Anyone go on to Med School??

elkpark · Nov 18, 2005

You would need to have an undergraduate degree in something -- a BSN would do, but you would also need to take the additional science courses required by med schools that nurses typically don't take. You would need a competitive score on the MCAT. Medical school is four years. The length of residency depends on your choice of specialty -- anywhere from a couple years to 7+ years.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2005

I've got two doctors in my extended family (they're in-laws). Here's how it works. When you are admitted to med school you take four years of classes. You also have clinicals during the formal schooling period just like in nursing school. You get assigned to different facilities and in the acute hospitals will generally work under the supervision of a team of residents. You get a lot of scut work (medical procedures). The unwritten rule of doing medical procedures is watch one, do one, teach one. The actual medical board exam is split into several sections taken at different times. During your last year of medical school you apply for internship (a year of rotation through a variety of medical specialities) or for a residency in a specialty. This is all handled by a matching program by the AMA (or the AOA if you are in an osteopathic school). The length of residencies varies. The shortest ones are three years; the longest I believe are 5 years and may be more than that. During residency you are part of a medical college program, but you sign a yearly contract with them. You receive a stipend (salary) that is barely enough to live on. One of my relatives was provided with housing as part of his contract as well as free food in the hospital cafeteria and all the formula his babies could drink. I'm sure you've heard the stories about how difficult residency is. It is mostly clinical experience, but they do have regular group meetings and present cases and other learning material (we would call them inservices) to their fellow residents. They are also usually required to do at least one research project and formally write up the results, perhaps even publishing them in a journal. This is very much the same kind of requirement in any other doctorate program. Most docs will take extra years of fellowship which is really, really specializing in their field in order to prepare to become board certified in their specialty. So, from start of medical school to finishing up clinical education can be 7 or 8 years minimum to use your imagination of how high it can go.

Getting into a medical school is a feat in and of itself and is nerve-wracking. Usually, you need a bachelor's degree although there are a few schools that will mainstream undergrads into their medical programs if they are little geniuses. Most have a degree in chemisty or some other science because of the science and math pre-reqs required by the med schools. You need to take the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). If you don't score high enough on it, you can pretty much abandon any hope of getting into a U.S. school of medicine. You also need a really, really high GPA. There are two kinds of medical schools. The traditional American Medical Association approved schools and the American Osteopathic Association approved schools. The osteopathic schools are known for taking on non-traditional students (that would probably be someone like you). Both of these organizations have web sites you can check out for information. Both organizations use a medical college application service which you can link to from their web sites. There is tons of information about applying to medical schools on the sites of these two application services including the names of schools and the pre-reqs each school requires. Have fun checking them out.

Still want to do this?

Rosa2Little · Nov 18, 2005

At what point in one's nursing career could one decide to apply to med school? MY guess would be after one has rec'd one's BSN....right? Since med school is a graduate school? If I'm right, how many yrs of schooling--AFTER having one's BSN, that is...I mean upon entering med school-- would this entail (residency also)??

Nursing is its own distinct profession. The philosophy of care, medical diagnosis and nursing diagnosis are different. After receiving your BSN, you can go on to receive a Masters in Nursing, and even a Doctorate in Nursing. Check out http://www.discovernursing.com to learn more.

Best Wishes on your professional journey, whichever road you choose!:balloons:

HomeofLove4Him · Nov 18, 2005

I've got two doctors in my extended family (they're in-laws). Here's how it works. When you are admitted to med school you take four years of classes. You also have clinicals during the formal schooling period just like in nursing school. You get assigned to different facilities and in the acute hospitals will generally work under the supervision of a team of residents. You get a lot of scut work (medical procedures). The unwritten rule of doing medical procedures is watch one, do one, teach one. The actual medical board exam is split into several sections taken at different times. During your last year of medical school you apply for internship (a year of rotation through a variety of medical specialities) or for a residency in a specialty. This is all handled by a matching program by the AMA (or the AOA if you are in an osteopathic school). The length of residencies varies. The shortest ones are three years; the longest I believe are 5 years and may be more than that. During residency you are part of a medical college program, but you sign a yearly contract with them. You receive a stipend (salary) that is barely enough to live on. One of my relatives was provided with housing as part of his contract as well as free food in the hospital cafeteria and all the formula his babies could drink. I'm sure you've heard the stories about how difficult residency is. It is mostly clinical experience, but they do have regular group meetings and present cases and other learning material (we would call them inservices) to their fellow residents. They are also usually required to do at least one research project and formally write up the results, perhaps even publishing them in a journal. This is very much the same kind of requirement in any other doctorate program. Most docs will take extra years of fellowship which is really, really specializing in their field in order to prepare to become board certified in their specialty. So, from start of medical school to finishing up clinical education can be 7 or 8 years minimum to use your imagination of how high it can go.
Getting into a medical school is a feat in and of itself and is nerve-wracking. Usually, you need a bachelor's degree although there are a few schools that will mainstream undergrads into their medical programs if they are little geniuses. Most have a degree in chemisty or some other science because of the science and math pre-reqs required by the med schools. You need to take the MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test). If you don't score high enough on it, you can pretty much abandon any hope of getting into a U.S. school of medicine. You also need a really, really high GPA. There are two kinds of medical schools. The traditional American Medical Association approved schools and the American Osteopathic Association approved schools. The osteopathic schools are known for taking on non-traditional students (that would probably be someone like you). Both of these organizations have web sites you can check out for information. Both organizations use a medical college application service which you can link to from their web sites. There is tons of information about applying to medical schools on the sites of these two application services including the names of schools and the pre-reqs each school requires. Have fun checking them out.
Still want to do this?

:bugeyes: :no: :eek:

Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough response, explaining ALLL the grisly details....

::::back to the idea of becoming a NP.....::::::

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2005

::::back to the idea of becoming a NP.....::::::

Ha! Ha! Scared you off, did it? :chair: Knowing this, I have a much greater respect for what people go through to become physicians. It is no picnic. You have to want it bad to put up with all that, or have a pushy, controlling parent that wants it worse than the kid does.