Nursing School -> Med School

[NorCon]

Hello Everyone

I am thinking about going to nursing school and then going to med school. Three family members are nurses, but I want to be a doctor. Could I go to Nursing School for my bachelor's and then Med School? I was thinking this route would be better because my thinking is that nursing school is the best prep possible for Med School. Any comments on my situation would be great. Thank you, everyone, in advance!

[llg, PhD, RN]

It's possible. I've known people who have done that. However, keep in mind that they are 2 totally different fields -- and I wouldn't say that nursing is the "best" prep for med school. Be sure to become VERY familiar with the requirements for several med schools that you would consider attending and be sure to meet their criteria. You might not be able to take all of their preferred pre-med classes while simultaneously completing all of the nursing requirements. You may still have courses left to take when you graduate with your BSN.

It's possible ... but not as easy as you might think and not as beneficial as you might think. If it were a major pipeline into med school, more people would be doing it.

[GreenMagus87]

I'd go so far as to say it would be slightly detrimental to have an undergrad in nursing with regard to MD admissions. The science courses in nursing don't for the most part line up with the pre-MD track and admissions committees will want an explanation for why you didn't become a nurse.

If you have a brain for the natural sciences, I'd recommend a Biology or Chemistry major (don't neglect other fields, some background in logic/critical thinking and the social sciences is also important). There are so many direct entry masters programs in nursing now that you'd only be put back by about a year if you chose nursing. Sounds like you should keep your options open at this point.