Thinking of dropping Nursing school and doing Pre-Med

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Hey guys. I'm currently a 2nd year Nursing student and I just wanted to know what your opinions are.

I am currently in a very good nursing program. I did not have to do my pre reqs and then apply for the nursing program, I went straight into a 4 year BSN course. After learning about the Nursing model and actually taking Nursing classes, I just find myself more intrigued by the scientific aspect of patient care (medical model) such as diseases, pathology, physiology than the hollistic model that Nursing is associated with. Everytime I go to one of my Nursing classes, I find that I have no interest in the subject material and although I do decent in my classes I have to really dig to find the motivation. I've already contemplated completing the BSN course, working for a couple of years while completing pre reqs for med school on the side and applying for medical school. However just that statement alone, shows me that I'm just using nursing as a stepping stone to medical school and that alone is a pretty bad path to take if I just wanted to become a doctor. I just feel like, if I do end up becoming a nurse I will really appreciate the job security aspect of it and the decent pay but I'm almost certain that in the back of my mind I will always think what if I at least tried to go to med school instead of settling with this wonderful program that I am already in. I really am confused with everything right now and I was wondering if you guys can shed some light on my situation. Basically I'm thinking of dropping nursing and switching my major on to a pre med track or should I just finish and do what I mentioned before? Thanks guys.

because nursing school in itself is way too busy and slightly difficult to fit in the amount of pre reqs required for medical school.

You do realize that medical school would be many times more difficult than taking the prereqs with nursing courses, right?

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Specializes in LTC (LPN-RN).

It is clear you cannot juggle what you have now. Maybe you should become a NP or a Physicians Assistant. Or, since you are into the more scientific part, get a degree in clinical science (or look into becoming a microbiolgoist). Either way, you are in nursing now. It is either you drop out or stay in it.

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Specializes in Research.

I sent you a pm w a link to a good video I watched... Check it out hope it helps

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.

Whoever is suggesting to the OP to the NP is being kind of insulting, as if being an NP is a backup plan if you can't be an MD. "You probably won't get into medical school so just be an NP." However, suggesting that they should just be a PA instead makes sense. I am also suggesting going to be a DO or whatever, I think I read somewhere that it's more doable than being an MD, correct me if I'm wrong.

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.
You do realize that medical school would be many times more difficult than taking the prereqs with nursing courses, right?

This is wrong!

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Whoever is suggesting to the OP to the NP is being kind of insulting, as if being an NP is a backup plan if you can't be an MD. "You probably won't get into medical school so just be an NP." However, suggesting that they should just be a PA instead makes sense. I am also suggesting going to be a DO or whatever, I think I read somewhere that it's more doable than being an MD, correct me if I'm wrong.

How is it at all insulting? It's just reality. Seriously, get over yourself. THere's nothing wrong with NP if you don't want to do as much schooling and financial sacrifice to become an MD.

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I don't understand why these posts cause so much uproar. This one's tame, but generally speaking, I just don't understand the thinking that it's ridiculous for someone more interested in medicine to pursue nursing. You go to nursing school and even during the thick of it there are people who work full time and have families with children. When you're done, you can work anything from 3 12 hour nights to 9-5 monday through fiday. You go to med school and you can't work, you have a poop ton of debt, and once you graduate you're probably working 12 hour days every day plus you have call. I'd love to be a doctor but it's not worth it to me.

Anyways...

There is no way to compare med school versus nursing classes plus pre-med classes.

Most med students are 24-25 years old, and more and more are getting other post graduate degrees before they go to med school. We're talking about a 19 year old undergrad who, regardless of the descision he makes, needs his GPA to be has high as possible. It is not unreasonable to suggest that maybe nursing classes on top of pre-med classes would not be a recipe for success. You need a tip-top GPA to get into med school. You need a 65% to pass some of those first year med school classes. Apples and oranges.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
This is wrong!

....oh?

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Specializes in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.
Thanks for the reply. I always take into account the fact that I am pretty young and still have a whole life ahead of me. My biggest concern is what if in the future when I'm older and probably too old to go to medical school, I completely regret the years of becoming a nurse. By research what exactly do you mean? Based on my exposure with nursing in my classes and clinicals right now, I just don't feel like I have any motivation to want to become a nurse. I know the following years are going to suck but honestly they really shouldn't if you want to become a doctor med school, residency are all going to be parts of that process. Do NPs follow the medical model more than the hollistic model?

I was somewhat in your situation before I was accepted to nursing school. Wanted to be a doctor but I really needed to get on with my life. I like the aspect that I am not completely tied to my patients once I'm done for the day and I only have to work a set number of days. There is no, "I'm here for 24 hours today, on-call tomorrow, back again for the next 5 days, then I'll be on-call again for the following 2. I might see my kids sometime in their 30s." This is an approximation of what I heard a doc say while at clinical this past week. That is not a life I ultimately wanted to live -- it's just not a few years. The grind for docs can last quite a long time.

Honestly, I had second thoughts as I went into my 2nd year but I stuck it out and am keeping it pushin, as it were. I only have until June before it's all said and done and I am happy I've hung in there. There is still the option to go to PA school if I find I still have that hankerin for the medical model or go the NP route but at this point, I just want a job and I just want to rack up experience and I just want to try and make even the tiniest positive difference in my patients' lives. If you aren't working as an aide in a hospital yet, try that and see where things really fit in, especially once you witness what it really ends up like being a doc.

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.
....oh?

Wrong to assume something is harder or easier to do based off your competencies? Yeah. I'm sure for some people, going through nursing school would be hell while med school would be a breeze and vice versa.

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Specializes in ICU Stepdown.
How is it at all insulting? It's just reality. Seriously, get over yourself. THere's nothing wrong with NP if you don't want to do as much schooling and financial sacrifice to become an MD.

Get over myself? I never said there was anything wrong with being an NP but if you're substituting being an MD by being an NP, aren't you just going to end up unhappy? Or at the least, unsatisfied? Sure, you might end up loving it but what if you don't? Then you end up thinking "why didn't I just go to medical school?" Oh yeah, I didn't have the grades for it. "Well I could have gone to be a PA! You know, since I love the medical model so much!!"

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

Something to consider is the cost of your education. It is sometimes much less expensive to finish your nursing degree and then become an NP or PA than it is to go to med school. PA requires a bachelor's degree with the same pre-reqs as med school, plus most typically require many hours of hands-on direct patient care experience. NP requires you to have your BSN. Med school can be a myriad of different possibilities, as long as the pre-reqs have been completed. Most med schools prefer a science background, naturally.

When I started nursing school, it was with the intention of becoming a PA. I really wanted to be a doctor, but as an older student returning to school, I would never recoup the investment of med school before retirement. After researching, I found that being a PA was certainly the next best thing. I could still diagnose, treat, prescribe, etc. So, I looked in to finishing a degree in medical laboratory science and wanted to work as a phlebotomist to get my hands-on patient experience.

As I researched PA in my state, I found that in this area, both PA & NP have the same authority. NPs are not allowed to practice independently in this state (they may in others). As I was looking in to the pros & cons of each, I saw that I could finish my RN in 2 years and start working as a nurse while I finish the BSN.

I'm so glad I did so. I really love being a nurse. At first, I didn't think I would like it at all and kept saying I should just go to PA school when I'm done. Now that I've earned my RN and I'm working as a nurse, I have been able to see both PA & NP in the hospital setting. I'm definitely confident I made the right choice by becoming an RN first. I think having the experience of providing good nursing care will make for better practice in the future when I'm able to treat/diagnose/prescribe. It's a very well-rounded experience. Plus, I get to provide a level of care as a nurse that I wouldn't otherwise do if I had merely gone to only PA school. I think that gives the NPs a leg up on the PAs.

Of course, you'll need to research the difference between NP & PA in your area. What are the pros & cons of each? What do the hospitals use most? There are some areas that only use PA. There are some states where NPs can practice independently. It all depends on your location.

You need to decide for yourself what appeals to you more: the medical model or the nursing model. If you're in your 2nd year of nursing school and you still feel this isn't for you, then I'd change majors to something that's going to get you in to PA or med school, instead of wasting time in nursing school.

Best of luck with your decision :D

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