MD vs. Nurse Anesthetist?

[livelifexlove]

I was talking to one of my friends and he mentioned that he was thinking about switching from pre-med to a nursing route. He brought up some pretty good points, which got me thinking. He mentioned nursing has a less rigorous curriculum. That you go for nursing for 3-4 years after your undergrad, and then you become certified (for general nursing, I think? For specialization I think you have to do a couple extra years to become certified in that specialty). You also start making a good salary quicker than if you were to go to med school, then start your residency, etc. And I'm pretty sure that you do not need to take the MCAT's.

As of now, I'm still doing pre-med. I'll save you the whole "it has been my dream since I was little to be a doctor" speech. But now I'm thinking...is it practical? By no means am I trying to take the easy way out, or saying that I'm going to switch my career path anytime soon. I'm just wondering. What do you guys think?

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I've heard nurse ane's are basically like first year residents and treated just like them. I'd rather be a doctor and get respect and set my own hours and what not.

 

[Morsetlis]

CRNA is a Master's level degree.

 

[morning]

I was talking to one of my friends and he mentioned that he was thinking about switching from pre-med to a nursing route. He brought up some pretty good points, which got me thinking. He mentioned nursing has a less rigorous curriculum. That you go for nursing for 3-4 years after your undergrad, and then you become certified (for general nursing, I think? For specialization I think you have to do a couple extra years to become certified in that specialty). You also start making a good salary quicker than if you were to go to med school, then start your residency, etc. And I'm pretty sure that you do not need to take the MCAT's.

As of now, I'm still doing pre-med. I'll save you the whole "it has been my dream since I was little to be a doctor" speech. But now I'm thinking...is it practical? By no means am I trying to take the easy way out, or saying that I'm going to switch my career path anytime soon. I'm just wondering. What do you guys think?

It sounds like you ARE trying to take the easy way out. No offense, but you basically outlined the easy path in bright highlighter and then tried to claim you weren't asking about it.

You don't have the CRNA path mapped out correctly...

1. Nursing BSN (four years, undergrad degree) OR, if you already have a bachelor's degree, you can take a 1-2 year accelerated nursing BSN.

2. Take the NCLEX-RN and become certified as an RN.

3. Generally you will need at least 1 year of experience as an RN, in a critical care setting. You will have a hard time finding a job as a critical care RN without at least a year of med-surg experience.

4. CRNA school, which is 2-3 years of post-grad work.

Several points here. The only people who enjoy nursing school are masochists (okay, I'm half joking.) I've heard horror stories about nursing school that would make your hair curl. And not the "this is hard, but worth it!" stuff you hear about med school. I have two good friends who have gone through nursing school and one that is in an ADN program currently. Most of your instructors will be fine. A couple will be capricious, bitter demons you will remember for the rest of your life.

And then, at the end of your journey, you get to be...a CRNA. Not a doctor. You will know about 20% of what your doctor colleagues know. You get to be a member of the team, never a leader. You will be in a career with no upward mobility.

CRNAs love their job because it is more rewarding to them than floor nursing; that doesn't make the job a good fit for you. However, I don't think you should go into med school unless you are ABSOLUTELY SURE of what you want to do.

 

[anfleisch]

I don't see why people are so against additional education. First off, you get paid for those years by increasing your income during your practicing years. Second, you are much more confident and comfortable in your ability to do your job, and ultimately, you will be better at doing it. Third, what is a couple more years when your talking about a 30+ years on the job. Finally, there seems to be many more choices as far as your field and what you can do with an MD degree, whereas not with a nursing degree. And by this I don't only mean the various specialties, but also in the business, research, and industry worlds.

I personally think these two professions attract very different individuals, and someone who is right to become a physician would not be satisfied with being a nurse. Just because they may want to take on the responsibility and leadership role. As serenade said, you are like a resident for your entire career. I don't mean this as disrespect for the nursing field, I am just saying they are not so similar.

 

[morning]

I'm especially attracted to nurse anesthesia because it would allow me to work for a couple years earning a good salary before returning to school -- I feel like I might burn out without this academic break. Moreover, the opportunity cost is less and the debt is as well (in most cases). For some reasons there are a lot of cheap CRNA schools out there -- many from 30-50k for the entire 27 months (or Mayo's which is like 14k).

I have to say I have NEVER, in my life, heard someone say they want to go into nursing to prevent burnout. Look at the turnover rates for nurses and you will begin to understand what a tough job it is.

Nursing school is NOT easy.

Nursing is NOT an easy job.

 

[Smb8041]

I'm in my last semester of nursing school and I actually made the same points as your friend did. When my father (who is a doctor) asked me "why nursing instead of medicine?", I stated my reasons which seemed very practical. Shorter and easier curriculum, good pay, a lot of patient interaction, and I would have a lot of options after I graduated. I could also become a nurse anesthetist and make 150K a year after only doing 2 years of graduate school. Sounded pretty good. Well, now that I have more insight into the world of nursing, I now fully understand why my father didn't want me to go into the field.

First, nurses work very hard for average pay. Most say they want to go into nursing because of the wonderful patient interaction they'll get. Truth is, most nurses spend most of the shift charting on patient assessments and giving medications. Very little time is spent actually connecting with patients, there just isn't any time for that. I work at a hospital as a nursing assistant and many nurses will stay 2-3 hours after their 12 hour shift is over, just to complete charting.

Also, there are not a lot of jobs right now for nurses. The students who graduated from my program in December are having a very hard time finding jobs. Many hospitals are in the process of doing hiring freezes, and who do you think they're going to withhold positions from 1st? Nurses. It's a sad fact, but nurses can only offer the hospitals a certain skill set, which makes them easily replaceable. Doctor's on the other hand bring the hospital patients, which makes them more valuable. So who do you think the hospital is going to have more of an interest in? Keeping doctors or nurses?

Also, as far as the nurse anesthetist career, I don't want to be stuck administering anesthesia everyday for the rest of my life, I want more options than that.
There are many other reasons I am choosing medicine now, but mainly, nursing isn't the glamorized profession I thought it was. Not many nurses are respected for what they do, which is sad, because I know a lot of intelligent hard working nurses that get taken advantage of by hospitals and get very low compensation.

I know medicine is a long road with a lot of sacrifices, but I look at the picture. When I'm 40 years-old I want to look back with no regrets, and I want to be proud of the work that I'm doing. Even if that means I have to give up 10 years of my live to get there, it will be well worth it.

 

[livelifexlove]

Thanks for the info, Morning. Like I said, though, I'm not going to change my career path any time soon. I'm only a second-semester freshman, so I have a long road ahead of me. But becoming a doctor is absolutely not an easy decision to make. I realize that someone who wants to do it needs to be 110% sure about it. But it's always good to explore options, have a back-up plan, etc.

I only mentioned what my friend said because, like me, some people may not know exactly what CRNA's do, how much school they have to go through, how much they get paid. I didn't know any of this until my friend told me about it.

But you all are right. I'd rather stick it out for more years and earn my MD. Just wanted to get your opinions on how you felt about his.

 

[deleted307836]

Great post SMB.

I'm just curious, how do you plan on making the transition to medicine? Are you going to work as a nurse for a while then do a post-bacc?

 

[Bernoull]

 

[sonofva]

Without a BSN, it is impossible to become a CRNA...the easiest thing for you to do would be to complete a one year conversion program designed for people with BS degrees. These programs allow you to cram all your nursing courses into one year and receive your BSN. You would then have to work in the field for a year or two. Then you could apply for a CRNA program. But I wouldn't recommend doing this unless you want to be a nurse, and don't mind doing nursing things for a few years (changing bedpans, disimpacting bowels, etc.).

your other option is to do anesthesia assistant...which IS a master's degree program. it requires prerequisites similar to premed, and the GRE...there are a small handful of programs including NOVA Southeastern and Emory...

If you go the AA or CRNA route, you will most likely receive the highest level of autonomy in the military. Rank trumps all in the Army, and if you outrank the doc you run the anesthesia...

if you are interested going this route, also check out cardiac perfusion (they run the heart lung machines during open heart surgery). the pay is pretty good, and it only requires a masters degree level of education...there are programs in various places including Midwestern University (arizona) and vanderbilt.

 

[Smb8041]

I'm think I'm going to go straight through. I know some ad comm's might not like this, but it's a chance I'm just going to have to take. I found a post bacc program in Atlanta that allows me to finish my pre-reqs in a year, and I think I'm going to start the program either this June or this Fall. I just have to come up with a REALLY good answer when, during my interview they ask me, "So why the sudden change from nursing to medicine?" But I'll have about 2 years to come up with a good answer

 

[Silverman780]

Picture says it all, some people may disagree with me but: Just spending a year doing the nursing thing in order to get into med school then claiming to "see the light" would reflect that more that you had real sense of what a nurse did prior to nursing school admission and that you weren't really committed. From an admissions committee stand point what would stop me from assuming the same thing when applying to med school?

The reason I'm staying away from nursing, is that I love the science aspect of medicine and tend to favor the drivers seat in working in a team.

 

[morning]

First, nurses work very hard for average pay. Most say they want to go into nursing because of the wonderful patient interaction they'll get. Truth is, most nurses spend most of the shift charting on patient assessments and giving medications. Very little time is spent actually connecting with patients, there just isn't any time for that. I work at a hospital as a nursing assistant and many nurses will stay 2-3 hours after their 12 hour shift is over, just to complete charting...There are many other reasons I am choosing medicine now, but mainly, nursing isn't the glamorized profession I thought it was. Not many nurses are respected for what they do, which is sad, because I know a lot of intelligent hard working nurses that get taken advantage of by hospitals and get very low compensation.

When (if, but I'm going to be optimistic and say WHEN) I am a doc I intend to be as nice to nurses as is humanly possible. I've seen their job and I sympathize. I don't know what's going on behind the scenes, and most of the doctor/nurse interactions I've seen have been friendly (most conflict going on that I could observe as an outsider was nurse vs. nurse!) but it's definitely not a job I would choose.

There are some good nursing niches. Med/surg and LTC are really the pits and consequently are where most of the jobs are.

My sister is a dialysis patient and while those nurses are on their feet the WHOLE time, plugging and unplugging cords and fluids, the atmosphere is extremely cheerful and friendly. You get the same patients every week and the dialysis center she goes to is one big room where all the patients sit together while the nurses circle around like busy bees. Everyone knows each other and as far as I can tell, everyone gets along. When she was inpatient, she received nocturnal acute dialysis within the hospital and those nurses (nighttime, not daytime) had almost nothing to do. They would all sit behind the counter reading and gossiping for hours, occasionally getting up if a machine beeped.

your other option is to do anesthesia assistant...which IS a master's degree program. it requires prerequisites similar to premed, and the GRE...there are a small handful of programs including NOVA Southeastern and Emory...

Are there PAs working in anesthesia? If so that might be another route for the OP to consider. They would not have to worry about the nursing degree then.

 

[link2swim06]

Can anyone explain why people go through the whole nurse track to become when a NA when they could just do a 2 year master degree and become a AA and do the same thing?

 

[morning]

Can anyone explain why people go through the whole nurse track to become when a NA when they could just do a 2 year master degree and become a AA and do the same thing?

Probably either lack of knowledge or more versatility/job options. Being a nurse opens up a lot of different niches.

 

[Smb8041]

CityOfLights- yes I know that some ad. comm's might look at this the wrong way, but I'm am 25 years old, and I want to have kids soon. I'm probably going to wait until I'm done with med school to do this so I can't waste much time. Like I said, it's a chance I'm just going to have to take and come up with a very good answer when they ask me about my sudden change. Wish me luck

and about the PA, they are called anestesiologist assistants, and they do the exact same thing that a nurse anesthetist does, except instead of getting a degree in nursing, you can obtain any bachelor's degree and then apply to a anesthesiology assistant program. But before you can be accepted you have to do pre-requisites, which are usually the same classes needed to get into med school.

However, the thing about AA's is that it's a relatively new field. CRNA's don't want their job taken over be AA's. Many CRNA's are trying to limit the number of AA's that hospitals hire. At least that's how it is in Atlanta. A nurse who is married to a PA was telling me about this

 

[Morsetlis]

I'd use the entire process as an excuse for getting more clinical experiences. I know I would've been happier w/ a BSN instead of BS Biochem... getting good clinical experiences as a clueless pre-med is hard.

However, please note that post-grad medical education (PA, CRNA, AA, PharmD, blah) have very little bearing on your undergrad GPA consideration for med schools. They are very good clinical/ECs but aren't a substitute for good grades in undergrad core pre-med prerequisites.

 

[sonofva]

Probably either lack of knowledge or more versatility/job options. Being a nurse opens up a lot of different niches.

also, the salary for CRNA is better than AA by 20K or so.

 

[armybound]

it's definitely a good career and worth considering

 

[Melicopter]

I never really thought about nurse anesthesia - I like more diversity in my day - but I considered being a nurse practitioner for awhile. In the end, I really made the decision based on my personality. Like a previous poster, I want to be the one with all the information.

That said, if you think you'd be happy doing something else, I'd say go for it. I knew a PA, for example, who had a lot of autonomy and flexibility in his work, made a great salary, and loved his work. We were on a team together on an international mission trip, and he was the first choice from either the PCP or the surgeon for anything they needed.

I'd shadow a nurse anesthetist if I were you - see what the day is like, what level they can work at, and how happy you'd be doing either job.

 

[JJMrK]

it's definitely a good career and worth considering

I agree. I think this needs to be considered pretty carefully, though:

On the other hand, I have a feeling there will be a large saturation of CRNAs in the future -- look what has happened with the pharmacy profession. There is not a lot of regulation on the opening of schools for nurse anesthetists and pharmacists like there is for physicians.

 

[Medgirl55]

I think CNA and AA are both good alternatives if you don't get into medicine (after multiple trials). I am not saying that it's only a backup for people, but let's be realistic many people have to choose backups because they cannot get into medicine. Before I was accepted i seriously considered it because it has health care, good salary, short years. I hear there's a good program at Case Western and they accept mcat scores so you don't even have to take GRE (for AA programs)

 

[loveoforganic]

You should post this in the anesthesiology forum! They'd be very encouraging!

 

[morning]

On the other hand, I have a feeling there will be a large saturation of CRNAs in the future -- look what has happened with the pharmacy profession. There is not a lot of regulation on the opening of schools for nurse anesthetists and pharmacists like there is for physicians.

This has actually already happened with nursing in general so I wouldn't be surprised if it happened to CRNAs. A lot of people went into nursing recently because they figured it was a "recession-proof" job...and then the recession happened and it turns out it isn't.

 

[Happyparrot]

CRNA’s and MDA’s are two *very* different entities that provide anesthesia, and one is not a substitute for the other, each one has very distinct roles in the clinical setting.

The two professions have completely different schooling requirements and completely different job requirements.

I have shadowed both professions, there is no comparison.

If you are not 110% sure what professional path you want to follow, then take a quarter off, explorer both fields and see what it is you really want to do. You can’t go into nursing and then switch to medicine (should you change your mind), nor does it work the other way around. The two fields have nothing in common, and should you decide to change majors you'll have to start from scratch.

 

[BlitzSleep]

It sounds like you ARE trying to take the easy way out. No offense, but you basically outlined the easy path in bright highlighter and then tried to claim you weren't asking about it.

You don't have the CRNA path mapped out correctly...

1. Nursing BSN (four years, undergrad degree) OR, if you already have a bachelor's degree, you can take a 1-2 year accelerated nursing BSN.

2. Take the NCLEX-RN and become certified as an RN.

3. Generally you will need at least 1 year of experience as an RN, in a critical care setting. You will have a hard time finding a job as a critical care RN without at least a year of med-surg experience.

4. CRNA school, which is 2-3 years of post-grad work.

Several points here. The only people who enjoy nursing school are masochists (okay, I'm half joking.) I've heard horror stories about nursing school that would make your hair curl. And not the "this is hard, but worth it!" stuff you hear about med school. I have two good friends who have gone through nursing school and one that is in an ADN program currently. Most of your instructors will be fine. A couple will be capricious, bitter demons you will remember for the rest of your life.

And then, at the end of your journey, you get to be...a CRNA. Not a doctor. You will know about 20% of what your doctor colleagues know. You get to be a member of the team, never a leader. You will be in a career with no upward mobility.

CRNAs love their job because it is more rewarding to them than floor nursing; that doesn't make the job a good fit for you. However, I don't think you should go into med school unless you are ABSOLUTELY SURE of what you want to do.

Dude, I have never heard anyone else explain this better.

 

[faith2]

I read through this and I am just trying to educate myself. What is the differnce between Nurse Ane. and a MD Ane. I know money and education, but what else please

thank you

 

[Morsetlis]

I read through this and I am just trying to educate myself. What is the differnce between Nurse Ane. and a MD Ane. I know money and education, but what else please

thank you

...

 

[faith2]

I am sorry what does ... mean?

...

 

[iPodtosis]

This is a very interesting topic. My friend is currently in nursing school; he is only doing it because he has a low undergrad GPA and want to use the nursing course to bring it up (he currently has 4.0 in nursing). He will be finishing his nursing degree in Dec 2010, but he will be applying to med school in Jun/Jul. Is this gonna look bad on his application?

 

[faith2]

This is a very interesting topic. My friend is currently in nursing school; he is only doing it because he has a low undergrad GPA and want to use the nursing course to bring it up (he currently has 4.0 in nursing). He will be finishing his nursing degree in Dec 2010, but he will be applying to med school in Jun/Jul. Is this gonna look bad on his application?

</p>

 

[Morsetlis]

This is a very interesting topic. My friend is currently in nursing school; he is only doing it because he has a low undergrad GPA and want to use the nursing course to bring it up (he currently has 4.0 in nursing). He will be finishing his nursing degree in Dec 2010, but he will be applying to med school in Jun/Jul. Is this gonna look bad on his application?

Nursing classes (except microbio, etc) aren't science. They're allied health. Thus, this would increase his cumulative uGPA and AO (all other) GPA, but not BCPM GPA, which is also very important. However, showing a 4.0 during his last years of class is strong, and having nursing internship/externship clinical experience is very strong. He would have to indicate that he is never, ever thinking of a career in nursing, however ;p

 

[morning]

Nursing classes (except microbio, etc) aren't science. They're allied health. Thus, this would increase his cumulative uGPA and AO (all other) GPA, but not BCPM GPA, which is also very important. However, showing a 4.0 during his last years of class is strong, and having nursing internship/externship clinical experience is very strong. He would have to indicate that he is never, ever thinking of a career in nursing, however ;p

Wouldn't he then also have to explain why he went into nursing school to begin with? I'm sure most adcoms would see through whatever excuse you want to give for going into nursing (unless you genuinely had no idea you wanted to be an MD beforehand) because if you want patient contact, it's much easier to become a phlebotomist, one of the various techs, CNA, EMT or paramedic. Or volunteer. It's not like you make any money in nursing school.

Never seen any stats on this but I'm betting a LOT of people in nursing school end up wanting to become doctors.

 

[Disinence2]

If your looking for less training, more patient interaction, and decent money why not look into being a PA?

Lots of the mid level positions positions look tempting while a pre-med... I know, but you have to realize that in reality, being a CRNA is COMPLETELY different than being an MD.

Most of my classmates are getting ready to apply for residencies in totally different fields than what they thought when they started school. If you just go for a CRNA spot then your pretty stuck if you decide you don't like it!

Just my input.

 

[mfrizzo3]

CRNA’s and MDA’s are two *very* different entities that provide anesthesia, and one is not a substitute for the other, each one has very distinct roles in the clinical setting.

The two professions have completely different schooling requirements and completely different job requirements.

I have shadowed both professions, there is no comparison.

If you are not 110% sure what professional path you want to follow, then take a quarter off, explorer both fields and see what it is you really want to do. You can’t go into nursing and then switch to medicine (should you change your mind), nor does it work the other way around. The two fields have nothing in common, and should you decide to change majors you'll have to start from scratch.

Why not?

 

[Happyparrot]

Why not?

Morsetlis explained this very well. The prerequisites for nursing school are not science based courses, they are allied health. Meaning, they do not satisfy any requirements for pre-med. Similarly, the science courses required for pre-med do not satisfy any of the requirements for nursing.

I'll elaborate,

**Biology:**

Nursing requires 5 courses in biology to apply. These include: Intro to biology, Anatomy and Physiology with Lab (2qtrs), Microbiology, and Nutrition. *None* of which can be applied toward pre-med. Likewise pre-med requires 1yr of biology, from the science major which doesn't satisfy any of the nursing requirements.

**Chemistry:**

Nursing requires 2 courses in chemistry from allied health, intro to general chemistry and intro to organic chem. Medicine requires 1yr of general chem and 1yr of organic chem, from the science majors. Again, these courses are not interchangeable.

**Physics**

Nursing has no physics requirements, vs. 1yr for premed.

**General requirements:**

Both programs require college level English, though most med schools require additional humanities courses (some as much as a year).
Nursing generally requires only advanced algebra and basic statistics course to apply, whilst most med schools require a minimum of 1-2qtrs of calculus.
Most nursing schools now require applicants be certified nursing assistant with an active license, to ensure that students that are applying are in fact interested in going into this field, as there is a huge rate of students graduating and leaving the profession.

**Additional differences:**

Many nursing programs require general psychology and a course in communication.
Medical schools require a bachelor's degree to apply.
I will not go into extracurricular activities and other vast differences between the two schools as this goes beyond the scope of this comparison.

My point is the two schools have immense differences. Please make a wise decision, for yourself above all. Take some time and really figure out which path is right for you. If you were so easily swayed by your friend to consider an alternate career, perhaps you are not ready to commit to medical school. Take some time and figure out which career path is most appropriate for you.

 

[clinic21]

So your argument is basically that the prerequisites are different?

Do CRNAs perform anesthesia? Yes. Do Anesthesiologists perform Anesthesia? Yes. Does an MD have more years of training and residency than a CRNA? Yes. Are there numerous states where a CRNA can practice independently and, to a large extent, take on the same role that an Anesthesiologist otherwise would? yes. Does an MD have a greater scope of practice and, in many states, greater autonomy? Again, yes.

Writing about prerequisites doesn't really address the question (i.e. how are CRNAs and MDs deeply different in the roles that they perform). Also, your list of prerequisites isn't entirely accurate. For example, CRNA school does require a bachelors degree; and, the Bio1/Chem1 courses are more or less interchangeable between nursing and med school – both require an in-person lab.

And, I would not say that someone is "not ready to commit to med school" just because they are considering other options. I had a relative who was a CRNA, in an independent practice state, for close to 40 years. He had his own business, had a team of CRNAs that worked for him, and performed anesthesia on a range of people, including well–known public figures. When he was the anesthesia provider, he essentially replaced the anesthesiologist. No one ever died under his watch.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Nice bump....

 

[Mansamusa]

So your argument is basically that the prerequisites are different?

Do CRNAs perform anesthesia? Yes. Do Anesthesiologists perform Anesthesia? Yes. Does an MD have more years of training and residency than a CRNA? Yes. Are there numerous states where a CRNA can practice independently and, to a large extent, take on the same role that an Anesthesiologist otherwise would? yes. Does an MD have a greater scope of practice and, in many states, greater autonomy? Again, yes.

Writing about prerequisites doesn't really address the question (i.e. how are CRNAs and MDs deeply different in the roles that they perform). Also, your list of prerequisites isn't entirely accurate. For example, CRNA school does require a bachelors degree; and, the Bio1/Chem1 courses are more or less interchangeable between nursing and med school – both require an in-person lab.

And, I would not say that someone is "not ready to commit to med school" just because they are considering other options. I had a relative who was a CRNA, in an independent practice state, for close to 40 years. He had his own business, had a team of CRNAs that worked for him, and performed anesthesia on a range of people, including well–known public figures. When he was the anesthesia provider, he essentially replaced the anesthesiologist. No one ever died under his watch.

The questioning commitment to med school is not because OP is considering other options, it's why those other options are being considered (quicker schooling, faster money, easier path). Med school is not easy, quick, and gives you negative money for a while.

And the bio and chem nurses take (unless they are a science major who then goes on to nursing) are completely different. I've tutored nurses in many classes, and their stuff just focuses on the "what" while the courses for premed and future researchers focus on the "what," "why," and "how" so that we can adapt the knowledge to new scenarios

 

[Psai]

So your argument is basically that the prerequisites are different?

Do CRNAs perform anesthesia? Yes. Do Anesthesiologists perform Anesthesia? Yes. Does an MD have more years of training and residency than a CRNA? Yes. Are there numerous states where a CRNA can practice independently and, to a large extent, take on the same role that an Anesthesiologist otherwise would? yes. Does an MD have a greater scope of practice and, in many states, greater autonomy? Again, yes.

Writing about prerequisites doesn't really address the question (i.e. how are CRNAs and MDs deeply different in the roles that they perform). Also, your list of prerequisites isn't entirely accurate. For example, CRNA school does require a bachelors degree; and, the Bio1/Chem1 courses are more or less interchangeable between nursing and med school – both require an in-person lab.

And, I would not say that someone is "not ready to commit to med school" just because they are considering other options. I had a relative who was a CRNA, in an independent practice state, for close to 40 years. He had his own business, had a team of CRNAs that worked for him, and performed anesthesia on a range of people, including well–known public figures. When he was the anesthesia provider, he essentially replaced the anesthesiologist. No one ever died under his watch.

You're not in nursing school or medical school. Why are you preaching to us about the prereqs and how the job works?

 

[fahimaz7]

CRNA’s and MDA’s are two *very* different entities that provide anesthesia, and one is not a substitute for the other, each one has very distinct roles in the clinical setting. .
.
The two professions have completely different schooling requirements and completely different job requirements..
.
I have shadowed both professions, there is no comparison. .
.
If you are not 110% sure what professional path you want to follow, then take a quarter off, explorer both fields and see what it is you really want to do. You can’t go into nursing and then switch to medicine (should you change your mind), nor does it work the other way around. The two fields have nothing in common, and should you decide to change majors you'll have to start from scratch..

That is not true. About half of our ORs are run by CRNAs. Do they do complex pedi heart cases? No. Do they do traumas? Not typically. Do they do the bulk of elective cases? Yup.

In a lot of states CRNAs can practice without supervision as well.

It's a good gig if you want to do anesthesia and you don't want to deal with 8 years of education to get there. CRNAs tend to be some of the happiest guys in the hospital as well! Plus they make 180k/yr and have a lot less stress than their doctor colleagues.

 

[fahimaz7]

You're not in nursing school or medical school. Why are you preaching to us about the prereqs and how the job works?

Everything he/she said is perfectly on point.

 

[Psai]

Everything he/she said is perfectly on point.

The next time that I'm curious about an it person's opinion about healthcare, I'll be sure to ask

 

[fahimaz7]

The next time that I'm curious about an it person's opinion about healthcare, I'll be sure to ask

Perhaps you should stop reading SDN if that is the case. BTW, how is MS1 year treating you?

 

[Psai]

Perhaps you should stop reading SDN if that is the case. BTW, how is MS1 year treating you?

Better than taking 3 years to be accepted to medical school

 

[fahimaz7]

Better than taking 3 years to be accepted to medical school

Not really. Best years of my adult life thus far. Wouldn't change a thing.

 

[jqueb29]

So your argument is basically that the prerequisites are different?

Do CRNAs perform anesthesia? Yes. Do Anesthesiologists perform Anesthesia? Yes. Does an MD have more years of training and residency than a CRNA? Yes. Are there numerous states where a CRNA can practice independently and, to a large extent, take on the same role that an Anesthesiologist otherwise would? yes. Does an MD have a greater scope of practice and, in many states, greater autonomy? Again, yes.

Writing about prerequisites doesn't really address the question (i.e. how are CRNAs and MDs deeply different in the roles that they perform). Also, your list of prerequisites isn't entirely accurate. For example, CRNA school does require a bachelors degree; and, the Bio1/Chem1 courses are more or less interchangeable between nursing and med school – both require an in-person lab.

And, I would not say that someone is "not ready to commit to med school" just because they are considering other options. I had a relative who was a CRNA, in an independent practice state, for close to 40 years. He had his own business, had a team of CRNAs that worked for him, and performed anesthesia on a range of people, including well–known public figures. When he was the anesthesia provider, he essentially replaced the anesthesiologist. No one ever died under his watch.

Give me the worst anesthesiologist over the best nurse anesthetist any day.