Considering Med School While in Nursing School

[RyanW98]

I'll try to make this post short, but this could potentially be the start of one of the biggest decisions of my life so please bear with me. ***if you want the main question just look down a little to the asterisks***

Let me give a little background to this entire scenario, going back to high school. During my earlier years of high school, I honestly was not too sure on what career path I should take in life. As a result, I was fairly unmotivated to work hard, and ended up finishing my senior year with a cumulative GPA of just over a 3.0. Over the course of my junior year, I decided to pursue nursing in college. One of the biggest reasons I chose nursing was because of the numerous hours of service I performed at my local hospital. I volunteered in many different areas of the hospital, and I really started to see myself working in that environment in the future. After applying to 3 schools, I only got accepted into the nursing program of 1 school (who notoriously accepts nearly anybody that applies).

Fast forward to the beginning of this year (my freshman year of college). I was scared out of my mind that I would not be able to keep up. Thoughts of my study habits (or lack there of) from high school were lingering in my head. I knew that I only had one shot at college and I could not afford to mess anything up. I was more determined than ever to work hard.

Now, to the present (July going into the fall semester of my sophomore year). I finished up my freshman year earning a 4.0 both semesters, and absolutely loving what I was doing. For once in an extremely long time, I have confidence in myself that I can do anything that I put my mind to.

***This leads me to main question of this post. Since about April I have been playing around with the idea of doing something more than nursing. The typical first idea of nurse practitioner came to mind. Then I became very interested into the position of a nurse anesthetist. Eventually I came nearly full circle and told myself, "what is stopping you from doing what you really want to do?" I want to go to medical school more than anything and pursue some type of surgery. I want to find out how feasible of a vision this is to have. While I have not made any final decisions yet, I am looking for guidance as to how I can make this dream work. Whatever my final path is in life, I hope to look back and say that I have zero regrets. If I were to not even look into the possibility of going to medical school, this would certainly be one of them.

[Sour Lemon]

This really isn't a "nursing" question. You might want to visit the student doctor network with your questions. They actually have a "What are my Chances?" forum.

[techadvocate]

Absolutely go for it. Whatever you do, do not talk about your pre-med intentions with anyone at the facility. Many will smell blood and make your life difficult. I've seen it happen. It's a bit like talking about fight club.

[Sue Demonas, BSN, MSN, PhD, RN]

"This leads me to main question of this post. Since about April I have been playing around with the idea of doing something more than nursing. The typical first idea of nurse practitioner came to mind. Then I became very interested into the position of a nurse anesthetist."

Just a little FYI: "Something more than nursing" would not be the best terminology to use in this context. In order to apply to a nurse practitioner program (at MSN and DNP levels) or a CRNA program ( also at MSN and DNP levels), a strong applicant needs to have a strong clinical patient care record in designated areas. In other words, working as an advanced practice nurse builds upon the foundational nursing knowledge gained from entry-level bedside nursing positions. If someone is using their nursing license, then are practicing nursing, and not doing "something more than nursing". They are adding a new skill set to their existing nursing skill set in order to be an advanced practice nurse, which is firmly rooted in nursing.

[Purple_roses]

So are you thinking about dropping out of nursing school and starting pre med, or are you thinking about continuing your BSN and then applying to med school?

[cleback]

I would second visiting the student doctor forums. Also, if you're still interested in nursing, make sure you take the science classes that count to both pre-med and pre-nursing. For example, sometimes nursing schools will offer chemistry that's specifically for nursing students, but that class will probably ill-prepare you for the more rigorous sequence required for med schools and the MCAT. Doing the classes that could be used for both will give you the most options no matter what path you end up going for.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I agree with the poster who recommended visiting the student doctor network site. They will let you know that the competition is intense, just having the minimum requirements to apply is not enough, and the personal drive required to succeed is intense.

[ChryssyD]

My brother is currently in his first year of residency. Trust me, med school is tough. That in itself shouldn't dissuade you if it's really what you want to do, but you have started down the nursing path. Going the way of medicine now will essentially be starting over. But if you have the money and the patience and it's really what you want, by all means go for it!

Of course, ARNPs can perform some surgical procedures. But if your dream is to be the wonder surgeon who saves lives on a regular basis, then med school is where you need to be. But I will say that those who consider nursing to be somehow less important and life-saving than medicine are just not paying attention. I applaud your desire to do great things, but I also want you to understand that ordinary nurses do great things on a daily basis--it's just that most people don't have any idea how great the things we do are. Don't sell yourself short--as a nurse you are a vital member of the healthcare team; you are usually the one with the best, most complete picture of where exactly the patient is at, in multiple areas. Remember, we do a little bit of everything, while having to know enough about everything to understand what we're seeing; in other words, we are the ultimate generalists--we aren't necessarily specialists in anything except the nursing process (a specialty unto itself, but I won't get into it here), but we have to know enough about almost everything to make us the most generally well-informed person on any multi-disciplinary healthcare team. Only my opinion, but I stand by it. Nursing is a great profession--we aren't handmaidens anymore. There is ample area for bright people to contribute in big ways--I would say you only have to find the one that is right for you. However, if medicine is where you truly want to be, I say Just do it! Always follow your heart.