Med school to CRNA

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Hey all,

Just a few quick questions. I'm currently a first-year medical student who has been interested in Anesthesiology. However, I am learning that a lot of what we learned will eventually be irrelevant to practice after specialization, and I'm actually pretty bored and lament the duration of the education, for now. (Regardless of what others say, medical school is not conceptually difficult)

I am just curious what CRNA admission people would think about a previous medical student who decided to change paths. I don't have a BSN or anything, but I could easily pick one up in an accelerated program, especially after a year of med school.

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Hey all,

Just a few quick questions. I'm currently a first-year medical student who has been interested in Anesthesiology. However, I am learning that a lot of what we learned will eventually be irrelevant to practice after specialization, and I'm actually pretty bored and lament the duration of the education, for now. (Regardless of what others say, medical school is not conceptually difficult)

I am just curious what CRNA admission people would think about a previous medical student who decided to change paths. I don't have a BSN or anything, but I could easily pick one up in an accelerated program, especially after a year of med school.

You cannot just pick up a degree easily, you are going to need to complete the pre-reqs for any program and they are usually different from those required for medical school. You do not get any credit for the medical school training, same as if you already graduated from medical school.

Once you do get the RN after your name, you are going to be required to complete at least one year as a staff nurse in an ICU before you can start any program. The more experience as an ICU nurse, the more that is in your favor.

There has already been much on this subject here, just do a search.

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You cannot just pick up a degree easily, you are going to need to complete the pre-reqs for any program and they are usually different from those required for medical school. You do not get any credit for the medical school training, same as if you already graduated from medical school.

Once you do get the RN after your name, you are going to be required to complete at least one year as a staff nurse in an ICU before you can start any program. The more experience as an ICU nurse, the more that is in your favor.

There has already been much on this subject here, just do a search.

There is considerable overlap in the prereqs for BSN and premed programs (my wife is a RN), particularly anyone who took additional courses outside of the requirements. Of the things I am missing (undergrad level Micro and A&P) I don't think they will be a problem after having these in med school.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Sure, go for it. I have always thought that Med School and residency is a poor value for the money/time commitment that is required to attain the ability to make a living. The CRNA school route, in my opinion, is the way to go. You will be out far less money/time and will still be able to practice anesthesia independently. However, in your instance, you have to decide if the bird in the bush is better than the bird in hand.

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There is a great deal of overlap between med school pre-reqs and nursing. In fact, your additional science courses will make you a strong CRNA candidate. I would encourage you to pursue an accelerated BSN program. Although some schools will accept an alternative Bachelor's degree and an associates degree in nursing, it would probably be less time consuming to go the accelerated BSN route. Associate degree programs will get you the RN license but will take just as much if not more time than the accelerated BSN. Besides, you already have on the basic core courses as well as electives to easily aquire a second Bachelor's. Good luck.

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Specializes in SICU, CRNA.

you are crazy to quit now, I would stick it out and finish. You would probably be done quicker if you finish what you are doing. And you will have the potential to make much more money doing roughly the same things without anybody keeping you down and telling you that your not good enough to do them.

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Specializes in Critical Care only.

I agree. Stick to it! By the time you'll finish BSN and all required ICU expirience for admit. to CRNA school, you'd probaly be in second year of Residency as MD.

Just a thought.

you are crazy to quit now, I would stick it out and finish. You would probably be done quicker if you finish what you are doing. And you will have the potential to make much more money doing roughly the same things without anybody keeping you down and telling you that your not good enough to do them.
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Specializes in trauma ICU,TNCC, NRP, PALS, ACLS.

I would just stay in medical school and deal with it

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you are crazy to quit now, I would stick it out and finish. You would probably be done quicker if you finish what you are doing. And you will have the potential to make much more money doing roughly the same things without anybody keeping you down and telling you that your not good enough to do them.

It depends. The fields most of us will enter do not pay any better than CRNA, but require several more years of education (7 post-bacc to become a FP compared to ~ 3 for CRNA). Parts of school are enjoyable, but I do wish I would have spent more time out of school before going back.

To finish what I'm doing now is at least 6 more years

If I decided to leave and get a CRNA, it is around 1.5 for the accelerated BSN, 1 working in an ICU, and 2 for the CRNA, so about 4.5 years minimum.

I'll stick around and see what happens. I hear things get better second year.

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I have to agree with catcolalex, crna is a great career, but you wouldn't save any time by quitting med school to get a bsn, then experience, then 2+ years of crna school. It seems to me like both would take close to 6 years, 3 more years med school, 3 years residency, and you are an anesthesiologist.

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No offense but many people would kill to be were you are. I am graduating with a BSN with may and I'm interested in anesthesia. I just got a job in the ICU (1 year of critical care experience) for CRNA and I'm debating whether I should try to go to medical school. I still have to take the premed requirements that I didn't get in my nursing education. I think working as an RN would just slow me down if I want to go to medschool. Tough it out and your be an MD which is worth it.

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Specializes in ER/ICU, CCRN, SRNA (class of 2010).

Finish what you have started. In the end you will be an Anesthesologist making a half mill +/yr($$$$$). Plus, you have no idea how long it will take you to get into CRNA school. You could possibly have to apply multiple times. I am sure the road looks long right now, but hang in there.

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