Another similar question: PA/NP/MD

[Tatu78]

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You don't know how long I've spent in this forum and looked all the previous questions asking the same thing: which one is better for me?

I am currently a freshman in community college and I'll be choosing courses designed for my Science A.S. degree and either an BSN degree or Biology degree for transferring. I cannot make the choice; if I choose classes tailored towards the BSN, I will be abandoning PA and/or MD route. If I choose the classes more fit for Biology BS I will be saying no to NP.

My thought process is:

NP= Go from RN to BSN and then MSN. My college requires one to have one full year of clinical experience as an RN (I believe) in order to get to the next step. The 2 year grad program will cost around $68k. However, the learning in class is not as depth as the one PAs get, especially not MDs. Autonomy and can mostly work under their own schedules.
PA= Major in any undergrad with PA prereqs to get in. The process is competitive. Since I am doing Biology (or might be) and apply to pa school and not get it, well I'm doomed; biology bs has no job outlook that's worthwhile. Since under an MD, has similar hours as them. Will cost around $80-90k
MD= 4 yrs of grad, at least 3 yrs of residency. Just thinking about the MCAT right now gives me stress. Once MD or becoming one, there will be no time to really enjoy family... or the money they make. The financial problem will be no joke, which I think I won't be able to handle (I can get loans but still). The better jobs dont really have part time options.

Also, I feel like my mom really wants me to become a doctor, and somehow I do as well. I somewhat blame it on my ego, but at the same time, doctor out of the other two only has the in-depth learning and education that I want, just without the financial and 11 yrs of school stress.

I have no idea what to choose. And most say that I still have time since I'm only a freshman, but I will be taking unnecessary classes and thus, will be wasting money I could've used on other useful classes.

 

[takeurmeds02]

CNA....definitely go the CNA route.

 

[sloop]

If you're looking for a good, stable job where you deal with patients, become a PA (or a nurse, but honestly I just think that PA is a better career option for most people if you can get in).

If you want to be in charge of the care of your patients, become a doctor. If you want to be an expert in something, become a doctor.

There are some exceptions but I will say that in my experience, for most people in medical school this was never a serious question. Of course there might be the fleeting thought of "wow, this is so long and expensive and PAs seem to have decent lives" but that usually passes and they realize that they don't want to play second fiddle in the care of their patients. I don't necessarily believe the "medicine is a calling" B.S., but doctors are generally type A, or at least highly ambitious type A/B. A lot of people don't want the responsibility that comes with being the ultimate manager of medications and procedures that can kill people. People who go into medicine generally do want that and it's an important part of the career for them. A big part of our professional identity surrounds responsibility and autonomy. If you want that, you probably have to become a physician. If you don't want that, you should probably not become a physician.

 

[MusicDOc124]

Both NP and PA require clinical time. NP requires you to be an RN, PA requires clinical hours that can be completed as an RN, EMT, Paramedic, CNA (some schools are more strict, some less). Why not go for your RN/BSN, then work for a year or two? That gives you the options of both NP and PA, while giving you a chance to see how MDs/DOs, PAs, and NPs all work and interact.

If you get your BSN, Bio and Chem will already be completed, and you will have taken at least Organic chem 1. Take a few extra courses (Orgo 2, Physics 1, Physics 2), and you'll also be set up to take the MCAT/go to medical school.

Going the RN route will give you the best way to get experience/clinical time, observe, get your bachelors with a great job if you choose to not continue into anything else, and sets you up for everything (so long as you take a couple extra courses to ensure you have all boxes checked off.

 

[Kera]

What makes the most sense to me is to get a biology degree and fulfill the PA and med school pre-requisites. It's easy at that point to shift into nursing if you choose, and if friends' experiences are any guide, after a bachelor's degree in biology you can end up as a NP in about two years. It's really difficult to know which player on the health care team you'd like to be at this juncture, and you don't have to close any doors for yourself right now. I can't tell you how many people who were pre-med freshman year ended up completely dropping it by junior year, so deciding on a path right now is not only really tough, but perhaps more meaningless than you can realize right now.

So overall: It's easier to shift from a biology major to nursing than it is from nursing to PA/MD. My advice would be to stick with the bio major. Start shadowing MDs, PAs, and NPs. Get a feel for what they do. You'll not only need shadowing to get into med school, but it will help you figure out, over the next few years, which path you'd like to take.

Also, if I may offer some unsolicited advice, regardless of what path you pursue the most important thing is to study hard and do well. As long as you do that, everything else can be shifted as your interests become apparent. Good luck!

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to pre allo as OP is a premed

 

[Mansamusa]

The cost of becoming a PA or NP should be cheaper if you go to a state school. In my state, the yearly tuition for those two programs are $8K whereas the MD program is $45K/yr for tuition.

And most of the NPs I know worked as RNs and saved money to pay for NP programs out of pocket

 

[Tatu78]

Thank you to everyone who answered!

If you get your BSN, Bio and Chem will already be completed, and you will have taken at least Organic chem 1. Take a few extra courses (Orgo 2, Physics 1, Physics 2), and you'll also be set up to take the MCAT/go to medical school.

The BSN program does not include chem and mainly nursing courses, but I see where you are coming form 🙂

What makes the most sense to me is to get a biology degree and fulfill the PA and med school pre-requisites. It's easy at that point to shift into nursing if you choose, and if friends' experiences are any guide, after a bachelor's degree in biology you can end up as a NP in about two years. It's really difficult to know which player on the health care team you'd like to be at this juncture, and you don't have to close any doors for yourself right now. I can't tell you how many people who were pre-med freshman year ended up completely dropping it by junior year, so deciding on a path right now is not only really tough, but perhaps more meaningless than you can realize right now.

So overall: It's easier to shift from a biology major to nursing than it is from nursing to PA/MD. My advice would be to stick with the bio major. Start shadowing MDs, PAs, and NPs. Get a feel for what they do. You'll not only need shadowing to get into med school, but it will help you figure out, over the next few years, which path you'd like to take.

Also, if I may offer some unsolicited advice, regardless of what path you pursue the most important thing is to study hard and do well. As long as you do that, everything else can be shifted as your interests become apparent. Good luck!

Oh, two different mindsets

This also seems like a good plan, however, I have to have a licence as an RN and have work experience.



The nursing major requires basic math, with additional few biology courses that do not go towards the Biology major and vice versa.

 

[Tatu78]

The cost of becoming a PA or NP should be cheaper if you go to a state school. In my state, the yearly tuition for those two programs are $8K whereas the MD program is $45K/yr for tuition.

And most of the NPs I know worked as RNs and saved money to pay for NP programs out of pocket

Yes ,these costs are from programs that are in state!

 

[Ddrumem]

There are many programs where you can get your MSN without having a BSN. Such as this one from Ohio state. They take any bachelors degree.

https://nursing.osu.edu/sections/ac...ram-overview/graduate-entry-introduction.html

So you could get your biology degree with all of the med school pre reqs then do this if you decided to go this route.

Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[Kera]

The BSN program does not include chem and mainly nursing courses, but I see where you are coming form 🙂

I'm not familiar with a ton of nursing programs, but, as you mention, in every single one I am familiar with the coursework does NOT fulfill pre-med requirements. So if you choose nursing at this stage, you're closing the door on pursuing the PA or med school route unless you later did a post-bacc (coursework after graduation that doesn't count for anything but fulfills pre-requisites).

Oh, two different mindsets

This also seems like a good plan, however, I have to have a licence as an RN and have work experience.

I'd double-check whether you actually have to work as an RN before going into an MSN program. I'm not too deep in the nursing school field at the moment, but I personally know 6 people (that I can think of right now) who went to MSN programs without an RN. Perhaps you need an RN for some or even most programs, but it's definitely not true for all. This goes back to my other unsolicited advice: work hard, get good grades, and you'll be able to pursue any of the three after getting a degree in biology.