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Discussion

Know any RN's who became MD's?

I was just curious if anyone knew any nurses that decided to go to medical school after becoming an RN. I'm 1.5 yrs through my BSN program and doing well, but something about becoming an MD appeals to me. I think I'd make a great doctor, having the nursing experience. The school/time commitment is huge, I realize, but who would you want taking care of you? A nurse-->MD, or someone else?

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  • Columnist

In my opinion, the nurses are the health care professionals who "take care" of the patients. They are the ones who are there round the clock, meeting the patient's needs, even in the middle of the night. Doctors spend very little time "caring" for the patient. Yes they are very important, but it is the nurse who coordinates the care and sees that the orders are carried out, assesses the patient's condition, gets the cold glass of water, administers the pain meds, helps them on and off the bedpan, etc.

So...to answer your question, I would prefer a compassionate, competent, caring nurse to take care of me.

My understanding is that you basically have to start back at zero with your schooling. I don't believe that you can use your BSN as a launching pad toward your MD.

Good luck whatever you decide!

Three. One was a nurse in Vietnam, went to med school after and became a great DO......one of the most compassionate docs I know.

The other two are ER docs. Both had problems with compassion.

  • Author
My understanding is that you basically have to start back at zero with your schooling. I don't believe that you can use your BSN as a launching pad toward your MD.

Good luck whatever you decide!

I've been doing some research and it looks like I'd need about 2 full years of prereq's in the hard sciences before applying to med school... which isn't too bad. What the med schools want is a BS degree, though, which I would have. I think that they would like the fact that I had my degree in nursing, too. That means tons of clinical/work experience.

Actually, you don't even have to have a Bachelor's degree to get into Medical School -- one of the docs I work with applied and was accepted in his Junior year, so he didn't complete his Bachelor's, just went right in to Med School the following fall. The trick is getting accepted to a medical program.

Doctors and Nurses have vastly different jobs and responsibilities -- you just need to figure out which of those two appeals to you more. An MD who was formerly an RN may be easier to work with from a nurse's standpoint, but that doesn't necessarily translate to the patient's standpoint: There are plenty of MDs and RNs alike who are just great people, and would be great people regardless of their job title. Same goes the other way.

We had one who is now one of our neonatologists.

  • Experts

I've know two MDs who where nurses before - both are fantastic physicians and I bet they were wonderful nurses too.

My understanding is that you basically have to start back at zero with your schooling. I don't believe that you can use your BSN as a launching pad toward your MD.

Good luck whatever you decide!

This isn't always true, it depends on where you did your undergrad...With the pre-reqs for our nursing program here, I'd only need 4 extra classes to qualify for med school admissions (I'm still considering it)...so not too bad at all...

I met one in the ER. She was a really good doctor.

One of our best ED docs was an ED nurse for years before going back to school...it can be done and I think it makes you a better doc!

I knew one who became a general surgeon after practicing nursing for several years. He was a great guy.

I know two and they're both great ER physicians.

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