Medical University South Carolina's
Nurse Anesthetist Program
Medical University South Carolina is one of two CRNA schools in South Carolina.
Medical University South Carolina Nurse Anesthesia School
Medical University of South Carolina
Anesthesia for Nurses Program
151B Rutledge Avenue
P.O. Box MSC 962
Charleston, SC 29425
Contact Information
Anthony J Chipas, CRNA, PhD, Division Director
ph: (843) 792-3785
fax: (843) 792-1984
email: chipas@musc.edu
Quick Facts
CRNA Degree offered
Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia
Program Length
28 months, full time
Credit Hours
92 semester hours
Starting Month
August
Application Deadline
November 12. Interviews take place in mid-January. Acceptances are offered in early February.
Entire Program Cost of CRNA School at Medical University of South Carolina. Tuition is calculated at the 2012-2013 rate. Tuition at most schools increases each academic year. Over the duration of the program, expect to pay a tuition that is 5% to 15% higher than what is shown here.
Cost of In State Tuition:$53,529
*Fees and expenses: $11,485
Grand Total: $65,014
Cost of Out of State Tuition: $76,685
*Fees and expenses: $11,485
Grand Total: $88,170
*This includes the cost of health insurance, books and supplies, test fees and miscellaneous school expenses.
Medical University South Carolina Tuition Link
Class Size
26-28
CRNA Program Summary
Are you concerned that Medical University South Carolina’s Nurse
Anesthesia Program won’t give you the specific experiences or training
you need to be a successful CRNA? Learn what standards CRNA Programs must meet in order to be accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia (COA).
This CRNA program (as well as all others that are
accredited by the COA) prepares you to take the CCNA certification exam
at the conclusion of the program, allowing you to become a CRNA.
MUSC’s nurse anesthetist program is primarily front loaded,
meaning that the didactic portion, conducted at Medical University of
South Carolina, will take place in the first 12 months. During the
remaining 16 months, you’ll complete your clinical experience at local
and regional hospitals, while continuing a very light didactic load.
Quoted from Medical University South Carolina’s website – bold is supplied by all-crna-schools.com:
“The clinical curriculum offers opportunities for diverse
experiences in the anesthetic management of elective and emergency
surgical procedures. Students are required to administer anesthesia to a
minimum of 600 patients with experience including inhalation,
intravenous and regional anesthetic agents. These agents will be
administered by all of the recognized techniques to a wide variety of
patients.
Do your students compete with anesthesia residents?
“We only share one of our rotations with the MUSC residents, namely the Medical University of South Carolina's Medical Center.
Where do students gain clinical experience?
“Our students gain the majority of their experience at other sites [non-MUSC sites] in Charleston such as Rutledge Tower, Charleston Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston Naval Hospital, Trident Medical Center and Summerville Medical Center. We also utilize out-of-town rotations including McLeod Regional Medical Center (Florence), Greenville Hospital Systems and St. Francis Hospital (Greenville).”
“There are 14 clinical sites, ranging in distance from 0-115 miles from MUSC. Housing is provided for out-of-town sites.
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 most of our clinical sites. At the Naval Hospital and VA
Medical Center, a large percentage of the surgical cases are done with
regional anesthetic techniques performed by our students.
Program Requirements
Looking for something specific? Find CRNA schools categorized by their unique requirements.
Some CRNA schools require much more out of their
applicants than others. See how the requirements at Medical University
South Carolina compare to most CRNA school’s requirements.
CRNA Program Requirements
Required Bachelor Degree
You need either a Bachelor of Nursing degree (from an accredited
program) or an Associate in Nursing in conjunction with a Bachelor of
Science degree in an appropriate field.
RN:
Current South Carolina RN license.
Critical Care:
Have a minimum of one year full time experience as an RN in a critical care setting when you apply to the program.
Examples of acceptable critical care experience:
- ICU
- Coronary Care Unit
- Surgical ICU
- Medical ICU
- Neonatal ICU
GPA:
Minimum 3.0 GPA
GRE scores:
This is only required if your GPA is below 3.6. The GRE is waived if your GPA is 3.6 or higher or if you hold an earned master's or higher level degree from a regionally accredited institution. This must be completed within the last 5 years.
International Students:
You’ll need a copy of TOEFL scores if you have not studied in the U.S.
Certifications:
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
- PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
Course Prerequisites
- General Chemistry
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Pharmacology
- Statistics which includes descriptive and inferential statistics
- *Organic Chemistry, Pathophysiology, and Biochemistry are recommended, but not required.
Medical University South Carolina’s CRNA program website
CRNA School Performance
CRNA School Rankings - U.S. News & World Report (2011)
3.0 out of 5.0. Ranked 26 out of 107 CRNA programs.
*Please note: CRNA rankings are bias and subjective. Read disclaimer about how CRNA rankings are created.*
Accredited CRNA Programs are reviewed regularly.
Medical University South Carolina Nurse Anesthetist Program was last reviewed 10/2009. It was given the maximum of 10 years
accreditation and will be reviewed again 10/2019. This shows that the
program is in full compliance with the COA’s accreditation standards.
Pass Rate for CRNA Boards at Medical University South Carolina
Please note: It is extremely rare for a student at any CRNA school to not eventually
pass the exam. Most students who don’t pass the first time pass the
second. Very rarely does a person ever take it a third time. This
statistic only measures how well the program prepares students to pass
the test the first time around.
- First-time test takers: 95.2% (2006 - 2011)
- National average (2008): 89.9%
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. Their class average is typically 20 to 30
points above the national mean, with at least one or two students
achieving the highest possible score on an annual basis.
Attrition Rate
5.78% (2006 - 2011)
CRNA Salaries
An average nurse anesthetist salary in South Carolina
South Carolina nurse anesthetist salaries range from $140k-160k.
An average annual nurse anesthetist salary in the US is $163,467 (according to a 2008 study)
- Rural average: $174,214
- Metropolitan average: $164,148
- Suburban average: $156,630
- Average starting CRNA salaries range from: $110,000-$130,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work while I’m in the program?
You cannot work as a nurse anesthetist while undergoing this program,
but you may work in other capacities provided that your performance
remains satisfactory.
How much time off will be given throughout the course of the program?
For the first year of the program, time off will be given according to
the University's calendar. In the final fifteen months of the program,
you will observe holidays according to staff responsibilities. Twenty
days will be provided as sick days or vacation days during the clinical
period.
All information given on this site about Medical University South Carolina’s Nurse Anesthetist Program was taken directly from their website.
*This page was updated September 18th, 2012*
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