DO (school) in anesthesiology or CRNA school

mommyof2grls · Mar 12, 2004

2 of my classmates from BSN program were torn between CRNA and Becoming a Phys. ( had not decided which areas to go into) Both had at least a 3.9 overall GPA, and did Excellent on the MAT(is that the right one?), and both were accepted to atleast one program I know of. They had taken the basic undergrad courses required, but instead of taking say..Chem 110 for health professionals they took 111 gen Chem etc. Neither one went that route and both are CRNA's now and very happy with their decision. Both say that for the time, education and money they are very happy with their role as CRNA's and if they had to do it all over again would go the same route.

smogmatt · Mar 13, 2004

some of my thoughts

you don't need a BSN for CRNA ( your schools will be limited but you will have to attend a school that is a MS rather than MSN).

extremely optimistic CRNA projection, assuming you have a BS.

ASN 2 yrs.

ICU 1yr

CRNA 2yrs

total 5 yrs. = 51yr old

Realistic MDA projection

ASN 2 yrs.

Undergrad tune-up 2 yrs.

Med school 4 yrs.

Resid 4 yrs.

total 12 yrs. 58 yr old (7 yrs. from retirement)

actually if you want to do the MDA thing, MOST Med Schools you will need: 2 sem Bio, 2 sem InOrgan Chem, 2 sem Organ Chem, 2 Sem Physics. AND you CAN double dip, nursing prereqs are usually lower level, (not easier just more condenced, and less theory background). I speak from my own experience, I was on the Premed Track but wanted to practice in a rural area and I wanted to do Anesthesia those two usually don't run together. you need to make sure the chem/bio/physics classes will fulfill your ASN prereq (mine did). I Think your ASN/BSN might get you into MED school, with your under grad degree you have actually see the inside of a hospital and touched pts. my CRNA program is housed within a college of Medicine, I know alot of Med student who had History or English as a major.

I don't think CRNA's Schools are "impossible" to get into, tough, but not impossible.

as for the $$ issue, CRNA's in rural areas do pretty dang good!

I agree w/ sway, I don't think I would want to be 58 and $200K in debt. But I would love to be a CRNA and 51.

good luck

suzanne4, RN · Mar 13, 2004

One thing that many of you are forgetting..............................he just started nursing school several months ago, how does he even know what he will want to do when the time comes? Perhaps finish at least one year and some specialty rotations before getting hooked into one area. Things change for everyone...............................How many of you that are CRNAs now, knew that was what you wanted to do from the time you started your RN program? I am sure not many.

duckboy20 · Mar 13, 2004

Actually to get into CRNA school you must have a bachelors degree, at least that is what I have found for most of the schools

EmeraldNYL, BSN, RN · Mar 13, 2004

DO school IS med school!!!! Ouch, I won't tell my fiance you said that (he is a 3rd year MED STUDENT in a DO school). And yes, I have seen several DO anesthesiologists. And it was very hard for him to get in, he had to apply twice. Even with going to a very selective private undergrad, getting good grades, good MCAT scores, and having some healthcare experience, he was still rejected the first time he applied. CRNA school is difficult to get accepted to as well. Why do you want to do anesthesia? In addition, do you want to be a PHYSICIAN or a NURSE?? Just some questions to think about....

Baby Catcher · Mar 13, 2004

Good advice suzanne4. I live by this motto and am very happy. I chose midwifery and womens health because I love it despite the relatively low pay.

" Pick something that you like because you love what you are doing, not because of the paycheck. You will be much happier."

:)

suzanne4, RN · Mar 13, 2004

Baby Catcher: Thank you :)

athomas91 · Mar 13, 2004

first and most importantly...you need to finish your nursing school...and then decide where to go...

figuring out which one is easier..or which one takes more time is useless.

you need to figure out if you want to be a nurse or a doctor. that alone will answer your question.

Mantibob · Mar 14, 2004

Wow, I did not expect this kinda response!! Thanks for your comments everyone. Much appreciated. I will do more research.

Mantibob · Mar 14, 2004

Good points about age!

I would highly recommend that you try to "shadow" a CRNA for a day and see if you really like it first of all. You may actually find that you like another area of nursing that you prefer while you are completing your nursing program.
Either way, you should consider age also into this. You have been used to working the same hours all of the time in a set schedule, with anesthesia that goes out the window. You will be bouncing all over in terms of hours worked, and shifts worked. At many hospitals, they also have twenty four hour shifts. Do you feel that this is something that you would be able to handle? I have nothing against age, I am in the same ball park as you, but I would seriously reconsider a specialty at this point. Remember that during your CRNA program, you will not have an income coming in, same thing if you decide to pursue the DO/MD route. But you will also have the living expenses and tuition fees. This is something else to consider.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :balloons:

Mantibob · Mar 14, 2004

GOOD POINTS

So far these responses are good, except I think people are underestimating what it takes to get in to med school. your ASN will mean practically nothing. If you get a BSN (which you'll need), you'll still need to take a year of inorganic chem, a year of O-chem, a year of physics (the kind that uses calculus), microbiology and mollecular biology. If you're thinking "I'm already taking some of those classes for nursing school", think again. The med school councelors practically were choking back the laughter when I described my organic/biochem class I took. Same with my micro class.
Also, remember that even if you have a BSN, you'll be competing for med school slots almost exclusively with people who majored in "pre med", microbiology, or other hard sciences. An ASN to BSN isn't exactally very competitive.
I'm not saying it's impossible, but warning you not to underestimate what it takes to endure med school. CRNA school is tough, but it is short because it is so focused on a specific skill. In med school (and especially DO school) you'll spend years (and thousands of dollars) learning about things that have absolutely nothing to do with anesthesia. I think you're looking at about 10 years of full-time-hard-core school AFTER you get your BSN, and probably in the neighborhood of $200,000 of debt. That's not where I want to be when I'm in my 50s.

Mantibob · Mar 14, 2004

Is residency really that long for DO??

some of my thoughts
you don't need a BSN for CRNA ( your schools will be limited but you will have to attend a school that is a MS rather than MSN).
extremely optimistic CRNA projection, assuming you have a BS.
ASN 2 yrs.
ICU 1yr
CRNA 2yrs
total 5 yrs. = 51yr old
Realistic MDA projection
ASN 2 yrs.
Undergrad tune-up 2 yrs.
Med school 4 yrs.
Resid 4 yrs.
total 12 yrs. 58 yr old (7 yrs. from retirement)
actually if you want to do the MDA thing, MOST Med Schools you will need: 2 sem Bio, 2 sem InOrgan Chem, 2 sem Organ Chem, 2 Sem Physics. AND you CAN double dip, nursing prereqs are usually lower level, (not easier just more condenced, and less theory background). I speak from my own experience, I was on the Premed Track but wanted to practice in a rural area and I wanted to do Anesthesia those two usually don't run together. you need to make sure the chem/bio/physics classes will fulfill your ASN prereq (mine did). I Think your ASN/BSN might get you into MED school, with your under grad degree you have actually see the inside of a hospital and touched pts. my CRNA program is housed within a college of Medicine, I know alot of Med student who had History or English as a major.
I don't think CRNA's Schools are "impossible" to get into, tough, but not impossible.
as for the $$ issue, CRNA's in rural areas do pretty dang good!
I agree w/ sway, I don't think I would want to be 58 and $200K in debt. But I would love to be a CRNA and 51.
good luck