HELP! Is it possible for RNS with BSN degrees to attend Medical School to be Doctors?

ECMOismygame · Sep 2, 2005

R u saying that maybe I'm gonna have to choose one??
I'll accept all opinions!!

working is not advisable. a friend of mine did it and failed one class. this during her jr year while doing rotations at night, class during the day and sleep in the afternoon. take out more loans, but give it all you got. dont worry 200K in debt is nuthing when your making 100K at LEAST starting off and if youre into a specialty that 200K in debt could be paid off in 5 year. its an investment and it shouldnt be a burden. also check out DO schools as they prefer applicants with experience and i KNOW RN would be right up there with PT, RT, paramedic, etc.

ee1rn2 · Aug 3, 2007

My first semester, I remember a prof invited a BSN grad to come in and sit in on the class. The grad was then introduced and the prof said she was accepted in med school. So, yes, it is doable.

As far as work, I doubt you will have time in med school. I dated this girl who was in med school and it lasted 2 months. Part of the reason it even lasted that long was because she was not in studying for that 1st month. lol... I didn't encroach on her studying time but she felt guilty in not spending any time w/ me because she had to study so much.

Oh yes, I am a guy... just in case you assumed I was not. hehehe

SA2BDOCTOR · Aug 3, 2007

I heard that there is DON ( Doctors of Nursing) what can that qualify you for. Does it pay really well at that level or what?

Freedom42 · Aug 3, 2007

I I heard that in order to get into Medical School one must have a Science degree.Does anyone know if it is possible to get into Medical School with a BSN degree?

Please don't forget that a BSN is a science degree. It's important that the public understand that nurses undergo intensive science education. If we don't recognize that, they won't.

Regarding the nursing doctorate degree, I think what one of the posters is referring to is the DNP -- the doctor of nursing practice -- versus the Ph.D in nursing. The DNP is a clinical doctorate offered by only a handful of schools, though others have degrees in the planning stages. I believe all graduate nursing schools are supposed to have them in place by 2015 to replace NP programs. Please correct me if that's not so.

What I don't understand is why anyone would pursue a DNP. It's a four-year program that doesn't allow the graduate to practice at a higher level than any other APRN, right? So why would someone pursue the DNP -- and by that, I mean finance the DNP -- only to graduate and work for nurses' pay? Why not go to med school instead?

apnea · Aug 3, 2007

I am 21 yrs old. I am currently taking the prerequisites for BSN nursing at this time. However, after completion of this degree I am planning to work as an RN while attending Medical School to be a Pediatrician M.D.
I heard that in order to get into Medical School one must have a Science degree.Does anyone know if it is possible to get into Medical School with a BSN degree?
Does anyone know if there are any specific requirements for RNS to get into Medical School?
*Just in case u r wondering why I'm going to do all that
It's just a "A" and "B" plan. If I don't get into Meical School I would still have a profession to flip back on.
I'd really appreciate any opinions,tips,facts,personal experience a.t.c!
Thank You!

Medical schools don't care what you major in as long as your overall AND your BCMP (biology, chemistry, math, physics) GPA is solid. They do this to weed out potential slackers. It prevents people from padding their GPA, so if your overall GPA is (my math probably won't add up here, it's an example) 3.7 but your BCPM is 2.9, they'll probably round file your app. Major in something you truly enjoy, something that will show you add diversity to their school, and something you'll be able to hold a productive, interesting conversation in. So if you're into French Lit, go for it. They don't care.

my concern for you is the BSN. If you don't want to be a nurse, i really think you're wasting your time getting the bachelors because it will probably end up proving useless to you. my advice to you is to get your ADN instead, you make basically the same money, you do the same job, and it's 2 years faster in most cases. What i've done so far (and our situations are remarkably similar, i'm only getting my ADN so that i can afford to go to a real university and then on to med school, and it's a safety net) is plan out my course schedule to knock out all of my gen. ed. requirements for a bachelor's degree in microbiology while i'm getting my ADN. After this, i'll be moving to a different state to go to school and establish residency while working as a nurse. i plan on working all through undergrad, and if i can swing it and keep my grades up, the first two years of medical school.

You need to be able to answer the questions adcoms will throw at you. And they're going to prey upon us as nurses because they want to make sure we're not just being fickle. Nursing is typically considered a professional degree, nursing majors typically end up working as nurses. Why don't you want to be a nurse? And more importantly, why do you want to be a physician? If you can't answer this, you're not getting in. You need to have a good, solid reason for doing things the way you do (and that's true of all applicants, not just nurses). "I want to help people" isn't going to be good enough. Nurses help people too. Why do you think you'll serve the public better as a doctor than as a nurse?

That's the kind of stuff they're going to ask you. If you're just doing nursing for a job and a degree, i really think you're off track here. Go to PA school, get your ADN instead, get your EMT-B license, or be a medical assistant, respiratory therapist, SOMETHING that will let you make more money fast and get on with your medical school plans. Adcoms like to see planning and preparation, they do NOT like to see time wasted.

i understand where you're coming from. You've got the right idea, i'm just worried you won't be looked at as seriously if they think you're just another career jumper. Getting a bachelor's degree shows them (not necessarily correctly in all other cases) that you've invested yourself in nursing, what happens if you "invest" your self similarly in medicine?

This is not to say that people don't switch careers every day. Medical schools love diversity. But your options for "your story" are either "I got my BSN to make money," OR "i thought nursing was my calling but i was wrong." Either way, you paint yourself in a less than flattering light. In former case, you just wasted two years of your life. In the latter case, it is especially detrimental because you've JUST graduated with your BSN and you're jumping ship. Does that make sense?

You're going to need to start preparing now. Start volunteering for causes that you believe in, study your ass off and pull as high a GPA as you possibly can, start doing research if you're able, get involved in your school and your community, and take on some leadership positions. Develop your hobbies. Make yourself as interesting and as well rounded as you can stand, and get your story together. One great thing about being a nurse first is that it really saves you a lot of time shadowing physicians, since you're constantly in their hair all day anyway It's also a great opportunity to get yourself in tight with doctors who will write you stellar LORs, which you're also going to need for your app. Just keep your head on straight and plan ahead, you'll do just fine :icon_hug:

Additionally...

Good luck working while you're in Med school. You'd be the only I know of that has done it. Work load in med school is outrageoulsy harder than nursing school. When I looked into it they said students were not allowed to work under any condition. Makes sense though when you think of what all you have to get done.

Entirely untrue. 3rd and 4th years will be tricky, but it's absolutely possible to work during the first two. i know a few people who do it. They're not thrilled about it, but one of them is a PA and the other is a CRNA, so "working" to them sounds a whole lot like studying. Also, the truth is, you can't go into nursing expecting to make friends when all the other nurses find out you chose their CAREER as your JOB. They don't typically like that. You DO, however, tend to get in tighter with the physicians, and i've found they LOVE helping newbies study on the job.

working is not advisable. a friend of mine did it and failed one class. this during her jr year while doing rotations at night, class during the day and sleep in the afternoon. take out more loans, but give it all you got. dont worry 200K in debt is nuthing when your making 100K at LEAST starting off and if youre into a specialty that 200K in debt could be paid off in 5 year. its an investment and it shouldnt be a burden. also check out DO schools as they prefer applicants with experience and i KNOW RN would be right up there with PT, RT, paramedic, etc.

Also not true. You'll be lucky to pull $45k through residency (MAYBE $50k by the time you graduate, this data is from 2006). Most residents i know barely scrape by every month, and a few of them are being forced to destroy their credit by deferring their loans past their "grace period." It's not a pretty thing, but again, it's doable in that people do it every day. But you won't live well until after residency, in most cases you barely stay afloat. But consider that the average 2006 salary for a general surgeon one year out of residency was closely approaching $500k, you'll probably survive the 5-6 years if you're smart about it.

DO schools might be a good option for you. Let me first say that THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE IN PRACTICE BETWEEN THE MD AND DO DEGREES.One is not better than the other. The difference in the curriculum is that DO schools teach musculoskeletal manipulations, and MD schools don't. MD graduates can opt to take a class in OMM (which stands for osteopathic manipulative medicine), but anymore most MD grads don't even consider it, and DO grads don't plan to practice it.

As for the DO preference toward non-trad students, according to Stephen Shannon, D.O., president of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine:

Significantly, osteopathic students tend to be older than allopathic students and have more life experience, says. Shannon. The attraction works both ways: Osteopathic schools seek out a certain type of student, he says. "We look for mature individuals who are sure what their path in life will be. Many ... are coming to medicine as a career change. They are often former high-school teachers or people with previous experience in the health professions--EMTs, physician's assistants, former military medics.

Unfortunately for the DO profession, admissions standards in terms of numbers typically run lower than allopathic schools. This is an incredibly complex issue, but many tend to give creedence to the fact that the stats run lower because of their non-trad friendly stance. A lot of non-trads went to college thinking they'd be communications majors, or drama majors, or basically just going to college because "that's what you do after high school." And not unusually, their grades sucked. It wasn't until much later in life that they realized a) grades matter, and b) they want to be physicians, ergo c) GRADES MATTER. So they spend a few years in post-bacc work trying to drag their GPA up, and generally do well...unfortunately once you trash your GPA, it's an uphill climb.

i hope that helped.

apnea · Aug 3, 2007

...and now i'm wondering why i wasted so much time on a TWO YEAR OLD THREAD :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

Silverdragon102, BSN · Aug 3, 2007

and I was wondering if anyone had noticed how old the post was :trout:

apnea · Aug 3, 2007

Humbug :madface:

rn/writer, RN · Aug 3, 2007

...and now i'm wondering why i wasted so much time on a TWO YEAR OLD THREAD :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

Your time was not wasted. Similar questions appear periodically. Now, we'll have a wonderful resource message where we can refer the inquirers. I learned much from your post. And having just read White Coat: Becoming A Doctor At Harvard Medical School, I found your information to make perfect sense.

One of my personal docs is a DO. This is an avenue that many don't even know about, much less give due consideration. Just mentioning that as a possibility for non-traditional students offered an option that might work well for some.

At any rate, your efforts were not wasted. Thank you for taking the time to post an articulate, cogent, and practical message.

apnea · Aug 3, 2007

Well, that's comforting :chuckle

:flowersfo

apnea · Aug 3, 2007

Also, that is an absolutely phenomonal book. If you got into that one, i think you'd also like one called "How Doctors Think," found here: http://www.amazon.com/How-Doctors-Think-Jerome-Groopman/dp/0618610030/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-1191444-4474463?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186175657&sr=1-1

rn/writer, RN · Aug 3, 2007

Just checked it out via your link (thanks), and may have to get it. I have several family members with fairly severe chronic health problems. Having watched their medical progress over the years, I have seen many examples of the kinds of thinking mentioned in the reviews. Seems like this would be good reading, not only for docs, but for patients who sometimes have to "out-think" the thinkers.

Once you get past the point of believing that docs have some kind of magic at their disposal, you lose a bit of innocence, but you gain a working knowledge of how best to collaborate on solving problems in which you have a far higher stake than they do.

Then there's "House." I love this show for the way it exposes the medical thought process--imperfect, creative, maddening, inspired, disciplined, messy and sometimes downright nonsensical, but always pushing to find what fits and what doesn't. The entire concept of the differential diagnosis (as opposed to the deferential diagnosis of the agog and passive patient) is an exercise in right-brain/left-brain synergy. What a fascinating dance.