Is It possible to work fulltime as a new BSN Grad and take some Pre-med classes?

Nurses New Nurse

Published

Hi y'all!

My name Is Josh and I'm fairly new to this site, but so far it has been great and really helped me! However, I do still need some advice about my situation. At the moment I'm going into my second semester of college as a freshman. Since I completed 21 credit hours by dual enrolling, next fall I will only have to take my required number of electives to get my A.A. degree. I currently have a 4.0 GPA.

My ultimate goal is to graduate from medical school before I'm 30, and I don't say this lightly. I have shadowed doctors, volunteered and I even got a $1000 dollar scholarship and attended the FSU college of Medicine Summer Institute Program for High school seniors.

Since I'm at the point where I need to start taking electives that will count for my major, I began to think about what I wanted to major in. I was going to do the normal premed biology but I don't want to be stuck with a useless degree if I cant get in to med school. I began researching the BSN program at FSU and I really think that I want to become an RN first then go to medical school.

I feel like this also opens up doors financially, because I can atleast try to work during the summer in med school and If I don't get into med school I can become a PA or an NP. and the Prereqs that I don't get now (physics with lab and organic chem maybe)I can work and take them before matriculating to med school. I know people say that you shouldn't become a nurse to become a doctor but I think that's unfair because this is my only shot at a degree that I can have a good career with (bright futures and FL prepaid only cover 4 years).

Here are my main questions:

1. working as a full time single, male nurse, will I have the time to attend class and lab two or three days a week. for example every Tuesday and Thursday?

2. What is the base pay for a new BSN in the Tallahassee area and are capital regional and TMH hiring a lot of new grads?

3. How much money could I expect to ear in the summer working as an RN? atleast between my M1 and M2 years anyway.

thanks,

Josh

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi

I graduate nursing school soon and am *strongly* looking into taking premed courses a year or two after graduation. I do not know if I want to be a doctor yet, which is why I want to work a year or two before deciding and take some time to think about it. I do not have any time limits.

First off, I want to say it *is* possible. There are nurses who went to medical school and it is not impossible.

Secondly, keep this a secret in the nursing world and keep your premed ideas "hush hush" for some time. Many people will be judgmental about your premed ideas so keep it private and only talk about it with people you trust. You don't want to start your career being the nurse who wants to or couldn't get into medical school. AND you just might end up loving nursing and loving the career paths it can open for you and decide you want to stick with nursing. Do not put down that you are premed on your nursing school applications. No one wants to take someone into nursing school who just wants to be a doctor.

Ok now your questions:

1. working as a full time single, male nurse, will I have the time to attend class and lab two or three days a week. for example every Tuesday and Thursday?

Personally, I do not think this is the best option unless you are taking one course at a time. 3 days a week work sounds nice and is nice but you will be exhausted in between and will not have time to study the 3 days you work. And you want to get A+'s in those premed courses. I think if you work per diem or part time you could get the premed courses done while working.

2. What is the base pay for a new BSN in the Tallahassee area and are capital regional and TMH hiring a lot of new grads?

No idea what the base pay is in Florida. In my area new grad RN's make 40-50 k their first year then after they make 60-80k a year and pretty much stay at that level unless they do 4 days a week work or become well established (then they can make up to 100k)

Based on what I Have read on allnurses.com getting a job really sucks. Do not expect to get your first job where you want to get it. Aim for the moon but keep in mind that you may fall in one of the stars. You might get your first job in LTC or something like that. I thought getting a job at my local university hospital would be easy back when I started nursing school and fell into the whole "nursing shortage" business but now I realize I may end up somewhere else. Or I may end up in my state, it's all a game of chance and time.

3. How much money could I expect to ear in the summer working as an RN? atleast between my M1 and M2 years anyway.

A lot of hospitals will not hire you to work only in the summer, especially in this market. You might look into other things like camp nursing or LTC facilities or whatever that accept summer RN's. If you want to you could work once a week in med school (if you can handle that) and in my area you'd make about 20-25k a year just by doing that.

I know a lot of people may hate me for saying this, but I say go for it and take it day by day. You might really like nursing. Nursing is not medicine but it's stable and a helping career. And you can grow professionally doing PhD, NP, CNS, or CRNA school.

Or you can go after medicine too, it's ultimately your choice and your life and satisfaction.

Is their any way you could take the premed courses before going into nursing school? It will make your life a lot easier to have them done before going into school, even if you have to go to school one more year.

Good luck. I may end up pursuing medicine one day or going down the MD path so I feel for you.

However i do not regret in any way studying nursing. No matter what, I always will have a great career going for me, in nursing or possibly medicine and it's a gives me peace in my mind to know that.

EDIT: NP is easier to get into then MD by far. I would say that each NP school has a 30-50% acceptance rate, meaning that if you apply to a few at least one will take you in.

I have heard of only one RN getting into med school straight after school and this happened in the 1980's. There are RN's out there who became MD's but this did not occur straight after school. It took them a few years after graduation.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

My advice is that it would be better to do a different major. Too many people screw up and their grades drop after starting nursing school because they are not used to the testing style. It's not straight memorization anymore. It's application-style. I would begin familiarizing yourself with this at least six months before.

One thing that is more common is that I know a few doctors who were EMTs and paramedics before they became doctors or PAs. They like it better because they get to see the more nitty gritty stuff. If you can volunteer on a rural squad, you'll get to see everything. Plus paramedic school is usually technical school although there are a few colleges and universities that offer it so if you mess up, it won't hurt your grade.

I know more doctors who went the paramedic route than the other way around. Although I also know paramedics who became nurses too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

Be sure to tell the BSN program's admissions director about your intention to use nursing to get into medical school. Then carry that anecdote over to the nurse manager hiring you at your first job. Oh and to all the nurses you eventually work with. The respect and admiration you receive will surprise you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

I will say that residents who were something in healthcare before they became a resident are more respected. We like the one that was a paramedic better than the ones that aren't.

However, I still say I wouldn't use nursing school as your major. There are safer routes to take. Not to mention that four year degree may really be a 5 year degree if you do not get into clinicals right away. If you want to get through everything the quickest way, there are other ways.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Be sure to tell the BSN program's admissions director about your intention to use nursing to get into medical school. Then carry that anecdote over to the nurse manager hiring you at your first job. Oh and to all the nurses you eventually work with. The respect and admiration you receive will surprise you.

Roflmao this is hilarious because the author is being sarcastic! Please note the sarcasm y'all.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in public health.

You don't plan to be a RN first then MD. There are people who choose to be RN then decide to change their minds, or vice versa. Life is unpredictable. Medicine and nursing are quite different. If you set your mind on becoming a MD, you shouldn't use RN as a back up. If you can't get into medical schools for whatever reasons, you can still use your premed credits for applying to PA schools or other graduate studies. Why don't you shadow some nurses, NPs as well to get a sense of what they do and how their scope of work is different from MDs?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment