Nursing or Medical School

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I am a 22 year-old, recently married (I know I'm young to be married) college student. I am looking at starting a family in the next 3-5 years. I have changed my major several times because I am too interested in a wide range of subjects and can't seem to focus. I currently have an AA and an AS, having taken advanced science and math classes and lots of humanities.

Originally, I wanted to be a doctor but am worried about the financial responsibilities with going to medical school. However, I am a straight-A student and want a career that will challenge me intellectually. Truthfully, I really want to change lives and help people. I want to form relationships with my patients if I'm in the medical field. I am considering nursing. Specifically, I'd like to become a nurse practitioner or maybe a physician assistant. I am only skeptical because my mother is a nurse and has had many problems with the profession. Plus, she is very competitive and, honestly, will be threatened by me becoming a nurse.

My question to all of you fine nurses is, if given the option, would you have gone to medical school instead of becoming a nurse? Also, do you find your work rewarding and challenging?

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I was a premed student - now currently going for a second BS in nursing. The two careers are completely different! I'm sure many of the seasoned nurses will say the same thing, people don't become a nurse just because they didn't have the option to become a doctor. I shadowed a MD senior year of college and realized med school just wasn't for me. Just because your mother had problems with the profession doesn't mean you will, but I wouldn't chose nursing just because its cheaper!

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Specializes in Pediatrics/Developmental Pediatrics/Research/psych.

Depending on where you live, you might want to go straight for PA. If you have two associate degrees, chances are you have most of the prerequisites

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After seeing what my brother went through to become a doctor, I am quite happy as a nurse.

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If I could turn back time I might go for an MD. Everybody is becoming a nurse now, however it takes such commitment for the MD education. It's tough. You can start with nursing and double major with Bio in case you want to continue to an MD. Plenty of MDs started as nurses. Search for threads on here with that topic.

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I was premed then switched to nursing. I wish I would have gone to medical school instead. Actually I started applying to law school but the job market isn't good for lawyers right now. I've always wanted to be at a higher level and thought law school would be great and I could go into healthcare law. But again the job market isn't good for lawyers either at the moment.

I'm still considering going to medical school but the DO route because I'm untraditional and really like the DO's I work with. But like I tell everyone who poses questions like this. It is your decision to make and not a bunch of strangers on a website. If your heart is in medicine then go that route if not do somehow else. Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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Specializes in CCM, PHN.

Go PA or MD. Nursing sucks.

Ah, to be 22 and be worried what mom thinks! Youth.

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Well I did both (pre-med/nursing) and can tell you they can be completely different and to make matters worse when you graduate as a BSN you pretty much have to put your Medical School plans on hold like I did until you gain RN experience to use as a back up. MY point is if you do all of nursing school then focus on pre-med your RN license is going to go stagnant and if you can't get into med school you are also SOL for nursing because you have no experience. There is no way you can work full 12s as an RN and do pre-reqs for med school because a new grad you have little say in your schedule.

A few points to consider:

1. Pre-med classes are completely different and a hell of a lot harder than nursing pre-reqs or nursing in general.

2. You have to grasp time commitment, you already said you can't pick an area to settle and focus on and let me tell you, you can't just "fiddle" with the idea of med school. Many people do that in college which is why you see A TON of freshman pre-meds and by the time they are seniors there are almost none left. You have to dive completely into it or you won't last

3. You already got married which I am sorry it's not going to help you. The added stress of marriage, finishing up college and trying to start a family in the near future is going to hurt you especially if your spouse has career plans as well.

4. I know a lot of docs and many tell me to go ARNP, mainly because of the changing health care field mid-levels will eventually take over primary care with docs doing the specialty work. Many wouldn't do med school again because of the cost to benefit ratio and time involved.

5. You are 22. Factor in 2-3 years for a bachelors and pre-reqs, 1 year gap year or MCAT prep, 4 years med school, 4+ years residency plus internships/fellowships. You will be well over 30 before even practicing so keep that in mind.

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If I could turn back time I might go for an MD. Everybody is becoming a nurse now, however it takes such commitment for the MD education. It's tough. You can start with nursing and double major with Bio in case you want to continue to an MD. Plenty of MDs started as nurses. Search for threads on here with that topic.

NO chance in hell unless you want to take 30 credits (8 classes plus clinicals) a semester or you won't graduate even close to on time. I took classes during the summer and that was the only way because nursing pre-reqs count for NOTHING when it comes to med school.

I don't know what she means by advance science but pre med is usually:

2 semesters Gen Bio

2 semesters Physics

2 semesters Inorganic/Gen Chem

2 semesters Organic Chem

1 or semester Calc

Recommended: 1 semester Biochem or Microbiology (The REAL microbiology not the nursing version)

Then Englisha and some other gen ed stuff she probably has.

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The above is just the minimum to apply. To be competitive you need to go beyond the minimum.

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As a premed major I had to take a year of inorganic chemistry, a year of organic chem, a semester of biochem, and then a year of analytical chemistry. The nursing schools I'm applying to require no chemistry. Woof. I was reading an article today that was saying with PAs/NP its really hard to find kids that want to commit to the time/debt of med school.......Wonder why.

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As a premed major I had to take a year of inorganic chemistry, a year of organic chem, a semester of biochem, and then a year of analytical chemistry. The nursing schools I'm applying to require no chemistry. Woof. I was reading an article today that was saying with PAs/NP its really hard to find kids that want to commit to the time/debt of med school.......Wonder why.

Which is why I chuckle when I see posters on here complain about simple A/P or watered down nursing chem.

/sigh

They don't even know how hard it can get...

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