Med school drop out, now a CRNA. Ask me anything...

Specialties CRNA

Published

The title says it all. Did not do well in med school, dropped out, did a ABSN program, worked in the ICU for 2 years before going on to CRNA school. Now I am a CRNA.

Life*** whoops!

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Actually, here is a curiosity question- were you questioned about your med school experiences when applying to your ABSN/RN job/CRNA school? How did you handle those what I can only imagine as uncomfortable questions? Strength of character would really shine through, I imagine.

My answer: "I have made mistakes in the past, everyone does, it is what is done as a result of those mistakes that set people apart..."

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Can I ask you (and forgive me if you already answered this) if you had a social like during school? I know I want to be more than a RN and I am torn between NP and CRNA. In your opinion is/would CRNA school be doable with a child or a spouse?

When you graduated were you comfortable enough to put others to sleep on your own? Or was there still a great deal of nervousness? Thank you for the help!

Yes it is doable.. There is actually one online CRNA school, Texas Wesleyan University that I think is more flexible for mothers.. You should check it out!!! As a new grad I was nervous at first... I would not recommend a new grad to do solo cases, especially if your dealing with high acuity cases... But after some experience it should be doable

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Aside from what you've been through, do you actually LIKE what you do now?

I love what I do now.... But I am also considering getting my FNP... Because I may one day want to open my own rural clinic when I get older...

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I have no questions, just wanted to say congrats on finding your way. Too many posts on here about people who don't make it or made it out of nursing school and hating it and wanting to leave the profession altogether. It's nice to see a positive thread once in a while.

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Specializes in Adult Primary Care.

Congratulations and welcome to Allnurses!

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What age were you when you became a CRNA?

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Congratulations! You worked hard to get to where you're at now, and thank you for extending your help! I'm looking into post-BSN degrees and I have some questions.... I'm sorry, you don't need to answer all of them!

1. Which state did you get your CRNA degree from?

2. Since you went to med school, you would already have courses like biochem and physics. Did your CRNA program require those courses? I am worried because my nursing program doesn't require those science courses so I didn't take them, and going back to school to take the whole science sequence doesn't make financial sense to me because that would set off grad school for a couple years

3. How did you find a CRNA to shadow?

4. How long did you shadow for? (A day? A week?)

5. How old were you when you applied to the CRNA program?

6. Can you post your stats? Like your ABSN gpa, for example (if not, that's ok too)

7. Did you join any committees, become a preceptor, or volunteer before you applied?

8. Would you say your CRNA interviews were easy or hard? Like were they just trying to know you or did they ask technical questions?

9. How many CRNA programs did you apply to?

10. Did you get in the first time or it took you a couple of time(s) to get accepted?

11. Have you ever been on call as a CRNA?

12. Did you ever work with an anesthetist or have you been working independently?

13. What do you think about the career outlook for CRNAs? Do you think the profession is on its way to becoming over-saturated?

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Congratulations! You worked hard to get to where you're at now, and thank you for extending your help! I'm looking into post-BSN degrees and I have some questions.... I'm sorry, you don't need to answer all of them!

1. Which state did you get your CRNA degree from?

2. Since you went to med school, you would already have courses like biochem and physics. Did your CRNA program require those courses? I am worried because my nursing program doesn't require those science courses so I didn't take them, and going back to school to take the whole science sequence doesn't make financial sense to me because that would set off grad school for a couple years

3. How did you find a CRNA to shadow?

4. How long did you shadow for? (A day? A week?)

5. How old were you when you applied to the CRNA program?

6. Can you post your stats? Like your ABSN gpa, for example (if not, that's ok too)

7. Did you join any committees, become a preceptor, or volunteer before you applied?

8. Would you say your CRNA interviews were easy or hard? Like were they just trying to know you or did they ask technical questions?

9. How many CRNA programs did you apply to?

10. Did you get in the first time or it took you a couple of time(s) to get accepted?

11. Have you ever been on call as a CRNA?

12. Did you ever work with an anesthetist or have you been working independently?

13. What do you think about the career outlook for CRNAs? Do you think the profession is on its way to becoming over-saturated?

I too want the answer to all of these questions. I have no interest in any other area of nursing other than CRNA, so I'm doing all of the other for that end goal. Seems a little absurd that there is no direct route to that career path.

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What age were you when you became a CRNA?

I was 28 when I started CRNA school

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Congratulations! You worked hard to get to where you're at now, and thank you for extending your help! I'm looking into post-BSN degrees and I have some questions.... I'm sorry, you don't need to answer all of them!

1. Which state did you get your CRNA degree from?

2. Since you went to med school, you would already have courses like biochem and physics. Did your CRNA program require those courses? I am worried because my nursing program doesn't require those science courses so I didn't take them, and going back to school to take the whole science sequence doesn't make financial sense to me because that would set off grad school for a couple years

3. How did you find a CRNA to shadow?

4. How long did you shadow for? (A day? A week?)

5. How old were you when you applied to the CRNA program?

6. Can you post your stats? Like your ABSN gpa, for example (if not, that's ok too)

7. Did you join any committees, become a preceptor, or volunteer before you applied?

8. Would you say your CRNA interviews were easy or hard? Like were they just trying to know you or did they ask technical questions?

9. How many CRNA programs did you apply to?

10. Did you get in the first time or it took you a couple of time(s) to get accepted?

11. Have you ever been on call as a CRNA?

12. Did you ever work with an anesthetist or have you been working independently?

13. What do you think about the career outlook for CRNAs? Do you think the profession is on its way to becoming over-saturated?

1. Florida

2. No, CRNA only requires a bachelors in nursing.

3. I networked with the CRNAs at my hospital I worked at... 2 years in the ICU as an RN...

4. I shadowed for 40 hours or 5 whole days...

5. I was 27 when i applied..

6. My ABSN gpa was 3.8, my undergrad gpa was 3.27

7. Nope

8. both technical and get to know questions... It was about 50/50.. You need to practice both... Best with a professional too.

9. I applied to 20 programs and got 7 acceptances..

10. I got in the first time... If you apply broadly you will get in the first time.. Dont worry about wasting your money on application fees... Its better to waste thousands on application fees than loose another year of CRNA income...

11. Nope.. Only the MDs are on call at my hospital...

12. I have not worked independently yet.. You would usually have to move to rural areas for that kind of work.. Work in the ACT model currently

13. It might be oversaturated in the future.. In fact it is already oversaturated in the nicer areas of florida.... Its really hard to predict, right now the jobs are still there and you can make good money... If you are willing to move to really rural areas you can make upwards of 200k working 40 hours a week.... In contrast, if you want to live in miami metro area... the pay will be between 100k to 120k... Start your own private practice and you can make a lot!

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

FYI, Texas Wesleyan University is not an online school. They have a distance learning option that requires you to be in an offsite class the same time that the on campus students are. Their classes are just streamed through satellite, but you can use a microphone to ask questions like all other students and you can see the professor and they can see you as if you were in a normal classroom. They're doing away with this option for the next cohort for various reasons. The AANA opposes online learning for CRNAs (with the exception of some fluff DNP writing/research courses). This is pretty open, and most CRNAs know this which makes me believe you're a troll.

There's another gentlemen on here who has a youtube channel called Flightnurse2MD (something like that?) and he actually failed out of CRNA school. He went on to medical school and is now entering an MDA residency. His sentiments were different from yours stating that CRNA school (which he stated his GPA was not the high in) was not as supportive as medical school. Medical school gave him ALL of the tools to succeed and a far more supportive environment and that was more conducive to learning and not as turbulent as CRNA school was for him. Different experiences I guess, but I find your story difficult to believe.

My gut tells me that you're a troll. Are you part of the CRNA and SRNA facebook page (since it requires verification of CRNA or SRNA status to join). Would you be willing to pm your info on facebook for verification and I would personally vouch for you without letting everyone know you are who you are? I would keep your info completely anonymous. Even just a PM with a picture of your license minus the number and full name like others on reddit do would suffice.

Thanks

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