Posted by joe on October 9, 2008, 7:54 pm, in reply to "Re: CRNAs == AAs"
The truth is many people do become a nurse and then proceed to Medical school. Doctors do obtain experience through residency I will not argue that but when you get job specific such as anesthesia they learn that all the same as CRNA's they just do a residency longer, but a CRNA with 10 years experience doing anesthesia is the same as an MDA doing anesthesia for ten years. As an MD you do get a more in depth approch to medicine in a broad view which will provide you with a lot of knowledge and I can't argue that, but when getting specific to anesthesia if you know your anatomy and physiology backwards and fowards, your pharmocology, pathophysiology, and health assesment in great depth and have a good clinical background you will be great at anesthesia deliverence. MD's do not get clinical experience doing anesthesia first they start out doing nursing related work, which is simply care for the patient provide first line assistance and wait for doctors orders. As they advance they get more power same with nursing. At my hospital it is CRNA ran and the Surgeons we have will not allow an MDA for the simple fact that they do not want to deal with the nonsense of they think they are better than everyone. And this is not coming from me.