From Nurse to Physician

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm currently a junior working on my BSN, but my ultimate dream is to become a physician. Have any of you considered going to med school? I think a BSN is the way to go, because if you don't get into med school right away you can still make good money working as a nurse while you wait.

Just wondering if anyone else is currently working on med school pre-req's or what your opinion is on the nurse to physician route.

Thanks guys! :)

Megan

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Specializes in Critical Care.
I'm currently a junior working on my BSN, but my ultimate dream is to become a physician. Have any of you considered going to med school? I think a BSN is the way to go, because if you don't get into med school right away you can still make good money working as a nurse while you wait.

Just wondering if anyone else is currently working on med school pre-req's or what your opinion is on the nurse to physician route.

Thanks guys! :)

Megan

The politically correct answer you're bound to receive in this thread is that nursing and medicine are two different fields and if you want to be a physician you should go for it instead of taking up a valuable spot in a nursing program. That's the altruistic answer, at least.

On an individual level, having the nursing background can make you a stronger physician, in my opinion.

I started out as a pre-med and then later decided to do nursing instead for multiple reasons, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a regret or two from time to time, but the older I get the more I wouldn't want to enter the profession as it currently is. As a young student, I had a naive and idealized view of the profession, which has soured over time. If the entire system were overhauled, I might have a renewed interest, but right now I wouldn't want to switch places with any of them.

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Im currently in school with somebody who plans on going to med school!

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Not a bad plan. I think if you understand the major differences between the two disciplines, then you'll be a better physician and treat nurses with respect. I wish I'd gone to med school, but by the time I figured all that out I already had a family and didn't want to make the sacrifices necessary to attend med school.

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

One of the ER docs I work with was an RN. He's a great doc now! I say go for it if that's what you want to do,.and yes I agree,.nursing and medicine are two very seperate/different fields but hey,..I was a hairdresser before I became a nurse,.doesn't make me any less a nurse!

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I'm currently a junior working on my BSN, but my ultimate dream is to become a physician. Have any of you considered going to med school? I think a BSN is the way to go, because if you don't get into med school right away you can still make good money working as a nurse while you wait.

Just wondering if anyone else is currently working on med school pre-req's or what your opinion is on the nurse to physician route.

Thanks guys! :)

Megan

Why are you not doing pre-med?

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Specializes in Critical Care.
Why are you not doing pre-med?

There's no degree in "pre-med". You have to get a bachelors in something, so it might as well be a subject you're interested in. You can go to med school with an art degree so long as you take the requisite courses.

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Specializes in ICU.

maybe the orders you will eventually write will make sense! :D

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I don't think it's a waste of space taking up a position in nursing school. How are you going to know whether or not you'll like the medical profession? and you might just find you'd rather be a nurse.

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Specializes in med-surg,Ortho, Peds, LTAC, renal, ICU.

I had always been on the track to do FNP, and then DNP when I learned about it... but after looking more into the D.O, and working with them I realized that a D.O is the philosophy I was hoping to implement as a FNP. (where i grew up D.O's were not viewed as "real docs" like they are where I live now") So I too have decided to use my BSN as my bachelor's and then apply to med school. The best part is that they are discussing opening a program right here in my town, within the next two years, which is when I would be ready! Otherwise I'll be driving and half living in Tulsa. The hospital I work at does not really use FNP's and I was concerned about that, plus the idea of having to be "overseen" and the knowledge that I'd be familiar with the nursing process, and my order writing would be familiar, as well as knowing what is possible to implement in a shift and what is not, and I look forward to the idea that when I round and write I can explain to the nurse exactly why I am doing what I am doing and have an open line of communication... she knows what's going on since she/he is the one who spends 12 hours there.

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Since you asked, here is my opinion.

You would be better off going for a more heavy bio-chem/ calculus containing bachelors, than one that is typically for nurses. If not, you could be faced with a lot of heavy lifting in getting prerequisites, to the tune of another year of full time schooling. Plus, med school is not really a part time endeavor, so I doubt if there is going to be much option for practicing as a nurse on the side.

Either way, good luck in whatever you chose. Not being negative, just my opinion. I personally believe that a professional nurse would ultimately make an incredible doctor.

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