This is an intensive, full-time doctoral program with significant didactic and clinical commitments. Some students may be able to work limited hours during the first two semesters, before intensive anesthesia coursework and clinical begin, but to support safety, learning, and well‑being, employment is strongly discouraged once you enter the core anesthesia and clinical phases.

Once the application deadline has passed, we will connect to schedule individual interviews in the fall. We expect to release decisions in December.

All admitted applicants must begin with their cohort in May 2027.  We anticipate a new cohort (~12 students) to start each May.

Yes, Nurse Practitioners and other Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are welcome to apply if they meet all admission requirements. Applicants who already hold a master's degree in nursing or an advanced practice nursing credential are not typically required to complete the full 103-credit dual-degree curriculum. Following admission, program leadership will conduct an individualized gap analysis to evaluate prior graduate coursework and determine the appropriate plan of study. Any transfer credit or curriculum adjustments will be assessed on a case-by-case basis in accordance with accreditation standards and program requirements.

Eligible critical care experience must be in an intensive care unit setting, including surgical ICU, medical ICU, cardiothoracic or cardiovascular ICU, trauma or burn ICU, neurosurgical ICU, or pediatric ICU. Emergency room, flight nursing, PACU, and neonatal intensive care unit experiences, while valuable, are not considered qualifying critical care experiences for this program.

Clinical placements are coordinated and guaranteed through our established affiliations across the University of Rochester Medicine network and other partner sites in urban, community, and rural or critical access settings. The program team assigns clinical rotations to ensure you gain progressive experience with a wide range of patient populations, procedures, and practice environments.

High-fidelity anesthesia simulation is a core component of the program. Students will regularly train in simulation-based scenarios focused on crisis resource management, airway emergencies, hemodynamic instability, interprofessional teamwork, and complex perioperative cases to build confidence before and alongside clinical immersion. While simulation provides opportunities to practice skills and encounter rare or high-risk scenarios that may not arise during clinical rotations, it is designed to complement—not replace—extensive hands-on clinical education.