dnp vs med school...

[rnnpmaybe]

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I am a bsn with less than a year experience. Currently in a doctoral nurse practitioner program but I am thinking about switching to med school for psychiaty. Would you all be willing to answer some questions for me?

Originally I chose the NP route because I thought it would give me more flexibility with having a family, and allow me to work with psych patients. I know that I will not be an MD, but I do think that I am intelligent, and would like to be a respected member of the healthcare community. Sometimes I doubt that as an NP that will be the case...

While my husband has/will understand when I need to study, I am concerned that if I need to put all my time into med school, it might damage our relationship. I don't want to ruin our relationship by spending four years of my life at the library. He's very understanding, but I know that in life things happen.

I also want to have a family, and have the type of career where I can make a difference for patients but also be there for my children. What are psychiatry residencies and resulting psychiatry careers like?

Does being a nurse offer me any advantage going in?

I have read a few of the posts concerning NPs-it seems that MDs have a very derogatory view of NPs? Do you find this to be the case?

Thanks in advance.

 

[onthego]

The title of your thread is DNP vs Med school, you can't even compare the two. Med school, you learn Medicine. DNP you learn advance nursing. It comes down to do you want to practice Medicine..... or do you want to practice nursing....

 

[atomi]

Many MDs/DOs view NPs as having come through the seedy back door entrance into the practice of medicine.

Many view? Who exactly? Where is this information coming from? Is there any research to back this claim?

Way too many things wrong here...

 

[MilkmanAl]

I'm not aware of any research on how doctors feel about DNP's and RNP's, but anecdotal evidence certainly indicates that there's some friction between the two professions.

 

[TexasPhysician]

With the background you have, I would just get the DNP if it was me.

You can still work in psychiatry with a DNP and be respected.

If you go the medical school route, you probably will have to spend a year preparing for the MCAT and taking pre-recs. Then you have 4 years of medical school followed by 4 more year in residency.

Do you really want to spend nearly a decade pushing to become a psychiatrist when you are what......2 years from being able to practice as a DNP (or less)?

A family is definitely possible during medical training but no where near easy.

The doctors that despise DNPs don't use them in practice, so don't worry. There are plenty of physicians who would have you work for them in a pleasant environment.