Advice - med student here wanting to change to nursing

ERNurse752, RN · May 1, 2003

Hi Jarrod!

Welcome to the board! :)

Is this your first year of medical school, or your first year of college?

What don't you like about what you're doing now, and what do you think you would like about nursing?

I think a good thing to do is shadow some doctors and nurses and see whose role you like better, if you haven't already.

But I don't think you're crazy (of course, I'm a nurse...I'm biased!)

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

Berta · May 1, 2003

Hi Jarrod,

My suggestion to you would be to continue taking your prereq's for med school and to take some type of job in the medical field that would provide you an opportunity to experience patient care first hand. You may want to try being an EMT or CNA. Both would give you a better perspective (SP?) on becoming a doctor or nurse. Don't become a doctor or nurse just because that is what your family wants you to be. You need to follow your own heart. I avoided following mine until recently, and was stuck in career that I hated. That's not to say that you could be come a nurse or doctor and later decide that you hate it. My other thought is that if you become a nurse first, you can always continue your education and go on to become a doctor. Good luck, Berta

NurseRachy · May 1, 2003

Hi Jarrod,

I am a third year bachelor of nursing/ bachelor of public health student in Australia and I started medicine. I did NOT change courses because med was "too hard" and nursing was supposed to be "easier", but because I found that I was more on the same wavelength as the nursing students. I found medicine to be extreamly scientific (as it should and has to be) whilst I was wanting a more people-focussed occupation. I think i was also scared about making incorrect diagnosis' and that having awful consequences (as it still would in nursing).

Anyway to cut a long story short I changed to nursing/ public health (health promotion) and have never looked back. I have more time to socialise with friends and have never looked back.

Do what feels right Jarrod because if you got into med scahool then changed to nursing and it wasn't for you then you can always go back!

All the best - just follow your heart and you shouldn't go wrong. :)

Rachel

jayna, RN · May 1, 2003

Hey Jarrod,

Its a good change to have a doctor in the house with nurses around.

altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN · May 1, 2003

Jarrod..

As one of the other posters said....shadow and doctor and then a nurse...living with nurses is not the same as being beside them as they do their job....This will help you see both sides and get a feel for what grabs your attention more...

I have been asked by some docs why don't I go to med school....reason is I like having the pt interaction and focus base...whereas the docs are so busy with all their patients they really don't get to know them, etc....

Is this your first yr of college? Just graduate high school???

If you are young it is really hard to say that you are GOING TO BE...WHATEVER....

We need good doctors and we need good nurses....we can't tell you what to do, but just give some advice....take time and think about it...do what YOU WANT...not what anyone else wants you to do.

Keep us posted...and GOOD LUCK...

lalaxton · May 2, 2003

I think NurseRachy said it best. If you are more of a people person than maybe nursing is for you. If you are more drawn to the technical/scientific side then maybe medicine is the way to go. Or maybe do what I did. I became a nurse for the people side of it and then became an NP to learn the more scientific side of it and feel that I have a good balance of both!