"why not medical school?"

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This may not really be the right forum to post this, but I'm hoping for responses from a diverse group of people, not just students.

So: I'm currently a biology PhD student. And I'm applying for direct-entry NP programs. Not planning to finish the PhD at this point. Everyone who I tell asks me "why not go to medical school?"

I have my reasons, but I'm having a really hard time answering that question to their (and my) satisfaction. My reasons are:

- can go to NP school next year, at least 2-3 for MD

- shorter time in school, less debt

- more humane hours (no residency)

- greater career flexibility

- more patient interaction

To be entirely honest, the whole "nursing model vs medical model" debate does not factor highly into my decision. In my mind the two professions are just filling different needs in the same healthcare model.

My question is - how do I respond to this question? SHOULD I apply to med school instead? I could probably get in... but I've never had ANY desire to be an MD. The only reason I could think of would be the prestige - and I don't really care about that myself, it's just something that's important to my family. So what do I say?

My current response is simply: because I've decided to go to NP school. But that's not really answering the question, is it? :icon_roll

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

You don't have to answer the question, though. The best way to brush it off it is "I made decisions that are best for me."

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
This may not really be the right forum to post this, but I'm hoping for responses from a diverse group of people, not just students.

So: I'm currently a biology PhD student. And I'm applying for direct-entry NP programs. Not planning to finish the PhD at this point. Everyone who I tell asks me "why not go to medical school?"

I have my reasons, but I'm having a really hard time answering that question to their (and my) satisfaction. My reasons are:

- can go to NP school next year, at least 2-3 for MD

- shorter time in school, less debt

- more humane hours (no residency)

- greater career flexibility

- more patient interaction

To be entirely honest, the whole "nursing model vs medical model" debate does not factor highly into my decision. In my mind the two professions are just filling different needs in the same healthcare model.

My question is - how do I respond to this question? SHOULD I apply to med school instead? I could probably get in... but I've never had ANY desire to be an MD. The only reason I could think of would be the prestige - and I don't really care about that myself, it's just something that's important to my family. So what do I say?

My current response is simply: because I've decided to go to NP school. But that's not really answering the question, is it? :icon_roll

:balloons: Hello and Welcome to Allnurses.com:balloons:

After reading your post, I see you stated you do not have a desire to be MD. That is your rationale for not going to med school. "I do not have a desire to be a physician." Period.

Now that being said, you will have MANY who just do not get it. I, too, had to make the decision to not go to med school. Best decision I ever made. And, you can have a prestigious career as an NP.:)

Good luck.

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Hi.

I think you've made a good decision for many pragmatic reasons.

There's an implied bias in the question people are asking you. Seems to me their premise is that people who go into nursing are not as bright as those that go to medical school. They look at you and see a person in a hard science doctoral program and they think... gee, this person is bright enough to shoot the moon and get an MD, Why Nursing?

I got my BSN years ago. On the strength of that undergraduate degree, I was accepted into a PhD program in Cellular Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology. (The nursing major is not for whimps! My education allowed me to hold my own with kids who had degrees in Biochemistry and Cellular Molecular Biology.) I've been doing research for many years, but am going back into practice. The work of caring for patients can be as intellectually challenging as you want to make it.

Sometimes when I get this sort of question, I laugh and say I'm too smart to settle for being just an MD. As a nurse, I don't just treat an array of symptoms. I have to treat the WHOLE patient which a lot of times includes their WHOLE family. To do this I have to have a grasp of a wide range of physical and social sciences. Nursing is a Renaissance science and highly collaborative discipline. I think it's more way more demanding than being a doctor.

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Wanting more patient interaction is a really good, solid reason for wanting to be an NP. Back in the day when I was little tyke in college (the first time around) I thought that I wanted to be a physician because of the patient interaction....riiiight. Then I kind of figured out that what I really wanted was nursing.

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SHOULD I apply to med school instead? I could probably get in... but I've never had ANY desire to be an MD.

You answered your own question right there. You have to do what is best for YOU. You don't owe anyone any explanation. It is YOUR life - the opportunity to pursue YOUR dreams and make YOURSELF happy. Anyone who doesn't get that isn't worth worrying about.

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Hey Janony

As a now-exactly-young man when I started my RN career, I've heard this quite often...

Ya know what I say? (I'm the night nurse in the ICU) I say "if I were a Doctor, I'd be at home and the nurse would be telephoning me about problems. I want to be here with you, telephoning him/her (PC Addition) about problems you and I have we can't solve together."

I say "I WANT to be here with you." That seem to be me to be the essence of nursing.

Papaw John

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.
I say "I WANT to be here with you." That seem to be me to be the essence of nursing.

I like that response.

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Specializes in Emergency.

nursing to me seems way more cool than being a doctor........afterall......we do encompass both the art and the science.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

I don't think you should have to strain and stress yourself to answer their question. After all it IS your perrogative. I would just say....." I want to pursue the career I feel will be more rewarding" along with what you stated "I have no desire to become an MD".

Good luck and remember you cannot always please people. Worry about pleasing yourself everything else is just an anchor. Each brain is a world of its own............live YOUR world today as tomorrow you don't know if you will be here for sure.

Jessica

Student

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Hey Janony

As a now-exactly-young man when I started my RN career, I've heard this quite often...

Ya know what I say? (I'm the night nurse in the ICU) I say "if I were a Doctor, I'd be at home and the nurse would be telephoning me about problems. I want to be here with you, telephoning him/her (PC Addition) about problems you and I have we can't solve together."

I say "I WANT to be here with you." That seem to be me to be the essence of nursing.

Papaw John

GooD answer! Good Answer!

You choose nursing because it was the best fit for you. You really don't have to explain that to anyone (unless of course you are engaged/married to them or they are paying for your education)!

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Thanks for all the replies. It helps to hear that I don't have to justify my decision to anyone except ME. Unfortunately, I think the majority of the faculty in the graduate program that I'm planning to leave just DON'T GET IT - and never will. They don't see why I'd leave a Harvard PhD for nursing (FNP) school, and that believe it or not their career is not the only reasonable one out there.

Maybe that's just something I'll have to accept.

janony

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