What would you do in my situation...?

[Nurse Ratchet]

I went to a prestigious University, majoring in General Biology as a PreMed student, and was planning to go into their Medical School as a Grad student to become some sort of Doctor.

Now I am at a less academically challenging College majoring in Nursing becasue my parents think there is a more open job market, and my previous University didn't offer that major.

This new college is not as rigourous and research oriented as my previous University. For instance, if I was at my previous University, I would be required to take multiple level courses in Physics, Calculus, Humanities, Languages, Chemistry, etc. even though they don't relate to my major. And I also had to take over 50 units(about 15 classes) each year to graduate in 4 years. But at this current college, I was only required to take necessary Biology and Nursing courses, and typical, easy G.Es. Also, I only needed 24 units(about 8 classes) each year to graducate in 4 years.

But this doesn' t relieve much because I was always a studious student.

What I want to know is if I made the right decisions(did I lower my standards since I was capable of becoming a doctor?) and what would you have done if you were in my shoes?

All I know is that I always wanted to go into something related to the medical field and working in the hospital and currently, I'm indecisive so I'm going with my parents, and I don't think I prefer either professions over the other yet.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

I think you would benefit from work shadowing or volenteering at your local hospital or at a GP surgery. This way you could see and experience how the professions are in reality and then after that decide which path is the one that you want. You should do what you want otherwise youll regret it in the end. However it is important you make the right choice. Good Luck xx

Excellent advice!

[Nurse Ratchet]

Thanks everyone for the advice. Yes, I've been doing volunteering work in the Nursing department at a hospital.

And I think there are some misinterpretations. I asked about "did I lower my standard?' I wasn't implying that I thought it was lower than a Doctor. I just wrote that because when I tell people my career change, they usually reply "Why didn't you just go all the way with becoming a Doctor, it's better or higher." or something of that sort.

but thanks.

[Dixielee, BSN, RN]

This is from my husband who has been listening to me read some of these responses. He is an ex-police officer who has also dealt with life and death decisions. He is here to listen to me when I come home frustrated because I can't do the job that I want to do because of short staffing, over worked and very tired. He listens when I cry talking about the baby who died needlessly, or the old man who died alone. He has been around the world, so to speak and he gives wise counsel...you would do well to listen, so here goes....

At 19, you can't be expected to know, but hopefully when you reach my age, about 60 you will have learned that it matters far less what you do, doctor, nurse, whatever, but what really matters is who you are. If you become a doctor, be the best doctor you can. Give it everything you've got. If you become a nurse, likewise, don't just be satisfied with only 100%...give that extra that you have to reach deep into your heart and soul for. Hopefully, you will learn not to look down on others because you do not know their story. That "lowly waitress" who serves your food, may in fact be twice the person you are raising children working 2 jobs so she can put herself through school. Someday if you become a doctor that same "lowly waitress" may be the lawyer who defends you in a malpractice suit. You may think a policeman is beneath you, just a lowly cop. But, when you or someone you love is laying on the bloody pavement, when that lowly cop shows up, he will be the most beautiful person in the whole world. When someone breaks into your house at 2 in the morning and you are hiding in your bedroom with your cell phone, when that lowly cop shows up you will want to kiss his feet. By the way, when I was a lowly cop, we were called Peace Officers. When you are young, it is often important what others think about you and how they value your position. But somewhere along the line, if you live long enough and grow up, all that becomes important is how you think about and how your view yourself. I wish you good luck and may you live long and prosper!

[zenman]

Now I am at a less academically challenging College majoring in Nursing becasue my parents think there is a more open job market, and my previous University didn't offer that major.

Since when did anyone start to listen to their parents! :rotfl:

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

Edited:

MEA CULPA

[Nurse Ratchet]

Edited:

MEA CULPA

Did you read my reply..people are misreading my OP. I didn't say I settled for less. In fact, I even stated that I had no preference for either professions. When I tell people I am becoming a Nurse instead of a Doctor, they think I have failed and I was just wondering why so many people have this idea that I lowered my standards.

I said my new school was less challenging, that was my mistake for judging the school and associating it with my major. The truth is, this is an easier school, and all the majors have it easier here. Maybe a different nursing school that you attended required more. But mines didn't.

[jemb]

Please take the time to listen to our own heart and make your own decisions. Three of your posts have referenced "other people think..". Those other people are not doing your schoolwork and will not be responsible for your professional license. You do not need to justify your decisions to anyone else, but you do need to be comfortable with your own decision, and claim it as your own.

If you don't want to be a nurse, don't do it. If that is what you decide to do, and someone questions your decision, you need to be able to say proudly and with resolve, "That is what I want to do." You need no other explanation. Frankly, I think people who question your decision are rude (or maybe jealous).

BTW, you never did answer whether the change in schools had something to do with finances. If it does,and you'd really rather attend the other school, maybe you could postpone college while you work a few years and save enough money to pay for it.

[susanna]

This is from my husband who has been listening to me read some of these responses. He is an ex-police officer who has also dealt with life and death decisions. He is here to listen to me when I come home frustrated because I can't do the job that I want to do because of short staffing, over worked and very tired. He listens when I cry talking about the baby who died needlessly, or the old man who died alone. He has been around the world, so to speak and he gives wise counsel...you would do well to listen, so here goes....

At 19, you can't be expected to know, but hopefully when you reach my age, about 60 you will have learned that it matters far less what you do, doctor, nurse, whatever, but what really matters is who you are. If you become a doctor, be the best doctor you can. Give it everything you've got. If you become a nurse, likewise, don't just be satisfied with only 100%...give that extra that you have to reach deep into your heart and soul for. Hopefully, you will learn not to look down on others because you do not know their story. That "lowly waitress" who serves your food, may in fact be twice the person you are raising children working 2 jobs so she can put herself through school. Someday if you become a doctor that same "lowly waitress" may be the lawyer who defends you in a malpractice suit. You may think a policeman is beneath you, just a lowly cop. But, when you or someone you love is laying on the bloody pavement, when that lowly cop shows up, he will be the most beautiful person in the whole world. When someone breaks into your house at 2 in the morning and you are hiding in your bedroom with your cell phone, when that lowly cop shows up you will want to kiss his feet. By the way, when I was a lowly cop, we were called Peace Officers. When you are young, it is often important what others think about you and how they value your position. But somewhere along the line, if you live long enough and grow up, all that becomes important is how you think about and how your view yourself. I wish you good luck and may you live long and prosper!

Dixielee's husband and Dixielee, you are both so cool! I want to cut out this post and past it somewhere as words of wisdom for my life. I hope my heart stays as kind and as inspiring as yours as I get older. (With the way things are going in my life right now, I'm sometimes really scared that I'm about to fall over into the Dark Side for good.)

Nurse Ratchet, I went to a pretty-good university that offered undergrad and graduate-level nursing and also had a medical school. Nursing is known to be a pretty challenging profession at my school.

Food for thought:

1. (Others are invited to argue this since I don't know this is true for sure.) I am probably not going into nursing and am going into medicine because of one conversation: I was talking to the Director of my school's nursing program and I asked her about opportunities for medical research and nurses. She said that nurses could not head their own research for medical problems and had less privileges in this area. Thus, because I like research and want to have the option of being able to do that autonoumosly in the future, I am probably not going into nursing.

2. What do you mean by "less challenging"? Could it be that, after having been at your university for X amount of years, you just have developped better studying skills and are more intellectually perceptive? I say this because of my situation. I thought that my courses at the college I am at now were "less challenging" but its really that I'm getting into courses that focus in on detail and are less theoretical(Example. In general chem, bio, and calculus at my university, they forced a whole lot of theory down my throat in a little bit of time and I thought it was challenging and studied, studied, and studies, until I got good at ingesting the info, then when i got to my other college, i was so good at accepting and conceptualising dry, dry, dry theory and applying it to real life without much direction so I thought my courses had become "less challenging" when in reality, I had (yipeeee! studying does pay off!) become a better thinker.

Maybe it is just that you are growing? My first two years at my university were all studying, the last two was having a lot of free time.

[Nurse Ratchet]

Jemb: Yeah, my previous school was more expensive, and I couldn't afford it. That's part of the problem that I came to this current school. But also, because it has a Nursing major. But this college is more affordable so I can continue going to school and volunteer w/o working.

Dixielee and her husband: those are really some great words for me to think about.

Susanna: Yeah, I guess my previous university crammed so much theory in so little time. It took hours of studying each day to get a C. And I guess it was so much memorization and I felt it was impossible to know it all in the two months provided for each class. So at this college, its more relaxed and slower, it has a semester system. Maybe not easy, still requiring critical thinking and studying, but definitely less stressful and rushed.

[mary761]

Dixielee--I also saved your wise post so I can refer to it over and over. Thank you so much.

[Jay-Jay, RN]

Dixielee, thank you for sharing your husband's wise words! That was just sooo beautiful!

:kiss

[Jill1215]

If I was you I would go with my heart. There is a job market for MD's too! If you passion is for curing a patient go for the MD, if it is caring for and nurturing the patient become a nurse. Do not let anybody (not even your parents!) talk you out of your dream. If you go for it when you succeed I doubt there will be very many days when you wish you were a nurse instead of a physician. You know where your heart truly lies.