Nursing to Medical School

justwanttohelp12 · May 24, 2017

You're better off getting certified as an EMT/CNA then work for a few years while retaking classes then apply for DO programs. Post-bacc programs are difficult to get into. I know the UC system post-bacc programs only accept something like 10 individuals every cycle.

RegularNurse · May 25, 2017

You have a goal and stick with it!

Do not become a nurse. Every nurse I know who has ever wanted to become a doctor was miserable in the nursing role. Just keep on trucking. Honestly, consider paramedic school as a way to make cash on your journey.

popopopo · May 25, 2017

If you choose this route, here's what you're looking at to scrap together a decent application.

- Get your ADN/BSN (BSN might open some job opportunities depending where you are)

- Get a full-time job as a nurse because they aren't going to hire a new nurse part-time

- Get shadowing hours from physicians (some would argue this isn't necessary for a nurse)

- Get non-clinical volunteer experience to show altruism

- Consider getting clinical volunteer experience, despite you having decent clinical experiences from nursing

- Don't know your GPA, but you probably want to hit the bottom 10 percentile to median GPA of the schools you're applying to

- Get research experience IF you are applying to a research heavy school

- Get good letter of recommendations from science professors (your nursing professors will not count)

- Compose a compelling personal statement on your transitioning from a nurse to physician

- Get a decent MCAT score, which will test you over most of your pre-reqs and more. Your nursing classes will not help you whatsoever.

- Complete secondary essays after you have applied

- Interview at your medical school and hope you aren't rejected or put on a waitlist

- Wait as long as two weeks to more than half a year before you know you are accepted or not.

After you've done all of that, realize a 4.0 GPA and a 90%+ on the MCAT isn't guaranteed admission.The process starting from the day you SUBMIT your application to the day your start school will be a whole CALENDAR YEAR or more. It's a long and hard process.

al3x117, RN, EMT-B · May 25, 2017

I have thought the same thing man. I don't blame you one bit. My advice though is that if you want to go MD just keep your head up and go for gold. Nursing is a fine profession and I absolutely enjoy it even as a nursing student currently. It's tough but I think its a smarter way to go because if Med school didn't work out you still have nursing under your belt and can branch to different types of specialties. You gotta play the cards right so you have the goal but also have the backup plan. You could also be a flight nurse as well. Work prehospital and hospital care. Bringing the ED/ICU to the patient. Pretty intense job but probably well worth the training and knowledge base. That's my plan at least if medical school doesn't work out later in the future. It's really the knowledge base I am seeking because I want to continue to learn more and I enjoy school. Yes school is difficult and tough but if you work hard I believe you can achieve your goals. Pretty fortunate to have what I have and get the opportunity to do some awesome things with the life that I have. Best of luck to you man. Keep the goals realistic and keep the motivation on point. Always stay true to who you are and never settle for anything because later down the road you will look back and wonder "why is that not me right now." It's hard to know exactly your life purpose or what you want to do but that is what life is all about. To find what makes you happy and to see what you can achieve. Wish you all the best.

Editorial Team / Moderator · May 25, 2017

After you've done all of that, realize a 4.0 GPA and a 90%+ on the MCAT isn't guaranteed admission.The process starting from the day you SUBMIT your application to the day your start school will be a whole CALENDAR YEAR or more. It's a long and hard process.

Yep, all that. Watched my husband go through it, and many people he knows (and some of his current classmates) had to apply more than once. Some people apply for several cycles. I am very glad my husband got accepted to the school he wanted during his first application cycle. He applied to 27 schools (only MD programs), submitted secondary applications to probably 20 (another fee per school for most of those, a couple of schools were free), interviewed at four and was accepted by two. This is not something that you think about lightly if you are serious. You need strong letters of recommendation from your science profs, and if they don't remember you, good luck with that. The MCAT is brutal as well. And if you get an interview with a school, you had better shine.

And as another poster mentioned, you cannot replace grades for the purposes of medical school. They see ALL of them, not just your highest grade.

allnurses Guide · May 25, 2017

You should speak with the premedical adviser at your college and try and get a handle on what you need to be competitive in applying to medical school, as much of it may depend on your undergraduate institution. These advisers will typically give you truthful estimates of your chance at medical school.

If your GPA is less than 3.4-3.5, you may have a seriously uphill trek ahead for acceptance into any provider school (PA, NP, MD, DO, etc), not to say that you shouldn't shoot for it if that's what you want to do.

If you think you can do well on the MCAT, take it. MCAT scores between medical schools are fairly flat, suggesting if you can score 28-30/500-510 you might have a shot at a USME program.

dayandnight · May 25, 2017

So I've read all the people saying, "Nursing to medical school is a waste of time." But I have a scenario. I'll graduate with my BS in Cardiovascular Technology soon, which gives me all the pre reqs for medical school. My GPA isn't the most competitive, so i plan on maybe taking some Post-Bacc classes to raise my GPA. I ultimately want to be a surgeon, however, I believe nursing would allow me to have a career in a hospital setting before I get there. I understand cardiovascular technologists are also in a hospital, but I think I'd rather spend my time as a nurse. Both are interesting areas. And no, I'm not "stealing" an opportunity from other nurses, it's just something in interested I'm. I've always been infactuated with pediatric and trauma nurses . I'm very goal-oriented, so I don't mind that extra work. Currently, I have all the pre-reqs for ADN, so I would just need to take the upper level classes. If you do think this is a good idea, do you recommend i go for the BSN? If I could get some ACTUAL NURSES or NURSES-MD to give me some tips or help, that'd be great.

As a person who is trying to get into med school after becoming an RN first (due to other personal circumstances) I recommend just getting a job in a clinical setting with your bachelors and just try for med school straight away. taking the nursing program will drop your GPA and it is not worth going the long way and spending all that money if you are not going to have a career as a nurse in the future.

AlexRNBSN · Mar 9, 2019

On 5/24/2017 at 4:25 PM, chacha82 said:
I don't think it makes much sense. If you want to be a doctor, put your energy towards that. Med students don't work while they're in school - at least not as nurses. I follow an Osetopath student on Instagram and I think she makes some money working online doing beauty products - definitely not traditional work. Med school just doesn't allow time for working as a nurse. So, what would the point be? If you go to nursing school and then work in a hospital, you will spend at least 1 year as a New grad before you would be an experienced nurse (and that is still a baby in nursing years). So you would be deferring med school by at least 3 years.

? are you talking about Medina Culver? If so, she’s amazing! Love her.