Getting into medschool with a baccalaureates degree in nursing

[unsavedhero]

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If I get a baccalaureates degree in nursing and take all the required premed classes would that be acceptable for medical school? Do any nurses go to medical scool? That way I'll have nursing to fall back on if I dont become an MD

 

[squidward45]

If I get a baccalaureates degree in nursing and take all the required premed classes would that be acceptable for medical school? Do any nurses go to medical scool? That way I'll have nursing to fall back on if I dont become an MD

That would be a great plan. Yes, you could definitely get into med school that way. Yes, nurses do do that.

 

[Bamfu]

Definitely. Just have an answer to the question: why not just do nursing? Nurses are just as important as anyone else in the medical field, and we need more of them than we do physicians.

Obviously, most of the people here are very like-minded with you, but anyone in any health field changing to anything else will get that question in an interview.

I think it's a great plan, though.

 

[I am the Walrus]

YEah but, you have to work for 2 years at least as a nurse.

For some reason Adcoms hate people who major in nursing

(not hating)

 

[StudyShy]

Don't do it if you want to go into medicine.

 

[CDI]

If I get a baccalaureates degree in nursing and take all the required premed classes would that be acceptable for medical school? Do any nurses go to medical scool? That way I'll have nursing to fall back on if I dont become an MD

Why not just aim for a straight med program? (Unless you're already in undergrad.)

 

[unsavedhero]

Why not just aim for a straight med program? (Unless you're already in undergrad.)

Because I'm afraid that I won't get into med school. I'm currently a senior in highschool. Thing is idk if I'll be able to balance nursing school,volunteering, and premed classes -______-

 

[unsavedhero]

Don't do it if you want to go into medicine.

why not? 🙁

 

[CDI]

Because I'm afraid that I won't get into med school. I'm currently a senior in highschool. Thing is idk if I'll be able to balance nursing school,volunteering, and premed classes -______-

2nd semester senior, as in you already know the college youre going to right?

 

[Jewels86]

I have to chime in here...

I AM a nurse, BSN prepared. I am an ER nurse also. I would like to become a physician because of the number of acute patients I have seen that need a family doctor to follow their care for the rest of their lives. If I could do it as a BSN prepared person, I would. But I can't. I've gotten into the minds of many people who don't/didn't take their medications as prescribed because they didn't know enough about the medications, couldn't afford them, don't give a rip, whatever the reason is. THIS is why I want to become a physician.

Nursing is night and day to medicine. Nursing is nursing, not medicine. I worked with nurses who did NOT get that (and no wonder why docs couldn't stand them). Look up what Florence Nightengale believed and stood up for.

So...my advice to you is if you like the nursing model, do it. If you want to help the little old lady to the restroom after her surgery, measure out the urine (for your I's & O's) to ensure she's not having a neurogenic bladder, or respositioning her for improved comfort and circulation, do it (that's a med-surg nurse). Or if you like chasing the drunk dude running down the hall while he's ripping out your IV's at 2 a.m. do ED. If you want to write orders for pain PRN q4-6, nausea meds q4-6 PRN, vitals q8, etc, and see her for a follow up visit in 10 days to ensure all is well and continue to follow her, please be a doc. Again, nursing and doctor are two different animals.

You're very sweet and so young 🙂 Follow a nurse (ED is a good place to start because you'll see everything), follow a doctor (whatever you think you may like to do) and then see what fits. If you want to do both, give it time, work as a nurse and then go on.

 

[music2doc]

If I get a baccalaureates degree in nursing and take all the required premed classes would that be acceptable for medical school? Do any nurses go to medical scool? That way I'll have nursing to fall back on if I dont become an MD

No, this is a very poor plan if you want to do medicine. The fact of the matter is that adcoms generally see this as lacking in commitment to medicine and do not wish to "steal" from the nursing workforce. (If you work for a few years at the RN/BSN level and THEN apply, that is different insofar as you tried it and wanted more than nursing offered.)

In terms of data, consider the acceptance rates:

25-30% of applicants with a degree in Nursing
40-50% of applicants with a degree in Biology or Chemistry
50-60% of applicants with a degree in Physics or the Arts (e.g., Music)

That would be a great plan. Yes, you could definitely get into med school that way. Yes, nurses do do that.

I am not sure where you got the idea that this would be a good idea, but the AAMC says otherwise... (see above)

 

[RogueUnicorn]

That would be a great plan. Yes, you could definitely get into med school that way. Yes, nurses do do that.

great plan is a strong statement

YEah but, you have to work for 2 years at least as a nurse.

let's not give random arbitrary advice on things we don't know

No, this is a very poor plan if you want to do medicine. The fact of the matter is that adcoms generally see this as lacking in commitment to medicine and do not wish to "steal" from the nursing workforce. (If you work for a few years at the RN/BSN level and THEN apply, that is different insofar as you tried it and wanted more than nursing offered.)

In terms of data, consider the acceptance rates:

25-30% of applicants with a degree in Nursing
40-50% of applicants with a degree in Biology or Chemistry
50-60% of applicants with a degree in Physics or the Arts (e.g., Music)



I am not sure where you got the idea that this would be a good idea, but the AAMC says otherwise... (see above)

you seem pretty confident speaking for adcoms

 

[music2doc]

great plan is a strong statement

let's not give random arbitrary advice on things we don't know

you seem pretty confident speaking for adcoms

That's what the data says, b. It's also what LizzyM has said. Do you think otherwise.

Also...shouldn't you be studying for boards right now? (if you already took 'em -- congrats!)

 

[RogueUnicorn]

That's what the data says, b. It's also what LizzyM has said. Do you think otherwise.

Also...shouldn't you be studying for boards right now? (if you already took 'em -- congrats!)

It's hard to draw a conclusion without corollary data IMO, and nursing is kind of known to be a GPA killer.

Thank heavens boards are a bit off for me

 

[Dirtyshadow]

Because I'm afraid that I won't get into med school. I'm currently a senior in highschool. Thing is idk if I'll be able to balance nursing school,volunteering, and premed classes -______-

Oh man, still in high school? First of all, it's too early to be neurotic on SDN for you. Go to college, major in something you love. I majored in Psychology with BIO on the side as I knew I would be going into medical school. Try hard, get that solid 3.5+ with a tad of research on the side, volunteer work here and there, and some shadowing during the summers. You talking about not being able to get into medical school before you start UG? That's not the way to get started. Be confident in yourself and enjoy whatever major your doing. If you do everything you need to do, you'll get in. Good luck

 

[music2doc]

.

 

[music2doc]

It's hard to draw a conclusion without corollary data IMO, and nursing is kind of known to be a GPA killer.

Thank heavens boards are a bit off for me

I thought you were an M2 this last year for some reason...?

And I agree, there can certainly be other factors. However, I think the low acceptance rate does speak to whether or not it's a great idea (even if the underlying causes are not fully known)

 

[kmp0410]

No, if you want to fall back on nursing. Then fall back on nursing after you don't get into med school (if thats what happens) and then begin nursing school.

It just doesn't make sense to attend nursing school, which is a rigorous program in its own right if you want to be a physician.

You still have a lot of time. But if you want to be a nurse, then do that. If you want to be in medicine then do that. I wouldn't worry about balancing things until you are even in college, especially because if you plan with any degree of intelligence then you can set yourself up to not have to balance a bunch of things at once. You have plenty of time to gather EC's in 4 years of college to not have to do them all while taking major course loads.

 

[Jewels86]

nursing is kind of known to be a GPA killer.

That's a FACT!!! And it sucks. 👎

 

[Urnathok]

That's interesting, because I've heard that most healthcare workers are viewed as good candidates for med school -- EMTs, long term techs, etc. And that was from an adcom.

That said, I can see the reasoning in being skeptical of nurses. Not at all to imply negative connotations, but because they've been thoroughly trained for an entirely different job. It would be like, I don't know, an ichthyologist applying for a botany fellowship (is that a thing? That should be a thing).

I'll echo what the others have said about shadowing a nurse for a while. If you like it and could see yourself doing it long-term, it's a fantastically rewarding job in terms of satisfaction and security. I almost went nursing myself, and I know a surgeon who was very close to doing the same in undergrad.

 

[deleted407021]

Nursing and medicine are two completely different things with both practitioners filling separate rolls. Majoring in nursing prepares you for going into nursing, not medical school. I think this is the reason admissions don't like applicants who majored in nursing. Think about how some nurses are seen as competitors to physicians. You could try to make the argument that majoring in biology prepares you to become a biologist, but the thing is, a nursing degree prepares you to enter a specific field, a vocation. That degree will give you less basis in biological science than a bio/chem degree would (but certainly more than a non-bio/chem degree). I would advise against it.

As to having a fallback, a biology degree would set you up for med school as well as for a PA program, assuming you miss the MD boat, however, I wish you the best of luck and you will probably be fine. Stay away from nursing, medicine is way cooler in my admittedly less than fully informed opinion.😀

 

[LizzyM]

If I get a baccalaureates degree in nursing and take all the required premed classes would that be acceptable for medical school? Do any nurses go to medical scool? That way I'll have nursing to fall back on if I dont become an MD

Do you want to be a physician? If yes, do you know that the majority of applicants to medical school are denied admission medical school and many "pre-meds" never even apply but go pro in something other than medicine? If yes, do you want to plan to do something other than medicine? If yes, choose nursing if that appeals to you.

Another approach to this question could be, "how can I make my application as strong as possible for admission to medical school?" The answer to this question is NOT "major in nursing and take the pre-med required courses". The answer to that question is generally major in something that you enjoy and in which you can earn an excellent gpa, engage in volunteerism in your community, get some exposure to what is involved in a career in medicine through volunteerism or employment and/or shadowing (not so much how do procedures but more so, how long is a physician's work day, how much time is spent with patients, how much time is spent with documentation and billing issues, how much time is spent in continuing education and in consultation with other professionals, how much time is spent with the families of patients in the absence of the patient -- you just won't get that perspective if you are working as a nurse).

Plan to prepare vigorously for the MCAT exam. Apply early for admission to medical school and target your applications to schools that are a good match for you in terms of state residency and grades/scores (comparing yours to the schools' averages, see LizzyM score).

If you need a fall-back position after an unsuccessful application cycle, consider a post-bac program or an MS in nursing that qualifies you to sit for the nursing registration exam.

 

[pachewisc]

Nursing is kind of known to be a GPA killer.

That's a FACT!!! And it sucks. 👎

Depends on the school. The average GPA at my school, ranked 21st nationally amongst nursing programs, has an average GPA for nursing classes of 3.83 (<accurate, not an exaggeration). Many of the nurses I know, including a gf and a best friend, have GPAs over 3.9s.

 

[LizzyM]

Depends on the school. The average GPA at my school, ranked 21st nationally amongst nursing programs, has an average GPA for nursing classes of 3.83 (<accurate, not an exaggeration). Many of the nurses I know, including a gf and a best friend, have GPAs over 3.9s.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.... If the average GPA is too high, the nay-sayers will chalk it up to grade inflation and easy classes. "Not as rigorous as neurophysics engineering", they'll say. You'll get the same response with any of the vocational majors (those that prepare you for a specific job).

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

I have to chime in here...

I AM a nurse, BSN prepared. I am an ER nurse also. I would like to become a physician because of the number of acute patients I have seen that need a family doctor to follow their care for the rest of their lives. If I could do it as a BSN prepared person, I would. But I can't. I've gotten into the minds of many people who don't/didn't take their medications as prescribed because they didn't know enough about the medications, couldn't afford them, don't give a rip, whatever the reason is. THIS is why I want to become a physician.

Nursing is night and day to medicine. Nursing is nursing, not medicine. I worked with nurses who did NOT get that (and no wonder why docs couldn't stand them). Look up what Florence Nightengale believed and stood up for.

So...my advice to you is if you like the nursing model, do it. If you want to help the little old lady to the restroom after her surgery, measure out the urine (for your I's & O's) to ensure she's not having a neurogenic bladder, or respositioning her for improved comfort and circulation, do it (that's a med-surg nurse). Or if you like chasing the drunk dude running down the hall while he's ripping out your IV's at 2 a.m. do ED. If you want to write orders for pain PRN q4-6, nausea meds q4-6 PRN, vitals q8, etc, and see her for a follow up visit in 10 days to ensure all is well and continue to follow her, please be a doc. Again, nursing and doctor are two different animals.

You're very sweet and so young 🙂 Follow a nurse (ED is a good place to start because you'll see everything), follow a doctor (whatever you think you may like to do) and then see what fits. If you want to do both, give it time, work as a nurse and then go on.

On this note, I don't understand why some nurses don't get that this kind of information is valuable and not only in the immediate sense. I was doing a research project recently where I was looking at I/O flowsheets as part of the project and the fact that some nurses didn't take that seriously limited what we could glean from that data.

 

[sinombre]

On this note, I don't understand why some nurses don't get that this kind of information is valuable and not only in the immediate sense. I was doing a research project recently where I was looking at I/O flowsheets as part of the project and the fact that some nurses didn't take that seriously limited what we could glean from that data.

Woah, I dealt with this exact same issue for a project I worked on last year. The number of discrepancies we found in emr was nuts.

 

[jl lin]

Depends on where you work (ICU, especially surgical, pediatric, neonatal, etc) takes every ml or tenth of an ml in and out pretty seriously . . . so seriously in fact, that as a RN on one of those kinds of ICU patients, you will be reprimanded, hunted down, written up, and micromanaged for a long time thereafter. And this goes if you have three critically sick kids in an ICU bay or area and you have been coding two of them most of the shift. Seriously
it can be beyond stressful with everything you are responsible for--and surgeons are sticklers on the flowsheets, as are the peds/neonatal fellow, etc. You have to follow every dot and tittle carefully or in many of these places, you WILL be weeded out as a nurse. And even if you do everything right and show good judgment, if certain folks don't cozy to the nurse for one reason or another, he or she will be weeded out.

Most high-level centers with critical are a major pain and you have to jump to attention and follow things to the letter--so other nurses, but it's not like some community hospital ICUsOAnd the bigger the facility and the more grand and notable the name, the more pressure. There are some RNs that get away with stuff b/c it's the same old personality plus game. In time, however, if they are experts at deferring or dumping their mistakes on other RNs, the will get weeded. Plus these are highly political places, so great nurses can get weeded out b/c of the crazy politics, especially in something like pediatric cardiac surgical recovery or the like. Many put the time in in such places to get the experience for resume, but get tired of the toxicity and move on. Others deserve to be weeded out b/c they don't get it, they are c0cky, or there is some other ridiculousness going on with them.
I personally have zero tolerance for nurses that don't adequately address pain mgt; or worse yet, abuse the substances--especially at the patients' expense. I also have an issue with nurses with poor assessment/PE skills and crappy follow-up.. You don't have to be a b!tch to get the resident, fellow, or attending to give effective orders for the patients most of the time. YOu just have to have you ducks in a row, and relate things systematically and logically. After over 20 years, most docs I've worked with are willing to get in there and go to bat and do the extra mile for the patients--even if their butt tired. It's how you present and handle what's going on in most cases.

Crappy nurses that can't stay on top of careful I+Os in most cases--barring extreme code and crazy situations, where you just have to get help to stay on top of thing, they don't belong in certain areas--the ICU/OR, and Post-op recover are a very examples of where they don't belong--also L*D, NICU, PICU, etc.

 

[jl lin]

About nurses getting into med school--the same demands apply as for any other major. You can get some good insights, depending on where you work as a RN--and for how long for that matter--but you have to jump through all the primary and secondary hoops as any other pre-med, period. I've always said, however, not initially intending to aspire to med school--if I had thought of it carefully, I would personally have majored in Biochemistry.