PharmD or CRNA?

[OmShanti311]

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I recently graduated (Dec. 2014) with a BA in Psychology and I am currently in the process of taking prerequisite courses for graduate studies in health care. I have been working as a patient transporter at a trauma 1 hospital and I have enjoyed the learning experience it has been. I am, however, still unsure as to exactly which career field I want to pursue. In my individual situation, it would be a faster route to pursue an accelerated BSN and complete a CRNA program as opposed to completing pharmacy school prerequisites and finishing a PharmD program. I think a career in anesthesia would be fascinating and obviously quite rewarding but I am hesitant about the 2+ years of ICU experience necessary to get into one of these programs. I believe my personality might be better suited towards working in an clinical inpatient pharmacy environment, but I have heard that these jobs are saturated and that retail is less than ideal. I have not directly shadowed either position outside of seeing what each does in certain situations (a benefit of my hospital job), but it is something I intend to do to gain a better understanding of each profession. I am open to any comments and personal anecdotes and thanks for taking the time to read/comment.

 

[rederza]

I'm a pharmacy student my brother is applying to be a nursing student. Guess who aspires to be the other? Hint; it's not the person NOT applying to pharmacy school.

Do nursing all the way.
But I am biased, just read my posts, youll see.

 

[dread090]

I'm a pharmacy student my brother is applying to be a nursing student. Guess who aspires to be the other? Hint; it's not the person NOT applying to pharmacy school.

Do nursing all the way.
But I am biased, just read my posts, youll see.

Grass is always greener, I'm an RN and it ain't all flowers and serene gardens.

 

[dread090]

I recently graduated (Dec. 2014) with a BA in Psychology and I am currently in the process of taking prerequisite courses for graduate studies in health care. I have been working as a patient transporter at a trauma 1 hospital and I have enjoyed the learning experience it has been. I am, however, still unsure as to exactly which career field I want to pursue. In my individual situation, it would be a faster route to pursue an accelerated BSN and complete a CRNA program as opposed to completing pharmacy school prerequisites and finishing a PharmD program. I think a career in anesthesia would be fascinating and obviously quite rewarding but I am hesitant about the 2+ years of ICU experience necessary to get into one of these programs. I believe my personality might be better suited towards working in an clinical inpatient pharmacy environment, but I have heard that these jobs are saturated and that retail is less than ideal. I have not directly shadowed either position outside of seeing what each does in certain situations (a benefit of my hospital job), but it is something I intend to do to gain a better understanding of each profession. I am open to any comments and personal anecdotes and thanks for taking the time to read/comment.

To respond to your post, I'll comment only on the CRNA inquiry since I was looking into that a while back. To *know* you want to do CRNA you really have to understand the route you're considering. If you're dead set on it then more power to you, go for it! You're going to need your RN license, a bachelors, most pre-med science classes with A's, 4+ years of experience in an ICU, some bomb letters of rec, and a lot of patience. There are very few CRNA schools in the country compared to med schools so that translates to high competition. In my opinion, it's harder to get into CRNA school than medical school AND you have to put up with the nursing world BS during the journey there. Anesthesiologist generally will hate you because you're taking their job and doing it cheaper, and that's the problem I have with it as well. While you pay less in loans and lose less opportunity cost with CRNA (maybe)... you're doing the SAME job as an MDA for 1/3 of the pay. Some states you need to work under an MDA where they can take some of your pay to review your charts and/or supervise you. You will not be allowed except in rare extreme cases to participate in any research, regardless if you want to or not at this point in your life. In my opinion, again, if you really like anesthesia I would say straight up do the medical school route and become and MDA for 3 times the pay, prestige, and job options.

 

[rederza]

Grass is always greener, I'm an RN and it ain't all flowers and serene gardens.

Maybe so but being as close as possible with both fields (family members+myself) personally I couldn't take pharmacy but someone else could.

 

[68quebec]

At this moment, CRNA is harder to be. In other word, it's a lot more competitive on job market.

 

[ccan]

I am a RN applying to CRNA school currently and although the path does seem stressful, i personally think it is very rewarding. My father is a pharmacist, along with my two best friends. they have their pharmDs and both struggle some with jobs and how saturated the field is--not to mention that the older you get, the less they want to hire you because they have to pay you more along with there being an entire classs of pharmacists graduating from pharmD programs who you will competing with. most pharmacists do go into retail pharmacy, which will hire but a hand full. i think the actual job market for pharmacists is wayyyyy too saturated personally.

As far a nursing goes. yes, for nurse anesthesia you have to have 1 to 2 years of icu experience to even apply to school.however, you are a RN first (which is one professional career that always is in demand an has so many avenues to go into, not only seeing patients daily) and then you are an ICU nurse, which is always in very high demand (for any age). then you decide to apply to CRNA school. They CRNA salary is much higher than that of pharmacists. pharmacists graduate making $100,000-120,000 whereas CRNAs start at $160,000 with upwards pay of $200,000+. Big difference. and another thing is yes CRNAs typically work under anesthesiologists, BUT in some states they work independently. CRNAs are fighting in political arenas to be able to practice independently.

Schooling for pharmacy is 6 years total if in a pharmD program. other wise 4yrs undergrad and 3yrs of post grad.
CRNA is 4 yrs undergrad then 1-2yrs ICU experience (I will not lie.it will probably be more since most hospitals do not typically hire new grad nurses directly to the critical care areas) and then another 2-3 years (depending if you get your masters or doctoral degree). whether its a masters or doctoral, its the same pay-you can get grandfathered in afterwards just like pharmacy.

anymore questions, ask away!! Hope I was helpful 🙂

 

[MybuttsHadouken]

I recently graduated (Dec. 2014) with a BA in Psychology and I am currently in the process of taking prerequisite courses for graduate studies in health care. I have been working as a patient transporter at a trauma 1 hospital and I have enjoyed the learning experience it has been. I am, however, still unsure as to exactly which career field I want to pursue. In my individual situation, it would be a faster route to pursue an accelerated BSN and complete a CRNA program as opposed to completing pharmacy school prerequisites and finishing a PharmD program. I think a career in anesthesia would be fascinating and obviously quite rewarding but I am hesitant about the 2+ years of ICU experience necessary to get into one of these programs. I believe my personality might be better suited towards working in an clinical inpatient pharmacy environment, but I have heard that these jobs are saturated and that retail is less than ideal. I have not directly shadowed either position outside of seeing what each does in certain situations (a benefit of my hospital job), but it is something I intend to do to gain a better understanding of each profession. I am open to any comments and personal anecdotes and thanks for taking the time to read/comment.

For you definitely shadow both areas (clinical/retail pharmacist, and CRNA in OR). IMO working in the OR and hospital pharmacy were great. Suited my introverted personality. Being a transporter is a good start but its like looking at nurse/pharmacy health profession from the other side of the glass. Definitely recommend being a nurse assistant/tech (for ICU only) and pharmacy technician to see which field you see yourself doing for the rest of your life. You'll probably have to shadow a CRNA. Its rare to have a position tech/assitant wandering around in the OR (but I've read there are some assistants at certain hospitals but none that I've worked offers positions like that).

I think the path to becoming a CRNA is stressful because your basically doing grunt work as a nursing student/registered nurse (In trauma/med surg/ICU floors - labels at some hospitals are intertwined) before CRNA school and academics are just as difficult by the time you get into CRNA school, BUT I believe its more rewarding. Better salary, better job market, varies by organizations that some don't pay benefits if your getting paid near 200k a year (like per diem), and its a chill job in the OR when the patient is laying there sleeping for 1-8 hour procedure which you either stare at your cell phone/monitor meds/patient's stats the whole time (take my experience with grain of salt, it could be different for someone else's personal experience).

Pharmacy pathway you'll just be in school longer because you have to take gen chem/ochem 1-2 individually which wastes time. But if you have done gen chem 1-2 then your left with 5 years predicting you get in after finishing ochem. Work as a tech in the summers or 1 day a week in pharmacy school (otpional). Everyone complains about retail especially CVS/Rite Aid/Wag/Walmart which is majority of the pharmacy industry. Hospital everyone I know enjoys it or finds it slow and boring (but thats a good thing vs retail).

If your lazy and want a sum up: RN<<pharmacist<<<CRNA imo


#'s range depending on your skillset, academics, and other variables:
CRNA Pathway: 1 yr prereq + 1-2 yrs (accelerated/traditional) + 1-4 yrs (working ICU) + 1 1/2 - 2 yrs (CRNA school)
Pharmacist Pathway: 1-2 years prereq (assuming you havent done gen/ochem) + 4 years (pharm school) + 1 yr residency (optional)

 

[MybuttsHadouken]

Grass is always greener, I'm an RN and it ain't all flowers and serene gardens.

Amen!

 

[SClENCE]

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