It really annoys me when nurses say they are going to go to med school...

Published

I see a lot of posts by nurses who think they are going to go to med school. A pre-med BS and BSN are totally different school tracks.....if you are an RN, it is almost impossible to move on to med school without getting a totally new bachelor's degree. In fact, as an RN it is almost impossible to become a PA without taking at **** load of new classes. Does this pipe dream annoy anyone else??

You can get into med school with ANY Bachelors, as long as you take the appropriate prereqs. I know a very fine doctor who graduated with a degree in music. By the way, "premed" is not a degree or major. It is a career path. You do not get a BS in premed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
There are nautical and aviation occupations that take years of training, outside the realm of traditional "degrees", but are still considered "professional" occupations.

Have you actually ever seen the random strings of letters that aviation "professionals" (*cough*) put at the end of their names? Because not only are you a CFI, you're a CFII. You're VFR and IFR. Congrats! Doesn't IFR infer VFR? Nursing isn't the only occupation that enjoys the alphabet soup, as much as you seem to hate on it.

My husband is an avionics engineer. He only has an undergrad degree - as does everyone that works with him and his boss and his bosses' boss. He's still considered a professional.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You know, all you have to do to get those hard classes done is...take them. Medical schools do not care what you major I'm, as long as you take their required classes. You could get them done in a year at a community college if you wanted to.

Not true at all. US medical schools generally frown on classes taken at community colleges. They are viewed as a shortcut or "easy way out". If you took Ochem and calc at a community college they would certainly bring it up in the interview if not completely omit your resume.

As far as nurses going to medical school....why not? It is basically a much more rigorous nursing school...and when I say that I mean there is nothing terribly conceptually difficult about medical school, it is mostly the work load that makes it so difficult. The classes will be harder as well as they breakdown into more detail. But really, anyone can be a doc if they can gut the workoad.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The funniest thing is when people ask "why didn't you continue on to be a doctor?" Really? Like a doctor is the next step up from a nurse?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
... The cold reality however, is that for most nurses (or most people for that matter) to even come close to completing the requisite science courses, they will pretty much complete a science based degree program just in trying to meet the prerequisites so they can even *take* the requisite courses :)

Sure, a school might say you need organic chem, but the course guide might say you have to have general chemistry before you can take org chem... the prerequisite for gen chem is pre-calc (at the least) at a lot of schools. See where I'm going?

That's just to meet the minimums. To be competitive, schools might "recommend" (often code for "take these courses") that you have courses in genetics, immunology, etc.. Next thing you know, you've basically completed the pre-med undergrad degree in your pursuit of being competitive. Don't forget you're competing with people who are able to easily get a 3.8 hard math/hard science GPA on a bad day.

The bottom line is that med school is an entirely different ball of wax, fiercely competitive on a different level, but not out of reach to anyone who is able to digest the math and science requirements, score high on the MCAT, etc.

I think the OP is generally speaking about people who really don't have a clue what applying to med and other "professional schools" entails. [in this context, degrees/ licenses that requiring the completion of a graduate level program or better as a minimum; e.g. PharmD, Optometrist, Podiatrist, Vet medicine, Path assistant, etc.]

I wish everyone the best with whatever dream they have. I also like when people are realistic and knowledgeable about their dream occupation.

Best of the morning to everyone!

Yes! This is exactly what I meant....thanks for stating it more eloquently than I could:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ccu.

HUH?!

I think I'm jealous that you have time in your life to "hate" something like this. I've never given even a 2nd thought to a nurse who told me he/she wanted to pursue an MD, NP, or any other higher education. I have far more important things in my life to think about.

And after reading this thread, I'm off to check out what it takes to be a PA, the demand in my area, and how much $$ they make :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The few nurses who've told me that they're intending to be physicians are kidding themselves.

That, however, is a commentary only on those people, not on nursing in general.

That said, the academic rigor of nursing prereqs and nursing school is sadly lacking by comparison to the med school prereqs, a chemistry degree, or an engineering degree.

That's not to say that some nurses aren't academic/intellectual superstars but simply that the training process doesn't require it.

It's also worth pointing out that some of the off-shore med schools aren't terribly difficult to get in to... and some of their graduates aren't terribly... um, impressive.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I work with a doctor who started out as a nurse's aide and worked her way through part of med school. She's a great doctor.

Also work with two NP who started out as RN's of course. They are as competent as the doctors and are treated as equals with them in their areas.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What annoys me is when people have an opinion about what one wants to do with their lives and career. Are the career curriculum different? Absolutely, but if someone wants to do it then all power to them. Who are we to judge when someone wants to better their career. Its no different from someone changing careers from business to nursing. I personally know someone who went to nursing school and then went to Med school and is a wonderful doctor. They inspire me to shoot for the moon. I say stop being so opinionated and be more supportive to someone's goals.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'll never stop being opinionated;) I think a lot of people, not just nurses, are kidding themselves about their future prospects and it hurts them in the long run. I know a ton of personal friends (from different professions) that think they will eventually go to law school. Never mind that they are almost thirty and do NOTHING to make this goal a reality and stay at the same %!s@! jobs for years. Same thing with nurses who want to be docs. A lot of you give anecdotal stories about nurses who went on to become MDs. These nurses were probably very driven, focused and smart. I am talking about nurses who go on and on about becoming MDs (and CRNAs, NPs, PAs for that matter) that will NEVER get in. We all know the type I am talking about. Instead of choosing a more realistic path, they dream of a future that is very unlikely. Again, I just put this topic out there...i am not perseverating about it. But acting like it is just as easy as taking a couple of prereqs is just wrong.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, OR.

It doesn't bother me in real life, because it doesn't happen that often. I've only known one RN to do this... she was a single mom too I think but pulled it off.

However, it bothers me on TV when a nurse goes to med school because it happens ALL THE TIME on TV. Anytime a strong nurse character is becoming a regular character and is SMART - hey let's send her to med school! So many shows have done this. It's never OK for the nurse to stay a nurse. They always have her say that nursing is not enough - I want to be a DOCTOR because I am strong and smart. So annoying! Nurses are strong and smart and the character should stay nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics.
The funniest thing is when people ask "why didn't you continue on to be a doctor?" Really? Like a doctor is the next step up from a nurse?

Yeah, that bothers me too. And the assumption that all nurses really wanted to be doctors, but couldn't cut it.

I had a student who admitted they want to be a doctor, and it shows. Not in a negative way, but his focus was just different. At first, it bothered me. Then I got over and realized its not an insult to our profession. Not everyone wants to be a nurse, and not everyone wants to be a doctor.

I was wondering about why a student would take the path from RN to MD. It seems pointless if you're not going to ever practice. But I do think it gives a pre-med student a good perspective of what doctors do, as well as the importance of the nurse-doctor relationship (and how it behooves the doc to be good to the nurses ;) ).

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion