| The average base salary for family physicians for | | | | treat illnesses and provide health care. Most are |
| 2010 is expected to be about $178,000 annually. | | | | also certified to prescribe medication. Sounds a lot |
| A nice tidy sum, but here's the kicker. The | | | | like a medical doctor doesn't it? It takes an extra |
| average base salary for advance practice nurses | | | | two or three years of postgraduate education to |
| who administer anesthesia is expected to be | | | | qualify as an advance practice nurse in most |
| about $186,000 annually. An even tidier sum. | | | | specialty areas. You could also expect specialty |
| For reasons not immediately apparent, when an | | | | tests and licensing exams, but that would be true |
| advance practice nurse administers anesthesia to | | | | for almost any area of medical practice. |
| a patient it is still considered the practice of | | | | If you're still in high school take plenty of the |
| nursing rather than the practice of medicine, but | | | | most challenging math and science courses that |
| when an anesthesiologist MD administers | | | | you can. Go for advanced placement classes in |
| anesthesia is considered the practice of medicine. | | | | English composition. Take speech classes, and |
| Most medical doctors, including anesthesiologists, | | | | drama classes. Your ability to communicate clearly |
| typically have four or five more years of medical | | | | with other professionals will go a long way toward |
| training than advance practice nurses who | | | | advancing your career. |
| administer anesthesia. A light bulb should be | | | | If you are stuck in a dead-end job, or think that |
| popping off in your head if you have been | | | | liberal arts degree you're grinding towards is for |
| considering a medical career that you have | | | | the birds, or have just been laid off from a |
| pushed back because of the grueling number of | | | | nowhere job anyway, then what are you waiting |
| years of education that you would have to go | | | | for? This appears to be a fabulous career |
| through to become a MD, without even | | | | opportunity. |
| considering the astronomical expense of that | | | | And it doesn't look like the huge demand for |
| education. | | | | advance practice nurses is going to slow down |
| Becoming an advance practice nurse looks like a | | | | anytime soon. Government economists predict |
| worthwhile career path especially considering that | | | | that job growth for all elements of the nursing |
| the demand for these specialized nurses is only | | | | profession, and most especially advance practice |
| likely to increase dramatically over the next | | | | nursing, will outpace the average job growth for |
| several years as the US population ages. | | | | any other career all the way through 2018. |
| Generally, advance practice nurses diagnose and | | | | |