As a nurse, would you go on for an MD?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

If you're a nurse and work closely with MD's would you want to go on to further your education and get an MD license? There is more pay and you already pretty much know human anatomy, diseases, medications and clinical skills that you could do well in Medical School. Plus the hospital you work at may have a tuition reimbursement. When you're a doctor you call all the shots and like I've said you make more money as well.:yeah:

Specializes in tele, oncology.

My husband and I have this discussion from time to time...I think a part of him will always regret that I did not go to med school, especially since we live near St. Louis (St. Louis University and Washington University both have decent med school divisions).

However, I try to point out to him that he can hardly stand me working 48-60 hours a week and going to school, and that's probably cake compared to what it would be like if I was in med school. Additionally, we've got four kidlets between the two of us, and I'm not willing to sacrifice any more time with them than I already do. God willing, I'll be a doctor of nursing before it's all over, but that's the only route I see myself going to earn the title "Doctor", even though it's use will be limited so as not to confuse the patients.

Unless I ever win the lotto and get to go back to school for my "fun" degree, comparative lit...if I could find a school that offered a doctoral level program in science fiction/speculative lit, I'd be all over that!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I have all the prereqs I would need to apply to medical school. I thought about it while getting my other degree. However, there are several reasons why I never applied and won't apply. One of them is that I don't want to have to dedicate my life to my job. With medical school you pretty much have to dedicate your life to your job during the education phase. 4 years of medical school plus the 3+ years in residency. I don't want to have to be tied down to something like that for 7+ years at a time. With nursing you can break things up. Get your undergrad degree in 4 years (or less). Then work for a while. Then go back for your masters if you want, etc. I value the time I'm able to spend with my family more than I would the extra pay of a doctor's salary. The trade off just wouldn't be worth it to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in SICU, Peds CVICU.

Nope! The only things doctors do that I wish I could do at the bedside is suturing (I know it's weird, but I think it's cool and I'd be good at it) and I could do that as a nurse practitioner if I went back to school.

L

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health Care.

I have never had the desire to go on for MD . I am happy being a nurse :nurse:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I kinda like being "just a nurse":D

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg, LTC/Geriatric.
If you're a nurse and work closely with MD's would you want to go on to further your education and get an MD license? There is more pay and you already pretty much know human anatomy, diseases, medications and clinical skills that you could do well in Medical School. Plus the hospital you work at may have a tuition reimbursement. When you're a doctor you call all the shots and like I've said you make more money as well.:yeah:

I didn't think doctors called the shots anymore, especially when HMO's are involved..........

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in med/sug/onc/geri.

Not a chance. My job now is stressful enough, I could not even comprehend being on call 24 hrs a day. I just worked 12hr shifts this weekend, and I think the on-call doc was at the hospital the entire 24 hrs! The only type of doctor I would even consider would be something very specialized, like dermatology--no call, no serious stress, just office hours. Hmmmm, maybe I should check into that.....:idea:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER,ICU,L+D,OR.

I could, but the answer is no, no, no. I love my life the way it is. Semi retired. Vacationing and traveling all I want. Life is good. I am happy.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would NEVER want to be a doctor. I could never spend almost a decade being broke and suffering the indignity of being a lowly med student...intern.....resident before I could make a half-way decent paycheck. I also do not want to spend the rest of my life being called at odd hours of the night because my patient needs x,y,z.

Besides, contrary to popular beliefs not all doctors are rich. , paying for office staff, and those ridiculous student loans eat up a good amount of their dollars.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg.

Um....no, I would not.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics, Nursing Education.

hahahaha that is so true.

i was telling one of my doc friends about a pool party we were throwing a few summers ago and he says...

if i were a nurse i could have a pool too!! *****!

yeah, if you are in practice for yourself there is a lot of overhead.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I have absolutely zero desire to be a doctor and don't see it at all as 'going on for my MD'. I'm a nurse and don't want the crappy hours, on-call, yearsandyearsandyears of school, ridiculous , and on top of that, virtually no time to see my patients.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment