Pursuing Primary Care: MD vs NP

[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. :)

[threelittlebirds]

You will likely get a lot more time with your patients as an NP...and the focus of care is very different. It's a lot more holistic, caring for the whole person as opposed to treating a clinical disease process.

Are you in a nursing program? Do you like it, or your science classes better? Are you willing to put your life on hold for a decade as you pursue your MD or 2 years as you get your RN (and likely may find an online/part time NP program after that?)

If you've posted on here before and still find yourself undecided, I'd recommend doing some soul searching. We can't tell you what you'll love or what will make you happy. Plus, we're probably biased.

Who knows? You might be someone who has to just jump in, and find out from there whether you'll love it or hate it. If you really don't know, you can always get your RN, take the science prereqs for med school, and decide after graduation what you want to do. Heck, you can even major in health sciences and do a PA program.

Hope it all works out for you :)

[Guttercat, ASN, RN]

Nephrology is a way you can "be a PCP" without necessarily being a PCP.

Think kidneys are boring? Think again. You will work the gammut of etiologies and disease process from HTN to diabetes and endocrine to cardiac to multiple forms of autoimmmune disorders.

And...you actually follow patients over time. You will also work closely with multiple different departments/specialties.

Also, there are NP's/ PA's that work in the nephrology.

Best wishes. Given your post, I have no doubt you'll find the path right for you.