Possible for Canadian to work as CRNA in USA

There is no such thing in Canada as a CRNA. All anaesthesia delivered in Canada is by physician at this time. Whether that is subject to change is yet to be determined. So if that's what you intend to do, you'll have to obtain your training in the US once you've gotten you BScN. You may find a program that will accept you right out of university but then again you may not. I'm not totally sure this is the best forum for asking your questions, given that Canada doesn't have CRNAs. You might want to rephrase it, with your new information and post it to the Pre-CRNA Inquiry Forum. http://allnurses.com/forums/f227/

why can't you use yur medical training and become a doctor in canada

Depending on which province he lives in and where he applies, hell could freeze over before he'd get a residency. There is a backlog of applicants with experience.

CRNA is very competitive in the United States. You must get into a college or university that offers a MSN with a concentration in anesthesia. You must do very well in the BSN program since the admissions are difficult.

You didn't answer the question, if you are a fully qualified physician why are you going for a lesser degree. You could take the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE);and do a residency in anesthesia, it may be a quicker route.

Going for BSN and MSN could take 5 years.

It is extremely difficult, if not virtually impossible, for foreign physicians to get licensed to practice in the US (same as Canada). The medical community in the US does a much better job of protecting its own interests (not permitting a large influx of foreign practitioners) than the nursing community does. There have been quite a number of threads on this board about how physicians from other countries are looking into how to become US RNs, because they can't qualify to practice medicine in the US but would still be better off financially as an RN in the US than they are as physicians in their own countries ...

To the OP, as noted, CRNA programs in the US are extremely competitive, because of the demand -- I've heard it said many times, by people in a better position to know than I, that they are more competitive, at this point, than medical schools. In order to be eligible for a CRNA program, you would need to be licensed in the US as an RN and have at least one year clinical experience in a critical care setting (ICU, CCU, etc.). Of course, many people find that the bare minimum of experience does not make them very competitive/desirable as a candidate, when there are many others with much more experience. One advantage you may have is that, as a physician, you have probably taken all the courses required as prerequisites for CRNA programs, although another question is whether those courses, wherever you took them, would be accepted for transfer into a US university or whether you would have to re-take them.

Also, the Canadian model of nursing education is different from the US model, and your Canadian nursing degree may not automatically be accepted in the US for licensure and graduate education (all US nursing graduate programs require you to have a current license to practice as an RN in the state in which the school is located). You may want to look at some of the threads on the International Nursing forum about Canadian nurses wanting to practice in the US for more specific information.

Having said all that, whether or not you would be able to get into and complete CRNA training is an entirely different question from whether you would be able to get permission to study and then to work in the US (the restrictions have been tightened significantly in the last few years). Licensure and immigration are two entirely separate issues.

Best wishes, though, and welcome to allnurses!

I apologize for not being clearer -- I did mean that it's virtually impossible for a foreign-educated MD to get to licensed in the US without going back and completing a US residency.

I do wonder, though; even though completing an anesthesia residency would be a lengthy process, wouldn't it take about the same amount of time as a) completing your Canadian nursing degree, b) pursuing RN licensure in the US, c) working at least a full year as an ICU nurse, d) applying to CRNA school (keeping in mind that lots of folks don't get in on their first try), and e) completing two years of CRNA school? And that assumes that your Canadian nursing degree would transfer directly into the US without any complications or additional education. Even assuming the two-year option (that you mentioned) for your Canadian nursing degree, no delay whatsoever in getting US licensure and finding an ICU position, and no delay whatsoever in getting accepted into a CRNA program after one year of ICU experience, that would be a minimum of five years. And, when you finished the residency, you'd be a physician instead of a mid-level provider ...

But, of course, only you can decide what your best option is. Best wishes.