Looking for advice! NP vs. MD

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Hi all, I'm 22 and graduated from college this past Spring. I was pre-med all throughout college, although a little part of me had always worried about whether medicine was really a good fit for me because of my desire to have a big family and spend a decent amount of time at home raising kids. I've been back and forth between doctor and nurse practitioner for the past few years, and was frustrated that I couldn't confidently make a decision and decided to apply to medical school anyway. Yesterday I found out I was accepted. I'm so excited, but at the same time I really want to think this decision through and not jump into medical school just because it's right there in front of me. My concerns about medical school are I want to have several children when I'm older (after finishing residency), and be able to work part time for awhile at least while my kids are young (not sure what route I want to go but currently interested in peds). I'm worried that after I'm done residency around age 30 or so, I'll have so much debt from school that working part time and starting a family won't be very realistic. I think NP would be more flexible in regards to this, and schooling is not as long so I would be able to have kids earlier, but I know if I choose this path some little part of me will always wonder if I would have been more satisfied being a physician (and especially knowing I got this far).

For any NPs willing to respond, do you find your career just as exciting and rewarding as those of your physician co-workers? Do you ever regret not going the med school route? I'm a scribe so I work with docs, PAs, and NPs in the ER everyday, but nonetheless am having a hard time deciding. I feel like I won't REALLY know what a career as an NP or MD will be like until I'm there. And of course I feel silly trying to "plan" my future with when I want to get married, how many kids I want, etc., but I can't help thinking about it! Any advice or insight will be greatly appreciated!

Specializes in medical surgical.

If you go MD, just be careful on your loan obligations. Very difficult to pay off as one doc I spoke with is over 300k in debt. We do not know where socialized medicine will end up so those loans could be difficult to pay. I have a son in the same situation. He knows how I feel about all this debt to be a medical doctor. I think it is a shame. I know a doc who immigrated to the USA from a school with no debt (his country paid) and he works along side those with massive debt. Something does not seem right with that picture.

Specializes in ICU, ER, OR, FNP.

Sorry, but I can't let that slide. Every lazy sack of crap wanting something for nothing is exactly why the healthcare system and the rest of what used to be this great nation is in the crapper.

I will be submitting applications this spring for entry into a nurse practitioner program. My dilemma is this: Northeastern University in Boston has a dual masters program that is 76 credit hours and combines family psych NP with FNP. Upon graduation you are eligible to sit for both certification exams. The cost is approximately $1135.00 per credit hour. Brandman University offers a BSN TO DNP psychiatric track which is 73 credit hours and approximately $900.00 per credit hour. Psych is my ultimate pursuit but I am just wondering if I'll be more marketable with the FNP to go with my psych NP at the masters level or will I be more marketable with a higher degree in a single specialty. Any feedback/input will be most appreciated. Especially from "kindaquazie", ( hint, hint). LOL. Thank you.

There is always a possibility to go from NP/PA to MD if you change your mind.

Specializes in Emergency/Trauma.
Now having said this, there are going to be some changes for NP. Soon ( not sure the exact ) you will need a PHD. Check with your state's board.That being my 2 cents. I wish you the best of luck .

it's actually not a PhD that they're changing it to, they're changing the requirement to a DNP- doctor of nurse practice. of course this requirement will vary by state, and the program is usually 3 years. a PhD will allow you to become a nurse scientist/researcher, while the DNP is for advanced practice.

Specializes in Critical Care.

My bet is that changes for np's is going to be minimal. the nursing gods change their minds every month, but state laws move like molasses. I made the choice to go into the non md health arena (rn/np/pa/not md etc) after my pre med education because i did not want to sacrifice almost a decade to study and residency. it is hard. you lose most all of your friends and family. you do acquire a debt, and it is hard to have a family until you are done, and stabilized.

Just think about if you can have a career in the health care world as a non-md and be satisfied. I decided i can be, so i applied to a absn program to open the door, now i must decide where life goes next. I now have room to live, and i do not regret not going to med school. There is plenty of room in nursing to get your fix of being an expert and/or being autonomous. (crna, np, nursing management, research, teaching, etc.)

Just like the rest of life, its about finding what is important to you, what will make you happy, and doing it. My only advice is to make you choices for you, and not to regret a choice you make, becuase even if it seems like you made a mistake, we learn more from mistakes than the "right" choices we make. I wish you luck in your journey to finding your career!

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