Nurse Change to Doctor

suzanne4, RN · Apr 13, 2004

If you have completed the appropriate pre-requisites for med school, you would have another 4 years to go, plus internship and residency.

Be aware that the pre-reqs for nursing school are not necessarily the same that are required for medical school.

I have known nurses that have done it. But would I consider it? NO.

Nursing and medicine are different, they complement one another, and each are needed in carrying for the patient. Also depends on the reasons that you want to become a physician......if it because of salary, :uhoh21: I actually know of more nurses that make a higher salary than many doctors. Remember that when the doctor completes his/her training, you have to take into account the malpractice charges, office expenses, etc., staff. Nurses can actually come out ahead and have more spendable income. Plus not have

$100,000 in debt from student loans.

Hope that this helps..................... :balloons:

elkpark · Apr 13, 2004

As suzanne4 notes, you would not get much "credit" for your nursing education or experience, since nursing and medicine are entirely separate and different disciplines. You would be starting pretty much at the same place as all the other new med school students. However, your nursing experience would probably give you a slight edge in the clinical setting ...

I think the important factor is what you want to do with your life. If it is truly important to someone to be practicing medicine rather than nursing (or selling cars, or whatever!), then it is worth doing. However much time, expense, and effort is required, it beats looking back on your life later on and regretting that you didn't do what your heart really desired! :balloons:

manna, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2004

There's a LONG thread about a couple of nursing who were going to/have completed med school in the Nursing forum on http://forums.studentdoctor.net

orrnlori, RN · Apr 13, 2004

I see you are 17. If you think you want to be a doctor then go straight for it. Don't go around the hill by way of nursing. I do work with a couple doctors who were nurses first, both are eye surgeons. They both became nurses directly out of high school so they are still in their early 40's and pretty new doctors. If they would have gone directly they would have been out in their early thirties.

I think the professions are very separate. Most of the residents I work with are facing loans of over 350,000 for their education. I can't even imagine.

Pre-med and nursing may have some overlapping classes but not all that many. Nursing classes will not count toward med school. They aren't considered as equal and there's good reason for it. I would actually perfer that nursing be more medically based rather than all the nursing theory that is taught. I think it would be better in the long run, but that's just me.

Chibi Baka · Apr 13, 2004

Thank you all very much for your information.

Me, i want to be a nurse (in oncology hopefully), i was just wondering how similiar the 2 fields are and how much work it would take to make the change.

Thank you once again.

manna, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2004

I see you are 17. If you think you want to be a doctor then go straight for it.

I agree with Lori on this one, too. I just assumed the OP was already a nurse considering looking in to med school.

I wish I had the drive and direction at 17 that I do now... I guess 10 years isn't such a big difference in the grand scheme of things, though. :)

smk1, LPN · Apr 13, 2004

I agree with Lori on this one, too. I just assumed the OP was already a nurse considering looking in to med school.
I wish I had the drive and direction at 17 that I do now... I guess 10 years isn't such a big difference in the grand scheme of things, though. :)

i agree also go straight for MD or DO if that is what you want. If somewhere along the way you change your mind or your circumstances change you can always become a nurse later. My thinking is that med school is a long hard haul and it's best to get started as early as possible :) .

KBnursestudent · Apr 13, 2004

I see you are 17. If you think you want to be a doctor then go straight for it. Don't go around the hill by way of nursing. I do work with a couple doctors who were nurses first, both are eye surgeons. They both became nurses directly out of high school so they are still in their early 40's and pretty new doctors. If they would have gone directly they would have been out in their early thirties.
I think the professions are very separate. Most of the residents I work with are facing loans of over 350,000 for their education. I can't even imagine.
Pre-med and nursing may have some overlapping classes but not all that many. Nursing classes will not count toward med school. They aren't considered as equal and there's good reason for it. I would actually perfer that nursing be more medically based rather than all the nursing theory that is taught. I think it would be better in the long run, but that's just me.

I understand that the two practices are very different but what if you are a nurse practitioner? A lot of doctors in offices rely n the nurse practitioners to do thier and and the nurse practitioners can write perscriptions. So if all you need for taht is your masters in Nursung and then a couple more years of school and you will get paid more money and owe less to school and have some same privilages as doctors then why not that. (This is for those like me who are in the late 20's early thrities and have 2 more years of school to become an RN still. I have a family and woudl ahte to have the hours of residents and such but I would like the status and the salary so why not Nurse Practitioner?) Oh and does anyone know if Nurse practitioners have to do residency of aNY KIND AT ALL?

orrnlori, RN · Apr 13, 2004

Yes, an NP will make good money and many times have good hours. It is probably closer to medicine, the only other nursing job I can think of that is as close is CRNA, both basically do skills that are in keeping with the physician as much as the nurse.

You couldn't pay me enough to go through medical school and residency. I've stood beside residents asleep holding a retractor during surgery because they've been up for 36 hours straight.