CRNA vs Med school, tough decision, heres my story

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

A little background on me, I just turned 24 years old. My first few years of college were spent playing collegiate football, after a few injuries i decided to pursue medicine.

After talking with a plastic surgeon, he turned me on to the career of a CRNA. He told me being a doctor isn't what it used to be, and that CRNA's have great jobs, great pay scale of work hours + time of education vs. pay. To make a long story short, without looking into to either profession (shadowing) I switched my major to nursing where I spent the last two years taking all the pre reqs.

I have currently been accepted intothe University of Nevada Reno's BSN program. It is an accelerated 16 month program and I would start this August (08).

Off and on, and more so lately, the desire to go through med school and become a doctor keeps popping up. After reading a book titled Becoming a Doctor. A journey of initiation in medical school by Melvin Konner, M.D. I became a little disenfranchised with the idea of being a doctor--anyone else read this book and feel the same?-- Not really basing my change of heart on one man's opinion but more so based on "apparent" facts and shortcomings of medical schools and the whole process in general. He makes some great points but does come across pessimistic, but i digress and back to the topic on hand.

So the real question is, since i have this creeping feeling that once in the nursing program I am going to want to eventually do medical school, would it behoove me to skip nursing school?

I have cross searched multiple threads however my situation seems to be a little different, and that is, I can obtain my bachelors degree in only 16 months. This is much faster than I would be able to obtain a degree in biological sciences. However, I only have a couple classes of my premed reqs done and I would probably end up going to a post-bac premed program such as goucher.

The premed program is one year and then one glide year--which i'm thinking maybe i can work as an rn and earn a little something while I wait to start med school-- but overall it would be about 1.5 years until my BS, 2 years until start of med school. I'm just curious if it might not just be faster to switch majors now, not go through the pain in the ass that nursing school may be, and apply and go to med school.

My grades are good, over the last 3 years I have a 4.0 (about a 3.82 cumulative, 6 units of C's in football is killing me) science gpa is 4.0

It seems like i should do the nursing program, as i can always use it as a backup plan in case i end up not wanting to go through the doctor process and then I can specialize as a np or crna later.

Any suggestions? Opinions? Maybe something I'm overlooking.

at the end of the day the pro's and cons of both professions are split, but what gets me, is i don't want to feel like i settled knowing that i could make it in and through med school.

I'm 24 right now, and if i went down my current route, i would most likely graduate med school when i'm 31-32. I don't want to be a poor college student forever and I do have ambitions of getting married and starting a family before i'm over the hill.

Let me know what you guys think, thanks in advance for the tips and suggestions.

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Specializes in MICU mainly, Now on to anesthesia school.

If you truly want to go to med school, then go to med school. While nursing school isn't terribly difficult it is a pain in the rear and time consuming. You will regret not attempting med school if that is truly your desire. The older you get, the greater the odds that you will be unwilling or unable to make the sacrifices needed to attend. Having said that, yes I do regret not going to med school but I have thoroughly enjoyed my nursing career and look forward to starting CRNA school next month.

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I attended an accelerated BSN for people with BS in another field. I would definitely shadow an RN for a couple of days (Both medsurg and ICU) and then a CRNA. Nursing school is not a cake walk and would really be a miserable detour if it is not a true fit for you. Your clinical experience would be an eye opener- google fecal management system. In some areas you have to jump many hoops just to get a position in an ICU. Also in a accelerated BSN you cannot work- loans, loans, loans. A coworker has stated that there is a certain stigma when an RN applies to medical school. At least in his case at local medical schools.

Good luck with your decision

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Here is my take on it.

There are many advantages to have a BSN, first you can choose to become a CRNA. Secondly if you choose to attend Med School you can work some weekends as an RN. Even prior to attending Med school while gaining nursing experience you can complete the rest of the Pre-Med courses. So study hard to maintain a good GPA through Nursing school. If at the end, you prefer medicine to Nursing, then go for it.

Hope that helps

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Shadow a CRNA. Shadow a doc. Talk to people who have recently graduated from med school, CRNA school and those doing their residencies. Find out in more detail what the career preparation and practice are really like, then follow your heart.

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I agree with many of the others who posted. Go to med school. You won't be satisfied unless you do it. Your young, so go. But, if you are going to go to be a physician, then go into a specialty where you practice medicine. In other words, if you want to be in anesthesia, then become a CRNA...not an MDA. MDA's are the only physicians who practice nursing and not medicine.

I too once considered medicine, but after becoming a nurse and practicing for a few years. Then, I saw what a physician's life consisted of, and decided to become a CRNA instead. Very glad I made that decision, and don't regret it at all. However, you want it now and don't want to waste the time to become a nurse...so become a physician...a real physician!

DM

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I'm not surprised the plastic surgeon encouraged you to consider becoming a CRNA. I am a practicing CRNA of (almost) 5 years now and I can't tell you how grateful I am for the decision I made to become a CRNA. I have lots of "friends" who I work with now who happen to be surgeons. Over the years, I have had more than one who voiced a sentiment along the lines of "I wish I had not gone to med-school, but rather become a CRNA." You will find a much different attitude in the studentdoctor.net mda section, but they usually young, naive, and tragically arrogant.

Still, there is more to think about than 1 or 3 people's opinions on a "nurse's forum" - what did you expect? ;-) It might not be easy for you to do this, but you REALLY NEED to shadow a surgeon or two, or perhaps a resident or two, and a CRNA or 2 or else a SRNA or two for a day each. You're 24 years old. You are attempting to make a decision that will impact the rest of your life:

Just how important do YOU think it is that you gather as much exerience and information in order to make the best decision for YOU?!?

I'd like to tell you there are certain personality types that gravitate toward becoming CRNAs vs MDs (and don't forget DOs - I love DOs!), but the truth is, you're going to meet extreme "type As" in both camps. I would just encourage you to "size up" what is involved in becoming a CRNA - time, education, $$, what your experience will be like after you are practicing, vs that of a physician.

"Do your homework!" "Don't be LAZY!! - GET OUT THERE and shadow people!" Make a good decision for YOU! ;-)

Best wishes!

U-R-Sleeepy

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

Just how important do YOU think it is that you gather as much exerience and information in order to make the best decision for YOU?!?

"Do your homework!" "Don't be LAZY!! - GET OUT THERE and shadow people!" Make a good decision for YOU! ;-)

Best wishes!

U-R-Sleeepy

you are definitely right, I really do need to go out and try and shadow as many people as possible.

I feel pressure to "choose" correctly my future career, in terms of; happiness, financial security and job satisfaction. It is hard to predict what one might want in the future and with the demands of becoming/being a doctor, if you do choose that path, you better hope you are right.

i think i need to do some more shadowing and exploring into each profession and then throw in a little soul searching and decide.

I am indeed going to attend the nursing program this fall, as it is accelerated which will enable me to graduate in 16 months.

I have done the time calculations and whether i attend nursing school and then do the MD route or if i go directly to the MD route by changing majors and graduating in a different degree there is about 6 months to 1.5 years difference, depending on if i would be able to take my mcats my junior year and go directly into medical school following my senior year.

So with that in mind, since realistically there will probably only be a six month difference, I will go the nursing route. This will enable me to work for six months prior to starting the Post Bac premed program (goucher etc.) and then I will be able to work my glide year for the full year prior to starting Med school. (if i decide to do the MD route that is) And if time is permitting, I may be able to work as an RN during holidays or vacations during med school.

In the end, this route will give me the flexibility of keeping my options open, so that i am not forced to choose a career right now, which i may regret in the future.

After talking to my friend who is currently in the nursing program that'll i'll be attending, I think I have not been giving nurses their due respect. It is a great profession and there are many career options as well. I just need to realize that there are well respected medical jobs outside of just doctors.

-Logan

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If you truly want to go to med school, then go to med school. While nursing school isn't terribly difficult it is a pain in the rear and time consuming. You will regret not attempting med school if that is truly your desire. The older you get, the greater the odds that you will be unwilling or unable to make the sacrifices needed to attend. Having said that, yes I do regret not going to med school but I have thoroughly enjoyed my nursing career and look forward to starting CRNA school next month.

Nursing school isn't terribly difficult? :eek:

That's the spirit...I don't know what to say here other then why in the world would you say "Nursing school isn't terribly difficult" ??

Working in McDonald's is not terribly difficult. Driving a car isn't terrible difficult. Walking my dog isn't terribly difficult.

So nursing isn't terribly difficult...and you are recommending medical school based on your not so terrible experience with nursing school?

Would you consider medical school kinda difficult? But not terribly? And what do you base this on?

I considered nursing and medicine...and the level of difficulty never came into play.

Here is my recommendation...if you find yourself asking a nurse if you should go to med school you should really be asking yourself why you want to be a doctor. You're already here so why not stay? :wink2:

Take a look at nursing theory and the theory behind medicine. They are both challenging, rewarding and the two travel adjacent paths.

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you are definitely right, I really do need to go out and try and shadow as many people as possible.

I feel pressure to "choose" correctly my future career, in terms of; happiness, financial security and job satisfaction. It is hard to predict what one might want in the future and with the demands of becoming/being a doctor, if you do choose that path, you better hope you are right.

i think i need to do some more shadowing and exploring into each profession and then throw in a little soul searching and decide.

I am indeed going to attend the nursing program this fall, as it is accelerated which will enable me to graduate in 16 months.

I have done the time calculations and whether i attend nursing school and then do the MD route or if i go directly to the MD route by changing majors and graduating in a different degree there is about 6 months to 1.5 years difference, depending on if i would be able to take my mcats my junior year and go directly into medical school following my senior year.

So with that in mind, since realistically there will probably only be a six month difference, I will go the nursing route. This will enable me to work for six months prior to starting the Post Bac premed program (goucher etc.) and then I will be able to work my glide year for the full year prior to starting Med school. (if i decide to do the MD route that is) And if time is permitting, I may be able to work as an RN during holidays or vacations during med school.

In the end, this route will give me the flexibility of keeping my options open, so that i am not forced to choose a career right now, which i may regret in the future.

After talking to my friend who is currently in the nursing program that'll i'll be attending, I think I have not been giving nurses their due respect. It is a great profession and there are many career options as well. I just need to realize that there are well respected medical jobs outside of just doctors.

-Logan

You and I are in the same shoes buddy... Im 24 and about to start an ADN program (then will do a 1 year bridge...so Im just a bit behind) but I too am really considering medical school. I have been going over and over all of this stuff for the last six months while doing all the nursing school prereqs.

Im going to get my BSN while slowly taking the premed cohort. Slowly but surely over the next 3 years I should have them all done and a BSN so I will graduate with a BSN and premed cohort. I think going this route is a great way to do it because you will have another great career to fall back of if medical school doesnt work out. If you work in an ICU over your time doing your premed, you can apply to both med school and CRNA.

There are a lot of reasons NOT to go to medical school. Extra 2 years of schooling (over CRNA), 2-5 years of residency (making $55k/yr), $200k+ in student loans, 80 hour work weeks for 2-5 years of residency, etc... You really have to WANT to be a doctor. Being 24 and not starting as a working doctor on your own until you are 35 is scary and I know how you feel.

Id really suggest do what you said and go BSN then do you cohort and apply to both. You will find out if you really like the nursing aspect (which is way different than what a Dr. does) and you can make a good decision then.

Best of luck with any decision man...make a decision and stick with it. Dont question it and you will be much happier. Either CRNA or MD is a GREAT career.

-Tim

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Specializes in MICU mainly, Now on to anesthesia school.
Nursing school isn't terribly difficult? :eek:

That's the spirit...I don't know what to say here other then why in the world would you say "Nursing school isn't terribly difficult" ??

Would you consider medical school kinda difficult? But not terribly? And what do you base this on?

Here is my recommendation...if you find yourself asking a nurse if you should go to med school you should really be asking yourself why you want to be a doctor. You're already here so why not stay? :wink2:

You sound like you are likely still a nursing student. Nurses are in an interesting position in their level of autonomy. The more inquisitive/science based thinkers hate our practice restraints. Those among us who are in it for the 'nobility' typically are very satisfied with our profession. Nursing dances a delicate line between a science-based profession and an art-based profession. While I enjoy nursing, it is incredibly frustrating at times. The original poster asked "So the real question is, since i have this creeping feeling that once in the nursing program I am going to want to eventually do medical school, would it behoove me to skip nursing school?" My statement was merely to say that his time would be better spent on other subjects if he truly wants to practice medicine. The paths between nursing and medicine are not as close as you seem to think they are. While even in the most liberal nurse/physician arrangement you are still dependent on the MD to make most of the major decisions. Do you still get to provide input and make suggestions? Yes. Is it to the degree that satisfies my need to think and act on my findings; not even remotely close.

PS My experience is based on working in a Level 1 Trauma center associated with a medical and nursing school. I have spent a tremendous amount of time working with an excellent medical and nursing faculty. I ask why you would recommend staying in a career simply because 'you are already here, so why not stay?' Nursing is not for everyone, no matter how idealistic your views are.

JN

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Specializes in ER/OR.

To the OP, I kind of have to say I would go to medical school if I were you (just my humble opinion!). You have a GREAT gpa...and honestly, with that gpa you'd almost be a shoo-in for MD or DO school. Nursing school -- especially accelerated BSN programs-- are notoriously diffucult. One bad moment and your gpa could be affected. If you honestly have a gut feeling you want to be a doctor, go for it dude! Do it while you're young and have less obligations. Just my :twocents:. Obviously, you know your situation better, so do what works best for you.

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