Engineer to Nurse to MD

[tguffey3]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post, so go easy on me ;D I'm graduating next year (fingers crossed) with my bachelors in Biomedical Engineering. The program is excellent in combining the math and physics of engineering with the life sciences and chemistry. This being said, all of the pre-reqs required for med school are built into my curriculum.

That being said, having an engineering degree usually means less than stellar GPAs ( I currently have a 3.1). I was not always pre-med and just recently decided to pursue nursing in an anesthesiology setting. (Possibly becoming a CRNA.) I'm just afraid though that I may want to eventually become an MDA after being exposed to that environment as a CRNA. Also, I'm afraid of having an inferiority complex working under a physician that I could've been, but didn't because I had a lack luster GPA.

So my question is, would getting my BSN and then possibly becoming a CRNA change admission officers' minds at med school. This is assuming the my gpa when I get my BSN (1 more year after my 4 years) and then my CRNA ( 2 years after the BSN) is above a 3.5?

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[FrkyBgStok]

I would say choose one path and go with it. If you go crna, you will make good money and do what you want. If you go medicine, you may not end up as an anesthesiologist at all as it is getting more competitive. But that is ultimately something only you can decide.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Don't take the easy way out and be a nurse. Become a doctor. It will open many more doors for you. Look into D.O. grade replacement.

 

[PMPMD]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post, so go easy on me ;D I'm graduating next year (fingers crossed) with my bachelors in Biomedical Engineering. The program is excellent in combining the math and physics of engineering with the life sciences and chemistry. This being said, all of the pre-reqs required for med school are built into my curriculum.

That being said, having an engineering degree usually means less than stellar GPAs ( I currently have a 3.1). I was not always pre-med and just recently decided to pursue nursing in an anesthesiology setting. (Possibly becoming a CRNA.) I'm just afraid though that I may want to eventually become an MDA after being exposed to that environment as a CRNA. Also, I'm afraid of having an inferiority complex working under a physician that I could've been, but didn't because I had a lack luster GPA.

So my question is, would getting my BSN and then possibly becoming a CRNA change admission officers' minds at med school. This is assuming the my gpa when I get my BSN (1 more year after my 4 years) and then my CRNA ( 2 years after the BSN) is above a 3.5?

Have you looked into AA (anesthesia assistant) school? It's a 2 year master's, and would allow you to have a nice career as an anesthetist (in less time than CRNA route). Or you could apply to med school after.

 

[UpwardTrend]

+1 on the AA idea, assuming you are okay with practicing in certain states. It's a quicker option. Where I volunteer in the OR, the midlevels pretty much run gas independently. I have seen when something isn't going perfect and the surgeon yells at them to get their attending in the room immediately, though. If you feel like you must go for the top then your gpa is probably worthy of an SMP to DO.

 

[Autarkeia]

I would say choose one path and go with it. If you go crna, you will make good money and do what you want. If you go medicine, you may not end up as an anesthesiologist at all as it is getting more competitive. But that is ultimately something only you can decide.

Amen. Pick a destination first and then you'll figure out how to get there. Nursing is not a stepping stone to doctoring.

 

[jl lin]

Amen. Pick a destination first and then you'll figure out how to get there. Nursing is not a stepping stone to doctoring.

No but if you started out that way and then decided that you know you like medicine better, it's definitely not the easy way. It's exhausting if you have to work and do swing shifts .

CRNA isn't an easy road either---and then there are only so many seats, so you have to get in against competition there too.


There are some great CRNAs out there; but it's not anesthesiology medicine. But at the end of the day, if my family member is going under, sorry. I am going to interview the anesthesiologist first. I want to know who is going to be on top of things while my loved one is in the room--and that means more than a minute or so of pass by and open the door type of supervision of the CRNA. Yes, I have interviewed CRNAs too. I had worked enough critical care and so forth to know what to ask and look for--b/c at the end of the day it was my kid going under the chemicals, gas, knife.

I must have been pretty fortunate in my career, b/c most of the anesthesiologists I have worked with or had in charge of a family member's care were absolutely top-notch and on the ball.

Nursing is good in many ways, but even for CRNA, it's a whole different ball game than medicine.

Now having said that, I fear I will have a certain Phd-CRNA-online-stalker come back to this or another site and rake me over the coals; b/c I definitely see a distinct advantage over anesthesiology versus anesthetists. Both can be great and necessary; but they are different--although some don't want to admit it.

The answer is be what you are directed and driven to do from the core of your being, and don't use another profession as an "in" into another profession or field for that reason and that reason only. Take the lumps and pay the toll. (Whatever that means for you.)

Medicine is a whole different wiener you have to schnitzel.

And to be fair to nursing, it needs its own to be committed to it, for those that are so inclined. Lord knows it's too often fragmented as a profession.

Back to my OP. . .it's tiring to do all that needs to be done with most of the sick people in the hospital today as a professional RN and then have to come home and try to study for hours on end. Seriously--all the family stuff (If you have that), plus studying, working, and striving for balance. When nurses that work in these areas are doing their jobs right, they are fried from head to toe--and I mean really achy feet and toes and shoulders--not to mention brains and emotions. Honestly, it can be really demanding and stressful--feeling like you have to please everyone all the time, while trying to be true to what you are doing and also covering your arse. And. . .to be quite honest, nursing can be a very nitpicky crowd. The unfortunate things is the nitpicky stuff can be applied very capriciously. The politics is not fun at all.