The first semester at Nova is all classroom work preparing you for clinicals. Class sizes are larger and enables you to work with various groups of people from different backgrounds. As the program progresses it shifts from the classroom into the OR. The link to the program brochure is: http://www.nova.edu/chcs/healthsciences/anesthesia/forms/brochure.pdf

I do not know for certain so please verify my information but I believe that other programs are smaller, start clinicals on day one and don't have full-time professors, simulators, and other resources for the students to utilize.

I hope this helps!