Hi! I'm a sophomore in college, and I don't know what I want to do with my life, yet. Right now, I think I want to be a NP, PA, or MD (among a few other careers). Other threads here said I should ask people of the professions I'm considering why they chose the path they did. So....
Why did you decide to go into nursing?
Did you ever consider medical school?
If so, what factors helped you make your decision?
What do you like about being a nurse that being an MD wouldn't have offered you?
I have been fighting this internal battle for 7 years now. I've known my entire life I wanted to be a physician. I even shadowed my GP at age 8! But, as I grew older, and spent more time around physicians, I began to see the toll it took on their personal lives. I knew I wanted children, and I knew what kind of Mother I wanted to be. I also knew what kind of doctor I wanted to be, and I couldn't find a way to make the two goals meet. So, when I went to college the first time, I majored in Nursing. I realized pretty quickly, however, that nursing just wasn't "enough" for me. I put that in quotation marks because I by no means believe nursing is less of a career than medicine, it just wasn't the best fit for me. I LOVED the science, and the art of diagnostics, I was fascinated by the advanced procedures, and especially with surgery. I craved the "final responsibility" and resented running my opinions by the physician when I knew what needed to be done. When my professors were constantly rebuking me for offering "medical diagnoses" rather than "nursing diagnoses," it began to be clear that I was taking the wrong path. My anatomy professor even exhorted me to pursue medicine rather than nursing.
So, I switched, and began taking the new pre-reqs for medical school. I was drowning in job shadowing, volunteering, my courses, getting clinical experience as a CNA, and voraciously reading everything I could get my hands on (NEJM, even surgical textbooks), and loving every minute of it. But, somewhere in there I fell in love, and got married, and even with all my knowledge of A&P had a surprise pregnancy 3 months into our marriage. My son changed everything. I still loved medicine, but my educational pursuits paled in comparison to the joy of being home with my son, spending every day, every moment with him. It was miraculous.
I have recently gone back to school, taking more pre-med pre-reqs, and am constantly revisiting my original concerns regarding being the kind of Mother I want to be, and the kind of Doctor I want to be. I'm still not sure I could do it, right now. So, now, my plans are to go back, and finish nursing school, and to learn everything I can while practicing nursing. I can have much more flexible hours, and can still be a part of something I love. Then, when my kids are older, even though I might be the oldest student in medical school, I'll go back. Of course, my husband's praying that after 10 years of nursing, I will have lost the desire for med school, but I figure this way, I get the best of both worlds.
Medicine is a dream I cannot give up, but I don't want to look back at the end of my life, and wish I was a better mother to my children. I know two physicians who were nurses for 10+ years, and they are the best physicians I know. Their experiences in nursing give them a unique perspective on the collaboration of the whole healthcare team, they are great with their patients, and always willing to teach anyone willing to learn. I hope the experience I have in nursing will make me a better physician in the end. So I guess my answer is that I'm not choosing. I'm doing both!
And I just have to say, you're NEVER too old to follow your dreams. My neighbor followed a similar path to the one I'm planning, and at age 51 has just finished her residency. She did say it was tough being the old kid on the block, but that she wouldn't change a thing, she's lived BOTH of her dreams, her dream to be a great mother, and her dream to be a great doctor.
Hi! I'm a sophomore in college, and I don't know what I want to do with my life, yet. Right now, I think I want to be a NP, PA, or MD (among a few other careers). Other threads here said I should ask people of the professions I'm considering why they chose the path they did. So....
Why did you decide to go into nursing?
Did you ever consider medical school?
If so, what factors helped you make your decision?
What do you like about being a nurse that being an MD wouldn't have offered you?
Thanks!!
Hi... I'm a graduating student in nursing school... At first I choose nursing profession because I kinda like the job of taking care of lives, but as our duty went on.. especially on our exposure in ICU.. the idea of being a doctor keep stuck in my mind... I don't know why, but may because I wanna treat them the way a Medical Doctor will do... and I'm confuse of whether to proceed on being a medical doctor or just be a nurse... I think we have a similar problem, but I guess in a different way...
Specializes in Cardiac, Maternal-child, LDRP, NICU.
I have been fighting this internal battle for 7 years now. I've known my entire life I wanted to be a physician. I even shadowed my GP at age 8! But, as I grew older, and spent more time around physicians, I began to see the toll it took on their personal lives. I knew I wanted children, and I knew what kind of Mother I wanted to be. I also knew what kind of doctor I wanted to be, and I couldn't find a way to make the two goals meet. So, when I went to college the first time, I majored in Nursing. I realized pretty quickly, however, that nursing just wasn't "enough" for me. I put that in quotation marks because I by no means believe nursing is less of a career than medicine, it just wasn't the best fit for me. I LOVED the science, and the art of diagnostics, I was fascinated by the advanced procedures, and especially with surgery. I craved the "final responsibility" and resented running my opinions by the physician when I knew what needed to be done. When my professors were constantly rebuking me for offering "medical diagnoses" rather than "nursing diagnoses," it began to be clear that I was taking the wrong path. My anatomy professor even exhorted me to pursue medicine rather than nursing.
So, I switched, and began taking the new pre-reqs for medical school. I was drowning in job shadowing, volunteering, my courses, getting clinical experience as a CNA, and voraciously reading everything I could get my hands on (NEJM, even surgical textbooks), and loving every minute of it. But, somewhere in there I fell in love, and got married, and even with all my knowledge of A&P had a surprise pregnancy 3 months into our marriage. My son changed everything. I still loved medicine, but my educational pursuits paled in comparison to the joy of being home with my son, spending every day, every moment with him. It was miraculous.
I have recently gone back to school, taking more pre-med pre-reqs, and am constantly revisiting my original concerns regarding being the kind of Mother I want to be, and the kind of Doctor I want to be. I'm still not sure I could do it, right now. So, now, my plans are to go back, and finish nursing school, and to learn everything I can while practicing nursing. I can have much more flexible hours, and can still be a part of something I love. Then, when my kids are older, even though I might be the oldest student in medical school, I'll go back. Of course, my husband's praying that after 10 years of nursing, I will have lost the desire for med school, but I figure this way, I get the best of both worlds.
Medicine is a dream I cannot give up, but I don't want to look back at the end of my life, and wish I was a better mother to my children. I know two physicians who were nurses for 10+ years, and they are the best physicians I know. Their experiences in nursing give them a unique perspective on the collaboration of the whole healthcare team, they are great with their patients, and always willing to teach anyone willing to learn. I hope the experience I have in nursing will make me a better physician in the end. So I guess my answer is that I'm not choosing. I'm doing both!
And I just have to say, you're NEVER too old to follow your dreams. My neighbor followed a similar path to the one I'm planning, and at age 51 has just finished her residency. She did say it was tough being the old kid on the block, but that she wouldn't change a thing, she's lived BOTH of her dreams, her dream to be a great mother, and her dream to be a great doctor.
True its never too late to pursue your dreams somewhere there in between pursuing my dreams i also gave birth to two beautiful childern and in my opinion it;s time for me to not be selfish be happy for what i am now and try my best to teach and educate my kids for there future. I come from different country my mom got up every night till 7th grade and taught us kids all night long she also had a burden to teach all three kids five different languages at same time so i am trying now to do that with my kids not teach them all the languages because in america you don't need all of them but be ahead in there class, so it takes away my 3-4 hr every day to teach and educate them new stuff so if i pursue my dreams now i would not have any time to study myself. I am also over ambitious i am never satisfied with my education so even if i become a doctor i would again be looking for something else, if i didn't have to think about my kids i still would be studying on my death bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Specializes in Cardiac, Hospice, Float pool, Med/Peds.
On my floor, the MD's only are with the patients about 3 minutes in a day. I am a total people person and enjoy taking care of people. I like the flexabilty and can change floors or what not, plus have a life as a wife and mom... I am planning on going back to school to be a NP and then I will have more responsibilty and that is great to me...
Right now, I think I want to be a NP, PA, or MD (among a few other careers). Other threads here said I should ask people of the professions I'm considering why they chose the path they did. So....
ERGirl83
117 Posts
I have been fighting this internal battle for 7 years now. I've known my entire life I wanted to be a physician. I even shadowed my GP at age 8! But, as I grew older, and spent more time around physicians, I began to see the toll it took on their personal lives. I knew I wanted children, and I knew what kind of Mother I wanted to be. I also knew what kind of doctor I wanted to be, and I couldn't find a way to make the two goals meet. So, when I went to college the first time, I majored in Nursing. I realized pretty quickly, however, that nursing just wasn't "enough" for me. I put that in quotation marks because I by no means believe nursing is less of a career than medicine, it just wasn't the best fit for me. I LOVED the science, and the art of diagnostics, I was fascinated by the advanced procedures, and especially with surgery. I craved the "final responsibility" and resented running my opinions by the physician when I knew what needed to be done. When my professors were constantly rebuking me for offering "medical diagnoses" rather than "nursing diagnoses," it began to be clear that I was taking the wrong path. My anatomy professor even exhorted me to pursue medicine rather than nursing.
So, I switched, and began taking the new pre-reqs for medical school. I was drowning in job shadowing, volunteering, my courses, getting clinical experience as a CNA, and voraciously reading everything I could get my hands on (NEJM, even surgical textbooks), and loving every minute of it. But, somewhere in there I fell in love, and got married, and even with all my knowledge of A&P had a surprise pregnancy 3 months into our marriage. My son changed everything. I still loved medicine, but my educational pursuits paled in comparison to the joy of being home with my son, spending every day, every moment with him. It was miraculous.
I have recently gone back to school, taking more pre-med pre-reqs, and am constantly revisiting my original concerns regarding being the kind of Mother I want to be, and the kind of Doctor I want to be. I'm still not sure I could do it, right now. So, now, my plans are to go back, and finish nursing school, and to learn everything I can while practicing nursing. I can have much more flexible hours, and can still be a part of something I love. Then, when my kids are older, even though I might be the oldest student in medical school, I'll go back. Of course, my husband's praying that after 10 years of nursing, I will have lost the desire for med school, but I figure this way, I get the best of both worlds.
Medicine is a dream I cannot give up, but I don't want to look back at the end of my life, and wish I was a better mother to my children. I know two physicians who were nurses for 10+ years, and they are the best physicians I know. Their experiences in nursing give them a unique perspective on the collaboration of the whole healthcare team, they are great with their patients, and always willing to teach anyone willing to learn. I hope the experience I have in nursing will make me a better physician in the end. So I guess my answer is that I'm not choosing. I'm doing both!
And I just have to say, you're NEVER too old to follow your dreams. My neighbor followed a similar path to the one I'm planning, and at age 51 has just finished her residency. She did say it was tough being the old kid on the block, but that she wouldn't change a thing, she's lived BOTH of her dreams, her dream to be a great mother, and her dream to be a great doctor.