+1 for all info here, but I think previous post was a troll. Just sayin...equating DNP and MD is a pretty fast way to get folks riled up on SDN. 🙄
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Nurse becomes MD
Started by sayamd
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+1 for all info here, but I think previous post was a troll. Just sayin...equating DNP and MD is a pretty fast way to get folks riled up on SDN. 🙄
I realize I'm responding to an older thread, but I just want to reiterate that a DNP and MD are not regarded the same in or out of the clinical setting.
First, DNP stands for Doctorate of Nursing Practice, not Doctor-Nurse-Practitioner. A DNP is the terminal degree in nursing for an Advanced Practice Nurse (Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Nurse Anesthetist, or Clinical Nurse Specialist). It is a clinical doctorate in nursing, but not in the same sense as a medical doctorate. The program can be completed in as little as 12 months if one already has a Master's in Nursing. It requires a total of 1000 clinical hours, which includes the completion of a capstone project, with 500 hours credited if an advanced practice degree has already been obtained. The clinical may or may not require hands on training.
I hope this brief description helps to clarify that DNP and MD are not equivalent. One focuses on nursing and one focuses on medicine. The clinical hours required are substantially different, with medicine requiring a lot more clinical hours across a variety of areas. The scope of practice for an advanced practice nurse can share some similarities with the scope of practice for an MD, but on the whole is quite different.
Slap your husband.
Then make him a sandwich.
If he doesn't reconcile, divorce him.
/asiandoode 🙂
Then get your MD. The clinical coordinator/physiology course adjunct prof/etc at my school is a Nurse to MD in IM. It can be done and there's no shame in wanting to do it. Nurses have their restrictions, just like DNP and NPs. Stop the bullshit about equivocating those to MDs. There are more responsibilities/opportunities/etc for someone getting their MD and I'd definitely recommend it.
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And to answer your original question; if you're qualified academically and can answer (with a straight face) why you chose an MD, there should be no reason they reject your chances in getting an MD. There are people who are made/happy with nursing, and then there are people who want more. You're in a field with restrictions and you don't like them. MD gives you the option to expand on the care of a patient and offers a different application of healthcare that I find to be better. I came from pharmacology research going into MD. Research offers a huge opportunity to provide cures/knowledge to healthcare, but (like nursing) it's different than a physician. You have to be able to answer that in your personal statement/interview in order to get that acceptance. If I spent an hour brainstorming, I could easily find reasons why someone with a nursing degree would want to become a physician. But I'm not going to do your homework for you. 😛
This thought just crossed my mind. Do we call DNPs Dr. so and so? I knew a DNP and just called her by her first name but in reality, do they get that title? I know for lawyers, they get a JD but aren't given the title. PharmDs I'm not so sure about.
Anyone with a doctorate can essentially present themselves as Dr.X/Y/Z. Though, honestly, that's just asking for it. So, a DNP can walk in and call themselves Dr. DNP. But I have my reservations about DNPs in general and think they should instead introduce themselves as "Hi, I graduated from a doctorate program that could be online, doesn't require many clinical hours and has students with a 50% pass rate on their boards!"
Yep
MD and DO are equivalent.
Hey guys,
I hope that my question doesn't sound redundant. I have read everyone's replies to the original question and mine is very nearly the same except that I am an LPN working on a degree in Biology (I just took the prerequisites for the LPN program as electives, and then completed the LPN program in 2 semesters). I became an LPN because there was an intense need for nurses in my area and my husband was having a difficult time keeping work (he lost his job three times during that time of the recession). I have been planning to become a physician since I began school and just had to take that detour to make sure that our family continued to have income. My decision to become a nurse really validated my desire to become a physician and it ended up being what we needed during those tough financial times. I only work as a nurse PRN now and am a full-time student and plan to apply to medical school in 2013
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Sorry now to my question: Will admissions committees look at me as a change of career? Does needing income seem like a well thought out decision to go into nursing even though my ultimate goal is to be a physician? 🙂 I have a few thousand hours of clinical experience on the bright note and tons of leadership experience (from working as a charge nurse)
I hope that my question doesn't sound redundant. I have read everyone's replies to the original question and mine is very nearly the same except that I am an LPN working on a degree in Biology (I just took the prerequisites for the LPN program as electives, and then completed the LPN program in 2 semesters). I became an LPN because there was an intense need for nurses in my area and my husband was having a difficult time keeping work (he lost his job three times during that time of the recession). I have been planning to become a physician since I began school and just had to take that detour to make sure that our family continued to have income. My decision to become a nurse really validated my desire to become a physician and it ended up being what we needed during those tough financial times. I only work as a nurse PRN now and am a full-time student and plan to apply to medical school in 2013
.
Sorry now to my question: Will admissions committees look at me as a change of career? Does needing income seem like a well thought out decision to go into nursing even though my ultimate goal is to be a physician? 🙂 I have a few thousand hours of clinical experience on the bright note and tons of leadership experience (from working as a charge nurse)
D
deleted303591
Nursing is a very different track compared to being an MD in the healthcare professions.
However, I imagine there is some redundancy in the nursing curriculum that would conflict with the type of ECs and even shadowing that any person applying to med school should do. This would hurt an applicant with a BSN in nursing, in logic.
For example, as a nurse you have to do all sorts of clinical coursework, that is applied training.
Shadowing, in general, is primarily observation-and all applicants should do this. As nurse would have a hard time avoiding redundancy in this circumstance.
In order to get proper ECs and shadowing you would have your work cut out for you. I could imagine 14 hour days in a hospital/clinical setting. A nursing student should try to cover areas and material not typically covered in nursing classes, which could present challengers.
The challenge is avoiding redundancy, in my opinion.
However, I imagine there is some redundancy in the nursing curriculum that would conflict with the type of ECs and even shadowing that any person applying to med school should do. This would hurt an applicant with a BSN in nursing, in logic.
For example, as a nurse you have to do all sorts of clinical coursework, that is applied training.
Shadowing, in general, is primarily observation-and all applicants should do this. As nurse would have a hard time avoiding redundancy in this circumstance.
In order to get proper ECs and shadowing you would have your work cut out for you. I could imagine 14 hour days in a hospital/clinical setting. A nursing student should try to cover areas and material not typically covered in nursing classes, which could present challengers.
The challenge is avoiding redundancy, in my opinion.
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If I were in practice right now I would refer to a DNP as "Nurse X" just like any other nurse.
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Anyone with a PhD can call themselves Dr. Most NPs are trained to introduce using their first name and clinical role (one of the differences in nursing vs medical models). I have heard NPs use the title in academic settings where it's also clearly stated as a nursing degree. I know there is a legislation battle going on in at least one state (Oregon) over whether MDs have somehow trademarked the word "doctor".
I think you have a compelling story, including supporting a family, working hard and tons of clinical experience. I think that background would be a huge asset if it is appropriately described in essays and interviews.
The bigger question for you is likely to be academic. Nursing and LPN don't have a reputation as rigorous science, so you must really load up and succeed in hard science classes, non-nursing research, medical shadowing, etc as well as nail the MCAT. Adcoms will not question your motivation but must also feel confident that you can succeed. It absolutely can be done but is obviously challenging like previous poster said.
Thank you for answering my question🙂. Unlike most nurses, I am seeking a degree in Biology rather than a BSN so I have all of the high level courses that I would assume other pre-meds have and also have a fairly high GPA. I am doing research in an organic chemistry lab with 2 second author manuscripts submitted for publication. I have shadowed physicians ranging from primary care to orthopaedic surgeons (so far about 60+ hours). I have also volunteered for our local victim's advocacy and our local hospital so I even have non-nursing patient exposure and served in the military for 3 years and have done tutoring (non-nursing leadership experiences). I am hoping that I can convince admissions committees that I am able to succeed and am passionate about becoming a physician. Thank you again for taking the time to answer my question. I have been trucking through my degree but have always been worried that nursing may hinder my ultimate goals. I am happy to hear that you also see hope for me 🙂
Hey,
I never said it was right.
True. It's an interesting debacle. I've seen more PhDs not refer to themselves as doctors vs DNPs.
Like I said I don't think it's nursing itself that would hinder you, it would be a lack of harder science in addition to nursing. It sounds like you're well on your way although I'm not on an Adcom or anything. Good luck and I'll let you know how this cycle goes for me coming from a somewhat similar situation!
