Nursing or Med-School???

TexasCowgirl24 · Jan 11, 2009

Do you want to be a nurse or a doctor? It's like comparing apples to oranges. Just because they are both in the healthcare field does not mean they are the same. I would suggest you compare what it takes to become an anesthesiologist and CRNA. Make sure you are doing what you want. I would hate to finish school and then hate what I was doing.

Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN · Jan 11, 2009

Two year nursing are you saying you are going to be a LPN ( there is nothing wrong with this) if you are in a PN program then you need to be straight A+. If you graduate with a high GPA then I see medical school in your future. If not go on to the RN program.

IGiveTheShots · Jan 11, 2009

I'm interested to know the motives of your decision. Is salary at all involved? I'm not judging, but based on your desire to be a CRNA or doctor it seems to be. If that is in fact the case, I would reevaluate you path and try to figure out what it is that you want exactly. It would suck to go through with all of school only to realize that you are unhappy.

Have you also considered tuition costs and time? After you finish this two year program (whether its LPN or a direct entry grad program), you would still have well over 100K in med school debt and four years of schooling ahead of you.

TexasCowgirl is right. The two careers are in the same field, but based on different levels and perspectives. Again, make sure you do some true soul searching and decide what you believe to be the path that suits you best.

czyja, MSN, RN · Jan 13, 2009

Finish what you have started. This will be important no matter what route you take. And it gives you more options.

patrick1rn, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 13, 2009

If time is not a factor. Time...

To go to medical school you will have to take 4 yrs of pre reqs.

4 yrs of medical school

3 yr internship/residency

11 yrs total mininum

2 yr RN

2 yrs for your BSN, then 2 to 3 yrs for your MSN

7 yrs total

You already know the differences between an RN and MD, so I wont get into that. I know I will get some slack for saying this, but when you start working as a NP, you dont really do RN work anymore.

BellasMommyOBRN · Jan 16, 2009

i have contemplated medical school and i'm not sure about 4 years of pre req's. let me give you some insight on my courses of action so far:

first, i inquired about ub's medical school and when they told me that i needed (obviously) a bachelors degree, they said to do something that i was really interested in. they told me that getting a degree in "biology" wasn't necessarily any better, it would just save me time on pre-req's.

i chose nursing because it was something i am interested in. plus, being a single mom, i could work with that degree if med school didn't work out for me.

so, i went to a cc and got my associates degree in science. i knocked out the usual nursing pre-req's as well as some of the med school pre-req's.

with my associates in science, i am now transferring into a 4 yr school to finish my bsn.

so, i guess in a way, you can do both! i am making it work for me :)

good luck!!!

if time is not a factor. time...
to go to medical school you will have to take 4 yrs of pre reqs.
4 yrs of medical school
3 yr internship/residency
11 yrs total mininum
2 yr rn
2 yrs for your bsn, then 2 to 3 yrs for your msn
7 yrs total
you already know the differences between an rn and md, so i wont get into that. i know i will get some slack for saying this, but when you start working as a np, you dont really do rn work anymore.

czyja, MSN, RN · Jan 16, 2009

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So, I guess in a way, you can do both! I am making it work for me :)
Good Luck!!!

Right on! We all make our way in the world as best as we can. It looks like you are doing a magnificent job of it.

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Jan 16, 2009

My suggestion would be to finish your bachelors (while also finishing your med school pre-reqs) and get in a year or so of being an RN before you apply. As med school seats have not increased in proportion with the demand for doctors and the percentage of the population graduating college, it has become progressive harder to get into medical school right out of college - to the point that most programs admit people a couple years out of school who either have gotten masters or done other work to improve their applications. Working as an RN will show admissions committees that you know and understand what a physician does and what the job is like (as you'll have seen them work first-hand), and is a bonus. As long as you can hack the organic chem, biochem, and an advanced bio class or two, you should be good. The MCAT is a pain, but so is the NCLEX from what I've heard.

Also, if you don't get into medical school, if you have your RN you still have lots of career options - which is definitely a point to consider.

Josh2452 · Feb 25, 2009

Don't take any medical school pre reqs at a CC. Typically medical schools will discount these. Also, why would you ever pursue nursing as your major if you are planning to go to med school. Choose one or the other.

TheSquire, DNP, APRN, NP · Feb 26, 2009

I wouldn't be so negative, especially since the OP is still relatively young. However, I'd definitely still keep in mind that more or less every med skool requires a bachelors, so you'll need to do an RN to BSN program, and then do 7 years of medical school and residency before you'll be autonomous. If you're up for that, fine. If not, I'd go the APN route - that's my plan, at least.