Np vs md lifestyle

[Jack-of-all-trades]

I am currently in nursing school but I know I want to go to medical school. I am starting to consider np though because I would like to have a family and also be there for them as much as possible.

In terms of lifestyle which is better to choose? Md or np? Is it possible to have a family and be there for them if you are a doctor?

Is there any mds who used to be nps or considered np or any nps that can help with this?

Thanks in advance for all responses

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[backside_attack]

I am currently in nursing school but I know I want to go to medical school. I am starting to consider np though because I would like to have a family and also be there for them as much as possible.

In terms of lifestyle which is better to choose? Md or np? Is it possible to have a family and be there for them if you are a doctor?

Is there any mds who used to be nps or considered np or any nps that can help with this?

Thanks in advance for all responses

I mean, of course it is possible to have a family as a physician. Half of my med school class is made up of the children of physicians. And a lot of them did not have a one physican-one stay at home parent household (meaning, both parents worked).

It is all about priorities. I know 100% I would not enjoy being a stay at home mom. I would go crazy with boredom. I am not jealous of mothers who are stay at home as that is not my goal. So, my inner idea of "being there" for my children is different than someone who might struggle with that decision. I know for a fact we'll have a nanny because my husband also works and he'll be the main breadwinner even when I'm an attending. I'm okay with that. It is all about your personal priorities for your family and how YOU define "being there" for your family.

As for you saying "I know I want to go to medical school" and then saying you're thinking about NP: you need to do some shadowing. These professions are VERY DIFFERENT despite what they tell you in nursing school about NP's being "the brain of a doctor with the heart of a nurse" (barf. I have a heart, too). There are overlaps, but there are also important considerations. You need to experience time with both, LOTS of time, and do some soul searching.

 

[Jack-of-all-trades]

I mean, of course it is possible to have a family as a physician. Half of my med school class is made up of the children of physicians. And a lot of them did not have a one physican-one stay at home parent household (meaning, both parents worked).

It is all about priorities. I know 100% I would not enjoy being a stay at home mom. I would go crazy with boredom. I am not jealous of mothers who are stay at home as that is not my goal. So, my inner idea of "being there" for my children is different than someone who might struggle with that decision. I know for a fact we'll have a nanny because my husband also works and he'll be the main breadwinner even when I'm an attending. I'm okay with that. It is all about your personal priorities for your family and how YOU define "being there" for your family.

As for you saying "I know I want to go to medical school" and then saying you're thinking about NP: you need to do some shadowing. These professions are VERY DIFFERENT despite what they tell you in nursing school about NP's being "the brain of a doctor with the heart of a nurse" (barf. I have a heart, too). There are overlaps, but there are also important considerations. You need to experience time with both, LOTS of time, and do some soul searching.

Thanks for the response. It was very helpful

 

[austintr]

I am currently in nursing school but I know I want to go to medical school. I am starting to consider np though because I would like to have a family and also be there for them as much as possible.

In terms of lifestyle which is better to choose? Md or np? Is it possible to have a family and be there for them if you are a doctor?

Is there any mds who used to be nps or considered np or any nps that can help with this?

Thanks in advance for all responses

It's certainly possible to have success as a physician and a spouse/parent simultaneously. It is more difficult with the more intensive/involved specialties, but still doable for many. I know several surgeons for example with great home lives, contrary to what a lot of SDN folk may say. But generally, it's probably easier to have a good home life as a midlevel provider. Less call and responsibility overall, depending on specialty. I know quite a few NPs and a couple PAs that all have plenty of time off to enjoy with their family. I also know a few PAs that work like dogs staffing rural ERs not otherwise staffed by physicians. So it really comes down to the field you choose and what kind of effort you want to make to have family as your first priority. Healthcare in general is hard on families, and I have no doubt you will meet many single-by-choice, separated and divorced nurses in your schooling/career.

 

[Jack-of-all-trades]

Thanks for the responses so far. Does anybody else have any advice?

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

uhhh...

if you want to be a doctor... you go to medical school (either DO or MD).

If you want to be a specialized nurse..... go to NP school.

As a doctor, you have more liability but you also make more.

That's pretty much it.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

In the next 10-15 years, more and more of the health care system will be made up of PAs and NPs. In many specialties right now, OBGYN, Family, Ortho, Peds, etc, NPs have a lot of autonomy and see a large patient population as the main provider.

The tract to become an NP is simpler and less competitive. Since you're already on your way to a BSN, you'll work a few years in the field and then apply to a MSN/NP program. It will be 1.5-2 years instead of 4 and will cost much less than medical school. Average salary is mid to upper 5-figures to lower 6-figures. And if you would prefer a surgical career, you can always consider a CRNA path.

In either case, you will not be running the show. The doctor will always be the general. But unlike an MA, Tech, or nurse, you will be a lieutenant.

 

[reaction mechanisms]

Of course it's possible to be an MD and still play an active role in your family.


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[Jack-of-all-trades]

Thanks everybody for all responses so far

 

[precisiongraphic]

Thanks everybody for all responses so far

I have two examples n=2 but with lessons for others. First is a neurosurgeon who almost never missed his three kids' games, concerts etc when they were in junior high and high school. He was seen often on the sidelines of football games ready to do concussion checks and consulted with the coaches on helmet safety. But this was after 10-15 years where he was the more junior doc and missed a lot of events. As he got more senior he had more flexibility. The kids report that he would come home for a quick 20 minute dinner and return to the hospital or come home when they were in bed and rub their backs as they fell back to sleep. Living near the hospital helps. Not the same as a dad who only worked 9-5 but a pretty involved dad.

The second is a sibling of mine who is an ER doc and has three young children now of elementary school age, two of which are special needs. On his last day off he took two shopping and then took the other to a track meet that the kid was in. On his days off he is 100% on dad duty from what he tells me. He's been in practice for a long time though and spent the early years on active duty in the Middle East and Europe (unexpected thanks to 9/11) which delayed marriage and children and wouldn't be ideal if you're the female whose childbearing years are limited. But being in ER he works 24 hour shifts so when he's off he's off and has no call so he maximizes time with the family. I think he probably spends more time with his kids than most employed dads.

 

[Jack-of-all-trades]

I have two examples n=2 but with lessons for others. First is a neurosurgeon who almost never missed his three kids' games, concerts etc when they were in junior high and high school. He was seen often on the sidelines of football games ready to do concussion checks and consulted with the coaches on helmet safety. But this was after 10-15 years where he was the more junior doc and missed a lot of events. As he got more senior he had more flexibility. The kids report that he would come home for a quick 20 minute dinner and return to the hospital or come home when they were in bed and rub their backs as they fell back to sleep. Living near the hospital helps. Not the same as a dad who only worked 9-5 but a pretty involved dad.

The second is a sibling of mine who is an ER doc and has three young children now of elementary school age, two of which are special needs. On his last day off he took two shopping and then took the other to a track meet that the kid was in. On his days off he is 100% on dad duty from what he tells me. He's been in practice for a long time though and spent the early years on active duty in the Middle East and Europe (unexpected thanks to 9/11) which delayed marriage and children and wouldn't be ideal if you're the female whose childbearing years are limited. But being in ER he works 24 hour shifts so when he's off he's off and has no call so he maximizes time with the family. I think he probably spends more time with his kids than most employed dads.

Thanks for the response. This really gave me hope that I can be a physician and have a good family life

 

[RN2DR]

I am currently in nursing school but I know I want to go to medical school. I am starting to consider np though because I would like to have a family and also be there for them as much as possible.

In terms of lifestyle which is better to choose? Md or np? Is it possible to have a family and be there for them if you are a doctor?

Is there any mds who used to be nps or considered np or any nps that can help with this?

Thanks in advance for all responses

This is my first time posting here, so please let me know if I'm breaking any protocols . I am a former RN and current fourth year DO student, and wanted to share my thoughts.

I would caution anyone making a career choice based on potential time off/schedule. I have known too many people who based their residency/life choices because they'd have more family time/time off and ended regretting every minute of it (not to mention they were miserable pretty much every day they worked)

If you are truly torn between the two paths consider shadowing each for a couple of days. Look at the curriculum for NP vs. MD/DO (one of the things that convinced me to pursue DO was the lack of depth in the NP training). Also consider the type of medicine you'd like to practice (surgery? Family/internal med? ED? Etc) and what opportunities there are for NPs/Docs

I hope this helps!

KJ

 

[Cali_NP_to_MD]

I am currently in nursing school but I know I want to go to medical school. I am starting to consider np though because I would like to have a family and also be there for them as much as possible.

In terms of lifestyle which is better to choose? Md or np? Is it possible to have a family and be there for them if you are a doctor?

Is there any mds who used to be nps or considered np or any nps that can help with this?

Thanks in advance for all responses

This is such a hard question to answer. It totally depends on the type of NP job or physician job/specialty. Also, keep in mind that NP and Physician are very different jobs. They share some similarities - personally I thought I would be fulfilled as a NP - but NPs have a lot of limitations and the education is not even remotely comparable to MD or DO school. That's my honest opinion, having been through it.
I will use myself as an example for your lifestyle question. I work as a NP in a busy internal medicine group. Every weekday I see clinic patients until 12, then round on 15-20 inpatients in ICU, telemetry, DOU, then finish ER admissions. This includes rotating night and weekend 24-hour call. My job is incredibly stressful and mirrors what most internal medicine residents do.
However, I know some NPs who work in clinic, urgent care, even doing cosmetic stuff, and they have very "chill" jobs with no stress.
I'm in California. The average hourly salary for NP here, in my personal experience and having a lot of peers who are NPs, is about $55-$65/hour.
Let me say this. If your true goal is go become a doctor, go to medical school. Don't go to NP school. You will not be happy.
I wish someone had given me that advice a long time ago. I wasted 2.5 years on NP school when I should have been taking pre-med classes and studying for the MCAT.

 

[Cali_NP_to_MD]

Also I'd like to add that - if lifestyle and family time is your concern - why not stick with nursing? Being a Registered Nurse is one of the most flexible career opportunities out there. You can work in any specialty. You can work 8, 10, or 12 hour shifts. You can have 3-4 days off per week. You can even work a couple per diem jobs and end up making the same $$ as NP/PA.
I think you need to work as a nurse for a while and really examine what your priorities are before you make the decision to go back to grad school.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I am currently in nursing school but I know I want to go to medical school. I am starting to consider np though because I would like to have a family and also be there for them as much as possible.

In terms of lifestyle which is better to choose? Md or np? Is it possible to have a family and be there for them if you are a doctor?

Is there any mds who used to be nps or considered np or any nps that can help with this?

Thanks in advance for all responses

When I started med school I had a 2yr old and a 5 yr old. It's all about the spouse helping you, being a good planner, making meals ahead, etc. I was "fortunate" with my custody that the kids went to their dad's for the whole summer so I scheduled my "hard, time consuming rotations" during that time so I didn't have to worry about being on call or getting home late, etc. Residency was a piece of cake since for me it wasn't really any different than going to work every day like I did before med school.

 

[Jack-of-all-trades]

This is my first time posting here, so please let me know if I'm breaking any protocols . I am a former RN and current fourth year DO student, and wanted to share my thoughts.

I would caution anyone making a career choice based on potential time off/schedule. I have known too many people who based their residency/life choices because they'd have more family time/time off and ended regretting every minute of it (not to mention they were miserable pretty much every day they worked)

If you are truly torn between the two paths consider shadowing each for a couple of days. Look at the curriculum for NP vs. MD/DO (one of the things that convinced me to pursue DO was the lack of depth in the NP training). Also consider the type of medicine you'd like to practice (surgery? Family/internal med? ED? Etc) and what opportunities there are for NPs/Docs

I hope this helps!

KJ

Thank you for your response. It was very helpful