Want to be NP... about to give up.

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Hello all!!

First and foremost, this will be a long question and hopefully I can get some advice because I'm losing hope that I will ever achieve my goal.

I graduated July 2011 with a Bachelors in Molecular and Cell Biology. At first I was considering pre-med but I short-changed myself because I thought I couldnt do it so I switched majors. Then I got caught up in the college partying lifestyle and quickly became depressed and unmotivated. I barely graduated with a 2.1 GPA. >.

Ive been working in a clinical laboratory doing mundane and repetitive tasks everyday and everyday for the past year I have regretted not working harder in college and going for what I really wanted (Nurse Practioner in Women's Health). I look around at the people I work with and it seems that everyone there has given up on themselves and are content to stay exactly where they are. They are a depressing and sad bunch of people whose lives all revolve around small meaningless drama at work and they really have nothing to say for themselves. I dont want to be like them. I know I can be better and make a difference in this world.

I still have this yearning to become a nurse practioner but Ive scoured the internet and I have started to lose hope. My GPA is WAAAAAAY too low to get into any Entry level masters program. I cant even get into the accelerated bachelors programs. Ive considered going to community college and getting an ADN (2 years) then doing the RN to MSN (3 years) program but I'm not quite sure how long that will take or even how to start...

I also considered going back to school and busting my butt to get a second bachelors in Clinical Laboratory Science (3 years) and then trying again for the entry level's master program (3 years).

But these are all just theoretical options. I have no idea if they are even viable.... Can someone out there provide me some perspective on these ideas and what I can do to eventually become a nurse practioner?

Thank you so much for reading this long-winded post. I appreciate your candor and advice. :)

-Chimi

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Wow, I think you might be my twin. I majored in general biology & I wanted to become a doctor. I ended up doing horribly at my UC & I got a 2.1 gpa. I was still really interested in working in the medical field, so I decided NP or PA was the next best thing. I knew that I couldn't get into anything with my horrible gpa, so I decided to go back to community college to get an ADN. I strongly suggest you do this! The school pays for your classes and you can get a side job to pay for books..etc. You will not find it difficult to do after getting a B.S. in cell biology. I finished all of my pre-reqs in the fall (anatomy, physiology...etc) with a 4.0 and I petitioned a microbiology class. I studied for the teas (really not that bad) and I applied this March. I found out 3 weeks ago that I got accepted :). It only took me a semester to get accepted into the RN program (I did take community college courses before I transferred to a UC...I have an associates degree in transfer studies). I'm not sure if you are willing to relocate, but my RN program does not have a waitlist and it is not as competitive as other programs are (I heard some people wait up to 3 years to get into San Diego RN programs...yikes!). We also have an SDSU extension college nearby and I just got back from speaking to the director of the RN-BSN program. She told me I could start working on my BSN in the 3rd semester of my ADN program and as long as I kick butt in my classes, I should not have a problem bridging into the masters program to become a NP. She said I could finish my BSN in 3 semesters (summer included)...I was stunned! DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE! I never gave up and I'm so glad I didn't! Feel free to message me if you would like to talk about it some more :)!

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Hi!! Thank you so much for your input!!! I feel like I have hope again!! Could I possibly have your email so that we can talk some more? Which city do you live in? I'm currently in Los Angeles.

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Don't give up hope. If you've got the passion for it, do it!

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i'm not too keen on leaving my email like this, so i'll add it and delete it once i get your email (can't private message) :).

*highlight with mouse to see :D* --->[color=#f0fff0][email protected]

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what program are you entering? I'm also in LA, in a similar situation. I would love to hear more.

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what program are you entering? I'm also in LA, in a similar situation. I would love to hear more.

The college I'm attending is Imperial Valley College. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you'd like more info :D

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Hey everyone! I know this is really late but thanks to all your encouragement I am ONE YEAR away from graduating with a BSN! WOOHOO!!! I appreciate everyone's help :)

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Always nice to hear success stories after a long hiatus. Strong work!

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