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Awakened Anesthetist
This podcast is for Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants, AA students, and anyone hoping to become one. As a CAA, I know how difficult it can be to find guidance that truly reflects our unique perspective. I created Awakened Anesthetist to be the supportive community of CAAs I needed on my own journey.
Every month, I feature CAA expanders in what I call my PROCESS interview series. I also create solo episodes that weave in themes of wellness, self-discovery, and mindful growth - offering insights and reflections that resonate with our high-pressure, high-responsibility lives. Through it all, you’ll discover the power you hold as a CAA to create a life by design, not by default. I know you’ll find yourself here at the Awakened Anesthetist podcast.
Awakened Anesthetist
Pre-AA to CAA [PROCESS] Part 2. Britton's First Interview, an Acceptance and the Waiting Continues
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This new Pre-AA to CAA PROCESS series follows Brittany Robinson as her journey unfolds from 2024 through 2028, an ongoing conversation that captures the growth, the pivots, the waiting, and the wins along the way. It is about honoring growth as it happens and having the courage to tell your story before you know how it will end. This is the Pre-AA to CAA [PROCESS] of Britton Robinson.
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Before we get into today's episode, I want to invite you to experience the Awakened Anestus podcast live and in person. For our season five finale, I'll be recording live on stage at the Quad A annual conference in Denver, Colorado, with our current Quad A president, Emily Meisick. This won't be a policy interview or a Quad A update. It's a process style conversation focused on the person behind the presidency and reminding all of us that meaningful impact inside this profession is made by real people who once stood exactly where you stand. Afterwards, Rad and Sessie from Harmony Anesthesia will join us to host a live audience QA, creating space for our awakened Annestis community to engage in real time. Season five has been supported by Harmony Anesthesia. And if you're curious about working with them, you can schedule your free 15-minute consultation linked in the show notes. And if you'll be at Quad A 2026, I hope you'll join us for the live finale. If you are a practicing CAA, current AA student, or someone who hopes to be one, I encourage you to stick around and experience the power of being in a community filled with voices who sound like yours, sharing experiences you never believed possible. I know you will find yourself here at the Awakened Anesthetist Podcast. Welcome in. Welcome back to the Awakened Anesthetist Podcast, where we expand our understanding of what's possible within the CAA profession. I'm your host, Mary Jean, a longtime practicing certified anesthesiologist assistant, an AA educator, and now a doctoral student focused on researching the art of anesthesia. This series is a slightly different perspective on our normal process episodes because it's really created for the ever-increasing number of pre-anesthesiologist assistants who are here and have found the Awaken Anestus podcast because they're searching for insight and some understanding of what their future will hold. And by the way, if that's you, I'm really glad you're here. This process series is a long form passion project that I started in 2024, where I highlight the journey of one pre-anesthesiologist assistant as she applies, interviews, is accepted, and becomes a practicing CAA. This series was created with future CAAs in mind so you can hear what this season actually feels like while you're in it too. And for those of us who are further along, it's an invitation to remember, to reconnect with that vulnerable stretch of time, wanting something deeply, but not yet knowing if it's going to happen, not yet knowing what school will hold, or if your CAA dreams will come true. This is the process of Brittany Robinson from pre-AA to practicing CAA. Let's dive in and see where she is on her journey to become a practicing certified anesthesiologist assistant.
SPEAKER_01:As of right now, my dream school is Nova Clearwater, Nova Tampa. I have a lot of friends who went to that program. I went to their open house. The campus is just beautiful. The amenities are top-notch, which I mean obviously isn't enough to pick a school in and of itself, but it's just an added bonus that it's right next to the water and the campus is beautiful. So I've always wanted to go there since I've known about AA. So that would be my first choice. Today is October 10th, 2024, and I am getting ready for my Auburn interview at VCOM. Um, I'm super excited, definitely very nervous, but more excited than nervous. Um, this is my first interview, so I'm really looking forward to it. And if my fingers are crossed, that it goes well. Today is October 10th, 2024, and I just finished my first AA school interview with VCom Auburn. I thought the interview went pretty well. Um, I was definitely nervous going into it. Of course, it was my first interview, but um it helped whenever I was speaking with the other students that were there. They were talking about how they were nervous too, and we were just like chatting with each other, and that definitely helped my nerves a little bit. And then also once we finally got started with the actual interviews, and I realized this is just a conversation, and that really put my nerves at ease. So it definitely went pretty well. Um, and now I'm about to interview tomorrow at South Savannah, so it's pretty crazy having those back to back, but it definitely helps um staying in the mindset of being interviewed. Um, so yeah, I'm definitely a little nervous for tomorrow, but less nervous than I would be if I didn't have the interview today. It is the next day since we last spoke. It's October 11th, 2024, and I just finished up my interview at South Savannah. I thought it went pretty well. I thought um I had some good conversations. It was definitely a lot. We had multiple interviews throughout the day, and then at the end of the day, we had a little trolley tour of Savannah, which I thought was really sweet and special, and showed that they really cared about us, and we were able to ask plenty of questions to the second year students, which I really appreciated. Um, feeling good, leaving the interview, and now it's just a little bit of a waiting game to see what I hear back. But whatever happens, I'm just really thankful and proud of myself that I've made it this far. It's been a few days since my South Savannah interview. It is October 14th, 2024, and I just got a phone call from the program director that I got into South Savannah, so I am just over the moon. I'm so happy. I could not be more excited, and it's officially the start of knowing that I am an accepted SAA. So, so excited. Best day ever. Today is October 15th, 2024, and today is nothing particularly special, um, other than the fact that today was my first day working as an accepted future CIA. So that was really exciting getting to go into work today, um, as an anesthesia tech still, and knowing that before too long I'll be back as a student AA, and then hopefully in the future as a graduated CIA. So that was just really exciting getting to tell everybody the news, and yeah, just getting to really see and now know this is for sure what I'm doing, and that goal is real.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, and now, share that you have received an acceptance letter, and where I don't want to put words into your mouth. You tell me.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, yes. So I was very fortunate to get accepted to South Savannah, South University in Savannah, Georgia. Um, I have just been over the moon since I got that acceptance. Um, so like I said, my interview was October 11th, and I found out that I had gotten accepted on October 14th. So that was really exciting to get the phone call from Chris Tyndall, the program director. I was in the middle of a class, and that whole class, it's a small class. There's like 30 of us. They all knew I had just interviewed, and so I left the room and I came back in and they're like, Did you get the acceptance? And everybody in the class clapped for me, and that was really special. Um, so I have just been so excited about that because South is just such an amazing school. Um, so I don't know. South has not always like been on my radar because I never even thought I was gonna get an interview. Because I know that's like the South students are the like highest GPAs, highest test scores, most involvements. So it wasn't even on my radar. So now that I'm accepted, I have accepted my spot. I put my deposit down today. Um, but obviously I can always go back on that. I won't get my deposit back if I change my mind. But I want to have a secure spot and know that I'm gonna be an AA. So yeah, that's really exciting. And if it doesn't work out with Tampa, I'm over the moon to be going to South Savannah. Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Awesome. I love that you're in the driver's seat that you get to say, hey, you know, this place really felt right. I thought it was gonna be Nova Tampa, and at this time, you've not even received an interview yet. And who knows if that's because you're not gonna receive one or because they've not moved forward in that way yet, like just the admissions process.
SPEAKER_01:It's so tricky to know. I've been stalking the Discord every day, um, which is good and bad for my mental health. But from my understanding, they've only sent out one round of interview invites, and they are for the week of the hurricane, and they have not even been rescheduled yet. So it seems like they're a little slow with getting those interview invites out. So we'll see. But maybe I won't even get one at all. And maybe this is my plan to go to South.
SPEAKER_02:And tell an old CAA, do you know if you don't get an interview? Like, do they say you did not get an interview, or it's just like a process of you've waited and everyone else got an interview, so you know you now didn't.
SPEAKER_01:It unfortunately is the latter. Um, they wait until the class almost starts or has already started to go ahead and send out those emails that have said we were not able to offer you a spot or an interview, or however they word it. Which is kind of sad because it's like you're waiting all this time, you put all this effort into it, and you don't even get an email until like March, April, May. It's crazy. So yes, okay. I will say there are some schools that will automatically screen you out. So I had a friend who told me he applied and he got denied that next day from South because they will automatically screen you out if your GRE isn't high enough or if your GPA isn't high enough, which is crazy. But yeah, you know, it's cut through.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. All right. So we are still in the waiting period. How long do you think you will wait? When does South Savannah start classes?
SPEAKER_01:So as of now, I'm supposed to start in the middle of June in 2025. So that's a little bit later than other programs. I know the Nova campuses start in May. Um, but yeah, I don't, I guess there's not really a like certain time where like I will stop holding out hope. Probably around like January, I'd be like, or even December, I'll be like, yeah, I don't feel good about my chances at this school. Like I'm going full throttle South Savannah. And I hate to say it like that because I don't want to make it seem like it's like my second choice, even though I did blatantly explicitly say that. Um, it is just kind of like I'm just getting a feeler for it. Because also, if I do interview at Nova Tampa, and let's say I hate it and like I don't like the way that I felt during the interview, I didn't like the faculty, I didn't feel like I clicked. I think that that speaks a lot about how the program will be. And so the interview process has also been a lot of a learning experience for me, getting to know the program and the faculty and what campus looks like. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02:That is so, so true. And I just think you are in a really unique and privileged position where you likely will be um entertaining several offers. One if you're you're just so um a very outstanding applicant. It's gonna be very interesting to watch you go through this because I don't want I don't want to say anything, but I think the program is hard for everyone. I just am excited to walk this journey with you for lots and lots of reasons, Brittany. Okay, let's lay out your goals over the next six months. Like let's say we don't check in for another six months. What do you hope has happened by then?
SPEAKER_01:So the goal that I'm really pushing towards right now is graduating Magna Coomb Laud at FSU. I really want to keep my GPA in the range that it is right now so that I can be Magna Coomb Laud because that's just a personal goal of myself that I just want to be able to say that I graduated with that. So just working really hard in the classes that I'm in right now, keeping my grades up, and then hopefully I'll have some more acceptances at that point as well. Um, that would be really exciting and just overall happiness. I'm happy how I am now, and I just hope that I get to continue being happy in my life right now.
SPEAKER_02:Love it. All right. Well, we will check in in six more months. And if you're listening to this, you just like fast forward probably to the next episode. And it's that wonderful binge experience where you just get to fast forward through Britain's life.
SPEAKER_01:It's gonna be crazy.
SPEAKER_02:What 2028 when this is done.
SPEAKER_01:It's been a couple of weeks since my interviews at VCom and at South Savannah, and I just got a phone call. Um, today is October 22nd, 2024, and I just got a phone call that I got accepted to VCom Auburn, so I'm very, very excited about that. Now I've not only gotten into one school but two schools, which I'm just so lucky to have the choice. But I do think I'm going to decline at VCom. I haven't said anything yet. Obviously, we just had the phone call, but I just really could see myself at South, and I just really loved that school and really fell in love with it. Not that VCom wasn't also amazing, I just could see myself more at South. So I still need to email back and let VCom know that I won't be coming so that they can open that spot for somebody else. But I still am so happy to have now gone into two schools.
SPEAKER_02:Thanks for listening to Awakened Anesthetist. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a CAA friend, an AA student in your life, or a perspective, and let them know why you loved it. It's the most important thing you can do to support this podcast and its mission. You can always find more ways to connect with me and this CAA community at awakenedanesthetist.com. And while you're scrolling the website, check out my trusted CAA partners who make this podcast possible with a special thank you to my season five sponsor, Harmony Anesthesia Staffing. Talk soon.
