Should I pursue nursing?

Published

***(NOTE: Please try to be kind to me... I came here to seek serious help for a serious consideration. Please just try to understand where I'm coming from before judging me.)***

Hi everyone. I am very glad to be a part of this community, and expect to do my best to contribute to it to the best of my ability.

I'm starting to consider a career in nursing. Before I get into the details, let me just give you a basic rundown of my situation.

I can say with 1% honesty and no regrets that nothing in the world makes me happier than to make people feel better, or to make people happy.

I just turned 19 years old. I graduated in high school in the top half of my class (class of 2010) with a CORE 40 diploma (which is Indiana's version of "a step above a general high school diploma"; there is also a "CORE 40 with Academic Honors" diploma, so a CORE 40 is not the highest) and a GPA of 3.45. Right after high school, I applied to (and was accepted to) both IUPUI Indianapolis and IU Bloomington. Shortly thereafter, what I thought was an opportunity came up. There was a surgical technology program offered at a hospital not far from me. Given my interests (which I will cover right after this), I decided to forego admission to IU or IUPUI to stick out and see if I would be accepted to the surgical technology program. The program was competitive to get into (only 15 positions in the program out of 147 applicants, [a 10% chance]), and unfortunately, I was not accepted (most likely due to my lack of extensive healthcare experience). Of course, this meant that I was left without a plan of action to pursue.

Anyway, I am now considering taking Ivy Tech's Associate of Science in Nursing program. This decision came due to multiple factors, including time, patience, practice, and other considerations.

The problem I am having, is that I always wanted to be a trauma surgeon. Every aspect of trauma interests me, and surgery has also always fascinated me. I am worried that if I become a nurse, I will be bored by the lack of actual clinical care I will be able to provide to patients. I would like to be able to intubate, put in central lines, and perform other emergency procedures, and I'm afraid I'll be 28 and realizing that I wasted all my time pursuing something that I don't really like.

So, my question is, with everything I've given you, should I continue with nursing?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Either way you will be 28. Go for nursing, and if you don't like it, finish the pre reqs for medical school and apply to them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

NO!!! You are young, go for your dreams. Do not settle. God willing, you have all the time in the world.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have you considered the paramedic profession? Also, there is opportunity to do this if you are a nurse who works in the ED or you can be a flight nurse. You should try to get an opportunity to talk with nurses who work in the emergency room to find out just what it is like before you decide there is no place for you in nursing. Also keep in mind that medical school has its own set of difficulties to be overcome along the way. You need to assess your own academic and professional abilities as well as interests before you set out on a course of action. Recommend you talk to people in the field as you gather information for your decisions. Good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You need to assess your own academic and professional abilities

This is probably one of the biggest reasons I decided against medical school. I believe I could be an excellent doctor if I were able to survive all the schooling, etc. but I just didn't want to have to risk 8 years of my life to be told that I'm not good enough.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Rest assured you wouldn't be the first person found to be "not good enough". My dorm monitor at UCLA applied to medical school with a strong record and was rejected. She ended up getting a job working in a lab. I doubt she ever got into medical school. Likewise at least one high school classmate who excelled in school. I figured out in tenth grade that I would never make the cut, and by golly, my college grades in chemistry proved me right!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
***(NOTE: Please try to be kind to me... I came here to seek serious help for a serious consideration. Please just try to understand where I'm coming from before judging me.)***

Hi everyone. I am very glad to be a part of this community, and expect to do my best to contribute to it to the best of my ability.

I'm starting to consider a career in nursing. Before I get into the details, let me just give you a basic rundown of my situation.

I can say with 1% honesty and no regrets that nothing in the world makes me happier than to make people feel better, or to make people happy.

I just turned 19 years old. I graduated in high school in the top half of my class (class of 2010) with a CORE 40 diploma (which is Indiana's version of "a step above a general high school diploma"; there is also a "CORE 40 with Academic Honors" diploma, so a CORE 40 is not the highest) and a GPA of 3.45. Right after high school, I applied to (and was accepted to) both IUPUI Indianapolis and IU Bloomington. Shortly thereafter, what I thought was an opportunity came up. There was a surgical technology program offered at a hospital not far from me. Given my interests (which I will cover right after this), I decided to forego admission to IU or IUPUI to stick out and see if I would be accepted to the surgical technology program. The program was competitive to get into (only 15 positions in the program out of 147 applicants, [a 10% chance]), and unfortunately, I was not accepted (most likely due to my lack of extensive healthcare experience). Of course, this meant that I was left without a plan of action to pursue.

Anyway, I am now considering taking Ivy Tech's Associate of Science in Nursing program. This decision came due to multiple factors, including time, patience, practice, and other considerations.

The problem I am having, is that I always wanted to be a trauma surgeon. Every aspect of trauma interests me, and surgery has also always fascinated me. I am worried that if I become a nurse, I will be bored by the lack of actual clinical care I will be able to provide to patients. I would like to be able to intubate, put in central lines, and perform other emergency procedures, and I'm afraid I'll be 28 and realizing that I wasted all my time pursuing something that I don't really like.

So, my question is, with everything I've given you, should I continue with nursing?

I read and re-read your post twice, and didn't see any mention of your desire to actually be a nurse (unless it is lumped in with "multiple factors" and "other considerations"). If nursing interests you, then go for it. However, if your heart is not in nursing, then it's going to be an uphill climb all the way.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I read and re-read your post twice, and didn't see any mention of your desire to actually be a nurse (unless it is lumped in with "multiple factors" and "other considerations"). If nursing interests you, then go for it. However, if your heart is not in nursing, then it's going to be an uphill climb all the way.

I desire to help patients in any way necessary. Whether that is being a nurse, or being a doctor, I love helping people, I do know that and I always have known that. I current volunteer in a transplant unit of a nearby hospital, and I love doing that even though I'm not doing much in it. I enjoy even just answering call lights and getting patients things they want, because I'm helping them, even if it is a tiny bit. I absolutely love helping people, in any fashion.

The reason I can't come out and say "I desire to be a doctor" or "I desire to be a nurse" is because the training and public view of these professions often radically differ from what the professions actually entail once you're functioning as an RN or an MD. From strictly what I've seen, do I desire to be a nurse? Yes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing.

Only you can choose the course of your life. You enjoy helping people and a career in medicine (be in nursing, EMS, NP, PA, etc) will help you accomplish that.

Here is the thing.. no regrets! Do you think you'll regret the choice not to try for medical school? You may look back on it and say "at least I tried". When you get your degree in bio (or any premed type program) why not apply for both medical schools and master's nursing programs? Maybe fate will decide for you?

I guess what I'm saying is get in school and start taking all your basic and med prereqs (many will overlap) and take it from there. You don't HAVE to make life choices right now. You may change your mind 10 times from here to eternity.. and that is okay too.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was pre-med way back when. I gave up 'the dream' because it stopped being a dream for me. I realized that I honestly did not want to spend 8 years in school + residency. I maintained an interest in medicine, health and biology throughout the years. I also overcame some personal obstacles and now in my mid 30s, I've decided I want to be a nurse and most likely a nurse practitioner.

If I was like you though and med school was still my ultimate dream, I'd go for it. Work it, do your best. And if you do fulfill the requirements for med school, you would also fulfill the requirements for nursing as well. There are also other options as well such as physical therapist.

Also, at the age of 18, I wanted to be a doctor more than anything, after spending time with doctors and med students, at the age of 20, that was no longer my dream. Things can change quickly although I wouldn't go into nursing just because you think you can't get into med school.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

Okay, I understand what you are asking but tehre is one very big thing everyone is ignoring. You can get your Bachelor's in nursing and then apply to medical school if its not for you. The pre-req's for nursing at my school include all the required courses that are needed to apply to med school, I knwo because my cousin is pre-med. I know all schools are different but so whats the big deal if you have to take one or two extra classes? There's no specific degree needed for medical school, just specific courses that they want you to take, have your bachelor's and mcat scores. I knwo theres other stuff like volunteer work and what not but I don't know that specific details...Anyhow that is what I would do if I was you but I do think that nursing school is going to be tough if your whole heart isn't in it...:redpinkhe

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I guess I don't understand traditional nursing programs enough to say they would be a good idea as a bachelors for med school. From what I've read, it seems like a lot of your classes are 'fixed' in terms of sequence for nursing and if you wanted to fit in the requirements for med school, it might be difficult. Things like full year of o chem, physics, calculus which I don't think a typical nursing student would take and then also full year of bio and chem which also doesn't seem to be a requirement of nursing (although 1 semester of each probably is). Also, people seem to indicate that it is harder to get good grades in nursing school and I don't know how much truth that is and not to say that its easy to get good grades in other majors but I know once I got out of the 'weeder' classes for my undergrad, A's were fairly easy to get.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion