DIGNOUT

I saw you were from the Philippines, and thought I was speaking Tagalog. Oops if I missed the mark- congrats anyway

Very well said.

I have taken the Med Chem course with VCU and start at VCU in August. The course is very helpful, but it is what you make of it--- work hard, complete the reading, and complete the modules, and you should take much from it. It's set up is logical, ordered well, and basically easy to use. Some of the instructors have very thick international accents and may be a bit difficult to understand--- turn your headphones or speakers up to 'High.' Hope this helps.

I think you might want to clarify this statement. Leaving never changes anything, rather shifts the issue to "somebody else's problem" or passes the buck. AANA didn't leave when the going got tough. Leaving is losing. In the professional world, regardless of the industry/field/etc., one should work towards achieving the salary, standard of living, and financial goals he or she desires. I acknowledge, however, that money does not solely make happiness, and that one must maintain the professional drive and interest that got him or her into the profession; happiness and job satisfaction are a combination of so many different concrete and personal factors...money always being a piece of the pie. Breaking through glass ceilings is what capitalism and surviving in America is about. If that means nurse anesthetists making high(er) salaries (among other nursing specialties, of course), is it so wrong for us to ask for and to expect more? I think not.

Guess I should be saying bati. :up:

Check out http://www.graduate.vcu.edu/community/housing.html. Craigslist is also a good resource for roommates etc. Congrats and see you in August.

Glen Allen is a nice area that has seen a huge boom here of late in housing and economic growth. Being North of Richmond, and having the growing population it has, traffic is fun during rush hour... that being said, few places are immune in Richmond from traffic especially along the I-64 and I-95 corridors. The Glen Allen Cultural Arts Center has become a hotspot for local cultural events that are great for families. Homes are modestly priced as compared to Short Pump, but are still higher than Chesterfield (so far as I know). Low crime and good schools make it a good area for families. Hope this helps.

First, I will be one of your classmates in August. I'm looking forward to meeting you all! Second, Southside encompasses a rather large area of Richmond, which is cut in half (North and South) by the James River. I live on the Southside of the James in Chesterfield County, a 'burb of Richmond, and have been here for all of my 27 years. Chesterfield is a great place for families, but has unfortunately felt the brunt of rising housing costs (as is true across America). Hull Street Road and Midlothian Turnpike, the major thoroughfares in Chesterfield, have wretched traffic, but have countless shopping, dining, and other ins and outs. Schools in Chesterfield are fantastic. As a general rule, you get more house and land for your buck in Chesterfield. Crime is particularly localized to the Southside nestled closest to the James River. The West End, including Short Pump and Western Henrico, is also a great area. The housing boom has created, however, a Northern Virginia crisis for the West End, inflating the cost of living and creating traffic jams reminescent of D.C. Million dollar acres are not uncommon on/off West Broad Street, the main artery slicing through the West End. The cost for building and renting are commensurate with land values, so expect to pay premium dollar in some areas. Shopping and dining hotspots are plentiful. Goochland County is taking many overflows from the West End. The West End and Southside have been in a cultural battle since I can remember for who is the best, blah, blah, blah. So far as I'm concerned, each has positive and negative attributes. Both are great areas. Both are still the same old Richmond. You'll get the same out of either of them. Southside has Saks Fifth Avenue. The West End has Nordstrom. You can easily break the bank at either. The same goes for everything else. The East End and Northside, including Church Hill and Mechanicsville (respectively), has its nice points. Church Hill is not the most idyllic for families, a result of the schools and crime rate. You can find beautiful Antebellum homes there, however, and usually earn a tax abatement. The inner city contains some of the highest priced real estate, worst slums, prettiest historical sites, best restaurants, and scarriest crime statistics--- a paradox that is true for most cities. Mechanicsville north of town is mostly a good choice. As with the West End and Southside, don't go too far on certain streets. Outside of the Richmond Metro area, the Tri-Cities to the south and Ashland to the north are options available. Petersburg in the Tri-Cities is much like Church Hill- crime abound with gorgeous homes. Sad, really. Ashland is a beautiful old train stop, but most of the best homes in the best areas are older and in the high $100,000s. As an employee and a past student, VCU Parking is the thorn in my side, as will it be yours. The satellite sites around the city where we will take cases are easily navigable, and parking is far more forgiving. Depending on your location around Richmond, you may be paying tolls approaching $2, which is easily forgettable with the out-of-site, out-of-mind SmartTag... you're still paying the tolls, just not having to stop and do so. Richmond is beautiful, historic, and generally accommodating. It has its set of problems, but will hopefully satisfy and please your families during your stay. I've hung around for this long, so something about it keeps me. :welcome:

A good end to this discussion might be: I am a nurse, therefore I am not a physician. A physician is a physician, therefore he/she is not a nurse.

Be careful.

Nursing vs. medicine. There's your dilemma. If you want to continue to be a nurse, you're almost done. If you want to be a physician, go to medical school. Write out a pros and cons list... discuss it with your support network/significant other... think again of your goals, ambitions, and motivations. You are the only one that knows how you tick. Follow your heart and good luck.

One can never have too many i's dotted or t's crossed. Good luck to you.

If you've been through a boom and bust cycle with nursing, you must be quite old indeed. What, 70, 80? You can see nursing shortage stories on the cover of Time circa WWII. It hasn't gotten any better today. You are right- supply and demand... our boomer generation isn't getting younger, and nurse anesthetists are retiring from the profession faster than new grads can pick up their caseloads. Wake up, buddy... or, rather, go back to sleep. :trout:

Have you shadowed a nurse anesthetist? Doing so may give you a better idea of the roles of a CRNA... one does NOT want to apply to anesthesia school without first knowing what it is they are going to do. Be forewarned. Also, explore the AANA website... some good info out there. Good luck.

My entry into practice was at the diploma level (yes, we are still out there). I earned a concurrent AS at a junior college (yes, there are junior colleges still out there). I completed a BSN at a local university while getting good experience in CCU. This was the best pathway for me, though it isn't for everyone. My diploma has brought me no shame. I have been accepted to VCU for August 2008. The point- whatever your entry to practice, make the best of it, make it count, and work hard. Good luck to you.