Gear & shop
Gear & Shop
The things worth owning on the way into a CAA program: entrance-exam prep that matches what programs accept, the clinical kit you'll be asked to bring, science references that stay useful past the prerequisites, and our own free guides.
Some links below are affiliate links: if you buy through one, Boost CAA may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing here is listed because it pays — the exam prep reflects what programs actually accept, and the clinical items are what you'll be asked to own.
Clinical essentials
Science and reference
Guyton & Hall Medical Physiology
The reference to rebuild your foundation if the science prerequisites feel shaky — and the one book that stays useful from prereqs through clinical training.
Morgan & Mikhail's Clinical Anesthesiology
The standard clinical anesthesiology reference, used widely across anesthesia training. Useful once you're in a program rather than while applying — check your reading list before buying an edition.
Stoelting's Pharmacology & Physiology in Anesthetic Practice
Anesthesia-specific pharmacology in depth. A program text, not an application one — wait until you know what your course uses.
Study setup
Secretlab Titan Evo
You will sit in it for hundreds of hours across prereqs and didactic terms. Lumbar support matters more than it sounds like it should.
CAA Program Directory & Deadlines
Every program in our directory, in one formatted spreadsheet — prerequisites, GRE/MCAT, clinical hours, accreditation, deadlines and links. Generated from the latest data each time you download it.
CASAA Application Checklist
Every universal step of the CAA application in order — prerequisites, the GRE or MCAT, letters, transcripts and CASAA submission.
CAA Application Timeline
A month-by-month plan for one CASAA cycle, including the early-submission strategy that rolling admissions reward.
CAA Interview Prep Guide
The questions panels actually ask, what each one is assessing, and a frame for answering them.
The Boost CAA app
Score your candidacy, browse every CAA program in our directory, and keep sharp with a two-minute daily drill. Everything syncs with the web app, so you pick up where you left off.
Other apps worth having
Direct links, no affiliate arrangement. Several are free, and your program may already provide institutional access to the paid ones — ask before subscribing.
UpToDate
The standard clinical decision-support tool. Most programs provide institutional access — check before paying for it yourself.
uptodate.com →ASRA Coags
ASRA's anticoagulation decision tool — evidence-based timing of blocks around blood thinners. Free.
asra.com →Safe Local (NYSORA)
Maximum safe local-anesthetic doses by drug, weight and block. Prevents dosing errors. Free on iOS and Android.
nysora.com →Pedi Crisis
Critical-event checklists and weight-based dosing for pediatric anesthesia emergencies, from the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia. Free.
pedsanesthesia.org →Epocrates
Drug reference and interaction checker for rotations. The free tier covers most needs.
epocrates.com →Anki
Spaced repetition, free, and the way most people get pharmacology and anatomy to stick. Shared decks exist for anesthesia topics.
ankiweb.net (free) →GoodNotes
Handwritten notes and PDF annotation on an iPad, searchable afterwards. The usual choice for people who think better on paper.
goodnotes.com →Affiliate disclosure: Boost CAA participates in the Amazon Associates program and other affiliate programs. Some links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. We only list things we would genuinely recommend, and we say when something is for later rather than for now.