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CRNA vs MD Shadowing

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genRN19

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  1. Other Health Professions Student
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I've been trying to find CRNA's to shadow here in NYC, but it is quite harder than I thought. I have kept in contact with some of the surgeons who have performed minor surgeries on me, so I have a few questions:

1. Would it be rude or useless to ask one of the surgeons to allow me to shadow them in the OR in order to network with CRNAs/Anesthesiologists?

2. Would it look bad in the future if I shadowed Anesthesiologists (MD) instead of CRNA's (just because some of my surgeons tend to work mostly with Anesthesiologists)?

3. Are MDs generally willing to let nursing students shadow them? I know CRNA and MD are not the same job, but their duties are very similar. I really just want to get an overview of what it is like administering anesthetics and what these professionals do on a "typical" day.


Background:
I'm a third-year student at NYU working towards my BSN. My ultimate goal is to become a CRNA because I'm really into anesthesia (or what I know about it)! I really can't explain why, but the idea of learning about the chemistry of and administering anesthetics intrigues me. That being said, I have only had exposure to anesthesia through minor surgeries that I've had in the past few years. I want to get more exposure by shadowing a professional in the field.
 
It never hurts to ask around. I don't know how much schools care about shadowing anyway. But just from a professional standpoint, I'd want to get in there and see if the actual work they do appeals to me before I spent the time to pursue it. You may walk in there and realize it's not your thing to sit there watching dials and monitors for hours at a time. I think I'd go nuts and start to become lazy and distracted.
 
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