Maybe a better spot for this. Second thoughts about BSN? Medicine calling me!

[sgp]

I posted this in the main pre med but think this may be a better spot.

I am hoping that someone here has experienced or is experiencing something like what I am. I am in my last semester of pre-requisites for my BSN program. I applied in February to the BSN program and will find out around May 16th. I have a 4.0 in my sciences and about 3.7-3.8 overall and got a surprising 95.9 on the TEAS (entrance exam). Sounds great right? Well at first yes, but now I'm seriously questioning everything that I've worked for. Since last semester I've been trying to decide if I have the strength and time for med school. I have two kids and am separated from my husband. We are working on things now, going to counseling etc, and things are really getting a lot better. Point there is that I don't know if I'll have to support system I'd need to go through 9 years of school and residency.

I've been reading this site forever it seems, and have read a lot about the differences between nursing and medicine. I know I'm not one bit interested in nursing theory. Anyone out there have any insight? I don't think I would be satisfied by nursing. The more science classes I take the more I love the idea of medicine. I have a huge curiosity about diagnosing, decision making, and possibly being a surgeon. I’m honestly more into the science of life than actual bedside care taking.

This got long! I'm looking to hear from people that are planning to go though this process that are in a similar situation. I'd also LOVE opinions on whether I should keep the nursing major with a bio minor for med pre requisites, or ditch it for a biological science major. I've seen how some are put down for similar questions, but like the rest, I think my situation is different and deserves some attention.

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[burntcrispy]

There are some similiar post on here but I'll answer your question. I'm sitting here on call again and am bored to death. Anyway, I was a nurse for 6 years before starting medical school. I'm not putting down nursing here, just my take on things. If you are not interested in nursing theory you are going to be in for a very long and painful ride in nursing school. I hated nursing school and hated being a nurse even more. It just wasn't for me at all. I started nursing school (BSN) program when I was 19 and I knew nothing about nursing. Well, it didn't take long for me to realize that it wasn't my cup of tea. Its painful to even think about it now. Its a great job if you like it and every now and then you will find a nurse who likes her job but if its not for you it can be a living hell.

So, needless to say my advice would be to go all out and try to get into medical school as fast as possible and drop any thoughts of nursing all together. Having 2 children will complicate this. You will need someone to help you out with them. Here's medical school in a nutshell: First 2 years study all day, use most weekends to study to "catch up". Year 3 you work around 80+ hours/wk. Year 4 things slow down and you fly all over the country to interview for residency spots. Now, there were several people in my class with children but none that did it alone. It may have been done in the past but I don't know how you could do it. Sometimes you have to work 30 hours straight at the hospital without the opportunity to go home (or sleep).

If you are thinking about surgery or anything competative you will have to work even harder in medical school to get better grades and board scores than your very smart peers. What I didn't realize before entering medical school was that the competition was just beginning. I naively thought that once I was in medical school I had it made and the hard competition was over. Well, everyone wants the "cool" jobs or "lifestyle" jobs and they will study their brains out to get them. What I'm getting at is that it is very time consuming. People in my class did it with children and did very well but they had lots of support.

Anyway, hope this helps. I can tell you this: if you go to medical school it will be the best decision of your life. I never get tired of helping to steer nurses into it. Words could never describe the difference it has made for me.

Burntcrispy, MD

 

[burntcrispy]

sorry double post

 

[sgp]

Thanks for all the specific info! I wish there was a way to test out the hours for a week and see if I go insane. I love to work hard and get bored if I'm not pretty much overwhelmed all the time. Sick I know! I do seem to be pretty attached to sleep though. Maybe that is something that can be gotten used to? Come to think of it I was pretty ok when my kids didn't sleep at night.

Anyhow, I think I already know what I have to do. I just wish there was something else that I could see my self doing and being satisfied with, but I don't. The other thing is that if my husband and I don't work out then my only option would be UC Davis or UCSF to stay close to my kids and family. It's so hard to gauge, like you were saying, everything seems so competitive now. I had 4 professors tell me to drop nursing and go pre med before I even told anyone I was thinking about it. It messes with your modesty, but I'm sure there are countless other pre meds with the same experience. Well I'm starting with the pre med version of chem this summer. I can't wait. I LOVE chem (was the nerd in the front with goose bumps while learning about the periodic table!).

Thanks for your reply.

sgp

 

[defboy]

I changed my major a month or so again after my spouse left me-2 kids also. I am doing a BSN but have many reservations. I want to be a doctor, but my spouse has reservations about the high divorce rate, time from family, length of schooling, etc. I am thinking of BSN because I see CRNA as another route into advanced medicine in case my wife and I can work it out and stay together. But I work in thr OR 2 days a week and after seeing over 100 surgeries I do not want to imagine being a nurse and having to check a few vitals, get clean linens during surgery and help move the patient to recovery after surgery. I mean really I know many nurses do incredible work, but in the OR the are the gophers. And the night shift they have maybe 2 cases on a busy night. If I can't get into Med or CRNA I will have literally wasted my time because I do not envision myself a nurse for life. I'd go into education.

My question is how do MD/DO programs look at BSNs apps and how likely is it for a BSN with much more chem and biology background to get into a CRNA program? Any %'s? I bombed the 2nd biology and chem test-wife left the night before chem and 2 days before biol. If I make a 100 on my final I'll make a low B in Biol and mid C in chem. I scored 34 chem and 50 biol. I was doing well but at this point I feel far behind. Do I ratake them and go back into my politcal science major or stick with the BSN? Pm if you want. Anyone! I'm really feeling like I'm not doing what I need to get into med school with a BSN but I also believe in my heart that if my wife and I are to make it I need to be in a different field. As our conselor said she likes the idea of being married toa doctor but doesn't want to put in the time for it and doesn't want to wait for the rewards either. I also need to be more giving in the relationship-I'm by no means believe she is the only one at fault-I'm 90% at fault. have a good day.

 

[sgp]

Wow, I'm so sorry to hear about your situation! Believe me, I totally understand. Last semester is when we separated and I almost lost it. It's SO hard to stay focused while dealing with all of it. I pretty much blocked everything out (not the healthiest approach!) and got all As in my nursing pre requisites. I still don't know how I pulled that off. I even cried in from of my teachers. Yikes.

I thought about CRNA too. I'm just not that into anesthesia so I can't really see doing that either. It just sucks doesn't it? I just always go back to dwelling on the fact that I would be SO supportive of whatever my husband wanted to do and he just wants me to do what's easy for him. Sometimes lately this seems to be changing though. I dunno.

Well how's your GPA otherwise? Can you drop and re-take those?

sgp

 

[defboy]

I can drop-but I get an F since it is late in the semester. which makes me wonder-if I drop and get an F I can explain it in my app as a family problem and I dropped, but I feel for me the need to try and do as well as I can on the final and retake them later and explain.

My wife wants to be supportive-she is great and has tried to understand my unceasing desire to be a doctor. She stays at home with the girls-which is hard for her. She wants to stay at home and I support her by working 2 jobs to make it possible but with school and premed stuff accounted for she doesn't see me often and when I do skip classes to spend time with her(which I often do) she believes we are happier and when I don't it's a battle of what do you want? school or us? bad news. so I feel very compromised and school has been going to the side. I am doing fine in all other classes-polisci and history are easy enough its the time consuming sciences. I have a 3.67 since starting school again. I had a 2.7 from 3 years ago when I went and the problem then was the same as the one now-spousal support. I don't get it unless I basically quit school. She doesn't have anyone in her family that has been through more than 1 year of college and I have several family members with grad degrees and I know you don't see parents and siblings much but the rewards are incredible. She is having a hard time seeing rewards outside of $$$. If all I wanted was money I would have stayed at my last job, I'd be close to what FP make starting out and out of debt.

 

[rmh149]

Defboy,
If you think about CRNA school make sure your wife understands that for the next 28-36 months its going to be all about you. It has to be...you will be so busy with keeping up with school, time with family is difficult. Also, forget about working. Many people think they can work weekends and go to school during the week....NOT possible. You will need that time to catch up. Also, the first time you do poorly on an exam the directors will assume that you are not putting enough effort in anesthesia due to your weekend job. They will have no problem kicking you out of the program. The last thing they want is someone going to the hospital that doesnt know what they are talking about. If you cant represent well....forget it, your gone.

My $.02

 

[sgp]

defboy,

You seem to have much more tolerance for not getting the support you need than I do. Maybe I just block my guilty feelings and should tune into my husband more. I dunno! I figure I am not going to be a good wife by resenting him for the rest of my life which would happen if I don't pursue this now. He thinks I'm harsh. Maybe I am. It just doesn't seem like there is a right answer. You can't do medicine half way. Either way, it seems, someone doesn’t get what they need. I guess that's why we're in therapy!

sgp

 

[defboy]

I understand that most programs don't mind kicking your tail for grades-hence I'm retaking many classes that I got B's in just to increase my general knowledge base.
sgp I hope therpy goes well for you and your spouse. we have been to several different marraige consultants and finallly found one that works for both of us and hopefully this gets us going in the right direction. I hope your husband realizes that you can only make your relationship better by supporting each other in attaining your dreams. first spousal goals and then personal. if med is your first goal,and it can and should be a spousal goal if so, then fight for it.

CRNA is a great field but I really thought last night at work that if I don't get into med school and then not CRNA-I'd hate being a RN. Not that RNs are not very, very importnat members of the medical profession but it is not what I want so I am going to go back to a polisci major and focus on getting into med school and not BSN and then side work my premed prereqs.