would a biochemistry degree help me become a CRNA

yoga crna · Oct 16, 2003

I am no longer an educator, but I think a biochemistry degree would place you in a strong competitive position. The more science you have the better. Also biochemistry is very useful for the clinical anesthetist.

YogaCRNA

Athlein · Oct 16, 2003

I'm puzzled by the recent interest in the nurse anesthesia profession by non-nursing majors. Was there a magazine or TV feature? I think I have been asked more about the CRNA role in the past few weeks by non-medical people than I have since I started down this path.

Are you absolutely sure you want to be a nurse (and you have done the research to make sure it's the right choice for you) and not just a nurse-so-you-can-get-to-CRNA school? Would you be satisfied with a career in nursing that does not include a CRNA role?

If yes, then why not switch majors now? If all you have left are labs and p-chem (which can be brutal depending on the professor), then your core foundation of science is already in place, and you would be putting in time, effort, and money into a path that you do not wish to pursue.

If you can't say yes with certainty, then finish your degree. The saying that "life is what happens when you are busy making other plans" is absolutely true. You need a back-up degree in case nursing does not work out for you - for any reason.

gotosleep · Oct 16, 2003

I have absolutely no problem with people going to nursing school specifically to gain admission into anesthesia school. That's what I did. I would not for one minute consider doing anything other than anesthesia as a nurse, and I'm not a bit ashamed of that.

By the way, I just started the my second year of anesthesia school and I love it.

Athlein · Oct 16, 2003

I have absolutely no problem with people going to nursing school specifically to gain admission into anesthesia school.

Nor do I. For some, it is just a means to an end, not borne out of a desire to be an RN at the bedside. That's okay, too.

My point is that life is full of uncertainties. The original poster is probably in his/her early twenties - a time of life that can be incredibly tumultuous. People fall in love, move across the country, have babies, get cancer - whatever. And the path from hard-science major to CRNA is a long one.

I am old, and I can only say that life has repeatedly proven to me that the people who best weather the ups and downs of life are those who have workable back-up plans at the ready.

In my mind, a biochem degree is a very attractive back-up plan.

I can say that as a person who did not complete their rigorous science degree. Left my junior year to obtain a BSN. Even years later, and in anesthesia school, I can honestly say that I wish I had finished that first degree - for many reasons.

gotosleep · Oct 17, 2003

Originally posted by Athlein
Nor do I. For some, it is just a means to an end, not borne out of a desire to be an RN at the bedside. That's okay, too.

My point is that life is full of uncertainties. The original poster is probably in his/her early twenties - a time of life that can be incredibly tumultuous. People fall in love, move across the country, have babies, get cancer - whatever. And the path from hard-science major to CRNA is a long one.

I am old, and I can only say that life has repeatedly proven to me that the people who best weather the ups and downs of life are those who have workable back-up plans at the ready.

In my mind, a biochem degree is a very attractive back-up plan.
I can say that as a person who did not complete their rigorous science degree. Left my junior year to obtain a BSN. Even years later, and in anesthesia school, I can honestly say that I wish I had finished that first degree - for many reasons.

point taken

ctbsurf · Oct 17, 2003

it might look good on paper, but the courses you've received thus far for that degree i'm sure are sufficient to make you stand out (granted that your GPA is strong). if you can finish up in around a year, i might think about it, maybe. otherwise get out while you can and start taking courses that REALLY count towards your ultimate goal. you will learn all the biochem you need to know in NA school (very basic) and the real world application in anesthesia is minimal to say the least.

Athlein · Oct 17, 2003

Anesthesia practice has two science-based areas at its core - physiology and pharmacology.

Two of the three directors of anesthesia programs in California have Ph.D's in pharmacology. A biochemistry undergraduate degree would be an excellent foundational stepping stone for doctoral study.

Brenna's Dad · Oct 19, 2003

If your goal is to become a CRNA, would it not be wiser to finish your BioChem degree, obtain a 2 year ADN degree and then seek entrance at a school that does not require your Bachelors degree to be in nursing.

This would provide you with the backup plan Athlein is suggesting and make you a very strong candidate for anesthesia school. It is my impression from the posts I have read here, that one can now obtain their ADN in as little as a year if they already have a Bachelors degree.

Something to look into.

heimanb · Oct 20, 2003

Definitely go for your BSN, especially since you have many of your core university courses under your belt. I just finished a degree in biology with an emphasis on biochemistry and turned around to put in two more years towards a BSN. I had to fill in a couple of prerequisite gaps (A&P and human development), but I've found the transition to be quite smooth. As per the previous posts, before changing boats in midstream, now is a good time to consider why nursing anesthesia is for you. For me, I couldn't stand the impersonal environment of the chemistry lab and the feeling that I wasn't really accopmlishing anything of importance with my work. Even if I don't end up becoming a CRNA, I feel like nursing is a respectable and worthwhile profession.

g8rlimey · Oct 24, 2003

I say finish your biochem degree, take the ADN route, and apply to schools without the BSN requirement. I wish I had taken that route because a BSN (I have one) has no value in my book. I took b#lls**t classes in nursing school that have non benefit where I am now. I wish I could have had more science and less fluff.

jewelcutt · Nov 1, 2003

I was in the same predicament about four years ago and I often kick myself in ass for not having chosen nursing first a long time ago. I was a chem major and math minor with 1 1/2 years left. From that point I could have gotten a BSN (three years in lenght), gotten an ADN (2 years in length) and finish my BSN while gaining experience and money, or finish my bachelors and do a second degree nursing completion. I chose ADN, I wish I had chosen second degree. It takes a lot of diminished pride to go from a difficult science curric to an ADN, I'm only saying this because I have experienced it. Yes I am now a nurse sooner and with great experience but I have had to work really hard to complete my BSN, all the time while I could be working overtime, saving up, and adding different experiences to my resume including PICU and ER. I work in a CVSICU. I have just applied to NA school and upon many inquiries I have found all directors impressed with my chem background. I wish I would have finished the degree. Also, I found nursing very easy compared to my chem/math curriculum, it is also graded very subjectively. So, if some MSN feels her answer is better than yours you suffice to recieve a B. I also had pretty good grades for chem/math but no easy 4.0 like primary nursing majors have. Just some stuff to think about but I would strongly recommend finishing your biochem and then doing an accelerated second degree program. In the meantime, offset your work inexperience by getting into an SICU any way possible (tech, aide), NA schools do look at total icu experienc also. Hopefully I didn't sound too dismal, but life would have been much easier if I had done nursing first but one very positive aspect is that I love math and chemistry and have learned a great deal from those classes.