Can not make the decision between Medical School or Nursing school

[dlhonorio]

Hello Everyone,

I am currently about to graduate undergrad with a dual degree in biology and sociology and I have been pre-med all my 4 years of undergrad solely focused on becoming a surgeon (the only specialty that interested me). This summer I have been studying for my MCAT and I have been feeling like I may not want this 10 weeks of MCAT studying to become my whole life (not that physicians study 8-10 hours a day but medical students do and physicians work a crazy amount of hours). My boyfriend who is currently finishing nursing school and my friend who is applying to nursing school (also previously pre-med) both drunkenly one night mentioned that I would make a great nurse and that I should look into nursing. This brought me into a spiral, into depression and anxiety because I am currently in a state of being indecisive about med school vs going to nursing school. I have started thinking that I may not want the lifestyle that is attached with the MD and I really like to have hands-on experience instead of just sitting and going over charts and diagnosing hence why Surgery is the only specialty that really interests me. I like to view my patients in a holistic aspect instead of a disease. I work as a CNA and I like what nurses do but I never thought of myself as a nurse until they mentioned that I should look into nursing. I am a very outgoing person and I like to spend a lot of time with my significant other and my friends and family. Also, the amount of debt for medical school seems not as appealing to me as the very little debt I would be in for getting my accelerated BSN. What I am trying to ask here is if anyone has ever considered the two and what did they decide on and why and if they went through a period of letting go of that idea of being a physician. One thing that scares me is that I don't want to live to work but work to live. I do not want to not go to med school and be that grumpy nurse that wishes to have gone to med school, nursing is an extremely noble profession and hard in itself and does not need pre-meds that "settled for nursing", but I also don't want to have gone to med school and looking at the nurses having a decent work-life balance while I'm stuck working disgusting hours.

[FNPNurseCA]

Adailydoseofwellness.com has some good info from a NP student. She wasn't a nurse first - it's info on the fast track to becoming a NP. It's a good alternative if med school isn't the perfect fit for you.

[sunny2]

Have you tried shadowing? I wanted to be a physical therapist and when I shadowed for a couple of weeks I found out that it is something I don't want to do in the future. I just didn't like how the physical therapists have to lift heavy patients, how repetitive the exercises are, and not what I expected it to be.

Since you like surgery and don't want to deal with the debt and length of medical school, I recommend being a PA or NP. They can work in surgery and help doctors with surgery to some degree.

[Workitinurfava, BSN, RN]

Some of the things you listed aren't any different from going to school and working as a nurse.

[xxstarrynitesxx]

I found myself caught between nursing and premed myself when I decided to go to college at the age of 25. I initially decided to do premed because I personally wanted the most amount of knowledge that I could get to help someone else and have the most control over how to treat my patients. Though I have straight A's, I decided to switch to nursing after a friend brought up the program at my school and gave me more info on nursing in general.

Time in school, money, and my desire to help people regardless of the area I chose ultimately helped me to decide. I also want to start a family eventually and realistically I do not want a baby during medical school, residency, fellowships, etc. I do not feel like I settled at all! I come from a family of doctors and I think they have some of the best hours! It really depends on the specialty. The orthopedic surgeon actually works the least amount of hours. I also considered what I would be interested in if I did not get into medical school. I'm not interested in becoming a teacher or professor of Biochemistry/Bio/Chem or Philosophy (my second major) and while I love labs for my classes, I do not wish to work in one.

If you are fairly indecisive, ask yourself what is more important: directing the care of the patient or being present for the actual patient care. I made my decision long before thinking about this question. If becoming a nurse is not something you considered all that time then perhaps it is just something you are focused on right now to help deal with the reality you are facing with medical school. You are close to taking the MCAT. From what I have heard, nursing school will require a lot of studying as well. Some nurses work excessive hours as well and I have heard that some were required to work overtime. Before putting your eggs in one basket or the other, see if you are even accepted into medical school! Having a 4.0 GPA and a good MCAT score does not guarantee you a spot. If working long hours really bothers you then you need to be honest with yourself about the reality you may face and why you want to go into medicine in general. You can "help" people without being an MD/DO or a nurse.

Lastly, there are many people who change careers down the road. If I want to move on to becoming a doctor in time then I will do so. If you feel like you may be one of those "pre-meds that settled for nursing" then you may find yourself regretting your decision down the line. Everyone always thinks the grass is greener or the other side.