Season One

Eleven numbered episodes and two Coffee Breaks, walking through every phase of the pre-AA journey — from "what even is a CAA" to sending your test scores to CASAA.

Apple Podcasts YouTube RSS Feed

Phase One

Discover & Prepare

Understanding the profession, the numbers, and where your transcript actually stands.

Ep 01Phase 1

Why We Started This Pre-AA Podcast

No clear roadmap exists for the pre-AA path. We decided to build the resource we wished existed when we started — one honest place that walks you through the whole journey.

Ep 02Phase 1

Understanding the CAA Profession

Most people, even in healthcare, can't explain what a CAA does. We break down scope of practice, the day-to-day in the OR, training pathways, and how CAAs differ from CRNAs and anesthesiologists.

Ep 03Phase 1

All Things Pre-AA Statistics — GPA, GRE, MCAT & Competitiveness

How CASAA calculates GPA, what "competitive" actually means, how holistic review works, and why one rough semester does not define your application.

GPA Calculator GRE Guide MCAT Guide

Ep 06Phase 1

Pre-AA Perspectives on Prerequisites

Prerequisite requirements, recency policies, course levels, and how to build a transcript inventory so you know exactly what you still owe before you apply.

Prereq time-limit waivers →

Phase Two

Build Your Experience

Hours, shadowing, service, and showing up where the profession actually is.

Ep 04Phase 2

All Things Pre-AAs Need to Know About the AAAA Conference

Why attending the AAAA national conference as a pre-AA matters, how to network without an acceptance letter in hand, and practical guidance for first-time attendees.

Ep 07Phase 2

Pre-AA Perspectives on Getting Clinical Experience

Building clinical hours from outside healthcare — common entry roles like MA, CNA, EMT, paramedic and anesthesia tech, the financial trade-offs, and how to document what you've done.

Ep 08Phase 2

Pre-AA Perspectives on Shadowing an Anesthesiologist Assistant

How to find shadowing hours, how to frame the ask, OR etiquette once you're in the room, and what to do when you live somewhere CAAs don't yet practice.

Ep 09Phase 2

Pre-AA Perspectives on Volunteering

There's no magic number of volunteer hours. What kinds of service programs tend to value, how volunteering differs from clinical experience, and why authenticity beats box-checking.

Phase Three

Test & Apply

Standardized tests, the CASAA portal, and getting the application out the door.

Ep 05Phase 3

Pre-AA Perspectives on CASAA

A walk through the centralized application with an accepted applicant: portal navigation, timing strategy, letters of recommendation, and the tools that keep it manageable.

Ep 10Phase 3

Pre-AA Perspectives on the GRE

With guest Stephanie Rauda

GRE versus MCAT, exam structure, scoring, study resources, testing formats, accommodations, and time-management strategies for applicants working full-time.

Full GRE Guide →

Ep 11Phase 3

Pre-AA Perspectives on the MCAT

Why Tiffany chose the harder test: what the MCAT actually costs, the study approaches that worked and the ones that didn't, test-day logistics, accommodation timelines, and the 24 hours after you walk out.

Full MCAT Guide →

Coffee Breaks

Bonus Episodes

Shorter solo drops: conference recaps, legislative news, and whatever is moving right now.

Coffee BreakBonus

Tiff's Takes on the AAAA Conference '26

A solo recap from the AAAA national conference: clinical sessions, state licensure legislation, keynote highlights, and the advocacy opportunities worth knowing about as a future CAA.

Coffee BreakBonus

A Pre-AA Legislative Update (7/2026)

Federal court action on how professional degrees are defined, what it means for student loan limits, and where pre-AAs can actually plug into advocacy.

Episode titles, dates and run times are taken from the show's published feed. Phase groupings are ours, and they follow the pre-AA journey rather than the release order. Episodes are listed within each phase by episode number.