Current Undergrad Characteristics

[jmkcsb07]

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I am a 2007 BSN graduate. I accepted a job as an RN in an ICU, but have decided to start pre-medical classes spring 2007. I would like an evaluation of my current statistics, experiences, etc.

BSN undergraduate GPA: 3.6
Student of color
Current ICU RN
4 Varsity tennis player, 2 year captain
President of all student-athletes at my institution X 3 years
NCAA National Leadership Conference Participant

I also have numerous leadership awards from my institution and many hours of volunteer work.

I am interested in DO because they appreciate diversity and holistically assess a patient.

Am I off to a good start? What would you suggest as a place to aim for science GPA, as well as MCAT scores. I would apply to any DO school, my passion is DO and I will travel anywhere in the country to attend school

Thank you for your help!

 

[TexasTriathlete]

As a BSN, do you already have the pre-requisites?

If so, just take an MCAT prep course, take the test, and apply. And be prepared to explain why you didn't want to be a nurse anymore.

If not, take the classes you need, and just keep getting good grades.

 

[Powdermonkey]

I think the hardest thing for you will be why you dont want to be a nurse. Why do you not want to be a nurse by the way?

 

[jmkcsb07]

I think its more important to think of it as why I want to become a doctor, not why I dont want to be a nurse. BUT I do know I will have to explain it the other way around.

Nursing is a field where you do have some autonomy, but it is very limited. I have explored advanced practice options, but have realized that these options come up short. If I am in a position to diagnose and treat a patient, I want the highest level of education possible. I think what I don't know may be in a patient's disadvantage. Achieving the highest degree in the medical field will give me the knowledge and the confidence to give a patient the best medical options.

Nursing has a very important place in healthcare. They are the central communicator for the interdisciplinary team. It is the nurse's 4am assessment and critical thinking decision to call the physician when the abnormalities show up. However, it is very easy to get caught up in the technical skills and to forget the pathophysiology behind a patient's disease process. I have a passion to pull labs, take assessment findings, pull them all together and come up with a plan of action.

In addition, nursing is making great strides in becoming a true PROFESSION. However, there are huge holes in this as some nurses (not the majority) are not professional. They lack the respect and knowledge to represent the field in a positive manner. As much as I do not want to turn my back on it, I have always been one that strives for complete professionalism and respect.

 

[Powdermonkey]

I see. That will be a very good reason to state in your interviews. I think the thing they will ask is why you would want to leave nursing when there is such a nursing shortage. Some (not all) interviewers might see it as you just went through nursing school to get your foot in the door in the medical field and you took away a spot in your class from a person who would still want to be a nurse. I can clearly see you reasoning, and its the same reasons I didnt want to be a nurse and applied to medical school. As long as you make your reasons clear and why you are doing what you are doing, you should be ok.

Will you be applying for this year (2008) or start applying in June for 2009?

 

[VALSALVA]

I am a 2007 BSN graduate. I accepted a job as an RN in an ICU, but have decided to start pre-medical classes spring 2007. I would like an evaluation of my current statistics, experiences, etc.

BSN undergraduate GPA: 3.6
Student of color
Current ICU RN
4 Varsity tennis player, 2 year captain
President of all student-athletes at my institution X 3 years
NCAA National Leadership Conference Participant

I also have numerous leadership awards from my institution and many hours of volunteer work.

I am interested in DO because they appreciate diversity and holistically assess a patient.

Am I off to a good start? What would you suggest as a place to aim for science GPA, as well as MCAT scores. I would apply to any DO school, my passion is DO and I will travel anywhere in the country to attend school

Thank you for your help!

I think you're off to a great start. One suggestion I wanted to share that you can do what you want with: if you're interested in the DO thing for your stated reasons, then don't limit yourself to DO schools. The idea that DO's are any more diverse or more appreciative of diversity simply isn't true. The student populations at DO schools are no more diverse than at MD schools. If anything, they may be less diverse b/c of places like KCOM (my alma mater), which is hardly diverse. With respect to the holistic assessment of patients...um yeah...take it for what it's worth. How holistically any clinician approaches a patient is going to be based upon personal style mostly - not training. I know many MD's who activity treat with the "whole person" in mind - and they never learned OMM or osteopathic principles.

In summary: find medical schools in locations you'd like to live in, can afford, and just seem to fit you best. Please don't limit yourself to DO schooling unless you're completely convinced that you want to specialize in osteopathic manipulation (rather than a traditional specialty). At this point, you shouldn't be convinced of anything! Good luck with classes. I think you'll be in good shape.

 

[art4vandalay]

It doesnt matter how u start, IT MATTERS HOW U FINISH. just take each goal one day at time

 

[pamolive]

I am a 2007 BSN graduate. I accepted a job as an RN in an ICU, but have decided to start pre-medical classes spring 2007. I would like an evaluation of my current statistics, experiences, etc.

BSN undergraduate GPA: 3.6
Student of color
Current ICU RN
4 Varsity tennis player, 2 year captain
President of all student-athletes at my institution X 3 years
NCAA National Leadership Conference Participant

I also have numerous leadership awards from my institution and many hours of volunteer work.

I am interested in DO because they appreciate diversity and holistically assess a patient.

Am I off to a good start? What would you suggest as a place to aim for science GPA, as well as MCAT scores. I would apply to any DO school, my passion is DO and I will travel anywhere in the country to attend school

Thank you for your help!

With the whole appreciate diversity thing, I would look specifically at Touro NY, PCOM, CCOM and possibly Western, because those have been the only diverse DO schools I have encountered. I would really try to look a little more into Osteopathic medicine and try to expand on your reason for wanting to go into Osteopathic medicine. I wouldn't say it's a hollistic approach, it's more of a total body approach. It's not so much symptom based, but overall health based. At least that's what I get from it. But, that being said your GPA is great, and as long as you do well on the MCATS you will be fine. If you're not dead set on learning manipulations then I would definitely keep your options open for MD schools as well. For me, I definitely want to learn manipulations, but if you're not interested in them I'd def apply somewhere like Drexel or Suny Upstate as well. Good luck!

 

[rowingrache09]

I would like to commend you on your athletic involvement in undergrad! Its not easy.. I know! I am a current undergrad, and rower as well as captain of my varsity crew team, and its a lot to balance! I have heard nothing but encouraging things in terms of being involved with athletics... I've personally spoken with the Dean of admission as BU med school, as well as talked with someone on the board of admissions at Dartmouth med school, and both have said that being that well rounded, and having thrived in such a demanding team and group setting alongside doing well in academics is only an additional advantage to one's application.

So here's to the athletes!!

Best of luck 🙂

 

[reaton]

Don't assume you have all prereq's at all schools. Most of the schools say something like "General Chemistry w/ lab (Chemistry for nursing students does not count)" Check and make sure that the science classes you have taken will apply to the school of your choice.

 

[Krisss17]

I think its more important to think of it as why I want to become a doctor, not why I dont want to be a nurse. BUT I do know I will have to explain it the other way around.

Nursing is a field where you do have some autonomy, but it is very limited. I have explored advanced practice options, but have realized that these options come up short. If I am in a position to diagnose and treat a patient, I want the highest level of education possible. I think what I don't know may be in a patient's disadvantage. Achieving the highest degree in the medical field will give me the knowledge and the confidence to give a patient the best medical options.

Nursing has a very important place in healthcare. They are the central communicator for the interdisciplinary team. It is the nurse's 4am assessment and critical thinking decision to call the physician when the abnormalities show up. However, it is very easy to get caught up in the technical skills and to forget the pathophysiology behind a patient's disease process. I have a passion to pull labs, take assessment findings, pull them all together and come up with a plan of action.

In addition, nursing is making great strides in becoming a true PROFESSION. However, there are huge holes in this as some nurses (not the majority) are not professional. They lack the respect and knowledge to represent the field in a positive manner. As much as I do not want to turn my back on it, I have always been one that strives for complete professionalism and respect.

I think that this will be a great response. I'm on the same path and I want to be a physician for the same reasons.

 

[Krisss17]

I see. That will be a very good reason to state in your interviews. I think the thing they will ask is why you would want to leave nursing when there is such a nursing shortage. Some (not all) interviewers might see it as you just went through nursing school to get your foot in the door in the medical field and you took away a spot in your class from a person who would still want to be a nurse. I can clearly see you reasoning, and its the same reasons I didnt want to be a nurse and applied to medical school. As long as you make your reasons clear and why you are doing what you are doing, you should be ok.

Will you be applying for this year (2008) or start applying in June for 2009?

Well, more than likely when the OP started and went through nursing school, she did want to be a nurse and she is currently working as one in a very critical area. Unfortunately until the issues behind the shortages are taken care of, it will continue with nurses currently in the field leaving the bedside. Until nursing faculty members get a competitive wage there will be limited spots for new nurses. Until some hospitals get on the ball and lower the nurse😛atient ratio, the nurses you have on the floor are going to burn out (and these are nurses that still want to be nurses). Patients entering the hospitals these days are way sicker and may require full care. Nursing care these days are divided between the various technical aspects required and charting....that gives little to know time to spend time with the patient.

 

[DocRawk]

Like has already been said, take your prereqs and just do at least as well as you've already been doing, and do well on the MCAT, and you'll be fine at just about any DO or MD school. Also, unless you're truly interested in manipulation, don't rule out the MD schools. If you want to approach medicine holistically, then you will, regardless of the letters behind your name. 😉