MD & DO Interested in anesthesiology with the VA approving CRNAs to practice independently is the VA HPSP worth applying for?

[deleted686610]

Hello, I am in need of a little advice. I am interested in applying to the VA's HPSP program. Pretty much this program provides a monthly stipend and pays for all of medical school tuition in exchange for 1.5 years of work at the VA for every year paid. As of right now I am interested in Anesthesia. I recently came across an article discussing the VA's move to allow CRNAs to practice independently within the VA hospital. With this being said, do you guys think it is advisable to still apply for this scholarship? Can anyone working in the VA please provide some insight into what you think the future will be like at the VA for anesthesiologist (future pay and job security)? Thanks

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[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I think @pgg might be the best person to answer this.

 

[pgg]

I don't really know.

I'm active duty Navy, and have been credentialed at a nearby VA hospital. But the only work I did there was cardiac anesthesia, and we didn't have CRNAs in those cases. Beyond that, the impact of ongoing CRNA attempts to expand the margin of their unsupervied practice is the age-old question all of anesthesia wrestles with.