Can I work one nursing shift a week in Medical school

[DO_or_Die]

I start med school in July and have been a pediatric trauma nurse for about 4-5 years. My job is very flexible to where I can work 1 shift a week at the hospital of any day that I choose day shift or night shift. I was wanting to know if it be advisable that I quit or if I could continue to work? It would really remove the loan burden that I would need to take on, but I also don't want to fall behind in school either. What are your thoughts? One shift a week would equal ~$25,000/year

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[gyngyn]

Check your student handbook. Many schools restrict off-campus work or require permission from the Student Affairs Dean.

 

[wxman]

Yes you can. Figure out how you study and then balance with your tentative work schedule. I had a full time job throughout medical school to support my spouse and children. But, just an anecdote. You’ll hear the pros and cons. If you want to work, go to work! Dave Ramsey will agree with you.


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[DO_or_Die]

Check your student handbook. Many schools restrict off-campus work or require permission from the Student Affairs Dean.

I didn't even think to do that, yes I will definitely contact them about it ahead of time if I decide that I might want to continue working.

 

[Goro]

I start med school in July and have been a pediatric trauma nurse for about 4-5 years. My job is very flexible to where I can work 1 shift a week at the hospital of any day that I choose day shift or night shift. I was wanting to know if it be advisable that I quit or if I could continue to work? It would really remove the loan burden that I would need to take on, but I also don't want to fall behind in school either. What are your thoughts? One shift a week would equal ~$25,000/year

Recipe for disaster

 

[Ho0v-man]

I wouldn’t do it first semester.

 

[longhaul3]

If your school and hospital are ok with it, go for it. One 12-hour shift a week is not going to ruin you academically. If 12 hours a week are make-or-break for a med student academically, that's a problem in and of itself.

 

[popopopop]

Our school allows off-campus work(I go to your school). First year has more mandatory days spread out during the week, much more than second year. You can do it, at the expense of less time to study and less time to foster any extra-curricular activities. Can you do it? For sure. Should you? That's up to you.

 

[Dr. Death]

First and second year this would be fairly easy. Third year and first part of fourth year this would be hard.

 

[DO_or_Die]

Our school allows off-campus work(I go to your school). First year has more mandatory days spread out during the week, much more than second year. You can do it, at the expense of less time to study and less time to foster any extra-curricular activities. Can you do it? For sure. Should you? That's up to you.

Good to know. Maybe I’m thinking too short term on this, all of those things you mentioned are important factors to take into consideration.

 

[Mass Effect]

Yes you can. Figure out how you study and then balance with your tentative work schedule. I had a full time job throughout medical school to support my spouse and children. But, just an anecdote. You’ll hear the pros and cons. If you want to work, go to work! Dave Ramsey will agree with you.

Last year, you said you worked when you could while your wife is the one who continued working full time?

 

[wxman]

Last year, you said you worked when you could while your wife is the one who continued working regularly.

Yep, still worked > 40 hours per week. All about time management!


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[stickgirl390]

Agreed with above, wait until you get adjusted first year. It also depends on your school’s testing schedule. My exams are always Friday, so Friday night, sat or sun I usually could find some free time.

 

[Dr. Basketball]

Agreed with above, wait until you get adjusted first year. It also depends on your school’s testing schedule. My exams are always Friday, so Friday night, sat or sun I usually could find some free time.

^^^ This
Also what kind of testing your school does. Whether your block exams are internal, NBME, or both makes a difference(we take both at my school).

Feel things out first. I know very few people that don't have to study hard to do well. Just my opinion. Good luck Congrats on your acceptance

 

[~Soñadora~]

It really depends on how you are as a student and how much mandatory stuff your school has you do. I think later on you will likely be able to work 1-2 shifts a week but I think it is wise to take at least the first few months off if possible while you adjust. It is a big, big adjustment so giving yourself time to figure things out and then go back to work would be preferable. You might find that how you are as a student and your curriculum allow you to do this or you might find that it's not what's best for you. It's hard to know until you're there.

 

[aldol16]

It really depends on your school and if you can clear it with them. From a student perspective, definitely no problem during the pre-clinical curriculum. It's even easier if your school records the lectures and attendance is non-mandatory for some or all sessions. That way, you can learn on your own time. Just don't get behind on material.

Keep in mind that each school and each semester within each school will have differing requirements so you may not know your schedule until you actually start. For instance, for one semester you might have mandatory sessions every MWF that prevent working day shift on those days. For the next semester it might be TThF. So you just have to plan.

Also keep in mind that depending on what you want to go into, you'll have to balance hours spent at work with the opportunity cost. You'll need to build in time for Step studying outside of class at some point and research if you want to go into something competitive. So it'll all boil down to how well you manage your time and how strong of a student you are, which people don't necessarily always find out before having done a semester of med school.

 

[njtrimed]

I start med school in July and have been a pediatric trauma nurse for about 4-5 years. My job is very flexible to where I can work 1 shift a week at the hospital of any day that I choose day shift or night shift. I was wanting to know if it be advisable that I quit or if I could continue to work? It would really remove the loan burden that I would need to take on, but I also don't want to fall behind in school either. What are your thoughts? One shift a week would equal ~$25,000/year

Obviously this depends on you and your school’s stipulations, but I took shifts almost every weekend throughout all four years of med school without any issues. I did work less while studying for step 1 and during demanding rotations, but was able to work more during electives and breaks. If you can make it work, it’s worth it. But just know your limitations and don’t overdo it when your focus needs to be on academics.