Med school vs Nursing school

llg, PhD, RN · Nov 30, 2016

If the only thing that will satisfy you is to know as much as you possibly can, you will get and MD, PhD. But I doubt that you will be willing to do that. So the real question is: "How much is enough for you?"

No one knows it all ... and believing that you have to know it all will only lead to frustration and disappointment in life and your career. So identify what else is important in your life (besides knowing "everything") and figure out which career path would best fit with ALL of your goals for your life. Then, deal with the issue that none of us is perfect, or knows it all, etc. To really be the best we can be, we need to be comfortable with our limitations

britthoch1 · Nov 30, 2016

Thank you very much for your response. Like I said, this really isn't about money or anything like that. I have dealt with both parents passing away of diseases at a young age, and I have also dealt with some painful illnesses in which I'm doing ok in now. My passion is just to really help others the best that I can. I think part of me is falling into that trap of some people saying, "MD's are superior, NP's don't know anything." But from my personal experience, every NP I have come across has been wonderful and actually figured out what was wrong with me at the time. You are right, I will never be able to know everything. I think I'm fearing that I won't be good enough, but I have to stop with that. I have 3 kids, a husband, a passion, and I do believe that the DNP route is best for all of us. I'm mainly wanting to be a FNP along with some integrative healing certifications. Also, I have considered completing this year long master's program in microbiology with a concentration in biochemistry. In this program, you learn about genetics, biochemistry, virology, bacteriology etc. I think even just that year long program will suffice. To be honest, I love learning, but that doesn't mean I have to go the MD route to make that happen. I think the DNP route with extra certifications is best for me, and I will just take some extra courses if I have interest. Thanks again for responding!

britthoch1 · Nov 30, 2016

And also, I truly can't imagine being away from my kids and husband the way these medical students are. That's a big thing to me. My first job is to be a mother, and while some may be able to do both successfully, I personally don't think I would be a good mother if I went through medical school.

elkpark · Nov 30, 2016

If you really want to be an MD, you will never be happy or satisfied with nursing. "Even" DNPs get nowhere near the amount of education physicians do (although whether all that additional education is necessary in order to be a competent provider is an entirely different conversation).

Best wishes for your journey!

jj224 · Dec 1, 2016

I'd say go to medical or PA school if you can. I say this for the following reasons

1) many hoops to jump through to become a nurse.

2) you need to gain some experience as an RN before moving on to becoming an NP.

3) Tons of NP schools - many producing great providers, others pumping out garbage. A good PA and a good NP are similarly qualified, however I've come across a wide variety of NPs while the PAs I've worked with are all solid.

4) PA school is a faster route to a similar career.

My 2 cents.

the_murse_factor · Dec 1, 2016

I'd say go to medical or PA school if you can. I say this for the following reasons
1) many hoops to jump through to become a nurse.
2) you need to gain some experience as an RN before moving on to becoming an NP.
3) Tons of NP schools - many producing great providers, others pumping out garbage. A good PA and a good NP are similarly qualified, however I've come across a wide variety of NPs while the PAs I've worked with are all solid.
4) PA school is a faster route to a similar career.
My 2 cents.

I would just like to shed some light on some of the points you made about PA school. As someone who tried to get into PA school before and probably will try again after I receive my RN I can give some insight.

1. There are MANY hoops you have to jump through to get into PA school. Each school list their laundry list of requirements for them to even take a peek at your application. If you don't have any "healthcare" experience you can forget it and healthcare experience has to do with actually touching a patient. Being a security guard or greeter in a hospital don't count. Then there are the shadowing hours you must do with a PA that most PA schools require.

2. PA school is nowhere near a faster route. You can be a top notch student with a really high GPA and get rejected from every school you apply to. PA schools get between 600-800 application per cycle and only accept 40-50 students a year. I know people that gave up on PA school and went to medical school because they kept being rejected to PA school. I also know people that have been trying for three years to get into PA school and just received interviews, one person has to go all the way to st. croix.

PA school is definitley competitive. It could take years, lots of patience and a lot of hope just to get into the "interview" pile.

jj224 · Dec 1, 2016

It doesn't take a whole lot to work as an EMT or CNA for a year. When I was an EMT I'd say half of my co-workers were applying to PA school. Maybe I have a skewed sample, but I don't know anyone that hasn't gotten into PA school, and since the OP is considering medical school, I'm sure grades, extra curriculars, etc, is on point. Yes, it's true that there aren't as many PA programs and a ton of people wanting to pursue that career, just based on the variability of pre licensure nursing programs and NP programs, I'd exhaust the PA route before going into nursing. Nursing program 1.5 - 3 years. At least 1 year of work as an RN. 2-3 years of NP school. That's a long time!

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Dec 1, 2016

There's another option... Osteopathic Medicine is much more similar to nursing by virtue of the emphasis on holistic therapy. You may to explore their philosophy and curriculum. DOs are equivalent to MDs.

rachaelofcourse · Dec 1, 2016

There's another option... Osteopathic Medicine is much more similar to nursing by virtue of the emphasis on holistic therapy. You may to explore their philosophy and curriculum. DOs are equivalent to MDs.

Best advice given on here. All the DO's I've worked with or been a patient for practice much more closely to the nursing model than MD model.

BirkieGirl · Dec 1, 2016

I am in agreement with many others here. I am also a mom in my 40s, happily married and working full time while I go through DNP education. My initial plan out of high school was always to do the PA school route, however I was TERRIBLY homesick when I went to college and moved to a university very near my hometown- which only offered Nursing. So I went nursing. I've been happy as a nurse, but always looking for MORE...thus, my desire to finish my DNP and step into a provider role. I have always planned to go as far as I could as a nurse, so I planned on either becoming a full time PhD (Professor) or NP. I think that because you are at a crossroad where you CAN make the choice, you need to soul search and REALLY decide what's best for you and your family. I believe that Nursing school is a bit more family friendly because even though there are 'hoops', the programs are usually full of students who are also moms and dads! I too love my NPs and they have made a huge impact on me. I would also urge you to job shadow a few of them to get a good feel for the role. Feel free to PM if necessary.

ProperlySeasoned · Dec 2, 2016

One more consideration - The nursing education pathway offers several part time options. Medical school and residency are 100% full time endeavors. This may not be possible with your family situation. Honestly, if I had to do it all over again, I would have tried to get into medical school.