BSN and then Med School?

[bfg1997]

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Hi SDN,
I've been formulating a lot recently about my future schooling and which direction I'd like to take in the coming years. I've talked to my PCP and a few professors about this idea but I'd greatly appreciate some feedback from people who've "been around the block".

I have a ton of interest in healthcare professions and previously aimed at achieving a BSN but have recently looked into Med School and find myself really devoted to and interested in practicing medicine as a surgeon. To me one of the greatest honors is serving the public and safeguarding public health. However, I know I must be realistic with my goals and am unsure whether I can handle the years of schooling it requires.

My plan at this point is to finish up my Nursing School prerequisites at my 2-year institution, and then transfer to UMass Lowell to knock out my medical school prerequisites, since they likely will not be acknowledged if they were earned at a community college. In-state tuition will also allow me to only spend upwards of 20k to finish my prereqs, as I am still unsure whether I'd like to attend med school. After completing my pre-reqs, I plan on transferring again to a nursing program and achieving my BSN, and then working as an ER/trauma nurse for a year or two, and coming to a conclusion as to whether I'd like to continue schooling. Ideally this will give me the experience and shadowing I need to decide whether I'd really like to pursue surgery, and also some money to put towards Med school as I will still hopefully be living at home.

My questions are:
1. Is this a viable plan, and does anyone have any experience with going to Med school as an RN?
2. Is it at all possible to complete all med school pre-reqs in 3 semesters?
3. Do med schools recognize credits earned during the summer semester?

Thanks everyone.

 

[RNthenDoc]

1. I'm interviewing currently for med school as a BSN-prepared nurse.
2. I'm sure it's possible, but those would be TOUGH semesters. I strongly advise against.
3. I took my Ochem 1 as a summer class and nobody has said anything about it. It was live lecture/lab of course, and the same credit hours. It was VERY hard.

I'd caution you that if you 100% know you want to go to medical school you shouldn't shoot for a BSN. Way too many classes that are irrelevant. As someone with both an ADN and a BSN, the only career difference I might have done is skipping the BSN and just doing a BA in something else/something that incorporated the premed stuff. The ADN has been enough to pay all my bills, and at my hospital network they don't give a rat's distal alimentary canal about anything beyond your licensure.

Really though, my advice would be to try to discern what your career goals ultimately are. Have you done any shadowing or anything? Nursing is more of a calling than just an undergrad pick. Don't enter it lightly, as it will consume much of your life.

 

[bfg1997]

1. I'm interviewing currently for med school as a BSN-prepared nurse.
2. I'm sure it's possible, but those would be TOUGH semesters. I strongly advise against.
3. I took my Ochem 1 as a summer class and nobody has said anything about it. It was live lecture/lab of course, and the same credit hours. It was VERY hard.

I'd caution you that if you 100% know you want to go to medical school you shouldn't shoot for a BSN. Way too many classes that are irrelevant. As someone with both an ADN and a BSN, the only career difference I might have done is skipping the BSN and just doing a BA in something else/something that incorporated the premed stuff. The ADN has been enough to pay all my bills, and at my hospital network they don't give a rat's distal alimentary canal about anything beyond your licensure.

Really though, my advice would be to try to discern what your career goals ultimately are. Have you done any shadowing or anything? Nursing is more of a calling than just an undergrad pick. Don't enter it lightly, as it will consume much of your life.

Thanks for your reply! I plan on doing 2 semesters of Chem, Bio and Physics in one year for my pre-reqs and then perhaps taking Calc I the summer after, and Calc II the summer after that while I am enrolled in a BSN program. I have a solid list of English credits I've earned at my CC (24 credits at 3 credits/class) so perhaps Med schools will take that into consideration and I won't have to take more at a 4 year institution. I would like to become board certified as an RN before med school as I have a lot of respect for that career and know I could still work with patients in a hospital environment if I choose not to pursue med school. Even though I feel very passionate about it, the idea of being in school until I'm 30 or so is a little daunting.

 

[RNthenDoc]

Thanks for your reply! I plan on doing 2 semesters of Chem, Bio and Physics in one year for my pre-reqs and then perhaps taking Calc I the summer after, and Calc II the summer after that while I am enrolled in a BSN program. I have an solid list of English credits I've earned at my CC (24 credits at 3 credits/class) so perhaps Med schools will take that into consideration and I won't have to take more at a 4 year institution. I would like to become board certified as an RN before med school as I have a lot of respect for that career and know I could still work with patients in a hospital environment if I choose not to pursue med school. Even though I feel very passionate about it, the idea of being in school until I'm 30 or so is a little daunting.

Fwiw, I did all my English/lit/speech etc in a cheapo CC and nobody has given a sniff about it. The consensus is that where you take your science classes matters much more.

Understand that by choosing to go the RN-to-MD route you are extending your schooling by a lot of years. It's also tempting to stop once you start making RN money. The motivation to go back through academic hoops slows down once you're working 3 days/week and making enough money to buy a house etc.

If you know that's what you want to do, however, I have no doubts that you will do it. My mentors have told me that nursing is a decent premed foundation. Very different, obviously, but at least I've already help pressure on a bleeding artery/lead ACLS/lead stroke response and all that.

I'm more worried about the academic rigors!