Patient Care Services

National Anesthesia Service

Application deadline May 1, 2022

• The USAGPAN training program has been placed on pause to allow for updates to administrative affiliations. The program will resume once these have been fully codified, however a date for resolution is yet to be determined. Thank you for your understanding during this time.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Army have partnered to educate interested and qualified VA nurses in the field of nurse anesthesia. The US Army Graduate Program in Anesthesia Nursing (USAGPAN), U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas are preparing to enroll the next class of VA students into their nurse anesthesia program in June 2023. This program is contingent upon continued funding.

**Enrollment into this program does not constitute enlistment into any sector or branch of the U.S. military. **Individuals awarded a VA Employee Incentive Scholarship Program (EISP) position to attend the USAGPAN, traditionally do so as a full time VA employee.

The thirty-six month program is divided into two phases; didactic and clinical. Phase I (didactic) is one year long and is conducted at the US Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) at San Antonio, TX (Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston). The Phase II (clinical) is currently at the VA Medical Center- Memphis, TN. Students will also rotate to other approved clinical sites (e.g. obstetric, pediatric, trauma rotations). Partnered with Baylor University, this program will grant a doctoral degree in nursing practice. Students will be responsible for their own living, moving, and travel expenses throughout the program.

All applicants must meet the admission standards of Baylor/USAGPAN

The application is a multistep part process for VA applicants.

• BSN or MSN required (US based and US accredited programs only)
• BSN/MSN GPA of 3.0, overall Science GPA of 3.0
• Undergraduate or Graduate Statistics course
• Undergraduate or Graduate Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry course (current within 5 years)
• GRE within 5 years (competitive combined score and minimum writing score of 3.5)
• Minimum one year of RN experience in a Critical Care Area as defined by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
• VA applicants must be a VA employee (minimum one year) and be EISP eligible

Refer to the Baylor / USAPGAN website for complete and updated admission requirements.

Part One: Submission to Baylor/USAGPAN

Deadline for VA Applicants is 1 May 2022

The following documents are required in order to be eligible for a VA Interview.

1. Personal essay/letter
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Transcripts
4. GRE report
5. All recommendation letters (see details below)
6. CCRN (recommended)

As noted on the USAGPAN/BAYLOR Website, Veterans Affairs Flowchart for USAGPAN Admission, the preferred method to provide the required documents is via Baylor’s secure application portal. Baylor will then make the information available for the USAGPAN/VA. The most competitive applicants will receive an invitation to be interviewed by the VA EISP USAGPAN Selection Board. Note on the Baylor/USAGPAN website the overall deadline for application submission is 1 Aug 2022. However, in order to be considered to receive a VA EISP Scholarship to attend the USAGPAN, it is a VA requirement that the above application materials must be received by 1 May 2022.

Part Two: Application for VA EISP Scholarship to attend the Baylor/USAGPAN

Required Letters of Recommendation

Three satisfactory academic/professional references

1. Letter of recommendation from your facility’s Nurse Executive (i.e. the top Nursing leader) is required to verify their support of your upward mobility within the VA System.
2. Letter of recommendation from your critical care supervisor that attests to your competency in critical thinking, clinical skills, and personal attributes and reflect your potential to become an outstanding nurse anesthetist.
3. Letter of recommendation from Chief of Anesthesia and/or Chief CRNA (obtained after a minimum 16-hour clinical anesthesia shadowing). This responsibility may be delegated to a staff CRNA under the direction of the of the anesthesia department leadership.

Note: One or two additional letters of recommendation is acceptable from medical/anesthesia providers who can attest to your abilities to become a successful CRNA. Letters of recommendation must be submitted via Baylor’s secure application portal or a copy emailed directly to the USAGPAN as noted above by 01 May 2022. USAGPAN Email contacts:
LTC Demotica: Richelle.r.demotica.mil@army.mil
Dr. Craig (VA): William.j.craig.civ@army.mil

Service Obligation

• EISP funding for this program requires a 3-year full-time employment commitment within the VA Health Care System after completion of the program.
• Your EISP application will need to be sponsored by a specific VA. However, recognizing that local requirements can change during the three years of your education, your commitment is to serve 3 years as a CRNA at whatever VA facility the Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health determines needs CRNA services. This might not be the EISP sponsoring facility.
• The service obligation agreement is a signed, legally binding contract between VA and the EISP participant and specifies the obligations of the Department and the employee.
• If the EISP participant breaches or fails to honor the EISP contract, the EISP participant may be subject to payment of damages, penalties and interest as described in the EISP Handbook.

Admission Process

A completed application and all supporting materials must be submitted through the Baylor University Application Portal.

• The admission application for the program through Baylor University’s website opens up annually on 1 February and is available at: https://www.baylor.edu/nursing/armydnp/index.php?id=956503
• It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify the application process is complete through Baylor University’s Graduate School/Louise Herrington School of Nursing.
• For additional information regarding the program please refer to the Baylor/USAGPAN website. For questions regarding the Baylor application contact Baylor’s USAGPAN Program Coordinator Jana Johns.
  Email: jana_johns@baylor.edu
  Phone: 972-576-9128

LTC Richelle Demotica, CRNA, is the USAGPAN’s Program Deputy Director for the MEDCoE at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas.

Please contact Dr. Roberta Reedy with any VA specific questions.

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