Become an Anesthesiologist or AA?

[cytoskelement]

I should just paste the hundreds of these crappy similar threads together, which seem to spawn relentlessly like pimples on a teenager, print em out, and build a toilet for me to poop on.

After you're finished droppin' the ole duece, I'm next and I'll use the rest of the printouts to wipe my arse.

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[imnodr]

i've visited many 'great' institutions where physicians and midlevels wear different colored scrubs. Perhaps this may be a little extreme...however...certainly i do not think a x ray tech or a nurse should wear a LONG or ANY type of white coat.

White coats to the PATIENT signal a physician. All to often a patient will think the white coated nurse or tech is their doctor. I say STOP the deception. If you all want to wear the white coats that WE earned....go the extra mile. Stop kidding YOURSELVES and YOUR patients become a physician. What's the big deal?? ThreePeas did it. It's attainable. I think all to often ppl demand respect and this feeling of importance....here's an idea....go the extra mile like ThreePeas did and EARN IT. It'll make you feel better and it will allow for better patient care.

Maybe they should change the name of them to doctor coats and only give them out at graduation. When's the last time anyone saw a CRNA or Anesthesiologist wearing a white lab coat?

 

[rn29306]

i've visited many 'great' institutions where physicians and midlevels wear different colored scrubs. Perhaps this may be a little extreme...however...certainly i do not think a x ray tech or a nurse should wear a LONG or ANY type of white coat.

White coats to the PATIENT signal a physician. All to often a patient will think the white coated nurse or tech is their doctor. I say STOP the deception. If you all want to wear the white coats that WE earned....go the extra mile. Stop kidding YOURSELVES and YOUR patients become a physician. What's the big deal?? ThreePeas did it. It's attainable. I think all to often ppl demand respect and this feeling of importance....here's an idea....go the extra mile like ThreePeas did and EARN IT. It'll make you feel better and it will allow for better patient care.

My question was about the scrub comment, not the white coats. Actually, I agree with you about the whole coat arguement. If you think you should wear separate scrubs because you are a MD, then you have an insecurity issue. I've never seen this, even working in the majority of the Atlanta area hospitals.
If my comment you were responding to was about scrubs, why the long drawn out tangent about coats in the first place?

 

[threepeas]

Respecting your right to your opinion, we'll just agree to disagree.

cool. peace out. keep up the hard work. i am sure you are a credit to the profession.

 

[militarymd]

...certainly i do not think a x ray tech or a nurse should wear a LONG or ANY type of white coat.

OSHA/JCAHO is the reason, my little friend.

 

[svaefinga]

Nevertheless, ppl go to medical school for a reason to become a DOCTOR of MEDICINE.

Hey mountaindew, I didn't go do medical school to become a doctor, I went there to become a physician.
It's not about the title, dude.

 

[bwbrown]

I have been researching AA programs, and am very interested in the field. I wanted to get some advice from those out there who have been accepted into one of the 5 programs, or those applying; my GPA is a little above a 3.0, I have taken all the pre-med prereqs, and a plan to take the GRE. The GRE limits me to Emory and Nova, so I wanted to ask, how competative will I be with a 3.0 and say, a 1100 on the GRE? What should I do to enhance my chances if I can't seem to get my scores to improve? Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[AegriSomnia]

I have been researching AA programs, and am very interested in the field. I wanted to get some advice from those out there who have been accepted into one of the 5 programs, or those applying; my GPA is a little above a 3.0, I have taken all the pre-med prereqs, and a plan to take the GRE. The GRE limits me to Emory and Nova, so I wanted to ask, how competative will I be with a 3.0 and say, a 1100 on the GRE? What should I do to enhance my chances if I can't seem to get my scores to improve? Any suggestions? Thanks

Well, in my interview group everyone seemed to have at least a 3.3 GPA and only a couple of us got accepted. If you look at some of the schools websites they also state the average GPA for each program. IMHO I feel that both your GRE and GPA are on the low side, so unless you have some great healthcare experience I think you will have a great deal of trouble trying to get in. If you are really interested in becoming an AA I would suggest trying to raise that GPA up a bit. Good luck.

 

[bwbrown]

what program interviewed you? Any suggestions on how many hours I should shadow/gain experience to be competitive? I realize these are questions for admissions, but they don't give advice on the matter. Thanks everyone.

 

[jwk]

Well, in my interview group everyone seemed to have at least a 3.3 GPA and only a couple of us got accepted. If you look at some of the schools websites they also state the average GPA for each program. IMHO I feel that both your GRE and GPA are on the low side, so unless you have some great healthcare experience I think you will have a great deal of trouble trying to get in. If you are really interested in becoming an AA I would suggest trying to raise that GPA up a bit. Good luck.

Note to mods - feel free to split off these last few posts into the mid-level section. Don't know how it got added onto this thread.

All of the programs look at everything - it's not a total numbers game. I can tell you of a student several years ago with a <2.8 GPA, but one that came from a STELLAR research university, and he was an excellent applicant otherwise (superb test scores, recommendations, etc.)

And why the concern about the GRE? Take the MCAT so you can apply to the others as well. Why are you limiting yourself?

But remember - the admissions process is VERY competitive, and if you suck in one area, you will have to shine in another. If you are sub-average all around, it just ain't gonna matter - you won't get in. There are too many great applicants, and the profession honestly is NOT one where we want marginal people taking patients lives in their hands.

 

[chrslbrt]

Money isn't everything. You can't buy happiness - it isn't available in a jar at Target. Both CRNA/AA and physician avenues will allow you to have an enjoyable lifestyle and comfortable retirement. But, again, money isn't everything and I know some unhappy (deep down inside) people with big bank accounts. I'm giving up ~$170K total package to go back to school but to me the intangibles are priceless.

What truly motivates you? From what do you reap your true inner rewards? What gives you a sense of satisfaction, a job well done, a day well spent, using your talents and abilities to their fullest possible extent? After making sure the essentials in life are covered, with a little left over for toys and fun, more and more money is really just a bunch of marks on an accounting sheet.

Without trying to throw religion down anyone's throat here, my personal goal is to stand at my Eternal Judgement and hear the words "well done." I don't see the addendum "and congrats for dying with the most toys, and with the largest bank account" in there anywhere.

I'd rather be rich and miserable than broke and miserable.

 

[jwk]

I'd rather be rich and miserable than broke and miserable.

You're far too young to have a clue what you're talking about.

 

[bwbrown]

Do you have any suggestions as to extra curricular supplementing? I plan to build shadowing experience, but are there any other motions the rest of you are going through? It's really late in the game for me to pull my GPA up, so I'm limited to busting my ass on the GRE/MCAT and shadowing..any specific suggestions?

 

[acrolentiginous]

Next time you have a couple of free hours, I invite you to observe at the nursing station on a med-surg ward. You will see RNs going 12 hours straight without sitting down, without a break, without a meal, so they can properly and professionally administer dedicated patient care while trying to keep their heads above the sea of paperwork.

+1. I've seen this firsthand throughout my Critical Care rotations. These nurses are amazing.