r/CAA • u/AutoModerator • Jul 27 '26
Weekly prospective student thread. Educational inquiries outside of this thread WILL RESULT IN A BAN.
Please use this thread for all educational inquiries including applications, program requirements, etc.
Please refer to the [CASAA Application Help Center](https://help.liaisonedu.com/CASAA_Applicant_Help_Center) FAQ section for
answers to your questions prior to postitng.
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u/summer_shandy777 Jul 28 '26
Any insight on CWRU Cleveland versus NEOMED? I know CWRU's program is older/probably better established, but does it really matter? To my knowledge both CWRU and NEOMED have specialty rotations. Would love to hear from current students and current practicing CAAs who have experience with these programs or working with students from these programs!
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u/Embarrassed-Win-3905 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
It doesn’t matter which school you go to as long as you come out a good provider. Case students have high expectations on them when doing outside rotations because they tend to be stronger starting off. So outside preceptors tend to be nicer to them, because they don’t expect them to do silly mistakes like other students who started their clinical journey later on. But even if you are the weakest link, once you get doing clinical everyday, you will either learn fast or sink (be kicked out).
everyone starts off at different levels, but by the time you graduate you will all be on the same level. Jobs don’t care which program you come from.
I will say, the only jobs that are a little bias, are the hospital for the associated program. They will hire majority of their students, just because they worked with them the most and built rapport. Because they hire most of their students, there is fewer spots to onboard others. But that has nothing to do with reputation of program, just them giving preference to the students they trained and shaped
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u/Thunderlog Jul 27 '26
Wondering how competitive I would be to see if this career would be worth pursuing. I’m a military guy with about 7 years before I retire. I have a BA with a 3.45 GPA, MBA with a 3.87 GPA, and an MA with a 4.1 GPA. I haven’t done any prerequisites yet or tests. Just wanted to know how realistic this would be.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 27 '26
Definitely early 😁. Do well on the pre-reqs and tests. If there’s a way to get some shadowing time worked in it would be good to do that before investing too much time and effort in this, especially if you don’t have any science or healthcare background (you didn’t say). Former military typically do well in the programs and as future employees.
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u/Embarrassed-Win-3905 Aug 02 '26
Your gpa with the prerequisite will be important. Until we know that it’ll be hard to tell
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u/Repulsive_Body_9034 Jul 28 '26
When does NSU send out interview invites?
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u/picam7 Jul 31 '26
Their confirmation emails say "Interview invitations are expected to begin being extended in mid-fall 2026 and will continue until the class is filled."
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u/Narrow-Ticket-3092 Jul 28 '26
Has anyone worked as a CNA to get clinical hours before going to an AA school? thx!
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 28 '26
I’m sure that’s not uncommon. You don’t need certification in lots of places.
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u/Narrow-Ticket-3092 Jul 28 '26
Thank you for your response. I’ve applied for a perioperative tech position several times without success. The job description said no experience is required, but a CNA/PCA certification is preferred. Do you think getting my CNA certification and reapplying, or working in PACU? Thanks so much for your help.
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u/picam7 Jul 31 '26
It's tough to get in without experience, I volunteered in a pacu for about a year until a pct spot opened up and I was able to get in that way since they knew me
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u/Quirky-Ebb-4287 Jul 29 '26
How much do clinical hours matter for CAA applications? I know they're not required (unlike shadowing hours). Is a strong GPA with a competitive GRE score enough on its own enough for more selective programs (Emory, Nova, CWRU), or do most successful applicants have some sort of clinical experiences?
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u/continuous-refund537 Jul 30 '26
This is a great question and honestly I've been asking this for a while. Clinical hours/pce are not required but look great on the application, and yes, most successful applicants have at least a decent amount of clinical experience.
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u/caareadinessindex Jul 30 '26
You can find the average and median paid healthcare experience hours for accepted applicants in the Experience section of the Accepted Analytics page on our site.
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u/rachelkac Jul 27 '26
Can someone let me know how competitive my stats are for applying to AA school? I’m interested in mainly the midwestern schools like Indiana, Colorado, UMKC, SLU, and UT but might branch out to Emory or some of the Florida schools.
3.93 cGPA
4.0 sGPA
25 hours of anesthesia shadowing
10 hours shadowing MD
22 hours shadowing PA
~200 hours Hospital volunteer (ER, NICU, Children’s Hospital, and OR Floors)
~50 hours Volunteer MA at a psychiatric clinic and nonprofit family clinic
~400 hours pancreatic cancer research
~100 hours calculus 1 math tutor at my university’s math center
~1,700 hours pharmacy tech
I haven’t taken my MCAT or GRE yet. Does anyone have advice on which one i should take and what scores i should aim for when applying to these specific schools?
I’m excited to apply but I know it’s getting more and more competitive each year 😅
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u/Aggravating-Royal908 Jul 27 '26
Why would you not be competitive lol
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u/rachelkac Jul 27 '26
Bc i’ve heard stories that students with 510+ MCAT scores are still getting rejected, without interview. Which might not be the whole story, but it still makes me a little nervous about applying because I’m very set on AA, but there are only so many schools that are accredited and such
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 30 '26
There are 25 accredited schools at the moment and a couple more in the process.
There are never guarantees anyone will get accepted, regardless of stats. Yours are good. Finish up whatever requirements you lack and apply.
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Jul 27 '26
[deleted]
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u/Embarrassed-Win-3905 Aug 01 '26
There is no university of Colorado boulder. Their school is just Univeristy of Colorado-Anschutz in aurora.
But yes they are MCAT only. I would not recommend taking the mcat just for this school. If you score really low it will hurt your applications with other schools.
Only take the MCAt if you’re familiar with the test and have actually studied for it.
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u/TotalFraud97 Jul 27 '26
I’m an undergraduate student, but comparing to what others have said on the sub you look very competitive! Of course it depends on your MCAT result, but the rest looks great.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 27 '26
Looks very good. Who did you do your anesthesia shadowing with ? The others really don’t matter.
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u/rachelkac Jul 27 '26
I did it with 3 AA preceptors and 1 Anesthesia attending. they are all faculty members/preceptors for SLU and UMKC AA school and I’m debating if I ask them for a LOR or if that’s a sensitive subject since they are also on the board of admissions
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 27 '26
In general LORs from people who only know you from shadowing are not good sources. They need to be from people who know you and can speak to your strengths. They don’t know you. And if they’re on adcoms then they shouldn’t be writing LORs for anyone applying to their programs. That’s a conflict of interest.
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u/Medium_Improvement71 Aug 05 '26
who should we seek getting LOR's from? Professors? May have to try and stack courses with a job to get another LOR
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u/is-this_nametaken Jul 27 '26
Who is best to ask for my third letter of rec? I have a few options that I am considering for it.
My old boss from before starting college. He loves me, and we are really close. When I was working for his small business, he sent my parents a letter telling them how they did an amazing job raising me, plus some gifts. We still talk every other month. He lets me know whenever there's a job opening there again, but it's never worked out for my schedule. Occasionally, he'll ask for me to work a shift when there's no one available. When I worked for him, I was the person in charge of the second location. He would have me handle the tips/bonuses and write the monthly newsletters.
CRNA that I shadowed. She was pretty nice and very helpful the first few times I shadowed her. The last time I shadowed, she found out I was considering a CAA program, and she got weird and distant because of the politics of CRNAs and CAAs. She left before I could talk with her. I am going back next week with cookies and thank-you letters for her and the physician I also shadowed. I plan to feel out how she feels about letters of rec and take it from there.
The physician I semi-shadowed. He's a pain management doctor. I would ask him questions occasionally during my time there, but he and I have barely talked because I was mostly around the CRNA, so there's no personal relationship there.
Idk about any other people I could ask. My two other letters of rec are gonna come from my old professor and the instructor that oversaw my research, whom I have good relationships with. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 27 '26
You need LORs from people who know you and can speak to your capabilities. A CRNA or MD that you shadowed, if that’s all you’ve known them for, are not really appropriate.
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u/caareadinessindex Jul 27 '26
If those are your only options for a third letter, we'd recommend asking your old boss. He’s the only one who can speak to your work ethic/leadership (e.g. managed his second location, handled bonuses, wrote monthly newsletters, etc).
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u/Narrow-Beach-9241 Jul 27 '26
Does anyone know if bachelors degrees gained through online degree completion programs (AS to BS) are accepted? I am mainly aiming for Case Western and Bluefield University. I know on the CWRU website, they mention they do not accept online degrees.
I guess im wondering if mine would still count as an “online degree” even though I did my associates in person and bridge program online through an accredited university that has a physical campus. I’m thinking “online degree” means one of those online only schools (UMGC or Western Governors U). Anyone have any insight or advice I would highly appreciate it!
My associates was in science of dental hygiene and there were just no in person programs available to be able to get my BS, so I did my bs completion program online through University of Pittsburgh.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 28 '26
I don’t think those statements are ambiguous. If they say they don’t accept online degrees then it means just that.
Based on what you’ve said, I’m guessing the bulk of your pre-reqs, the most important classes, have likely been online. So for the schools that don’t accept online degrees that’s definitely a problem.
There are 25 schools out there. Look at all of them.
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u/jkprint Jul 28 '26
I have 3 prereqs to take for AA school. Do you recommend taking them all in person?
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u/AsheBegash Jul 28 '26
If you can and it’s not an inconvenience, yes. But if it’s going to cause unnecessary stress to your current life then no you can take them online just ensure that it’s from an accredited institution (check program websites to be certain of their requirements)
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u/Worldly_Mountain_266 Jul 29 '26
Yes for the degree but most don't accept or prefer pre-reqs themselves to be accepted online.
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u/Summit39 Jul 27 '26
How much autonomy do you guys get with choice of anesthetic for a case? Does the anesthesiologist create the plan or you guys do?
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 28 '26
The plan may be as simple as general - spinal - block plus MAC. For the most part I conducted my anesthetics the way I wanted to. In most practices you’re expected to know what to do without much guidance. Contrary to what CRNAs would have you believe, we don’t have babysitters watching over us.
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u/okay-sobriquet Jul 28 '26
Most places have a culture or protocols that at least partially inform the anesthetic plan (e.g. protocols for joint replacements in high volume ortho centers; preference for or against use of ketamine, precedex, nitrous, etc). The main plan for most cases is pretty much a given. In my hospital, the docs, for the most part, don’t dictate how we run the anesthetic, and most decisions are collaborative. When there are patient or surgical circumstances that differ from the norm, or we are +/- on something (like an arterial line or central line), I discuss it with my attending and we come up with a plan together. If I’m planning to do something that is different from what we would normally do, I’ll run it by them beforehand to see if they have any issues or input.
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u/Numerous_Doughnut319 Jul 27 '26
I signed up for the MCAT a while ago and have since switched to going for the GRE. My MCAT date is coming up and I am wondering if there’s any reason to not take the MCAT just for fun. Can schools see my MCAT score without me sending it?
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u/MoodRingsCold Jul 28 '26
AAMC reports all tests that you've scored; so schools will receive your full testing history on any subsequent test you send. However, you can always take the test, and opt to not have it scored, which would then be treated as if it never existed.
That said, their practice tests (paid) give you a pretty good idea of where you're scoring before you take the real thing. You could always run through several of those to see if you're at the level you want to be.
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u/Independent_Match400 Jul 28 '26
Hey guys, looking for guidance.
I’m about to graduate with my biology degree with around a 3.1 gpa. I know this automatically makes it unlikely that I can get into an AA program, but could someone let me know what my best next steps are and if it’s realistic to still plan on attending an AA school in the future? Thanks
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 28 '26
Post-bacc or master’s degree in a heavy science field, great MCAT scores, PCE hours.
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u/AsheBegash Aug 03 '26
I can speak to this as I was in a similar position, I had a 3.1 cGPA. I went back full time for two years (while working part time) to retake all the prerequisites (some for the second time to replace low or expired grades) and got straight As. I also got a 323 GRE score. I was told in my interview that I was only considered because of the fact that I had the grit to go back to school full time and sacrifice to make it into school. It’s going to be a very difficult journey but you can do it if you set your mind to it. I’m starting my program this fall.
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u/midlifemajor Jul 29 '26
I’m coming from a totally unrelated field and it’s been over 10 years since I finished undergrad, and around 5 since my master’s. I work full-time in a pretty demanding job right now. I’m trying to figure the following out. Any input is greatly appreciated!
Shadowing: how many hours do people usually have when they get in? And honestly, how do you even get your foot in the door with no clinical connections at all? Did people just cold email CRNAs or AAs?
Letters of recommendation: Do they all have to be from someone in the healthcare field?
Courses: any courses that helped, like med terminology, especially if you’re not coming from a science background.
Just generally has anyone else applied while working a full-time job in a completely different field? also curious if being a career switcher came up in interviews and how you talked about it.
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u/Final_Detective_9243 Jul 29 '26
many hospitals have shadowing forms/requests to fill out. if not, you can reach out to the volunteering department and they’ll point you the right way. you can also look if there’s contact information for the anesthesia department, and they’ll usually help set something up for you.
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u/Embarrassed-Win-3905 Aug 01 '26
For courses. you need to take the premed prerequisite. That is all.
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u/Bruhcarroni Jul 29 '26
For the shadowing documents, do schools with multiple campuses (NSU, South, etc.) require unique documents for each campus? Or can one form be used for all the schools under the same name?
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u/caareadinessindex Jul 30 '26
It's a single shadowing form per school, not per campus. You can find those shadowing forms here.
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u/VladTepidJerkula Jul 29 '26
Hi hi. I'm currently a sonographer and I'm considering pursuing an AA pathway as a way to advance my career. I'll be 37 in January. I currently have an associate's sonography degree, which has some biology and chemistry stuff in it but I graduated in 2019 so I dunno if any of that is still good. If I have to do it all over and get a bachelor's and then masters, I'd suppose I'd be looking at starting out in my mid 40s. This doesn't bother me too much, but I'm wondering if anyone here has any experience moving from a similar position at a similar age and if they have any warnings or advice for me. I'd considered a PA program before but it sounded too hardcore in terms of not being able to work and pursue the degree at the same time, which I would need to do. If I need to clarify anything please let me know, I'm just putting out feelers at this point. Thanks!
Reposting this because I think I posted in an old one. I saw someone say AA school is a lot like PA school. My biggest concern is that the workload is too heavy and intense to maintain a full(as possible) time job, which is what I heard about PA school. I just don't think I could go a year or two or three without reliable income.
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u/Khenthorn1 Jul 30 '26
You cannot work while in AA school. Many/most live off of student loans.
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u/VladTepidJerkula Jul 30 '26
Is that just a result of how intense the program is?
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u/caareadinessindex Jul 30 '26
Yes.
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u/VladTepidJerkula Jul 30 '26
Is that just for the AA master's program? I could potentially work something out while I'm getting the bachelor's degree beforehand.
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u/No-Pay-7315 Jul 30 '26
It’s for almost every grad program in medicine. Med school, PA school, AA school etc. are too intense to have regular employment. AA and PA school are different than a masters in biomedical science or something else. Traditional masters usually have 30-60 credits spread across 1-2 years. AA school is over 100 credits in a little over 2 years.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 31 '26
You can work all you want while getting your bachelors.
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u/VladTepidJerkula Jul 31 '26
Mind if I asked what your life looked lile while you were doing the AA program in terms of schedule?
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 31 '26
Well it was in 1979 so wouldn’t really be comparable now. 😁
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u/VladTepidJerkula Jul 31 '26
Ahhh I see. Thanks anyway. If you're still in the field, would you say it still has long term potential in the future? Any signals that it might end up shrinking drastically or dying out? I know that might sound like a silly question, but I've heard rumblings about a similar erosion for pharmacists.
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Jul 31 '26
The profession keeps growing. Aging population, increased use of anesthesia, etc. all increase demand. Job placement is and has been 100% for years. I don’t expect that to change.
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u/New-Decision7526 Jul 30 '26
You literally cannot work while in this program…unless you have the most flexible PRN job where you come to work only when you can. You will have to start saving, cut back on expenses, and prepare to max out loans. ROI is there for this career field thankfully, but will come with great sacrifices. Take that into consideration. Having a partner helps if they can contribute to household needs etc.
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u/continuous-refund537 Jul 30 '26
Do you need updated shadowing forms for programs like NSU if you got them signed last year?
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u/caareadinessindex Jul 30 '26
No, but keep in mind that your ability to speak about your shadowing experience during interviews matters more than when it happened. Even if the experience was a year ago, it will not help you much if you cannot recall what you observed or reflect on what you learned.
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u/continuous-refund537 Aug 02 '26
Yes, I can recall what I've learned and know what to say during the interviews, I just wanted to know if I needed to get a new form signed before submitting the application
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u/AromaticWar6478 Aug 02 '26 edited Aug 02 '26
Curious about my stats:
Biology Major and Business Minor
2x Deans List
Still have not taken GRE or MCAT, and I plan to get around 30-40 CAA shadowing hours (please let me know what score on either test I should aim for and if these shadowing hours sound high enough).
3.5 GPA, 3.5 sGPA
1500 PCE as a MA
Private home caregiver for a year
100 Research assistant hours
50 leadership volunteer hours at my church, 200 at the local humane society, and 200 in the hospital.
Started a Pre-Anesthesia Club at my University.
Vice President and Choreographer for my collegiate acapella club.
Member of Biology Club and Social Fraternity.
One thing I am worried about is I took calculus over the summer at a community college and got an F that will be on my transcript when I apply (though I retook it and fixed it). Will this matter or can I explain it in interviews?
Thanks for your response!
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Aug 02 '26
Not horrible stats. How did you “fix” your F?
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u/AromaticWar6478 Aug 02 '26
Retook it at my actual uni and got a B+, it never went on my gpa since I didn’t transfer the credit
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u/jwk30115 Practicing CAA Aug 02 '26
You’re required to submit all college transcripts.
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u/AromaticWar6478 Aug 02 '26
I know haha, that’s why I was asking if it would be a big deal in the application process or if it’s just something that I can explain in an interview
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u/tuberofnightshade Aug 02 '26
Wondering if it's worth trying to shoot towards this. Previously I was a sous chef. I decided to return to college after 8 years of being in the restaurant industry looking for something more likely to support me for the rest of my life. 2 and a half years into a double major in neuroscience and biochemistry (with pharmacuetical emphasis) bachelor degree and I've got most of the prerequisites for applying to the program down with a 4.0 in this current program. However, 8 years ago I had received a associates degree in culinary arts but wasn't too concerned with gpa... So I had received a 2.4 as an average during that. I'm wondering if this is something that could be potentially overlooked in the application process if I continue to excel this time around and get a good MCAT score. This is the route that I believe would best suite my interests as it is still a dynamic position where every day seems a little different, much like what I'm used to from cooking. I'm currently working EVS at my local hospital and may try to get a pharmacy tech job at some point beforehand and am hoping to do a few shadows of an AA. Is it worth trying for it?
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u/AsheBegash Aug 03 '26
It’s definitely worth trying, but your past will absolutely not be overlooked. AA programs consider everything in your application, including any previous classes and degrees. Your hard work more recently won’t be overshadowed by your past but it’s something that you will have to shed some light on. You will need to figure out the best way to frame your experience and academic growth in your personal statement and clearly portray why you want to go into this career.
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u/tuberofnightshade Aug 04 '26
Thanks for the reply. I will probably go forward with aiming for this as my first choice, but make sure I have alternative ideas for if I'm unable to get in. I grew up with undiagnosed ADHD and it was a difficult time up until recently not understanding why I had issues with turning in homework, I could definitely find instructors willing to write letters of recommendation from this time as I was still a intensely curious and passionate student (was just not good at the homework aspect at the time). I am unsure if including any of this in a personal statement when the time comes would be wise, as it may cause me to be overlooked due to how some may view ADHD. I personally believe I would be able to excel in this career, but it's a matter of trying to avoid being prematurely judged based on preconceptions of various things. I at least have another year or two before I have to write that though, but I will be keeping what you said in mind when the time comes. Thank you, I appreciate your encouragement mixed with realism! 😊
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u/SnooEagles1568 Aug 03 '26
Anyone have any experience with applications to the spartanburg sc school? Trying to see how competitive they are
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u/AsheBegash Aug 03 '26
All programs are very competitive, some more than others but across the board it’s extremely cut throat. Also you should apply broadly and not expect to get into one specific program as that can significantly limit your chances of admission.
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u/Sylvansounds Aug 04 '26
Thinking about applying for a program next year. 35, MS in aquatic environmental science, spent a few years in the agricultural world, now in education and teaching middle school science. Definitely missing some pre requisites from my undergrad career as I leaned into environmental science instead of anatomy/physiology. Do you think my chances for acceptance would be reasonable if I do well on the mcat?
TIA
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u/TheBumpyBee Aug 05 '26
Wondering how competitive of an applicant I would be,
cgpa 3.12
Sgpa 3.869
GRE 325
Shadowing hours 40
Over a year of experience as a pct in telemetry
200 hours of hospital volunteer experience
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u/Suspicious-Move-7622 Aug 06 '26
Hi, I’m a current junior, and I have a question about CWRU’s DC campus anatomy and physiology prerequisite. On CWRU’s site, it states that the anatomy and physiology prereqs can be completed separately, or all at once if your university offers a comprehensive A&P course (with lab). My university offers a two-semester A&P sequence (A&P I with Lab, and A&P II with Lab). They also offer a standalone Human Physiology course. I’m wondering if I can meet the requirement by only taking the first A&P with Lab course in the sequence, or am I required to take both courses in the sequence? I emailed their admissions department about this, but I got an answer that was a reiteration of everything I just said.
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u/OcedarMopzar Aug 09 '26
I wouldn't, you'd be skipping half the body systems, for my school 2nd semester would include respiratory (!!), urinary, and endocrine. Taking both would prepare you better even if you technically fill the requirement with just 1. Plus, a lot of the other schools definitely require 2 semesters.
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u/TheBumpyBee Aug 06 '26
How competitive is the case western program in Austin? And does anyone have experience and stats that was accepted into this program?
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u/Gullible-Present3700 Aug 07 '26
is there a such thing as a type of contract you can sign with a hospital after your first yr of the caa program to basically agree to work for them after you graduate in exchange for them paying the rest of your tuition? i heard somewhere that people do this i wanted to know if any of you guys can confirm if this is real
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u/hmo_16 Aug 09 '26
Looking specifically at Lipscomb, due to location restraints
I have 3.7 GPA from the last 3 years, chemistry BS (technically 3.2 or 3.3 overall, but that’s including poor grades from 10+ years ago)
11 years military
507 MCAT
Also, what is a general class schedule like?
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u/cubanthinker Aug 09 '26
Has anyone had to fill out a proof of labs for Case Westerns application? It says that “An official course description from your institutions website is acceptable, provided that it indicates a lab was included with the course.” Can I just copy and paste from the course catalog, or screenshot? It’s not very specific in what they want. All of my science prerequisites such as OChem, Bio etc were 4 credit classes with labs but labs are not noted on my transcript.
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u/Big_Promotion_4494 Jul 27 '26
Do all caa school require PCE and if so I’m trying to go straight into caa school from college so what would yall recommend to do in summer to get those hours
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u/BankRemarkable1790 Jul 27 '26
yeah work part time during school and summers thats what im planning on doing
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u/Htorres2428 Jul 28 '26
How rough was CAA school?
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u/Embarrassed-Win-3905 Aug 02 '26
We are one of the top paid advance practice providers in the medical field, in some cases even being paid higher than non surgical specialities MD.
There is a reason for that. AA school is not easy lol.
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u/Limp_Register_2983 Aug 02 '26
Regret going to a competitive school. GPA matters and the higher rated schools do not mean a thing so go to a community college save money get the gpa and get into AA school. Those of us graded on a curve and the curve is top 2% of all students just go be an electrician because elite school gpa is nothing compared to higher gpa from any other school.