Nurse to MD

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xoticpny

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Hi everyone,
Im just wondering if a nurse can ever be a doctor. What does it takes, because I have been told that its almost "IMPOSSIBLE".
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Read the thread, Transition to Med School. It is NOT impossible. I am now a doctor who was once a nurse. It CAN be done.

ted, D.O.
Emergency Medicine-PGY 1
somewhere in the city
 
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Hey Ted,
I have to say your accomplishments brings a smile in my face. I cheer for the nurses who made it that far. I was reading some of your post and is it really true that they look down on nurses? I mean if I have a Nursing degree, would I have a fair chance as anyone else applying. I recently completed all my pre-medical courses and got excellent grades and I have tons of volunteer experiences. All I have to do is take the MCAT. What else can I do to increase my chances of acceptance? What did you do? And what was you undergraduate GPA and MCAT scores? Please help.
Thanks for replying!!!
Congrat as well!!
P.S. :: I used to live in NYC Brooklyn. My mother worked in Downstate Medical Hospital. I miss it up there. :(
 
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I, too, have made the transition. It's been a good decision, thus far. There are 4 of us "formers" in my class (DO).

The biggest thing would be to talk to an Academic Advisor and make sure that you have, indeed, completed all the pre-reqs for medschool (nursing programs generally do not go the "pre-med" route completely). With that done, sit for the MCAT's - get above 8's on everything - get some letters of rec, write a nice little essay, and get those applications for school out (ACCOMAS, etc)! I think that the acceptance process is truely a crap-shoot . I look around at my class somedays and go, "Hmmm, some of these people are actually going to be Doctors." I don't think some of them know what they are in for (we have a few folks that are picking out office furniture and business cards already, while telling us that they are never doing to do a rectal exam or ask a pt about their sexual hx, while saying that *I* don't know what I'm talking about....:rolleyes: )
My one word of advice is to know EXACTLY what you are about to get into by becoming a Doctor (I think you know what I'm trying to get at here by saying that).

Best of luck!

Kat :)
 
Kat,
I'm really curious as to who you are talking about... :D

Picking out business cards and office furniture already...scary... :eek:
 
According to the replys it looks like nurse to DO is the way to go.
 
I did nurse to MD (currently a 4th year). Although I am the only nurse in my class of 150, there is another nurse in the year behind me.
My med school interview was very benign (I only applied to one program) and everyone I have come into contact with has been very supportive.
The advice above is right on--speak with an academic advisor early, do well on your MCAT, and understand that medical school will bring a whole new set of challenges and is not simply a "longer version of nursing school" (as one of my coworkers keeps saying) and the nurse to doctor transition is definitely doable.
 
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Hi MeEko!!
Thanks for replying. You're probably the person I need to talk to. :) If it is truly possible then I bet that every med school will be so hard on you. There is only ONE in your class?? What does that mean? Maybe you have to be an extraordinary, ranked number one in your class nurse to really be noticed. Are you going to be a DO or MD? And how long did you stay a RN untill you decided to apply to med school. It will be great if you can reply again.:p
xoticpny
 
are med school interviews tough?
 
I am attending an allopathic (MD) school.

Don't be concerned that there is only one nurse in my class. I doubt very many applied. Most nurses I know who planned to go to med school either didn't take the MCAT seriously and didn't do well on it, or got scared off by organic chemistry. If you have already done your prereqs, you are more than half the way there.

My gpa was less than stellar (I think 3.4 overall, a little lower for science classes) and my MCAT average was 10 (12 verbal reasoning, 10 bio sciences and 8 physical sciences). I got in the first time I applied (and I was far from first in my nursing school class!).

I worked as an ICU nurse for about 4 years before going back to get my prerequs, then worked on my prereqs for 2 years, so about 6 years of experience before starting school.

Interviews are just blind luck. My interviewers and I discussed backpacking for most of the interview, some people at my school got roasted. The key is to BE HUMBLE. That is by far the best advice I got before interviews.

Good luck, and remember, however hard you think medical school is going to be, it is actually going to be about two times harder. . .
 
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"Are you going to be a DO or MD? "

xoticpny,

Please don't take this the wrong way, but just out of curiosity does it matter to you??
 
My own personal experience has been the following:
The pathway from RN to MD is insure you complete the necessary pre-med education,have competitive GPA, write and have competitive MCAT, and have a successful 1st and or second interview with medical school admission committee.

As a 31 year old RN with 6 years medsurg, ER. & ICU experience, I was fortunate to matriculate into 1st year medical school this fall. Bear in mind that your reasons for pursuing a career in medicine versus nursing is your own. The pathway is rigourous but like the pathway into nursing insure that you know what the emotional, financial, & personal comittments will be.

Good Luck
BradMSI
 
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whats the diff btw DO and MD?
 
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Hey hte surgeon general of the U.S Dr. Karomona was a nurse turn MD turn surg general.. of course it can be done
 
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Yo Wallstreet, from chasin pucks to chasin nurses??!! Same thing i guess. Hey, WHO THE HELL said a nurse cant be a doc???? Who would I WANT to be a doc. Of course, a nurse 1st. At least they "work",... the docs half the time are clueless w/out the support staff of nurses, to do all the grunt work ,... so the the doc can get the $$$ & glory. Its not only totally possible to be a doc from a nurse, but if I were on a adcom I'd look for this, as its a natural progression into experience and ability. These people have seen medicine from the ground [ & I mean literally,...changin bedpans,etc} up!!I think ALL docs to be, outta see what its like to be a nurse, so they can appreciate what they do & how they cover your butt as a doc. They are your best friends or your worst nightmare, so treat em well, they're your lifepreservers.Ok, did i make a point ?? Anyway, JUST DO IT NOW,... dont EVER listen to someones crap, tellin you a nurse cant be a doc. Only a nitwit, could think that. if a school thinks like that, revoke its accreditation. Anyway,... hi nurses, nice to meet you. I think nuses are fun, my ex,ex,ex... was a nurse & a cutie, ...yeah, ... I know... what happened? ...I was young, & totally, {as men are} stupid!!Ah well, any nurses wanna play doctor?ha,ha...
 
why do u nurses want to be doctors? is it a childhood dream?
 
lilaque,

I think the answer to your question (why we, nurses, want to become a doctor ) is : SAME REASON WHY YOU CHOSE TO BECOME A DOCTOR. Now ask yourself, why DID YOU want to become a doctor?
 
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I am a nurse who is applying to medical school this year. At the hospital where I work, a number of doctors were once nurses. To tell the truth, they are some of the most compassionate, caring physicians that I know. It definitely can be done.

Like some of the others have suggested, I would advise you to talk with some of the admissions people at the schools that you are interested in and get some feedback directly from them. Good luck to you.
 
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It shouldn't matter at all.

The admissions weigh little, if any, the reputation of your undergraduate school or field of study. Numbers aren't everything, but for whatever you're doing and wherever you're from, you are expected to have over a 3.5 gpa and beyond a 30 on the MCAT.

If I don't get into medical school, I plan to enter nursing school upon graduation from college and raise my academic credentials there so that I try for an MD again.
 
I have a question i hope can be answered but just made this so i dont know how to start a new conversation:

I have done two years of my pre med. I have now realized I can not afford to go to med school just yet. I was wondering if I would be able to take a break and get my RN and then go back to finish my premed and do med school? Anyone know? im very curious. Will this waste my two years of premed or just help me?

Thank you:oops:
 
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I've heard that in general med schools don't like to accept nurses because it takes eligible RNs away from the nursing shortage.

I've also heard that med schools like RNs because of their clinical experience

I've heard that med schools don't like RNs because their ways of treating the patients is very different from the theories of medicine.

I say do well in the prerequisite courses, rock the MCAT, get some good LORs, write a great essay, and apply. Just be prepared to have a good solid answer to the question, "why do you want to leave nursing and pursue medicine?"
 
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You guys are really good at digging those old threads up. It's only been 5 and half years since the last post that revived it :laugh: :eek:

Good Luck anyway :luck:
 
Defen, if you're only halfway through college how are you determining that you can't afford med school? Do you realize that most people fund med school via loans? I don't really understand the problem, and don't understand how an additional 2-3 years of college would solve the problem.
 
DeFenDr888 said:
I have a question i hope can be answered but just made this so i dont know how to start a new conversation:

I have done two years of my pre med. I have now realized I can not afford to go to med school just yet. I was wondering if I would be able to take a break and get my RN and then go back to finish my premed and do med school? Anyone know? im very curious. Will this waste my two years of premed or just help me?

Thank you:oops:
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finish your premed. you will be wasting your time if you start fresh with RN. med schools are all loans anyway
 
I have many friends who work as RN's first then go onward to med school and I think it hepls them a lot. My sisters are always pressuring me to make up my mind about Med school after I am done with nursing college since I am a busy body who seems not to be out of school. I might think about it. I have a degree in biology and so it is easy for me to move forward to med school. Do whatever is comfortable for you.
 
julie walker said:
I have many friends who work as RN's first then go onward to med school and I think it hepls them a lot. My sisters are always pressuring me to make up my mind about Med school after I am done with nursing college since I am a busy body who seems not to be out of school. I might think about it. I have a degree in biology and so it is easy for me to move forward to med school. Do whatever is comfortable for you.
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You should have been a Doctor long ago. You sisters are very disappointed.
 
DeFenDr888 said:
I have a question i hope can be answered but just made this so i dont know how to start a new conversation:

I have done two years of my pre med. I have now realized I can not afford to go to med school just yet. I was wondering if I would be able to take a break and get my RN and then go back to finish my premed and do med school? Anyone know? im very curious. Will this waste my two years of premed or just help me?

Thank you:oops:
Click to expand...
I actually understand your problem. I'm a Pre-Med who just shifted from BS Biology:Biomedical to BS Nursing just a while ago. My problem has more to do with the fact that I am an international student and getting a green card before going to med school would make things less complicated for everyone (this is a super long story, and it's really hard to explain the inner workings of the immigration process). I have also completed two years of my pre-med, and I need about a year and a half to get that nursing degree. I don't want to take student loans either, and I'm considering some med schools abroad (which are more affordable, to be honest). I also don't have any clinical experiences either (in my old country, if you've got great grades and awesome extra-curriculars, you're good for med school) so nursing would give me lots of much-needed experience. Perhaps that would be good enough to replace the semi-required physician shadowing?

Anyway, this is what I'm going to do: I'll go on and finish that BSN and take all the pre-reqs for med school (all the biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) all at the same time so that I won't have to go back to school afterwards. Working a bit harder might help, I guess. You know, like do undergraduate research while on nursing program, or something. I'll take the MCAT as soon as I am ready, too. I'll probably work as a nurse for a bit, and then get on with med school. My ex pre-med adviser approved of my plan, so I guess all I have to do is get on with it! :D

PS: Thanks for starting this thread. This really encouraged me to push through with everything. :)
 
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Hi There, I am an RN and I am now in my 2nd year as a medical student. I have the added bonus of being a mature student. I think that altough the science part can be some-what overwhelming, by the time you get to the clinical rotations your nurse training will be a huge benifit to you. I have found my fellow classmates and lecturers absoloutly fantastic,helpful and so supportive. Good luck with your college career.
 
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panic said:
I actually understand your problem. I'm a Pre-Med who just shifted from BS Biology:Biomedical to BS Nursing just a while ago. My problem has more to do with the fact that I am an international student and getting a green card before going to med school would make things less complicated for everyone (this is a super long story, and it's really hard to explain the inner workings of the immigration process). I have also completed two years of my pre-med, and I need about a year and a half to get that nursing degree. I don't want to take student loans either, and I'm considering some med schools abroad (which are more affordable, to be honest). I also don't have any clinical experiences either (in my old country, if you've got great grades and awesome extra-curriculars, you're good for med school) so nursing would give me lots of much-needed experience. Perhaps that would be good enough to replace the semi-required physician shadowing?

Anyway, this is what I'm going to do: I'll go on and finish that BSN and take all the pre-reqs for med school (all the biology, chemistry, physics, etc.) all at the same time so that I won't have to go back to school afterwards. Working a bit harder might help, I guess. You know, like do undergraduate research while on nursing program, or something. I'll take the MCAT as soon as I am ready, too. I'll probably work as a nurse for a bit, and then get on with med school. My ex pre-med adviser approved of my plan, so I guess all I have to do is get on with it! :D

PS: Thanks for starting this thread. This really encouraged me to push through with everything. :)
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My plan as well! I started out as nursing major, only i've just now decided that I can do this. I've wanted to be some sort of doctor since I was little, but I just pushed the idea to the side as I grew to be a more 'practical' person and didn't think I could do it. My outlook has changed now though and it feels like a giant weight has been lifted. after my graduation i'll work for about two years, take my classes and gain experience. Then I'm going!
 
That's a big jump, deciding on an office space already. Congratulations on your ambition! Don't bother to buy a fax machine though because I just found out that you can send faxes online and you don't need a machine or any software even. That's pretty handy I think, although of course there's always email too. Here's the online fax service for anyone who's interested. Good luck to you both!


DOtobe said:
Kat,
I'm really curious as to who you are talking about... :D

Picking out business cards and office furniture already...scary... :eek:
Click to expand...
 
Hey all,

Wow. This thread was so helpful. I'm an RN pursuing an MD. I'm new to SDN and I was posting on the MD forums until someone directed me here. I started a "social group" called "RN to MD" if any of you are interested in joining and sharing information, thoughts, and offering advice. (I know career-changers like me would LOVE having a place where we can discuss things and answer each other's questions)

In any case, I'm just now starting to study for the MCAT. The prerequisites I took were 2+ years ago so its safe to say I've forgotten alot of the material. Can I just say how overwhelmed I was when I opened the book and saw 8 questions about zwitterions :eek: Ok, now I'm just venting...what did you find helpful when studying?

I have like a million questions...but I'll stop at just one for now. What is one thing you wish you had known when making the transition from RN to MD?
 
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...
 
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Start reaching out to old science professors now for letters of recommendation. Most med schools do not want or care about the LORs from your nursing professors and want 2 from science professors so be sure to contact them early.
 
Nursing degree is the best preparatory for medicine that is why you only need is to enroll in any medical school.
__________________
Are you interested in nursing essays?
Click to expand...

Irony: the hyperlink at the bottom of this post.
 
Hi everyone,

It is really awesome to see those of you who have been successful at transitioning from RN to medical school. I graduate in August from a BSN program and plan on beginning my medical pre-reqs in January. My clinical experiences in nursing school have confirmed that my true passion is to purse medicine.

I was wondering if you would share the medical schools you were accepted to and/or where you are currently obtaining your MD?

I am interested in knowing the nurse-friendly schools out there.
 
It's possible and there are many nurses who became doctors. But you might find it hard coping with the credits you need to take with compare to med tech or BS bio students.
 
Kpostbac11 said:
Hi everyone,

It is really awesome to see those of you who have been successful at transitioning from RN to medical school. I graduate in August from a BSN program and plan on beginning my medical pre-reqs in January. My clinical experiences in nursing school have confirmed that my true passion is to purse medicine.

I was wondering if you would share the medical schools you were accepted to and/or where you are currently obtaining your MD?

I am interested in knowing the nurse-friendly schools out there.
Click to expand...
i'm at morehouse som right now but i also got accepted to loma linda in california.
 
hello! just came across this thread, once again, and just wondering how's everyone doing in their careers and those who were/are premed students with nursing degree. I am a nurse and premed student and I would really like to know how those with nursing degree are doing in medical school? and would really appreciate any word of advice. Thanks a many!
 
I'm glad this thread is still going. I wish more RN's would post here, we need to ban together all go through this process together! I graduated nursing school in May 2010 and my fiance graduated in December 2009. We are both working in the ICU (different hospitals) and both are on the pre-med path to med school. I will be entering a post bacc program this summer. I would also love to get any advice from RN's who are currently in med school!
 
HI, I am a junior nursing student. I went for nursing thinking I would like it however, it's far from the truth. I absolutely hate it. Do not mistake me, I love nurses and I come from a family full of nurses but I know that it is not something I want to do. I am seriously considering going to Medical school, not for money or anything of the sort but because I feel like as a doctor, I could be able to understand the disease and treat the disease and the patient where in nursing we are only concerned about the patient's welfare. More over I feel that as a nurse I am only allowed to do certain things which are not very exciting to me. During clinicals I'm more interested in what the doctors are doing to treat the patient than about nursing care.
Would I be able to go medicine considering the fact I'm a nurse?
 
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HI, I am a junior nursing student. I went for nursing thinking I would like it however, it's far from the truth. I absolutely hate it. Do not mistake me, I love nurses and I come from a family full of nurses but I know that it is not something I want to do. I am seriously considering going to Medical school, not for money or anything of the sort but because I feel like as a doctor, I could be able to understand the disease and treat the disease and the patient where in nursing we are only concerned about the patient's welfare. More over I feel that as a nurse I am only allowed to do certain things which are not very exciting to me. During clinicals I'm more interested in what the doctors are doing to treat the patient than about nursing care.
Would I be able to go medicine considering the fact I'm a nurse?
 
Josie, I would take the time to shadow a few Docs before making the complete descision. When you say Junior Nursing, how far along are you? As you get further into your education, you are able to do more hands on and complex proceedures. Yes, you can go Doc after nursing, but make sure that your "epiphany" is a strong one for the switch.
I have been an RN for 10 years. Finishing prereqs now. Was going to sit for the MCAT this year and apply, but I am pushing it back a year. I want to make sure I do this right the first time. I want my GPA and MCAT to be rock solid. If you have questions, do not be afraid to call the adcoms! That's what they are there for. About six schools know me by name, two by sight. Good luck!
 
I am also finishing up premed requirements. I have been in nursing almost 10 years now. I have worked with several docs who were nurses first, its not impossible. One of them is finishing up a hand fellowship in a prestigious institution. The sky's the limit if you really try.

I always thought about med school, but I never thought I could handle going to school for that long. Now that I am a little bit older and I have worked in a real life clinical area, I know what I am getting into and I am ready to handle the work.

All I can do is give it my best shot. I just tell myself if I don't make it into med school, than at least I know I tried. My goal is to take the MCAT next year.
 
seriously its easy. Just apply, don't stop yourself from applying based on what someone heard. I know RNs who say they like Doctors who've been in their position before. What does that tell you? Those MDs have been Nurses before.
 
OzelloPiRat said:
Josie, I would take the time to shadow a few Docs before making the complete descision. When you say Junior Nursing, how far along are you? As you get further into your education, you are able to do more hands on and complex proceedures. Yes, you can go Doc after nursing, but make sure that your "epiphany" is a strong one for the switch.
I have been an RN for 10 years. Finishing prereqs now. Was going to sit for the MCAT this year and apply, but I am pushing it back a year. I want to make sure I do this right the first time. I want my GPA and MCAT to be rock solid. If you have questions, do not be afraid to call the adcoms! That's what they are there for. About six schools know me by name, two by sight. Good luck!
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I'm pretty sure that I want to go for medicine.are you going to go for the post-Bac program for student who want to go for medicine but yet havn't take the pre-reqs? Some of the universities near where i live offer 1 year courses for students who would like to go for medicine.
 
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