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Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Natalie on July 7, 2011, 8:45 pm

I have been planning on going to AA school but recently I thought I'd be proactive and contact a few anesthesia groups in my area (Oklahoma & Texas) to see how the employment situation is holding up. I heard back from 7 total, all of which I had found through previous gaswork listings and advertisements in AA school newsletters. Not a single one is hiring AA's. 4 schools stated the reason was because of an influx of CRNA's. 3 recruitment specialists told me outright to reconsider med school. I really want to be an AA, but is the employment situation really this bleak? I'm sure this post will ruffle some feathers, but what else am I supposed to do? Just trying to do my due diligence before spending $100K+ and 2 years in grad school. Also, I am 27, which is another reason why the 2 year commitment makes more sense to me than an 8 year one.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by robert on July 8, 2011, 10:12 pm, in reply to "Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

You got no idea how bad it will be. 80% reduction is anesthesia reimbursement. NO ANESTESIOLOGISTS of any kind. AA”s ceases to exist. Preoperative physicians, yes. Anesthesiology as a medical specialty disappears, FACT. You are betting your future on a last gasping death breath of the ASA. Look at the history. They hate you and CRNA’s... The reality they face has required some of them to embrace you but it’s too late. The end for them and you is here. Every anesthesia management compamy embraces a CRNA model, NONE as in NONE accept AA’s. If MDA anesthesia is so grand why are hospital dumping them in mass and replacing them with AMC’s? Answer! Anesthesiologist are worthless and irrelevant! BYE BYE, you have been warned, it’s happening, open your eyes, it’s here.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Gosh on July 8, 2011, 4:38 pm, in reply to "Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Unsurprisingly, I don't see NovaAA or Pablo on this thread. Why? Hmm......

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Nova AA on July 11, 2011, 12:37 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Dude, why are you even on here?

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Gosh on July 8, 2011, 4:38 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Are you guys starting to see reality?

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Pablo on July 8, 2011, 7:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

I haven't been on here much lately and I was in the OR today. There are jobs you just have to be flexible about where you can work. OK isn't the biggest state using AAs yet and I know a bunch of people in the graduating class have gotten jobs in TX. Even one or two people in my class have gotten job offers already and we graduate in over a year.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Gosh on July 8, 2011, 10:05 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

You fail to mention that over half of your graduating class still have no job, and haven't heard back from any potential employers, with each sending out over 50 CVs. I know you are trying to shrug it off but reality is reality dude.

If you're in this for easy money. Back off.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Pablo on July 9, 2011, 10:12 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Yeah, that is complete BS.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Unsure on July 8, 2011, 8:11 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

What states are most AAs getting jobs in? Are people still signing on at practices in GA? Are they being forced to move up north to find jobs?

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by margo on July 10, 2011, 4:30 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Unsure,
The job market for ALL anesthetists, (AA's, CRNA's, and MDA's) is tight and therefore salaries have dropped. Ga. and Fl, where AA and Crna schools have pumped out students is especially flooded.

Do not rely on hospitals to post for positions.... make cold calls to all the hospitals and surgery centers and anesthesia groups in a wide area you are seeking to live.

References do count so try to get some good letters written, and, if you can get them to make some calls to their buddies, even better!

Do not panic. All jobs in all fields are scarce and, unfortunately, anesthesia seemed to flood overnight. If you love what you do, then you will find a way to practice.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Pablo on July 8, 2011, 9:04 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

You have to be flexible on where you can work. There are jobs in GA but there is no insurance that you will land a job that you want, in an area you want, right out of school. You may only get ob offers out of state initially. It happens, but everyone is employed and after you get experience you will have a little more flexibility in getting different jobs.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Unsure on July 9, 2011, 1:16 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

No offense, but everyone keeps saying "be flexible." Just how far away might an AA school graduate have to move to be flexible about getting a job? If there are few jobs for AA's in GA, none in AL, few in FL, and few (if any?) in SC, what other states does that leave except for those up north and a few out west (e.g., New Mexico)?

I hope I don't sound brash, but I'm just wondering how far I might have to move my family after graduating from an AA program. We have never lived up north or out west and didn't really plan to move far in either direction.

Would anyone who is in AA school or a recent graduate please provide specifics on where most AA's are being forced to move in order to work? How far is "out of state" if we are talking about GA here?

Thank you.....

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on July 9, 2011, 11:11 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Dude - you're incredibly unrealistic if you EXPECT a job to be available in the EXACT location you want one WHEN you're finally available. That's simply not dealing in the real world. It just doesn't work that way. Do you really think there is someone somewhere holding a job open just for YOU? Get real.

Figure it out - Emory puts out 40+ a year, 25 from South, and 25 each from the Nova campuses. The chances of ALL those students being employed SOMEWHERE is excellent. The chances of ALL those students being employed in their first choice of jobs is very low.

The economy effects EVERYONE and that includes CRNA's as well as AA's. The bigger centers are pretty full - they always are. A lot of people held off on retirement. As the economy improves, a lot of them that delayed retirement will go ahead and retire and open up some more slots. Yet I can tell you that AA's have gotten jobs all over Georgia and Florida from this year's classes. Others are going elsewhere.

You don't sound brash - you sound immature. Grow up. If you can't do that, pick another educational and career path.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Unsure on July 9, 2011, 12:24 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Gee, what an asshole. I have held a well-paying, fairly prestigious career for a number of years now, and I never had the pleasure of being called "immature" in response to a simple question about the job market. Never in my post did I state that I wanted only ONE particular job at ONE particular hospital. If you re-read the post, you'll realize that all I asked was approximately how far I'd have to move my family, and the answer to this question would be based on some sort of approximation of a rough, estimated figure such as the proportion of AA graduates who are being forced to move out of state (since I imagine no hard statistical figure has been assessed).

Your insult to my maturity level was baseless in that I NEVER stated how far I would not be willing to move in order to practice as an AA. You don't know if I'm willing to move 300 miles, 3,000 miles, or even further. I would prefer to remain in the state of Georgia or even Alabama, and I think that a preference to locate and practice in essentially any city in either of 2 states is a realistic and acceptable proposition.

The notion of maintaining some semblance of personal preference regarding the general vicinity in which a professional lives and works isn't challenged or questioned by the members of any other profession except healthcare.

So why don't you get over yourself and realize that your elitist and self-righteous attitude makes you look more immature than an individual asking a rational question regarding job availability?

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on July 9, 2011, 1:37 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Lighten up.

Nobody can predict the job market or employment situation at any given time. There is no crystal ball to look into. As little as three years ago, groups and hospitals were begging for people and offering fat signing bonuses. That would be laughed at now, but who knows, it might happen again a few years down the line.

One of the few drawbacks to the AA profession is the geographic limitations. It's better than it used to be, but we still have a long way to go. If you're not prepared for that possibility, again, you need to think of another career path. There are plenty of others that have already thought this through and are still willing to proceed.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by SteveC on July 9, 2011, 10:24 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

No one here can give you a solid answer on that. We can't predict the hiring needs 3 years out. Thats just the facts. I know of people of who got jobs in GA and FL this year. Its just not a case of where you can say I'm gonna work at hospital X and be assured you will.

This is not limited to AAs. I know SRNA students who are having to move as well.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Pablo on July 9, 2011, 10:10 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

What do you want? You will have to move 576.3 miles from home to get a job? Not everyplace that uses AAs hire at the exact time you are looking for a job and you may not even get an offer at a particular place where you want to work. There are jobs and, as far as I know, there are no unemployed AAs. If you aren't planning on moving simply don't do AA school, or PA school, or medical school, or pharmacy school... It's not uncommon for people in each of those fields to have to relocate for jobs, at least temporarily.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by btbam on July 9, 2011, 1:49 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

The reality of the current market is that yes, it's very tight, especially in GA and FL. Even the places I went in rural GA for rotations were full and mostly overrun by CRNAs. I was fortunate to find a job I wanted in Atlanta, but there are probably 6-7 people in my class still looking for jobs and we graduate in <4 weeks.

It's easy to tell people to "be flexible" and go to other states, but a lot of these newer states only have a few AAs or only hire at 1 or 2 specific hospitals. As a new grad, it's especially difficult to be the proverbial torchbearer for the profession in a brand new state.

What this means for the future of the profession is anyone's guess and I certainly don't claim to have all the answers. All I know is we have the full endorsement of the ASA and legislation comes up every year to get AAs in new states, so don't listen to these asinine claims by the troll CRNAs on here proclaiming the death of the AA professon.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Alec on July 8, 2011, 1:40 pm, in reply to "Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Ppl we're talking about a Masters here not a community college degree. If for some reason you can't get a job as an AA, there are numerous possibilities such as teaching.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by CJ on July 8, 2011, 7:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

It's a shame that AA's aren't more recognized as a profession nationally, yet alone the states they are able to practice. Personally if I were an anesthesiologist I'd make it a point to introduce AA's into my practice setting, and wouldn't care less if crna's didn't like it.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by LOL on November 20, 2011, 5:45 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Yeah an Anesthesiologists is going to go out of their way to loose money by only being able to cover two AA's instead of the 4 CRNA's that they can cover. Who wouldn't want to cut their income in half to spite the nurses.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by NovaAATampa on November 25, 2011, 4:22 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Your an idiot... maybe you should get your facts straight and up-to-date!

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/70ad3b22#/70ad3b22/32

Anesthesiologists can cover 4 AA's

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on November 20, 2011, 7:58 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Typical CRNA - doesn't know any actual facts.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by btbam on November 20, 2011, 5:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

The word is "lose" and where are you getting that an MD can only supervise 2 AAs at a time?

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by aa-c on November 23, 2011, 12:45 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

SC supervison laws

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on November 23, 2011, 7:50 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

I believe they're the only state that is that restrictive.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Pablo on July 8, 2011, 7:48 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Some do that and some don't because they can't afford to lose 10 CRNAs that are threatening to leave if they hire an AA. Many anesthesiologists aren't even aware that AAs even exist. There are more places that hire AAs every year because there are more AAs every year and anyone that graduates will have a job (unless you have an attitude problem.)

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by CJ on July 8, 2011, 8:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Why not just replace the entire CRNA population threatening to leave with AA's? Perhaps CRNA's are afraid that if the AA profession were to gain popularity and recognition amongst practice settings nationwide, they would lose a vast amount of people going to nursing school just to become a CRNA. More and more people would question why they would ever want to go to a joke nursing program in order to administer anesthesia when they have the option take a more direct path that gets to the same place.

With the increasing number of CRNA mills opening it seems as though CRNA's will soon become a dime as dozen. Hopefully as the AA population increases and sets itself apart with its top tier graduates who could have easily gone to medical school, there will be some balance to this nonsense.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by Gosh on July 8, 2011, 10:08 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

This is a weak argument. Not all AA students will easily make it into medical school like you stated. Hell, not even 15% would get into medical school if they tried. You guys need to stop acting arrogant, because ya'll know how difficult it is to get into med school, and to downplay med school to make yourself seem smarter isn't going to impress anyone.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by RealitySucks on July 7, 2011, 10:14 pm, in reply to "Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

I'm in the same position as you, getting ready to apply to AA school in just a few weeks. There are similar issues occurring throughout Alabama and Georgia regarding hiring trends being unfavorable for AA's. There is an anesthesia group called AmSol which is out of Birmingham that has bought-out the anesthesia contracts at a number of hospitals throughout Alabama and Georgia, and one of the executives in the company, a CRNA whose name starts with an "L," harbors strong anti-AA sentiments. Subsequently, the hospitals they now hold anesthesia contracts with have adopted strict policies barring the hiring of AA's.

This has resulted in a number of cities throughout Georgia that were formerly known for being "AA-friendly" now being literally off-limits to AA's. Of course, some insist that this is a good thing for the profession because it will force AA's to work up north now that the southeastern job market is rapidly becoming closed to AA's.

But you didn't hear any of this from me...

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on July 7, 2011, 10:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Note to Larry Hornsby from AmSol - bite me!

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by RealitySucks on July 7, 2011, 10:42 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Well, it looks like the cat's out of the bag. Based on conversations I have had with AA's throughout Georgia, the hiring climate in the southeast was much more benevolent towards AA's before Larry And The Gang took over the contracts at so many hospitals.

My question is this: if AmSol is actually owned by an anesthesiologist, how is it possible that one individual's anti-AA sentiments have shaped AmSol's hiring policy towards anesthesia mid-levels? He's just an employee, right? Is he really able to make such sweeping policy decisions so as to ban the hiring of AA's at so many hospitals?

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on July 8, 2011, 7:48 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

The problem with AmSol is that Cousin Larry is an officer of the corporation, not just an employee. As such, he probably has an ownership interest in the company. Fortunately, AmSol does not rule the world - their time will come.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by IHateAmSol on July 8, 2011, 12:36 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

so what are AA's in the southeast going to do as long as amsol is in charge of anesthesia hiring at all these hospitals? i was very close to working out a preliminary agreement to come back and work as an AA in my hometown a little over a year ago before CRNA's flooded the market, and then amsol swooped in and took over.

i actually had several AA's tell me that normally, i wouldn't have had a problem getting an employment deal worked out, but with amsol in charge, they ("they" being the amsol reps in charge at the hospital) would actually tell me to my face that they won't be dealing further with AA's. these guys even said they weren't sure if they'd have jobs in a few months since it appeared that amsol was preparing to fire the AA's that had been there for years.

BTW, why does this Larry guy hate AAs so much? is it an AANA political thing, or is it because they cant take call independently or something and he only wants to hire anesthetists who can do this?

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on July 9, 2011, 9:12 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Larry Hornsby AKA Cousin Larry is the ExecVP of AmSol. Unfortunately, he is also a CRNA and a past president of the AANA. So, he clearly puts his political views ahead of the welfare and best interests of his own company.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by IHateAmsol on July 13, 2011, 1:31 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Jay Cottrell, MD, is an anesthesiologist as well as the CEO and chief medical officer (whatever that means) of AmSol. Do you think he is aware of the hiring antics being propagated by Cousin Larry that are resulting in the hiring discrimination against AA's? What if a group of AA's writes a letter to Dr. Cottrell informing him of the anesthetist hiring situation that is occurring within his own company? Of course, the authors would almost have to remain anonymous...

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by LJ on July 14, 2011, 9:57 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

I wouldn't be extremely worried about AmSol. A few years before I joined the group I'm working at, AmSol had taken over. However, they managed the anesthesia department so poorly that they lost the contract in only one year.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on July 15, 2011, 10:14 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

LOL - pretty funny - I had heard that was part of their track record as well, but it wreaks havoc in a hospital while they're there. You gotta wonder who gives them good references, or whether hospital administrators are too stupid to check them and just rely on the proposals and free fancy dinners when Uncle Larry comes to call.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by LJ on July 15, 2011, 2:19 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

I'm sure they promise management the moon, then can't deliver on the services for the price they quote. On top of that theres such a huge disconnect between hospital management and what actually happens or needs to happen that i'm not real surprised.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by H on March 4, 2012, 11:03 am, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by robert on July 7, 2011, 9:06 pm, in reply to "Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

You have not seen anything yet. AA's will be tossed aside as a failed ASA project like all of the other ASA failures. Texas has once again REJECTED AA's inspite of the the ASA, TSA and head of GHA being a Texas legislator. BYE BYE

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by SteveC on July 8, 2011, 12:44 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Considering AA's have been around for 40+ years I would hesitate to call that an "experiment".

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by a on July 22, 2011, 2:35 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

aa

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by J on July 7, 2011, 10:27 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

Go back where you came from troll.

Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs

Posted by CJ on July 7, 2011, 9:25 pm, in reply to "Re: Contacted Anesthesia Groups -> No Jobs"

AA's will not be tossed aside in any stretch of the imagination. Typical CRNA spew.

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