Know any RN's who became MD's?

ready4crna? · Sep 21, 2007

I've worked with 2- one who is an interventional cardiologist now (former nursing school faculty) and one who is a trauma surgeon (PACU RN). They were both excellent practitioners with one caveat- they knew your job and how to do it- made for some interesting conversations with those in our profession that were delivering less than stellar work. I loved them both, they were always willing to go the extra mile for the pt.

BTW- DO= Doctor of osteopathy. A functional equivalent to an MD, but with a more holistic approah to the practice of medicine.

a21chdchic · Sep 21, 2007

I know an MD who is a specialist in Palliative care. She was an RN for several years prior to that. She is a wonderful and compassionate MD and person. I consider it a great honor to have worked with so noble a person. I have actually had her assist me in providing personal cares to a patient, help turn, do nursing procedures, etc. She is the ONLY MD/DO that I would care to have care for me. Generally speaking MD/DO's are not caregivers, they diagnosis, give orders and advice. RN's/LPN's are caregivers, this is our realm.

I do not think going to nursing school makes for a more compassionate MD, practicing a few years as an RN, however may make for a compassionate MD. The bottom line is the substance from which we begin with. A callous person will not make for a compassionate anything. A compassionate person can make for a compassionate, almost anything (taking into considerations that there are no absolutes). :)

tntrn, ASN, RN · Sep 21, 2007

One, I wasn't a personal friend, but had to work with him. He became an anesthesiologist, who liked to kneel when placing epidurals. AND he expected the nurse to get him a pillow on which to kneel. Of course, he had to walk right past the linen cart to get into the unit. I just could ever quite remember to do that for him: :madface:

lucylumps · Sep 22, 2007

My mother was an ICU nurse for many years before she became and intensivist herself. No one was ever excused from school, work etc. in our home;).

Calliegirl · Jun 23, 2008

yes, i work with a m.d. who was a nicu nurse.

neomastiff_RN · Dec 8, 2008

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?

Neo: I was researching this also because I am interested in either becoming an MD or an NP. The research I found is that you can transition from BSN to Med school. Look at what your state requirements are for this transition. I know that Wright State University has the BSN prgram listed as premed. You take different courses from the usual BSN prgram, but all in all you get the same degree with a higher concentration of sciences and math. I am interested in working as an independent NP. I am tired of fighting the grain tooth and nail to do what is right for the patient and getting responses "you're just a nurse". Yeah, you'll still be saying that when I'm coding your patient in 2 hours (It happened). It's frustrating! I believe that by becoming an NP I can still keep my beloved nursing name and work independently or work with a physician who respects me! I worked hard to become a nurse and I'm not giving up my title!:wink2:

november17, ASN, RN · Dec 8, 2008

A good friend of mine from high school that I had lost touch with recently looked me up on facebook. Turns out he got his BSN, minored in biology, and 2 years after working the floor for a while decided to go to medical school. He's a little over 2 years into it right now.

jstbreathe · Dec 9, 2008

I know 1 ER Dr that used to be an RN.

3 Dr.s used to be RT's.

(ER, Cardiovascular surgeon, pulmonologist) :yeah:

amjowens · Dec 9, 2008

My family physician was a nurse before going to med school. She's a DO. Obviously, as she's my physician, I think pretty highly of her.

I'm hoping to continue on for my nurse practitioner degree. I was premed/biology, but got off track. The NP role seems really appealing to me, since I originally wanted to be a family practitioner. I'm finding that there's a huge difference (just speaking of theory/study) between the NP and MD training. So far, and as I look through the BSN curriculum, the science content just skirts the content of a premed curriculum (not to even speak of the first year med school curriculum). I'm wondering just how, in two years, 5 or 6 years of in-depth medical science knowledge is going to be learned when I get to the NP level of study. It's really making me realize that I need to either decide pursue the nursing model, or the medical model. And, I absolutely don't see the MD as "superior" to the NP role, I just find myself interested in the science/medical aspect.

birdgardner · Dec 9, 2008

If you can manage to take the pre-reqs for med school while getting your BSN, it would keep your options open. My m-i-l is RN later MD - she did it her thirties because she so fiercely desired the autonomy. Unfortunately, she decided that insurance companies had ruined medicine and physician's autonomy and closed her practice after only about 5 years and went to work for a life insurance co. What I'm reading from MD blogs is that paperwork and uncompensated care and long hours are really hurting them.

I also know a pediatrician who was an RT in her twenties.

If you work as a nurse for a couple years you will get a better picture of what doctors have to cope with and decide if you want to invest 8 years of your life in med school or residency with 80 hour weeks - residency is more like 8 years of experience in 4.

I suspect that NPs have to deal with all that paperwork too - there are plenty of MDs who would like to push off routine "scut work" on to NPs. I said no to the MD because I didn't want to give up the rest of my children's childhood - and now I'm really wondering about mid-level. I've talked to NPs who now work as RNs or professors of nursing - because there was scarcely any more money as an NP and the hours were so much worse. I shall take my own advice - work for a couple years and see where I want to go. But I want to know more, manage patients' care not just carry it out, have ongoing relationships with them.

Good luck to you.