Midlevel or MDA

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jcat01

jcat01

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I am at a crossroads, and I want to make the best decision with knowing I'll have a job in the end. I have been a nurse for 7 years in the ICU and ER. I will finish my BSN this spring.

I am torn between CRNA and MDA. It seems like there is so much tension between the two when I read about them. If I were to go the CRNA route, I'm totally ok with the team model and would think supervision would be best. If I go the MDA route, it's one more year of school then residency. I feel I would be able to best take care of any patient, especially considering the crashing/fubar patient is my favorite.

My worry is having a job after school/residency is done. And, honestly I don't want to do all that work to simply supervise others.

So what are ya'll seeing? Are CRNAs making it tough to find a job and do the work you just spent 8 years training for? Or is it best to go CRNA to actually get a job? I'm not so worred about the money, but more the saturation of people giving anesthetics.
 
jcat01 said:
I am at a crossroads, and I want to make the best decision with knowing I'll have a job in the end. I have been a nurse for 7 years in the ICU and ER. I will finish my BSN this spring.

I am torn between CRNA and MDA. It seems like there is so much tension between the two when I read about them. If I were to go the CRNA route, I'm totally ok with the team model and would think supervision would be best. If I go the MDA route, it's one more year of school then residency. I feel I would be able to best take care of any patient, especially considering the crashing/fubar patient is my favorite.

My worry is having a job after school/residency is done. And, honestly I don't want to do all that work to simply supervise others.

So what are ya'll seeing? Are CRNAs making it tough to find a job and do the work you just spent 8 years training for? Or is it best to go CRNA to actually get a job? I'm not so worred about the money, but more the saturation of people giving anesthetics.
Click to expand...

CRNA's are being pumped out of schools like never before. What makes you think you'll automatically get a job as a CRNA?
 
I am wondering that as well. The thought of spending 100k (UNM med school or a TX CRNA school) and not having a job afterwards scares me. Are ya'll seeing less and less jobs?
 
5i also want to make something clear. I do not think crnas are the same or better than mdas. I do not want to be called doctor unless I am one (md/do), and I think dnp programs are pretty useless.

I ask these questions because I need some job security, and when I look at jobs on gasworks, it seems many of the MDA jobs are a good chunk of supervision. I'm just trying to gauge from real people who actually work in the field what their thoughts are on the market, and if it becomes a mostly supervisor/save a midlevels a** type job.
 
If you wish to donate to "Jerry's kids" through the MDA, I think you should. Do it now so that you can get full tax benefits. I am not sure what the controversy is. You can do both. Stay in the nursing field and donate generously to a good cause. It's a win-win, in my opinion.
 
Sorry. I've seen many threads refer to anesthesiologist as MDAs. That's how it is broke down on gasworks as well. I didn't realize it would cause an issue.
 
I have seen it that way and honestly thought people used it as a short hand for doctor of anesthesia...
 
jcat01 said:
5i also want to make something clear. I do not think crnas are the same or better than mdas. I do not want to be called doctor unless I am one (md/do), and I think dnp programs are pretty useless.

I ask these questions because I need some job security, and when I look at jobs on gasworks, it seems many of the MDA jobs are a good chunk of supervision. I'm just trying to gauge from real people who actually work in the field what their thoughts are on the market, and if it becomes a mostly supervisor/save a midlevels a** type job.
Click to expand...
You seem to be full of contradictions. The first paragraph suggests that you would have trouble integrating in the CRNA world, which does not think that DNP programs are useless, or that they cannot provide the same level of care for most patients. The second paragraph shows that you are not a fan of a supervisor/firefighter type of job, which is definitely where most of American medicine is going, sooner or later.

So, maybe, it should be neither? Get an MBA and get into administration? 😉

Now if you want to stay in patient care, and you love FUBAR patients, then get an MD, and go for anesthesia + a critical care or cardiac anesthesia fellowship, or EM + critical care fellowship, or surgery + trauma surgery critical care fellowship.
 
Oh shoot me now on admin! LOL. I'm having a hard enough time trying to get through ridiculous classes such as nursing theory. I love nursing, just don't understand why the need to try to be like medicine, but still nursing with some of the crap they pull (i.e. crnas practicing alone-no need for docs...I don't understand that).

Do you find that you get to provide anesthetics most of the time? I want to do the best I can, be safe, and get to do my job. If I can't do that either way with how the market is, I'd rather get into CCM. I do love me some sepsis..😉
 
There are still MD-only anesthesia practices out there, although I don't know how long they will survive in the current environment. You definitely have a higher chance of practicing solo as a cardiac anesthesiologist. Long term, I wouldn't bet on it though.

Don't forget that CCM is also a supervision/team-based specialty. As an intensivist, your word might matter more than in the OR, but you will still have to supervise a number of people (midlevels especially), many of who don't know how little they know (no offense). There are few things more annoying than people who know much less wanting to be treated as professional equals, regardless whether it happens in the ICU or the OR.
 
FFP said:
I am so sorry for considering APRNs as more knowledgeable than RNs, but less than MDs, hence being at a "mid-level". 😛
Click to expand...

I was speaking to the OP. Hell, I refer to them midlevels all the time.
 
I have yet to know a APRN get upset or offended by being called a midlevel. However, if people do on this forum, I will refrain from the usage of it.

Buzz-I could do really well as a MDA...considering I can be insanely goofy and lovey-dovey without the drug 😉

FFP-I can see that frustration. I see it in the ICUs that I work at times (I float between the ER, Adult ICU, and Cardiac ICU currently). I understand the team approach to healthcare, considering I am a part of that team. Our intensivists are awesome, and I always admire just how much they know and what I can learn from them.
 
I learned my lesson on MDA, but could carelease about the midlevel term usage!
 
jcat01 said:
I am at a crossroads, and I want to make the best decision with knowing I'll have a job in the end. I have been a nurse for 7 years in the ICU and ER. I will finish my BSN this spring.
.
Click to expand...

Since you are an experienced ICU nurse why don't you talk to some of the anesthesiologists you come into contact with every day?

If you decide to go to medical school, keep your mind open to other options. Maybe you'll learn you'd rather be a trauma surgeon or a pulmonary icu doc.
 
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Go the CRNA route. You'll have a job, albeit for less money than they are making now, and won't have the PTSD and debt from going through medical school and residency.
 
I would ask an anesthesiologist, but now working at a lower acuity hospital, I don't see them like I did when I worked trauma and burn.

Thank you all for your input and education regarding offensive acronyms! I appreciate it 🙂
 
Never heard of an MDA...If you're referring to an MBA then yes, you should get a masters in business administration instead of becoming a CRNA.

Edit: Only after posting did I realize the OP had been corrected multiple times for using MDA. One more time never hurts.

To the OP. If you love to learn and are passionate about being a life long learner, go to medicals school. If that's not the case, don't even think about it. If you want much more flexibility, less work, better lifestyle, and less responsibility, become a midlevel of any sort (doesn't have to be a CRNA). In fact PA or NP might be a better idea as you can work in a HUGE variety of practices from Being a CT surgeon's first assist to a family practice clinic. From an economic perspective, midlevel is probably a better and smarter choice. I went to medical school and will be going into anesthesiology. However, I started med school at 22 years old, went to a state school, and have minimal student debt (relatively speaking) so if I make 100k per year as an anesthesiologist, I'll be okay (of course I'd like to make more). Had I been older, I most likely would have chosen to become a midlevel. I also have no regrets about going to med school because I have really enjoyed every part of it. Med school has been some of the best years of my life. A lot of people don't feel this way. Many feel like medical school was a waste of their 20s. Just something to keep in mind because if you will feel this way, it will not be worth it.

Now, in terms of job outlook, nobody could ever tell you what the job security or salary for these careers will be like in 8-9 years from now when you finish residency. The current job market and salaries are not a good prediction of future outlook. Many can guess but most will be wrong as to what the future holds. Do what you love and what you will be happy doing but you have to also enjoy the road to get there (medical school) or it's not worth it.
 
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