What would you guys do if you were me?

[Dwarf]

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I'm looking at going back to school (I'm mostly finished with my undergrad) and either go one of two routes:

MD/DO School (Do a lot of DO's match into Anes. residencies?)

or

NCLEX > CRNA

I like the idea of being a CRNA but from what I'm seeing is a huge debate between them and the physicians they're working with. IF I were to become a CRNA I would recognize (I really don't see why people even try to argue this) that a doctor has more training than I and should have a large say in what he/she thinks I cannot do. Hell, a major reason I would choose the CRNA option is because it would be less training, less stress, less working hours, and I would be able to land a job quicker to support a family.

Concerns about CRNA: Seems like physicians would treat me like !@#$ even though I'd be on their side because I don't think CRNA's have a valid point in trying to take someone's job who's had 5+ more years training than them. Or would doctors find this attitude refreshing from a nurse? I don't really want any part in this I'd just like a stable job that I think I'd enjoy as the nurse or the doc tbh. Job numbers are decreasing as well for CRNA's so I'm told? I'd be going to the USF CRNA program which should be one of the more reputable programs.

Anyways the reasons I'm leaning away from med school (I have the grades for at least DO easily and quite possibly land an MD acceptance too) is because I truly do value my free time and like to have as much of it as possible (I'm lazy at times and would like to spend time with my family). Also, if I choose to go to med school there's no guarantee that I'll match into a field that I actually would enjoy (which is basically Pathology and Anesth. as far as I can tell).

Anyways what would you guys do? Seems like either way I'm left with a headache but both of these professions are the only ones I basically haven't ruled out at this point. Pharmacy, dentistry, teaching, research, etc. aren't for me.

 

[midazme]

Anyways the reasons I'm leaning away from med school (I have the grades for at least DO easily and quite possibly land an MD acceptance too) is because I truly do value my free time and like to have as much of it as possible (I'm lazy at times and would like to spend time with my family).


i think you've answered your own question. med school is a very long 4 years, and residency is even worse. i don't know how others feel, but IMHO you have to value education and work almost as much as free time.

now i'm not saying that i hate free time or time with my family. but based on what you wrote, you might be better off not going the whole MD route, since your free time would be severely restricted for at least 4 years (and 4 more years after if you do an anesthesia residency).

 

[maceo]

You've come with your questions at a physician site inquiring about whether you should go to crna school. I know nothing about what it takes to be a crna or whether or not you would like it. You want your free time? dont bother going to medical school. They own you for 8 plus years. CRNA school is not an abbreviated version of medical school. One is a nurse the other a physician. GO to wikipedia and figure out the differences. and go to allnurses.com and pose your question over there to ask a crna what he/she thinks.

 

[Dwarf]

I understand becoming a CRNA is not becoming a physician. I was basically asking if the CRNA : Anesthesiologist dynamic is truly bad as it seems. If it is, I would consider Pathology/Primary Care or sacrificing eight years of my free time in order to avoid being treated like garbage and a nuisance. It's really NOT something I want to be in the middle of. Also, I figured a forum full of Anesthesiologists may have a better idea on this subject matter than I.

I realize CRNA's are not physicians. I thought my post made it very clear how I feel about the differences between the two. I don't understand the concept of "Go ask of nurse" when they probably know of only one side of the coin as you do, and to be frank... I'd value your opinion over theirs.

 

[BLADEMDA]

I understand becoming a CRNA is not becoming a physician. I was basically asking if the CRNA : Anesthesiologist dynamic is truly bad as it seems. If it is, I would consider Pathology/Primary Care or sacrificing eight years of my free time in order to avoid being treated like garbage and a nuisance. It's really NOT something I want to be in the middle of. Also, I figured a forum full of Anesthesiologists may have a better idea on this subject matter than I.

I realize CRNA's are not physicians. I thought my post made it very clear how I feel about the differences between the two. I don't understand the concept of "Go ask of nurse" when they probably know of only one side of the coin as you do, and to be frank... I'd value your opinion over theirs.

Answer:

USF should provide a good education. Tampa General has an excellent variety of cases and high acuity won't be an issue. The Anesthesiology Residency program no longer exists so your only competition will be SRNAs from other schools.

In most locations CRNAs/AAs/Anesthesiologists all get along just fine. But, remember that there is a hierarchy in this field and the top of the food chain isn't a CRNA. Provided you understand your role and limitations a career as a CRNA can be a rewarding one.

The number of graduating CRNAS has vastly increased in Florida flooding the market with providers.
You need to be prepared to go to BFE in order to secure a job.

 

[Southpaw]

I understand becoming a CRNA is not becoming a physician. I was basically asking if the CRNA : Anesthesiologist dynamic is truly bad as it seems. If it is, I would consider Pathology/Primary Care or sacrificing eight years of my free time in order to avoid being treated like garbage and a nuisance. It's really NOT something I want to be in the middle of. Also, I figured a forum full of Anesthesiologists may have a better idea on this subject matter than I.

I realize CRNA's are not physicians. I thought my post made it very clear how I feel about the differences between the two. I don't understand the concept of "Go ask of nurse" when they probably know of only one side of the coin as you do, and to be frank... I'd value your opinion over theirs.

The CRNAs at my program really enjoy the anesthesia care team environment and enjoy working with both attendings and residents. I've deduced that what you'll read on both SDN and nurse-anesthesia.org is the polar extremes, and real life more often than not is right smack-dab in the middle. Most (not all) CRNAs that I've known enjoy a regular schedule, very little to no call, making 6 figures. If you ask me, they have the best jobs in healthcare.

No one can answer what is best for you. My personal opinion is that the CRNA schools are flooding the field, diminishing their own value and education, and their job market will be extremely tight in a few years and thereafter. There will be an increase in AA schools, and over time if the political issues between the ASA and AANA aren't resolved, I feel you'll see more anesthesiologists preferring to work with AAs.

The simple answer to your question is that you can be happy as a CRNA today in most working environments. No one knows what the future holds, but if you're a hard working person who enjoys working with both anesthesiologists and surgeons, and you know when to defer the decision making to someone else, I'd have a hard time saying you wouldn't have a successful career as a CRNA. Best wishes.

 

[quescare]

Either Choice you make you will need commitment, sacrifice and will require a lot out of both you and your family. Neither choice is easy nor a guaranteed route to the end result.

At first glance, I would tell you that neither option is a good one for someone only looking for the easiest way to a supposedly “cush” job and that both professions don’t need anyone like you with that sort of an attitude, but that’s just my initial opinion. You also said you value your free time; free time is at a premium during the training of a physician, nurse or CRNA. You said you also tend to be lazy and a job where success lies in your ability to be consistent, attentive and very mindful of the little things, none of which are things a lazy person will succeed with. I know I don’t want a lazy person, CRNA or anesthesiologist in charge of my anesthetic.

You said you are finishing undergrad.

Let us look at the Medical route first. You would need to take and do well on the MCAT, apply to schools, interview to get into them. You would then need to have the dedication and perseverance to make it through and do well on the tests (USMLEs, COMLEX, etc). You then would have to match up with the residency of your choice, anesthesia, and continue to be dedicated to that. Lots of potential detours and ways to get off course in the next few years to not get to the end result. If you didn’t get the grades, or the test scores and you were not able to get into either a pathology or an anesthesia residency will you be happy being any other sort of doctor? Not everyone makes it in their first choice on the first go around….. If not maybe being a physician is not the route for you.

Let us now look at the CRNA route. If you aren’t in a BSN program you would not be eligible to sit for the NCLEX. So you would need to finish your non BSN degree and make a choice. Get your ADN and then sit for the NCLEX and get your BSN while you were working in an ICU. Or you could get your BSN and then sit for the NCLEX. Some CRNA schools will accept you with an ADN degree and a science BS but not all, but all will allow you to apply with a BSN. After you pass the NCLEX you would need to get some ICU experience (minimum of a year for most programs) and take the GRE. Since you yourself said you were lazy you would only want the minimum so you’d also need a GRE and depending on the school your CCRN certification (which requires approx a year at working 36 hours per week) to sit for. I’d also suggest you become the best ICU nurse you can while you are there, but you want the easiest route so just get your year minimum and apply. Depending on how your grades, GRE, recommendations and interviewing skills are you may or may not get in. Then you would be looking at 2-3 years in CRNA school. Once again unless you are already In a BSN program you are looking at almost the same time frame as the physician route to get to that point. Once again a lot of potential detours and ways where you can get off your intended route and not become a CRNA. If you will not be happy as a Nurse, because the words Registered Nurse are in the title CRNA then it is not the job for you. CRNA schools are also very competitive so if you wouldn't be happy doing the job of a registered nurse who didn't get into CRNA school then its not the route for you.

A few more points about the CRNA route since you brought them up
Less training – if I would debate this with you it would not be well received on this board so I’ll be quiet, less is a relative term and I’ll leave it at that.
Less stress – how is being a CRNA less stress then an Anesthesiologist? They are both doing the same job under the same circumstances.
Less hours – that would depend entirely on what sort of practice you got into regardless of the title after your name.

Regarding some of the other information you received. Allnurses is a website that leaves a lot to be desired about CRNA information, very few members of the CRNA community post there for a variety of reasons so the threads are not very informative imo. www.nurse-anesthesia.org is a good reference for that community within nursing however the attitude of what's the quickest, easiest way into that profession will not be well received.

 

[okayplayer]

Less training – if I would debate this with you it would not be well received on this board so I’ll be quiet, less is a relative term and I’ll leave it at that.

Laughable. There is nothing "relative" about that statement.

 

[maceo]

take this discussion elsewhere... you wanna be a crna go to the crna board. this joker quescare is telling you how to become a doctor and he is not one. what a ****ing joke? close this thread and tell the OP to go to the nursing forum where he/she belongs
PA's in anesthesia. We need to pass Anesthesiologist Assistant legislation in all 50 states. Every Anesthesia resident needs to be on board with this

 

[quescare]

take this discussion elsewhere... you wanna be a crna go to the crna board. this joker quescare is telling you how to become a doctor and he is not one. what a ****ing joke? close this thread and tell the OP to go to the nursing forum where he/she belongs

So the route to becoming a doctor is so mysterious only a doctor knows it?

 

[lane]

Laughable. There is nothing "relative" about that statement.

Just as laughable as him saying the stress and hours are equal.

 

[Mman]

So the route to becoming a doctor is so mysterious only a doctor knows it?

No, but apparently you don't know it.

Anyways, a CRNA is a far less stressful job. The buck doesn't stop with you. When a tough decision with no right answer needs to be made, you don't have to make it. When the patient dies on the table, you won't have to be the one to tell their family. When something needs to be done that no one else can, they won't call you to save the day.

Oh, and you don't really ever get sued for anything so your malpractice is 10x less expensive.

 

[Dwarf]

Mman, southpaw, and Blade thanks for your replies they are more of what I was looking for. Like I said, I did NOT want to get into the middle of this huge argument. I even stressed the point and yet people have brought the issue into my thread.

By the way let me clear something up, when I said I can be a lazy person I did not mean I do not take school or jobs seriously. When I'm in school or even working minimum wage I work my ass off. I'm mainly saying that when I do not want to take the job home with me. If that's offensive to you or anyone else here I could really care less. It's what matters to me.

Maceo, you obviously have something against me for even considering becoming a CRNA. I said being a doc is also an option for me and you completely ignore that fact and tell me to leave. Any other responses you have saved up for me or this thread you can keep to yourself cause I don't plan on reading them. Thanks.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

Mman, southpaw, and Blade thanks for your replies they are more of what I was looking for. Like I said, I did NOT want to get into the middle of this huge argument. I even stressed the point and yet people have brought the issue into my thread.

By the way let me clear something up, when I said I can be a lazy person I did not mean I do not take school or jobs seriously. When I'm in school or even working minimum wage I work my ass off. I'm mainly saying that when I do not want to take the job home with me. If that's offensive to you or anyone else here I could really care less. It's what matters to me.

Maceo, you obviously have something against me for even considering becoming a CRNA. I said being a doc is also an option for me and you completely ignore that fact and tell me to leave. Any other responses you have saved up for me or this thread you can keep to yourself cause I don't plan on reading them. Thanks.

Yeah, you just have to be careful with how you word things. I'm certainly not going to blame you for considering all of your options, it's the prudent thing to do. I know for some people it's "MD-or-Bust," but I considered nursing for awhile, also. Ultimately, it comes down to whatever will make you the most happy/satisfied.

 

[maceo]

Physician Assistants in Anesthesia as Anesthetists

 

[lane]

Physician Assistants in Anesthesia as Anesthetists

We get it already

 

[lane]

Mman, southpaw, and Blade thanks for your replies they are more of what I was looking for. Like I said, I did NOT want to get into the middle of this huge argument. I even stressed the point and yet people have brought the issue into my thread.

By the way let me clear something up, when I said I can be a lazy person I did not mean I do not take school or jobs seriously. When I'm in school or even working minimum wage I work my ass off. I'm mainly saying that when I do not want to take the job home with me. If that's offensive to you or anyone else here I could really care less. It's what matters to me.

Maceo, you obviously have something against me for even considering becoming a CRNA. I said being a doc is also an option for me and you completely ignore that fact and tell me to leave. Any other responses you have saved up for me or this thread you can keep to yourself cause I don't plan on reading them. Thanks.

it's impossible to not take medical school and training home with you. when you're not at class or the hospital you're expected to read... a lot.

 

[narcusprince]

Maybe the answer is to take medical school home with him. The medical school I went to had everything from the audio lectures to powerpoints online. Did not want to go to Anatomy class well the TA prepared dissections online for viewing. The only school related activities I showed up to were the tests and when some of my good looking female classmates would show up, and clinical medicine workshops. It was not a breeze but studying from home made my day much more efficient.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

Maybe the answer is to take medical school home with him. The medical school I went to had everything from the audio lectures to powerpoints online. Did not want to go to Anatomy class well the TA prepared dissections online for viewing. The only school related activities I showed up to were the tests and when some of my good looking female classmates would show up, and clinical medicine workshops. It was not a breeze but studying from home made my day much more efficient.

Agreed, I think the first 2 years at most schools is pretty amenable to studying at home. Obviously MS3/4/Residency you can't control.