Med School vs. Work

[Smb8041]

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I will try to keep this short, but I would appreciate any advice. I'm 24 years-old, in my last semester of nursing school. I realize now that medicine is more what I'm looking for in a career and that I want to reach my full potential. I feel that I won't be able to do that with nursing. I will have my BSN by May and I am unsure of whether or not I should work for a year and then take my pre-requisite classes for med school, or if I should just go for it, complete my pre-requisites in a year (I can go to an excellent post bacc program where I live that takes a year to complete).

I'm torn, because I don't want my decision to go straight through and not work to look bad from an ad comm's point of view. But at the same time, I know with all my heart that medicine is the right fit for me, and I don't want to waste much time. Also, if I were to work, it wouldn't be for the money, it would purely be for the experience. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thanks! 🙂

 

[NTF]

What about getting a job at a university hospital and having your post-bacc paid for with tuition benefits? Seems like best of both worlds.

 

[DrSmooth]

You have more than enough experience from your clinical rotations and nursing courses on which to base your decision to go into medicine. Think about your experience compared to the average premed. I say go for it, why put off your future?!? I just interviewed with a girl who was a nursing major who was fortunately allowed by her nursing school to complete all her premed prereqs as part of the nursing program. (She went through nursing school with the intention of going on to med school as she wanted a nursing perspective.) She got tons of interviews and acceptances, including lots of top schools. She said the nursing background had been seen as a positive in all her interviews, you just have to know how to sell it, and kill the MCAT of course. Good luck!