Work as RN to pay off Med. School?

[c'wing]

Has anyone there worked as RN while going to Med. School? Is it at all doable/possible?

Brief info about me:

--Intn'l student here @ US in pursue for medcine

--finishing Pre-med courses while doing Nursing classes

--Problem $$$: No $$$ to afford med. school; No financial aid/loan; scarce scholarship despite 3.85gpa

I've been suggested to go for Nursing cause there's always job PLUS it pays "Good Money" (starting to hear more and more controversy on this issue)...And from there, I could save up for my tuition or work my way thru' in.

I'm determined and am a hard-worker, but does it seem at all possible? Anyone out there who's done it? Hopefully can hear from your advice.

Thanks for any suggestion.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Ross434]

It's probably hard to hold down a job during med school, but if you have the drive and the academic skills, you could probably handle a part time one. Nursing would be great, simply because the pay is good and it's easy to choose hours. If you don't want to go to med school, career nursing is expanding more and more these days-- you would be guaranteed (100%) a job upon graduation, and you'd end up making good money and have more choices about what specialty to go into than most doctors.

 

[obadya00]

it is doable to work as a RN during certain portions of the medical career. however, those that do that are experienced nurses. it is close to impossible to be a new nurse and a new medical student at the same time. good luck

 

[womansurg]

Originally posted by c'wing
--Problem $$$: No $$$ to afford med. school; No financial aid/loan; scarce scholarship despite 3.85gpa

This part makes no sense. If you are accepted to medical school, then financial aid packages are arranged for you - all you got to do is sign on the dotted line. These include modest (very modest) cost of living loans. But - hey, you gotta make sacrificies sometimes in life.

If you're no good at delayed gratification, then medicine isn't going to be right for you in the first place.

 

[Califlower]

I understand where you're coming from, since I am an international student myself. I know I'm not going to have the funds for med school. I am currently studying to be a nurse, and I plan to work as a nurse for a few years, save up some money, obtain a green card (so I can qualify for financial aid/loans), and then get to med school. I know it will be some time before I actually get to med school, but nursing is a rewarding profession that is closely related to medicine, so I think of it as experience. Imagine -- I'll be one of the few med students who knows how to start an IV!

 

[c'wing]

Thank you for all of your warm support! It's good to see that there's still hope for me. I know I could always go back to my home country if the worst happens, but I'd perfer not to do so, esp. after all these years that's been through...It's like coming all the way across the ocean to fail?

To: womansurg

I'm far from "no good at delayed gratification"....I would do anything to find money so to continue school...even signing contract w/ hospital/agency for an amount of year if they would pay for my tuition...but no luck in finding one yet. Not that I didn't want to take loans/financial aid, but the recruitor I spoke w/ from Med. School told me there's just not much available for intl students. Life IS tough for intl students when they don't have family/financial support~ hope you understand

To: Califlower

Thanks, I'm exactly doing what you are doing now. Road is longer, but if it's doable, it's worth it. Plus, Nursing does seem to be an exciting job to start with~ How far are you from officially becoming a Nurse? Any promise of having a job once graduated yet?


Best Luck to whatever you all are pursuing~

 

[Califlower]

From what I hear, international or not, all qualified RN's have a pretty good outlook for employment. Go to nurseweek.com and look under the "nursing shortage" section for good articles. Also, I read that every year, the major hospitals in the DC area goes overseas to recruit nurses. I have read that if you are a foreigner, but you already have a RN degree in the states and are already physically in the states, it is easier to get a job and sponsorship, simply because it is easier. It takes months, if not years, to transport a nurse from overseas to the U.S. because of all the visa crap.

I am not really too close to being a nurse. I still have a good 2 years left. I have finished all prereq's, and I have applied to a nursing program. Apparently, there is also a shortage of nursing instructors, and this is where I got help up. I am hoping to start this winter, which means only 2 years left before graduation! I think nursing is a rewarding career, and the experience can only help you for med school.

 

[wsu]

Hello-

I really don't think its possible for one to work as a nurse part-time while in medicial school.

I graduated from nursing school and eventually went to med. school.

You'll find that in med school there are so many demands placed upon you and that the time becomes really precious. For instance, first year, you're struggling to keep up with the workload of classes and stuff. Second year, well, it gets a little tougher and you now have to prepare for step 1. Step 3, is your clinicals and you're focusing and performing well on the clinical to get execellent evaulations and preparing for step 3 and applying for residecny. Year 4, your completing your residency applications.

I guess my point is that once your in medical school, its always a challenge to manging your time and resources. You want to do well and not have any excuses why your grades suffered as a result.

 

[Skialta]

There is a girl in my class who is a RN and she does work part time, picking up shifts in the ICU when she can. I work as a PT part time while in school, and I know of lab techs and paramedics who have worked part time and gone to med school. It can be done if you are disciplined.

 

[julie walker]

I am an International Student and I came here to do a degree in biology to onto med school and have encountered the same financial problems. I have now switched to Nursing. I am in the program and will be graduating december 2005. I have also gotten a scholarship from the hospital to pay for tuition and so I feel a bit more comfortable to achieve the BSN. I have to work with this hospital for two years after graduation but i do not mind this because I would have gotten my green card by then.

It is my plan to go to med school but I have decided to wait for a while before doing so. I wish you all the best.

Julie.

 

[Someday]

Hello!

I am a nursing, pre-med, international student.
I am wondering how I can get sponsored to get a green card by a hospital.
Do I ask them when I fist apply a job?
Can it be possible to have a sponsor during my junior or senior year of undergraduate or do I have to have a RN license?
Do you guys think it is easier to get a green card if I work in a smaller state ? like midwest not california or new york...

How do you guys think or know about this matter?
Thank you so much for the info in advance...

 

[fab4fan]

I think you're going to have a hard time getting anyone to sponsor you if you aren't an experienced nurse. Foreign nurses with experience still have to jump through many hoops (CFGNS, a mandatory "hoop," and TOEFFL, depending on the country one is from) to get into the US.

There are long waiting lists in many areas for nursing schools due to faculty shortages...I'm not sure how successful you would be to try to finish your nursing studies here.

You would probably have more of a chance if you graduated and got some solid experience as a nurse. And again, why go through nursing school when you want to go to med school?