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!!

Specializes in MS Home Health.

Yes it is acceptable. I had several mates who did that while I worked at the hospital.

renerian

Specializes in Critical Care.

Of course it is acceptable, educating yourself in any field is great, good luck with your career.

Thanks very much for your replies. This website is really great!! I just got to know about it yesterday by searching the web on things related to nursing and hearing from you all about this my unanswered thoughts just gives me courage that the next years ahead of me will be exciting as I can always find people in the same field to intersct with. I appreciate.

Can you apply to medical school with a BSN?

It is extremely unusual since the academic challenges are considerable. Firstly in the U.S. , the average ACT score to enter a nursing program is 20 and that for a premed program of for those in med school is 30 (often higher). Nursing is not considered a true science degree (such as biology, chemistry, zoology, biochemistry etc.) and certainly was not on the list of B.S. degrees favored for applicants to pathology where I applied. From experience, if you decide to enter medical science from nursing science, you can expect to have to take several undergraduate courses like physics, chemistry that might not have been in your nursing curriculum. I am sure it varies greatly but usually nursing students do not take the Anatomies and Physiologies, Biologies, Chemistries etc. that are required of Biology or Chemistry majors.

Specializes in Rural Hospital (we do it all).

Before I made the decision to pursue a BSN, I had already taken several premed courses: Human Anatomy, Animal Physiology, Embryology, Genetics, Zoology, Gen. Biology I and II, Chem. I, II, Psych I, II, Abnormal Psych.

All of the above courses that were applicable to Nursing prerequisites were accepted by the Ng. Dept.

My advice to students entering a nursing program who may eventually pursue a medical degree would be to talk this over with your advisor and take all the premed coorifices available that would satisfy the core corriculum for both professions.

There may be other valuable alternatives available that I am not aware of, perhaps my collegues can expand on this idea.

This may surprise many out there who think a nursing education is so substandard. But at the nursing school I attended, at a university medical center, not only did we take classes such as anatomy and physiology, we had some of the same professors as the medical students. We also had human cadavers not cats. In addition, every RN who I have met who has gotten into med school has stated that they did quite well, especially in the clinical areas. Also many of them have said that the classes that so many premed students think are so hard (organ. chem, ect) are not that bad especially if you know how to study and you will certainly know how to study if you make through nursing school.

Yes, you will not have the science back ground that bio. and chem. majors have but you have more than the other med students who were not premed majors. But the clinical advantage will be big especially if you worked as a RN in critical care areas. For any bright RN who really wants to get into medicine it can be done, and you will find some advantages from your experience with a BSN. Don't listen to the typical premed student who has no clue what the education requirements are to become a RN. ONe more point anyone can declare themselves a premed student, now whether they can do well with organ. chem or physics is a different story. In contrast, the nursing program I attended selected 60 out of 450 applicants, now I am not saying that all the students could get into med school, but I do believe that many were definitely bright enough and had the academic accolades to do so. The other big advantage with a BSN is that you have already had an introduction to a professional type school that is very structured and demands discipline and hard work. Compared to many premed majors who are not use TO the academic rigors of a professional school.

(I am having difficulties posting. If a duplicate post appears....sorry). The nursing school I attended in 1990 (BSN in 94) was not affiliated with a med center. Therefore its students had no access to either medical school staff or facilities like cadavers. Back then as now that school used cats for anatomy dissection. Students interested in medicine take a premed degree that does not share any science courses with the nursing students. I am finishing a pathology degree at a med center where there is also a nursing school in the same complex. I am sure that that nursing school takes full advantage of the medical school faculty and facilities. However most nursing schools do not have this luxury. One would also hope that a nursing school being under the same roof as a medical school would also encourage the comingling of both students which would enhance dialogue and better understanding between the two professions.

Originally posted by patho student

). Nursing is not considered a true science degree (such as biology, chemistry, zoology, biochemistry etc.).

could you explian this? so when i finish it wont be considered an

AD in Science? I am new to college and was told when I finish my nursing program i will grad with an AD in science. :sniff:

If you go to nursing school and get a bachelor's degree, you will be getting a Bachelor of SCIENCE in Nursing. I am tired of people saying nursing is not "real" science. Yes you will need to take some more classes like O-chem and physics, but so do the English/Psychology/Business majors who apply to med school (actually med schools love non-science majors who do well on the MCAT). My fiance goes to med school and he says there are lots of former nurses in his class, and apparently they are all doing quite well. If you want it bad enough, then go for it!!!

i AM DOING IT AS WE SPEAK! i AM IN MY UNIVERSITY'S PREMED CLUB AND i AM ALSO TAKING SOME OF MY PREMED PREREQUESITES, 1 YR OF UPPER LEVEL BIOLOGY-1 YR OF CHEM W/ LAB- 1 YR OF ORGANIC CHEM W/ LAB-AND 1 YR OF PHYSICS W/ LAB. SHOULD BE DONE IN ABOUT 2-3 YRS ALNOG WITH MY BSN AT THE SAME TIME!!! YOU CAN DO IT! SEE IF YOUR UNIVERSITTY HAS SOME KIND OF PREMED COUNSELOR OR A PREMED CLUB. ALSO MANY MEDICAL SCHOOLS HAVE A PREMATRICULATION PROGRAM THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO ENTER THEIR MED-SCHOOLS SUMMER SESSIONS UNTIL YOU'VE COMPLETED EVERYTHING! THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO GET SOME INFO ON THE MCAT, THE INTERVIEW PROCEDURES, AND ALSO A LEG UP ON THE ACCEPTANCE FROM THAT UNIVERSITY. ALSO, THE BOOK ENTITLED "THE AAMC'S BOOK OF MEDICAL SCHOOL REQUIREMENTS" BREAKS DOWN EVERY MED SCHOOL IN THE U.S. AND CANADA IT'S VERY HANDY. PM ME IF YOU NEED SOME MORE INFO!:D

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