New nurse to medical school

I am currently going into my second year of nursing school. While I enjoy it, my dream has always been medical school. I decided on nursing because I didn't feel I was prepared for the years of difficult coursework, training, etc. Now I am regretting my decision, and would like to possibly go to medical school after working as an RN part-time. How many pre-reqs should I take at a time at Uconn if I am working part-time? Also, I realize that nursing is an entirely different field than medicine, but will my work as an RN benefit in the admissions aspect? Any other advice?

IAmSpartacus88 said:

I am currently going into my second year of nursing school. While I enjoy it, my dream has always been medical school. I decided on nursing because I didn't feel I was prepared for the years of difficult coursework, training, etc. Now I am regretting my decision, and would like to possibly go to medical school after working as an RN part-time. How many pre-reqs should I take at a time at Uconn if I am working part-time? Also, I realize that nursing is an entirely different field than medicine, but will my work as an RN benefit in the admissions aspect? Any other advice?

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Hi, we're probably gonna get moved to the what are my chances thread, but here goes anyway....


Sorta similar story…

RN, graduated from state school in 2007. Work full time in a small ICU. Started taking premed classes this summer. My plan is to take TWO classes a semester until the summer of 2011 in which I will apply for 2012 matriculation (woot class of 2016 ). Basically Chem1/Phys1 fall 2009, Chem2/Phys2 spring 2010, Calc1/2 summer 2010, OChem1/Immunology fall 2010, OChem/Genetics spring 2011, Biochem summer 2011. I’ll take the MCAT in spring of 2011. My cum GPA as of this very moment is 3.168 (not good, I know). Obviously a lot depends on how well I do in these remaining classes and on the MCAT.I did fairly well on the GRE and passed the nursing boards on first attempt, so I am not petrified of standardized tests. I have already started a comprehensive MCAT study program, thanks to the wealth of information you can find here on SDN 🙂thumbup🙂. Since I work full time, and am relatively young (26) with little commitments, I have some money I can spend to hopefully help my chances – these include hiring a private MCAT tutor, attending a MCAT super class, and using a consulting company like MedEdits. I have to make sure they are worthy investments first and will decide that after I get through most of these classes successfully.

I too hope that the adcom will see my nursing background favorably, though since no specific degree is preferred, I’m sure it will have little to no bearing on my application.

I have certifications in two specialties and I encourage you to get such certifications, like med surg, etc. Obviously these require you to take a standardized test, which never hurts in terms of MCAT prep and they show dedication to your profession. These are not simple certifications to obtain, i.e the med surg cert requires two years of successive patient contact in the med surg setting. Also I studied countless hours, months, for the certifications I received. Get ACLS and PALS certified (since you already your your CPR). Patient contact hours wont be a problem for you and I as we will have thousands by the time we apply. Hopefully you can establish some good relationships with a few of the doctors in the facility in which you end of working. You can shadow these docs, which I will be doing this coming year. I had to take two weeks of annual leave for this. I will shadow an ortho surg one week for approx 80 hours and a general surg the next week also for approx 80 hours. I will probably do another two weeks in the following year as well for a combined 320 shadowing hours. And since I have good working, professional relations with these docs, I will also ask them for LORs. I plan on using my senior residency preceptor who has her masters for another LOR, a direct supervisor, and a personal reference from someone whom I cared for his mother as a CNA for many (6) years. I tend to think people like you and I, non trads already in the medical field, sorta have a one up on LORs because we have exposure and relations with employers who are relevant in the medical filed and have advance degrees (like MDs/DOs, PAs/NPs, MPH's, MSW's, etc). Use this to your advantage.

More about me…average ECs (volunteering, teaching, leadership), nothing outstanding. NO research and no time (or interest really) to get into research, this will probably hurt me. Like I said before, my major hurdle will be my GPA, and my transcripts which contain two Fs and 2 Ds, all of which were retaken. Oh, and it gets even better…the nursing program was pretty competitive and my first application was waitlisted with a 3.2 nursing pre-req GPA. In the year that I was waitlisted (until the next application cycles that is) I retook many classes that I got Bs (yes Bs) to get As. I retook Bio 1, Psych, and English 1, all B’s to A’s. and I retook Human Development (not a science course), originally got a B and then got a B again (shoot me now, please ). And I should also mention that I originally failed my senior residency. For all of those who don’t know, a senior residency is typically the last semester of 4 year nursing school in which there is generally only one class, a clinical practicum, in which you work one on one with licensed RNs. My residency was approx 530 hours, pass/fail. Halfway through the semester, and yes, only two months before graduation, my brother was diagnosed with brain cancer. I dropped out to be with him. He survived. I went back to school the following spring, repeated all 550 hours, and passed without problem. I don’t plan on focusing on this at all on my med school application because it really has zero bearing on why I want to be a doctor or go to med school, but I know I will be addressed because my transcripts show a nice whooping U for 12 credits in my senior year. All this aside, I did graduate with a cum 3.168, which is pretty bad by med school standards, but will hopefully be closer to 3.4-3.5 range by the time I finish the pre-reps listed earlier (though I'm guessing they wont be apart of my UG (undergrad) cGPA since these are technically going to be considered post-bac UG classes??) I suspect my sGPA will be 3.4-3.6 as well, but with all my retakes I don’t know how to correctly calculate what my AACOMAS gpa will be. Ugg. 😕

I should probably mention to that my state does not have medical school but is part of the WWAMI program. If my plan goes as, well, planned, I plan on applying to just about every medial school out there. How’s that for a plan? No really, most days I know I don’t have a chance at med school…..but Eleanor Roosevelt once said that the future belongs to those who believe in the reality of their dreams….and I’ll never know if I don’t try. Hopefully with an otherwise nice (read somewhat competitive, or at least average) application, a banging MCAT score, stellar LORs, and a nice upward trend in the rest of these classes (read straight freaking As), hopefully I will have a shot (??).

Anyway, getting back to the original poster, you will enjoy nursing waaaaaay more after you graduate, I promise. You may like it enough to stay, I almost did. Or you may like it enough to become an NP or DNP (oh no she did not just say DNP on SDN!! 😱). Either way, hopefully we both get some answers/advice to our questions and the best of luck to you.


Oh, and there is an RN/NP/MD thread here.

^ Holy cow.

I suggest taking as many units as you think you can handle but be weary of the drop deadline. Drop courses accordingly to suit your needs. Working as an RN will probably help. However, just having an RN degree won't. Be prepared to answer why you wanted to switch careers. While you are taking courses build your ECs up.