CRNA versus Anesthesiologist -> Resident Life versus Life of MDA

[scudrunner]

This may help you understand. Say your name is Bartholomew, which is a long name and hard to write out each time. One of the people who works under you decides that your name is too hard to say each time, so they decide to start calling you prick. You tell that person that your name is Bartholomew and that you do not appreciate being called prick. They persist, despite your objection. You say, I am not a prick and it is disrespectful to call me that. Their fellow employees eventually all decide to call you prick because, they agree, it is much easier to say than Bartholomew and it is so much easier to write. So in email and text discussions, you are now "prick." It becomes so accepted that your boss now calls you prick instead of Bartholomew. He acknowledges you are a nice guy deserving of respect, but come on, prick really rolls right off the tongue with such ease. So, now we will all call Bartholomew "prick" because it will make things so much simpler.

We will call you Bartholomew and you call us anesthesiologists. Sorry, that is the best analogy I could come up with on the spur of the moment to illustrate the ire that the term MDA provokes in some anesthesiologists. It is a term of disrespect coined by CRNA's to try to cheapen our practice of medicine.

Outstanding analogy.

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[Osteoimperfecta]

Except I heard a resident the other day using the term MDA.

 

[Gern Blansten]

Except I heard a resident the other day using the term MDA.

That reaffirms the point. It has become commonplace and those who don't know the origin and intent of it don't even know they should be offended. It seems harmless until you delve into the origin and purpose of making up a name to represent a group that you are trying to diminish and marginalize.

 

[LindsaycAU]

If you become a physician, you can look forward to working alongside these oh so kind individuals. Get over yourselves. Good luck with nursing school!

 

[Ashers]

I heard a CRNA talking about an MDA. So I stopped her and asked, "What's an MDA?" Her, "oh, it's a medical doctor of anesthesia, like you." I said, "I'm an MD, not an MDA." She said, "But you will be." I then said, "No my license and degree all say MD. I'm an MD."

 

[Idiopathic]

Except I heard a resident the other day using the term MDA.

doubtful

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

If you become a physician, you can look forward to working alongside these oh so kind individuals. Get over yourselves. Good luck with nursing school!

Because nursing school is all bunnies and daisies. Try going over to the CRNA website and asking a loaded question and see how kind they are then. Nurses eat their young, also...

 

[JohnQP]

I have seen the statement that CRNAs came up with the term 'MDA' but I cannot find that proven anywhere. What i did find was a reference that the shorthand was coined by billing companies and subsequently widely adopted.

At our facility there is a place for the "MDA" to sign and a place for the "CRNA" to sign. While "MDA" is inaccurate as an acronym (as pointed out) it is functionally no different than CRNA. Also, it is not uncommon to call Urologists "Uro", Orthopedists "ortho" and maybe the most germaine to this discussion would be Otolaryngologists which are shorted to "ENT".

In anycase, it appears that "MDA" was not created by CRNAs or the AANA but more likely by lazy billing people and hospitals.

 

[dhb]

While "MDA" is inaccurate as an acronym (as pointed out) it is functionally no different than CRNA.

Beautiful illustration of the point everyone is making