CRNA To MD

elkpark · Apr 13, 2004

"Transitioning"? You go to medical school, the same as everyone else ... Four years of med school, internship, and residency. :)

Tenesma · Apr 13, 2004

i know three people who did that (admittedly they were all in their early to mid-thirties when they started)... needless to say they all did pretty well because of the good preparation in CRNA school as far as study habits, etc..

two of them ended up doing anesthesia, and one ended up doing internal medicine instead....

sandman2b · Apr 13, 2004

Call me crazy, but I don't know why on earth someone would want to do that! Why go through 8 more years of school/training to, essentially, do the same thing you were doing? The money? Please enlighten me!

alansmith52 · Apr 14, 2004

I think I am gonna puke

athomas91 · Apr 14, 2004

ROFL :rotfl:

pasgasser · Apr 15, 2004

I am familar with 2 CRNA's who then went to medical school and both went into anesthesia. They both stated that their motivation was a desire to have increased medical knowledge. (Some people enjoy school). I also know one FMG anesthesiologist who came to the U.S. and could not pass the USMLE, went back to school and is now a practicing CRNA. (Different strokes for different fokes.)

forane2001 · Apr 15, 2004

Call me crazy, but I don't know why on earth someone would want to do that! Why go through 8 more years of school/training to, essentially, do the same thing you were doing? The money? Please enlighten me!

With the current market in anesthesia, it would make little sense for a

CRNA to go back to school to become MDA. First, you would have a lost income approaching $ 1.0-1.5 million for the 8 yr period. Second, lost contribution to retirement funds. Third, all the accumulating debt of med school because the $30-40K resident salary just wont make a dent in that. I actually considered this path but decided it is not for me. The money in the long run would be nice but thats a long dry spell. I work with a new MDA just out of school and he said he had debt around 200k. His living is made now but still that is a heavy burden, not to mention his mortage etc. Another MDA I work with said he was over 40 yr old before he considered himself to be making any money. Also we dont know what the malpractice situation will do. Many MD's are giving up their practice. Not sure how this is affecting anesthesia. I know I enjoy my job, get to do what I want, may not get all the butt kissing the MDA's get by the nurses and other staff but that is ok. They are resentful of CRNA's because of all we get to do and the salary. I dont know many jobs out there that pay 150k for less than 40hrs per week and plenty of off time to work more. Just my 2c

susswood · Apr 15, 2004

I noticed that the original poster's age is listed as 19. If you are only 19, and want to be an M.D., just go straight to med school. I think it is best to take the shortest path to the end goal. You could certainly get your undergrad degree in nursing before med school....I don't know. Seems like apples and oranges to me.

zacarias, ASN, RN · Apr 16, 2004

I noticed that the original poster's age is listed as 19. If you are only 19, and want to be an M.D., just go straight to med school. I think it is best to take the shortest path to the end goal. You could certainly get your undergrad degree in nursing before med school....I don't know. Seems like apples and oranges to me.

It seems like a lot of folks are asking about becoming an NP then MD, or CRNA to MD, or RN to MD. I'm concerned that this is because of the public's perception of provider hierarchy. They assume that the nurse is a junior doctor. But as we know, nursing and medicine are as different from each other as Britney Spears is from Randy Travis.

If someone wants to be an MD, go for it. If you become a nurse and then later decide to go back to med school, go for it. But don't become a nurse as a stepping stone to become an MD (or DO).

CRHSrn · Apr 16, 2004

who's randy travis ??? :rotfl: j/k

alansmith52 · Apr 18, 2004

yeah, if you want to be a doc then do it. but you should look deep into yourself and find out why. why really? no really... why? tell me why? you wanna help people? you wanna learn all you can about helping people? you wanna be called doctor? (takes a real man to admit that one) really.. why? what is it. come on. tell me. I got to know? what is the drive? mabye your mom will finally accept you? maybe they'll stop making fun of you at family reunions and school reuions? why? why? why?

It seems like a lot of folks are asking about becoming an NP then MD, or CRNA to MD, or RN to MD. I'm concerned that this is because of the public's perception of provider hierarchy. They assume that the nurse is a junior doctor. But as we know, nursing and medicine are as different from each other as Britney Spears is from Randy Travis.
If someone wants to be an MD, go for it. If you become a nurse and then later decide to go back to med school, go for it. But don't become a nurse as a stepping stone to become an MD (or DO).