Can someone hold both a CRNA and MD license?

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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Hello,

I wanted to know if it's possible to obtain and work as both a CRNA and a Pediatric Neurologist? Is it worth having both licenses? Will I have time for family and have a life? How will this choice effect my ? :uhoh3:

I'm asking this because I'm currently in going to school for nursing, and I'm interested in both careers. I've already taken both pre-med and pre-nursing course, and I'm about to be complete my nursing program. If this career path is infeasible, what degree can I use my pre-med courses towards; although, as I mentioned before, I am I'm very interested in both career paths? :)

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Why a CRNA? If you want to be a pediatric neurologist...why wouldn't you just do an additional residency in anesthesia instead of completeing an undergrad, and grad nursing education as well?

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There are people who obtain more than one professional degree. I have always wondered where they found the money and time to devote themselves to two or more disciplines. If that is what you want to do and you can find the wherewithal to do it, who is there to say you should not? Good luck with your career aspirations.

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Hello,

I wanted to know if it's possible to obtain and work as both a CRNA and a Pediatric Neurologist? Is it worth having both licenses? Will I have time for family and have a life? How will this choice effect my liability insurance? :uhoh3:

I'm asking this because I'm currently in going to school for nursing, and I'm interested in both careers. I've already taken both pre-med and pre-nursing course, and I'm about to be complete my nursing program. If this career path is infeasible, what degree can I use my pre-med courses towards; although, as I mentioned before, I am I'm very interested in both career paths? :)

Are you about to graduate from a CRNA program or an RN program? The two specialties you have described (CRNA and pediatric neurologist) are completely different and, if you are just starting your career as an RN you should probably get a job in a pediatric neurology unit which will likely help you make a decision.

There are several things I think of when considering your question and the cost of education is not the least of it.

If you wish to become a Pediatric Neurologist you will first need to be completely dedicated to the profession so you should ask yourself why you are considering anything else. Then you need to:

1. Get accepted to medical school (not an easy thing to do)

2. Complete medical school - 4 years

2. Complete a pediatric residency - 3-4 years

3. Complete a pediatric neurology fellowship 2-3 years

If you go through all that and become a pediatric neurologist you will not want to work as a CRNA. Firstly, you will not only be busy with your practice but you will be busy keeping up on your specialty.

The answer to your question about how to use your Pre-Med courses is NURSING!!! I can't think of any undergraduate courses that are not appropriate for nursing.

Chemistry I&II, Physics, BioChem (Organic and Inorganic), A&P, Microbiology, Calculus are all useful for nursing although not required by all schools.

My suggestion is to put this decision aside for the moment as it seems you are several steps ahead of yourself. Just take a deep breath after you graduate (whatever the program) and congratulate yourself for getting to that step. Next get a job closest to your area of interest - sounds like peds neurology - and work for a year while you are letting things sort themselves out.

Congratulations for being ambitious...just take one step at a time.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Pulmonary, Anesthesia.

Ill be brief. Legally, yes. Actually, no. Think about it.

One year minimum as ICU RN, 2.5 years CRNA, year to apply to med school, 4 years med school, 4 year (not sure on that) residency. Can't work as a CRNA in med school because you need good grades for that residency I assume, must reactivate license since you haven't practiced in 8 years, who will hire someone who hasn't done anesthesia in 8 years?

This path would be impossible to have any family life. Imagine all that loan debt.

If you want to do both then I suggest either getting the CRNA and then doing NP or PA.

And before you think it, you can't do med school first then CRNA. Being a doctor doesn't count as critical care RN experience, and no hospital would hire a doctor to be an RN due to liability issues.

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If you want to do both then I suggest either getting the CRNA and then doing NP or PA.

With this path, I can do both right? CRNA and PA?

And before you think it, you can't do med school first then CRNA. Being a doctor doesn't count as critical care RN experience, and no hospital would hire a doctor to be an RN due to liability issues.

When you said that no hospital will hire a doctor to be an RN, why won't they? Their is too high? I can't work as both an RN (as needed for home care) and as a MD? Help! I really need the advice! I love both, but I can't do both. Thanks!

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My suggestion is to put this decision aside for the moment as it seems you are several steps ahead of yourself. Just take a deep breath after you graduate (whatever the program) and congratulate yourself for getting to that step. Next get a job closest to your area of interest - sounds like peds neurology - and work for a year while you are letting things sort themselves out.

Thank you sooo much! :up: Smart idea, and less stress on me. :idea: So, I'll just wait, and work as an RN in that unit, and see what I really love. I wanted to do Pediatric Neurology, because my younger brother was diagnosed with autism at the age two; and he seemed normal (w/o autism) before he turned two, but then it's was like he just become numb out of no where. That's how my interest grew in that field as well, b/c I want to prevent events like this from happening to other children.

Another lady recommend that I can also work as a CRNA & PA, and use my pre-med courses towards that (that way that money wouldn't have gone to waste). I'll see. Thanks!

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Thanks! I wrote a response to your topic below. Still trying to figure this quote thing out; I'm a newbie to this site. lol!

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Thank you sooo much! :up: Smart idea, and less stress on me. :idea: So, I'll just wait, and work as an RN in that unit, and see what I really love. I wanted to do Pediatric Neurology, because my younger brother was diagnosed with autism at the age two; and he seemed normal (w/o autism) before he turned two, but then it's was like he just become numb out of no where. That's how my interest grew in that field as well, b/c I want to prevent events like this from happening to other children.

Another lady recommend that I can also work as a CRNA & PA, and use my pre-med courses towards that (that way that money wouldn't have gone to waste). I'll see. Thanks!

Believe me, if you are going to become a CRNA, there is nothing you have already taken that will go to waste. It is an extremely demanding program. You will not need or want to be a PA after that. You'll understand when you get to that point.

Now that you have described where you interest in pediatric neurology came from, I'm wondering where the interest in anesthesia arose. If you are a CRNA, your job will consist mainly of anesthesia during surgery which will have nothing to to with autism. Have you thought about working with austic children and/or autism research?

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Specializes in Cardiac, Pulmonary, Anesthesia.
With this path, I can do both right? CRNA and PA?

When you said that no hospital will hire a doctor to be an RN, why won't they? Their liability insurance is too high? I can't work as both an RN (as needed for home care) and as a MD? Help! I really need the advice! I love both, but I can't do both. Thanks!

Yes, you can use your premed credits to become a PA and they'll love that you have past medical experience. But there is going to be alot of redundancy here. As a CRNA you'll already have taken advanced assessment, medical physiology, advanced pathophysiology, gross anatomy, and several pharm classes. PA schools will not give you credit for these and you'll have to take it all over again.

The liability thing is complicated. Basically, you will be working as an RN held to the standard of an MD. It just muddies up the water and they won't do it. Plus they would think you were out of your mind being an MD and wanting to work as an RN.

In all honesty though, these are very different fields and I think you would have a hard time remaining educated in both. Why do you want to do anesthesia anyway? It sounds like you really like peds neuro, but that is going to be a completed different pace and mindset from anesthesia.

And I'm not a lady if you were referring to me in the previous post.

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You got good advice about slowing down. Enjoy being a student right now and these decisions will become easier as time goes by.

Just wanted to add: you would probably be nearing $1 million in debt if you really did both of these things. Not worth it.

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Ooops! (about referring to you as a lady)

Thanks for the advice though!

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