I have to disagree with SteveC. I cannot get into specifics, but some of the rotations in the Midwest that I have done this year are no longer taking students from other programs (who they previously held affiliation agreements with) because their students were so bad.

Translation=some students from some programs suck so bad and are so ill prepared for their clinical year that hospitals and anesthesia groups are no longer accepting them as AA students.

Now, does this mean that you will suck if you go to one of these programs? No. But what it does mean is that it's going to be harder to get good quality clinical rotations where you may want to work/job offers in those locations. I can tell you that a few anesthesia chairs (again, in the Midwest) have told me that they pretty much only want to hire students from certain schools because their students are the best clinicians they have had. Students from other programs-the programs they have cancelled their agreements with-likely wont even get an interview for a position should one become available. The unfortunate part of this is that its not even that students fault, its his/her predecessors.

My advice to you applicants: Find out about the clinical affiliations your potential school has when you interview. If they are not affiliated in a state you would like to work in, ask if that is a possibility. You dont want to be in a situation where you have anesthesia groups canceling your schools affiliation agreement because the skill level of the class above you is sub-par.

One last point: there most definitely is a difference between the schools that only take the MCAT and the schools that also take the GRE. I cant speak for Case, but I do know students that go there, and they are awesome clinicians! At UMKC you will have the opportunity (key word here-you still have to prove yourself) to do spinals and epidurals in your first 6 months, Central lines and Swan placement in your second semester and do hearts with an anesthesiologist, one-on-one, throughout your first year. There are some exciting things happening at UMKC and with only 2 semesters left before I graduate, I can tell you I dont regret it for a second. Ive had the most incredible education and opportunities here to become a great AA! But there are definately differences between me and my skill level and those students who were so bad they got their schools clinical agreement cancelled.

Im just sayin....