Nurse practitioner to MD

[CortexNP]

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I am at a loss about what to do. Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to be a doctor (orthopedic specifically, ski accident). When I was an undergrad I did not completely apply myself. I found hanging out with friends and Halo a bit more important than school. I still managed to pull a 3.6 and received my bachelor of science in nursing. Shortly after graduating I started my master of science in nursing. I maintained a 4.0, took my national boards and currently work with a neurosurgeon.
I love what I do, who I work with, and my routine. I have been in practice for 1 year, however I feel that I am pulled to do more. I assist in surgery, but I want to be the one to hold the knife; I want to be the one who makes the decision. I want to provide more for my community without the restrictions that a nurse practitioner has. This decision would be much easier if the physician was an ass, however I am extremely blessed in my position. I am married, have a cat and a dog. I have no debt except my house.
I would like to go back to medical school, but have no idea where to start, or even if I should. This tugging and ambition has been present ever since final semester of nursing school undergrad. I feel that I would have to start completely over and seeing as though I am almost 28 and wanting to do a surgical speciality I do not know what others have experienced. I would be looking at probably 2 years getting basics again (never took organic chem, physics, adv biology). How quick could one take these classes?
Mainly I am looking for direction and recommendations.

 

[aspiringMD89]

Hey! I say you go for it, you don't have to deal with restrictions, although I have a fond respect for APNs. Pre med sciences typically take about 1.5-2 years. Good Luck to you! Always remember SKY IS THE LIMIT!

 

[yugo2113]

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[Indianarn]

Dude I am an RN and I am 41 years old. I am also going to try for med school this year. Age is doesn't really matter, and you are only 28 years old. Go for your dreams man. Drop me a line if you want to.

 

[QofQuimica]

If I were already an NP like you, under no circumstances would I be considering going to medical school, especially given the sweetness of your current gig. I'd argue that many midlevels greatly overestimate the amount of freedom and lack of restrictions that physicians have in their scope of practice compared to midlevels, and especially compared to NPs. Go read the anesthesia forum and see what they have to say about CRNAs getting equal practice rights to MDAs. That being said, you probably aren't going to take my advice to stop looking at how green the surgeon's grass is, or you wouldn't be posting here. So, to answer your question:

How quickly you could take the classes is less important than how well you do in them. If you're going to continue to work full time (which is advisable, unless you just like punishing yourself by needlessly taking on even more unnecessary debt than you're already going to commit to by going to med school), I'd suggest starting with just one class. If getting an A in that first class feels easy, you can take two the next semester. But remember, it's more important to get As in every class (or as close to it as possible) than it is to get the classes done quickly. Realistically you could finish all of your prereqs in 2-3 years if you go to school part-time. If you decide to quit your job and go to school full-time, you could probably finish them all in one year. That doesn't include time to study for the MCAT or your "gap year" for application.

 

[dessimay]

How quickly you could take the classes is less important than how well you do in them. If you're going to continue to work full time (which is advisable, unless you just like punishing yourself by needlessly taking on even more unnecessary debt than you're already going to commit to by going to med school), I'd suggest starting with just one class. If getting an A in that first class feels easy, you can take two the next semester. But remember, it's more important to get As in every class (or as close to it as possible) than it is to get the classes done quickly. Realistically you could finish all of your prereqs in 2-3 years if you go to school part-time. If you decide to quit your job and go to school full-time, you could probably finish them all in one year. That doesn't include time to study for the MCAT or your "gap year" for application.

I've asked a question regarding the bolded before and I was told you want to avoid taking classes 1 at a time while working. They want to see that you can handle a heavier course load while doing whatever else you're doing. I always wondered how this would work for nurses and others who have similar schedules. I could definitely see myself fitting in 1 class but it'd be very difficult to get 2 classes plus their labs in while working 3x 12s any day of the week. Dropping to PRN/part time seems like the only way to make sure there's no conflict with class days.

I'd say doing 1 class then upping it to 2 if you think you can handle it is a great idea though. Just make sure not to take every single pre req 1 at a time, which can be difficult given certain schedules.

 

[QofQuimica]

I've asked a question regarding the bolded before and I was told you want to avoid taking classes 1 at a time while working. They want to see that you can handle a heavier course load while doing whatever else you're doing. I always wondered how this would work for nurses and others who have similar schedules. I could definitely see myself fitting in 1 class but it'd be very difficult to get 2 classes plus their labs in while working 3x 12s any day of the week. Dropping to PRN/part time seems like the only way to make sure there's no conflict with class days.

I'd say doing 1 class then upping it to 2 if you think you can handle it is a great idea though. Just make sure not to take every single pre req 1 at a time, which can be difficult given certain schedules.

Many people can and do take their prereqs one at a time while continuing to work. Whether you should take your post bac classes part time versus full time depends on why you're doing the post bac. The OP in this case has a 3.6 UG GPA and a 4.0 GPA in NP school. S/he doesn't have to prove that s/he can handle a full load of science courses. S/he just needs to jump through the hoops and get the uncompleted prereqs done without tanking those already good grades.

What makes a full time post bac type of scenario necessary is if you're trying to overcome poor prior grades. If you have a low UG GPA, especially if your GPA < 3.0 (which will cause you to be screened out by many schools), your problem is more complicated than just needing to complete the prereqs. You will have to do some significant grade repair, and that probably will indeed entail a year or two of full time science classes. You can either do a formal post bac/MS program designed to help premeds who are trying to make a comeback, or you can do a DIY post bac full time.

 

[dessimay]

Many people can and do take their prereqs one at a time while continuing to work. Whether you should take your post bac classes part time versus full time depends on why you're doing the post bac. The OP in this case has a 3.6 UG GPA and a 4.0 GPA in NP school. S/he doesn't have to prove that s/he can handle a full load of science courses. S/he just needs to jump through the hoops and get the uncompleted prereqs done without tanking those already good grades.

What makes a full time post bac type of scenario necessary is if you're trying to overcome poor prior grades. If you have a low UG GPA, especially if your GPA < 3.0 (which will cause you to be screened out by many schools), your problem is more complicated than just needing to complete the prereqs. You will have to do some significant grade repair, and that probably will indeed entail a year or two of full time science classes. You can either do a formal post bac/MS program designed to help premeds who are trying to make a comeback, or you can do a DIY post bac full time.

That's good to hear actually. I know I can handle a full load of classes but when I commit to something I want to make sure I can fully commit and show up to every class/lab which might be difficult or not possible given certain schedules. I'm sure this is a concern for others as well. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[2008orbust]

I was an NP too that went on to MD and matched Ortho. I started my ortho program on the day of my 38th birthday. I say this to let you know that you don't have to be rushing to take classes. Instead ace them, because after a 4.0 masters you don't want to show a short downward trend.

Also, take time to do really well on the MCAT. Good luck to you.