Nursing to Anesthesiology

[lemiii]

Ok, so I start my first year of college in a couple weeks. My major was nursing but I've decided that I want to change my major to be an Anesthesiologist; something I've wanted to be for a long time. I'm going to attend ACC (Austin Comm. College). Can I still take my classes there? If so what classes do I need to take and what exactly would my major be going in this part of the medical field. I confess I am a little lost and would appreciate all and any help/advice i can get.

Thanks

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[AbbyNormal]

Seriously? You know that anesthesiologists are physicians, right?

If that is what you want get a baccalaureate in science then you get into med school and then you may get to choose your residency in anesthesia (actually they choose you from pool of applicants).

Shorter routes to provide anesthesia but a bit less pay and prestige would be CRNA or AA. It all depends on what you want to do with your life.

 

[lemiii]

Haha I knew that they are physicians... just didn't realize that was the actual name of the major. Thanks for the clarification and pointer.

L.M.

 

[AbbyNormal]

that's not your major and your major isn't premed either. your major is chemistry or biochemistry or biology or engineering or whatever you are interested in that would help you understand physiology of the human body. you should have an advisor in college that can help you choose specific courses to help you toward your goal.

 

[SitraAchra]

So...let me clear this up.

You need to do well for a year or two at ACC, then transfer to a 4 year university like UT, Southwestern, Texas State...or any other of your choosing.

You then need to graduate from there with a GPA of 3.6 or better.

You then need to go to medical school.

You then apply for and, if accepted, start residency and begin training for anesthesia.


You are a MINIMUM of 9 years away from anything related to being an anesthesiologist. There is no such thing as majoring in Anesthesia. Major in whatever you like, and take the courses that are required to get to medical school. Then you do 4 years of medical school and learn about everything. Then, and only then, do you specialize in something like anesthesia - which is a 4 year residency.

So yeah, you can't just "declare" to be a doctor of anesthesia, it's a bit harder than that

 

[torshi]

Ok, so I start my first year of college in a couple weeks. My major was nursing but I've decided that I want to change my major to be an Anesthesiologist; something I've wanted to be for a long time. I'm going to attend ACC (Austin Comm. College). Can I still take my classes there? If so what classes do I need to take and what exactly would my major be going in this part of the medical field. I confess I am a little lost and would appreciate all and any help/advice i can get.

Thanks

At the CC you can take your 40+ credits of core courses and a few pre-reqs which consist of bio, chem, physics, math english etc It all depends on the school you plan on attending.

3.7+ gpa is competitive
mcat of 30+ is good
have some EC's such as volunteer work in a hospital, shelter community service, shadowing physicians.
You apply during your junior year in college
You have to go through med school which is another 4 years, then residency if you match into anesthesiology.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I pray you're trolling. If not consider the following:
Anesthesiology is a medical specialty, one in which you obtain training for in a 4 year residency, which you enter after you complete medical school. Now, medical school is basically a 4 year graduate/professional training, which you enter and complete after you've completed a bachelors degree at a 4 year undergraduate institute.

As you can see you're at least 12 years away from being an anesthesiologist.

 

[thepoopologist]

If I were you I'd get a 4 year nursing degree + 1 year of ICU experience + 2 years of CRNA school.

The difference in training? You are paid during your ICU work, you can get paid working part time and going to CRNA school, and you are paid $170,000-$200,000 when you finish. They perform the same mechanical duties as an anesthesiologist, though the physician will actually be more knowledgeable in what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Honestly, I used to believe all the talk in the Gas forums, until I realized that in 90% of the cases nothing ever happens and the patient rolls out of there regardless of whether there is a CRNA or Anesthesiologist behind the curtain. Granted the CRNA is passing gas with the pharmacological and physiological understanding of a good third or fourth year medical student (believe me, I've talked to a handful and their level of understanding falls scarily short of an anesthesiologist), for the stable patients it doesn't seem to matter. I'd say Anesthesiologists are the only ones I've seen manning the serious cases with the unstable patients, i.e. transplants, patients with comorbidities, unstable patients/trauma patients. But is it worth that extra 6 years in training? I say no.

 

[Temperature101]

If I were you I'd get a 4 year nursing degree + 1 year of ICU experience + 2 years of CRNA school.

The difference in training? You are paid during your ICU work, you can get paid working part time and going to CRNA school, and you are paid $170,000-$200,000 when you finish. They perform the same mechanical duties as an anesthesiologist, though the physician will actually be more knowledgeable in what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Honestly, I used to believe all the talk in the Gas forums, until I realized that in 90% of the cases nothing ever happens and the patient rolls out of there regardless of whether there is a CRNA or Anesthesiologist behind the curtain. Granted the CRNA is passing gas with the pharmacological and physiological understanding of a good third or fourth year medical student (believe me, I've talked to a handful and their level of understanding falls scarily short of an anesthesiologist), for the stable patients it doesn't seem to matter. I'd say Anesthesiologists are the only ones I've seen manning the serious cases with the unstable patients, i.e. transplants, patients with comorbidities, unstable patients/trauma patients. But is it worth that extra 6 years in training? I say no.

The 100k to 200k more per year for 30 years worth an extra 6 years in training.

 

[SitraAchra]

If I were you I'd get a 4 year nursing degree + 1 year of ICU experience + 2 years of CRNA school.

The difference in training? You are paid during your ICU work, you can get paid working part time and going to CRNA school, and you are paid $170,000-$200,000 when you finish. They perform the same mechanical duties as an anesthesiologist, though the physician will actually be more knowledgeable in what they are doing and why they are doing it.

Honestly, I used to believe all the talk in the Gas forums, until I realized that in 90% of the cases nothing ever happens and the patient rolls out of there regardless of whether there is a CRNA or Anesthesiologist behind the curtain. Granted the CRNA is passing gas with the pharmacological and physiological understanding of a good third or fourth year medical student (believe me, I've talked to a handful and their level of understanding falls scarily short of an anesthesiologist), for the stable patients it doesn't seem to matter. I'd say Anesthesiologists are the only ones I've seen manning the serious cases with the unstable patients, i.e. transplants, patients with comorbidities, unstable patients/trauma patients. But is it worth that extra 6 years in training? I say no.

In order of what I bolded:

1. Those are >90% numbers you just posted and by no means a "usual" salary for a CRNA. Furthermore, CRNA schools continue to pop up and they will soon be getting paid much less. The number of residency spots for MDs remains the same.

2. "The same mechanical duties" - of course, excluding central lines, art lines, peripheral nerve blocks... but sure, "the same duties." (No.)

3. So you'd rather be a glorified nurse than an MD, who has to take orders from someone and never fully grasps the job they are doing and will make considerably less $$ over the long haul? Great, then be a nurse. You're in med school so why don't you drop out and become an RN and work in whatever field currently interests you in med school?

 

[thepoopologist]

In order of what I bolded:

1. Those are >90% numbers you just posted and by no means a "usual" salary for a CRNA. Furthermore, CRNA schools continue to pop up and they will soon be getting paid much less. The number of residency spots for MDs remains the same.

2. "The same mechanical duties" - of course, excluding central lines, art lines, peripheral nerve blocks... but sure, "the same duties." (No.)

3. So you'd rather be a glorified nurse than an MD, who has to take orders from someone and never fully grasps the job they are doing and will make considerably less $$ over the long haul? Great, then be a nurse. You're in med school so why don't you drop out and become an RN and work in whatever field currently interests you in med school?

1. Still a quicker route to a six figure salary.
2. Surgeons do these as well, at least at my institution.
3. Anesthesiologists definitely have a full grasp of the job they are doing and make a proportionally greater amount of money BUT they are one of the specialties that are treated like bitches, save for the complicated cases, when their expertise is sometimes valued but most of the time undervalued. I'm not saying they deserve it, I'm saying that 90%+ of surgeons are *******s. ****, if I'm going to get talked down to LIKE a nurse, then I'd rather be a 25/26 year old CRNA then a 30/31 year old Anesthesiologist.

Plus, I'd say 8/10 Anesthesiologists has told me some version of this story in the OR, "I might be playing on my IPAD, buying tickets to Paris while Watching Boardwalk Empire, but I'm also checking the monitor." Okay, that doesn't discount the fact that the case is so simple and straightforward that you can sit there and not pay attention 80% of the time, or walk out and take a piss, and then return and the patient is still doing fine.

I'm too far in to drop out but that's not the point. The point is that had I wanted to do Anesthesiology as a premed I would've wanted to hear about the easier alternatives available. You are appealing to the argument from an intellectual standpoint, while I'm arguing the more practical side.

 

[SitraAchra]

1. Still a quicker route to a six figure salary.
2. Surgeons do these as well, at least at my institution.
3. Anesthesiologists definitely have a full grasp of the job they are doing and make a proportionally greater amount of money BUT they are one of the specialties that are treated like bitches, save for the complicated cases, when their expertise is sometimes valued but most of the time undervalued. I'm not saying they deserve it, I'm saying that 90%+ of surgeons are *******s. ****, if I'm going to get talked down to LIKE a nurse, then I'd rather be a 25/26 year old CRNA then a 30/31 year old Anesthesiologist.

Plus, I'd say 8/10 Anesthesiologists has told me some version of this story in the OR, "I might be playing on my IPAD, buying tickets to Paris while Watching Boardwalk Empire, but I'm also checking the monitor." Okay, that doesn't discount the fact that the case is so simple and straightforward that you can sit there and not pay attention 80% of the time, or walk out and take a piss, and then return and the patient is still doing fine.

I'm too far in to drop out but that's not the point. The point is that had I wanted to do Anesthesiology as a premed I would've wanted to hear about the easier alternatives available. You are appealing to the argument from an intellectual standpoint, while I'm arguing the more practical side.

1. If you can make it to Med School, you are smart/hard working enough to get a six figure salary in any of several fields. Your initial post just picked some random absurd number for what you perceive a CRNA salary to be just to make your uneducated point, which it didn't.

2. My point was that RN's don't place central lines and do peripheral blocks. Yes, surgeons do as well. They are also MDs. So do Internal Medicine doctors. They are MDs. RNs do not.

3. You can't have an ego problem going into anesthesia because surgeons can be a s s clowns. Which brings me to the next bolded portion:

4. You bet your ass they are buying tickets to Paris on their iPad. Anesthesia pays well and has ample time off, making it a more rare specialty as far as lifestyle goes. If your life is your job and you can't handle a few people making snide remarks about your work ethic because you chose a field that affords you the good life, then go into general surgery and become another slave that can brag about a 100 hour week.

I'm sorry you'd rather be a nurse than an MD if you wanted to do anesthesia, I can't help you there.

 

[Don15]

OP why is your status medical student?

 

[Doctor246853]

I pray you're trolling. If not consider the following:
Anesthesiology is a medical specialty, one in which you obtain training for in a 4 year residency, which you enter after you complete medical school. Now, medical school is basically a 4 year graduate/professional training, which you enter and complete after you've completed a bachelors degree at a 4 year undergraduate institute.

As you can see you're at least 12 years away from being an anesthesiologist.

They are. I cant believe the op is getting srs responses. First the op status is medical student, then the op asked the most trolling question ever. Next they will post something dumb about DO and URM. If Im wrong...sorry...but I know a troll when I read one.