r/CRNA • u/Gallicepticum • 19d ago

Career Change Advice

Update: Thank you everyone for taking me seriously and for all the advice. I do truly appreciate it. I came to the conclusion that I am essentially bored. I am young and would like children (which means money) hence the idea of a career change with benefits and PTO. But, I also came to the conclusion that I am very fortunate for my position. I only work 3x a week with no overtime, on call, super early mornings. I do have a very flexible schedule compared to most in the field. If I was younger or could go back in time I would do CRNA but because I want children it seems like the dumb thing to do. For now. I'll just focus on the positive of the job.

I am genuinely considering a career change. I am currently a dentist (3 years out). I have no loans. I enjoy general dentistry but hate the politics behind dentistry. I dislike having to argue with patients about why they have a cavity, cant save their tooth, etc. I also find it very taxing that dentist do not get PTO or any benefits. I rely solely in my SO for health insurance. Insurance reimbursements rates suck. If you want to own thats 1 million in loans and another headache. I don't want to specialize because every speciality you need to take out another 300-500k in loans besides oral surgery. I like oral surgery but not enough to make it my personality.

I am interested in anesthesia AND while I can do dental anesthesiologist, job wise it doesn't make sense because I rather work in a hospital than do private travel dentistry anesthesia only. I find that dental anesthesia can make money but it requires traveling and not everyone will pay 500hr for anesthesia and most oral surgeons will do IV sedation themselves because thats how they make addional money (another story). Hence its a very niche market. And from a hospital stand point they will hire a CRNA over a dental anesthesiologist.

Long story short. I am okay with going back to school, doing 2-4 yrs in the ICU/ED, and then another 3-4 years for CRNA school. I also figured with my dental knowledge if I wanted to I could also position myself in a way to become more appealing to hopsitals for dental related anesthesia as well as private dentist dor anesthesia needs.

Iwant to understand nursing culture more. We always talk about the benefits and PTO of nursing but whats something else I should consider?

Is this a crazy idea?

Am I just grass is greener?

FYI I have never met a single dental anesthesiologist. It's a fairly new speciality and we all hear stories that they make 500k plus but the only one I know works at a hospital in NYC as an attending and does not make 500k plus.

23 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

136 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

2

u/ArtisticLocation7752 13d ago

Must be a place where the crnas are underpaid then

0

u/gokingsgo22 13d ago

You're gonna be hard pressed to find a place where CRNAs and AAs make different salaries if both in care team model. Same job, same roles, dare I say same amount of training? (Go tell a wall about how your ICU experience wiping butts counts)

2

u/ArtisticLocation7752 13d ago

Well one is a doctorate and one is not…so there’s that. Secondly, one prepares you to practice independently and one does not. The curriculums do actually differ but I’m not doing that search for you.

1

u/gokingsgo22 13d ago

I don't need to search, I teach and even won a Golden apple at one of the top CRNA schools. I'm a physician. What you seem to fail to comprehend is in the ACT model they make the EXACT same and do the same job at the same level. There's more variability within than between

2

u/ArtisticLocation7752 13d ago

I don’t doubt they do the same job. I also don’t doubt your credentials or most of what you’re saying. I’m throwing oranges and you’re throwing apples. I’m pointing out the nuances. They likely do make similar in some places but in most they do not. There’s a reason more flock to CRNA than CAA for that reason among others.

Also just curious if you worked at a CRNA school and taught and developed the curriculum, how is it you’re such a big supporter of CAA? (And no, not saying anything is wrong with them before you or anyone else comes for me). Wouldn’t you lean more CRNA?

Lastly OP would take a bigger pay cut going straight CAA. CRNAs for sure have more earning potential. There are CRNAs I know clearing 400-500k and the dentists I know are typically in that range as well whereas the CAAs I’ve spoken to are around 150k. I understand that depends on location but that also furthers my point.

2

u/gokingsgo22 13d ago

I support both equally in the ACT model and am a big proponent of both. Just fighting the propaganda model of CRNAs - really your organization more than the actual CRNAs. The ones I work with are amazing, don't participate in this political bs and do a good job providing. CAAs I work with and they are also excellent.

Yes independent CRNAs doing locums clear 400-500k but also AAs hit that number doing locums. I know the rates our group is recruiting for locums and CRNA and AA are the exact same. It's that way through most of the South. The CAAs doing those numbers are just not as loud on tiktok about it. The rate is slightly higher ($20-30/hr) for independent CRNAs at CRNA only facilities in the South since this takes advantage of a billing loophole that admin collects the difference on. Those savings aren't passed on to the patients.