I just learned that some states allow CRNAs to practice independently w/o physician supervision and I witnessed the same practice in the military. In my understanding, this practice is growing everywhere and the demand of Anesthesiologist is going to be low in the future. If this is the case, I was wondering why Anest residency is still competitive.
Residency
- Thread starter exld
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Partly because you still have people coming on to sites like this, and hearing attendings talk about their $400-600k/year positions. Partly also because we keep seeing BS articles about how we are apparently the highest paid medical professionals (pure horse****). Some med students seem to erroneously think that anesthesiology is super cush, and they won't have to work crazy hours to earn the aforementioned income.
Job market reality and med student interest lag by several years.
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Job market reality and med student interest lag by several years.
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Because what we do is pretty cool. Despite the CRNA B.S. Anesthesiologists run the show in most operating rooms and usually do the hiring and firing.
Midlevels are mostly solid technicians sitting on the stool. Anesthesiologists are Physicians making difficult perioperative decisions.
In general, CRNAS practice a lower tier of anesthesia (still safe) than Physician Anesthesiologists. (see PGG's curve for CRNA vs MD)
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Whoa, sorry...blacked out for a minute there. Haha, thought for a second there Blade made an almost positive post.
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You guys misunderstand me. I like my field and want it to prosper.
Still, I feel the need to be honest about this specialty's problems and future.
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I'm only busting your chops (seriously where else can a med student do this to an attending?)
Believe me I enjoy and appreciate your contributions to this site.
Why is it still competitive? Because it's an awesome job, if you like anesthesiology. As someone about to enter anesthesiology, I read a lot of gloom and doom comments, but finally have the time to sit down and write a post.
This field is great, and I don't expect to push propofol on ASA1 patients and collect a paycheck... it's not gonna happen. In my experience, CRNAs are taking the cases I wouldn't want anyway. What CRNA in their right mind would want to take the liability of independently taking on complex cases, with two years of training?...most would rather make bank doing simple cases in the eyeball room. Do I expect to make 400-600k? It would be nice, but probably not. But I'll still be doing better than my friends in IM -- and I get to practice really interesting medicine, still see patients everyday, without the administrative headache of unending documentation, insurance issues, and social work.
I get the best of medicine, the labor floor, kids to adults, maybe a little ICU. And did I mention the people are great? People are generally happy, have lots of interests, and generally normal down-to-earth people....smart, but few inflated egos. This is true for the people entering the field too...it's a great group, and it made the interview trail was a lot of fun.
Would I be competitive for some other really competitive specialties? Sure, but this is what I want to do...and why should I be intimidated by a group of nurses with two-year degrees? I've given it my all for four years of med school, and look forward to four more years of training.
I'm just gonna do what I love... be the best anesthesiologist I can be, and enjoy the ride.
This field is great, and I don't expect to push propofol on ASA1 patients and collect a paycheck... it's not gonna happen. In my experience, CRNAs are taking the cases I wouldn't want anyway. What CRNA in their right mind would want to take the liability of independently taking on complex cases, with two years of training?...most would rather make bank doing simple cases in the eyeball room. Do I expect to make 400-600k? It would be nice, but probably not. But I'll still be doing better than my friends in IM -- and I get to practice really interesting medicine, still see patients everyday, without the administrative headache of unending documentation, insurance issues, and social work.
I get the best of medicine, the labor floor, kids to adults, maybe a little ICU. And did I mention the people are great? People are generally happy, have lots of interests, and generally normal down-to-earth people....smart, but few inflated egos. This is true for the people entering the field too...it's a great group, and it made the interview trail was a lot of fun.
Would I be competitive for some other really competitive specialties? Sure, but this is what I want to do...and why should I be intimidated by a group of nurses with two-year degrees? I've given it my all for four years of med school, and look forward to four more years of training.
I'm just gonna do what I love... be the best anesthesiologist I can be, and enjoy the ride.
