Hey guys,
I'm a Newby to the student doctor forums. I found the forum like many others probably did, Googleing my life away because I'm an undergrad student trying to decide my future.
The difference between myself and my peers is that I am a 24 year old, married, mother of three little girls ages 6, 3, and 16 months. My life is hectic already outside of school. I am a transfer student whose credits did not transfer with me, well, 12 did, but the institution that I transferred to will not allow me to use them. Thus, I am surrounded by freshman who are just as confused and possibly a bit more than I am about what their future holds. I was out of school for seven years before I decided to go to college because I got my GED as a sophomore rather than graduating with my class so there is a slight gap from time to time but I have a cumulative GPA of 3.85 and an institutional GPA of 4.0.
I went through EMT school, but my husband is a paramedic and the schedule conflict would have been insane, not to mention the pay is hard on our family of five. So, I decided to switch to nursing school. The college I was at only offered an LPN cert. So I finished out the year with my CNA and I left and transferred to my current college so that I could get my BSN. I haven't yet finished my core curriculum and I am taking classes that are required for both programs of study that I'm interested in, but this semester I will be out of corresponding classes and must choose which path I want to take.
I had partially decided that I wanted to go to med school. Nursing just wasn't going to cut it (for me and my desires). In my mind, I want to be the best I can be, and to be a doctor is my ultimate dream. The finances are okay, the opportunities though are what puts the spark in my heart to peruse a medical degree. I could do good, I could fuel my passions with my medical degree. However, I find myself doubting my ability sometimes and then other times I'm determined to follow my dreams. Logical mind seems to tell me that I'm silly, a mother of three young girls who lives in the middle of no where with no financial support other than financial aid, no family to back her, and a husband who supports my crazy ventures but cannot be present to assist a good majority of the time (who is also a full time student aside his full time job) is never going to make it through a pre-med program and medical school, and residency, etc.
I find myself looking through other career options like PA school or even becoming an NP but I feel like I'm giving up my dreams to settle for something that may not satisfy the void. I've tried speaking with advisors or career counselors and the help they offer gets me no where! Someone, please tell me what to do.. give me some decent advice. I need to hear from someone who has been where I am right now and can offer a differing point of view. NP versus PA versus MD/DO? I don't want to feel like I'm settling but at the same time I want to keep my original commitments and responsibilities in tact as well. I know that I want to practice medicine. I just want to know what is the best option for someone who has a family. I know that I have a ways to go, but the stress of not knowing what I want to do is driving me insane.
Opinions? Advice? Help.
Thanks!
p.s. I know that nursing is a totally different curriculum than pre-health. Pre-med and Pre-PA have different requirements too, which is why I need help deciding what to do. I know what I want, but is what I want logical or realistic with the needs of my family and finances, etc.?
I'm a Newby to the student doctor forums. I found the forum like many others probably did, Googleing my life away because I'm an undergrad student trying to decide my future.
The difference between myself and my peers is that I am a 24 year old, married, mother of three little girls ages 6, 3, and 16 months. My life is hectic already outside of school. I am a transfer student whose credits did not transfer with me, well, 12 did, but the institution that I transferred to will not allow me to use them. Thus, I am surrounded by freshman who are just as confused and possibly a bit more than I am about what their future holds. I was out of school for seven years before I decided to go to college because I got my GED as a sophomore rather than graduating with my class so there is a slight gap from time to time but I have a cumulative GPA of 3.85 and an institutional GPA of 4.0.
I went through EMT school, but my husband is a paramedic and the schedule conflict would have been insane, not to mention the pay is hard on our family of five. So, I decided to switch to nursing school. The college I was at only offered an LPN cert. So I finished out the year with my CNA and I left and transferred to my current college so that I could get my BSN. I haven't yet finished my core curriculum and I am taking classes that are required for both programs of study that I'm interested in, but this semester I will be out of corresponding classes and must choose which path I want to take.
I had partially decided that I wanted to go to med school. Nursing just wasn't going to cut it (for me and my desires). In my mind, I want to be the best I can be, and to be a doctor is my ultimate dream. The finances are okay, the opportunities though are what puts the spark in my heart to peruse a medical degree. I could do good, I could fuel my passions with my medical degree. However, I find myself doubting my ability sometimes and then other times I'm determined to follow my dreams. Logical mind seems to tell me that I'm silly, a mother of three young girls who lives in the middle of no where with no financial support other than financial aid, no family to back her, and a husband who supports my crazy ventures but cannot be present to assist a good majority of the time (who is also a full time student aside his full time job) is never going to make it through a pre-med program and medical school, and residency, etc.
I find myself looking through other career options like PA school or even becoming an NP but I feel like I'm giving up my dreams to settle for something that may not satisfy the void. I've tried speaking with advisors or career counselors and the help they offer gets me no where! Someone, please tell me what to do.. give me some decent advice. I need to hear from someone who has been where I am right now and can offer a differing point of view. NP versus PA versus MD/DO? I don't want to feel like I'm settling but at the same time I want to keep my original commitments and responsibilities in tact as well. I know that I want to practice medicine. I just want to know what is the best option for someone who has a family. I know that I have a ways to go, but the stress of not knowing what I want to do is driving me insane.
Opinions? Advice? Help.
Thanks!
p.s. I know that nursing is a totally different curriculum than pre-health. Pre-med and Pre-PA have different requirements too, which is why I need help deciding what to do. I know what I want, but is what I want logical or realistic with the needs of my family and finances, etc.?
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