New To Forum Interested in pursuing MD

[ER RN BSN]

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Quick background: I am currently a 24 year old male that has recently graduated with my Bach of Science in Nursing (3.4 GPA) and currently working as an RN in a trauma ER. I truly enjoy this fast pace environment and am extremely interested in advancing my education. I always find myself reading and learning more and more everyday about the human body. It almost gives me a rush or a high when something I learned I can apply in practice 😀

OK, so I have looked around and understand pre reqs for any med school would involve more chemistry and physical based sciences and I also understand there is a difference between nursing approach education to patients vs medical education approach to patients.

I am just trying to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. I truly enjoy helping people and enjoy what I am doing but I feel that if I don't advance I will be cheating myself. I have looked into many higher level nursing education programs (CRNA, NP, etc) and just don't want to grow older and look back on my life and wonder why didn't I truly apply myself and go for a MD. I feel that I have been blessed with the hunger and willingness to learn (single, no kids and only a little left in loans) and why should I let that go to waste?

I am asking you all for advice and better understanding of my situation. What kind of MCAT scores are competitive in Illinois or surrounding states and if this is even possible to make this transition ?

Thanks All,

Matt

 

[sylvanthus]

A couple of things come to mind. First, its going to take you likely a couple of years to get the prereqs done and to be ready for the MCAT. If you can get above a 30, that is generally considered a good score. But, I am sure you can research all about the MCAT later. Whats more pertinent to the present day is, why medical school, why now? You are helping people as a nurse in a trauma center. Is the real reason just about ego or are you truly interested in learning more about pathophysiology and medical diagnoses?

I can guarantee some question will come up about why you are leaving nursing to do medicine at some point, so best to think about a good reason now.

 

[sgtbrushes]

Only you can decide what you will be satisfied with in life. Some quick numbers:
1. Since you have a BS degree's worth of credits, 26 credits of pre-reqs with a 4.0 in every single class will only raise your GPA to 3.5.
2. A 30 MCAT score is competitive, in general. I don't think it's much different in the Illinois area.
3. The pre-reqs require a minimum of 4 semesters to complete because of the chemistry sequence. Unless you take the MCAT before you take half your pre-reqs, you will then have a gap year. Then there's 4 years of school, then 3+ years of residency. This means that you will be 34 when you finish training. You are nowhere close to being the oldest person to do this, but you will be making sacrifices.

It is possible to make the transition. Your GPA is in decent shape, and it will be difficult to raise. A competitive MCAT, in general, is a 30. This can be done with 3 months of solid MCAT prep. Just some quick math

 

[Geneticist]

Only you can decide what you will be satisfied with in life. Some quick numbers:
1. Since you have a BS degree's worth of credits, 26 credits of pre-reqs with a 4.0 in every single class will only raise your GPA to 3.5.
2. A 30 MCAT score is competitive, in general. I don't think it's much different in the Illinois area.
3. The pre-reqs require a minimum of 4 semesters to complete because of the chemistry sequence. Unless you take the MCAT before you take half your pre-reqs, you will then have a gap year. Then there's 4 years of school, then 3+ years of residency. This means that you will be 34 when you finish training. You are nowhere close to being the oldest person to do this, but you will be making sacrifices.

It is possible to make the transition. Your GPA is in decent shape, and it will be difficult to raise. A competitive MCAT, in general, is a 30. This can be done with 3 months of solid MCAT prep. Just some quick math

If you get a 3.5 GPA and a 30 MCAT, it's going to be tough getting into medical school. I think either your GPA should be 3.6+ or your MCAT 32+ if you're shooting for MD. You're certainly fighting an uphill battle by needing to get straight As in organic and physics and your other pre-reqs...

 

[sylvanthus]

Ehh I disagree, clinical experience goes a long way, so the grades/MCAT can likely be a 3.5/30 and be fine.

 

[Kaustikos]

Ehh I disagree, clinical experience goes a long way, so the grades/MCAT can likely be a 3.5/30 and be fine.

Didn't you read his title! He knows everything.


I think that the clinical experience will help, but you're going to have to work really hard to make that personal statement answer why medicine/being a doctor vs your current job as an RN.

 

[BenjaminT]

OP, I think you might find some more helpful replies in the non-traditional board.

Many people have less than stellar GPAs from undergrad and get in, 3.4 actually puts you on the higher end of a lot of non-traditional student's GPAs (seriously, go to the non-trad board and read people's stories).

 

[LizzyM]

You need to have a reasonable essay on why you want to switch from nursing to medicine, including the option of the doctorate in nursing as an alternative. Nursing is "high touch", medicine is "high tech". You'll spend less time with the patients and they'll be less aware of what you are doing. If that's what you want in your career, you need to be able to express it.

With a less than stellar undergrad record you should shoot for nothing less than 3.7 in the post-bac (and no grade less than B), and an MCAT of at least 34 (shoot for well above the mean for the schools you are targeting).

 

[Slack3r]

The new averages are between 31-32. I believe 30 is becoming less and less competitive.

 

[Hoody]

but you're going to have to work really hard to make that personal statement answer why medicine/being a doctor vs your current job as an RN.

Its actually not difficult at all. All I had to say is that I wanted to be more involved in clinical decision making and providing definitive bedside care.

 

[raltima07]

Its actually not difficult at all. All I had to say is that I wanted to be more involved in clinical decision making and providing definitive bedside care.

I take it it worked out ok?

 

[theWUbear]

If you get a 3.5 GPA and a 30 MCAT, it's going to be tough getting into medical school.

If by tough you mean 55.5% chance

 

[link2swim06]

If you get a 3.5 GPA and a 30 MCAT, it's going to be tough getting into medical school. I think either your GPA should be 3.6+ or your MCAT 32+ if you're shooting for MD. You're certainly fighting an uphill battle by needing to get straight As in organic and physics and your other pre-reqs...

Dang I must be lucky then bc those were my stats, wait a third of class had a lower MCATs / GPAs......

 

[LizzyM]

If by tough you mean 55.5% chance

meaning a 44.5% chance of being empty-handed at the end of the cycle.

 

[MCAT guy]

SDN always make it sound worse than it is.

Simply go to the grid.

 

[MCAT guy]

If you get a 3.5 GPA and a 30 MCAT, it's going to be tough getting into medical school. I think either your GPA should be 3.6+ or your MCAT 32+ if you're shooting for MD.

btw, using round figures:

• 36,000 of 56,000 accepted allopathic students didn’t score above a 32.
• 18,000 of 56,000 accepted allopathic students didn’t have above a 3.6.

Yes it is tough, but all of these people did it.

 

[Geneticist]

If by tough you mean 55.5% chance

His chances are lower than that. You're looking at the middle GPA and the lower MCAT in that grid space. If anything, his chances are between 42-48%.

 

[sylvanthus]

Nope, chances should be higher, you can't just look at raw numbers when a person worked in a significant healthcare position. I guarantee ADCOMS will take the OPs experience into consideration.

 

[slammer922]

Don't go to medical school.

If you're motivation is money = CRNA's bank with less responsibility.

If you are truly in it for the patients = NP's will be the front line of primary care.


You obviously chose nursing for the opportunities, don't take a step back in your life for something you could possibly obtain by furthering your nursing career.

When you are seeing patients as a NP the thought of not fulling applying yourself for the MD will diminish and you will thank yourself for saving tens of thousands of dollars and almost a decade of years of your life.