Accelerated BSN Programs and Undergraduate GPA

[MobyShandy]

I am considering pursuing medical school, but I have already graduated from college for psychology (with some biology and neuroscience). I am aware of premed postbacc programs—both formal and DIY—and although my present GPA isn't the most competitive, I fortunately showed significant improvement in my later years, so if I show further improvement in postbacc, I know that I have a running chance of nontraditional applicant admission, especially to "redemption" schools that weigh later GPA more heavily.

However, money is an issue, and I would also like further clinical exposure before completing a premed postbacc, both to fatten up the potential eventual application and to further make sure that I really do want to practice medicine. For this reason I have been looking into accelerated RN programs, with intent to practice for several years to accumulate experience and save money prior to taking the final steps towards medical school.

Given that most accelerated BSN programs remain undergraduate, would that still be construed as "postbacc" and pull up my undergraduate cGPA and science GPA higher if I performed well? Additionally, would any of my nursing coursework be applicable to premed requirements?

There is also the more general question of the difference between undergraduate accelerated BSN programs (which appear to be the norm) and seeking an MS in "Entry to Nursing Practice" or something similar (which appears to be the exception; such a degree is offered at ASU's College of Nursing, for example). I will be reaching out to ASU specifically later today for further information, but I am confused by the existence of such a master's program given that its function appears to be the same as a normal ABSN. Would one be able to go directly on to being a Nurse Practitioner?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[RNthenDoc]

BSN will count for your UG GPA. Get all As.

A BSN will give you almost none of the prerequisites, depending on the school. You need to do some digging of the course requirements of specific BSN programs and then compare them to what medical schools require... in general, Med prereqs take a couple years because they are sequential (a year of gen chem, gen bio, then biochem, Physics etc)

The MSN practice type you have listed is NOT a nurse practitioner program, and most of the credits wouldn’t count towards your UGPA. I would NOT attend such a program unless you are looking to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Even if you *were,* I would say that getting a BSN and then letting a hospital help pay for a master’s is the way to go, as you’d need bedside experience anyway.

My recommendations:
Do nursing prereqs and get into the accelerated BSN or ADN program (since you already have a degree either will be fine!). Be a 4.0 student.

Work 2 years and live CHEAPLY. Pay off any debt you can.

Use tuition reimbursement at hospital to complete medical school prerequisites. Pay cash for the rest. Get As, or mostly As.

Kill the MCAT, get accepted to medical school.

I did the above plan after being in a somewhat similar place, and it definitely can be done. You are in for an incredibly challenging decade, though, and if you aren’t 100% committed it will crush you.

Again, it CAN be done.

 

[Wisefool]

I am also thinking about taking this BSN route instead of doing a postbacc. I have a 3.241 GPA. I did not get bad grades because of "classes were tough." But other family issues, which I can explain in my PS. I wouldn't have to retake any med prereq after my BSN. My question is should I do the accelerated program to bring up my UG GPA or get into a masters program with conditional acceptance? In my last two years, I took all upper level classes and have straight A's. MCAT was ok, 505.

Any suggestions?

 

[MobyShandy]

BSN will count for your UG GPA. Get all As.

A BSN will give you almost none of the prerequisites, depending on the school. You need to do some digging of the course requirements of specific BSN programs and then compare them to what medical schools require... in general, Med prereqs take a couple years because they are sequential (a year of gen chem, gen bio, then biochem, Physics etc)

The MSN practice type you have listed is NOT a nurse practitioner program, and most of the credits wouldn’t count towards your UGPA. I would NOT attend such a program unless you are looking to be a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Even if you *were,* I would say that getting a BSN and then letting a hospital help pay for a master’s is the way to go, as you’d need bedside experience anyway.

My recommendations:
Do nursing prereqs and get into the accelerated BSN or ADN program (since you already have a degree either will be fine!). Be a 4.0 student.

Work 2 years and live CHEAPLY. Pay off any debt you can.

Use tuition reimbursement at hospital to complete medical school prerequisites. Pay cash for the rest. Get As, or mostly As.

Kill the MCAT, get accepted to medical school.

I did the above plan after being in a somewhat similar place, and it definitely can be done. You are in for an incredibly challenging decade, though, and if you aren’t 100% committed it will crush you.

Again, it CAN be done.

Thank you for the prompt reply! I am missing some of the nursing prereqs, so that would be the most immediate obstacle, but I could continue working and saving until the spring semester and get my prereqs in then, and next fall, and apply next fall...

Since you've been through this process, I have another question for you: even if not contributing to premed prereqs, would all or most of the coursework in a BSN pull up my science GPA in addition to my cumulative GPA? I assume that it would, given that it is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, but my first attempt at Chemistry as well as some of Biology Core went poorly in those first two mess-up years in college, so my science GPA is even more concerning to me than my cumulative.

Relatedly, my psychology degree is considered a Bachelor of Science due to my undergraduate school's neuroscience history and a more rigorous psychology program and my specific course of study—would any medical schools construe my psychology GPA as part of my science GPA, or is that just hopeful thinking?

And aside from GPA concerns and money concerns, do you feel that the clinical experience and connections in medicine you accumulated in nursing helped in the medical school application process?

 

[RNthenDoc]

AMCAS/AACOMAS have their own definitions of what= a science course, but in general nursing sciences DO count as sGPA. Do your best to get As!

My connections made in my nursing career *undoubtedly* made a huge difference in my MD acceptance, and it made a lot of difference for my DO acceptances due to how much exposure to osteopathy I had. Having letter writers who have seen you providing excellent care to their patients makes a huge difference. This is a double-edged sword, though. You’re going to have to bust your butt and keep your nose clean... The impressions you make will make a huge difference in your career!

All that said... if you can work in a major academic center with a medical school, that can be hugely helpful. Try for that!

 

[RNthenDoc]

One more thing: don’t every tell anyone you are using Nursing as a stepping stone to medicine. Just don’t. Ever. You will be a pariah.

That can come out when you are finishing your MCAT/asking for LORs.

 

[Sunflower1991]

Hi! I am also a nontrad trying to figure out the best way to get experience and prerequisites for Med school. Having looked into different options myself, I am curious why you're really going for a nursing degree? I think nursing is a wonderful profession and undoubtedly would be great clinical experience, but it looks like you want to be a doctor.

1. You don't have any of the nursing school or med school prereqs.

• As such, you will be spending money on science prerequisite classes. First nursing prereqs and then the accelerated nursing degree. Both of those cost money. How much is dependent on your location and which program you chose, but that right there is going to cost as much if not more as a year of med school prereqs.
• Then after you are a nurse it sounds like you will still need some of the med school prereqs? I think some overlap, but even so, you'll be taking more classes. Based on RNthenDoc's response it sounds like you can get tuition reimbursement and take these classes while you're working as an RN. This is a nice perk if you do really want to be a nurse.

2. You said money is a big obstacle.

• Why not work for a couple years with your current degree and save up enough money for med school prereqs? During this time, you could be getting clinical experience by volunteering, shadowing, part-time CNA, part-time scribe.
• This way you are saving money and are only paying for the classes that are going to directly lead to the profession that you want.

I mention all this, because it sounds like we have had similar ideas when it comes to going into healthcare and medicine. I have looked at nursing, NP, and PA. At the end of the day, what I really want to be is a doctor. Like you, money is a huge factor for me as well. As such, I buckled down in my current career and paid off my undergrad loans. Now i'm in the process of stashing away as much money as possible so that I can dedicate a year to a DIY postbacc at my local 4 year university. In the meantime, my goal is to volunteer at a hospital, shadow, and hopefully work part-time as a scribe or CNA so that I can gain clinical experience and confirm that this is really what I want to do with my life. After all of that, I will still have 4 years of med school and then 3-5 years of residency.

If you really want to be a nurse and have that experience, then I think you're on the right track. However, if you are mainly doing this as a way to save money I would encourage you to actually budget out each path and compare cost, time, and your ultimate goals.

Furthermore, you mentioned that you want to go into nursing in order to make sure that you really do want to do medicine. If you become a nurse and then see that you don't want to do medicine, are you then ok with a career as a nurse?