Nurses Going to Med School

featherz17 · Feb 9, 2009

Don't know about the difficulty level, but I would think you have an advantage over other students. I'm in my third semester of nursing school now and have thought about pursuing that route as well after graduating. I've talked to many others about this and the consensus is that nurses make great doctors because they know the caring side as well as the medical side. Good luck on your endeavor.

avahnel, ASN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

I am a nursing student, and I think if I ever want to further my education, I will become an advance practice nurse rather than a doctor. I know there is less $ for education, and I am a mother and taking the time to go through residency seems awful. I also can't imagine 36+ hour days ect. As an advance practice nurse, in many states you can prescribe medicines and see patients for office visits. As an MHNP, you can even do one on one psych counseling. I always though I wanted to be a doctor, and kind of looked at nursing as "well if I can't (don't want to take the time and spend the money) to be a doctor, I'll just be a nurse" However, now that I am in nursing school, I love nursing, and knowing that nurses look at the whole picture, not just what is wrong with the patient. I also like that nurses are wellness experts, not illness experts. Good luck in what ever you decide.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Feb 10, 2009

To go to medical school, you will have to complete a premed program, have a high GPA > 3.6 , and do well on the MCAT. Nurses do have an edge but it is a long process.

AcuteCareinProgress · Feb 10, 2009

To go to med school, you need to do the med school prereqs which are different than the pre-nursing or nursing classes. They are:

A year of general chem w/lab (diff from the 1 semester pre-nursing gen chem)

A year of organic chem a/lab (ditto)

A year of biology w/lab (few nurses have taken this - A&P does not substitute)

A year of physics w/lab (many nursing programs don't require physics, and one semester terminal courses will not suffice)

A year of college math (must include algebra and trig, almost all schools specifically require a semester of calculus, some also require a semester of stats, which most nurses have done)

To be competitive, you should have a science/math index of 3.5 in undergraduate courses (grad courses are not calculated into this), volunteer and/or research work, and strong MCATS.

It's a very rigorous path, and quite different from nursing.

BellasMommyOBRN · Feb 10, 2009

to go to medical school, you will have to complete a premed program, have a high gpa > 3.6 , and do well on the mcat. nurses do have an edge but it is a long process.

gpa doesn't have to be above a 3.6. maybe for the "better" schools but a friend of mine was accepted with a 3.3 (do school). just thought i would throw that in there!

i am thinking about doing the same thing. i say if you have the passion, go for it!

good luck

JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2009

There is no reason you shouldn't.

Nursing and medicine are two different beasts. I was pre-med before majoring in nursing. I was attracted to the diagnosis and "detective" of medicine before I realized how much I would enjoy the assessment skills of nursing, and much more.

Many people will say don't use nursing as a stepping stone to medicine.. but medical schools say you can major in anything. A lot of the requirements are the same.

First year of med school is anatomy and physiology, so you will have that advantage. Organic chem is said to help with the intense medical pharmacology.. but you will have a small edge.

If you really want to be a physician, then by all means... follow your heart. Only you can decide your happiness and you've got to do what is best for you in the long run.. not just the temporary.

RedCell · Feb 11, 2009

To be competitive you will have to take the REAL science classes. Your undergraduate nursing background will not count for much in the eyes of an admission committee.

JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2009

To be competitive you will have to take the REAL science classes. Your undergraduate nursing background will not count for much in the eyes of an admission committee.

Redcell,

Why do you think so?

"REAL" science classes? As to suggest nursing science courses are not... real? Not legitimate? Surely I hope that's not what you meant.

And from the adcoms I've spoken with at medical schools when I was pre-med considering nursing (I was aiming to do both prerequisite paths until I had a better idea of which path I really wanted to be in) they said it's just as acceptable as being an english major or biology major. They don't want picture-perfect biology majors. They want diversity. I know several successful medical students and residents who majored in poli sci, marketing, english, and used their electives for the prerequs. Nursing is not looked down upon to the medical schools.

A person interested in nursing obviously has an interest in the health professions and perhaps they craved more, wanted to learn more, got a taste of health careers and just wanted to take a different path.

"Will not count for much." To some adcoms, it means you are interested in health careers and that may carry weight.

AcuteCareinProgress · Feb 11, 2009

Red Cell is correct in that the pre-nursing classes simply do not fulfill the medical school prereqs. They don't. The pre-nursing gen chem is distinct from the pre-med gen chem, and so forth. It is a condensed and simplified version. Whatever adjective you use to describe them, they are not pre-med courses.

And yes, you can have any major you want. But, again, you need to fulfill the med school prereqs I previously posted, the nursing major will not include them.

RedCell · Feb 11, 2009

Redcell,
Why do you think so?
"REAL" science classes? As to suggest nursing science courses are not... real? Not legitimate? Surely I hope that's not what you meant.
And from the adcoms I've spoken with at medical schools when I was pre-med considering nursing (I was aiming to do both prerequisite paths until I had a better idea of which path I really wanted to be in) they said it's just as acceptable as being an english major or biology major. They don't want picture-perfect biology majors. They want diversity. I know several successful medical students and residents who majored in poli sci, marketing, english, and used their electives for the prerequs. Nursing is not looked down upon to the medical schools.
A person interested in nursing obviously has an interest in the health professions and perhaps they craved more, wanted to learn more, got a taste of health careers and just wanted to take a different path.
"Will not count for much." To some adcoms, it means you are interested in health careers and that may carry weight.

Look man, I am not trying to hurt any feelings here, but I am also not trying to feed the OP any BS. Lookit, most undergraduate programs require A&P I, II one semester of biology, one to two semesters of chemistry, and microbiology. These are not hard classes. Medical schools want something more challenging. I understand that there have been dudes that have gotten in with a Carl Marx major or even an art major......THIS IS NOT COMMON. Typically someone applying to med school needs a chemistry or biology major. You need chem I, II, organic I, II bio I II, biochemistry, microbiology, physics...etc. Most nursing school applicants have NOT taken these classes.

Also, look at the sciences taken in nursing school. Undergraduate nursing school pathophysiology and pharmacology are pretty basic compared to what you get into in a higher level of education. Classes such as cultural diversity (hippie love class) and nursing theory count for NOTHING.

I am not pulling this out of my a$*. Three of my buddies that I worked with went back to school while working together in open heart recovery to take these slightly more challenging classes. Two of us applied to nurse anesthesia school and two of us applied to med school. All of us got in. The med school guys were told on numerous occasions that their interviews were granted because of the post undergraduate classes they had gone back to take and had absolutely nothing to do with their BSN. For slightly less 'anecdotal' information, just take a look at what the typical medical school requires for admission, then look at the characteristics of the average student admitted.

This post mentions nothing of the countless hours of community service, research involvement and other various goodies that will make you competitive. This is something else to consider. I would suggest going to a physican/resident/med student internet board to get more in depth and accurate information from people who are actually taking this route.

inland18mempire · Feb 11, 2009

it's a very convoluted process. you have to take several prereqs, which are hard classes (among the hardest one can take), do VERY well in those and shine, get your bachelor's (high GPAs only), take the MCAT and once again, do well and shine on that. then after you interview and are accepted (hopefully!), you'll embark on 4 years of studying fairly constantly, then a residency, which ranges from 3 years to the nth year, depending on the specialty you choose to practice. it's a very long, and costly, road to take. a nursing degree may make you a unique applicant, but it's definitely not something that will get you ahead. nursing is considered an "easy" major, and you MUST take hardcore science classes to prove yourself. they are very, very, very difficult classes... especially organic chemistry. Very few people do well in those classes, and usually only the brighest people make it! Many people must apply to a TON of medical schools all over the country, and hopefully they will get an interview and accepted at just one. It's very, very, very difficult to get into medical school. If you are accepted, you will more than likely have to pack up and move to a new, unknown city. A friend of mine grew up here, in SoCal, and was accepted all the way heck over in New Jersey. She had to pack up everything and move out that way. She's now a resident, and makes very little money while working 80 hours a week. She has $250,000 in school-related debt. Because the debt amount attached with Medical School is SO HIGH, failing is NOT an option. You must succeed as a doctor or else you will spend your life paying that debt down. I'm not trying to discredit anyone in nursing school, but the difficulty level of nursing school to medical school isn't even comparable. The truth is, most nursing school students would flunk out. But hey, if you're truly dedicated, then go for it! :)