University of South Carolina Columbia's Nurse Anesthetist Program
The University of South Carolina (Columbia) is one of two CRNA schools in South Carolina.
University of South Carolina Columbia &
Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital
Graduate Program in Nurse Anesthesia
15 Richland Medical Park, Suite 221
Columbia, SC 29203
Contact Information
Winston T. King, III CRNA, MHS, Program Director/Associate Professor
USC Graduate School , Columbia
ph: (803) 434-6344
fax: (803) 434-4099
email: Winston.King@uscmed.sc.edu
Quick Facts
CRNA Degree offered
Masters of Nurse Anesthesia
Program Length
27 months, full time
Credit Hours
64 semester hours
Starting Month
January
Application Deadline
May 1st. Interviews with selected students are held in July of the year
prior to the January admission. Letters of appointment will be sent to
applicants in June or July.
Entire Program Cost of CRNA School at University of South Carolina Columbia.
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: $30,380
*Fees and expenses: $15,100
Grand Total: $45,480
Cost of Out of State Tuition: $64,880
*Fees and expenses: $16,600
Grand Total: $81,480
*This includes the cost of health insurance, books, and clinical fees.
As a student, PRMH will provide you with a basic
hospitalization and dental insurance policy as well as malpractice
insurance and provide housing at rotational sites that are located
beyond a reasonable daily commute.
University of South Carolina Columbia Tuition Link
Class Size
25-35 students per year
Number of Applicants
120-140 applicants per year
When did this CRNA Program begin?
In 1969
CRNA Program Summary
Are you concerned that University of South Carolina Columbia’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.
“The 27-month Masters of Nurse Anesthesia program comprises
didactic courses and clinical experience-integration of clinical
training with coursework is a key feature of the program. Students begin
a supervised clinical experience in the first semester.”
“Clinical experience includes a minimum of 550 anesthesia cases covering a variety of general and regional anesthetics for pediatrics, obstetrics, geriatrics, cardiovascular-thoracic, neurological, plastic otolaryngology, ophthalmology, urology, orthopedics, and radiological procedures.”
University of South Carolina Columbia also provides you with a human-patient-simulator, allowing you to gain experience in managing rare but clinically significant problems.
There are two primary clinical training sites: Palmetto
Health Richland (where you’ll gain 50% of your clinical experience) and
Greenville Memorial Hospital. In addition to these primary clinical
sites, you’ll have access to 10 affiliate sites. You may be expected to
rotate to any or all clinical affiliated sites during the course of the
program.
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 University of South
Carolina Columbia compare to most CRNA school’s requirements.
CRNA Program Requirements
Required Bachelor Degree
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing or a Bachelor of Science in a related science. Degree must be from an NLN-accredited program.
RN:
Current licensure as a registered nurse in one of the 50 states; South Carolina licensure is required prior to matriculation
Critical Care:
A minimum of one year full-time critical care nursing experience prior to the acceptance deadline of July 1.
Clinical experience within the past three years is preferred and must be direct hands-on patient care in one of the following units:
- ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
- CCU (Coronary Care Unit)
- Alternate clinical experiences to substitute shall be evaluated upon request
”Priority is given to applicants who have the most recent work in high acuity, large hospital ICU or CCU settings where a broad base of invasive hemodynamic monitoring experience, management of ventilated patients, and administration of vasoactive drugs in the care of adult patients. Clinical experience within the past year is preferred.”
GPA:
A cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher is required, (including a minimum
cumulative GPA of 3.0 in basic science areas); the average cumulative
GPA for admitted students was 3.56 for the Class of 2013.
Please note: the website states that a GPA of 3.0 or better is preferred, while the handbook states it is required.
Minimum GRE scores:
A satisfactory score on the GRE, taken within five years of applying;
the average GRE for admitted students was 518 verbal with a range of
360-660 and 613 quantitative with a range of 390-710 for the Class of
2013.
Certifications:
- BLS (Basic Life Support)
- ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support)
- PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support)
CRNA Educational Requirements
A minimum of a 3-credit hour course covering biochemistry and organic
chemistry is required, but a General Chemistry course (3 credit hours)
may be accepted.
University of South Carolina Columbia’s CRNA program website
CRNA School Performance
CRNA School Rankings - U.S. News & World Report (2011)
2.7 out of 5.0. Ranked 48 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.
University of South Carolina Columbia 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 the University of South Carolina Columbia
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: 91% for Class 2012
- National average (2008): 89.9%
Attrition Rate
3% (97% of those who matriculate into the program graduate with a Masters in Nurse Anesthesia)
Employment Rate
100%
CRNA Salaries
An average nurse anesthetist salary in South Carolina
South Carolina CRNA salaries are about the same as the national average and 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
Time off
During your first year as a nurse anesthesia student, your vacation days
will coincide with USC School of Medicine’s holiday schedule. You’ll
also have up to two weeks vacation during your summer practicum.
You’ll be given a total of 30 days of personal leave to be used during the remaining 15 months of the program.
How many hours should I expect to be engaged in the program each week?
“Time commitment to study, class and practice may consume an average of 63 – 65 clock hours per week. The student should devote full-time to this demanding specialty. Time commitment to the program runs Sunday – Saturday.”
Can I work as an RN while I’m in the program?
Part-time work as a registered nurse or any other time consuming job, especially during the first year, is not encouraged.
Outside employment should be discussed with the Program Director.
Students who are not performing well either clinically or didactically
are advised to devote full time to the graduate program.
All information given on this site about University of South
Carolina Columbia’s Nurse Anesthetist Program was taken directly from
their website.
*This page was updated November 16th, 2012.*
CRNA Nurse Chat
Home / State / Cost / Rank / App. Deadline / Unique Programs
Subscribe To This Site
