MD & DO Become a RN before med school?

[Doctor Dream]

Hi everyone!

This isn't a WAMC thread, just an undergrad looking for input and advice. My question is would becoming a RN before applying to med school make me more unique be advantageous over a bio/biochem double major.

I know med schools are looking for uniqueness and diversity in their students, and as a white male currently working toward a biology/biochem double major, I don't think that really qualifies me as "unique". I've also worked as a CNA and an in-patient pharmacy technician, I'm not sure if that's notable and unique though.

That being said, I'm wondering if becoming an RN before-hand will help me stand out as an applicant, and be worth the extra year of schooling it'd take for me (applying to nursing school junior year instead of the traditional sophomore year). I'd have experiences most med school applicants wouldn't have, and the degree would give me a career to fall back on if med school doesn't work out. Don't get me wrong, my true passion is to be a medical doctor, but I think being an RN would be a cool supplement to that. Overall, my questions are: would becoming an RN before applying to med school make me more unique and be more advantageous than a bio/biochem double major, and would it be worth the extra year of school to go for RN instead of my bio/biochem double major. My current GPA's are cGPA 3.87, sGPA 4.0, if that helps anyone.

Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks!

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[jlescher]

I don't think it would make you very unique. People become nurses all the time and decide to switch careers. They end up desiring more responsibility, autonomy, etc. I personally think this will be a huge was of your time. You have a great GPA and you have clinical experience as a CNA. Just do well on the MCAT to round out the package. Some research would also help if you want to apply at some of the more competitive schools.

If you do this, I guarantee you will be asked why, and your answer better not be, "because I thought it would help me get into medical school". There response might be something along the lines of, "So why did you waste educational resources and take a spot at a school from someone who actually wanted to become a nurse?" You would be much better off volunteering in Africa for a year or trying to get a free clinic started in your area. Those are unique accomplishments you could hang your hat on.

 

[Doctor Dream]

I don't think it would make you very unique. People become nurses all the time and decide to switch careers. They end up desiring more responsibility, autonomy, etc. I personally think this will be a huge was of your time. You have a great GPA and you have clinical experience as a CNA. Just do well on the MCAT to round out the package. Some research would also help if you want to apply at some of the more competitive schools.

If you do this, I guarantee you will be asked why, and your answer better not be, "because I thought it would help me get into medical school". There response might be something along the lines of, "So why did you waste educational resources and take a spot at a school from someone who actually wanted to become a nurse?" You would be much better off volunteering in Africa for a year or trying to get a free clinic started in your area. Those are unique accomplishments you could hang your hat on.

Good input, that was something I hadn't thought of. That is exactly why I posted this on here lol

 

[jlescher]

No problem. Just do things you really enjoy and are passionate about. You have a great foundation started.

 

[MB4]

Great job rocking that GPA! I am currently a senior at a highly regarded nursing program (I will be graduating June 2014) and I have decided to pursue medical school myself. From the position you are in I think it would be a large undertaking for you to go to nursing school, and as previously mentioned, I don't think you will have a problem getting into a program whatsoever.

I do agree with the standpoint that an RN student would have way more clinical experience than most others going into medical school. My school requires over 1400 clinical hours through the course of our program and I was also an EMT beforehand. It has really given me an in-depth view of what the profession (MD) is like, and allowed me to decide for myself to pursue medical school. I think this is really important because I've seen a lot of pre-med students that are focused on going to medical school and their goals are being pressured upon them by their parents. They're great students and I am sure they will make great doctors, but I am unsure that they have a true idea of what they are getting themselves into.

You are also correct in the thought that you will have something to fall back on if medical school doesn't work out. I also think that is the "playing not to lose" rather than the "playing to win" mentality. I think this safetynet was my thought in the beginning and now I am taking extra classes and doing a lot of extra work to apply to medical school. I don't regret it, but its a lot more work than had I just gone for a biochem degree in the first place. If you really know what you want and keep rockin your GPA as you have, you'll be fine, you'll get into school somewhere. If you're still undecided on your commitment then you might want to reevaluate your situation. I think when I choose to go to nursing school I did so because I was more or less intimidated by the profession and thought of becoming a doctor. My folks are working class and education was never a high priority or imposed pressure upon me, but somehow I seem to fit the mold and medicine is the path I have decided to pursue.

Also, thoroughly look up the BSN nursing school curriculum at the schools you are considering. Most are somewhat substantial. My school is 3 years of full time study with the summers off. Nothing like medical school, but more than one year for the traditional BSN programs. That being said, there are several accelerate BSN in nursing programs for students that already have a bachelors in a different subject. You would undoubtedly be accepted to an accelerate program with the GPA you have if you decided that route, and it would probably be faster for you to complete your biochem degree first and enter than program anyways. If you do decide to go the RN route, ensure that you go for you bachelors of science in nursing and not your associates, as the associates prepared nurses are really starting to be phased out, or required to obtain their BSN in a certain time period at most magnet hospitals.

On last thing, I will also mention the fact that now that I have become somewhat ingrained in the medical word, I have now become somewhat reluctant to state to fellow nursing students, nurses, and nurse educators that I am pursuing medical school. Most are very prideful and consider it a "switch" in careers, although I consider that to be so far from the truth. I have also heard it said a couple times now that they think I have "stolen an education from someone else who would have been very happy being a nurse". I feel that I am not switching at all and nursing school has only further solidified my passion/dedication for medicine. On a functional level I the nurse-to-doctor path makes a lot of sense, and I don't know that I would change my educational background any which way. Who else is going to have a better understanding of what a MD does than whose of work with them (clinically speaking) day-in and day-out??

I hope this helps

 

[Goro]

It would be foolish, and I think you'll rightly get flack for denying a seat to a prospective nurse who actually wants to be in the profession. Your current GPAs are outstanding and so there's no need to resort to "trickery" to get yourself noticed.


This isn't a WAMC thread, just an undergrad looking for input and advice. My question is would becoming a RN before applying to med school make me more unique be advantageous over a bio/biochem double major.

I know med schools are looking for uniqueness and diversity in their students, and as a white male currently working toward a biology/biochem double major, I don't think that really qualifies me as "unique". I've also worked as a CNA and an in-patient pharmacy technician, I'm not sure if that's notable and unique though.

That being said, I'm wondering if becoming an RN before-hand will help me stand out as an applicant, and be worth the extra year of schooling it'd take for me (applying to nursing school junior year instead of the traditional sophomore year). I'd have experiences most med school applicants wouldn't have, and the degree would give me a career to fall back on if med school doesn't work out. Don't get me wrong, my true passion is to be a medical doctor, but I think being an RN would be a cool supplement to that. Overall, my questions are: would becoming an RN before applying to med school make me more unique and be more advantageous than a bio/biochem double major, and would it be worth the extra year of school to go for RN instead of my bio/biochem double major. My current GPA's are cGPA 3.87, sGPA 4.0, if that helps anyone.

Any thoughts are appreciated, thanks![/quote]

 

[jlescher]

@MB4 I think your decision is totally respectable and legitimate. You have a very sound reason for wanting to pursue an MD. I think you will run into the question but you have a good answer. You made the decision ex post facto rather than entering nursing school with the intention of going to medical school. Good luck with your application!

 

[MB4]

Thank you jlescher! I agree and I don't believe I will run across any issues in the application process, its just difficult in my current position. I'm not trying to underplay anyone's successes and I have nothing but love and respect towards the nursing profession. I understand where they might be coming from in thinking "What? Being a nurse or NP isn't good enough for you?" That is not the case and I think if they took the time to listen to my reasoning they would appreciate and respect my decision.

 

[Doctor Dream]

Thank you everyone for your comments! I too have the utmost respect for the nursing profession (my mom being an OB nurse herself), but I can see now how choosing a nursing degree as a "stepping stone" (for lack of a better term) toward med school could be viewed really negatively, and I would be wasting my time if I wanted to go med and went nursing before. I like where my stats are for med school, but my biggest fear is adcomms will see me as another "cookie cutter" applicant, similar to thousands of other apps they look at, but with slightly above average stats. I was just trying to think of things I could do that would really help my app stand out.

 

[MB4]

I think you're going to be just fine I am not sure where your interests lie, but I have a strong focus in the realm of emergency medicine. About 90 percent of my clinical rotations through nursing school have been focused within this specialty as I knew this was my passion from the start. Right now I am doing three 12-hour nursing shifts each week in a local emergency department at a large hospital. That being said, I feel that you application and mine (for medical school) are very different. I will be spending this next year taking the remaining science courses I need to apply to medical school. So, I feel in a clinical realm I will have more experience than a lot of applicants and some additional science courses (pharmacology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, and other nursing science course that many applicants wouldn't have), but I feel that as a whole I am definitely lacking in the "scientific foundation" department that someone like yourself would have a very strong background.

From a experience standpoint, I couple of things you could do to add some "bling" to your application would be to take an EMT-Basic course (Emergency Medical Technician) or Wilderness First Responder course. I had taken both before applying to nursing school and undoubtedly they helped me get in to my program. Both are generally offered at any university, community college, and there are several independent companies as well. The EMT course is about 120 hours of lecture/field training and the WFR (Wilderness First Responder) course is about 60 to 80 hours. These would both be way less time consuming than nursing school.

Anyway, like I said, not sure where your interests lie, but just some food for though