Loux

I have posted here time and time again about my questionable future, but I've never been this unsure. As I've explained in my previous posts, I'm an 18 year old college sophomore (soon-to-be-junior) struggling to make a decision between nursing and medicine. I recently got a job at a hospital as a PCA and I've been able to observe exactly what it is that nurses, mid-level care providers, and physicians do on a daily basis. Through all of this, I have assuredly come to one conclusion: I would never want to be a hospitalist. I have also mentally checked off specialties I could not tolerate: oncology, radiology, and pediatrics being just a few. I've fallen out of love with the idea of working in a hospital as a physician or a surgeon and into love with the idea of working as a primary care provider, whether as an MD or an NP. I love the patients - I hate caring for someone one day only to find out they were discharged the next. I want to form relationships with my patients, not refer to them as "room twelve." So, knowing this - knowing that I want to be a PCP, should I pursue an MD or NP? Feel free to highlight the pros and cons of each. Thanks in advance. :)

I'm a pre-somethinghealthrelated student (I am still torn between nursing and medicine), and I want to know: Why did you choose nursing (more specifically advance-practice nursing) instead of one of its alternatives?

My family doesn't have a huge amount of wealth, but they will be able to help me somewhat. I also plan on working to make a little extra money. Because I've heard medical school is a full-time job, I've considered working through an agency as a CNA to control the amount of hours I work. And I can make up for my shortcomings with student loans and scholarships. Also, my specialty isn't set in stone; I have definitely considered other options. While I love primary care, emergency medicine also interests me, and I may decide on something that I hadn't even considered, like radiology. What is set in stone is what I want to do throughout the course of my career, and that's what I mentioned in my original post. I guess I'm just confused on how I want to get there. Thanks for replying!

I completely agree with what you said, but I do need to make a decision soon. If I decide nursing is for me, I need to finish my nursing pre-requisites in the next two semesters to be directly admitted to a BSN program. If not, I'll continue with my pre-med courses and hope I made the right choice. :-P Thanks for the reply!

Thanks for the response! As I've posted before, there are things I love about both nursing and medicine, but ultimately, I prefer the medical model. The things I love about medicine, however, can be achieved through mid-level care, which is why I've had such a hard time deciding between the two. :-/

Hello all! I have posted here a few times regarding nursing and medicine, and after my last thread, I thought I had ultimately made a decision between the two. I had decided to pursue an MD and until the past week or so, felt no ambivalence. I'm fairly certain of what I want to do in regards to specialty, so I suppose I should begin with that. I want to work with underdeveloped communities at the start of my career. I mainly want to provide direct, primary care at little-to-no cost and become involved with community planning. I would also be interested in disease and outbreak prevention and disaster/emergency care. When I'm old and gray (or maybe not-so old and gray!), I would like to work with a non-profit organization like MSF or WHO. I would also welcome the opportunity for research. Whether I decide on an MD or a DNP, I plan on preceding or coupling that with an MPH. I should also mention that I do want a life outside of my career; I just want to be happy, money is not as important as my fruition. My question is: Because DNPs are in such high demand, especially as primaries in rural areas, would it be wiser for me to pursue a DNP as opposed to an MD? Since I mainly want to work with underprivileged patients, my assumption would be that both the affordability and availability I would have as a DNP would be invaluable to them. For reference, I'm a formerly-homeschooled, 17 year old college sophomore.

Thank you so much. :)

I emphasized on that because the prospect of direct patient care is what's making me feel so ambivalent. I want to directly care for patients, but I also want to "cure" per se. I want to control the route of care, but I also want to execute that same care.

Hello! I've posted here multiple times about dilemma I pose: my love for both nursing and medicine. I am currently a pre-nursing student, but I'm a bit hazy about my potential future as a nurse. I love the nursing model; I want to care for a patient, not just treat their disease. Sadly, I love the medical model as well and I'm torn between the two. I've considered mid-level care, but I'm unsure of what I would be content with. For a time, I was highly considering DNP or CRNA, but cynics have stated I could finish med school in the same amount of time. If you haven't read my previous posts, I will give a summary of myself and the path I plan on taking. I just turned 17, but I've been in college since I was 16. I'm in my second semester of getting my pre-reqs for a BSN program and I have two more semesters left before I plan on applying for direct entry to aforementioned program. The program will take two years to complete, leaving me with summers sans schooling. I was contemplating taking the courses needed for medical school during the summer semesters "just in case". If all goes as planned, I will graduate with my BSN in 2014. As stated in my other posts, I have two specialties of choice: emergency medicine and global health. If I were to go the MD route, I would definitely be interested in trauma surgery (mainly why I was considering MD over NP). I know that medical schools generally frown upon nursing degrees, but if I have a great GPA, high MCAT scores and the required courses, is there any reason I wouldn't be considered? I've been told that I shouldn't take up a spot in nursing school if I'm even considering medicine, but for the time being, nursing is what I want to do. I guess my main questions are: Has anyone here considered medicine instead of nursing (or vice versa)? If so, what was the outcome? Do medical schools really oppose nursing degrees as much as it seems? For the DNPs or CRNAs...how do you feel about your job? Would you change anything about your choice of career? Thanks so much!

Thanks so much Lindsey! I think I've decided to take the nine months that I would've spent on the LPN program to finish as many pre-reqs as possible to get direct admission to a BSN program.

I hadn't found anything out, so I called personnel to check the status of the position. I spoke with the second person I interviewed with and he told me they didn't reach a decision yet. I'll be waiting yet again!

I think (and hope) it went good! They called me back for a second interview on Friday and told me they'd reach a decision by Monday, which is now tomorrow. :) I'll be anxiously awaiting a response to say the least, lol.

Thanks again everyone. :) My interview is tomorrow! I've been prepping since Sunday, so hopefully all goes well. Does anyone know if you usually find out the status of your potential employment right after the interview or if you have to wait a bit to find out how everything went? Thanks in advance.

What a great idea! I'll definitely be needing a confidence boost! Lol. Thanks again everyone! :) You've all been so helpful.

Awh, thanks so much everyone! I'm a bit less anxious now. :) Good luck on eagles wings! I'm sure you'll find a great job.

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right category - if not, I apologize in advance! I'm an (almost) 17 year old pre-nursing student and after applying for 13 jobs at a local hospital varying from dietary assistant to PCA, I finally got an interview! The potential job is perfect for me and I feel it will really give me the experience I need. I've never worked before, thus I've never been interviewed and do not know the proper etiquette for such. I definitely don't want to sabotage myself by getting anxious and stumbling over my words. My mother has been giving me tips and they've really been helping, which is why I was wondering if anyone here might have any good advice. I do have a few questions: 1.) How can I make sure to keep my cool? I'm not the average teen in the sense that I do not use the word "like" as a placeholder, but I am afraid that when asked a question requiring thought, I might say "um" instead of calmly pausing to think. 2.) Is there any specific way I should compose myself? Correct posture is very important to me, but are there any unwritten rules on limb positioning (i.e. leg-crossing) during interviews? 3.) What should I be wearing? I'm considering a light pink ruffled blouse paired with a gray cardigan, a black pencil skirt, gray tweed heels (3.5 inches high), and a black clutch. Do the heels sound a bit too high? Since it's winter (and it's definitely snowy & cold here), should I opt for a nice pair of low-heeled boots instead? As for the clutch, should I bring a bigger bag? What kind of statement would a clutch make? 4.) When it comes to grooming, I plan on curling my hair; pinning some pieces back, and wearing very minimal make-up for a fresh look. Does this sound okay? Should I put my hair completely up? I apologize if some of these things seem trivial; they would normally not concern me this much, but I truly want to make a good impression. Thanks so much in advance everyone!

Hello! I'm almost 17 and currently a pre-nursing student, but the waiting lists for traditional nursing programs are absurdly long and I feel I would benefit from getting my LPN in the meantime. As for my age, is it legal for a 17 year old to attend LPN school? From what I've researched, it is legal as long as the potential student has received a HS diploma or equivalent. I received my GED at 16 in June 2010, so I think I'm good to go. I'm highly considering DCMO BOCES for my LPN (the last time I contacted the admissions office, they still had openings for the March '11-January '12 term...I'm hoping this is still the case!) and I would really like to know a bit more about this school. Has anyone here attended DCMO BOCES? Do you get college credits for all courses taken (i.e. A&P, Pharm, etc.) or just what they mention: General Psych and Basic Nutrition? Their brochure states the following: This ten-month, college-level program is offered to adults who wish to take their state licensing examination for Practical Nursing. Students receive classroom instruction to include: Nursing I & II, Anatomy & Physiology, Psychology and Nutrition. College courses, Psychology and Nutrition, are taught on site. Students’ clinical experience requirements are met at area hospitals and nursing homes. Thanks so much in advance! I will post any other questions I may have.

Hello all! I am currently a pre-nursing student, and I would like to be able to work while going to school. I'm only 16, but I'll be 17 in January of 2011. I am not sure how my age would work out employment-wise, but because I'm not a high school student, my situation is a bit different than most 16 year olds'. However, my age isn't the issue at hand; I would like to know if there are any CNA certification programs available online. In my area, there are very few programs offered, and the ones that are offered coincide with my schooling schedule. I will be in school full-time next semester (beginning in mid-January), which is why an online program would work wonderfully for me. If online programs are not feasible...I live in New York (more specifically Broome County), so if anyone knows of any programs near me, I would greatly appreciate any guidance! Thanks in advance. :)

Hello all! I am currently a pre-nursing student, and I would like to be able to work while going to school. I'm only 16, but I'll be 17 in January of 2011. I am not sure how my age would work out employment-wise, but because I'm not a high school student, my situation is a bit different than most 16 year olds'. However, my age isn't the issue at hand; I would like to know if there are any CNA certification programs available online. In my area, there are very few programs offered, and the ones that are offered coincide with my schooling schedule. I will be in school full-time next semester (beginning in mid-January), which is why an online program would work wonderfully for me. If online programs are not feasible...I live in New York (more specifically Broome County), so if anyone knows of any programs near me, I would greatly appreciate any guidance! Thanks in advance. :)

Hello everyone! I have only posted here once before, but I am happy to say that I have successfully completed the first few goals in my original post. At the age of 16, I passed my GED with flying colors (I was home-schooled prior to that) and I have been in college for 2 months. I will be 17 in January, and I plan on (somewhat) pursuing the aforementioned plan located in my other post. In case you would rather not shuffle through my profile in an attempt to find it, I will summarize what I wrote. :) After getting my GED and attending college, I wanted to obtain my ADN > BSN > MD. My plan has been altered slightly. I still would like to go the route of ADN > BSN > MD, but while in school for my BSN, I would like to minor (perhaps double-major) in Biochem. I do have a few concerns though. As I watch my mother finish her BSN, I have realized that I love what nursing entails. I would thoroughly enjoy direct patient care, hands-on work, and general nursing duties. However, I also love what medicine has to offer. I like the idea of diagnosing, and generally controlling the route of patient care. It is a bit hard to imagine being a nurse, and being out-of-control of something I see unfit. Is there something between these two fields? Something with a bit more control than an RN, but still involving bedside care? I am not sure if this is worth mentioning, but I have two "go-to" fields: Emergency Medicine and Global Health. The former is my practical choice, but the latter is something that I am passionate about. Thanks in advance!

Hello everyone! This is my first official post, although I frequent these boards often due to my sheer fascination with the medical field. I suppose I should give a little background on myself before I ask anything. :) I'm 16 years old, and I've been homeschooled for the past two years. My plan goes as follows: -Take my GED in June 2010 -Get my pre-requisites at a Community College -Apply for the nursing program at said Community College in order to get my Associates in Nursing -Take 1+ year off of school to (hopefully) work as an E.R. nurse (I know that experience to work as an E.R. nurse may be required, making this harder) -Get my Bachelors degree in Behavioral Neuroscience at a University, or perhaps my BSN (although I've heard this can negatively affect the following step, true or false?) -Take the MCAT exam and apply for medical school If all goes well, I would complete med school and fulfill my dream of becoming an E.R. Doctor. I definitely want to get my RN though, and I'm in the process of preparing for that; but I wanted to know if applying for medical school with a BSN can be a bad thing. I've read that med schools don't like taking nurses from their field, is this true? Or does it really just depend on the person? Has anyone done anything like this? If so, did you prefer being a nurse, or being a doctor? I'd appreciate any advice! Thanks.