Whether is it from a Nursing Instructor or classmate, I keep hearing that Nursing School is HARD, HARD, HARD!!! This is no big surprise to me that is hard, but it seems strange that this is emphasized so much; it seems like people are trying to scare people away from Nursing, or maybe there are other reasons. I've never heard people emphasize this aspect of Medical School to the extent that I hear it about Nursing School. I think medical students know they are doing something hard, and I never hear anyone emphasizing again and again how hard medical school is. Why is Nursing School treated like the most difficult thing to do on the planet? OK, sure it is hard, but to keep emphasizing this makes it almost sound like the person saying it maybe didn't get any respect for how hard they worked, so they want everyone else to be impressed with how smart they are to have made it through. I just never hear Doctors going around saying how hard Medical School was, and I think it because everyone knows it is a hard thing to do. It sounds like Nurses have an inferiority complex. What gives?
For me, when I was Pre-Med I attended a lot of places where they said that it was going to be the hardest thing of our lives. I think the thing with Med School is that the admissions process is EXTREMELY competitive and only the best get in. The people that do get in are the types that are capable of handling massive amounts of work.
Nursing school, some people get in who maybe shouldn't have. The material is easy, just large in volume. The material from my pre-reqs for med school was 10x more challenging. However, it has helped me immensely. I think that nurses should be required to take Biochemistry or a metabolism class -- these classes make Patho a walk in the park.
Premed definitely has a lot of difficult classes BSN doesn't touch. A full year of Chem, a full year of organic chem, a full year of physics... The BSN programs I am applying to only require one semester of general chem.
I agree the premed prerecs are way harder than the prenursing ones. If organic chem were required for BSN I think there'd be a lot less nursing students and a lot less BSN's.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I agree with what another poster said. If Nursing School is the hardest thing you have faced in your life, consider yourself lucky.
My school in WA did require Organic Chem and Inorganic Chem, it wasn't the year long classes though. My school here didn't require them but I had already taken them so it can be used towards my BSN.
We all should just strive to be on Dr. Houses team where you are Doctors and do all the nursing stuff too
I agree the premed prerecs are way harder than the prenursing ones. If organic chem were required for BSN I think there'd be a lot less nursing students and a lot less BSN's.
I agree the premed prerecs are way harder than the prenursing ones. If organic chem were required for BSN I think there'd be a lot less nursing students and a lot less BSN's.
I have found the nursing pre-requisite courses at the community college to be almost a cake-walk compared to the pre-med pre-requisite courses at a top-ranked public university. The widespread level of ability that was required at the university does not really exist at the community college I attend. For every 1-2 hours I spend studying for the A's in my nursing pre-reqs., I must have easily spent 4-8 hours on the pre-med courses (just to get a B!)
I'm not putting down anyone who attends a community college (I am!) or is pursuing nursing and not medicine (I am!).
I am close with someone who completed 12 or 13 years of training from undergrad to fellowship to become a radiologist . I will need only 3.5 years to enter the nursing profession. So yeah, I would think med school is just a bit harder.
Not to mention, people think the NCLEX is the hardest thing in the world...most people get 75 questions and are done in an hour. Think about the boards you have to pass after all the years of med school, pharmacy school, whatever other healthcare school where you get license. Most of those exams are both written(mult choice, essay, complex math, many logic questions, assessments, etc.) and the practicum part where you pass/fail a bunch of different procedures, tests, etc. that you would do as an MD(which are a tad bit more complex than a foley insertion, or sterile dressing change). If people freak out about CPE's in nursing school about inserting a foley for a teacher, imagine someone holding your future as an MD in their hands(your license, all the years you put into med school, debt, stress, lost sleep)...and you have to do procedures for them perfectly as part of your licensure exam......then get back to me about which is harder.
Not to mention, people think the NCLEX is the hardest thing in the world...most people get 75 questions and are done in an hour. Think about the boards you have to pass after all the years of med school, pharmacy school, whatever other healthcare school where you get license. Most of those exams are both written(mult choice, essay, complex math, many logic questions, assessments, etc.) and the practicum part where you pass/fail a bunch of different procedures, tests, etc. that you would do as an MD(which are a tad bit more complex than a foley insertion, or sterile dressing change). If people freak out about CPE's in nursing school about inserting a foley for a teacher, imagine someone holding your future as an MD in their hands(your license, all the years you put into med school, debt, stress, lost sleep)...and you have to do procedures for them perfectly as part of your licensure exam......then get back to me about which is harder.
Yep, I agree. I'm really surprised that nurses don't have to take part in any psychomotor demonstration. Heck, even for the National Registry EMT exam I had to demonstrate maybe nine skills station, and they had to be done perfectly. There was no room for error or improvisation. I know that physicians have to do this as well with some of their boards and so forth. I really wish ALL nurses did. I also think the NR exam was harder than NCLEX sample questions I've taken.
I think Arkansas requires 15 hours of CEUs per year which is nothing. When I got out of teaching they requird 60 hours, and I'll refrain from an EMS example again.
Came back to add: Medical students and residents would laugh this thread off the map.
I know what you mean..many nursing students and graduates love to discuss in detail the exorbidant difficulties of nursing school. These folks then proceed to explain how their school in particular is higher in quality and difficulty than other schools. I get that they are proud, but I find some of their claims hyperbolic and pretentious, or just desperate.
I went to an Accelerated BSN program at Texas A&M, it was not a breeze, but it was perfectly doable; I graduated magna cum laude and am no smarter than average.
As far as NS being harder than med school..I haven't been to both, but I suspect med school is exceedingly harder. Nursing school is harder when it comes to busywork bs, my friends in med school have yet to write one paper!
I found some practice MCAT and PCAT stuff. And the title of what I found was "introductory review". Stated that this was the "basic review from undergraduate level".
These are entry level chemistry...brings back memories lol
3. Given the balanced equation: Mg(s) + 2HCL(aq) --> MgCl2(aq) + H2(g)
At STP, what is the total number of liters of hydrogen gas produced when 3.00 moles of hydrochloric acid solution is completely consumed?
A. 11.2 L
B. 22.4 L
C. 33.6 L
D. 44.8 L
4. Given the reaction at equilibrium: 2CO(g) + O2(g) --> 2CO2(g)
When the reaction is subjected to stress, a change will occur in the concentration of
A. Reactants, only
B. Products, only
C. Both products and reactants
D. Neither reactants nor products
7. Given the redox reaction: Fe2+(aq) + Zn(s) --> Zn2+(aq) + Fe(s)
Which species acts as a reducing agent?
A. Fe(s)
B. Fe2+(aq)
C. Zn(s)
D. Zn2+(aq)
8. Given the reaction: Zn(s) + 2HCl(aq) --> ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g)
Which equation represents the correct oxidation half-reaction?
A. Zn(s) --> Zn2+ + 2e-
B. 2H + 2e---> H2(g)
C. Zn2+ + 2e --> Zn(s)
D. 2Cl- --> Cl2(g) + 2e-
14. At 1 atm and 298 K, which of the Ka values listed below represents the strongest acid?
A. 1.1 x 10-7
B. 1.8 x 10-5
C. 5.6 x 10-11
D. 4.6 x 10-4
15. Which compound will conduct an electric current when dissolved in water?
A. NaOH
B. C2H5OH
C. C6H12O6
D. C12H22O11
16. Which half reaction correctly represents oxidation?
A. Sn2+ + 2e --> Sn0
B. Sn4+ + 2e- --> Sn2+
C. Sn2 --> Sn0 + 2e
D. Sn2+ --> Sn4+ + 2e
9. A condensation polymerization reaction is best described as the
A. Joining of monomers by the removal of oxygen
B. Joining of monomers by the removal of water
C. Oxidation of a hydrocarbon by oxygen
D. Oxidation of a hydrocarbon by water
best means it's not 100% true, but it's truer than the others
And to those who said basica A&P is difficult..this is what some people have to learn about the body. and this is just basic stuff too..no critical thinking involved with this A&P part.
1. Which of the following is not a muscle identified in the rotator cuff?
A. Teres Major
B. Teres Minor
C. Infraspinatus
D. Supraspinatus
2. Which of the following is not a component of the unhappy triad?
A. MCL
B. PCL
C. ACL
D. Medial Meniscus
3. Which of the following is not included in the femoral triangle?
A. Femoral Artery
B. Femoral Nerve
C. Femoral Vein
D. Femoral Ligament
4. Which of the following is not a component of the carotid sheath?
A. Cranial nerve X
B. Common carotid artery
C. Internal jugular vein
D. Cranial nerve IX
5. Which of the following spinal dermatome level corresponds with the landmark of the inguinal ligament?
A. T10
B. L1
C. L3
D. L5
6. Which of the following nerves innervates the deltoid?
A. Radial
B. Cranial nerve XI
C. Subscapular
D. Axillary
7. Wrist extensors are primarily controlled by what nerve?
A. Radial
B. Ulnar
C. Median
D. Tibial
8. Adductor pollicis in the hand is controlled by which nerve?
A. Radial
B. Ulnar
C. Median
D. Tibial
9. Which of the following arteries is the most frequent site of coronary artery stenosis?
A. LCA
B. RCA
C. LAD
D. PD
10. Which of the following nerves is not directly linked to the L2-L3 spinal level?
A. Tibial
B. Obturator
C. Femoral
11. Which of the following passageways contain the maxillary nerve and blood vessels?
A. Stylomastoid foramin
B. Inferior orbital fissure
C. Foramen ovale
D. Carotid canal
12. Which of the following passageways contain the facial nerve and blood vessels?
A. Stylomastoid foramin
B. Inferior orbital fissure
C. Foramen ovale
D. Carotid canal
13. Which of the following passageways contain the internal carotid artery?
A. Foramen rotundum
B. Condylar canal
C. Foramen ovale
D. Carotid canal
14. Which of the following is the most common site of disc herniation?
A. C6-7
B. T12-L1
C. L4-5
D. L5-S1
15. Which of the following ligaments is not found in the knee?
A. Patellar ligament
B. Oblique popliteal ligament
C. Arcuate popliteal ligament
D. Deltoid ligament
16. Which of the following nerves innervates the teres minor muscle?
A. Subscapular nerve
B. Suprascapular nerve
C. Axillary nerve
D. Pectoral nerve
17. Which of the following nerves innervates the pronator teres muscle?
A. Radial
B. Median
C. Musculocutaneous
D. Ulnar
18. Which of the following supplies the muscles of the perineum?
A. Pudendal nerve
B. Sciatic nerve
C. Femoral nerve
D. Tibial nerve
19. Which of the following eye muscles rotates the eye downward and away from midline?
A. Inferior oblique
B. Superior oblique
C. Inferior rectus
D. Superior rectus
20. Which of the following eye muscles rotates the eye upward and toward midline?
A. Inferior oblique
B. Superior oblique
C. Inferior rectus
I just picked some of these out of the random sections. There are countless other sections about GI, Neuro, Skin, etc.
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. I will need only 3.5 years to enter the nursing profession. So yeah, I would think med school is just a 
I get that they are proud, but I find some of their claims hyperbolic and pretentious, or just desperate.
ImThatGuy, BSN, RN
2,139 Posts
I frequent multiple forums during the day one of which is (or was) the Student Doctor Network. They find time to complain, lol.