I see this theme on this site over and over again, and I really don't understand it. The only reason that I can think of is that some of the people who already made it would like to think of themselves as an "elite" group and therefore they scoff at anyone else who is trying to reach their ranks.
I for one KNEW very early on that I wanted to be a CRNA. Before I went to college I had to make a plan. Although my entire family was rooting for me to become a MD, I researched it non stop and remembered what I saw of them while volunteering and realized that that was not the career for me. I already knew just from my personality that critical care is where I wanted to be and culture wise I knew that my education would not and could not stop at a bachelors degree. After researching my options and falling in love with the idea that this career would not only incorporate critical care, but neurobiology in some sense, and a high turnover of patients, I knew that this career was for me.
While most nursing students in their first year (as can be seen on this board) was taking the easy chem classes, I petitioned to take orgo and physics. While so many people now are worried about their gpa,.. in school, every test was not about a semester grade, it was about getting into NA school...and therefore I'll never have to ask the question "are my grades good enough". As a junior, I spent my summer interning in the OR, only because all the ICU spots were filled. It took 1hr 30minutes for me to get to this hospital at 7am by bus, by train, and then by foot!! But i did it anyway. Monday-Friday I was in bed by 10pm so that I could get up by 5am.
For my final rotation I told my professors that no matter what I HAD to be put on an ICU floor. There was a hospital literally 2 blocks away from my house in college but instead I traveled 45minutes away to a hospital in PA that would place me in an ICU. I found out my placement right before christmas break and then I had to a buy a car in three weeks before classes began again so that I could get there. (Thankfully my mother chipped in :redbeathe)
I did all of this so that I would have a better chance on being immediately placed into an ICU after graduation... and guess what... it worked.
You can't get anywhere in life unless you have a dream and unless you have a plan. If your planning started three years later than someone else's, guess what,.. you'll probably be achieving your goals that much later.
If your 10yr old told you that they wanted to be a doctor, do you bash them and tell them "why? do you think its just like tv or something?" No, you encourage them. You don't have to spoon feed them information but you can direct them to sources that would better educate them, because it is important that they do some of the footwork themselves.
At 18-20 yrs old, there probably are a lot of immature ppl out there who are just looking at the dollar signs. But hopefully, if they took the time to sign up for this site with the hopes that a REAL CRNA would actually take the time out of their busy day to answer their little question,... hopefully they are serious enough. Just think how you would feel if 10yrs ago you found an opportunity to get information from the source, and then they just belittled you and dogged you out like that. I think it would just be more professional to ignore their question and let it go unanswered.
** I know not everyone is like this, but there are a few on this site***
Monday-Friday I was in bed by 10pm so that I could get up by 5am.