Pre-nursing student seeks advice on career

Nurses Career Support

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Hey, I could really use some advice from a professional nurse or someone with knowledge who can help me in my situation/thoughts.

Ok, it starts off as this: First off im 19 and its my second year in college. In my first year I was determined to claim my major as pre-med. It was always my dream to be a pediatrician, so my first pre-req was chemistry. Along with math and some other classes. Now, I was new to chemistry and the teacher advised people to take an easier one before taking the more advanced one for pre-med. I didnt listen of course because I am a stubborn teenager and regretted it, the teacher was horrible! He didnt know how to teach, had a thick accent and about 75% of the class of 90 dropped out. I decided to drop out as well and contemplated on my major. I picked nursing but after finishing, I just think it was too easy.

I pulled mostly A-'s and A's in all of my classes and 2 B-'s. People have commented to me that I should be doing pre med and why waste my time in nursing because im so young and smart. Well, ive thought about it and 1. Im not sure if they are saying that to get competition out of the way

2. I dont think I would take advice from a student because they dont know how hard it really is. I would really like to hear it from an actual nurse or a teacher.

Well, im still contemplating on whether I should try again or perhaps it was a sign that I shouldent be a pre med major. I dont want to rush into nursing right away because its too fast and I would rather learn more before I go into the program.

Basically, the experience with the bad chem professor scarred me, but now that I have a strong background in chem (I got both A's in lab and lect in gen chem for nursing) so I wouldent be suffering so much when I took general.

I would just really like some advice anyone might have if you think I should go for it, even though its very hard and some people dont realize that, or should I go for nursing first and then see how the medical field is, but I dont want to waste time. Has anyone had experiences on trying to be a pre med major but decided on nursing?

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Do whatever you want to do. The chem teacher was only one person. There will be many more who will do and say anything to discourage you. You just

have to know what you want and are able to do.

I would say that it would be wise for you to look at what nurses and doctors

actually go through....look at the future as to what you would be doing and

going through after you graduate either program....not just at the education

experience. There are many challenges and people do get surprised by

what life is really like as a nurse or a doctor. Ask yourself some tough

questions about that. Talk to some people who will give you honest answers.

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

Plenty of members of these forums were former pre-med majors who instead opted to take up nursing. Go with your instinct. After all, you know what is best for you. ;)

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"People have commented to me that I should be doing pre med and why waste my time in nursing because im so young and smart"

I am insulted by this comment. (Not at you for sharing it, but at the person who said this to you.) I did not become a nurse because I didn't have the brains to be a doctor. I became a nurse because that's the level of medicine I have always wanted to achieve, and to do bedside nursing. We have to be just as intelligent as the physicians, so that we can keep their nuts out of the fire. If you were to ask everyone here how many times nurses have saved doctors from lawsuits, you would be overwhelmed.

You do what your heart tells you to do, but if someone ever says anything like that to you again, I hope that you will come to our defense.

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I am confused. In one breath you say: "I picked nursing but after finishing, I just think it was too easy. Then you go on to say: "I dont want to rush into nursing right away because its too fast and I would rather learn more before I go into the program.

What do you mean by; "it's too fast"?

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No way, didnt mean to insult anyone or give anyone the wrong idea. Perhaps its too early for me to talk. I just thought perhaps I gave up too easily on my dream or fantasy. I love advice from people. And also when I read some of the forums about unhappy nurses and the spooky ghost stories, I got discouraged. And by fast, I meant that it only takes 2 yrs of nursing school and your out there in the real world, whereas for a M.D, it takes 4 yrs of med school and years of internship, something im willing to do. Plus, most of the nurses I see have kids, a husband and are in their 20's-30's already. I dont want to rush into anything, especially nursing when its a serious career.

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I picked nursing but after finishing, I just think it was too easy.

:confused:

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Well remember I'm not in the program yet, it may get very hard once your in there, I have no doubts about that but the chemistry and pre reqs and statistics was easy, perhaps I'm a person who likes to be challenged, but perhaps pre med is too challenging? Thats my main question in this whole post

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Specializes in AGNP.
Well remember I'm not in the program yet, it may get very hard once your in there, I have no doubts about that but the chemistry and pre reqs and statistics was easy, perhaps I'm a person who likes to be challenged, but perhaps pre med is too challenging? Thats my main question in this whole post

I think you just need to do some research about medical school/the MD profession and the nursing profession. I was one of those people who were originally planning on going to medical school. 3 years into my BS in Human Biology degree I decided that medicine wasn't for me and became more & more interested in nursing after doing research. I finished my BS degree and now am going back to school for nursing.

I don't think you should pick nursing just because medicine seems to challenging. Nursing is going to be a challenge too. Maybe you could shadow some nurses and some doctors to see what their day to day functions are. There are alot of options out there in the health care field: bedside nursing, CRNA, NPs, DOs, MDs, physician assistants. I think if you do some research & job shadowing you will find one that really clicks with you.

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Spend some time doing research into medicine and nursing as professions, with different career options, rather than focus on the very short-term chem class or specific instructor. Both can be demanding, intellectually, physically & emotionally - what is it that you want to do/be? That's your question - then you'll figure out the best route to get there.

Others have said it, but I'm going to go ahead & repeat it: nursing is not something you go into because you got scared of pre-med classes.

Good luck to you.

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I started out as pre-BSN. I had all prereqs completed except patho 2 and pharmacology when I got sidetracked by all of the people who told me "you are getting straight As in your classes, why don't you go pre-med?" Many of the preBSN classes were the same as the pre-med track.

I went premed, and in less than one semester, realized I did not want to be a doctor. It should not be about getting into the most competitive career track. Nurses should not come from premed students who got Bs in their classes and decided they would not get into med school. I should have stayed in the BSN track.

When I was pre-BSN, I took the hard Chemistry instead of the one designed for allied health majors (we had a choice). Chemistry 1 and 2 were my hardest classes. I have never studied as much as I did for Chemistry. I worked my butt off and got Bs. Don't let Chemistry discourage you.

Like the other posters said though, nurses are not jr. doctors or failed pre med students. It is a completely separate approach to care. Yes, nurses have to implement the orders that the MDs give, but they also work on their own to provide nursing care within the context of the patient's health needs.

So, try to focus on the actual work you will be doing once you graduate, and use that to decide what to major in. You will be working many more years than you will be in school.

Good luck with your decision. :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg with tele.

Some schools have pre-med nursing paths. Mine has a five year BSN program that is also pre-med. It's impossible, I think, for many people to choose their career at 19 years old. I know it was for me, anyway. Try to keep as many doors open as possible. Learning more about many different career fields will help you figure out where you want to end up.

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