Med school for experienced CRNA?

ybq2008 · Sep 15, 2009

There aren't really any shortcuts to med school that I'm aware of...

If your wife is satisfied in her career, she may benefit more from working on her ability to stand up to disrespectful colleagues. I don't see making the investment of med school as being a problem solver. You wife may benefit more from boosting her ability to deal with difficult people. Just my opinion. Good luck with the decision :)

SpouseofChicagoCRNA · Sep 15, 2009

Thanks for the response. You make good points.

Actually there is more to the desire than just avoiding the barbs, but that is when she is most aware of it!

She is a real leader, and Illinois has not opted out of having the MDA's signing for the CRNA's work. There are probably lots more reasons, but ....

Do you know of any programs which take the CRNA into account?

Thanks!

Be_Moore · Sep 16, 2009

No. None of them will. It will look good on her application, but she'll still have to do 4 years med school with a 3 year anesthesiology residency, during which she will rack up $300,000 in debt...likely $500,000 with interest. But at the end of it all, she'll be an MDA. Doing the exact same work she does now, making maybe $50,000-$70,000 more per year. Worth it? From a financial standpoint, no way.

Best bet, especially since she enjoys her present job, would be just to avoid toxic people. Work at a teaching facility that has an anesthesiology fellowship attached to it so that the people doing most of the work are still children MD's that don't know anything and are only making like $52,000 per year. Then she can seem like the experienced person that actually knows something about anesthesia.

RedCell · Sep 16, 2009

There are no shortcuts to becoming an anesthesiologist, not even for a nurse anesthetist. 4 years of medical school followed by 1 year of internship and 3 years of residency. Add another year on to that if you want to complete a fellowship.

If your wife is truly unhappy she should find another practice. There are plenty of jobs available working independently or in an ACT model.

markuskristian · Sep 16, 2009

Even in Illinois, it doesn't have be an anesthesiologist... it can be any MD. She could always work in another facility... in a dental office, a CRNA can supply the service and have the dentist sign off the paperwork.

BethulieRN · Sep 16, 2009

Sorry about what your wife is going through. I known many nurses ( CRNA,NP,MSN) who have transitioned to become MD's here in the united states and especially here in Illinois.

First option, she could decide to go through regular path by applying to schools of medicine here in the country. Since, she already have taken a lot of science classes, and have at least a BSN, she can start the process by talking to counselor in many of these schools, to see what are her options.

The second path that many inspiring doctors with careers and families do is to contact school outside the country such as in the caribean. I know quite a few americains who became MD's using this path. You live and work here, but study outside.

Here is one particular school that I can recommand taht is worth of checking is the school of medicine at university of health sciences antigua.

Whatever your wife decide, make certain that the family can endure and afford it.

I hope this help

meandragonbrett · Sep 16, 2009

Your wife needs to looking into other practice settings and/or groups. The opt-out is on CMS patients only, it has nothing to do with private insurance.

PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN · Sep 16, 2009

This post is ironic. All of the MD-Anesthesia where I work in the PACU wish they had gone to CRNA school instead of med school.

They even told their children not to bother going to med school-be a nurse anesthesist instead.

SpouseofChicagoCRNA · Sep 16, 2009

Hi all,

That is ironic for sure!

jwk · Sep 21, 2009

Most of the info you have received is correct - there are no shortcuts through medical school or any kind of residency, anesthesia or otherwise, simply because your wife is a CRNA.

I would advise thinking long and hard about ANY foreign medical school, in particular the Caribbean or Mexican schools. They have a much lower chance of matching for a residency, AND they have to pass the USMLE before they can even apply for residencies.

Just guessing from your posts that your wife is not a 20-something. Also look closely at all the financial implications of making such a move this many years into a career. I looked at going back to med school in the mid 80's, and would still have not broken even financially by 2009, 25 years later.

allthemadmen · Sep 30, 2009

I can understand how your wife feels, but if she were a doctor, would she act like those MDAs and be such a pill? Probably not. So their comments are pushing her buttons, not indicating anything in reality. When my MD friends try to disparage my decision to go into nursing, not medicine, and nurse-anesthesia, not anesthesiology, I remind them that nursing is different from the practice of medicine, and often preferable.