Being A Nurse Or Doctor?

[Dr.Kimmy86]

Hi, Im a high school senior and I'm on my way to college this fall, and I'm having trouble deciding whether I should be a nurse or doctor...I highly respect both professions, but lately I only hear the negative sides of nursing...In your opinion, if you had a chance to be a nurse or a doctor which would you choose? And, is nursing school as hard as med school? Thank you in advance
~Kim~

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[Kev (UK)]

As you have decided to call yourself DrKimmy and not NurseKimmy, that tells you something perhaps?

As a nurse who is now studying medicine I guess I am slightly biased but for me the more challenging, academically speaking, nature of medicine appealed to me as did the biomedical science element. I also felt frustrated by all the limitations placed upon my clinical practice and career development in nursing. But for many others nursing is far more appealing than medicine. Why not try and get some work experience shadowing both doctors and nurses, it may help you decide perhaps?

Good luck with whatever route you take

 

[Dr.Kimmy86]

Thank you so much for your advice, and I have decided that I will continue to fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor..Thanks again!

 

[Cowboy DO]

A little less than 12 hours and advice from one person to make a life changing decision...good turn around time.




Me thinks you already knew the answer to your original question.

 

[Dr.Kimmy86]

Yea I did, but not only did I listen to Kev's advice, I did alot of searching on the web and talked to different people, and really went with what my heart said..And it lead me to medicine.

 

[fab4fan]

Originally posted by Cowboy DO
A little less than 12 hours and advice from one person to make a life changing decision...good turn around time.

I so needed to read that...gave me a much needed laugh.

Dr. Kimmy: This is probably not the day for me to give advice on the nursing profession, but of course, that would never stop me.

Run, run, as far and as fast as you can from nursing. You will never be respected by docs (just do a search here on how docs feel about nurses...very enlightening). No matter how skilled and knowledgeable you become, there will always be some smart ass who thinks all you are good for is wielding a bedpan or fetching coffee. Don't get me started on how the public will treat you. And there is going to be a severe shortage of nursing starting in the next five years, which means that conditions will be abysmal.

Upper management will treat you like crap, and if, heaven forbid, you become a nurse manager like me, then you will have a ticket to an early grave.

The ONLY positive I can think of re: nursing is that if you get tired of one specialty you can transfer to another...not so easily done as a doc.

Run away, run away.

 

[Dr.Kimmy86]

Originally posted by fab4fan

Originally posted by Cowboy DO
A little less than 12 hours and advice from one person to make a life changing decision...good turn around time.

I so needed to read that...gave me a much needed laugh.

Dr. Kimmy: This is probably not the day for me to give advice on the nursing profession, but of course, that would never stop me.

Run, run, as far and as fast as you can from nursing. You will never be respected by docs (just do a search here on how docs feel about nurses...very enlightening). No matter how skilled and knowledgeable you become, there will always be some smart ass who thinks all you are good for is wielding a bedpan or fetching coffee. Don't get me started on how the public will treat you. And there is going to be a severe shortage of nursing starting in the next five years, which means that conditions will be abysmal.

Upper management will treat you like crap, and if, heaven forbid, you become a nurse manager like me, then you will have a ticket to an early grave.

The ONLY positive I can think of re: nursing is that if you get tired of one specialty you can transfer to another...not so easily done as a doc.

Run away, run away.

I wonder why doctors and the public treat nurses as if they were just maids? In my opinion, nurses deserve (if not more) respect than the doctors, nurses spend more time with the patients and they care in my opinion more about the care of the patients rather than the diease that needs to be cured, and that's what makes me love nurses, but over the years the medicine field has changed drastically. I appreciate all nurses, because they have made a great impact on my life and others..Thnx fab4fan!

 

[edinOH]

I for one respect the nurses a great deal. The place absolutely couldn't run without them.

 

[ang19]

I for one respect the nurses a great deal. The place absolutely couldn't run without them.

i am a nurse and i have always felt respected. when i here people give advice to people above such as "run as fast as you can from nursing" it is sad because i feel sorry for those that have had such horrible experiences. there are a lot of md's who acknowledge that they could not do their job without nurses and vice versa. i am a ed nurse and i can honestly say that your attitude has a lot to do with how people treat you. md's get abused also. i see it all the time. there are md's that don't feel respected. everyone has a gripe about their chosen field. the truth is that patients don't care. all they want is someone that is competent. i have seen many times patients demand the nurse instead of the md because they felt the md didn't know what they were doing. i support and respect any doc that does the same for me. nurses are not the bottom of the totem pole. when i am hospitalized i know without a doubt the the nurse is my main support. i love the doctors i work with. but respect is earned on an individual basis, not given because of your title.

 

[lady_jezebel]

I am a nurse. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely go to medical school. Nursing is VERY hard work (physically, emotionally, intellectually) for little pay. The medical field offers greater rewards in many respects. Since you are so young, you still have time (I'm 33 and buried in college loans).

 

[missRN2be]

I'm just gonna be a little nosy: are you going to apply to med school?

I am a nurse. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely go to medical school. Nursing is VERY hard work (physically, emotionally, intellectually) for little pay. The medical field offers greater rewards in many respects. Since you are so young, you still have time (I'm 33 and buried in college loans).

 

[lloydchristmas]

I am a nurse. If I could do it all over again, I would definitely go to medical school. Nursing is VERY hard work (physically, emotionally, intellectually) for little pay. The medical field offers greater rewards in many respects. Since you are so young, you still have time (I'm 33 and buried in college loans).

33 is young, and the loans will not need to be paid while in school... so go to med school. If you get in at 35 you'll have 20+ years to practice - and you'll make much more $$ and be happier than you are now...

 

[malusport]

http://home.austin.rr.com/austintxmd/Pages/intro.html

How about that nursing school?

 

[jpro]

http://home.austin.rr.com/austintxmd/Pages/intro.html

How about that nursing school?

Don't pay attention to this crap. All pre-meds and medical student know what they are getting into, and we don't do it for the money. There are much better and faster ways to create wealth. Get a JD, MBA, start a business, or go on The Apprentice . The fact is that those who actually get into medical school are smart people that could do practically anything they wanted to. I don't think anyone goes into medicine actually expecting to become millionaires. From the time someone goes into college, graduates medical school, finishes residency, and then finally starts their own practice it will take around 13yrs. That?s 8yrs of debt followed by mediocre pay for about five yrs of 80hr work weeks. Everyone knows that. It is a choice people make that is not based on $$$$

 

[starayamoskva]

Originally posted by Cowboy DO
A little less than 12 hours and advice from one person to make a life changing decision...good turn around time.

I so needed to read that...gave me a much needed laugh.

Dr. Kimmy: This is probably not the day for me to give advice on the nursing profession, but of course, that would never stop me.

Run, run, as far and as fast as you can from nursing. You will never be respected by docs (just do a search here on how docs feel about nurses...very enlightening). No matter how skilled and knowledgeable you become, there will always be some smart ass who thinks all you are good for is wielding a bedpan or fetching coffee. Don't get me started on how the public will treat you. And there is going to be a severe shortage of nursing starting in the next five years, which means that conditions will be abysmal.

Upper management will treat you like crap, and if, heaven forbid, you become a nurse manager like me, then you will have a ticket to an early grave.

The ONLY positive I can think of re: nursing is that if you get tired of one specialty you can transfer to another...not so easily done as a doc.

Run away, run away.

First and foremost, the majority of people on SDN are not doctors. The majority of docs do not have time to spend posting on internet message boards. Second, it has long been known (and no I can't quote you the study so don't ask) that people will be more cruel and nasty when they are anonymous than if people know who they are. That is one of the worst parts of boards like this.

Nursing is a wonderful and noble profession that should not be dismissed lightly as a profession unworthy of a bright student's consideration.

There has been a nursing shortage for many many years... it may be predicted to get worse in the next 5 years but it is already here. That in and of itself is not reason to avoid the profession.

As a nurse, I was always been treated with respect by both physicians and the public. Management can be a pain at times but then as a nurse manager you already know you can be a pain

Don't toss nursing out the window as something you wouldn't even consider.

 

[fab4fan]

Management can be a pain at times but then as a nurse manager you already know you can be a pain

Gee...thanks. Considering how hard I work to make sure my staff is happy, I can't begin to tell you how good that made me feel.