My predicament: Pre-Nursing vs. Pre-Med

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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Hello! Sorry if this post is super long.

I am currently a sophomore attending Stony Brook. I came into Stony - confused, with an undecided major but an area of interest in Nursing. In high school, I had hopes and thought I would be pursuing medicine... but then I became unsure. I'm extremely indecisive. I grew up with a mom who is an amazing epidemiology nurse - she LOVES her job, she loves what she does. I volunteered in the nursing home she works at, and I thought being a nurse looked nice. Both mom and I, however, imagined that I would become a doctor by the time I was in high school.

The spring of senior year in high school - I worked at another nursing home my mom worked at - for a very brief period of time. The staff there were selfish and cold. On my first day, a patient fell, and they were ready to throw me under the bus - but only hid their meanness when they found out who my mom was. This did change my view of nurses and nurses' aids. I know that it all depends where you work - but they continued to treat me badly, without respect, and made me feel as if I was incompetent. This motivated me to want to be a doctor even more, because I wanted to be the one "on top" - the one who would be "respected" and looked up to.

Once I got to college, however, I slowly became confused. I'm involved in other clubs and have other commitments - and as much as I tried to budget my time, it took a toll on my grades... I got an A- in Gen Chem I, B+ in Gen Chem II, and B- in Introductory Bio. I lost hope in med school, because I've never been good at interviews - and grades are one of the only things I held dear to me. I took physiology this semester and got a B. I messed up the first test so badly, and I'm just so disappointed in myself and my grades.

After working closely with a doctor and nurse practitioner in an office, I saw that the nurse practitioner role was extremely similar to the role of the doctor. She diagnosed the patients, and prescribed the medicine. To me, it seemed as if she did what the doctor would do. The doctor was always rushing in and out, so it seemed as if the nurse practitioner took her place in the office. I actually like the idea of being a nurse practitioner a lot.

Long story a bit shorter... I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER I WANT TO PURSUE NURSING OR MEDICINE. I know that a perceived "higher status" is not a reason to become a doctor & that nurses and doctors play very different roles in healthcare. The nurse deals with the patients much more than the doctor does, and the doctor has more responsibility, inflexible hours, med school, etc. I do like the lifestyle of a nurse better... it's just - I know it is incredibly stupid of me [and don't get me wrong, I have tremendous respect for nurses]..

I feel like I worked so much harder in school, compared to other people I know that are becoming nurses. I KNOW that nursing is incredibly competitive and that nurses are incredibly smart. It's just people that I grew up with in high school and middle school, are becoming nurses...the same people that didn't take school seriously or are going to schools with easier classes.

I feel that I am being given the same opportunity to pursue medicine - as all the other students at Stony Brook and it bothers me that I'm not taking it. It may be because all my other friends are doing medicine.

I know that my reasoning is ridiculous and stupid, but I can't help how I feel and I have no idea what to do. I also don't know whether I'd be a good NURSE or a good DOCTOR. All I know is that I want to be able to help those in need help themselves, and be able to look at someone - tell them what's wrong - and tell them what to do for treatment. To be honest, though, I do not feel like I have much confidence or assertiveness right now - which is a big weakness of mine.

Hmph..I don't know.. I'll stop babbling now. Please help :(

** I also do not know if I have chances of getting into medical school.

In regards to nursing, I was planning on applying to Stony Brook's nursing school next January.

Back up plan: Graduate with a health science degree & apply again the January after.

Stony Brook's nursing program is extremely competitive but I want to go to a school that has a 2-year BSN program, which is a major reason why I want to apply to it.

Maybe you should make a list of all the reasons you want to be a nurse compared to all the reasons you want to be a doctor. Then, take a big black sharpie and scratch out all the reasons that have something to do with other people, like your classmates or your mom. Make your decision based on what you can really picture yourself doing and why you picture yourself doing that.

For your undergrad, you are either going to go to PREmed school (not med school yet) or nursing school. I believe you can choose either and still apply to go to Med school right after. I've heard of people becoming nurses first so that they could work their way through med school. I believe it takes the same amount of time (whether you start with pre med or nursing) but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

Agreeing with the previous poster. If you seriously cannot make up your mind I'd go and get a degree in nursing then apply for med school however, it does not take the same amount of time. Med school pre-reqs are not going to align with nursing school credits.

It will most likely be overwhelming and by the time you're done with nursing school you'll probably be like "screw medical school." Just think about what appeals you about being a doctor (all I got from your post is that you like the title) and then think the same about nursing (all I got was that your GPA might not be competitive enough for medical school...?). At least you've established that you like the idea of helping and diagnosing people.

Going to medical school you spend four years undergrad, up to two years of pre reqs depending on your undergrad major, you may or may not get into medical school depending on test scores, GPA, and other factors. If you get in you have to go through more school (two years?), residency (is that two years?) and I hear that's two years of low paying stress then you become a doctor AFTER you pass the doctor test.

To become a nurse practitioner you get your BSN which will take four years, pass your NCLEX, then take another two years two get your master's then pass another test for that I'm assuming. Not sure if there's anything between that but sounds a lot less riskier than going through the crap to MAYBE be a doctor. You're saving a lot of money as well if that matters to you, and making money along the way since you'd be an RN. Also, as you said, nurse practitioners are like doctors in a sense, they just follow a different model.

Anybody, please correct anything I said if I'm wrong, I'm just going on through memory. Poster, do more research and maybe try to do some shadowing. Neither path is easy so you really don't want to jump into anything.

Specializes in Emergency Department.

First of all, congratulations on getting this far through school! Most of the typical coursework in a pre-med program are also going to be prerequisites for nursing... though there can be some significant differences. If you're unsure which way you want to go, figure out a way to knock them all out so that you're ready either way... at least until you have decided on a specific path and then go forward down that path with purpose.

I'm not going to tell you which way to go. Choosing nursing or medicine is an intensely personal choice. As such, you need to first figure out why you want to truly do healthcare in general. Leave out all those reasons that have to do or reference someone else. While your Mom or those catty nurses and aides can provide some distraction, it's all about what you want to do. Both programs are very rigorous, challenging, and can be personally rewarding. They both can also grind you into dust if you let them. Your mom, your friends, your classmates, your neighbors, and even the dog across the street are all not good reasons to do anything other than hang out with them and have fun.

Each pathway has its own rewards. Don't choose a particular path because you like the title either. Choose a path that expresses who you are inside. This is not exactly an easy concept to really discuss because it's very closely associated with people that are the job they do and describe themselves through their job description.

Nurse and Paramedic are what I do, but not who I am. I'm a person that really enjoys challenges, taking care of others in a very direct way, that enjoys working with a team and being team leader. I choose to express who I am through what I do, but I'm definitely not the job. The other thing to remember is that when you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. When I was actively working as a Paramedic, I never woke up dreading going to work. I looked forward to it. If you know how dogs get when you're getting ready to go for a walk with them, well, that was me when I woke up every morning. I never did particularly enjoy sitting in class all day, but on those clinical days, the waggy-tail dog in me came out, even if I only got 2 hours of sleep. I suppose you could say that I found my joy in life. I suppose I could have done medicine too, and perhaps even done well on that side of things, but I probably wouldn't have found as much joy in that. You might find that medicine is your path and for all the same reasons.

It's totally up to you, and it truly is a choice that only you can make.

Thank you guys for your responses! They are very helpful.

Realistically and judging my personality, I think I do want to do nursing. The only reason I can think of being a doctor is the title. I think nursing is a very satisfying profession & a fascinating art that combines compassion and technique, along with some intellectual science knowledge behind it..

I think a huge part of my problem is confidence in my abilities.

Specializes in Skilled Nursing/Rehab.

I agree with everything the previous posters said... Also - do not judge whether or not you want to be a nurse on the other people you have seen go into nursing. There are all kinds of nurses. I am a 2nd career person who switched from education to nursing because I wanted a change in lifestyle and I am very interested in health and in helping people in a concrete, tangible way. I am a "good" student and got mostly A's (one A-, one B) in nursing school. I had classmates who struggled to pass with 78%. But...their struggles or the type of people that they are really have no bearing on my becoming a nurse! Because I am also interested in academics, grades, etc., I may eventually become some sort of nurse educator. I have worked with "nice" nurses and "rude" nurses, and the same goes for CNAs, and doctors! None of that affects my path in life. There are "nice" and "rude" people in every profession. So, I guess the long and short of this is an echo of what previous posters said... cross off all of the reasons that have to do with other people. Your decision should be based on what you want and value and why you want to be in healthcare.

Some practical thoughts: Nurses at hospitals often work 3 twelve-hour shifts a week. On my unit, we work every third weekend and every third holiday as well. Nurses at clinics/doctor's offices may work Monday thru Friday (8 hour shifts) or Monday thru Thursday (10 hour shifts.) You can start working as an RN after a 4 year bachelor's degree (or a 2-3 year associates degree - but you are already on the BSN path). These are lifestyle considerations that I did not think of when I was in my 20's, so I want to point them out to you. Maybe do some research into how long it really takes to get through med school, how much it costs, and what the day-to-day life of a doctor is like. One thing to consider is that many doctors are "on-call" at some time or another. Some nurses are, too, but most are not. As an older adult, the way work will affect my day to day life is very important to me. Just some more things to consider! I hope you will share more as you work through this decision.

Remember - you don't have to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life. Just decide what you want to do first. I personally know a doctor who was a nurse for many years before returning to med school. I used to be a music teacher! :)

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Thank you guys for your responses! They are very helpful.

Realistically and judging my personality, I think I do want to do nursing. The only reason I can think of being a doctor is the title. I think nursing is a very satisfying profession & a fascinating art that combines compassion and technique, along with some intellectual science knowledge behind it..

I think a huge part of my problem is confidence in my abilities.

If you like the title ... get a doctorate in nursing. Then you will be at the top of the nursing ladder and have the "doctor" title. (Those people becoming nurses who you don't respect will probably not go that route.)

If you lack confidence and tend to be indecisive by nature, you're going to really struggle in med school. But if medicine is where your heart is -- and that is the type of work you want to do (not nursing), then become a physician. Always choose the career that matches what your heart tells you -- that matches the type of work you want to do when you graduate. Then if you want prestige, rise to the top of that career path.

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Ah yes, the perpetual nursing vs medicine thing. But, not to add to OPs confusion, but it doesn't really have to be a dichotomous choice. There is a 3rd - more middle of the road - option.....Osteopathic medicine. Basically, DO & MD educational requirements are the same, but DO curriculum is more 'nursey' (holistic) than medicine. You may want to check it out.

Looking into nursing with the potential of becoming a Nurse Practionner you will need to complete a MSN as well as a PhD. Nurse Practionners are being required to obtain their Doctrate by the ANA. I don't know if the current practicing NPs are being grandfathered in or not. But that may be something to consider. I like the above post about considering a DO. There are many people who do not want to go the "traditional" route and like what a DO offers in treatment and more holistic approach to illness. Good luck no matter what path you choose. Learning is a life long thing, it is not something that ends when you achieve a BS, whether you choose medicine or nursing you will always be learning something new.

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