applicant with no BSN degree, only AS..advise pls!!

[porknbeans]

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I will have my AS degree in Nursing not too far from now. NSU admissions says they need 90 credits and prefers a Bachelor's degree. I can satisfy the 90 credits(nursing + pre-med classes) but not have the Bachelor's degree...Is it really necessary to have a Bachelor's degree? 😕

 

[Noeljan]

if you are talking about medical school, you most likely need to complete a bachelor degree before the start of school. What they mean by 90 credits is that you can apply with 90 credits and be accepted on the fact you will be completing your degree (ex applying in junior year). I have never heard of anyone starting medical school with just an Associates degree in anything.

 

[porknbeans]

I do need to have a Bachelor's then...thanks for ur time

 

[Noeljan]

you are welcome
You could apply and be accepted while completing your BSN or any other 4 year degree.
Good luck

 

[brianjc]

I have a med school classmate that is here without a bachelors degree. If you look in the AMCAS book it will tell you what the percentage in each med school class didn't have a bachelors degree. It is usually only around 2-5% of any one class but it happens. However, to get accepted into med school without a bachelors degree you would probably have to be quite the allstar!!

 

[porknbeans]

thanks..I was hoping to take a short cut, but now i don't think i'm going to take the risk of not having a BSN degree..i might as well take the required classes, while i'm taking the pre-med courses... 😀

 

[Doc 2b]

Porky, don't look to these forums as the end all be all of your advise. Remember these posts are from current medical students or premed students (many of which, and I'm not saying those who have already posted, but many are competing against you. And many have little or no idea what they are talking about, seeing as they are not on the adcom.) I personally know of 4 nurses who have entered medical school with only an ASN, both in allopathic and osteopathic. I also know of several friends that did not finish their BS/BA and went on to medschool. From the few that I know, one has told me that he felt had he gotten is bachelors he would have done better his first year, but I think a lot of that has to do with maturity. My own brother is applying this year with only an ASN and about 140 hours towards various majors, but should he get in will not complete his BS in biology before next fall. The thing that you have on your side is experience, my brother is a CSICU nurse that has tons of experience recovering CAB pts. Go ahead and apply and don't be afraid to play up your experience, that is your strength, let the adcoms know. Thats my $0.02 😉

 

[Noeljan]

Dr 2 be
that is great for your friends, congrats to them for only having their Associates degrees and all gainnig acceptance into medical school.
BUT, in my own experience all of the med schools I have ever received any kind of info from have said it is highly unlikely to start medical school without completing at least a bachelors degree. With the high level of competition to get into medical school, they have to draw some lines. I don't think having a BS/BA is asking too much. There are tons of BSNs, pharm, PTs already I just don't think they would take ADNs or any associate degree in abundance regardless of major/experience. Another thing, what about prereqs. I know at my university it is frowned upon to finish any of them at the 2 year college level (let alone all of them). I am not saying you cannot get in by doing them there, but I know from my own premed advisor that they would rather see you do them at the 4 year level. I don't see them routinely taking people who have never taken any course at the 4 year level in their life over thousands of others who have. I am not saying one has less intelligence or abilites but there are certain lines they make.
In any case to the OP good luck. You don't have to complete a BS in nursing, it can be in something else. I have my BSN and also Biology. If I could do it over I would probably just do chemistry (haha). If I were you I would work and save up money while getting experience with your ADN. At the same time finish up your BS/BA while getting prereq sciences out of the way. Good luck.

 

[Doc 2b]

Dr 2 be
that is great for your friends, congrats to them for only having their Associates degrees and all gainnig acceptance into medical school.
BUT, in my own experience all of the med schools I have ever received any kind of info from have said it is highly unlikely to start medical school without completing at least a bachelors degree. With the high level of competition to get into medical school, they have to draw some lines. I don't think having a BS/BA is asking too much. There are tons of BSNs, pharm, PTs already I just don't think they would take ADNs or any associate degree in abundance regardless of major/experience. Another thing, what about prereqs. I know at my university it is frowned upon to finish any of them at the 2 year college level (let alone all of them). I am not saying you cannot get in by doing them there, but I know from my own premed advisor that they would rather see you do them at the 4 year level. I don't see them routinely taking people who have never taken any course at the 4 year level in their life over thousands of others who have. I am not saying one has less intelligence or abilites but there are certain lines they make.
In any case to the OP good luck. You don't have to complete a BS in nursing, it can be in something else. I have my BSN and also Biology. If I could do it over I would probably just do chemistry (haha). If I were you I would work and save up money while getting experience with your ADN. At the same time finish up your BS/BA while getting prereq sciences out of the way. Good luck.

Good point about the prereqs, everyone I know of did all of there prereqs at a 4 year college. Including those required for their ASN. And I'm in total agreement with you about your whole post, I'm just saying you can't take everything to heart, and hell if porky has the $ why not apply. thats all I meant

 

[TexPre-Med]

I have heard of students without any degree get accepted into medical school. Of course they have about 3.8 and up g.p.a.'s and 30+ MCAT's and are financially burdened. If there is significant reason to skip your senior year, some schools will honor your dedication without a degree. Good luck

 

[Airzonk]

My friend attended a foreign medical school in the dominican republic. He had no degree and failed his paramedic license exam in the United States multiple times. Today he is doing his clinical rotations in the U.S. and passed Step 1 (USMLE). Any foreign medical graduate can come into this country do research, study for Step 1, 2 etc. and do a residency regardless of whether they had a bachelors or not. This sucks for the many U.S. students that must have a degree prior to entering medical school. Go to a carribean school Ross didn't even require MCAT scores until recently. Perhaps they don't even require a degree.