I’m lost: NP to MD

[HaleyNPtoMD]

Hi! I’m really hoping to get some feedback that will help me through this process. A little about me:

I’m 28. I’ve been a nurse practitioner now for 4 years. I’ve practiced strictly in pediatrics, both primary and specialty care. I love it, but it’s not enough. I truly want to be a pediatrician. I should have done that from the start, but you know- life happens. I also have a DNP. For my DNP I completed a lot of quality improvement work, so I have done poster presentations and presented at various conferences.

I have fantastic relationships with many of my physician colleagues, both MDs and DOs, so I feel confident about my future LORs.

I spent my entire post-high school academic career at a prestigious university. My cumulative undergrad nursing GPA is a 3.4. Masters GPA of 3.7. Doctoral GPA of 3.8.

I took 2 semesters of “nursing” biology and chemistry, 2 semesters A&P, 1 semester statistics, 2 semesters sociology, 1 semester psychology and multiple writing intensive humanity courses (I.e religion, biological anthropology). In nursing school, I took genetics, pharmacology, pathophysiology. This was 2012-2016.

I am definitely planning to take Orgo 1&2, physics 1&2, microbiology, biochemistry. However, I will have to continue working full time. To avoid online classes, I will unfortunately be going to a local community college to complete these med school pre reqs at night.

Questions:

1) Do my “nursing” biology, chemistry, and genetics count as the basic pre reqs for med school? Or should I also plan to take Gen Bio 1&2, Gen Chem 1&2, and genetics?

2) Am I screwing myself with the community college? Or will ADCOMs understand I have to work full time?

3) anything else you guys think I need to add to help make myself a better candidate? I feel so overwhelmed!

TIA!!!

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[deleted367183]

All of my nursing courses, including the chemistry, etc., had a nursing course number on my transcript and were thus classified as allied health rather than BCPM. I'm not sure what would happen if the course was cross-listed in chemistry and had a chemistry course number, too.

 

[HaleyNPtoMD]

All of my nursing courses, including the chemistry, etc., had a nursing course number on my transcript and were thus classified as allied health rather than BCPM. I'm not sure what would happen if the course was cross-listed in chemistry and had a chemistry course number, too.

This is a great point that I hadn’t thought of. The genetics has a nursing course number so I will plan to take that. The bio and chem have BIO and CHM course numbers. I’ll have to look into this further. Thank you!

 

[gramnegative]

Community college won't necessarily hold you back; get access to the MSAR or look on the website for schools to determine whether they accept CC classes.

Start thinking of a good narrative for why you want to be an MD now after going into advanced practice, especially in a manner that doesn't denigrate being an NP.

 

[HaleyNPtoMD]

Community college won't necessarily hold you back; get access to the MSAR or look on the website for schools to determine whether they accept CC classes.

Start thinking of a good narrative for why you want to be an MD now after going into advanced practice, especially in a manner that doesn't denigrate being an NP.

This is so helpful thank you so much!

 

[Proudfather94]

Hi! I’m really hoping to get some feedback that will help me through this process. A little about me:

I’m 28. I’ve been a nurse practitioner now for 4 years. I’ve practiced strictly in pediatrics, both primary and specialty care. I love it, but it’s not enough. I truly want to be a pediatrician. I should have done that from the start, but you know- life happens. I also have a DNP. For my DNP I completed a lot of quality improvement work, so I have done poster presentations and presented at various conferences.

I have fantastic relationships with many of my physician colleagues, both MDs and DOs, so I feel confident about my future LORs.

I spent my entire post-high school academic career at a prestigious university. My cumulative undergrad nursing GPA is a 3.4. Masters GPA of 3.7. Doctoral GPA of 3.8.

I took 2 semesters of “nursing” biology and chemistry, 2 semesters A&P, 1 semester statistics, 2 semesters sociology, 1 semester psychology and multiple writing intensive humanity courses (I.e religion, biological anthropology). In nursing school, I took genetics, pharmacology, pathophysiology. This was 2012-2016.

I am definitely planning to take Orgo 1&2, physics 1&2, microbiology, biochemistry. However, I will have to continue working full time. To avoid online classes, I will unfortunately be going to a local community college to complete these med school pre reqs at night.

Questions:

1) Do my “nursing” biology, chemistry, and genetics count as the basic pre reqs for med school? Or should I also plan to take Gen Bio 1&2, Gen Chem 1&2, and genetics?

2) Am I screwing myself with the community college? Or will ADCOMs understand I have to work full time?

3) anything else you guys think I need to add to help make myself a better candidate? I feel so overwhelmed!

TIA!!!

1 it depends on the nursing school, you would had to take general chemistry. Some nurses I worked with took gen chem some didn't it was school dependent. At my uni nurses and premeds took the same bio and micro class but this is also school dependent.

2 I'm not going to lie it will look bad to some schools. DO schools seem to be the most friendly when it comes to where you take your prerequisites but that doesn't count out all MD schools. I would apply to more schools to compensate for this if you do this.

3 Do well in the prerequisites, try to get some volunteering time (doesn't have to be alot they'll know your busy but making an effort will be noticeable) and do well on the MCAT.

 

[Mitch Connor]

I would call the admissions office at the school you intend to pursue and ask them about the courses you took in the past.

I second DO school being flexible for prereqs; I was a PA for a few years before going the DO route and it was suggested by the school to take my biochem and physics sources online. Not that it was better, just accepted by the school.

You're past experience should help you. I actually got in without a bachelors degree; I got into PA school early so I never finished. I had to take that up the chain but they said yes.

 

[HaleyNPtoMD]

I would call the admissions office at the school you intend to pursue and ask them about the courses you took in the past.

I second DO school being flexible for prereqs; I was a PA for a few years before going the DO route and it was suggested by the school to take my biochem and physics sources online. Not that it was better, just accepted by the school.

You're past experience should help you. I actually got in without a bachelors degree; I got into PA school early so I never finished. I had to take that up the chain but they said yes.

This is fantastic to know. I do have one DO school currently reviewing my transcript. They specifically noted online that they are willing to work with NPs/PAs. Thanks for the input!!

 

[petomed]

As others have said, you’ll need to sort out whether some of your coursework needs to be repeated since it may not qualify as BCMP. As for attending community college, I went another rung lower and did regionally accredited online coursework for Orgo I-II, Bio I-II, and Biochemistry, knowing full well many schools wouldn’t accept these courses. My MCAT didn’t turn out great for MD schools but it’s ok for DO schools. I’ve been accepted to four DO schools so far this cycle, even with a blah MCAT and online coursework. N=1 here but I’d say those community college courses will only be holding you back if you’re applying to mid and upper-tier MD schools. Set your sights on DO and you might save yourself a lot of pain and suffering.

 

[Proudfather94]

This is fantastic to know. I do have one DO school currently reviewing my transcript. They specifically noted online that they are willing to work with NPs/PAs. Thanks for the input!!

That's good. I would be prepared to talk about what made you want to switch from NP to medical school. That's a very hot topic nowadays and I assume would be fair game for them to talk about.

 

[gramnegative]

As others have said, you’ll need to sort out whether some of your coursework needs to be repeated since it may not qualify as BCMP. As for attending community college, I went another rung lower and did regionally accredited online coursework for Orgo I-II, Bio I-II, and Biochemistry, knowing full well many schools wouldn’t accept these courses. My MCAT didn’t turn out great for MD schools but it’s ok for DO schools. I’ve been accepted to four DO schools so far this cycle, even with a blah MCAT and online coursework. N=1 here but I’d say those community college courses will only be holding you back if you’re applying to mid and upper-tier MD schools. Set your sights on DO and you might save yourself a lot of pain and suffering.

I wouldn't say that CC is necessarily seen as the same as online-only. I'm at a 'highly'-ranked school (for whatever that is worth) currently and going to a CC for some pre-reqs never came up on any of the interviews that you went on. I think that if schools accept CC classes, it may only hold you back if it is part of a bigger picture suggesting a lack of academic preparation.

 

[petomed]

I wouldn't say that CC is necessarily seen as the same as online-only. I'm at a 'highly'-ranked school (for whatever that is worth) currently and going to a CC for some pre-reqs never came up on any of the interviews that you went on. I think that if schools accept CC classes, it may only hold you back if it is part of a bigger picture suggesting a lack of academic preparation.

Definitely agree on the big-picture statement. It's likely that you also did well enough on the MCAT to make those CC courses irrelevant.

 

[Kokonaut]

I'll echo what some others have said there. I also have an acceptance to a "higher (?)" ranked MD school and went the night classes at a CC route. It was never brought up whatsoever. I normally emailed admissions departments and asked them explicitly. The responses I got tended to fall into the category of "that's fine", "as long as your MCAT is competitive", to a few that explicitly stated they weren't accepted.