Nurse Practitioner School vs Medical School

BritFNP · Feb 20, 2014

The programs are going to be completely different from each other. RN/NP school will be more flexible than Med school. This also depends on where you wanna be in 8-10 years. I'll be honest. I'm 27 and have been a FNP for 6 months. I cannot imagine starting the road to med school…8 more years of school (and no to low income). No thanks. In 8 years you could have been practicing as a NP for >4 years with good income and have already started your family you want. Med school route (not to discourage you) would put you in your mid thirties unless you had children while in med school. It's certainly a personal choice! I will say I never regret not going to med school. I don't look at the docs and "wish I were them" or "that could be me". I'm viewed as a peer and do my own thing everyday. PM me if you have any other questions!

futureeastcoastNP · Feb 20, 2014

Listen, regardless of whether you choose medical school or NP school, you will be 40 one day anyway. Medical school doesn't make you age any faster or slower. When you're 40 do you want to think "Yay, I followed my dreams!" or do you want to think "I've been an NP for 10 years and I feel unfulfilled."

NP is great, and they can do a lot, but there are limitations and issues. For one, there are currently less than 20 states where you can work without entering into an agreement with a physician, which can range from paying the physician a fee (10K+ per year) to review your charts up to full supervision without any ability to practice alone. Furthermore, the NP gold rush has left the field crowded, and just as the RN field has become completely saturated with high levels of unemployment, the same is happening for NPs. As a physician, you really will never be without a job.

Other things to consider:

- You WILL have to be an RN first, even if you don't work as one, the direct entry programs require that you do the BSN-RN portion first. That's one year (perhaps longer) of working as a bedside nurse during clinicals, doing things like bed baths, etc.

- If you are really into detail, NP may not be for you. NPs are highly competent and learn a lot, but they don't often go down to the cellular level in many programs. Depending on the program, there may be many gaps in your knowledge in certain subjects.

I am going the NP route because it works for me and I think they make highly competent providers for the area I want to work in (uninsured, FQHCs). If gastroenterology is your passion, I honestly don't know if NP is the best route.

BostonRN13 · Feb 20, 2014

Personally, if I were in your shoes with no nursing experience , I would become a PA. You will be paid the same, if not more than an NP. If you already succeded at a solid school like Brandeis, i'm sure you will be fine. Our roles our very similar, as I'm sure you would be able to easily search on previous allnurses posts. I couldn't imagine going to med school and get paid next to nothing and being pimped for another 4 years by attendings! But, you have to decide whats important to you..

futureeastcoastNP · Feb 20, 2014

Personally, if I were in your shoes with no nursing experience , I would become a PA. You will be paid the same, if not more than an NP. If you already succeded at a solid school like Brandeis, i'm sure you will be fine. Our roles our very similar, as I'm sure you would be able to easily search on previous allnurses posts. I couldn't imagine going to med school and get paid next to nothing and being pimped for another 4 years by attendings! But, you have to decide whats important to you..

Yes I forgot about PA. If you want the quicker cheaper route, but don't want to be an RN, PA is probably the best decision.

elkpark · Feb 20, 2014

If you really have the "fire in the belly" to be a physician, go for it. You don't want to regret not having done it years from now, when it really is too late.

allnurses Guide · Feb 20, 2014

You need to do what makes you happy. I assume if you have gone this far in your thinking you have shadowed both NPs/PAs and MDs? Are you planning to work in a primary care setting?

In the primary care setting there is really no difference in what MDs do versus what NPs and PAs do. I work in an internal medicine and gastro office and see both panels of patients. My role is the same as my MD partner.

In the hospital, he does scopes. I have been trained to do them but the hospital won't let me do them solo at this time. It doesn't bother me as I find them monotonous and would rather see people in clinic.

Remember both NP school and medical school will require prerequisite courses so plan on two years of that if you don't have your core sciences done.

Medical school will make having a baby a bit more difficult if that is in your 10-year plan; you will be 40 by the time you are done with residency and fellowship. This isn't a bad thing unless you want a family and prioritize that.

As far as NP vs PA it's a toss up; NPs have much more chance of practicing autonomously.

Dranger · Feb 20, 2014

You sound iffy about med school to be honest, you have to really want it. I remember when I was a 18 frosh in my BSN program and the scores of bio pre-meds who wanted to be docs. I know of 2-3 who started pre med program (close to 1000) who made it to med school. Time commitment and babies are the least of your worries. Honestly with no medical experience PA school probably won't be viable, many are very competitive requiring 1000s of hours of HCE to be even considered. You might have to bite the bullet and go RN first to see if you even like healthcare and work for a bit then decide PA vs NP. I know a few practicing PAs that were once RNs....

By the way you don't choose your residency, you have a list of preferences and then you match into one depending on a lot of factors.

allnurses Guide · Feb 21, 2014

Time commitment and babies are the least of your worries.

For some this is a far bigger worry than career and that is quite ok.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Feb 21, 2014

Not that an article should affect your decision but the physicians at work (residents, fellows, and attendings) felt that this article had some truth in it...

$1 million mistake: Becoming a doctor - CBS News

But they also said that as a physician, you must choose your specialty wisely. As an NP, I would say the same to fellow NP wannabes.

Dranger · Feb 21, 2014

For some this is a far bigger worry than career and that is quite ok.

That's why I was saying she sounds iffy about it. If you want something you go all out even when there are some sacrifices. Seems like med school isn't the right path for her and that's quite ok.

Gentleman_nurse, MSN · Feb 21, 2014

The intensity level of college level academics is nothing close to medical school. I took medical school anatomy one summer and was hell!. Not that the material is of high level but the sheer mass of content to master in a short period of time. There was very little time for anything other than eating and sleeping. I'm told this typical for medical school and it doesn't get any better as you advance in training. I highly suggest you and your spouse visit a medical school and speak to students especially older students such yourself with families. I don't wish to discourage but ask you to perform due diligence.