I am pursuing medical school and applying this summer. Since I'm graduating with a bachelor's degree this spring, I applied for a position that is designed to be a gap-year job for future MD's. I made it through three rounds of interviews, and it went well.
The director of the program is an NP. One of her first questions was why I wanted to go into medicine rather than becoming an NP. She liked my answer, but still suggested that it needed polishing for med school interviews. Having worked in medicine for the past ten years, I discussed the fundamental differences between the disciplines. Nursing focuses on patient wellness, whereas medicine focuses on physiology and the science behind medicine.
The lines between the two professions are blurred, especially in NYC, where I've seen NP's perform in a role that is basically equivalent to the MD. Still, there is a difference in the training and the general philosophy behind the two disciplines.
I'm not here to argue which is more valid, because I believe both play vital roles in medicine. Patients increasingly favor NP's (that includes my family and friends) because they're more accessible and generally show greater concern for patients as individual people.
I chose the MD route because I'm not sure what I want to do in the long run, and I don't want to be limited. I'm interested in emergency medicine and anesthesiology, and NP's and CRNA's can take either role. However, I might opt for trauma surgery or something that NP's can't (yet) do, and that's why I'm driven to go to medical school.
Can anyone elucidate what they think is the fundamental difference? I have to follow up with the director, and I need to come up with a satisfactory answer that in no way disparages what NP's do.
The director of the program is an NP. One of her first questions was why I wanted to go into medicine rather than becoming an NP. She liked my answer, but still suggested that it needed polishing for med school interviews. Having worked in medicine for the past ten years, I discussed the fundamental differences between the disciplines. Nursing focuses on patient wellness, whereas medicine focuses on physiology and the science behind medicine.
The lines between the two professions are blurred, especially in NYC, where I've seen NP's perform in a role that is basically equivalent to the MD. Still, there is a difference in the training and the general philosophy behind the two disciplines.
I'm not here to argue which is more valid, because I believe both play vital roles in medicine. Patients increasingly favor NP's (that includes my family and friends) because they're more accessible and generally show greater concern for patients as individual people.
I chose the MD route because I'm not sure what I want to do in the long run, and I don't want to be limited. I'm interested in emergency medicine and anesthesiology, and NP's and CRNA's can take either role. However, I might opt for trauma surgery or something that NP's can't (yet) do, and that's why I'm driven to go to medical school.
Can anyone elucidate what they think is the fundamental difference? I have to follow up with the director, and I need to come up with a satisfactory answer that in no way disparages what NP's do.
