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Honestly it varied so much how many hours I would study each week in college. By my last year when I finally got my study habits down, I’d probably be blocking off a couple hours each day to study/work on research. And yes you can definitely get a leg up in high school. Try to take dual enrollment classes in high school to knock out some early college classes (and maybe even some prerequisites like math and english). You could also take AP that I believe most schools will accept for credit in certain areas. Be proactive and try to understand how you study in high school so you can be more prepared for college!! But also don’t forget to have fun in high school. College is really different so always try to live in the present and not overwork yourself so early in your life.

Nope! As long as you took them at an accredited institution you should be fine. If you ever want to make sure you can always reach out to programs and inquire directly if the classes you took fulfill their requirements.

That’s awesome to hear!! I graduated in May of 2024, and I will start anesthesia school August 2025. So my single gap year was around 15 months. During my gap year I applied to anesthesia school (focused on writing my essays, gathering letters of recommendation, and filling out information on CASAA). I also spent time building up healthcare experience by working as a phlebotomist. Many people don’t talk about this, but also during my gap year, after I got accepted, I have focused on doing things I enjoy and relaxing. When school starts, it can be a very stressful time, and a lot of AA students I have talked to have said to focus on enjoying life before school and not taking this time for granted. Hope this helps!!

Good question! Each program should have their own shadowing form that you can find on their website. Print out forms from all the schools you plan on applying to, bring them to your shadowing appointment, and have the person you are shadowing sign each form. Then when you fill out your application on CASAA, scan the corresponding form and upload it to the school specific portion of the application. Hope this helps!!

@ yes thank you I appreciate it! I just wasn’t sure if I should be brining all of those forms but now I know

Thank you! A little bit of both actually. I was volunteering and helping out at a cancer rehab institute at my undergrad and my supervisor offered to get me phlebotomy training. So I did that and worked outpatient for a couple years but when I graduated, I got my CPT certification and I believe that opened doors for me to work at inpatient at larger hospitals. That’s what I did, but I know others that did it differently by enrolling in a phlebotomy course or something along those lines. Hope this helps!

Absolutely!! Thank you for watching 🙌💯

This is basically the Jesse lore channel at this point.

At the time I took the MCAT, I was still unsure whether or not I was going to apply to medical school or AA school. I also knew that CU was my dream school and they only accept the MCAT. All in all it all worked out at the end of the day, and I’m glad I took the MCAT instead of the GRE.

@ ok, good point, I’m actually in the same situation.

I’d also say that the MCAT is a harder exam than the GRE, but I truly think the MCAT was what helped me to get so many interviews and set my application apart. Since AA admissions are getting more competitive each year, I am of the opinion that a good MCAT score can help you have a leg up in the cycle. Good luck!!

This is true. Luckily for me CU has calculus listed as preferred but many other programs are starting to require it including Nova, Emory, and Case Western.

@ yeah, I’m thinking about doing pre cal, then cal.

Good thinking. Do everything you can to ensure you can walk out of calculus (and any prerequisite class for that matter) with a good grade!!

You can!! Just be aware that CU requires the MCAT only and doesn’t accept the GRE. And some programs, such as MCW and VCOM don’t require either.

discord.gg/caa-706407688359247924

I actually am not sure. There is a section on your application where you can explain any previous disciplinary action or misdemeanors, you could possibly use that to clear up the misdemeanor and explain how you have grown and learned from the situation. However I am not aware of any current students with a past misdemeanor history.

I am a phlebotomist. That’s basically the only reason phlebotomist is in S-tier. Read the top comment and the description, don’t take this too seriously.

I believe that if you really put your mind to it, are patient, seek out resources and guidance the whole way through, I don’t see why you can’t pursue CAA! I would recommend joining the discord and going through the “international students” section and see how others have had success in the past. I have seen individuals older than 35 matriculate into AA school and med school. It can be done! If you need help we are all on your side and want to see you succeed. Good luck friend!!

Scrub tech + Pharm tech is actually such a baller combo for CAA admissions. You get the OR experience and have a good base in pharmacology. It’s so cool you are pursuing CAA now, good luck!!

Absolutely!! Got some inspo from your channel keep it up too 🙌

@ thank you, you too!!

Yes schools generally won’t look at whether or not you took non-prerequisite courses online or in person. Those will really just contribute to the final GPA schools will see in your app. Just make sure you know what schools accept online prerequisites and go from there. Good luck!!

​@skohayward Does CU allow online courses to meet prerequisites?

My honest opinion is that it doesn’t matter a ton at all what college you go to for your undergrad. My top two priorities when choosing a college was cost, and proximity to family (support system). I view a college having a pre-AA or premed program as an added benefit, not a reason to choose a school. Short answer: go wherever you want (as long as it’s an accredited program), crush your prereqs, and you’ll be all set. Good luck choosing a college that’s super exciting!!

@@skohaywardthanks for the insight

This is pure gold!! I love hearing about all of this from the perspective of someone who has actually been down the nursing route and has CRNA/PA in their future. Especially in this day and age where many people take many gap years prior to entering AA/PA/Med school, I completely agree that it is a great perspective to always be pursuing something greater. If you are an anesthesia tech, pursue CAA. If you are an EMT, look to advance to paramedic. If you are a CNA, look towards nursing school. As you move up in terms of position and autonomy, it will almost always result in a more favorable view from an admissions committee. Overall yes there are so many ways to rank these healthcare experiences. And we can all have our own framework on how to prioritize them. This is all completely subjective on my part. (And yes as a side note, Phlebotomy is only in S-Tier for the jokes) Love hearing your input and wish you the best on your way to CRNA/PA school!!

That’s so funny you say that, there was another applicant at my interview day that was an OMFS assistant! We talked a lot about his job and being in the OR, and he knew a ton about airway and pharmacology!! It sounds like you know a lot about that too. Completely justified slotting that in S-tier 😎

Yes I tried but for some reason the link never works for me on my profile 😭 I’ll try to copy and paste it here for you!!

discord.gg/caa-706407688359247924

That’s a great question!! Skip to 21:44 to get a longer answer, but my short answer is that I would always encourage RNs to pursue CRNA (you’re already halfway there!) and you are given more overall geographical flexibility by going the CRNA route. However, some nurses don’t have the means to relocate them and their family to where they could attend a CRNA program. And some really don’t enjoy the required ICU experience. If those are hold up’s for you, I would say give CAA a look. Either way you are going to be prepared to be an amazing anesthetist. Hope this helps!!

@@skohayward thank you

I would be seriously prepared to answer questions about why you avoided the ICU, if that’s comprises any part of your reason to not do CRNA. And if the time commitment to ICU is a factor, I would keep in mind that CAAs have a much more rigorous basic science foundation than RNs do, so the time it would take to obtain prerequisites for CAA school would be very comparable to the time commitment of working in the ICU. I would say that time in the ICU would be more valuable!

Absolutely!! I believe ICU experience is incredibly applicable to the OR. Always sit down and consider all of your options and the pros and cons of each before you make a decision.

@@skohayward i’m doing RN program at a community college, and also taking the the science pre reqs for caa. I currently have bio 1, chem 1, calc, stats, a and p 1 and 2 and taking physics 1 rn. I’m stuck on deciding which one I should go for. I’m leaning more towards CAA because it would be the shorter pathway to take. Thanks for your time bro

That’s awesome!! Congrats on finishing up your CPT certification. I would say look for entry level jobs such as outpatient plasma donation centers or something of that sense. Often times these are entry level positions and don’t require experience like some other positions do. Also check with your program to see if they offer some sort of externship. Lastly connect with your classmates and teachers and hear from them on where they plan to start working or if your instructors have any connections with clinics or hospitals. Hope this helps and good luck!!

I'm obviously not Jesse. However, if I could offer you some advice, I'd say don't be afraid to cast your net wide. Look for positions open at plasma donation centers (CSL,Biolife), IV therapy clinics, outpatient diagnostic labs (Quest/Labcorp), or even in urgent cares/hospitals. The Healthcare field is growing everyday and you may be surprised that these positions "prefering" 2-3 years experience may give you a shot so long as you demonstrate a willingness to learn and a great degree of responsibility and humility. That being said I would caution you to check glassdoor reviews and determine if their are any workplace red flags. Don't let a job hurt other aspects of your life especially if your future goals involve more school. I'm not a phlebotomist but I do a fair amount of IV's/blood draws as an emergency room technician, and we recieve students (EMT,nursing,phleb) of all skill levels. Wish you the best luck in your job search homie.

@@RockyMontisan Absolutely this ⬆️

Yes read the description

its a CAA's take, if youre premed then take this with a grain of sand (smaller than salt i hope). CRC is for sure S tier for premeds esp if its t5 and under a great PI. LORs are important for premeds idk about CAA

Exactly this ⬆️ don’t take it too seriously just have fun learning about all the ways you can get HCE

Absolutely!! I am definitely planning on it. I’ll talk about it in a future video but I plan to try to keep making videos in school, just less informational and more just showing you all what it’s like to be in AA school. Thanks so much for watching!! 🙏🙌

Absolutely!! I am definitely planning on talking about it in a future video (probably along the lines of talking about all kinds of clinical experience). I’m somewhat biased, but I think phlebotomy is incredible patient care experience. I’ll make a video on it for sure!!

I’ve seen a lot of RT’s go down the AA path!! It’s obviously incredible patient care experience. Without looking at the rest of your app, I’d say you’ve got a pretty good shot at the two schools that don’t require test scores (MCW and VCOM). Keep in mind MCW has a pretty strong in state bias though. RT is really helping your application but I would really recommend taking the MCAT or GRE to significantly increase your chances of entry considering how competitive everything has gotten. Good luck either way!!

Great question!! Unfortunately CAAs are currently not allowed to practice in New York. However, you can still become a CAA. You will have to apply and attend an AA program (I made a video on all the different programs to help), and you will graduate and begin working in one of the states that allows CAA practice (like Florida, Colorado, etc). You will still be certified, as every student will take the national certification exam at the end of their schooling (almost everyone passes), you just won’t be able to work in the non-CAA states like NY. So the short answer is yes you can still become a CAA, you just wouldn’t be able to practice in NY as of right now. Hope this helps!!

@@skohayward Sorry to ask again but I saw this from the Assembly Bill A10498 which states," introduced on May 29, 2024 to amend the education law regarding the licensure of anesthesiologist assistants (AAs). The bill will allow AAs to practice in New York State under the supervision of an anesthesiologist." But what you are saying is I can become a CAA just not in NY?

As far as my understanding goes (and granted, I am not an expert in this stuff), this bill was proposed but was never passed. Hopefully AA’s can work in every state in the future!!

I love the content btw keep it going🙌🏾

Thank you so much!! So for the MCAT I used premade decks. I used the Jack Sparrow deck but there are a lot of really high quality popular decks you can find out there. However, I am planning on getting used to making my own Anki flash cards for AA school based on textbooks, PowerPoints, etc. I’m pretty bad at it now 😂 but maybe if I get better at it I’ll make an Anki tutorial. There are a lot of videos on RUclips about how to make your own Anki flashcards. So to answer your question a bit of both. I know that the process of actually making a flashcard is really good for retention, so keep that in mind as you dive into the world of Anki!!

You’re very welcome!! Thank you for watching 🙏

If you get a degree in Biology, that will cover most of the prerequisite courses! You could also do chemistry and would knock out many prerequisites as well. However, many people major in whatever interests them and still do the prerequisite courses in 4 years. So if you are thinking you might want to switch from pre-AA during your undergrad, just get a major in something that interests you! I got a degree in psychology, so your options are wide open. Hope this helps!!

@@skohayward Great, thanks! Did your Psychology degree cover some of the pre-reqs?

The only class my psych degree covered was the statistics prerequisite that some programs have. However, I was a Sport and Exercise Science major before transitioning to pre-AA, and that major covered some important prerequisite classes like biochemistry and Anatomy/Physiology. You can probably go through your undergraduate catalog and see what classes each major requires and how many of them overlap with AA prerequisites. Also, very important, make sure you read each programs prerequisites very carefully. For example some programs require you to take a trigonometry or calculus based physics course ONLY (NOT algebra based). Make sure the courses you take line up with the programs you want to apply to, and always email each program to double check. Good luck!!

You’re welcome!! Thank you for watching 🙏

Anytime!! Thank you for watching 😁🙏

@@skohayward Could you please also make a video on how you prepared for AA school interviews? Thanks again :)

Absolutely!!

Just do a google search for “CAA Discord” and it will be the first thing that pops up. In my opinion there is not a lot of information online about the CAA profession, and I think the Discord server is a great place to start and get some quality information and meet other people in the AA world!!

Thanks so much for watching!! I’m sure you’ll make an awesome CRNA 😎

It depends on the program! In the video I mention that Case Western doesn’t accept online courses, but most other programs have accepted them in the past. I would recommend to contact schools you are interested in and verify your courses will be accepted. Hope this helps!!

Short answer: Absolutely not!! Long answer: I learned more about the human body in my SES classes than I did in some of my AA/premed prerequisite classes. Choose a major that you will have the most fun with and enjoy the most, because that will lead to the best grades. The dean of the medical school where I went to undergrad got a degree in “piano performance”, so you can major in whatever you want, and will be completely fine. I majored in psych and it wasn’t a problem at all. It actually came up in a lot of my interviews, so a unique major might even help set you apart from other applicants! Exercise science is a great degree to get in undergrad, and it will prepare you very well for AA school. And it’s fun!! (Totally not biased 😂).

For sure!! I’ll do some research into it and try to bring it up in a video 😎

That’s awesome!! I’m super biased but XC and track are S-tier extracurriculars 😂 go check out my other channel too for track stuff!!

What’s the discord info?

Having a lot of healthcare experience is a great boost to your application!! I would say to really smash the MCAT/GRE. Oh and if you have low grades in prerequisite courses, you could try retaking them to get an A. Hope this helps!!

When you submit your application, it will generate a cumulative GPA (all your classes) and a Science GPA (mostly just your prerequisites). The science GPA is important, but schools will want to see how you did in ALL your courses as well, not just prerequisites. It is a good idea to shoot for a GPA above 3.5 in both to be competitive. However, I have seen students get accepted with a <3.5 GPA. If you head to the Discord server, you can see the stats of many accepted students from this year. Hope this helps!!

I would recommend emailing CU to make sure. I believe they accept online courses from accredited universities but always be sure to double check!!

So I actually never submitted my medical school application. I had everything ready to go like having written my activity descriptions and a complete school list, but I never actually submitted anything. I know some people who have applied AA after applying medical school (some have even dropped out of med school to pursue AA), and some programs have a question about this on their application, but it shouldn’t be a hindrance to your chances of getting in. Just be ready to explain “why AA instead of medical school” in your interview and you’ll be set!!

Thank you so much!! 🙏🙌

That is correct!!

@ thank you Jesse

I’m trying to stand out for the AA program.

The MCAT is a great way to do that! I think most people and most programs will tell you they don’t prefer the MCAT over the GRE, but I personally think it shows a lot that you would attempt a harder exam. Just remember that a good GRE score is better than a bad MCAT score, so make sure you really put your all into the MCAT!!

@@skohayward yes. I’m going to do the gre. Less of a time commitment I’m finishing science and math course work

Case Western is such a baller program 💪 Keep rocking your prerequisites, and good luck!!

I took some of my prerequisite classes at community college! Make sure those credits were taken at an accredited university and email the programs you are interested in to make sure your credits satisfy the requirements. Good luck!!

@@skohayward Wait, so does that mean I need to re-do those classes or... it is fine? I took Calc and physics 1 there.

I can’t say if those specific classes are fine, but in general programs will accept courses from community colleges if the college is accredited. I am suggesting you email the programs you are interested in about your transcript to make sure that the classes you took will satisfy their requirements. Hope this helps!!

Thank you I’m glad you liked it!! Let’s unpack this here: AA definitely took off this year and the standards to get in have gotten substantially more competitive. However, you have a lot of resources at your disposal to see how competitive you are! I’d say that by having good grades you are already on the right track. I would check out the AA discord server and go to “success stories” and see the applications of accepted students and see what gaps you might need to fill in on your application. My opinion is that one of the best ways to strengthen your app is to get healthcare experience (especially patient care experience). I know a lot of people who traveled across the country to shadow a CAA. However, I applied with shadowing hours from an Anesthesiologist, and some have applied with only CRNA shadowing! So you can shadow MDs or CRNAs in NYC and that should be satisfactory. You can also reach out to AA programs across the country and I’d say that’s your best bet to get CAA shadowing. I recommend UNM and CU, as both programs have applications to shadow CAAs through the universities. Hope this helps and good luck!!

Good luck with your classes!! More schools and more states are opening up every year so you never know where CAAs might be able to work by the time you graduate. You can also go to CAA school in the states that schools are in and practice there until more states open up. It’s a good time to go for CAA!!