Should have i went to CRNA school instead?

[gasaddict54]

Crna Vs. Md/do
I thought some of you would find this post funny. Others may be angry at me or just plain mad. I am posting it to make a point as to where things stand today and point out why you must FIGHT NOW to stop the example below from becoming even worse.


Let's say you are a smart, young, College Freshman or high school senior looking to decide between CRNA and MD/DO Anesthesiology. You want to work in a private practice setting in your home State or similar location.
Which career path makes the best fiscal sense over thirty years?


1. College- If you decide to become a CRNA then community college resulting in a two year degree R.N. is sufficient. You get good grades and then work in the E.R., PACU or ICU while "bridging" for your BSN. You must have a RN which is a bachelors degree to work in a ICU which is required for crna school.This means you save a lot of money by avoiding the expensive private college. In addition, you avoid the "gunner" pre-med students and those tough classes.
You are able to earn $50,000 ( LPN nurses which is the 2 year degree make about 28K here) per year as a two year R.N. while you bridge to the BSN. You take classes all year long and the bridge takes you 24 months.
Thus, four years after high school you have a BSN AND enough experience to apply to CRNA school. ( 4 years after HS u are able to start ICU wokr which is min 1 year before u can apply)You got good grades (weaker competition and classes) and easily scored high enough on the GRE for admission. You get accepted to your STATE CRNA school.

Money saved/earned by going CRNA route: $$$


2. Now, you are in CRNA school. The CRNA with DNAP at your CRNA school is 36 months long. When you graduate you will be DR. CRNA and can expect to earn a very good living right away. Since CRNA school is 3 years and Medical School is 4 years you save ONE FULL YEAR of tuition, food, books, housing.

Money saved/earned by going CRNA route: $


3. Here comes the real money maker for you. By going the CRNA route instead of Medical School and Residency you save 5 years. During these 5 years (while your friend finishes Medical School and Residency) you decide to work 65 hours a week. After 5 years you will reduce your hours to 50.
You are young and need the money plus experience. You land a job in a busy private practice Group. You can expect to earn $270,000 per year plus FULL BENEFIT PACKAGE ($40,000 retirement package) for those hours. ( around here even w overtime not a single CRNA makes more than 185K )]Thus, you are earning $310,000 per year for 5 years while your friend works similar hours and earns $50,000 per year( for four years). This means you earn $1.35 million dollars before your friend gets to be an attending.

Money saved/earned by going CRNA route: $$$$$$


During your 5 year stint working like an animal the AANA has been pulverizing the ASA politically. CRNA with DNAP now gets 75% of the pay level (average private pactice income) of the average Board Certified Anesthesiologist. In addition, the AANA has secured NO RATIOS and many more CRNA 'rights' across the USA. Your friend, the board certified Anesthesiologist, is not happy about things but accepts the 25% difference in pay scale as "economic and political reality." Your friend says "it isn't about the money as much as it is about respect."

As a CRNA with DNAP you realize that while your friend went to the better college, Ivy league Medical School and then a top residency the route you chose was the better option. While it isn't all about the money, thinking about the AANA brings a smile to your face every time.

Blade

Blade I dont know where u are getting your #s but they certainly surprised me and i asked around quite a bit today and this is what i came up for my area w metro and surrounding counties in bold.

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[BLADEMDA]

1. 2 year nursing degrees can confirm an RN
Many community colleges offer a 2 year RN degree

2. After getting your RN a select few can work in an
ICU or PACU. Many can work in the ICU
after just 12 months of experience

3. It has been reported than 10 percent of CRNAs have less than
2 years of total nursing experience. I suspect that number is around
15-20 percent

4. Academia is not a good source for anesthesia incomes
this goes for MD and CRNA. Many crnas earn in exess of $200k plus benefits
A few earn in excess of $250k or more

5. The vast majority of solo CRNAs earn in excess of $200 with the average
being greater than $250k per year


I stand by my post for both accuracy and truthfulness

Blade

 

[debbiedowner]

Unfortunately he is right..... if I was an anesthesiology resident, I would try to switch over to plumbing before its too late. My brother's girlfriend's uncle's long lost brother's little cousin's nephews lesbian sisters hot underage daughter heard that obama will give CRNAs the power to practice surgery, ob/gyn, cardiology, nephrology, neurosurgery, ortho, radiology, rad-onc independently now!! Prop 15, which grants them this right, should be passed tomorrow at 3:09 pm EXACTLY. This time is correct to my knowledge b/c we calculate that the AANA will overthrow the government at 3:08 pm, this being confirmed by my fortune cookie today from golden dragon resturant which is 100% accurate. You still have a chance to save your future right now if you can make it out to your nearest 7-11 and vote "no on 15". Please this is your last chance to save yourself, your profession, and the world as we know it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ERGtAJeyCA

If the inevitable should happen, please read one of the earlier threads on which rifles/handguns to buy here on SDN b/c its very very very reliable. Trust me on this!!!! Good luck everybody!!!! off to buy canned foods, ammo, and water.......

1. 2 year nursing degrees can confirm an RN
Many community colleges offer a 2 year RN degree

2. After getting your RN a select few can work in an
ICU or PACU. Many can work in the ICU
after just 12 months of experience

3. It has been reported than 10 percent of CRNAs have less than
2 years of total nursing experience. I suspect that number is around
15-20 percent

4. Academia is not a good source for anesthesia incomes
this goes for MD and CRNA. Many crnas earn in exess of $200k plus benefits
A few earn in excess of $250k or more

5. The vast majority of solo CRNAs earn in excess of $200 with the average
being greater than $250k per year


I stand by my post for both accuracy and truthfulness

Blade

 

[dillpickles]

To debbiedowner:

"..... if I was an anesthesiology resident"
should be
"..... if I WERE an anesthesiology resident"

Thank you for your highly intelligent and thought provoking post.

 

[Stank811]

Thats an easy question....the answer is no

As far as blades numbers...I am sure there are CRNA's making that much money but most likely the MD/DO's in the area are making 3-4x as much...so even with just focusing on the economic side of the argument the answer still is simply no

 

[debbiedowner]

To dillpickles:

Seriously.......wtf. With a comment like this I bet I couldnt shove a dillpickle up your butt b/c its obviously water tight. So I get an F on SDN grammer... boo f'in hoo.

My post was meant to be crazy sarcastic b/c a good chunk of the posters (not everybody!) on the anesthesiology forum are acting like the world is coming to an end. Woe is me!!!! The profession of anesthesiology is not doomed and CRNAs will not become the sole providers. Your vag will not melt come 2020 and life will go on. If this profession is so screwed then why are so many people still going into anesthesia? Oh I'm sorry, there were 20-30 additional spots left open for the scramble this year!!! Run for the hills!!! Give me a break. I know of many qualified applicants with good scores who didnt match and still plan on applying to this awesome field. I'm just tired of reading the douche-baggery which scares off good med students and depresses current residents.

Now dilly, please dont judge my grammer "like a book by its cover, you may miss a friend, you may a miss a lover! (booger's solo starts)"

To debbiedowner:

"..... if I was an anesthesiology resident"
should be
"..... if I WERE an anesthesiology resident"

Thank you for your highly intelligent and thought provoking post.

 

[debbiedowner]

The daywalker is correct with his numbers. I know of some CRNAs who pulled in a lil over 250 last year with some serious overtime, but the MDs that worked with them pulled in a solid 4 hondo working the same number of hours roughly. This in a large metro area in Tx.

Thats an easy question....the answer is no

As far as blades numbers...I am sure there are CRNA's making that much money but most likely the MD/DO's in the area are making 3-4x as much...so even with just focusing on the economic side of the argument the answer still is simply no

 

[mflui1]

150? you're kiddn right? i can tell you have never been up at 3am (your 20th hour awake and working) managing a ruptured AAA. it's your 9th case of the day. during case number 3 you almost crapped your pants cause the completely healthy toddler laryngospasm'd and you couldn't break it and had to give IM sux. case number 5 was an interscalene block (who's lawyer will call you in 3 months as patient has residual paresthesias). case number 7 was emergently intubating a bleeding HIV/hep C geyser in the unit. oh and this is during residency when you're making less per hour than a janitor.

so, when YOU turn 31 and get your first real job and have a kid and 2k a month in loan payments and your takehome amounts to 30 bucks an hour to do the ABOVE, you may want to reconsider this profession. if you LOVE doing the above, then go for it.

To Jeff05: i am curious, do you wish you would've taken the route of CRNA instead now that you have experienced this as a physician/attending physician?

 

[BuzzPhreed]

"Should have i went to CRNA school instead?"

That pretty much sums it up right there, doesn't it?