habi14

ALSO, have you considered being a nurse practitioner?

My point is that you have a lot of options open to you but if your primary goal is to be a nurse (for now), then maybe the path that's the most direct is the best.

I also considered doing two years at Berkeley and 2 years back at Sac state for nursing but now that I look at it there's honestly no point at all. Your degree isn't going to be from Berkeley. You can do the same exact thing at Sac State. Also, look at this article! I know this might not be your situation but it talked some sense into me. https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/-quot-prestige-quot-1102106.html

Also, for me, I think the only reason I wanted to go to Berkeley was because of the prestige compared to Sac State and how other people would look at me for turning down that school. Thankfully, I'm over that now and I understand it's about what I want to do. No one's opinion matters but your own. If you think that its the same case for you, look into this article. https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/-quot-prestige-quot-1102106.html You should make your own post so that way you get some attention because I think my thread has died out now. But I promise it'll get you what you're looking for. I'm so grateful to have posted on here and have people's insight on my situation or else I'd be doing something I hadn't really wanted to do.So I encourage you to post on both nursing and doctor forums since that's what you want to do!

Hey! We were almost in the same position. I feel your pain, I know how difficult it is to make that decision. I don't want to pressure you to go any which way because I think that is a decision you should make. But, you never know if you'll just fall in love with nursing completely. Also, no one said you couldn't go back to school so the possibility of being a doctor still exists. Have you looked into being a nurse practitioner? Try doing some job shadowing? Feel free to message me if you want to talk about it.

Thank you so much! Even after all of this, people's constant commenting in my real life had started to me. I actually avoided reading it when I got an email notification because I was afraid you would try to convince me to go to a UC. Turned out to be the opposite and I'm glad I read it! I really appreciate it, helped me remember why I made my decision. :)

Thank you so much for commenting! I remember when I spoke to a lot of people about my prior wish to be a pediatrician they were telling me the same things including the lack of work-life balance and physicians having a very high rate of divorce. I applied to UCLA but I had not intended on going to SoCal so I never completed the supplemental nursing application. I don't regret my decision though. I don't think I'd be happy in SoCal. Yes, I know that the nursing program is not a guarantee but I am prepared to work my hardest for the chance. I'll be applying to several nursing programs when the time comes and hopefully, my academic advisors in college will have some tips for me. Thank you again! :)

Yay, I'm so glad to hear this. You're completely right. Thank you, I don't have doubts about my decision now :)

Yay, I'm so glad to hear this. You're completely right. Thank you, I don't have doubts about my decision now :)

Thank you so much for sharing, you completely reinforced my decision! :) I hope to be that kind of nurse some day. Haha, thanks for that last quip I'll be sure to say that next time someone tries to tell me I'm "selling myself short."

You've been so supportive of me, thank you! I truly appreciate it.

Wow, that sounds like an amazing opportunity! Thank you so much, this is exactly the kind of guidance I was looking for at my school. I'm really glad you're happy with your choice and you played a big role in helping me make mine too. I really appreciate it :)

This is a great idea and I'm going to look into this ASAP, thank you so much! I have some research to do! I was trying to find a spot for volunteering in Pediatrics or even anything having to do with direct patient contact but they often want experience that I don't have. The last time I looked I was 17, now as an 18-year-old, I'm sure there's going to be a few more spots for me!

Hi everyone, thank you all so much for commenting! You have no idea how much I appreciate your insight and I do thoroughly evaluate everything you guys have to say in order to make the big decision. To answer some of your questions, for my whole life I wanted to be a pediatrician. That's been my career aspiration for as long as I remember. I'm a child person. I love babies. I also love helping people. I'm a compassionate and empathetic person and one of my life long goals is to become a humanitarian and/or work with Doctors Without Borders. Last summer, I had the opportunity to intern at Kaiser Permanente, which I'm beyond thankful for. During my time there, I talked to SO many people and after looking at several different aspects, I eventually came to the decision that being a pediatrician isn't what I really want to be. Instead, I want to be a pediatric nurse. Even during my past visits to the Dr's, I observed the roles of both the nurse and the doctor and quite frankly I think I'd enjoy being a pediatric nurse much more. I've also done a lot of internet research on the roles of both so I think my decision for pursuing nursing is pretty thought out. Thank you so much for the idea of job shadowing, I've been meaning to do that but I keep pushing it to the back of my head and I'll get on top of that ASAP. I'm on Spring Break right now so I've had a lot of time to think about which school to attend. I applied and got into to Sacramento State, San Francisco State, UC Davis and UC Berkeley. Sacramento State and San Francisco State both have nursing programs and offer Bachelors of Science in Nursing degrees. UC Davis and UC Berkeley do not. I automatically eliminated UC Davis because although it is fairly prestigious and has a much better rep to it than Sac State, it does not have the nursing major I want. I eliminated San Francisco State because it's fairly similar to Sacramento State and I can save a lot of money by living at home. I don't see the point in relocating two hours away for a state school that doesn't give me a better chance of becoming a nurse since it's nursing program is also heavily impacted. It was pretty much decided that I would go to Sac State until I got into Berkeley. I really wasn't expecting it and it had been my dream school before I switched career paths. Now a lot of people are making it seem like I'd be letting them down if I didn't go. So it comes down to UC Berkeley vs Sac State. Where I'm from, EVERYONE wants to be a nurse too. I don't think they really want to be a nurse though. If you were to ask any senior girl at my high school what they want to be, there's a likelihood that 1/3 of them want to be a nurse. The worst part is that they sound like they're settling for being a nurse, not like they really WANT to be a nurse. What initially kept me away from taking an interest in nursing is the fact that everyone "wanted" to be a nurse and in my town, there's some weird stigma about becoming a nurse. "Oh, you're just gonna be a nurse?" They make it seem like it's not important and they sound disapproving. When the college and career lady asked me what I wanted to be and told me I'd be selling myself short, it kind of hurt me because this is something I'm passionate about and actually want to do. When she turned to my friend and asked her, she looked at her with approval for saying she wants to be a psychiatrist. That's just something I'm going to have to get over though, I know what I want to do and I know what I'll be happy doing. All I need to do is stop worrying about what other people think because it's my life, not theirs. I've come to the decision that Sacramento State is the best school for me, I've emailed a few Berkeley advisors and they didn't really make much of a case for their school and left the decision up to me, which is what I wanted but I want to make an informed decision. At Sacramento State, I have the advantage of living at home, being a part of the EOP program and possibly the Honors Program as well. I've also received a great financial aid package which I'm sure I can make work. I know everyone says you shouldn't let money be the deciding factor but in reality, that's what it comes down to. If I went to Berkeley I'd have to set up housing, be away from my family, take out a $4,800 loan (which may seem like nothing but is a lot to me because I'm from a very low-income background), the other 4,000 in work study which is perfectly fine with me, but it's the additional costs that hold me back. When I move, I'd have to buy all this new stuff: school supplies, dorm stuff, clothes since I share with my sister, a laptop (which is most likely going to be ridiculously expensive), I don't even have a phone yet either! There are just so many costs. At Sacramento State, I have to do two years of fulfilling my prerequisite requirements and the next two years I'd apply for the nursing program and hopefully come out with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. (very selective but I know I can do it if I work hard enough) Thank you all again, you guys were a tremendous help! Although I didn't choose Berkeley, you guys made a strong case and almost convinced me, know that your input was heavily weighed, thought over and re-read in the process of this decision making. :)

Yes, I am 18. You made some good points. I think I might go to Berkeley and then apply for the ABSN. Thank you so much for commenting!