I have to make a confession, a plea and an apology in this letter. I also have a regret.
First, my confession and apology. When I applied to Emorys AA program I was ignorant. I had worked as a Registered Nurse for ten years. My specialty was in critical care, and aside from in-hospital work, I held positions as a pace-maker sales rep, an IABP clinical specialist, and I even dared to be with the first company in America to market the cell saver (at that time (and perhaps even now) surgeons refused to admit that they lost enough blood to warrant reprocessing). Needless to say, I have had my share of being the proverbial fish out of water and thrive in an atmosphere where proving myself is the challenge of the day.
Despite all the exposure, I never was introduced to the practice of the Anesthesia Care Team. That is my confession. I was ignorant. But I studied...and I informed myself.... and I learned. I learned. I learned that as a Registered Nurse that I had two options when I decided to pursue a career in anesthesia. I could take the traditional route and earn my CRNA at one of the hundreds of programs throughout the US where most anyone with critical care experience and the ability to pay tuition was accepted, or I could continue at Emory University (where I had obtained my BS RN) and earn my MMSc. I could take courses on the history of nursing, conflict resolution and how to write a nursing care plan, or I could dissect cadavers, learn alongside anesthesia residents and fellows at top-ranked training programs, and I could pat myself on the back when I finally could master the intricacies of circuit and waveform analysis (thanks Don Biggs!) History tells that I conquered my ignorance, and I chose the Emory AA program.
I am already planning a trip out to the lake to go sailing (and a bit of drinking) all weekend long for the 16th and 17th. 
