by dhammo01

Ya. I've heard that damn question several times this week and it's actually starting to get me angry. I'm starting to take offense at that question. I had one person say to me, "This is all you do?" or "Are you in med school or something, you just want to stay as a Nurse?" I try not to tell people what I do anymore in conversation because I don't want to go through the same questions anymore.

Re: Don't you want to be a Doctor?

I think many nurses, particularly men, face this assumption that we're somehow some kind of sub-doctor who didn't have the grades for medical school. It's a mistaken view and it can be frustrating.

I've been asked the question over the years and these days I turn it around by saying that I think medicine would have been too limiting for my intellectual capacities and I'd have been frustrated! I explain that while as a nurse I've been able to do so many different things (infectious diseases, occy health, oncology, respiratory, burns etc.) in various settings (hospital, corporate sector, community, outreach work), not to mention teaching and research, as a doctor you tend to get too stuck in your speciality (like you may become a cardiologist for example, and then that's it for the rest of your career). I also explain that while a doctor's view is very narrow, i.e. usually restricted to the clinical, as a nurse you can see your patients in their globality (clinical, social, psychological etc.) and that I believe the only two professions in health and social care who really get such a global view are nursing and social work. I then explain that the ongoing education as a doctor would have been frustratingly limited, essentially sticking purely to the clinical and to your chosen speciality, while nursing gave me the opportunity to do not only very varied further clinical studies (encompassing nursing, medicine, pharmacology, nutrition, psychology etc.) but also my masters in sociology which I thoroughly enjoyed and can apply to my daily work in patient contact, and as a doctor I'd probably not have had that opportunity.

By that point, if they're still awake, they usually realise that they asked a pretty stupid question.

Re: Don't you want to be a Doctor?

Nope, I've got no desire to be a doctor. I'd much rather have a personal life.

Re: Don't you want to be a Doctor?

Every time I'm asked "Why aren't you a doctor?" I'm tempted to respond with my best deadpan delivery, "Because I like helping people."

Re: Don't you want to be a Doctor?

Originally Posted by Mike A. Fungin RN

Every time I'm asked "Why aren't you a doctor?" I'm tempted to respond with my best deadpan delivery, "Because I like helping people."

Ha! Glad to know I'm not the only one who uses that.
Another favorite: I care about people, not my ego.
A bit of a harsh generalization but...
I try to take care if it's someone who could be thinking about a career in nursing, or medicine, to sit down and explain why exactly I chose nursing instead of medicine.
Also I tell people about how I like practicing my skills and doing what I like doing and what I do best. In my experience a lot of doctors in the big, exciting academic centers don't really use their skills anymore, they just teach teach teach so the only time they got to really use skills with patients was for a few years during their residency/fellowship.

Re: Don't you want to be a Doctor?

I just smile and say, "Nope, I love poop too much!"

Then in all seriousness I relate how that I wouldn't even be done with residency until my forties and would like to raise a family and lead a semblance of a normal life. Beside, my last name doesn't exactly sound great as a MD - I can hear it now, "Dr. Long, Dr. Long, please call your answering service." Yeah, at that point the cheesy porno-film funk starts up...

Tom

Re: Don't you want to be a Doctor?

I used to say because I really like working with patients but now I'm stuck at a desk all the time (doing charge) so I am going to have to come up with something else. I have a lot of friends that are docs and I really like that when I'm off, I'm off, I don't have to worry about charts...maybe I'll use that.

I also hate that most people think that we just stopped in the middle and decided to be "just a nurse"...BS...we basically would have to start our schooling over!

Re: Don't you want to be a Doctor?

oh i feel with ya brother! i hear it probably at least once a week or once every other week, but at the most, become a nurse practitioner...who knows. time will only tell for us all!