midlevel the best of both worlds?

[igcgnerd]

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I have wanted to be a doctor for a long time. Im currently a sophmore in college. To imerse myself in medicine early i became a emt on a ambulance service, i then started to work as a tech in an er. Despite my long determination to go to medical school, im starting to think that there is more out there. Ive noticed that its a lot more fufilling to spend more than ten minutes with a patient like a doc does. This has led me to consider maybe something like being a PA or geting my rn and becoming an np. I like being hands on and im thinking that practicing at mid level will get me the best of both worlds: nursing and being a doctor. I still want to be able to do advanced procedures like intubation, chest tubes, neddle decompression but i like to be there to see my patients through beginning to end. What do u guys think?

 

[deleted6669]

I have wanted to be a doctor for a long time. Im currently a sophmore in college. To imerse myself in medicine early i became a emt on a ambulance service, i then started to work as a tech in an er. Despite my long determination to go to medical school, im starting to think that there is more out there. Ive noticed that its a lot more fufilling to spend more than ten minutes with a patient like a doc does. This has led me to consider maybe something like being a PA or geting my rn and becoming an np. I like being hands on and im thinking that practicing at mid level will get me the best of both worlds: nursing and being a doctor. I still want to be able to do advanced procedures like intubation, chest tubes, neddle decompression but i like to be there to see my patients through beginning to end. What do u guys think?

don't believe the hype. pa's and np's who work alongside docs don't spend any more time with their pts than the docs do and they don't work cushy family friendly hrs, they work the same hrs as the docs or possibly even more with their share of nights/weekends/holidays and call.the docs in my group work 12-14 eight hr shifts/month. the pa's do 18 tens.....
on the bright side midlevels have a lot less debt....and as a pa at least you have quite a bit of flexibility as you can change fields as often as you like or even work in 2 specialties at the same time. to do that as a doc you have to do a second residency or a fellowship.

 

[rn29306]

You want a midlevel position and still spend time with people? A job that is IMMENSLEY rewarding? Do you want to guide individuals through what is most likely their most vulnerable times? Manipulate physiology on a real time basis (none of this 'take this BP med and we'll see what happens in two weeks), initiate on a daily basis what amounts to a code blue on the floors and units, and play with the coolest drugs around..

CRNA or AA school. Yeah JWK, don't you ever accuse me of hatin'. 🙂

There is no better job that I can imagine. But for real...look into it. I don't know the AA professional sites, but here is the one for the CRNA. http://www.aana.com. Check out the heading "becoming a crna" then click "about the profession".

Nobody turn this into a CRNA vs AA thread. Please. We've all been there and done that.

A day without the OR is like a day without sunshine.

 

[deleted6669]

You want a midlevel position and still spend time with people? A job that is IMMENSLEY rewarding? Do you want to guide individuals through what is most likely their most vulnerable times?

CRNA or AA school. Yeah JWK, don't you ever accuse me of hatin'. 🙂

There is no better job that I can imagine. But for real...look into it.

A day without the OR is like a day without sunshine.

if you have the temperment for crna/aa it would be a great job with a lot of 1 on 1 interaction with pts....but if you are an adrenaline junkie like me you can't imagine 2 hrs in the same room sitting in 1 place working on the same pt....I feel the same way about surgery...the o.r. just isn't my thing...I much prefer multitasking 8 pts of varying acuity at the same time.....25-30 pts/day instead of 3-5.....

 

[rn29306]

emedpa is absolutely correct. i don't put chest tubes in anyone or teach residents like he does, but my job has its perks as well. you have to find what rocks your boat.

i was worried about anesthesia to be honest with you. as a rn i worked, in addition to all the usual hospital suspects, with this company as a CCEMT-P on this buggy. http://puckettems.com/services-criticalcare.html. we did transports and also emergent, serious true 911 calls because we carried more pharmacology (paralytics) and had more resources than did the other trucks. i almost gave up anesthesia to be a FT rn with them. but im happy with my choice. and one more test and im home free!

look up adrenaline junkie and my picture is probably around the definition somewhere. the idea of being in one room really worried me. but honestly, it isn't boring at all. there are about 19 different ways to skin a cat anesthesia wise. you can always switch to a ketamine based anesthetic if you want to make it interesting..🙂 the pharmacology is what makes it interesting, real time manipulation, different airway devices..i could go on and on, but you get the point.

find what works for you.

 

[deleted6669]

"one more test and im home free!"

CONGRATS!
if you ever get bored you could do one of those online fnp programs and work 1/2 time in pain management, critical care, or em while still covering the o.r.
a friend of mine did this the other way around(fnp to crna) and he now make 180k/yr working a 40 hr week with no call doing o.r./icu/critical care cases about equally......

 

[DNP student]

don't believe the hype. pa's and np's who work alongside docs don't spend any more time with their pts than the docs do and they don't work cushy family friendly hrs, they work the same hrs as the docs or possibly even more with their share of nights/weekends/holidays and call.the docs in my group work 12-14 eight hr shifts/month. the pa's do 18 tens.....

Actually, I know some who work in FP practices and work bankers' hours with no call. It all depends on the amount of adrenaline you want. I used to be an adrenaline junkie and loved CCU; now I'm too old and my teenage girls give me all the adrenaline I can handle.

 

[guetzow]

.............🙂