The Questions You Ask Are Part of the Interview

By Dr. Eye MD · Companion article to The CRNA School Interview Guide

When the panel says "what questions do you have for us," they're still interviewing you. The questions you ask reveal what you value, how seriously you've researched them, and whether you understand what you're choosing. Generic questions ("what's your curriculum like?") suggest you didn't do the reading. Specific questions suggest you're already thinking like a member of the program.

Ask four to six per program, chosen from the banks below. Never ask anything answered on their website — that's the fastest way to signal you didn't read it.

Outcomes — the numbers that matter

These are the most objective measures of whether a program prepares its students. Accredited programs are required to publish attrition, employment, and first-time pass rates — if you can't find them, that's itself an answer.

• "What is your program's first-time NCE pass rate over the last three years?"
• "What does your attrition look like, and when students do leave, what's usually behind it?"
• "Where are your recent graduates working — and how many had offers before graduation?"

Clinical training — where you'll actually learn

You'll spend three years at these sites. The variety and quality of your clinical training is what you'll carry into practice.

• "How many clinical sites do students rotate through, and how far do they travel?"
• "What's the case mix like — do students get strong exposure to hearts, OB, peds, regional?"
• "Do students compete with anesthesia residents or AA students for cases at any site?"
• "What's call like for students — frequency, supervision, what you're expected to handle?"
• "How much simulation training is built into the curriculum?"

Curriculum model — how the three years are shaped

• "Is your curriculum front-loaded or integrated — and what does a typical week look like in the first year versus the third?"
• "How is didactic performance monitored, and what academic support exists if a student struggles?"
• "What's the doctoral project like — how are topics chosen and mentored?"

Culture — the part the website won't tell you

You'll be there for three years. Fit is not soft — it's survival.

• "What do your current students say surprised them most about the program?"
• "How would you describe the relationship between students and faculty when someone is struggling?"
• "What kind of applicant thrives here — and what kind struggles?"

Logistics — the practical reality

• "What's the total cost of attendance, and what does typical graduate debt look like?"
• "Are students able to work at all during the program?"
• "What's the class size, and how is the cohort structured for clinical rotations?"

What never to ask

Anything on the website — curriculum overview, deadlines, prerequisites. Asking it signals you didn't read it.

"How hard is the program?" Ask about support structures instead — it asks the same thing without sounding afraid.

Questions that signal you're shopping on lifestyle alone — "how much vacation do students get?" asked first.

Salary questions about CRNA pay. You're applying to school, not negotiating a job.

The guide includes all 17 questions organized by what each one reveals, plus how to choose four to six per program and tailor them to what you learned in the interview itself. Find The CRNA School Interview Guide on Amazon.