NP to MD

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
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SBWacnp

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Hi all. New to this forum. I am graduating in a month with my NP. Considering going back to pursue MD. I have two small children. Has anyone done this..?
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PA applying to MD this cycle with 1 kid. You'll probably read and be told you should work a year or 2 as an NP before applying. I would imagine something along those lines would come up as an interview question. Something to think about.
 
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SBWacnp said:
Hi all. New to this forum. I am graduating in a month with my NP. Considering going back to pursue MD. I have two small children. Has anyone done this..?
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I'm in the same boat. I have about 3 weeks left in my program and have been casually looking into my options. I'm thinking about working for at least one year as an NP and then starting pre-reqs.
 
SBWacnp said:
Hi all. New to this forum. I am graduating in a month with my NP. Considering going back to pursue MD. I have two small children. Has anyone done this..?
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Trust me, just don't. You have a good profession now and can earn a stable income. Better to work and save for your children's future and your retirement than to waste a minimum of 7 years pursuing an MD
 
AlbinoHawk DO said:
Trust me, just don't. You have a good profession now and can earn a stable income. Better to work and save for your children's future and your retirement than to waste a minimum of 7 years pursuing an MD
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Just curious, what are your thoughts about an NP (also graduating in less than a month) who does not have children or any obligations for that matter, and also no student loan debt interested in pursuing medical school?
 
tequilauria said:
Just curious, what are your thoughts about an NP (also graduating in less than a month) who does not have children or any obligations for that matter, and also no student loan debt interested in pursuing medical school?
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Go for it if you're doing it to get a larger scope of practice or want a field other than the one that your NP allows you to work on.
 
OP - AlbinoHawkDO doesn't believe that women who have children can be good mothers and doctors at the same time, so he won't support your decision based on that.

I say go for it, but work for a few years first so that you can "back up" your choice to go for MD with some experience (I felt limited in the care I could provide, I wanted to learn more, etc.). Also it will allow you to spend some time with your family before you decide, and you'll likely need to take some more classes while you work.
 
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AlbinoHawk DO said:
Trust me, just don't. You have a good profession now and can earn a stable income. Better to work and save for your children's future and your retirement than to waste a minimum of 7 years pursuing an MD
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butwhy.gif

Would you rather show your kids that being exceptional is a worthwhile endeavor, or lead by the example of complacent mediocrity? There's more to becoming a doctor than money.
 
Mad Jack said:
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Would you rather show your kids that being exceptional is a worthwhile endeavor, or lead by the example of complacent mediocrity? There's more to becoming a doctor than money.
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I think this was a genuine reply. I left another field (not nursing) to start medical school. I'm only an M2, but my first year was doable. I think that your support system is key. I have zero support system in terms of family. If I had not completely lucked out and found a study partner that will FaceTime/Skype to study with me in the evenings, I would not have been nearly as successful. Zero idea how I am going to be able to juggle the weird hours associated with clinicals.

I think it comes down to personality. There is one other mom in my class who has a great support system (married to someone with a lucrative and flexible job, and her mom lives with her to help with childcare) and I gather that her happiness is much lower than mine, because she misses every moment that she is away from her children. Don't get me wrong, I love my kids, but I enjoy pursuing this dream and can assuage myself in knowing that I am doing something good for my future and thus their future. Just my two cents...
 
Mad Jack said:
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Would you rather show your kids that being exceptional is a worthwhile endeavor, or lead by the example of complacent mediocrity? There's more to becoming a doctor than money.
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At the same time, money and time are valuable commodities that are limited. And when you have children, going to school means taking money and time away from them as an opportunity cost. We can't pretend that pursuit of an exceptional or noble cause is always worth the cost. I'd also never consider being an NP to be settling for mediocrity.

As a guy going into med school and planning to start a family very soon, I'm acutely aware of this. Money isn't a problem, but I'm still taking time away from my wife and future kids. Ultimately, we're hoping it leads to a better life for them and that the value is worth the cost.
 
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DocJanItor said:
At the same time, money and time are valuable commodities that are limited. And when you have children, going to school means taking money and time away from them as an opportunity cost. We can't pretend that pursuit of an exceptional or noble cause is always worth the cost. I'd also never consider being an NP to be settling for mediocrity.

As a guy going into med school and planning to start a family very soon, I'm acutely aware of this. Money isn't a problem, but I'm still taking time away from my wife and future kids. Ultimately, we're hoping it leads to a better life for them and that the value is worth the cost.
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Eh, I'm not married, but I'm a nontrad with substantial commitments. I had a fairly normal life, not much different than working a difficult job, while in medical school. Granted, that was because I focused on my personal life at the expense of my medical education, so my board scores were mediocre, but it's possible if you prioritize correctly. I really think the idea that you're "losing" years to medical school is bull****. I've had some great, wonderful times. Yeah, some times have sucked, but it doesn't suck any more than it would have if I were still rotating weekends, nights, and evenings as an RT. People oversell the hardship and undersell the benefits.
 
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Mad Jack said:
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Would you rather show your kids that being exceptional is a worthwhile endeavor, or lead by the example of complacent mediocrity? There's more to becoming a doctor than money.
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I would rather not be an absent parent for that long and add unnecessary debt. Maybe you call that mediocrity. I call that a rational tradeoff.
 
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AlbinoHawk DO said:
I would rather not be an absent parent for that long and add unnecessary debt. Maybe you call that mediocrity. I call that a rational tradeoff.
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You've got enough time during the four years of medical school to see your kids every damn day, it isn't that bad. Took a little more time than a 9-5 job. And in residency, depending on the field you choose, you can have plenty of time with your kids as well. Path, FM, PM&R, rads, gas, psych, etc are plenty family friendly once you survive intern year at most programs. People really make it sound so much worse than it is.

My father worked on the road my entire life. We'd only see him four days a month on average, far less than the average medical student and resident is seeing their kids. But we got that he was working hard to give us a better life, a value that I took to heart when making the decision to apply to medical school.
 
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Mad Jack said:
You've got enough time during the four years of medical school to see your kids every damn day, it isn't that bad. Took a little more time than a 9-5 job. And in residency, depending on the field you choose, you can have plenty of time with your kids as well. Path, FM, PM&R, rads, gas, psych, etc are plenty family friendly once you survive intern year at most programs. People really make it sound so much worse than it is.

My father worked on the road my entire life. We'd only see him four days a month on average, far less than the average medical student and resident is seeing their kids. But we got that he was working hard to give us a better life, a value that I took to heart when making the decision to apply to medical school.
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You'll never convince him. We had an entire thread of him bashing female doctors for being bad moms.
 
How old are you? How old are your kids? Is your family flexible about moving somewhere else depending on where you get accepted? Have you completed the pre reqs?
I'm in a similar situation except that I don't have kids. When I was weighing the pros and cons, the biggest cons are (imo): being mid 30s by graduation and racking up massive student loan debt at a later point in life than most students. If I were any older and/or if I had kids, I probably wouldn't try for med school because it would be too detrimental to my finances and family. That's just my opinion.
NPs can make really good money. If I had kids depending on me I would stick with current job and focus on saving $.
 
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Mad Jack said:
You've got enough time during the four years of medical school to see your kids every damn day, it isn't that bad. Took a little more time than a 9-5 job. And in residency, depending on the field you choose, you can have plenty of time with your kids as well. Path, FM, PM&R, rads, gas, psych, etc are plenty family friendly once you survive intern year at most programs. People really make it sound so much worse than it is.

My father worked on the road my entire life. We'd only see him four days a month on average, far less than the average medical student and resident is seeing their kids. But we got that he was working hard to give us a better life, a value that I took to heart when making the decision to apply to medical school.
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Difference with your dad is that he probably didn't already have a job that paid well and allowed him to spend time with the family.

What year are you in med school? Have you ever rotated? Medical school is not a simple 9-5, and most residencies aren't either.

You also ignore the economic factor behind this. Putting yourself in 300k+ in debt than to save for your kids and retirement.
 
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AlbinoHawk DO said:
Difference with your dad is that he probably didn't already have a job that paid well and allowed him to spend time with the family.

What year are you in med school? Have you ever rotated? Medical school is not a simple 9-5, and most residencies aren't either.

You also ignore the economic factor behind this. Putting yourself in 300k+ in debt than to save for your kids and retirement.
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I'm on my last day of third year. It wasn't bad at all.
 
People can not have it all.

There is this great lie in society today that women (and to a lesser extent, men) can "Have it all". No honey, you can have Anything you want, not Everything you want. There is a limited amount of time in the day. The more time you spend in medical school, the less you spend with your kids, the more time you spend with your kids, the grades are going to suffer. If you try to do both, you will end up doing both badly. This is common sense, and it blows me away that people cannot grasp this mathematical concept.

But as long as mommy gets to pursue her "Dream", its ok to put the children on a lower priority and have them develop abandonment problems later down the road due to lack of parental bonding. Here Johnny, here Sally, instead take some loving depression medication, it will make you feel all the numb so it gets rid of the pain. Maybe thats why society keeps pushing absent parents, there is money to be made after all.

backside_attack said:
You'll never convince him. We had an entire thread of him bashing female doctors for being bad moms.
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GypsyHummus said:
People can not have it all.

There is this great lie in society today that women (and to a lesser extent, men) can "Have it all". No honey, you can have Anything you want, not Everything you want. There is a limited amount of time in the day. The more time you spend in medical school, the less you spend with your kids, the more time you spend with your kids, the grades are going to suffer. If you try to do both, you will end up doing both badly. This is common sense, and it blows me away that people cannot grasp this mathematical concept.

But as long as mommy gets to pursue her "Dream", its ok to put the children on a lower priority and have them develop abandonment problems later down the road due to lack of parental bonding. Here Johnny, here Sally, instead take some loving depression medication, it will make you feel all the numb so it gets rid of the pain. Maybe thats why society keeps pushing absent parents, there is money to be made after all.
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REALLY. Did you really just call me honey? Are you really that sexist that you think you can just talk down to me like that?

Good news is that an internet pig like you can't change my mind and my priorities. You know nothing about who I am, my choices, or my situation. But please, I'm just a woman, so explain to me again how I'm wrong and you're right because of a f***ing chromosome.
 
Ahh, and there is the feminist rage. I didn't even know you were a women, I was trying to talk like an adult. That "Honey" wasn't directed at you, it was a general statement. Im surprised how defensive you got, its not all about you darling (that was directed at you)

I'll change my approach

*You go girl, anything you want boo. Don't listen to the haters.

Did that calm you down, or are you still REEEEEEEEEEEEE!

backside_attack said:
REALLY. Did you really just call me honey? Are you really that sexist that you think you can just talk down to me like that?

Good news is that an internet pig like you can't change my mind and my priorities. You know nothing about who I am, my choices, or my situation. But please, I'm just a woman, so explain to me again how I'm wrong and you're right because of a f***ing chromosome.
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GypsyHummus said:
Ahh, and there is the feminist rage. I didn't even know you were a women, I was trying to talk like an adult. That "Honey" wasn't directed at you, it was a general statement. Im surprised how defensive you got, its not all about you darling (that was directed at you)

I'll change my approach

*You go girl, anything you want boo. Don't listen to the haters.

Did that calm you down, or are you still REEEEEEEEEEEEE!
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Okay well the original "honey" was in a post that was quoting one of my posts - how else was I supposed to take it? Adults don't talk like this. Adults don't use diminutives like "honey" or "darling" when not speaking to a significant other or child, generally.

And yes, sure, feminist rage. Because you cannot tell women what choices to make with their lives. You cannot tell men what choices to make with their lives, either, but your post was woman-specific so I'm focused on that.

I really don't need you to tell me I can do anything I want. I figured that out on my own a long time ago.
 
Nobody is telling you what to do. You just can't have it all. For some reason you take offense to this which is rather telling. It is math. Arguing that someone can be a good parent by not being there mentally and physically is ridiculous.

Someone told you no you can't have that and you are lashing out. That is what poorly behaved children do. REEEEEEEEE

I have no problem with women being doctors. I have female family members that make great doctors. Guess what? She wants to be a mom, but is finding it hard to have the time to raise a kid and be a physician. You can not have it all.

I also mentioned men can't have it all either, but I would say a majority of men seem to have an understanding of this concept. Men are statistically better at math as many scientific studies have shown, although thats probably a women hating statement as well.

backside_attack said:
Okay well the original "honey" was in a post that was quoting one of my posts - how else was I supposed to take it? Adults don't talk like this. Adults don't use diminutives like "honey" or "darling" when not speaking to a significant other or child, generally.

And yes, sure, feminist rage. Because you cannot tell women what choices to make with their lives. You cannot tell men what choices to make with their lives, either, but your post was woman-specific so I'm focused on that.

I really don't need you to tell me I can do anything I want. I figured that out on my own a long time ago.
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GypsyHummus said:
Nobody is telling you what to do. You just can't have it all. For some reason you take offense to this which is rather telling. It is math. Arguing that someone can be a good parent by not being there mentally and physically is ridiculous.

Someone told you no you can't have that and you are lashing out. That is what poorly behaved children do. REEEEEEEEE

I have no problem with women being doctors. I have female family members that make great doctors. Guess what? She wants to be a mom, but is finding it hard to have the time to raise a kid and be a physician. You can not have it all.

I also mentioned men can't have it all either, but I would say a majority of men seem to have an understanding of this concept. Men are statistically better at math as many scientific studies have shown, although thats probably a women hating statement as well.
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I won't continue this as you don't seem to understand a fundamental principle of this argument: "having it all" varies drastically person to person. You don't know my career and family goals, and it may well be possible for me to "have it all". OR, it could not. But what people (women and men) don't need is other people imposing their own opinions onto others lives. Your concept of having it all is entirely different from a stranger's concept.

And if you stick to this argument, then you are essentially saying that every good mother cannot be a good doctor, and every good (female) doctor cannot be a good mother, and I think there are literally thousands of examples in the world that show the opposite.

What I am "lashing out" at is the attitude that you think you have the right to have an opinion on someone else's life choices and career. You don't. Of course it is "hard to have the time to raise a kid and be a physician" but that does not mean it is impossible. Lots of things are hard and lots of people find ways to accomplish them.

I'm done. Please just stop telling women they can't have it all. That is your opinion based on your standards, and it isn't helpful.
 
Today I learned that some people still actually think that men and women aren't equally capable of things. Pretty crazy stuff right?
 
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Both are very capable of abandoning their children for the sake of chasing an MD degree. Pretty crazy stuff.

Doctor or bust said:
Today I learned that some people still actually think that men and women aren't equally capable of things. Pretty crazy stuff right?
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