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?
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...
Exactly. Took physics, calc 1, chemistry my first semester in college. Then physics 2, calc 2 and biology the next. Yeah I developed some gray hair after that school year. A&P was an easy A+ and I messed up the grading curve in my class because I kept getting scores in the high 90's or some 100% on the tests.
Disclaimer
Not saying that nursing school was a cake walk. Some of my med surg classes were hard and made A&P look like a kindergarten class.
Go for nursing first. That way you can gain some health experience for 1-2 years and save up some money for med school so you won't be a slave to loans.
I assume you have most of your premed requirements done since you have an AS?
Then apply for med school. You could probably work part time as a nurse during school if you have time.
If you want to be a doctor, just do it. Nursing can just be your stepping stone. Alot of people do it here anyways.
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.
Dang, a year of analytical chemistry for med school?!??!! I could probably do a semester but a year?Sounds intense and tedious!
I was like ellaballet. Thinking of med school, shadowed a doctor and did some research and decided nursing was for me. Med school is expensive but the return on investment is pretty good, as far as I understand. So really, I think it comes down to which you'd prefer to do.
Once upon a time I wanted to be a doctor until I saw the academic requirements. When I was 22, all I wanted to do was graduate not go to school for another 4 years! Anyway med school is a serious commitment and I doubt you would want to start a family in the middle of it since you are making at least 6 or 7 year commitment (probably more with residency). My suggestion if you really want to be a doctor, go straight for it because of the educational and time commitment. If you are not sure, do nursing or PA (BS program) and then if later you decide you want to be a doctor you can then work while fulfilling pre-req requirements for med school. Good luck!
Depending on the state you live in, you have to get a Bachelor's degree before applying to PA school. Where I live, it will be a requirement to get the DNP as of 2015. So, you can't just go straight for PA or NP with just an associate's degree. Believe me, I'd be doing that right now, if I could.
I'm getting my BSN and finishing the pre-reqs for PA school at the same time. The pre-reqs for PA here are the exact same as pre-med. In fact, the school I want to go to for PA had both PA & med students in the same classes the first 2 years. The PA students then branch off and do specialized clinicals. It's 25 credits a semester and very intense.
I'm doing nursing to get valuable healthcare experience prior to PA school. In my state, PAs & NPs both need a physician review to write scripts, so I see no reason to get the DNP. At my age, I want to be done (in my 40s). I would have loved to go to med school, but at my age, I'd never recoup the investment.
Many med schools won't even consider you unless you already have a Bachelor's degree, so finish your BSN if you can. I really feel like the knowledge & patient care experience I'm getting in nursing school will be invaluable when I go on to PA school.
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DoeRN
941 Posts
Exactly. Took physics, calc 1, chemistry my first semester in college. Then physics 2, calc 2 and biology the next. Yeah I developed some gray hair after that school year. A&P was an easy A+ and I messed up the grading curve in my class because I kept getting scores in the high 90's or some 100% on the tests.
Disclaimer
Not saying that nursing school was a cake walk. Some of my med surg classes were hard and made A&P look like a kindergarten class.
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