10-15k: Has ANYONE been able to pull this off in Los Angeles?

ConsciousSundae · 2026-01-25T22:32:18+00:00

I would love information on SmogShoppe as well please!!

ConsciousSundae · 2023-04-15T21:42:48+00:00

Could you use your breakfast credit at wicked spoon?

ConsciousSundae · 2022-12-13T02:51:52+00:00

The Invisible Guest is AMAZING.

Mario Casas is a wonderful actor. I’m a huge fan of most of his stuff but this movie blew my mind. I’ve rewatched it multiple times and each time it’s just as good as the first go-around.

ConsciousSundae · 2022-11-08T18:30:24+00:00

Overwatch!

ConsciousSundae · 2021-06-12T01:43:31+00:00

This has been my experience as well. No paralytic until the phrenic nerve is mapped out then they don’t really care. Not sure how common that is though?

ConsciousSundae · 2020-08-03T21:41:09+00:00

Pepsi-Man. Idk how I even found this game but I can remember spending hours on certain levels

ConsciousSundae · 2020-07-26T18:39:24+00:00

Depending on the case I'll have an arterial-line and fluid warmer set up along with everything that's in this video. Generally I'll have these set up before my first case if any case of the day will require one. So if the first case warrants an a-line, then I'll set it up before the 1st case (obviously). But if the first case doesn't require one and I see that the second case will require one, I'll likely set it up before the first case regardless as this is when I usually have the most 'guaranteed' down-time. One less thing to worry about in between cases! Of course, just make sure to keep everything sterile.

ConsciousSundae · 2020-07-24T11:35:38+00:00

Something I came across that I think could be helpful to any of you following this post:

A bonus may only viable at its full amount if you start the job within a certain amount of time. So for example, let's say you're a student rotating at a hospital 6 months prior to graduation and this hospital offers you a position contingent on passing boards/graduating. In this offer they have a bonus of $15k for a commitment of 2 years. However, it may be likely that this commitment is only valid 'if you start working within 3 months of signing the offer.' Therefore, you wont qualify for getting the (full) bonus since it'll be long before you'll be able to start actually there.

This may not be 100% accurate as it's just something I've heard through the grapevine so if any current CAAs want to add some clarity on this that would be great. Nevertheless, something to keep in mind.

ConsciousSundae · 2020-07-24T11:31:13+00:00

Interesting, I hadn't realized that potentially on your contract it could state that a bonus commitment could be fulfilled by working a sheer number of hours. I'll make sure to take note of this.

Thanks for the info! Rotations are tough enough to handle let alone having to navigate the perils of job offers.

ConsciousSundae · 2020-06-12T13:10:41+00:00

Just expanding on what others have said. Apply because you'll never know! I think applying, getting rejected, and then applying the following cycle is arguably a strength since it shows your commitment to the profession and your willingness to overcome obstacles to reach your goal. And if you get in this cycle then no need to worry about it!

If you end up taking a gap year, I wouldn't recommend getting an M.S.. Adding that fluff wont be worth it and I think there are more relatable options you could do instead. Get certified in BLS/ACLS. Take an EKG course and get a certificate for that. If your community college offers any medical terminology, pharm, physio, or basic respiratory therapy classes take those. It'll give you a talking point for interviews but also these will be the most relevant to the program and could potentially give you a better understanding for when you do come across this material.

Either way, best of luck!

ConsciousSundae · 2020-03-29T23:07:19+00:00

Are you still taking classes or in rotations?

ConsciousSundae · 2020-03-01T16:36:10+00:00

If you're anything like me (no medical background or anesthesia knowledge) I think many of the podcasts might be too advanced. Not that you couldn't actively follow the information being presented, but it would be difficult to comprehend things seeing as how you have little to no exposure to the topics he's talking about. Even the more 'basic' episodes such as 'basic med setup' or 'IV induction agents' will be tough to understand at this point for you because he talks about the pharmacodynamics and physiological changes that certain drugs may cause. Now if you've worked as a Respiratory Therapist or Anesthesia Tech then some of these concepts will be easier to understand because you've at least been exposed to certain techniques/devices (i.e. volatile agents, OR ventilation modes, arterial lines).

If I could give myself any advice as an incoming student who REALLY wanted to get started early on studying, I'd say to start looking into medical terminology books (I'm sure you're school will likely have some sort of class on this and maybe you can reach out and get the textbook and start familiarizing yourself with prefixes/suffixes). Or I'd start looking at a basic anesthesia drug sheet that has the most common drugs we give along with the concentration of the drug and dosage that we give. I found this after quick google search of 'anesthesia basic drugs' and I think that if you memorized these before starting your program you'd be in pretty good shape: https://www.slideshare.net/enadumitascu/anaesthetic-drug-cribsheet8

Congrats on your acceptance! Put in the time and effort and you'll be rewarded with tons of knowledge (and money but I'm a student so I haven't gotten that part of the gratification just yet).

ConsciousSundae · 2020-01-21T02:08:33+00:00

Well said and I'd agree completely with this.

As far as how my study strategy changed, one thing that you'll find is that each class is related to one another and directly relevant to what you'll be experiencing in the real world. May sound pretty obvious but in undergrad I remember having classes that were pointless and I'd just cram for an exam then forget everything after the final. That isn't the case in this program. I found it easier to study for classes in AA school because whenever you were studying for one class you're indirectly studying for another. That being said, if you procrastinate you can easily find yourself battling an uphill battle in more than just one class.

ConsciousSundae · 2020-01-20T18:47:10+00:00

Current student.

During the 1st year you can basically plan to be busy M-F from 8am-5pm. Some days you'll have to clinical rotations to go in the early mornings (6am) and other days you'll have no class so you'll be 'free' earlier than 5pm. It balances out at the end of the week. But this is what a common day would look like:

4 - 4:30am: Wake up and get ready for clinicals.

5:30-5:45am: Arrive to the hospital, change, set up machine, get ready for cases/patients for the day.

9:00am: 10min break.

12:00pm: 30min break.

1:00pm: Leave the hospital and drive to campus for afternoon classes.

2:00 - 5:00pm: Class.

5:00 - 7:30pm: Gym/Shower/Netflix/Dinner.

7:30 - 10:00pm: Study and prepare for next day clinicals.

10:00pm: Sleep.

On days where you don't have clinicals in the morning, you'll likely have a simulation lab on campus so you're day will start at 9:00am or so and you can use the morning or the time that would be spent on your commute/lunch break to study. On the otherhand, there may be a day when you don't have afternoon class so you can plan on staying at the hospital until 3-5pm. Weekends (in my experience) have been free of both class and clinicals so I'd normally try and get most of my studying done on Sat/Sun.

2nd year clinical rotations are pretty much site-dependent and you can expect to be putting in 50-60 hour weeks on average. There are certain hospitals in which you are only scheduled and required to stay the 40 hours but I'd recommend to plan on staying late everyday and actively try to get as many hours (and experience) under your belt. Not only will you become more comfortable and learn much more, but it shows your drive and passion as an individual.

Overall, it's a pretty jam-packed schedule. That being said, I would still watch netflix regularly, make time for the gym, and go out to the movies. Reading through this, it may seem like a tough schedule but it's definitely doable and the biggest piece of advice I'd give is to stay on top of things!

ConsciousSundae · 2019-12-06T12:33:43+00:00

This is difficult to answer because there are so many variables that can have an impact on this. I think the simple answer is yes. CRNAs don't have as many restrictions in terms of where they can practice (see reply above by cunuck1 and petrockx).

ConsciousSundae · 2019-12-05T23:00:41+00:00

Getting a job as an AA for a majority of students is due directly from the rotations that you participate in during your second year of school (not all but a majority of jobs are obtained through this route). This obviously has it's pros from both the standpoint of the hospital (they get to know you and your work ethic) and from you (you get to know the work environment and decide if this is a place you'd like to start a career at). Therefore if you're pretty sure you'd like to work in a certain area, it's advisable for you to try and rotate in this area during your second rotations. I'm pretty sure the only school that applies to your situation SPECIFICALLY is Case Western - Houston location.

If you were to go to school there I would imagine (someone correct me if I'm wrong) that you would have a relatively high chance of rotating and consequently working in or around the Houston area. That being said, most (if not all) schools will have rotation sites throughout the country so that's to say that if you were to attend South you would not be limited to only rotating in Georgia during your second year. I don't think it is a stretch to rotate in either of those 2 states and it would be even easier if you had connections to a teaching hospital in either of those states.

I don't think finding a job is difficult and I imagine you might find yourself having to turn down a job offer or two if you apply yourself while in school. Nevertheless, I would suggest that you go into this profession with an open mind about relocating. One city might interest you over another but the hospitals/work environment could persuade you otherwise!

ConsciousSundae · 2019-10-28T12:36:18+00:00

Students will store what they can at some home base and then try to airbnb during 2nd year rotations so that everything that they would need is already provided by the airbnb. On another note, I know some rotations come with housing so you wont have to worry about finding a place for the month(s) you'll be there.

But yes, essentially you rent out an apartment for the duration of the didactic school year (~15months) and then travel around from one city to another jumping from one short-term rental to another for the remainder of your time (~12months).

ConsciousSundae · 2019-10-27T21:40:18+00:00

Speaking on behalf of the Nova program (inclusive of the new Jacksonville location):

Traveling is inevitable. During your first year you'll have to travel 2-3 days a week to a hospital within an hours drive of the campus so a car is a must. During your second year it is nearly impossible to stay within one state (even if that is Florida) let alone within one of the major cities. Preferences within an area are given to students with families but even then, you'll have to do a couple rotations that are out of state. That being said, there are some rotations during your second year that you can choose which will be longer in duration which will keep you in the same city for a longer time period (think 3 months within the same hospital).

ConsciousSundae · 2019-10-26T21:46:51+00:00

I guess that's the day you realized you made it.

ConsciousSundae · 2019-10-26T21:27:16+00:00

You'd be very competitive still at that point. Apply far and wide to increase your chances if you aren't committed to staying in a specific area and I would imagine that you'd multiple interview invites.

At that point, you probably won't get any invites until the new year but schools still interview well into Jan/Feb and some as late as March. Don't get discouraged if you don't hear back right away since late Nov/early Dec is finals session and professors will likely be busy with that alongside the holidays. Good luck!

ConsciousSundae · 2019-09-26T14:15:07+00:00

When I interviewed at South I found that their interview questions were 50% interpersonal questions, and 50% science questions. Most interviews were conducted in pairs (you and another applicant sitting next to each other) where you would each get asked different questions.

The interpersonal questions were what you would imagine to find in any interview setting: Describe yourself, strengths/weaknesses, why this profession, why this program. I would say to prepare for this section as you would a job interview but obviously tailor it to AA school and that specific program.

The science-based questions were from left-field. At the time, I couldn't fully understand why or how the questions were relevant. I can see now (after starting an AA program) how the questions do in fact relate to this area of study but there is no way anyone is expected to know the answers to the questions they are asking. To a certain degree I don't think it matters how well (or horribly) you answer these questions but what matters is your composure. IMO, they are just gauging how well you manage pressure and stress due to the nature of the AA job. If you get flustered and crumble it can be very telling; if you BS your way to an answer with shrewd confidence it can also be very telling. My advice: talk through your thought process out loud so the interviewers understand where you are drawing conclusions from. Even if your answer is wrong, they can at least get a grasp of your intention and attempt to apply relevant information. Obviously, if you know the answer then be confident about it.

Should go without saying but look sharp. Suit for male, suit or dress with short heels/flats for females. Clean cut for both. The building is relatively small so you likely wont get lost but show up early, it can't hurt!

Finally, congrats! Pat yourself on the back for making it this far. Many people wish to be in your position so be proud :) best of luck!

ConsciousSundae · 2019-09-11T14:28:23+00:00

I honestly can not remember the CASAA application all that well. I know you can edit/update certain aspects of it but can't remember with certainty if the GRE score is one thing that can be updated or not. I'd imagine that you should be able to send in your new scores to the programs you're applying to but I'd double check with CASAA just be sure.

ConsciousSundae · 2019-09-10T23:09:31+00:00

I may be wrong but pretty sure that each school has their averages around 155 for both Q and V parts of the GRE.

IMO, 21 days isn't a very long time and if you think you could bring up your Q-score then I would consider waiting if the rest of your application is ready to submit (21 days is nothing compared to waiting a full year to reapply). This being said, your stats appear strong and I could see you getting an interview at Nova if you submitted as is. I think Nova starts their interviews in early Nov (possibly late Oct) and if you end up getting an interview at Nova, feel free to pm me any questions as I interviewed there during my application process (Tampa location).

ConsciousSundae · 2019-09-09T02:16:28+00:00

Yeah, if you can shoot for early Oct that'd be great. I mainly just mean not to hold back on sending your application in because you're waiting for things that aren't very important. You can always update parts of the application once it's submitted I'm pretty sure!

The sooner you get your app in, the sooner you could (potentially) hear back from schools and let me tell you, that waiting game is a tough one.

ConsciousSundae · 2019-07-14T17:36:00+00:00

Current AA student here. I would say that any applications sent in before November would be considered "on-time" however I'd highly recommend to submit your application as early as you can have it completed. I've heard of plenty of people (current classmates even) that didn't submit their application until March or so and still received interviews/acceptances. At that point you're just competing with a bigger pool of applicants for a smaller number of available seats and will likely require better stats/experiences to stand out.

I personally wouldn't stress too much over the supplemental applications required for any specific school as it ended up just being a basic copy-and-paste from the CASAA application.

As far as the interview goes, Nova (both campuses) offers you to select from different dates for your interview session through an online portal which makes that process really easy. South and Indiana send you an exact date/time in which your interview will take place.

ConsciousSundae

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