Nursing or Medicine???

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Hey I am woried which path i should go to nursing or medicine? I currently attend UC davis, but i wish to transfer out and go to sfsu and persue a BSN and then go to an anesthesit masters program and get my certification there, and become a CRNA. Or should i keep attending UC davis in hopes i can get into a medical school and then become a doctor??? My plans were to become a doctor but i really messed up my first year at davis, and med school are hard to get into, and i was wondering wat i would do if i didnt get into a med school, so should i stop while i am ahead and go to a nursuing program, cause i dont want to go back to school if my plans of being a doctor fails.

I need advice.

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Specializes in NICU Someday, I Hope.

Well, do you want to be a nurse? It's not something that you should pursue without some real interest.

No offense but it doesn't much sound like you want to be a doctor, either. If you were really driven to a doctor, why would you let a bad year make the decision for you? Is it that you've concluded that you're just not a strong enough student to compete, even at the third tier schools? Have you considered going the DO route (which is not quite so competitive) or even lowering your sights to become a podiatrist?

There's another hitch in your plan. While not as tough to enter as med school, getting into a CRNA program is no slam dunk, especially if you're not a great student. Frankly, if your undergrad grades are so bad that you have no hope of getting into med school then I think you're going to find it a challenge to get into a CRNA program.

Would you be happy as an RN in one of the bazillions of paths to which that can lead? If not, I'd suggest caution in heading toward an RN simply as a stepping stone to the CRNA.

You should also be aware that the BSN programs are pretty dang competitive these days. When you say you "messed up", how badly? Do you mean you "only" got a 3.5 or do you mean that you pulled C's in chemistry?

For sure, though, nursing is not something to pursue *just* because you can't get into med school.

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I got lower than a 2.0 my first year, it was due to my language barriere and the transition to college, i never knew what i wanted to be in life, but my parents always forced me to go into a school and become a doctor, to this day i am questioning if that is right for me, i will be starting my second year at davis this fall , and i want to go a different path before every plan fails for me. I did well in high school i had a 3.9 and got all As in my science classes, i know i can do good in sfsu, since i took a summer course there and got a B in it with average work.

My fear is that being rejected by med schools, and trying to figure out a different path.

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Specializes in NICU Someday, I Hope.

Why do you think that you'll do well at SFSU going forward but not at UCD?

I guess it doesn't make any difference. In either case, you can probably be competitive for med school if you turn it around beginning next quarter or semester. Of course, your parents' desires are a lousy reason to pursue medical school. Even getting there requires an enormous amount of effort. Succeeding there requires even more. Residency, I'm sure you know, is brutal. Do it if you really want it but not just because your parents want their kid to be a doctor.

Regarding nursing school, my cautions still stand: If you'd be miserable in any field of nursing besides CRNA, I'd be very cautious about heading down that road.

My advice would be stay at UCD (I happen to really like the area and the school) and kick *$$ next year while you decide what you really want. At this point, you're not going to get into a BSN program with your grades. Actually, you won't even get into an ADN program because most that I've seen here in Cali require a 3.0 to get a slot.

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yeah, but i wanted to transfer through my community college units, i have enough units through CC and AP scores that i can be a sophmore at SFSU if i plan to go there, and i wouldnt transfer any of my grads to sfsu from UCD. And also I have a 3.89 GPA from my Community college courses, besides that i took 4 prerequisites for the BSN prgram at SFSU at my local Community college.

I originally wanted to be a CRNA, due to the money, i read that they make alot of money while still caring for the patients.

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Specializes in NICU Someday, I Hope.

Just so you know: You'll be committing perjury if you don't report your UCD grades to SFSU or any other school. If, somehow, they find out about them, you will be disenrolled. I have no idea what is the likelihood that they'd find out about grades that you don't report.

Personally, I advocate for being honest.

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Just an observation here...

Nursing is not a backup in case medicine doesn't pan out. I think you should love whatever it is you choose to pursue, but we're talking about two completely different disciplines. One is not "higher" or "better" than the other. It's like peaches and pears... two totally different entities with different approaches to patient care. One is not an extension to the other.

Much good luck to you whatever you decide to do.

Carry on!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

There's a medical model, and there's a nursing model. The two are starkly different, and are not interchangeable or replaceable for each other. In other words, nursing school is not simply a backup plan if you cannot make it to medical school.

I also agree with the fact that the desires of our parents often conflict with our own desires. My mother wanted me to become a lawyer. Her desire for me to become a lawyer stemmed from her own failures at completing a paralegal course at a trade school when she was 18 years old. Sometimes, our parents misguidedly hope that their own lofty aspirations will be realized by their children. You, however, must do whatever feels natural for you. After all, it is your life.

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is there an alternative way to becoming a CRNA if i get my BS in ucdavis. vs getting a BSN?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
is there an alternative way to becoming a CRNA if i get my BS in ucdavis. vs getting a BSN?
No...

The prerequisites for CRNA school are the BSN degree, and several years of hospital experience as a staff nurse in a critical care specialty. In other words, you must have the degree and the nursing experience before even applying to a CRNA program.

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What if i get bashelors in neurobiology, and then get my masters in nursing can i still be eligible for a CRNA program??? with an MSN??

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I think you need to rethink this plan altogether.

In order to get into a CRNA program, you have to be an RN and usually have to have ventilator experience for a few years before being considered for a CRNA program. EITHER WAY, you will HAVE to work on a floor for a few years before even being eligible for the program. Also, I do not think that you can get a masters in nursing without actually being an RN beforehand!!

Maybe you need to consider other options besides medicine.

Go see a career counselor!

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