Frequently Asked Questions

• What type of nursing experience is required for admission to the master of science in nurse anesthesia program?
• How many applicants do you have each year?
• Are all applicants invited for interviews?
• What can I expect during the interview?
• How many students are admitted to the program each year?
• What are the typical admission statistics for admitted students? 
• Is financial aid available?
• Do your students compete with anesthesia residents?
• Are students allowed to perform their own regional anesthesia?
• What are the graduation requirements?
• How do your graduates perform on boards?
• Are students able to find jobs after graduation?
• Download the Class of 2013 AFN Student Handbook
• Download the Class of 2014 AFN Student Handbook

What type of nursing experience is required for admission to the master of science in nurse anesthesia program?
To be eligible, a candidate must have a minimum of one year as a Registered Nurse in a critical care setting when he/she applies to the program. This includes areas such as Medical Intensive Care, Surgical Intensive Care, Acute Coronary Care, or Neonatal Intensive Care; unit designations vary among hospitals. We currently do not accept Emergency Room or Post-Anesthesia Care Unit experiences as adequate to meet this requirement. Students are required to have current ACLS and PALS certification.

How many applicants do you have each year?
On average, we receive between 10-20 inquiries to the program per month. The number of inquiries which lead to application varies from year to year. As the job market remains very strong for CRNA's, we look to continue receiving many applications for each new class of students.

Are all applicants invited for interviews?
No. Admission into our program is very competitive. All submitted applications are reviewed by our Admissions Subcommittee. All aspects of the application are thoroughly evaluated by the committee, including overall GPA, basic science GPA, clinical experience, reference letters, and the personal statement. Interview offers are extended to those applicants the committee feels are most qualified.

What can I expect during the interview?
All interviews will be conducted at the College of Health Professions building on the MUSC campus. The interview day includes a description of the program, and an interview during which the applicant will meet with several students, faculty members, staff CRNAs, and the program director.

How many students are admitted to the program each year?
We currently look to admit twenty-six to twenty-eight (26 - 28) students per academic year to the program.

What are the typical admission statistics for admitted students?
Admitted students typically have an undergraduate GPA of 3.45 or greater, 24 months of critical care nursing experience, and have completed all prerequisite coursework.

Is financial aid available?
Yes, financial aid services are available and can be found at http://www.musc.edu/em/financialmanagement/.

Do your students compete with anesthesia residents?
We only share our rotations at the MUSC campus with anesthesiology residents. These sites include MUSC Main hospital, Ashley River Tower, Rutledge Tower and the Veterans Administration Medical Center.

Are students allowed to perform their own regional anesthesia?
Yes. In addition to very comprehensive didactic training that includes a human cadaver lab, our students gain hands-on regional experience at many of our clinical sites. Students learn and are allowed to perform blocks for spinal anesthesia, epidural anesthesia as well as many of the currently used peripheral anesthesia blocks such as axillary, supraclavicular & infraclavicular blocks, interscalene blocks, ankle blocks, and many lower extremity regional blocks.

What are the graduation requirements?
Candidates for the degree of Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia must be recommended by the faculty and:

• Complete all requirements for the prescribed curriculum.
• Earn a cumulative GPA 3.0 or greater with no more than two course grades less than a 3.0 in all work presented for graduation.
• Perform a minimum of 650 anesthetics as well as meet all clinical requirements as specified by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs and Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists.
• Successfully complete a written comprehensive examination.

How do your graduates perform on boards?
MUSC graduates have achieved a pass rate on the certification exam above the national average for the past eleven years, including 100% pass rate for nine of those years. Many of our students achieve the highest possible score on the examination.

Are students able to find jobs after graduation?
Since inception 100% of the program's graduates have received jobs as CRNAs upon completion and passing their boards. Many of the program graduates work in South Carolina.

More questions?
Click here to download the Class of 2013 AFN Student Handbook.
Click here to download the Class of 2014 AFN Student Handbook.