In need of advice: RN vs MD

[Taux]

This is my first post, so please bear with me!

At the age of 16, I passed my GED with flying colors (I was home-schooled prior to that) and I have now been in college for 4 months.

I will be 17 in January of 2011, and I plan on pursuing a career in the medical field. For the past two years, I have rest assured knowing that I desired to obtain my MD. I planned on going the route of double-majoring in Nursing and Biochem (to be able to work while going to school, of course).

I do have a few concerns though. As I watch my mother finish her BSN, I have realized that I love what nursing entails. I would thoroughly enjoy direct patient care, hands-on work, and general nursing duties. However, I also love what medicine has to offer. I like the idea of diagnosing, and generally controlling the route of patient care. It is a bit hard to imagine being a nurse, and being out-of-control of something I see unfit. Is there something between these two fields? Something with a bit more control than an RN, but still involving bedside care?

I am not sure if this is worth mentioning, but I have two "go-to" fields: Emergency Medicine and Global Health. The former is my practical choice, but the latter is something that I am passionate about.

Thanks in advance!

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[Denatured]

Anesthesia is a place you can direct the care as well as be the administrator of that care as either an Anesthesiologist or CRNA. Shadow both professions and see what is for you.

 

[blahoslovennyy]

I think that your age is both an advantage and a disadvantage at this point. Right now my advice to you is to take some classes and get your feet wet. Start with those general sciences that are required for both nursing and medicine. See how that goes. Take A&P, Chemistry, Statistics, Micro. Take an art or music class. You don't have to make up you mind now. Have fun being a college student. Many nursing schools require that you work as a CNA/PCT before acceptance. That's a good thing. See if you like the clinical portion before committing years and years to study. You might like you lab sciences so much that you decide that you want to do research. If you commit to nursing classes there will be no room for anything else. Have fun and play the field while you have the chance.

 

[Dr Oops]

This is my first post, so please bear with me!

At the age of 16, I passed my GED with flying colors (I was home-schooled prior to that) and I have now been in college for 4 months.

I will be 17 in January of 2011, and I plan on pursuing a career in the medical field. For the past two years, I have rest assured knowing that I desired to obtain my MD. I planned on going the route of double-majoring in Nursing and Biochem (to be able to work while going to school, of course).

I do have a few concerns though. As I watch my mother finish her BSN, I have realized that I love what nursing entails. I would thoroughly enjoy direct patient care, hands-on work, and general nursing duties. However, I also love what medicine has to offer. I like the idea of diagnosing, and generally controlling the route of patient care. It is a bit hard to imagine being a nurse, and being out-of-control of something I see unfit. Is there something between these two fields? Something with a bit more control than an RN, but still involving bedside care?

I am not sure if this is worth mentioning, but I have two "go-to" fields: Emergency Medicine and Global Health. The former is my practical choice, but the latter is something that I am passionate about.

Thanks in advance!

Nursing isnt the best major to go into if your end goal is med school, it raises more questions than any other major (i.e. why dont you want to be a nurse etc.) You will def get hands on care as a doc, but if you really think nursing is something you would enjoy than do that.

Basically you cant half do this and that. Ask to shadow some docs (something you will need to do anyway to get into med school) and see which career you will like better. Decide and then go full steam ahead (dont worry about needing to work while going to school there will always be work-study etc.)

 

[Dwindlin]

Nursing isnt the best major to go into if your end goal is med school, it raises more questions than any other major (i.e. why dont you want to be a nurse etc.) You will def get hands on care as a doc, but if you really think nursing is something you would enjoy than do that.

This.

 

[ksmi117]

This is a duplicate thread, so I'm closing it. If you wish to respond, please do so here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=780487