with documentation:

Anatomy and Physiology I (or its equivalent)
Anatomy and Physiology II (or its equivalent)
Microbiology
Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Organic Chemistry (at least one course in a Chemistry is required for admission)

These science courses are within most undergraduate bachelor’s degrees. If any of these courses have not been taken or included as part of an applicant’s undergraduate degree, the course(s) must be taken prior to consideration for admission.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from a NLNAC/ACEN or CCNE accredited College or University or Bachelor of Science in a related physical science with licensure as a registered nurse.

A bachelor’s degree in a natural science may be accepted. Examples are chemistry, biology, microbiology, etc. If you have another degree, your past academic background is individually considered for admission to the School. Items considered include a strong science background and good performance history.

Graduate Level Science Classes

Taking graduate-level science courses with high grades (A’s) such as: Anatomy, Pathophysiology/Physiology, Pharmacology, Biology, Microbiology, Chemistry, etc. 

Taking 2 of these CONCURRENTLY and attaining “A’s” will make your application stand out.

We have clinical sites for our residents in CA, AZ, TX, NV and OH. We place residents based on the needs of the program, resident case requirements and the needs of the clinical site. You may let us know a preference, but we cannot guarantee a specific placement.

We Look At 4 Metrics: 
1) Cumulative total GPA for all courses taken (no time limit)
2) Last 60 credits Cumulative total GPA
3) Cumulative total Science GPA (no time limit)
4) Last 60 credits Cumulative total GPA

The minimum overall cumulative GPA is 3.3 (greater than 3.5 highly preferred)
The minimum last 60 credits cumulative GPA is 3.3 (greater than 3.7 highly preferred)
The minimum overall cumulative SCIENCE GPA is 3.3 (greater than 3.5 highly preferred)
The minimum last 60 credits science GPA is 3.3 (greater than 3.7 highly preferred)

The average science GPA in a recent cohort was 3.6 with an average cumulative GPA of 3.8.

High science GPA (3.6+) has been shown to be predictive of success in our program.

Here is the tool we use to calculate GPAs

We will replace all your old classes with ones you have retaken, and we will not calculate the old ones in your science or overall GPA. (get an A on a retake). We highly suggest this for science courses with a “C”.

Some of our specialty rotations may have physician anesthesiologist residents but it does not impact training. Most of our clinical sites, however, are either CRNA independent practice or CRNA autonomous practice where CRNAs perform to the full scope of practice and therefore the CRNA residents do as well. We have an amazing group of both CRNAs and Physicians who train our residents to be the best they can be.

Yes, greater than 80% of our clinical sites are either CRNA only or CRNA Autonomous sites where CRNAs perform every portion of the anesthetic from pre-op to PACU management, responding to the ER/ICU and everything in between.

It is a three year, or 36 months long, hybrid model with the 1st year being entirely didactic. We use a front-loaded structure with in-class, synchronous and asynchronous methods. The 1st year is located at the Fresno campus. Residents will be required to come to campus for exams, sim lab as well as sim testing and special lectures. Years 2 and 3 will be clinical with doctorate courses online. 

Our residents range between 1500-2000 cases by graduation, 2-3.5X the requirement by our accrediting body the Council on accreditation (COA).

Yes. On average our residents perform:

• 200+ ultrasound guided blocks
• 50-100 central lines
• 100+ epidurals
• 100+ spinals

Residents graduate competent in each of these skills.

Becoming a CRNA is very demanding. Residents should expect to devote 60+ hours per week to program requirements including clinical experiences, class time, and study time. In addition, we require the Self Evaluation Exam (SEE) at the end of the didactic year before entering clinical which will require significant preparation. Therefore, resident employment is strongly discouraged throughout the program.

The program director or assistant director reserves the right to disallow any employment if there is evidence of clinical or academic deficiencies which jeopardize the resident’s progress. We have seen a direct correlation between working and risk of failure.

At no time will a resident be employed as an anesthesia provider while in the program.

We require either the CCRN, CEN, TCRN or CFRN/CTRN (or similar national exam certification). We would like to see this by the time of the interview as it impacts your interview score.

Advanced standing is not granted to students even if they have attended another nurse anesthesiology program. We will consider those who wish to apply in the usual fashion to National University’s program after consultation with their previous program and the applicant.

Three favorable evaluations/recommendations are acceptable from at least two of these categories:

a. Current clinical supervisor
b. Fellow critical care nursing peer or anesthesia provider
c. Academic faculty or clinical educator familiar with your academic performance

** This is done through NursingCAS **

Yes. You must shadow a CRNA (preferred) or physician anesthesiologist so you get a sense of what the profession entails. There are no “minimum” hours but more hours give additional insight into the profession (Shadowing an Anesthesiologist Assistant will not count as it is a dependent ‘assistant’ role).  Use THIS FORM please upload it to NursingCAS.

Here are some ways you can help strengthen your application:

• Take graduate-level physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, etc.
• Read Watchful Care Volume 1 & Volume 2 : The History of Nurse Anesthesia
• Review the AANA website documents found here: https://www.aana.com/about-us
• Listen to CRNA anesthesia podcasts such as: Anesthesia Deconstructed & Beyond the Mask
• Read CRNAs: A short history of nurse anesthesia and the future of anesthesia care.
• Choose more complex assignments when working
• Be an instructor of ACLS, PALS, BLS, NRP, 12 Lead EKG, Hemodynamic monitoring etc.
• Have a publication in a recognized journal or healthcare-related magazine
• Be involved in research in your unit/facility.
• Attend your state CRNA association meeting or a National AANA meeting
• Retake any science courses with a “C”
• Consider attending a “Diversity in Nurse Anesthesiology Mentorship” workshop. You can find them HERE
• Become an AANA RN Member! Apply HERE

Please see the Tuition & Fees section for the tuition and fee schedule for the nurse anesthesiology program. There will be additional costs other than tuition and fees, which may include textbooks, Handheld ultrasound (Butterfly IQ+), online review software approved by the program, attendance at meetings, AANA student membership fees, fees for a background check and drug screening, graduation fees, the national certification exam fee, and the self-evaluation exam fee.

Please note that health insurance is required while in the program and the cost can vary from person to person. Please research what your cost for health insurance will be while you are enrolled in the program. Costs are subject to change.

The short answer is no. The program is designed to be completed as it was created, and every course is tailored to Nurse Anesthesiology. So, they are not generic courses.

No

We do not accept BSN degrees from Pass/fail or competency-based programs as we cannot assess GPA accurately. 

No. We require the pre-reqs to come from a degree-granting institution.

We use a scoring system (max 36 pts) which takes into account these attributes:

Personality/Preparedness,  Professional Knowledge & Attended a State or National CRNA meeting (4 points): How you come across in the interview, what you know about the profession and its history/politics and what you know about Nationals Program.

Clinical Questions (3 points): How well you answer any clinical questions.

Overall GPA (4 points): We calculate into the scoring system what your GPA is, We look at cumulative and last 60 credits.

Science GPA (10 points): We calculate into the scoring system what your Science GPA is, science GPA is weighed the highest. We look at cumulative and last 60 credits.

Years of Experience (3 points): We assign points to years of experience in the approved units/Departments.

National Certification Achievement (2 points & required): We add points if you have the CCRN, CEN, CFRN (or equivalent) as well as NP, PA, MD, DO, DDS.

Retaken Science Courses (2 points): We add points (and replace the grade in GPA) if you have retaken science courses you did poorly on.

Taken Graduate Level Science Courses (5 points): We add points if you have taken graduate level science courses. (1 /w an A = 1 pt, 2 /w As = 2 pts, 3 /w As = 3 pts, 2+ concurrently /w As = 5pts)

Clinical-related questions (3 points): We add points for your answers to clinical questions we ask in the interview. 

Attended Diversity CRNA (1 points): We add points for you attending diversity CRNA. 

AANA RN/APRN Member (1 point): We add a point for being an AANA RN member.

Yes! We send residents for 2-week trips every year to places such as the Dominican Republic and Mexico. As of this update we are the only program in the country with an optional 3-month rotation to Saipan.

Mission trip participants are in their clinical residency of the program, in good academic and clinical standing without concern.

Yes, National University was founded in 1971 by retired U.S. Navy Capt. David Chigos. Today, we proudly serve active-duty and veteran students from all branches of the military who are earning their college degrees at home, on base, and abroad. Most recent info can be found HERE. More info from National University can be found HERE.

Yes. You must live within a 45-minute commute from the campus as you will be expected to come to campus for some courses, sim lab, and exams. This is non-negotiable.

The focus on Independent full scope of practice education:
The entire faculty for the DNAP are independently practicing CRNAs many of which own anesthesia groups. These CRNAs do not just teach it, they DO it. A first in the nation.

The Holoanatomy Program:
As of 2024 our DNAP has transitioned to the use of holoanatomy. The first program in the nation to do so. You can learn about Holoatomy HERE with a video HERE.

Ultrasound integrated into courses Week 1 of the Program:
All DNAP NARs get a hand-held ultrasound (Butterfly IQ+) and start using it immediately in anatomy and physiology making the transition to POCUS (point of care ultrasound) and USGRA (Ultrasound-guided blocks) much easier. Another first in the nation. You can see our video HERE.

Intelligent Ultrasounds Bodyworks Eve
All DNAP NARs get hands on education with POCUS and nerve block simulation with our new Bodyworks EVE mannikin! Learn more about it HERE
Additionally We have also have the Heartworks module for the mannikin where you will learn TTE and TEE evaluations as if on a REAL patient! Learn more HERE
We also have the Needle Trainer which allows you to learn Ultrasound guided blocks with a simulated needle on either the mannikin OR real people! Learn more HERE
This advancement allows us to not just teach you “normals” and abnormals with still images, but actually program the mannikin to HAVE abnormals AS you scan! AMAZING!

Fully licensed ultrasonographer as Adjunct Faculty:
Mrs. Kramer is a fully licensed Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer who has helped shape and create out ultrasound program. Another first in the nation.

Giving Back via Mission Trips
National NARs have the opportunity to go to a 1-2 week mission trip to Kenya to provide anesthesia in a 3rd world country. 

Full 3-Month Rotation to Saipan
National NARs have the opportunity to rotate during their clinical phase to Saipan as a full 3-month clinical rotation. Saipan is a U.S. commonwealth in the Western Pacific.

An entire course devoted to the Business of Anesthesia:
ANE 871 Health Care Economics teaches our NARs the economics of anesthesia, how to negotiate and evaluate an anesthesia contract, and gives you the tools to become a business owner in anesthesiology. This is taught by faculty who ACTUALLY have anesthesia businesses and negotiate these contracts every day and is a full course on its own. Another

It is best that you have your books at least two weeks before class starts in order to get familiar with the authors and text. *Many of the books will be included in tuition and have digital access starting in 2025.

Everyone in the program learns differently but we all have a reliable iPad and a reliable laptop. The iPad allows you to record lectures while taking notes using Notability or Good Notes. Both work great!

Yes, you will need it or something similar for courses.

Yes, travel and housing will be covered by the resident. The learning software and board prep by APEX will be supplied and is included in tuition (*APEX will be purchased by the university in the second quarter*). The university will also be purchasing the Butterfly IQ3 handheld ultrasound for each resident and National also covers the cost of the device subscription for the duration of the program.

Apex is the gold standard that all schools use to prepare their NAR’s for the national exam. So YES. You need it! Apex will help you prepare for most of the classes you will be taking at National University. NU will purchase APEX for each cohort as a group, do not buy it in a group purchase or individually.

We train our residents in Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia (USGRA) both of which are rapidly becoming standard skills today in anesthesiology. The butterfly IQ3 (BFIQ3) allows residents to learn these skills both in the lab, clinical and at home on their down time. This rapidly expands residents’ expertise in POCUS and USGRA scanning, assessment and diagnostic skills.

Additionally, the BFIQ3 is utilized in multiple courses and has an educational portion of the online subscription where images and videos can be uploaded, saved and accessed by faculty. We will have assignments and bonus points based on this functionality.

It is imperative to dedicate at least 10-16 hours of studying while trying to have a study-life balance. Studying for 3-4 classes can be challenging, so time management and teamwork with co-residents will help tremendously. Always work ahead if you can! Remember you are not alone; co-residents and faculty are here to help.

The program requires that all residents live within a 45-minute commute to the campus.

You will have to be on campus for the sim lab, be close for access to the sim lab to review and study with groups, and be on campus for exams and interaction with your study/project groups.

Zoom is not the same as in-person study groups. Where to live is a common question and to be honest it is really about how much you want to spend. Many of the residents felt that if they had been roommates, they could have saved a good amount of money. We will send out a list of places that are affordable and close to school. With housing, Fresno is a very popular place and you will need to secure housing asap months in advance.

You can find information on www.apartments.com and also resources and recommendations from your upperclassmen that are leaving for clinical rotations.

This MAP gives you an idea where to live in relation to campus.

This link is a list of places to live in Fresno which are local to the campus. It is also editable so your cohort can add to it!

This all depends on your lifestyle but housing in Fresno is affordable, and financial aid will be able to cover your housing.

Fresno has good public transportation that is near the school. If you find an apartment close to the university, then all shopping centers are close by as well. Please keep in mind that you will need transportation when sent to clinicals.

This all depends, Simulation lab once a week but open lab is available all week and is highly encouraged to familiarize yourself and learn anesthesia. Additionally, some classes may require you to take exams on campus or come for specific lectures.

Most of your classes will be online via Zoom or Webex. The only class that you must be present for is lab for A&P or Simulation Lab. We use a software system that activates a lock down browser and turns on the camera and audio on your computer which is saved and reviewed by faculty for exams. Also, in person for lab exams and some course exams.

Like every teaching modality, it has its challenges, but resources are available, and the professor is available for assistance at any time. It is imperative that you verbalize your needs and ensure that you are getting the help that you need. The benefit is you can review PowerPoints from the comfort of your home or the library. This decreases the cost to travel and the difficulty of being in a classroom for 6 hours at a time. We have synchronous and asynchronous as well as in person components to our courses.

We will be assigning you a mentor which is delegated by the cohort above you.

Yes, National does offer tutoring services.

Yes, we have university and public libraries available in the area for group studies. There is also a resident lounge in the building.

Our residents range between 1500-2000 cases by graduation, 2-3.5X the requirement by our accrediting body the Council on accreditation (COA). On average our residents perform:

• 200+ ultrasound guided blocks
• 50-100 central lines
• 100+ epidurals
• 100+ spinals

We typically have at least 3-4 classes per quarter.

Yes, our program director and assistant director are always reachable and ready to help, should you need it (they will provide you with their cell phone numbers). Professors are also easily reachable and will get back to you as soon as possible. We also use Groupme Application where all faculty and residents for each cohort are located. 

The preferred terminology utilized in the program is “resident registered nurse anesthesiologist (RRNA) or Nurse Anesthesia Resident (NAR), which is synonymous to student registered nurse anesthetist (SRNA). National uses RRNA or NAR as RNs are licensed professionals before nurse anesthesiology training with years of critical care experience taking care of the sickest of the sick therefore they are not “students”. The term “student” adds additional fear and confusion for patients assuming this is the first time an RRNA has ever seen a patient which is far from the truth. Words matter for patients and using appropriate terminology eases patients’ fears.

***The AANA eliminated the term “Student” and replaced with it “Nurse Anesthesia Resident” as of 2023***

The Self Evaluation Exam (SEE)

The SEE exam is an assessment exam taken by residents at a testing center which has been shown to have a positive correlation with performance on the National Certification Exam (NCE).

National wants our residents to be prepared for and pass the NCE on the first attempt. As such, the program requires that every nurse anesthesiology take the SEE exam during the 5th quarter as a requirement to pass ANE 830 and 12th (and last) quarter as a requirement to pass ANE 880. Residents must achieve a minimum score of 400 on the SEE for ANE 830 and 450 for ANE 880 exam to pass these classes and successfully matriculate in the program as this has shown to have positive correlation with passing the NCE. Any score less than above will result in an “Incomplete” for that quarter. All “Incomplete” grades must be resolved prior to graduating from the Nurse Anesthesiology Program. More info available in the Resident Handbook.

You can learn more about the SEE exam HERE.

Overview of the Scholarly Project

The National doctoral program culminates with the completion of a scholarly work that demonstrates the ability to translate research findings into practice. This is an opportunity for the resident to prepare a substantial final written work product, applicable to nurse anesthesiology practice, that reflects the breadth of skills and knowledge the resident has gained throughout the program of study. All residents will receive an email in September of their 1st year with the scholarly project handbook which includes detailed instructions and acts as a guideline.

Some basic information:

Residents will be placed into groups for the project by the program and assigned a faculty mentor
The project will culminate in:

• A full written paper with literature review
• Final voice over PPT which will be posted on the National Webpage
• One additional dissemination method as listed in the handbook.

The requirements for the Scholarly Project are based upon the Council on Accreditation Scholarly Work for Practice Doctorate Nurse Anesthesia Programs: Current State and Guidance found HERE.

More than 150+ applicants do not get an interview, accepted, or waitlisted to the National University Nurse Anesthesiology Program. As much as we may want to, you can imagine it is nearly impossible to have a one-on-one to discuss with individual applicants. For that reason, we created this FAQ to identify the top reasons why people do not get an interview, accepted, or waitlisted.

We identified the top 4 reasons why applicants do not get an interview, they are:

1. Did not have the required years of critical care experience (ICU, ER, Flight) or was not competitive among the application year cohort.
2. Did not meet all the requirements for application. More information on the requirements can be found under the Applicant FAQ Section.
3. GPA (usually science GPA) was below 3.0 or was not competitive in the current application year.
4. Many applicants are taking graduate level patho/phys/pharm courses and getting A’s, making them more competitive.

1. Get more relevant experience before the next application period. One year of experience is rarely enough to get accepted.
2. Retake all “C” grades in science prerequisites as we replace the “C” with the new grade which will substantially increase your GPA and show initiative.
3. If your overall GPA is low consider taking graduate-level pathophysiology, pharmacology etc. We recognize that mistakes/life events can happen when we are young which may impact our GPAs. Taking TWO graduate-level science classes concurrently shows your ability to perform graduate-level science work in volume and shows initiative.

We identified the top 5 reasons why applicants do not get accepted or waitlisted after an interview; they are:

1. Interviewees may have been extremely anxious or did not present as confident. The operating room is an aggressive, A-Type and ‘challenging’ environment and if an interviewee presents as demure, passive or shy we will have concerns about how they will do in the clinical residency portion of the program.
2. The interviewee did not appear to have any knowledge of the history of the Nurse Anesthesiology profession, the scope of practice or the politics involved in it. Guessing is not acceptable.
3. The interviewee did not appear to know much about the National University Nurse Anesthesiology program in contrast to other programs and what we do differently or offer that is different.
4. Other applicants who interviewed were stronger overall candidates. This may indicate you need to work on interview skills, GPA, science GPA, experience or consider graduate-level science classes to further stand out.
5. There was no effort to retake low grades or graduate-level science courses in spite of a low GPA. While you may be confident you are able to do it with grit, we cannot know that in a 15-minute interview. Ultimately, we must assume past performance is indicative of future performance without any attempted resolution and have to protect you from failure and the program from risk of attrition.
   
   Consider reviewing the Applicant FAQ section for ways on how you can improve your chances of acceptance.

Here are some steps to help strengthen your application:

• Read watchful care Volume 1 & Volume 2 : The History of Nurse Anesthesia
• Take 2 concurrent graduate-level physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, or research courses
• Review the AANA website documents found here: https://www.aana.com/about-us
• Listen to CRNA anesthesia podcasts such as: Anesthesia Deconstructed & Beyond the Mask
• Read CRNAs: A short history of nurse anesthesia and the future of anesthesia care.
• Know about recent CRNA political ‘hot topics’
• Understand the CRNA scope of practice
• Choose more complex assignments when working
• Be an instructor of ACLS, PALS, BLS, NRP, 12 Lead EKG, Hemodynamic monitoring etc.
• Have a publication in recognized journal or healthcare related magazine
• Be involved in research in your unit/facility.
• Retake any science courses with a “C”
• Make sure you have one national certification (CCRN, CFRN, CTRN, CEN etc)
• Consider attending a “Diversity in Nurse Anesthesiology Mentorship” workshop. You can find them HERE

Here are some steps to help strengthen your interview:

• Speak clearly and confidently
• Do not guess if you do not know
• Answer honestly
• Be prepared
• Consider interview preparation by attending a “Diversity in Nurse Anesthesiology Mentorship” workshop. You can find them HERE.

We use a scoring system which takes into account these attributes:

Personality/Preparedness: How you come across in the interview, what you know about the profession and its history/politics and what you know about Nationals Program.

IQ & EQ: How well you answer any clinical questions, personality questions, EQ questions.

Overall GPA & Science GPA: We calculate into the scoring system what your GPA is, science GPA is weighed heavier.

Years of Experience: We assign points to years of experience in the approved units we accept to a maximum of 5 years (no additional points for more).

National Certification Achievement: We add points if you have the CCRN, CEN, CFRN (or equivalent).

Retaken Science Courses, Taken Graduate Level Science Courses: We add points (and replace the grade in GPA) if you have retaken science courses you did poorly on and add points if you have taken graduate-level science courses.

Many programs call this an alternate list, we use waitlist because we WANT these applicants in our program, but they were likely edged out by those with higher science GPAs, Graduate level STEM courses, interview performance etc.

We look at all our applicants and rank them based on the point system we developed. Once all the seats are filled, we take the top 10-20 and place them on the waitlist. These are ranked based on the point system.

We keep the ranking internal and do not provide those on the waitlist with a rank.

We send an email of acceptance to the top-ranking person on the waitlist. They will have 24 hours to reply accepting or turning down the seat. If they accept, they pay the deposit to hold their seat. If they turn down the seat, we move to the next with the same process and so on.

We have had people drop out as late as December for various reasons and offered people on the waitlist as late as then. Generally, most people drop by the end of September or early October as they have 14 business days from acceptance offer to pay the deposit and hold the spot.

Every applicant pool is judged against the others IN that applicant pool. Therefore, what might have been competitive the year before may not be as competitive as the next cohort (or vice versa). 

However, when an applicant gets on the waitlist that means we want them in our program. If they come back the next year with a stronger application, we absolutely account for that in our decision making.

That is NOT a guarantee, but over the years some of our best NARs are people we have not accepted the first time and came back with a stronger application based on the guidance on these pages.

Winter Quarter (January Start) YEAR 1

ANE 800 Advanced Principles of EBP
ANE 810 Advanced Pharmacology Concepts Prerequisite: Admission to the Nurse Anesthesia Program or prior approval from Program Director
ANE 815 Adv Human Anatomy for Anesth Prerequisite: Admission to the Nurse Anesthesia Program or approval from Program Director
ANE 816 Advanced Human Anatomy Lab (1.5 quarter units) Prerequisite: Admission to the Nurse Anesthesia Program or prior approval from Program Director

Spring Quarter (April Start) YEAR 1

ANE 820 Nurse Anesthesia Physiology I
ANE 824 Principles of Anesthesia I
ANE 825 Advanced Hifi Sim I (1.5 quarter units) Corequisite: ANE 824 with a minimum grade of B
ANE 818 Anesthesia Pharmacology I Corequisite: ANE 824 with a minimum grade of B

Summer Quarter (July Start) Year 1

ANE 821 Nurse Anesthesia Physiology II
ANE 826 Principles of Anesthesia II Prerequisite: ANE 824 with a minimum grade of B
ANE 827 Advanced HiFi Sim II (1.5 quarter units)
ANE 819 Anesthesia Pharmacology II

Fall Quarter (September Start) Year 1

ANE 828 Principles of Anesthesia III
ANE 829 Advanced HiFi Sim III (1.5 quarter units) Corequisite: ANE 828 Lab componentof the POA III lecture course
ANE 822 Anesthesia Physiology III Prerequisite: ANE 821 with a minimum grade of B
ANE 823 Anesthesia Physical Assessment

Winter Quarter (January Start) Year 2

ANE 830 Principles of Anesthesia IV Prerequisite: with a minimum grade of B- Curriculum in a cohort, lock-step model
ANE 831 Advanced HiFi Sim IV (1.5 quarter units) Corequisite: ANE 830 with a minimum grade of B
ANE 840 Anesth Professional Aspects
ANE 801 Biostat for Nurse Anesthesia

Spring Quarter (April Start) Year 2

ANE 850 Clinical and Seminar I Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of the didactic phase of the program
ANE 851 Implementing EBP in Anesthesia Prerequisite: ANE 800 with a minimum grade of B

Summer Quarter (July Start) Year 2

ANE 855 Clinical and Seminar II
ANE 856 Health Policy and Advocacy

Fall Quarter (September Start) Year 2

ANE 860 Clinical and Seminar III
ANE 861 Systems Analysis — Communication

Note: Clinical rotation courses will involve a minimum of 500 clinical hours per quarter.

Winter Quarter (January Start) Year 3

ANE 865 Clinical Rotation — Seminar IV
ANE 866 Epidemiology — Population Health Prerequisite: ANE 801 with a minimum grade of B

Spring Quarter (April Start) Year 3

ANE 870 Clinical Rotation — Seminar V Corequisite: ANE 865 with a minimum grade of B
ANE 871 Health Care Economics — Finance

Summer Quarter (July Start) Year 3

ANE 875 Clinical Rotation-Seminar VI Prerequisite: ANE 870 with a minimum grade of B
ANE 876 Scholary Project

Fall Quarter (September Start) Year 3

ANE 880 Clinical Specialization Prerequisite: ANE 870 with a minimum grade of B
ANE 881 DNAP Role — Health Care Impact

Note: Clinical rotation courses will involve a minimum of 500 clinical hours per quarter.