Meridian

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Anesthesia
Meridian.

An editorial compass for nurse anesthesia. Writing on the work, the path in, the life that surrounds it, and the people doing it well.

For

the nurses considering it.the CRNA making moves.everyone in between.

The Path · The Practice · The Money · The Business ·

Currently Featured·The Path·Apr 2026·1 min

The Decision Before The Application.

I didn’t set out to become a CRNA. I started as a pharmacy major because I didn’t think I wanted to work with people. I thought I could stay behind a counter and keep some distance. That idea did not last long. My internship at Walgreens made that impossible and soon after, I picked up a position working in a group home for adults with disabilities. It changed how I understood myself. It became harder to ignore that the issue was never the people. It was the setting. I had just not been in the right one yet.

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Photograph · Apr 2026

— The Four Directions

Start anywhere.

Admissions and beyond. Writing on getting in and the road to it.

The Practice.

The work itself. Writing on what happens in the OR.

What you earn and what you keep. Writing on contracts, negotiation, and building a life on your salary.

The Business.

What you build. Independent practice, LLCs, and featured entrepreneurs.

— Recently Published

Recent entries.

The Decision Before The Application.

I didn’t set out to become a CRNA. I started as a pharmacy major because I didn’t think I wanted to work with people. I thought I could stay behind a counter and keep some distance. That idea did not last long. My internship at Walgreens made that impossible and soon after, I picked up a position working in a group home for adults with disabilities. It changed how I understood myself. It became harder to ignore that the issue was never the people. It was the setting. I had just not been in the right one yet.

What You Can’t See When You Compare CRNA Programs.

There are 155 accredited CRNA programs in the United States. Most people approach that number like a sorting problem. They compare tuition, board pass rates, attrition. They search for the “US News Top Ranked” program in their area. Those things matter, but they’re also the easiest variables to find, which is why they end up driving the entire decision.

The CRNA Interview Isn’t About Your Answers.

I submitted my application July 1st, the day the application portal opened. By August, my GRE scores were received. Two weeks later, I had an interview date. The gap between those milestones is where most of the real work happened. It wasn’t about finding the right answers, but removing uncertainty in how I would respond. Before I looked at a single question, I focused on how I described myself. What I had done mattered less than whether I could explain it clearly and without hesitation.

I Applied to One CRNA Program.

I was told to apply to 3 - 5 schools. That's the default advice. It almost sounds like a rule. If you apply broadly, it'll increase your chances because of the competitive nature of admissions. Hedge your risk. The assumption is that more applications create more opportunity. In reality, most applicants are already operating within a set of constraints long before they ever open an application portal.

You Got Into CRNA School. Nothing Changed.

Getting accepted to CRNA school feels like a finish line. It marks the end of uncertainty. The months (or even years) of preparing, applying, waiting, and questioning whether any of it will be enough collapse into a single outcome. You open an email, or get a call, and the decision is made.

Most CRNA Applications Look the Same.

On paper, most applicants aren’t that different. ICU experience, a solid GPA, the right certifications. The numbers vary slightly, but the structure is usually the same. That’s why people fixate on those parts. They’re visible, comparable, and easy to measure.

— Instruments

Built to be used.

Three instruments for the long work of choosing a school, tracking an application, and finding what helps.

Tool · 01

The Tracker.

Programs, deadlines, materials, decisions. One place, instead of seven tabs and a spreadsheet.

Coming soon

Tool · 02

The Finder.

Search and compare accredited CRNA programs, matched to your qualifications and priorities.

Coming soon

A growing collection of useful things — question sets, worksheets, reading lists.

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