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

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What Members Are Saying (AI-Generated Summary)

Members are discussing the different paths to becoming a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and the differences between CRNA and Certified Anesthesiology Assistant (CAA) programs. Some members share their personal experiences with medical school and the decision to pursue nursing instead, highlighting the emotional toll of medical education. Others provide insights on GRE preparation and the structure of CRNA programs.

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.

I think everyone here is being too hard on the op. First, he/she gets accused of being a fraud, now he has to defend the screen name, which is really irrelevant to thread. This is his story and experience, so opinions aside, he can narrate as he sees fit.

Let's be clear about another thing: The claims of a CRNA being equal/similar in training is not even comparable. While they essentially do the same job, the MDA has a vastly greater body of knowledge than the CRNA, and if the case is very complex, the MDA is the authority anesthesia care provider for these types of patients.

I was about to say that. I know this post is sort of old but my goodness. This person is sharing their story and offering help and a lot of people started attacking him/Her :(. i Think their post was really encouraging and shows that if you decide to make lemonade out of lemons, good things can happen from bad ones!

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Specializes in CRNA.

This is all a bunch of nonsense by people who don't know much about the nurse anesthesia profession. It's an effort to create the illusion that CRNAs are not highly skilled anesthesia professionals.

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Specializes in Anesthesia.
This is all a bunch of nonsense by people who don't know much about the nurse anesthesia profession. It's an effort to create the illusion that CRNAs are not highly skilled anesthesia professionals.

Agreed.

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Hopefully you are still answering questions. But I am a lot like you. I did ok in the first 2 years of med school but could not get past the USMLE. I am applying for ABSN and then to PMHNP school right after. How difficult would you say an Accelerated BSN is compared to the first 2 years of med school? Also what are anatomy and clinicals like in a ABSN program? I'm guessing nurses don't dissect cadavers.

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very little hard science in nursing school. basic overview of the very common diseases, but most of it is just nursing management of patients and some pharm sprinkled in. Clinical are more passing meds, assessing patients, bed baths, iv, starts, etc.

no cadaver lab and im sure you will be fine

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Hopefully you are still answering questions. But I am a lot like you. I did ok in the first 2 years of med school but could not get past the USMLE. I am applying for ABSN and then to PMHNP school right after. How difficult would you say an accelerated BSN is compared to the first 2 years of med school? Also what are anatomy and clinicals like in a ABSN program? I'm guessing nurses don't dissect cadavers.

I think people chased him away a while back.

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Specializes in CRNA.
Hopefully you are still answering questions. But I am a lot like you. I did ok in the first 2 years of med school but could not get past the USMLE. I am applying for ABSN and then to PMHNP school right after. How difficult would you say an accelerated BSN is compared to the first 2 years of med school? Also what are anatomy and clinicals like in a ABSN program? I'm guessing nurses don't dissect cadavers.

Not all nursing schools are the same. And nurse anesthesia is very science intensive. I had cadaver

lab in anesthesia school-2 of us to a cadaver.

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Not all nursing schools are the same. And nurse anesthesia is very science intensive. I had cadaver

lab in anesthesia school-2 of us to a cadaver.

I agree it's not wise to make blanket statements that nurses don't do cadaver lab. At my university, it was a very competitive BSN program so many of us did extra sciences to make ourselves stand out to the admissions dept. I did take an elective dissection class with cadavers in undergrad.

Of course, in CRNA school I did another more intensive cadaver lab.

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I think he has asking about requirements to graduate from ABSN programs, not CRNA or other nursing grad progs but not for sure.

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On 9/25/2018 at 11:40 AM, ARODtheCRNA2b said:

I was about to say that. I know this post is sort of old but my goodness. This person is sharing their story and offering help and a lot of people started attacking him/Her :(. i Think their post was really encouraging and shows that if you decide to make lemonade out of lemons, good things can happen from bad ones!

How dare anybody say there are more difficult majors than nursing! rabble rabble rabble

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Just as there are many types of med students, there are many types of nursing students and schools too.

allnurses.com appreciates comments from many sources

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Specializes in ICU.
On 8/20/2018 at 10:32 PM, Mr_Edwino said:

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.

You can get your masters in anesthesia and become a certified anesthesia assistant. Different from CRNA school. CNRA programs build off of the student's critical care experience as RNs. Not absurd. Makes them qualified, experienced, skilled.

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