I am lost!!

PG2018 · Jan 9, 2016

You got an entire course devoted to derm? Where are you going to school that they provide such specifics? That's pretty sweet. I always wanted a needless course and rotations in sports medicine. I feel like all of us psych people should take more neuro coursework with mandatory rotations in that spec as well.

Having said all of that, CRNA is crapped out. It's really gone the way side. The money can still be good, but it's really competitive and the tide has shifted. The need is present so you're going to be competing for jobs with a rash of other people. You also better like getting up early and taking call. I hate both and do neither, lol.

Psych is the unspoken fruit. However, within five years this money boat is going to sink. When all these new Medicaid-Obamacare people lose their insurance they're going to stop coming in so willfully. Addtionally, the public has found our secret so they're beating the door down to get in. Competition is coming.

In medicine, derm is one of the most competitive specialties. There's a need for it, sure, but not that much so the numbers of providers are limited and most of them that are out there were top of the class. Class rank yields choice of residency match among other things. For a NP wanting to go into psych, I say go for it. I think it's a great idea. A private practice is going to be pretty heavy on the wallet particularly if you start buying lasers. Some guys lease them. If you stick with creams and zits you can still make a good living. I don't have any numbers to back this last statement, but really who's willing to put up with acne?

Goldenfox · Jan 9, 2016

There is a national association of derm NPs here National Academy of Dermatology Nurse Practitioners . Once you become an NP they offer a certification program. check it out. The university of South Florida(?) used to also offer a derm program for NPs, not sure if they still do but I read about it in Nurse Practitioner Perspective a couple years ago. Derm positions do pop up all over the place from time to time, and most of them will want experience so the preceptored certification program is a good place to start if you're interested in going that route. It's important to distinguish between a strictly clinical dermatology practice and one that also does aesthetics. If you're more interested in making people look young and pretty than in treating skin disease then there are aesthetics training programs for the former as well. If by private practice you mean open your own derm clinic--a good idea. However, if you're thinking more along the lines of aesthetics then, as previously mentioned, some of the equipment is very expensive---even to lease. You would need quite a bit of investment cash or a generous line of credit to start up that kind of business. But, I know people who have done it and they were not rich when they started out, so it is doable. You have to have a knack for business and a good marketing plan though.

Since you have so many interests you need to research each more in detail and pick the one that makes the most sense for your situation. It wouldn't make any sense to do an FNP program and then a CRNA program. These are entirely different disciplines. Psych is it's own discipline as well.

Alicia777, MSN, NP · Jan 9, 2016

I thought I wanted to do the same during school. There's not that many jobs to be found on my searches..