Do you ever think about going to medical school?

HappyNurse2005, RN · Jul 12, 2005

You ask: Do you ever think about going to medical school?
I say: Yep sure do every time I thank God I didn't make that mistake.

Love it!

ftr_bb_catchr · Jul 12, 2005

No, I haven't. I prefer a nursing model of patient care, I prefer direct caretaking, and I've already spent 7 years in graduate school, and have many more to go to be a CNM; I have no desire to start all over again.
And as an aside, I hate it when I hear from people, "Oh you're so smart, why didn't you become a doctor?" A lot of people seem to think being a doctor is a step up from being a nurse, and it's really insulting (I know that wasn't your intention in this post).

I'm with you all the way! I can't tell you how many times someone has said to me, "You're SO smart. Why don't you become a doctor?" I'm telling you I'm thinking.. oh that's right, I totally forgot, nurses are stupid! Gimme a break. What kind of statement is that anyway? When I told my dad I was going to go to CNM school, he said, yet again, "Well geez if you're going to go to all that trouble, why not just be an MD?" Well dad how about this.. I DON'T WANT TO BE AN M.D.! I WANT TO BE A CNM! I have the utmost respect for nurses who want to be doctors but I'm not interested... catchin' babies will do me just fine!

H ynnoD · Jul 12, 2005

I don't want to be a Doctor,but would like to get a PHD in Nursing.But I'll probably burn out from school long before then. :rolleyes:

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jul 12, 2005

Thought about it? Yeah, but all i have to do is watch the surgical resident at work as a reminder of why i would never want to.

kae rn · Jul 12, 2005

I did think about it when I was in nursing school, but quickly had a family and had to change my thought. Now 17 years later, no and never would I want to be a doctor. They deal with way too much! I would prefer to be their eyes and ears.

Blackcat99 · Jul 12, 2005

No I never had the desire to go to medical school. I was working with an RN in Calif. He told me he was planning to go to medical school to become a doctor. Last month, I was watching "Untold stories of the ER" and they showed the nurses and doctors. It was so neat and exciting to see my ex-charge nurse as the doctor!!! He's doing great!! He's now the medical director in charge of the entire ER!!! :)

lady_jezebel · Jul 12, 2005

yes, i wish that i had. too late now, however.

CrazyPremed, MSN, RN, NP · Jul 12, 2005

Going to medical school has always been my plan. I've worked in hospitals for a few years now and I am in love with the idea of going to medical school. I have decided, though, to take a two-year break and pursue a ADN for a couple of reasons. First of all, I want to learn more in the hospital setting. I started as a transporter, and later became a phlebotomist and laboratory assistant. I was going to go back to school and learn some patient care tech skills, but figured nursing would be more lucrative. Secondly, I have a BS in Exercise Physiology, but - as a phlebotomist who needs a flexible school schedule - is making 1/2 to 1/3 of some of the nurses. Basically, I want my earning to match my learning :chuckle . Finally, - and most importantly - I have learned from my recent CNA class how important nurses are to the health care team. They (and someday I) do more than change bedpans and start IV's. I have gained a great deal of respect for them, and I know that this is an area that I will be proud to be a part of. Who knows, I may even forget the whole med school thing when I get out on the floor. Time will tell.

One caveat for those who are considering a career in nursing, then medicine. I have noticed that premeds are encouraged to do anything in medicine except go to nursing school! I've heard (through published books on being premedical, advisors, and other premeds) that the philosphy in nursing and medicine is very different. One will need to show that he/she is able to 'change gears' to get into medical school. Also, because of the nursing shortage, it may be thought that an applicant for medical school took the nursing school spot of a future nurse, but never planned to practice. This may be frowned upon or the RN/LPN may have to prove why he/she is no longer satisfied in nursing, but wants to stay in medicine. Whether or not this is all true, I don't know. I haven't applied to medical school yet. But the ideas seem to be so popular that they should be looked into. Oh, well. Good luck to every one, regardless of their hopes and dreams.

CrazyPremed

Gompers, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2005

Here's a question... do any of you ever feel frustrated by "knowing" you have an equal intellect to a physician and just not have as much power/autonomy that they do or have all the educational background that they do? I know I didn't phrase that well, but it's something I'm wondering about for myself down the road. Maybe someone will understand what I'm trying to say here or be able to phrase it a bit better... sorry if I don't make a lot of sense here.

Well yeah, of course. There's always going to be some hot shot resident who thinks he/she knows it all and will NOT take the nurses' advice. You'll see it all the time - a nurse with 30 years' experience having to deal with a first year medical resident, definite power struggles at times. But it's not so much frustration because we don't have the power or educational background - it's frustration because we know we're right and the doc just wants to be stubborn. We'll vent about it when the doc leaves the room. If there is a doctor on the chain of command higher than the one we're frustrated with, we'll voice our opinions to that doc. It doesn't always change things, but sometimes it does.

The key is to find someplace were the doctors and nurses work together as a team. Many ICUs are like this, especially when there are docs on call all night long who actually stay in the unit - it makes for much more of a team atmosphere. I've not done floor nursing since school, but even between that experience and what I deal with in ICU now, it's much better in here.

BETSRN · Jul 12, 2005

Well yeah, of course. There's always going to be some hot shot resident who thinks he/she knows it all and will NOT take the nurses' advice. You'll see it all the time - a nurse with 30 years' experience having to deal with a first year medical resident, definite power struggles at times. But it's not so much frustration because we don't have the power or educational background - it's frustration because we know we're right and the doc just wants to be stubborn. We'll vent about it when the doc leaves the room. If there is a doctor on the chain of command higher than the one we're frustrated with, we'll voice our opinions to that doc. It doesn't always change things, but sometimes it does.
The key is to find someplace were the doctors and nurses work together as a team. Many ICUs are like this, especially when there are docs on call all night long who actually stay in the unit - it makes for much more of a team atmosphere. I've not done floor nursing since school, but even between that experience and what I deal with in ICU now, it's much better in here.

Boy, I second that. I do L&D (actually LDRP) and our docs and nurses are a real team. In my place we are the interns and residents because we are not a teaching hospital. After having the autonomy I do, I am not sure I could ever work in a teaching hospital with all those "know it all" new docs. I certainly don't know it all, nor do I want to. But at least we nurses know we don't know it all.

Remember, docs are taught by other docs. I know they are getting better in med school these says teachjing new docs that they are not infallible.

Bottom line is a person's personality, regardless of what they know. There is no reason for even a top doctor in his speciality to treat others with disrespect. Common courtesy goes far beyone one's educational level.

perfectbluebuildings, BSN, RN · Jul 14, 2005

Thanks, Gompers and BETSRN. Reassurance is always good!

CrazyPreMed, good luck to you. I hadn't ever realized the things you were saying about nursing being such a bad major for someone wanting to go to med school but it kind of does make some sense. Although both medicine and nursing deal with healthcare and work so closely together, their focuses and philosophies are somewhat different. My best friend is going to med school in the fall, so I don't know if my impressions and ideas about my own goals will change when I hear how she does with it and her ideas about it.

Right now I'm happy to be a nurse. I just don't want to look back at now, in several years, and regret not taking an opportunity- but ONLY IF it's the right one for me, so I have to figure that out.

It seems that many people graduate college with a certain degree and then decide they're really not sure WHAT they want to do. I think that's part of what's going on with me too.

Enough of my personal musings. I'm getting off topic. But I think it's hard sometimes for people who want to go into healthcare and don't know a lot about what doctors and nurses do on a daily basis, to realize the big differences between them philosophically and such, and realize that it would be a hard thing to switch from one to the other.

Now I'm done rambling- sorry, I talk too much when I type. :rolleyes:

ali_gator · Jul 14, 2005

Going to medical school has always been my plan. I've worked in hospitals for a few years now and I am in love with the idea of going to medical school. I have decided, though, to take a two-year break and pursue a ADN for a couple of reasons. First of all, I want to learn more in the hospital setting. I started as a transporter, and later became a phlebotomist and laboratory assistant. I was going to go back to school and learn some patient care tech skills, but figured nursing would be more lucrative. Secondly, I have a BS in Exercise Physiology, but - as a phlebotomist who needs a flexible school schedule - is making 1/2 to 1/3 of some of the nurses. Basically, I want my earning to match my learning :chuckle . Finally, - and most importantly - I have learned from my recent CNA class how important nurses are to the health care team. They (and someday I) do more than change bedpans and start IV's. I have gained a great deal of respect for them, and I know that this is an area that I will be proud to be a part of. Who knows, I may even forget the whole med school thing when I get out on the floor. Time will tell.
One caveat for those who are considering a career in nursing, then medicine. I have noticed that premeds are encouraged to do anything in medicine except go to nursing school! I've heard (through published books on being premedical, advisors, and other premeds) that the philosphy in nursing and medicine is very different. One will need to show that he/she is able to 'change gears' to get into medical school. Also, because of the nursing shortage, it may be thought that an applicant for medical school took the nursing school spot of a future nurse, but never planned to practice. This may be frowned upon or the RN/LPN may have to prove why he/she is no longer satisfied in nursing, but wants to stay in medicine. Whether or not this is all true, I don't know. I haven't applied to medical school yet. But the ideas seem to be so popular that they should be looked into. Oh, well. Good luck to every one, regardless of their hopes and dreams.
CrazyPremed

I really believe that nursing should not be treated as a stepping stone to becoming a physician. I say that with the utmost respect, really. As of now, waiting lists at most nursing schools (out her in California) are about 2 years long, sometimes more. I believe that those spots should be reserved for those who truly want a career in nursing.

I've finished all my pre-nursing classes, and I'll be attending a well respected women's college this fall for my BSN. I still have to wait a year to be admitted into their nursing program-- if I even get admitted. I have outstanding grades, however, admissions are extreamely competitive. I want to be a nurse so bad that I'm willing to wait this out. I plan to work at the bedside for a few years, then I'll go to grad school. (I'm hoping Columbia, if I play my cards right) My point is, I plan to stay in nursing.

I'm not trying to be unkind or opinionated. It's just taking me years to finish college, six when all is said and done. This is due to painstaking pre-reqs and long waiting lists. I simply believe the precious few program slots should be used only by those who plan to be nurses.

Please also know that nurses take their careers very seriously. They seek higher education (often at top schools, such as Yale, UCLA, and Penn to name a few) and become advanced clinicians(APRNs), teachers, and researchers-- in nursing. (Mind you, that is NOT to suggest in any way that you wouldn't take your nursing career seriously) Many nurses don't like their careers being viewed as a sort of lower level medicine, or just a good way into medical school.

To that end, I'm not trying to discourage you from medicine. I'm sure you would make a wonderful physician (your dedication and passion are both very apparent :) ). Just please reconsider occupying one of the hard to come by seats in nursing school when you really have no desire to be a nurse.

I have to ask, though. Why such a long, painful route to med school? You already have a B.S. Why take more years of school than you'll need?