Nursing School or Med School?!? BOTH?

Miss Mab · Feb 9, 2008

Well, I see it as you have two choices. Or three but I'll get to that after:

1) Finish the BSN portion and along the way and maybe even after working a full year as an RN you get done the 6 whole classes you'll need for med school pre-reqs. And study for MCAT. Six classes in two or three years seems pretty doable. Then, you'll also have some income from working both before and maybe even a little bit during med school. Many nurses or EMT/etc. continue to pull a few shifts during med. May be tougher, but oh well. Thery're already ahead of the game because they've already been around, you know, real patients.

2) Chuck the BSN now and adjust your major to include the needed pre-reqs and apply immediately after undergrad. It'll be a lot sooner but think it would cost you more in the long run.

or, there is 3) Continue on with the whole shebang up until APN and see if that does satisfy your goals. Even then you can still apply to med if it doesn't. However, if you already now you want the 'prestige' and are sick of explaining what an APN is (who isn't by the way) then don't even think about this option. Plus, you'll be taking a valuable spot in a master's program and you'll look like a douche if you already KNOW you want 'more.'

Tough call--and I can't way in on the kid thing. Seems god usually laughs at our little plans so I wouldn't majorly let tht factor into my decision. Plenty of working folks and full time med students have kids all the time. Plus, I do believe you'll be carrying thr 'easier' load of the two :)

Good luck. I do know it's hard, however, if I had ever even ONCE thought that I might wanna be a doc at any point back in undergrad, I would've adjusted my planning then. You either want that path or you don't. I never did.

If it were me--I'd do option #1 just based on the more options/more $$ points

icyounurse, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2008

I think

icyounurse, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2008

Sorry about the above post.I think that you should have more nursing experience than that if you want to be a Nurse Practitioner. Wow, just one year? Sounds dangerous. I am starting my program hopefully this summer and I have been working full time for 4 years to get a knowledge base in my specialty(adult acute care), and the program I applied to only takes people with 2 years plus experience minimum in the area they wish to specialize in. Alot of places are weary of hiring "Nurse Practitioners" who didn't really work as RN's, because the skills you learn as a nurse are a foundation for your skills as an NP. You will not come out of nursing school a competent and knowledgeable RN, that takes time. And only competent and knowledgeable RN's should go to NP school.

Nurse Practitioners and MD's are very different fields and the training is very different. I think you should do some research about whether you want to treat with the nursing model or the medical model, MD's use a curative approach, and NP's a holistic approach. I think it is great you are thinking of med school, more power to you, I never had the desire to devote myself to the hospital for 8 years plus myself. :nuke:Good luck to you.

jlcole45 · Feb 9, 2008

The question should be - why do you think you want to be a doctor? Is it just the title? You need to do some soul searching first before making that sort of committment.

Just remember most of the docs work 60+ hours a week and essentially have no life out side of work, and have huge school debts - so some end up unhappy, but are stuck because of their financial indebtiness.

My recommendation is stick with the nursing - get your license and work. That is the only true way of understanding the various healthcare roles.

Then if you want an advanced degree in nursing or medicine then great. You will be a better NP, PA or MD because of your nursing education and experience.

Music in My Heart · Feb 9, 2008

Well, I think prestige is a pretty silly reason to pick any career, especially one that requires the sacrifices of becoming a physician.

That said, if you really think you might like to go on to be a physician, you should finish whatever degree you can most quickly acquire. Probably finishing your BSN is the quickest route.

You need to contact the committee at your school which advises the pre-health professions students. It is typically that committee that will write a recommendation letter on your behalf. The medical schools with which I was familiar many years ago (the Universities of California, Stanford, and USC) did not want separate letters, at least for the initial application. They simply wanted one letter from the committee.

Beyond that you should be aware that many medical schools require more than the six classes that you've described. Again, the ones that I looked at also required zoology and genetics, both with labs. I think they also required molecular biology but I could be wrong. It was, however, a requirement for genetics.

Anyway, the best place for you to be soliciting advice is from your university. They know exactly what needs to happen and can advise you as to how best to attain your goals. The other place you should be looking is the American Association of Medical Colleges through whom you'd be submitting an application (www.aamc.org/students/amcas/)

Nursing and medicine are very different animals. Personally, I'd choose the latter but often times that choice is not ours to make or the choice is just not practical for our lives.

Since you are married I'll share with you something that a 3rd-year med student who was married with two small kids said to me: "If I knew then what I know now, I'm not sure I would've chosen to head down this path. My wife and I had a great relationship which was very strong. If it were not as strong, I'm not sure that it would've survived my first two years." I've often wondered what he would say to me today after finishing med school and residency and now being in practice.

The decision to become a physician is not one to be undertaken lightly. I would read as many books as you can and try to form honest relationships with physicians who might share with you their honest opinions about pursuing the profession.

caliotter3 · Feb 9, 2008

I worked with a doctor who had been an RN. She was without a doubt the best doctor I had encountered up to that time because she put so much effort into her patients, just like nurses do. Another person I went to nursing school with had plans to enter medical school but I don't know what happened to her. That being said, I agree with what jlcole said. You will have a better vantage point once you have spent some time working as a nurse. You also will be in a better position to support your family both if you continue with your plans and if something untoward happens and you are unable to go forward. It is always best to gain marketable skills as soon as possible to be prepared for life's little surprises. You never know when these are the skills you are forced to get along with. Good luck to you.

ZootRN · Feb 9, 2008

We always hear about difference in medical and nursing models, but I think this difference is much less on advanced level. Think about responsibilities of NP's: they allowed to diagnose and have prescription privileges, hence they function within medical model. NP's in our hospital have a note on their badges "Medical staff", as opposed to RN's, who has a note "Patient services". I also think "holistic" approach is not something unique to nursing, although is emphasized greatly and is a part of nursing struggle for professional identity. Medical model IS holistic also; moreover, DO schools oppose themself to traditional MD school exactly on a basis of holism.

jjjoy, LPN · Feb 9, 2008

I know I felt much of nursing school seemed to only superficially address the pathophys of our patients. The depth seemed on par with having read a two page patient information sheet about any particular diagnosis. I often didn't even feel qualified to do patient teaching because if they had any question beyond the couple of paragraphs we studied in school, I'd be at a loss. Of course, I could learn more on my own eventually, but I was disappointed that most instructors didn't have time to go into much depth. Meanwhile, there's a heavy emphasis on nursing care plans (prevent skin breakdown, empathetic listening, monitor vitals & labs), which can feel redundant awfully quick. And finally, nursing diagnosis, where you actually have to go out of your way to specifically avoid mentioning the medical diagnosis. Your nursing action isn't about "CHF", it's about "fluid imbalance"... UGH!

So maybe this is what you are feeling after your first year of nursing school? I can't tell you if APN training is any more concrete or not. I think a lot depends on the program and the placements. At the end of the program, you may be functioning in a more medical capacity (diagnosing, presribing), but meanwhile you've got to get through at least a few more years of nursing education... where you work really hard to meet the requirements even while it can seem like you're not really learning that much from meeting the requirments. Sometimes it felt more like a test to prove one could meet a given set of requirements than whether or not those requirements would greatly impact your future practice. Otherwise, why need to write so many darn care plans?! How often do we need to cite a reference in order to provide the rational to instruct a post op patient in using an incentive spirometer?

Well, I'm using your question about nursing vs. medicine to articulate some of my frustrations about nursing education after starting nursing school. And I think if you find more satisfaction in the medical model, then it's worth considering other options. Have you looked in Physician Assistant programs? If, on the other hand, your main goal is to be able to work with patients and manage their medical care, then perhaps the path of getting there doesn't matter and you'd be satisfied with the nursing path, which would likely get you there faster. There's also relatively less competition to get into NP programs than PA or MD programs. But the goal is to be satisfied with your choice, both the desired end goal as well as the path you take to get there.

Good luck with your choices!

Khaos05 · Feb 12, 2008

Thanks for all the replies! I think jjjoy may have gotten closest to what I'm feeling. I hate care plans and I hate "nursing dx" - trying to avoid medical dx that i'm not qualified to use. (Bugs me) Mainly, I want to see pts, order labs, interpret labs, prescribe meds, etc. And while an NP can do these things, there's still something lost there - still a gap between NP and MD.

I just hate how in nursing school, they always hit the top surface of things and going any deeper is just "too much" - we should "call the dr" and ask him/her. I guess I just have a hunger for knowledge - I absolutely LOVE my pathophysiology class (tought by an md which makes it that much cooler) because we go in depth - stuff they would NEVER mention in nursing school.

If I could be convinced that I could get as much joy/satisfaction out of being an NP as I would being an MD then I would just stick to what I'm doing. Truthfully, I want people to tell me to just do the NP because it's less time, money, and stress.

I may need a pro/con type thing. Maybe someone can list for me all the things an NP can do the same as an MD and then the things exclusive to MD.

HealthyRN · Feb 12, 2008

The differences in specific tasks that an NP can do can vary by state, so this is something you could find out from your state board of nursing. In primary care, which is what the NP was originally designed for, the differences in tasks are negligible. In speciality practice, the differences may be more significant, again depending in which state you live.

I would recommend that you seek career counseling before you move any further into your program. Most universities offer free career counseling, so you should take advantage of this. I would also recommend that you spend some time shadowing both a physician and an NP.

You will always have regrets if you don't follow the path that you really desire. If you don't really want to be a nurse, you shouldn't go through with it. If you want to be a physician, being an NP is not going to make you happy. An NP is not "almost a doctor". NPs play a very important role in the delivery of health care and that role is separate and distinct from that of physicians. There are many similarities, but the philosophy of care and the educational path is very different.

PedsRN1991 · Feb 12, 2008

It sounds in your second post that you are leaning for med school. Talk to your wife. What are the 2 of you prepared to sacrifice if you go to medical school. If the both of you are ready to make that medical school commitment...go for it now...or you will be miserable.

The 2 of you need to talk it out.

Good Luck!!!