which way should I go....CRNA vs MD

[psu]

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Hello guys. I wanted to get some advice from a premedical prospective. I am a nursing student with 2 more years left to complete my bachelors degree. I want to become a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. But lately I have been questioning my future nursing career. Deep down inside I truly want to become a Doctor. I am leaning towards Ob/gyn or maybe even dental school. Nursing just does not seem enough for me. You go to school for 4 years to clean out bed pans because their arent enough nurses aides out there to do it. Im soooo confused. My mom wants me to stick with the nursing. I am going to complete my degree so I have something to fall back on if I dont get accepted into Med or Dental school. I am thinking about taking up some premedical courses this fall semester to get the ball running. After I graduate hopefully I can decide if I want to enroll in the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program (Its 2 years) or Med/Dental school. At least by then I will still have my Bachelors degree in nursing and I can see if my passion of going to Med/Dental school is still there. I would appreciate all of the advice that I can get. And also can anyone tell me what the transition process is like. If I go to summer school will I be able to complete the premedical courses in 2 yrs. I already have completed the prereqs for them. Thanks for reading.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

If you havnt yet, I think you really ought to volunteer in a hospital or shadow a doctor - you need to find out soon if the life a physician is appealing to you. Also, there are more options than the ones you mentioned - you could become a nurse practicioner or physicians assistant. Those jobs just may be the middle ground between RN and MD that you are looking for. Good luck!

 

[SunnyS81]

One of my friends from high school is now a CRNA. She got her nursing degree in 3 years and did the CRNA training in 2. Apparently there is a huge demand for CRNA's and her starting salary is $100k for working 40 hrs/wk. I'll admit, I'm jealous whenever I get my tuition bill/loan info. Look into both some more and do what you love. Both are great options. CRNA's are getting to do more and more in the OR, so if anesthisiology (sp?) is your passion that might be a better route (sure saves you 7 years of training at least).

Before you all try to flame me, its not all about money. I was just amazed by their pay.

 

[smokeycat]

I am thinking about taking up some premedical courses this fall semester to get the ball running. After I graduate hopefully I can decide if I want to enroll in the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program (Its 2 years) or Med/Dental school. At least by then I will still have my Bachelors degree in nursing and I can see if my passion of going to Med/Dental school is still there. I would appreciate all of the advice that I can get. And also can anyone tell me what the transition process is like. If I go to summer school will I be able to complete the premedical courses in 2 yrs. I already have completed the prereqs for them. Thanks for reading.

I know someone that did this...so don't think that it's impossible. Your premed courses can count as electives and you can do shadowing/volunteering during the summer....or the hospital/clinic work that is required for nursing students can serve the same purpose.

Another option is to complete your degree (and pre-reqs), work for a year or two, and then go to school. The good part about this is that you can save money for the appplication process (you'll need it!).

What does your family think about this?

 

[UNOStudent01]

I think that if truely, deep down inside you want to be a doctor, then you'll probably never be satisfied being just Mr. Psu, the nursing school grad insead of Dr. Psu, a fellow physician in the eyes of your colleagues. However, in my neck of the woods, CRNAs do very well - they can, and do, see their own patients independently and make 200-250k+, all without the time and huge debt med school incurs. I heard a saying that I thought was funny, "Nebraska, where the doctors are doctors, and the nurses are too."

 

[meanderson]

One of my friends from high school is now a CRNA. She got her nursing degree in 3 years and did the CRNA training in 2. Apparently there is a huge demand for CRNA's and her starting salary is $100k for working 40 hrs/wk. I'll admit, I'm jealous whenever I get my tuition bill/loan info. Look into both some more and do what you love. Both are great options. CRNA's are getting to do more and more in the OR, so if anesthisiology (sp?) is your passion that might be a better route (sure saves you 7 years of training at least).

Before you all try to flame me, its not all about money. I was just amazed by their pay.

For most people it's not going to save them nearly 7 years. Most programs are competitive enough so that they won't take people straight out of nursing school. The few crna students I know of worked as nurses for a few years, then made the move to ICU nursing, then after a couple years of that they matriculated into a crna program.

Of course if you really like the general duties of nursing and want to do that anyways for some time, you could look at it like saving time. But for someone only interested in anesthesia, medicine makes more sense I think.

 

[Luck]

I think you have a better shot of becoming a DO.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

I think you have a better shot of becoming a DO.

The OP said "Deep down inside I truly want to become a Doctor"...

Wouldn't that include DO?

 

[psu]

I did not talk to my folks about this. When I was in high school the plan was to go to college for premed. My mother and grandmother said that it would be best to do nursing because of the debt picked up by med students......and how the government is going to decrease the amount of loans given because of the war in Iraq (I don't know how true that is). I am definitely going to finish my bachelors in nursing and I guess I really have to give this some thought. Thanks.

 

[Fumoffu]

You can apply to both MD and CRNA programs at once right? Although that will be costly.

If deep down you want a MD, then finish your bachelor's and just go for a MD.

 

[SOUNDMAN]

I'll give you some friendly advice from someone who's been partway down the road. I'm a PA, however before PA school I always wanted to be a physician. I went to PA school because of family issues. During PA school, the drive and desire for me to consider medschool began with a vengence. I had thought that being a PA would be enough. For those of us that try to replace the desire to be a physician with something else, tends to leave you wishing you had just went the medschool route. Needless to say I'm applying to medschool this year, only 1 year out of PA school.

So if you are thinking about it do the medschool route if you want. However, I do work with an anesthesiologist who was first a CRNA, and then a RN before that and a LPN before that, so she's went throught it all 🙂

 

[Gleevec]

I think you have a better shot of becoming a DO.

How the heck would you know how good a shot psu has? And she's not asking about what you think her "shot" is, she is asking what people think of the CRNA and MD fields. Yeesh, the world doesnt revolve around you and your egomaniacal hatred of MDs, Luck.

To PSU, it sounds like a great plan to at least get the premed coursework out of the way. And as others have stated, definitely shadow a doctor. While we all like to think the grass is greener on the other side, its good to at least get the medical experience from the perspective of a doctor. Good luck!

 

[Medikit]

I think you have a better shot of becoming a DO.

ok..

 

[Anka]

I'd finish your nursing degree (or at least whatever you need to do to get your R.N.) Now that you've got that kind of time sunk into it, you should finish it -- and it will then be there for you if you want/need it. Also, you can work while you do your med school pre-reqs and a lot of hospitals will pay your tuition.

So, if you want to be a doctor, go for it. Look at the pre-reqs, and see what you can pick up along the way through nursing school. I'm not sure what school your at, but where I'm at, the nursing school is doing a lot of interesting research (public health, cross cultural communication, bed sores, etc.) that you can get involved in to make yourself stand out as a nursing leader; being a leader in just about anything will make you more competitive for med school.

I guess the big thing is, don't be confused or stressed about this. Go in every day, and do your job, and try to be happy in your work. As you go, look for ways to build in your physicianly interest -- I'm sure you meet doctors and med students during your clinicals; perhaps you can find a mentor? Remember that at this point in your life, no decisions are final.

Best wishes,
Anka

p.s. there's no reason to limit yourself to D.O. schools, unless you find their philsophy more appealing.

 

[Luck]

The OP said "Deep down inside I truly want to become a Doctor"...

Wouldn't that include DO?

Her title for this thread just says MD. She forgot DO.

Gleevec, I do not hate MDs. I welcome them and believe they are physicians just as DOs. Afterall, they do everything DOs do minus the OMT.