From "Nursing to Medicine" is it uncommon?

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Hi Everyone, I need some advice. Please advise a curious beginner. I am a new BSc Nursing student. I happen to be one of the 3 males among a total class 97, but I am finding the programme interesting.

My wonders are that I was thinking of what to do in future, I had initially though of becoming a medical doctor. I though that since it involved long years of training, that I would wanna go into nursing since it is still the same health care field and the goal is all about working with people and helping. So far, I am in my first semester and with the introductory nursing courses and all, I seem to be liking the profession.

If in future, I decided to go into medicine, is it usually acceptable? Have there been ocassions where a Nurse changed Careers into Medicine and it was okay?

I would really appreciate anyones advice or contribution that will help. I am still learning and wanna gather the much information and courage it needs to succeed. Thanks!!

HEY PATHO STUDENT: WOULD YOU LIKE TO EXPLAIN WHY NURING ISN'T CONSIDERED A "REAL" SCIENCE! IF THATS THE CASE WHY DO THEY(MED SCHOOLS) ALLOW THOSE WITH A BSN ENTER WITHOUT A "REAL SCIENCE" DEGREE! THATS LIKE SAYING AN LPN ISN'T A "REAL" NURSE! CMON EVERYONRE KNOWS NURSES ARE AS "REAL" AS IT GETS!!!!! AND ALSO, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOUR UNIVERSITY, BUT AT MINE I AM IN A JR. PREMED PHYSIOLOGY COURSE WITH NURSING STUDENTS, OT STUDENTS AND PREMED STUDENTS- THE SAME FOR ANATOMY! WE DONT HAVE ANY SEGRAGATED ANATOMY/PHYSIOLOGY THAT IS JUST FOR THE "REAL" SCIENCE.

I meant to say it is not a biological or physical science. Remember that most nursing schools are not affiliated or physically associated with medical schools. I graduated BSN from such a nursing school and there was (and still today) absolutely no comingling of nursing and premed/biology students. The med center I now attend does have a medical school and nursing school under the same roof. I understand that the nursing students here do have opportunities to access medical school facilities and do comingle academically at undergraduate and graduate levels. Again most nursing schools do not have these benefits for obvious reasons.

Go to medical school. You will be glad you did. I started taking chem this quarter. Go to this website http://www.oldpremeds.com and you get all the support and information you need pertaining to medical school.

SCB

I would strongly recomend going to a post-bac premedical program. ( I am considering doing the same myself after I complete nursing school.)

Here is a web site where you can check out several post-bac programs http://services.aamc.org/postbac/

I hope this info is of some help and that I am not to late.

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Just to add a few thoughts to the "Is nursing a science?" theme.

As most of us know, of course nursing is a science. However, within the sciences, some are considered "hard" sciences and some are considered "soft" sciences. Unfortunately, there are more than a few "hard" scientists out there who don't consider anything except their own narrow discipline and a few other "hard" sciences to be legitimate.

What's the difference between "hard" and "soft" -- except for the obvious answer that "hard" sciences have historically dominated by men? Well ... hard sciences focus on phenomena that can be isolated from their contexts sufficiently to be studied in a laboratory and physically minupulated and measured. Soft sciences are those that study phenomena that must remain within their context and/or relate to otherwise non-material phenomena that are more difficult to isolate and measure.

For example, someone who studies brain cells in a petri dish is engaging in hard science. Someone who studies human behavior is engaging in a soft science.

Fields like psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc. are considered social sciences (and soft). Nursing straddles the two categories as it deals with both types of knowledge. In fact, many scholars who know a lot about nursing as an academic discipline consider nursing to be an art as well as science - as it deals with both the performance of activities as well as the possession of knowledge. Science isn't the only legitimate way to know about the world -- there is also art, philosophy, and mathematics. All types of knowing are legitimate: it's just that some hard scientists don't feel comfortable with other types of knowledge other than their own and they tend to discriminate against them.

I know that I've just given a bit of an academic discourse -- but does that clear things up a bit? or did I just muddy the waters more?

llg

One of the best cardiologists I've ever worked with was a nurse first. He had a way of working with everyone: patients, families, nurses, doctors and the staff, that was distinctly different from the rest of the cardiologists at our hospital.

The nurses really loved him, loved working with him, felt he knew what their points of view were.

I think there's a lot to be said for working in multiple positions in the hospital, and then taking your experiences to an advanced position.

Although, I would still give nursing a chance. After working in a hospital for three years, I could tell I wanted to be a nurse and NOT a doctor because of nurses' quality of interaction with patients.

If you have any hospital resources, you might try to find a doc who did the same thing. You might find they tell you to stick with nursing!

My BSN program required non-major science courses - eg one term of "Intro to Organic Chem" vs a whole year of "O.Chem for science majors." Same for microbio, physics, and A&P. These courses were not for those majoring in chem or bio or premed. So if one were to apply for med school or a masters in a "hard science" they'd have to go back and take the more indepth version of the courses they took for nursing school. You can do it, just be aware they are different than the classes you took for nursing school. A BSN is not a stepping stone to med school in the way that a BS in Biology is. Academically, that is. Certainly, however, the clinical experience and knowledge of how things get done in the hospital would be a big bonus in medical school. Good luck!

Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.
Originally posted by llg

Just to add a few thoughts to the "Is nursing a science?" theme.

As most of us know, of course nursing is a science. However, within the sciences, some are considered "hard" sciences and some are considered "soft" sciences. Unfortunately, there are more than a few "hard" scientists out there who don't consider anything except their own narrow discipline and a few other "hard" sciences to be legitimate.

What's the difference between "hard" and "soft" -- except for the obvious answer that "hard" sciences have historically dominated by men? Well ... hard sciences focus on phenomena that can be isolated from their contexts sufficiently to be studied in a laboratory and physically minupulated and measured. Soft sciences are those that study phenomena that must remain within their context and/or relate to otherwise non-material phenomena that are more difficult to isolate and measure.

For example, someone who studies brain cells in a petri dish is engaging in hard science. Someone who studies human behavior is engaging in a soft science.

Fields like psychology, sociology, anthropology, etc. are considered social sciences (and soft). Nursing straddles the two categories as it deals with both types of knowledge. In fact, many scholars who know a lot about nursing as an academic discipline consider nursing to be an art as well as science - as it deals with both the performance of activities as well as the possession of knowledge. Science isn't the only legitimate way to know about the world -- there is also art, philosophy, and mathematics. All types of knowing are legitimate: it's just that some hard scientists don't feel comfortable with other types of knowledge other than their own and they tend to discriminate against them.

I know that I've just given a bit of an academic discourse -- but does that clear things up a bit? or did I just muddy the waters more?

llg

excellent post.

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