Dilemma: Nursing School to Medical School

[KarKar]

Hello!

I have a dilemma regarding nursing school and medical school. I am currently an undergraduate with about one year to go before I obtain a Bachelor's degree in Nutritional Biology, which satisfies all of the pre-requisite requirements for medical school. While I am preparing for med school (I have been volunteering in hospitals, participating in research studies, etc), I find myself wondering if I'm making my decision too quickly. Medical school requires a lot of time and investment, and although I truly want to pursue it, I also want to settle down and start a family.

I have found an ABSN (Accelerated Second Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program in my area that will enable me to obtain my nursing degree in one year (if I do this I will obtain two Bachelor's degrees in ~2 years). While nursing is flexible enough to enable me to start a family and provides the opportunity for a lot more patient interaction, I have always been interested in becoming a doctor and eventually working in third world countries (coming from a poor country with virtually no health care system is what initially inspired me to pursue medicine).

I am considering doing the ABSN program and staying in nursing for while starting a family and because I have the pre-requisites for medical school completed I will always have the option of going to medical school at a later date, if I choose to do so.

What is your opinion on this matter? To any nurses out there that eventually went to medical school--what is the journey like? Do you regret your decision?

Thank you!

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[Ad2b]

1. the pre-reqs might not count later; some schools require they be taken within certain timeframe and even IF accepted, they are pretty much required learning for MCAT prep

2. in the real world, I know of two nurses who became MD and DO... both spent many years as a nurse and eventually started the whole marathon over (prereqs, MCAT, etc) to become docs

Only you can make that choice - it can be done but don't kid yourself that all you'd have to do is come back, take the MCAT and apply...

(also, remove your real picture and use blank space or avatar)

 

[Unico]

As a 34F w/ a 4 year old (unplanned, he was 3 months old during my first semester of medical school), I *totally* wish I had done what you're proposing. Currently I'm in my third year of medical school and I cannot tell you how much I wish I could spend more time with my kid. The first two years of medical school were virtually impossible for me because I couldn't pull myself away from my kid (literally, he was being breastfed). Trying to find enough time to study, plus be a mom, plus be a wife was extremely difficult and my grades suffered badly for it. I don't regret my choice to go to medical school, but reading your post I commend your insight because it's spot on.

I also know two nurses who went to medical school after having kids and they rocked it, ran circles around us even. One had a child during school (her second) and then came to class the next week like a boss. In retrospect, those were the only other two mothers that I knew of in medical school and they really knew their stuff. In addition, they had really supportive husbands who helped them succeed as well.

Good luck to you and keep us posted on your decision

 

[flightnurse2MD]

Hello!

I have a dilemma regarding nursing school and medical school. I am currently an undergraduate with about one year to go before I obtain a Bachelor's degree in Nutritional Biology, which satisfies all of the pre-requisite requirements for medical school. While I am preparing for med school (I have been volunteering in hospitals, participating in research studies, etc), I find myself wondering if I'm making my decision too quickly. Medical school requires a lot of time and investment, and although I truly want to pursue it, I also want to settle down and start a family.

I have found an ABSN (Accelerated Second Bachelor of Science in Nursing) program in my area that will enable me to obtain my nursing degree in one year (if I do this I will obtain two Bachelor's degrees in ~2 years). While nursing is flexible enough to enable me to start a family and provides the opportunity for a lot more patient interaction, I have always been interested in becoming a doctor and eventually working in third world countries (coming from a poor country with virtually no health care system is what initially inspired me to pursue medicine).

I am considering doing the ABSN program and staying in nursing for while starting a family and because I have the pre-requisites for medical school completed I will always have the option of going to medical school at a later date, if I choose to do so.

What is your opinion on this matter? To any nurses out there that eventually went to medical school--what is the journey like? Do you regret your decision?

Thank you!