Indecision on academic/career path

[oneloveoneheart]

Hi All!

I ask my family and friends what to do, but they say it's up to me. I am very stressed out about making a life decision like this because I don't like being so undecided. I have always had nursing school as a goal in terms of a degree and a career, and now I have gone sideways, and I am going to be graduating next semester with a degree in Sociology and English. I still want to go to nursing school, but I'm not sure if it's right for me in comparison to going to medical school. My grandpa was a doctor, and he said I should go to nursing school, but I feel strangely pulled towards Biology and medical school. Also, I have taken the Myra Briggs personality test multiple times, and I keep getting the same results: INTJ. Based on that test, I'm a better fit towards becoming a doctor than a nurse. Should I really be taking those into consideration when picking a career path? I really don't want to pick the wrong career path, so how do I decide which is right for me, especially before I finish my prerequisites?

I should probably add that I'm going to be 27 soon, and I have a 4 year old daughter. I feel the need to get a career sooner rather than later....

[vitamingirl722]

I think no one besides yourself can make this decision which is why your fam&friends can't help you there. If I were in your shoes I would begin pre-reqs that both paths need. For example, anatomy and physiology class and microbiology class etc. Better to start and decide on the way. Don't be so hard on yourself at least you have the idea that you want to be in the healthcare field. Take the time to look at the pros and cons of each path and keep that in consideration.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Maybe you just need to take some of the pressure off of yourself for a few months or maybe even a year ... and actually work for a while before making the decision. If you are not ready to decide ... you are not ready to decide. Work, save up some money, and clear your head. Forcing a decision before you are ready increases your chances of making a bad decision.

Another thought to consider ... If neither career appeals to you enough to "win" the competition in mind, maybe neither is the right choice for you. Maybe there is another option you need to consider, and you won't find it if you focus all your energy on agonizing between two that don't seem to interest you enough to committ.

Finally, you have to decide why you chose NOT to major in either nursing or medicine in the first place. Why couldn't you committ before? Maybe your subconscious was trying to tell you something. The fact that your couldn't commit to nursing/medicine before ... and you can't seem to commit now ... should tell you something. To me, it says you need to step back for a bit.

[coolinbysound]

Go volunteer at a hospital or shadow a nurse or physician. See what suits you best and note pros and cons for each one. Get opinions from healthcare professionals. That's probably the best way to decide.

[Dranger]

Going off a Myra Briggs test and a vague pull towards Biology to choose a career plan...seems legit. Also if you have been taking just sociology and English classes for the last 4 years, the sciences of pre-med and to an extent nursing are going to slap you in the face. Being curious about Bio is one thing but spending hours with your nose to the grindstone is another. Remember you also have to gut out physics, calc and the chems to get in.

Most physicians told me to go nurse practitioners when I talked about maybe going back to med school. A large % of doctors wouldn't do it again if they had a choice.

[vitamingirl722]

Going off a Myra Briggs test and a vague pull towards Biology to choose a career plan...seems legit. Also if you have been taking just sociology and English classes for the last 4 years, the sciences of pre-med and to an extent nursing are going to slap you in the face. Being curious about Bio is one thing but spending hours with your nose to the grindstone is another. Remember you also have to gut out physics, calc and the chems to get in.

Most physicians told me to go nurse practitioners when I talked about maybe going back to med school. A large % of doctors wouldn't do it again if they had a choice.

I agree with the last part. My dentist and orthodontist have both told me nursing is the way to go compared to med school.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[AccelCNL, MSN, RN]

Although being a MD and a nurse within the same field, the roles between the two careers are quite different. Which role would you rather fulfill? Speaking for myself, I love the sciences however I knew that I wanted to work within the medical field but that the role of a MD did not quite work for me. I wanted to be at the bedside, have the opportunity to work in many different specialties, and have the opportunity to advance without going through med school, residency, etc.

Which role do you want to fulfill? Which position will make you happy that you chose that profession despite the stress that comes with it?

[llg, PhD, RN]

Most physicians told me to go nurse practitioners when I talked about maybe going back to med school. A large % of doctors wouldn't do it again if they had a choice.

My father and many of his friends were physicians. I grew up surrounded by docs. Several encouraged me to be a nurse with a graduate degree rather than go to med school.