Greetings!!!! Comments and suggestions appreciated

[TeethLikeGodsShoeshine]

Hello all!! I am a 26 year old non trad who has been lurking these forums for awhile now and have decided to finally post and get some advice.
I have a unfortunate and irresponsible history of academic failures from the ages 18-21. During this time I was playing music in a band and living a fast life with far too many parties and not enough motivation or direction. I would enroll several community colleges in various states I was living with some kind of misplaced optimism but never finish a semester. Because of this I have around 15 credits of Ws and F's from classes I didn't take the time to withdraw from(stupid!).

Fast forward to 4 years ago. I took an emt class on a whim and found something I truly loved. I became engaged to a lovely supportive woman who I now have two children with ( ages 2 and 8 months). Around three years ago I started working as an emt and part time counselor at a drug and alcohol rehab. I am still doing this and have become immersed in the ability to help others better themselves and live productive drug free lives. Deciding to further my education, around a year ago I enrolled back in a pre-nursing program which I am still doing. I have maintained a 3.93 in all of my nursing classes so far. During these last 3 semesters I have realized that although nursing seemed like the next step for me, I am far more interested in taking more sciences and becoming a physician. My wife is supportive of this decision and several of my professors think that this field is more in line with my ability and desires when it comes to healthcare. I recognize that pursuing this degree can be strenuous and time consuming. My family understands that for the next 10 years I will be out of my mind busy with school work and clinical work.

My problem is this. Should I finish the next two years of nursing school so that I have a degree to which I can fall back on or move on to pursuing a science degree? A degree in something like physical anthropology with the med school pre reqs sounds oddly exciting to me. Sorry for the rambling, please give me advice!!

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[Eccesignum]

If you're still a pre-nursing student I wouldn't suggest going through with the entire degree, not if you know right now that your intention is medical school. Nursing school is quite rough on the schedule (source: been there, done that) and the time commitment of classes plus clinicals can make it very difficult to then get in the extra pre-reqs for medical school. Going nursing I would I count on at least 1-2 extra years beyond nursing school to finish all that. And the market for brand spanking new nurses is more unstable than many people realize.

My advice would be to do the degree that you want to do, the anthropology. Keep up with the EMT and the counseling, that's wonderful work. Make sure you get the requirements for medical school in there with it and keep all your grades up.

However, I'm still just a pre-med myself, so grain of salt. Best of luck whatever you do!

 

[DocWinter]

Is your nursing degree a bachelors? You WILL need a bachelors if you plan on going to medical school.

So, if you want to be a doctor, I'd further myself down a pre-med path. If you want to be a nurse, keep on your original track. Yes, you could get the nursing degree and then to a bachelors and get your pre-reqs, but you're adding time to your journey as the other poster said.

Bonus, your pre-nursing classes would likely only help in building towards a bachelors and your knowledge base. Your EMT training and work can get you through the next few years without adding on another degree (nursing) that isn't your final destination. Good luck

 

[Petypet]

My problem is this. Should I finish the next two years of nursing school so that I have a degree to which I can fall back on or move on to pursuing a science degree? A degree in something like physical anthropology with the med school pre reqs sounds oddly exciting to me. Sorry for the rambling, please give me advice!!

Greetings! Can you meet the med school pre-reqs while doing the nursing degree and obtaining a bachelors? Most nursing programs at large institutions make you do the basic science curricula and thus you could, but some private nursing programs probably don't. Also you need to figure out if you can retroactively w/d from those classes? If you have 3-5 D/F's on your transcript, that will greatly reduce your cumulative GPA.

Personally, I would focus on finishing the nursing degree/pre-reqs, and try to inflate your GPA as much as you can. Getting a degree in anthropology while fun will be useless if you can't get in to medical school. At this point in the game (2 kids and a wife) I would hedge bets on making your life as best as possible, and that would be get as much out of your degree program now while concurrently preparing for medical school.

 

[TeethLikeGodsShoeshine]

Is your nursing degree a bachelors? You WILL need a bachelors if you plan on going to medical school.

So, if you want to be a doctor, I'd further myself down a pre-med path. If you want to be a nurse, keep on your original track. Yes, you could get the nursing degree and then to a bachelors and get your pre-reqs, but you're adding time to your journey as the other poster said.

Bonus, your pre-nursing classes would likely only help in building towards a bachelors and your knowledge base. Your EMT training and work can get you through the next few years without adding on another degree (nursing) that isn't your final destination. Good luck

I should have clarified that, the nursing degree I am completing is an associates degree.

 

[DocWinter]

If you're set on being a doc, an assoc. nursing degree won't do you much good nor really get you ahead in your progress towards medical school.

It sounds like you have done the soul searching and know the depth of this decision...shadowing a doc would be a great next move while you finish your current semester and then make some decisions.