BSN to PA school?

[zackdesot]

Okay, I was recently accepted to Shepherd University for nursing and have been very anxious ever since I first declared the major. I got a feel for the social side of nursing, and I'm not sure it really fits my personality. Also, I was examining the prerequisites for entrance to a physician assistant program, and there are many I won't complete as a nursing major.

My main concern is--and I can't seem to find an answer to this particular question anywhere on the internet--if I obtain a BSN at this school, will it limit me in any way that a traditional BS wouldn't? Would I only be able to go into graduate school for nursing, or could I still do a physiology or chemistry masters if I wanted? Would a BSN allow me entrance to a physician's assistant program or pharmacy school (candidacy, not necessarily a place in such competitive programs. What I mean is, would it make me eligible)? The programs that I've looked at all say that they don't really care what you major in, provided that you complete all the prerequisites and have a bachelor's degree. But the examples of past majors/bachelor's degrees accepted included BS in biology, chemistry, psychology, engineering, or BA in English history, etc. I've seen no examples of a BSN doing anything besides pursuing MSN, DSN, or PhD in nursing.

Don't get me wrong, I really want to be a nurse. I think they know a lot about disease, medical treatment, pharmacology--medical science in general; and I'd love to be a part of that, but I ultimately do not believe that I want to be a nurse for life, and I don't think I'd want to be a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist. I have a strong interest in the physician assistant and pharmacy programs, and possibly graduate work in physiology or chemistry--but not nursing, and while I think the experience would be incredibly beneficial, I want to make sure the credential has the value that I need it to have.

So, is a BSN as valuable as a traditional BA or BS? Can I use it to apply to PA, pharmacy, and graduate school(for subjects other than nursing)?

[Stephalump]

People don't major in nursing because it's inefficient. You bust your hump in a life-consuming program that tends to give out an abundance of Bs and Cs and complete relatively few prereqs required by PA schools. Adding additional coursework is difficult.

The two main methods are to

A)Major in a science so you're getting all your prereqs done and getting your degree at the same time AND proving to adcoms that you can handle difficult sciences

Or

B)Major in something you like that you can easily make good grades in and also take prereqs on top of.

The programs really do mean it when they say it doesn't matter what your major is. They won't count it against you, you're just signing up for a difficult path. But if grad school isn't in your immediate future , a BSN would be a great idea. Good money while you're waiting and you may end up loving it!

I'm finishing my pre-med classes along with nursing school. I haven't died yet, but we'll see.

[nurseamy04]

If that's how you feel then do not major in nursing. If you need a BS then major in biology or chemistry. That'll help you more to get in PA or Pharmacy school.

[SycamoreGuy]

A BSN won't give you an advantage over any other major for PA school but it would help getting into an NP program which could be done part time while you work as a nurse.

[samist]

If you are seriously considering being a PA or a pharmacist you need to reevaluate your priorities. I at one point wanted to go to pharmacy, I had a chance of going and ended up not liking it. If you want to go to pharm school work at your local pharmacy and become a pharm tech. Learn what it's about, trust me when I say retail pharmacy is NOT easy. I can say this because I've worked as a pharm tech for the past 2.5 years now going on 3 years.

Working at a pharmacy helps you in many ways by giving you a first hand introduction of common Rxs, the brand names and the generic names. It also teaches you how to deal with rude, awful, nasty customers or even doctors. It can only help to put that on your résumé even for PA school. Find a place where you can shadow a PA at your local hospital or practice. Find a research internship which can help you in your admission application to pharm school. Volunteer under someone at a pharmacy school at look at what research they are doing.

I don't see the point in getting a BSN if you're heart isn't there. Get the four year degree in science and apply to either PA school or pharm school.

Good luck!