CRNA to MDA

wsu · Nov 17, 2002

There is no CRNA -MD accelerated track. Medical school is four years. AFterwhich, a one year internship and 3 years of anesthesia residency. Following that, a fellowship may be done in a variety of subspecialities.

kmchugh · Nov 17, 2002

I have heard, however, of one or two CRNA's that went back to med school, followed the whole route and became MDA's.

Kevin McHugh

nilepoc · Nov 17, 2002

One of my acquantances is in the last year of his ENT residency, he was a CRNA for four years prior to starting medical school.

When asked, he states that he had a desire to know and do more.

BTW he still moonl;ights as a CRNA while in his residency, and says he will continue to do so after. We will see. Anyway, he is very pro CRNA, and did not leave because of any problems, or need for more autonomy, he says he would not change what he did, but that he just likes to learn new things.

Another MD friend of mine stated that she would have gone to CRNA school, if she had known she would be doing an anesthesia residency.

Craig

meandragonbrett · Nov 17, 2002

One of the docs I work with was a CRNA then he went to med school and became an anesthesiologist. I asked him why and he said he did it just to see if he could make it through.

Brett

scurvy · Nov 17, 2002

thanks guys for your quick replies. i'm a 26 y/o SRNA who has one year left in the program. i intend to finish off my education here (hopefully for good) and just work as a CRNA. the only reasons i asked bout the MDA track was b/c clinicals gets frustrating. i enjoy the autonomy so far but sometimes wish i had the ultimate say on what anesthetics i wish to use. if the attending anesthesiologist (depending on who i work with) disagrees with me, i HAVE to choose his/her plan of anesthesia. guess just little things like that.

Another reason is that i studied my butt off in anesthesia school, still am...and the way i think bout it is, so what is the big deal with 4-6 more years of schooling to become an attending. right?? just don't wanna look back when i'm 40 or 50 years old with a family and decide to THEN go back and try for med school. otherwise, i'm enjoying clinicals and the attendings teach me loads of info. also, i know someone who knows of an MDA that was a CRNA before, who finished the prereqs for med school, went through all 4 years, and skipped residency to become an attending. pretty sweet huh? another school out in the carribean (yes foreign) stated they would accept my credit courses in anesthesia school but i needed to take the step 1,2 and 3 boards along with two years of clinical rotations. but their main concern was my passing the boards. My concern was getting into a residency in the states (which they guaranteed). hmm...

so the clock in my head turns. i probably won't do it but thanks for the replies. hope this message doesn't discourage those who are very pro-CRNA.

kmchugh · Nov 17, 2002

Scurvy

I am neither pro MDA or pro CRNA, if there is competition involved. I am pro-anesthesia, because I have discovered people in anesthesia tend to be very competent, very patient oriented. Sure, there are MDA's and CRNA's out there that are bone heads, but my experience is that there are generally fewer bone heads in anesthesia than other medical specialties. I can't say specifically why this is true, though I believe the broad range of knowledge that must be mastered to perform anesthetics, whether by a nurse or an MDA, tends to attract people that are self starters, competent, and trustworthy. So, if you finish your CRNA program, and work for a time as a CRNA, then find you want the challenge of going back to med school and becoming an MDA, more power to you. I would never consider you a traitor, or somehow disloyal to the ranks of CRNA's.

I'm happy with what I do, and happy to work with the competent physicians in our anesthesia group. We all work together to do a good job. There is one doc with whom I occasionally disagree on the anesthetic plan, but I consider that minor. He's been an anesthesiologist for over 30 years, and damned if he hasn't taught me as much in a year as I could possibly pack in. So, if he wants me to do a case differently than I had planned, then I guess flexibility is part of working in anesthesia. Following the bosses plan is also part of being an adult in the working world. But, on the whole, changing my plan is a pretty rare event. Even if I plan on doing an anesthetic in a manner he would not have chosen, as long as its safe, he knows I am a safe, competent provider, and allows me to proceed as I had planned. I think on the whole, this is the attitude you will find among most docs out there.

One other thing. I've been out of school for a little over a year now. I graduated with just enough knowledge to provide safe anesthetics in MOST cases. (I think most MDA's coming fresh from residency are in pretty much the same position, though med school gives a somewhat broader, less focused, education.) I started with the attitude, and still have it, if an MDA or experienced CRNA tells me they would do a case differently than I had planned, I don't take that as an insult or a personal challenge. Its a great opportunity to learn a new way to skin the cat. I never used remifentanil in school. Those on the board who have read my posts will tell you I sing the praises of that drug from the rooftops now, because an MDA who was supervising me suggested I try that rather than fentanyl to do a carotid. Everything is an opportunity to become a better practitioner. Look at it that way.

Kevin McHugh, CRNA

TexasCRNA · Nov 17, 2002

Scurvy, which school in the caribbean was going to do this? I have a couple of friends that went to AUC and one that is attending now and is currently state side doing his clinical rotations. He tried for 2 yrs to get into med school in the US and finally said screw it and went overseas.

Lee.

Tenesma · Nov 17, 2002

never trust caribbean schools..... first of all, nobody ever becomes an anesthesia attending without passing anesthesia boards which REQUIRE 3 years of anesthesia residency, which in turn require 1 year of internship which in turn requires med school... and caribbean schools can't guarantee residencies... heck, some people graduating from american med. school have difficulty getting into a residency!... just a word to the wise

scurvy · Nov 18, 2002

the carribean school is called st.james i think...anyways...i'm dispelling that thought. just wondering....how is it working in a CRNA/MDA joint group? is the pay better than as an employee at a hospital? i guess they have contracts with several facilities? does that mean you're probably taking call a lot too huh?..depending on the size of the group. just wondering...cuz i've been thinking bout joining one after school. i don't know if i'll get a lot of experience with open hearts, line insertions, etc..which i want. i don't know who will dictate my practice restrictions when i join a private group. if anyone can let me know i'd appreciate it. thanks!

scurvy

smiling_ru · Nov 18, 2002

All of those things will depend on where you go. Here you would do everything, lines, crani, cabg, transplant. You choose your anesthetic and so on. Again, it just depends on where you go to work.

meandragonbrett · Nov 18, 2002

I think most hospitals don't have their own anesthesia staff. Don't most of them contract that out? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Brett