need advice from rn's that pursued medicine

[ks79]

about 2 yrs ago i had planned on enrolling in a post bacc premed program but was discouraged bc i graduated with a 3.0 and was basically laughed at for even thinking i could go to med school. i thought that practicing as a midlevel practitioner would satisfy my goals and applied to nursing school with the intention of becoming an NP. I wish now that i had been strong and just pursued my pre med. it is what i truly want to do but am afraid it is too late. in dec 06 i will have my 2nd bachelors just now in nursing. i have really enjoyed the class portion of nursing school but have hated the clinical portion. i hate the lack of autonomy and respect nurses get and i hate that i always feel and am so rushed and can never really talk to my patients. not to mention that 97% of all nurses i have worked with are bitter and hate thier jobs. i am a tech in an ED, so I work with a lot of docs and residents and despite thier long hours they love what they do and seem so engaged and interested. i want to feel that about my job too!

To cut to the chase...how do i go about pursuing a medical career now when i am in nursing school, about to graduate, and start my nursing career, and have all nursing instructors that would not support my transition to med school? help!!!!!!!!

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[Jengirl18]

Did you ever think about PA? You still practice medicine. Most of the PAs I know love their job. True, its midlevel, but you get to practice medicine and then can have very flexible hours if you want. Hopefully the nurses have not discouraged you from that. Hopefully the nurses you mention haven't discouraged you from that avenue.

 

[coyotelove]

"once you have made the decision in your mind and your heart it is only a matter of time"
--dr kaveh zarrabi, ochem

 

[oldManDO2009]

I am an RN that is just finishing my first year of medical school. I work weekends in an ER as an RN and really enjoy school and work is great because I have a different perspective. I apply what I learn to my patient encounters and it makes for an interesting shift.

Bottom line it is never to late - just apply and get accepted (notice hope was not used in this sentence)

check to make sure you have all of the pre-reqs and take the MCAT and you are on your way.


Good luck

 

[zenman]

I am an RN that is just finishing my first year of medical school. I work weekends in an ER as an RN and really enjoy school and work is great because I have a different perspective. I apply what I learn to my patient encounters and it makes for an interesting shift.

Well this is refreshing. I meet few RNs who think any sort of additional education translates into better care at the bedside. Most just want to get to get that ADN because "that's all they need."

 

[billydoc]

about 2 yrs ago i had planned on enrolling in a post bacc premed program but was discouraged bc i graduated with a 3.0 and was basically laughed at for even thinking i could go to med school. i thought that practicing as a midlevel practitioner would satisfy my goals and applied to nursing school with the intention of becoming an NP. I wish now that i had been strong and just pursued my pre med. it is what i truly want to do but am afraid it is too late. in dec 06 i will have my 2nd bachelors just now in nursing. i have really enjoyed the class portion of nursing school but have hated the clinical portion. i hate the lack of autonomy and respect nurses get and i hate that i always feel and am so rushed and can never really talk to my patients. not to mention that 97% of all nurses i have worked with are bitter and hate thier jobs. i am a tech in an ED, so I work with a lot of docs and residents and despite thier long hours they love what they do and seem so engaged and interested. i want to feel that about my job too!

To cut to the chase...how do i go about pursuing a medical career now when i am in nursing school, about to graduate, and start my nursing career, and have all nursing instructors that would not support my transition to med school? help!!!!!!!!

I'm an RN too. Have been one for over 16 yrs. I'm also on that path to med school. I really hate the hospital setting, though did everything from ER to psych in my day, and that bothers me a lot (hating the inpatient setting). How will I get trough it if I go back to med school? I alredy did two semesters in the Carib (ROSS). But that's a different story. Anyway, one thing you have to consider is that any professional degree (RN,NP,PA MD,DO,JD...whatever) will not make your problems neccessarilly go away. You'll meet lots of bitter and unhappy ppl in just about every walk of life, including medicine. It all depends on your set up, where you work, and what you do. For example,I have my autonomy now as an RN, that I may never have again if I become a physician. I'm independent contractor for several home care agencies. I make my own hours, and work mostly from home. Once in a while I'll come to the office for some crappy inservice, or some other meeting, which usually is a waste of everyone's time. But MD/DO DOES NOT automatically equals to independence these days, and very often quite the oposite. I also practice acupuncture in the multi-specialty office along side many docs. Some are very unhappy, not particularly with this practice, but about their choice of career in general. And you've gotta see how they dance to the tunes of ppl who have nothing to do with medicine, but everything with $$$$. Very often medical businesses are owned by ppl with no education, one brain cell, and a cut-throat attitude.So much for the independence.But everybody gows to medical school thinking it's going to be different for them. Well...it is for some, but it's not for many,many others. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but the shot of the reality never hurt anyone, including myself. I'm still struggling trying to figure out if medical school, and the whole healthcare field (direct provider) is a right fit for me. But hey, if nothing else will do for you, and you can't live without being a doctor no matter what..then go for it.

Good Luck with your decision.

 

[burntcrispy]

It's definately not too late!!! I worked as a nurse in ICU and ER for 6 years before going to medical school. I can truely say that nursing school and working as a nurse was the worst time in my life. I was so depressed and dissatisfied with my life at that time that I didn't know what to do.

Initially I went to nursing school to become a CRNA but I think when it came down to it I couldn't do CRNA because I was so dissatisfied with nursing (for the reasons that you mentioned) that I couln't do another job which had less autonomy and respect.

I started my post-bac with a 3.1 GPA from nursing school. That was after 5 years of college credits (I changed majors and had lots of hours). One medical school admission office person told me that it would be a long shot and I had little chance on getting into medschool due to my lower GPA. I ended up getting accepted and attending that same medical school!!!!!!!!

So, it can be done. If you do the premed requriments and get ALL A's and do well on the MCAT you have a decent shot at an MD school and a great shot at DO school. If all else fails you can attend a medical school in the carribian. It all depends on how badly you want to become a physician.

I'm graduating med school in 2 weeks and have loved every minute of it. I have not worked one shift in nursing for almost 4 years now. I've got plenty of time to work shifts now at the end of my 4th year but can't bear to go back after experiencing med school and all of the respect and autonomy that being a physician (even physician in training) gives you. While working as a nurse I would dream about becoming a physician and how wonderful it would be and I must tell you its better than I ever imagined.

Go with what you truely want to do. You are never too old (we had a 40yo in my class) and it's never too late. I wish you the best of luck. Becoming a physician is a very long journey but it has been VERY rewarding and fun. I'm sure if you decide to go for it you will not be disappointed. Feel free to PM me if you want any other info.

 

[ks79]

Thank you all for your responses

It's definately not too late!!! I worked as a nurse in ICU and ER for 6 years before going to medical school. I can truely say that nursing school and working as a nurse was the worst time in my life. I was so depressed and dissatisfied with my life at that time that I didn't know what to do.

Initially I went to nursing school to become a CRNA but I think when it came down to it I couldn't do CRNA because I was so dissatisfied with nursing (for the reasons that you mentioned) that I couln't do another job which had less autonomy and respect.

I started my post-bac with a 3.1 GPA from nursing school. That was after 5 years of college credits (I changed majors and had lots of hours). One medical school admission office person told me that it would be a long shot and I had little chance on getting into medschool due to my lower GPA. I ended up getting accepted and attending that same medical school!!!!!!!!

So, it can be done. If you do the premed requriments and get ALL A's and do well on the MCAT you have a decent shot at an MD school and a great shot at DO school. If all else fails you can attend a medical school in the carribian. It all depends on how badly you want to become a physician.

I'm graduating med school in 2 weeks and have loved every minute of it. I have not worked one shift in nursing for almost 4 years now. I've got plenty of time to work shifts now at the end of my 4th year but can't bear to go back after experiencing med school and all of the respect and autonomy that being a physician (even physician in training) gives you. While working as a nurse I would dream about becoming a physician and how wonderful it would be and I must tell you its better than I ever imagined.

Go with what you truely want to do. You are never too old (we had a 40yo in my class) and it's never too late. I wish you the best of luck. Becoming a physician is a very long journey but it has been VERY rewarding and fun. I'm sure if you decide to go for it you will not be disappointed. Feel free to PM me if you want any other info.

 

[Sinnman]

First of all, I have to preface my response with you have to really take what is said on SDN with a grain of salt. There are a lot of people pushing their own agendas here so just be cautious. If you want to go to medical school, then do it.

I was a nurse for many years and was in a very similar situation to yours. I thought that medical school was unattainable and tried to justify to myself that becoming an NP, CRNA or PA would satisfy me and allow me to "practice medicine." That is simply not true. No matter how hard some people try to convince you that this is good alternative to medicine many people will wind up very unhappy.

If you WANT to be an NP, CRNA or PA, then go for it. They have a pretty good career but it is not the same as being a physician. If you want to be a physician, then go for it. If you don't you will wind up miserable and still may wind up going back to medical school. I know of a lot of people that convinced themselves that they would be happy and wound up going back to med school. I could not spend the rest of my life thinking "what if?"

Now that I'm seeing the end of medical school here's my advice. Make getting into medical school your main priority. Forget the nursing school BS and shift gears. Of course they are not going to support you. Make sure your pre-reqs are all done and you have good grades. Repeat classes that you did not do well in. Enroll in an MCAT prep course (like Kaplan) and smoke the MCAT. This is probably the most important thing to get noticed. Apply very broadly to a bunch of medical schools. Osteopathic schools are traditionally very open to non-traditionals and will provide you with a good education. If all else fails, go to a foreign school. If you really want to do it I wouldn't have second thoughts about going to a Caribbean or Polish school.

Good luck in whatever you choose. Just remember, there are a LOT of people who were in your shoes and are now practicing physicians. If you want it, you can do it.

 

[ks79]

Thank you!

First of all, I have to preface my response with you have to really take what is said on SDN with a grain of salt. There are a lot of people pushing their own agendas here so just be cautious. If you want to go to medical school, then do it.

I was a nurse for many years and was in a very similar situation to yours. I thought that medical school was unattainable and tried to justify to myself that becoming an NP, CRNA or PA would satisfy me and allow me to "practice medicine." That is simply not true. No matter how hard some people try to convince you that this is good alternative to medicine many people will wind up very unhappy.

If you WANT to be an NP, CRNA or PA, then go for it. They have a pretty good career but it is not the same as being a physician. If you want to be a physician, then go for it. If you don't you will wind up miserable and still may wind up going back to medical school. I know of a lot of people that convinced themselves that they would be happy and wound up going back to med school. I could not spend the rest of my life thinking "what if?"

Now that I'm seeing the end of medical school here's my advice. Make getting into medical school your main priority. Forget the nursing school BS and shift gears. Of course they are not going to support you. Make sure your pre-reqs are all done and you have good grades. Repeat classes that you did not do well in. Enroll in an MCAT prep course (like Kaplan) and smoke the MCAT. This is probably the most important thing to get noticed. Apply very broadly to a bunch of medical schools. Osteopathic schools are traditionally very open to non-traditionals and will provide you with a good education. If all else fails, go to a foreign school. If you really want to do it I wouldn't have second thoughts about going to a Caribbean or Polish school.

Good luck in whatever you choose. Just remember, there are a LOT of people who were in your shoes and are now practicing physicians. If you want it, you can do it.