nursing and major change???

[d0rkothee]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a 3rd year and pursuing a BA Biology Degree; however, from the look of my academic status, i'm not so sure i'll be able to get into Med School (2.9 gpa).

Now, i'm considering to change my career path and pursue Nursing. However, i'm not sure whether i should stick with my BA in Biology or switch to Psychology. I've pretty much completed all the undergrad sciences. Would taking upper division Bio courses be a waste of my time, if i do pursue Nursing as a career? I'm at total loss right now >.<

Please, feel free to drop some advice from yours or a friend's experience.

Thank you so much ^_^

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[fab4fan]

I would not encourage you to go into nursing because your gpa won't get you into medical school. Be a nurse because you want to be a nurse--not because it was a fall back position because of a gpa.

 

[bryanboling5]

I would not encourage you to go into nursing because your gpa won't get you into medical school. Be a nurse because you want to be a nurse--not because it was a fall back position because of a gpa.

I would second that. If you really want to be a doctor, nursing is a poor substitute. I originally wanted to go to Med School, but while I was working as a CNA/EMT in a hospital that I actually enjoyed aspects of nursing more. Change to nursing if you want to be a nurse. The jobs are actually VERY different.

If you really want to be a doc, but your GPA won't get you there...well, I dont' know what to tell you. Oh, and BTW, depending on your nursing school...I've had friends with a GPA similar to yours who didn't get into nursing school. Most places have a lot of applicants and can afford to be picky. (Now, your 2.9 may be in really hard classes versus someone with a 3.5 in easier classes, but my experience is that most programs don't care HOW you got your GPA as long as the pre-reqs are met.)
Bryan

 

[d0rkothee]

If you really want to be a doc, but your GPA won't get you there...well, I dont' know what to tell you. Oh, and BTW, depending on your nursing school...I've had friends with a GPA similar to yours who didn't get into nursing school. Most places have a lot of applicants and can afford to be picky. (Now, your 2.9 may be in really hard classes versus someone with a 3.5 in easier classes, but my experience is that most programs don't care HOW you got your GPA as long as the pre-reqs are met.)
Bryan

Yeah, i understand what you all mean, but, like what you said, if my gpa isnt as great to even enter nursing school, then what are the chances that I will be a candidate for medical school? It would be great if i get accepted to Medical school, but, if the chances i dont get in, than what will i do as a career? Also, I was having second thoughts about becoming a Doctor, because of my experience in an Internship that I am currently in. In my oppinion, nursing is a pretty good career choice and I could move on to higher positions if I choose too; such as master or become a Nurse Practitioner.

Thank you so much for your advice

Also, feel free to continue to comment ^_^

 

[JRJ26]

you're a junior, so you still have a semester plus a year left for your degree. I'd say you shouldn't apply to med school or nursing school next year, but finish your classes and see what your final GPA is. Get a good number of As and you'll definitely finish above a 3.0. Take the MCAT, and get above a 30, preferably 35+ (though that obviously isn't realistic for everyone). Depending on what your final GPA is, as well as the BCPM gpa, you can either apply, or take more undergrad courses to increase your GPA. Apply broadly, and you should be fine. If psych would be easier, and you would get more As in that than finishing the bio major, then do psych.


For nursing school, you'll need a number of different pre-reqs that you can look into, like anatomy/physiology, human growth and development, general psych, microbio, chem with lab, etc. It varies b/w schools, but these are generally some of the requirements. Many second degree BSN programs require a minimum of a 3.0 gpa, and a B- or higher in science courses. They'll obviously also ask you why nursing, just like med schools will ask why medicine, so you need to think about what you want to do.

 

[bryanboling5]

Yeah, i understand what you all mean, but, like what you said, if my gpa isnt as great to even enter nursing school, then what are the chances that I will be a candidate for medical school? It would be great if i get accepted to Medical school, but, if the chances i dont get in, than what will i do as a career? Also, I was having second thoughts about becoming a Doctor, because of my experience in an Internship that I am currently in. In my oppinion, nursing is a pretty good career choice and I could move on to higher positions if I choose too; such as master or become a Nurse Practitioner.

Thank you so much for your advice

Also, feel free to continue to comment ^_^

If that is the case, then maybe nursing would be a good choice. Like another poster said, you have time to get your GPA up (but raising it significantly is hard). I understand your point about a "backup" plan. If you get a degree in Bio and don't get into Med School, what would you want to do? Why are you having second thoughts about Med School due to your internship? If you like the hands-on aspect of patient care, then nursing might be a good choice. If you like the diagnosis and management of disease, then certainly Nurse Practictioner would be a good option for the future.

My though if I were you would be to go and spend some time shadowing nurses (and NPs if you think that might want you want to do) and see what it is really like before making a decision.
Bryan

 

[fab4fan]

Yeah, i understand what you all mean, but, like what you said, if my gpa isnt as great to even enter nursing school, then what are the chances that I will be a candidate for medical school? It would be great if i get accepted to Medical school, but, if the chances i dont get in, than what will i do as a career? Also, I was having second thoughts about becoming a Doctor, because of my experience in an Internship that I am currently in. In my oppinion, nursing is a pretty good career choice and I could move on to higher positions if I choose too; such as master or become a Nurse Practitioner.

Thank you so much for your advice

Also, feel free to continue to comment ^_^

Bryan brought up something I didn't really think about. In many areas there are waitlists to get into nursing programs and they are very competitive.

I think your priority should be bringing up your gpa. Do you feel comfortable sharing why you're having difficulty? Can you get a tutor?

What kind of internship are you doing that is making you have second thoughts about med school? How did you formulate an opinion on nursing being a good choice? Have you shadowed some nurses and seen what they do? Have you spent the day with a nurse practitioner? You really should be informed about the nursing profession before you start thinking about changing your major.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time--I'm just trying to get you to really think this through.

 

[JMT]

Yeah, i understand what you all mean, but, like what you said, if my gpa isnt as great to even enter nursing school, then what are the chances that I will be a candidate for medical school? It would be great if i get accepted to Medical school, but, if the chances i dont get in, than what will i do as a career? Also, I was having second thoughts about becoming a Doctor, because of my experience in an Internship that I am currently in. In my oppinion, nursing is a pretty good career choice and I could move on to higher positions if I choose too; such as master or become a Nurse Practitioner.

Thank you so much for your advice

Also, feel free to continue to comment ^_^

There are other options. You can still enter med school but just not in the US. You can study medicince in another country, which can be much cheaper, then come back to the states and take your board exams. If you don't want to spend 4 years outside the US, you can go to a Carribean medical school in which you only spend 2 years in the Carribean and then your last two years in the US doing your clinicals with the other US medical students. But you have to look into those schools, because not all of them are good choices, especially the new ones with no track record. If you think about your other choice: 2 years of nursing-assuming your already done with your gen-ed + 1 year of pre-reqs for nursing + 2 years to get your masters and become a NP = 5 years vs going offshore for 2 years + 2 years in states doing your clinicals and become a MD = 4 years

 

[bryanboling5]

There are other options. You can still enter med school but just not in the US.

Not such a bad idea. I used to think that "foreign" schools were for people who would make crappy docs. But I worked with a doc for several years and he was a good doc, a cradiologist in fact who had done residency and fellowship at bigger places. Recently I found out he went to med school in the carribean. His quote, "I didn't always study like I should have in school." I think all of us can relate to that.

Also, not to upset the DO folks around here, but a lot of DO schools will iverlook lower GPAs (especially if you have good MCAT scores and/or experience). I know a couple of guys who got into DO school when there GPAs were not good enough to get an interview at the local allopath school. They are fine docs. A lot of times, I think med schools think grades=good doctor. A lot of times, people may have a low GPA and still be able to do the work and willing to work hard. Sometimes life comes up and interferes with a 4.0.
bryan

 

[telenurse]

Not only do many areas have waiting lists for nursing schools but I'd like to add a comment...

Nursing is not a career that you should go into as a "fall back" option...if you go into nursing as a safety net, not because you want to be a nurse...it might be the worst career decision of your life. It's a stressful demanding emotional job.

Becoming a nurse was the best thing I ever did...and the longer I work and the more I learn about my specialty, and the more I develop my skills the more I love my job. BUT it's not for everyone...

 

[JMT]

Nursing is a great career. You get to work 3 days a week (12 hour shifts). Demand is so high, you can always move up (nurse practitioner) when your tired on waiting for a doctors orders to tx. Your debt would be less than a doctor,no residency so less arguments with family b/c of complaints like "your never here". I've thought about being a nurse and going for NP before but I just don't think I'd be satisfied with my life since I always wanted to be a doc and there's always that "what if?" question

 

[fab4fan]

Nursing is a great career. You get to work 3 days a week (12 hour shifts). Demand is so high, you can always move up (nurse practitioner) when your tired on waiting for a doctors orders to tx. Your debt would be less than a doctor,no residency so less arguments with family b/c of complaints like "your never here". I've thought about being a nurse and going for NP before but I just don't think I'd be satisfied with my life since I always wanted to be a doc and there's always that "what if?" question

I'd like to add a dose of reality here. In many facilities, there is mandatory OT, so those 12h shifts turn into 14h, 16h. Then there is mandatory OT sign-up, so you may wind up working more than three days a week. You hate to answer your phone when you're home because it's the staffing coordinator calling to see if you can come in "extra." Vacations get denied due to staffing issues, personal days are denied.

From the outside it may look like a sweet gig, but nursing has its own set of problems.

You really haven't listed any convincing reasons for wanting to go into nursing other than spending less time in school and at the hospital. My guess is if you go into something other than medicine, you're going to be frustrated and disappointed.

 

[d0rkothee]

Thank everyone for all your advice! I really do appreciate it! ^_^

well, i've been in this internship at a local hospital for almost 2 years now and i've worked on various floors, such as peds, pharmacy, med surg, ob-gyn. I've learned a great deal of what its like to be a doctor as well as a nurse. However, as time went by, I started to think that becoming a doctor really isnt the best thing for me. The rushing, the demands, and the stress wasnt very appealing to me. I worked with a lot of nurses and they were all a great bunch of people. They actually have the time to spend with patients and get to know them in a much more personal level. Its a much less demanding a stressful job and i can attain a higher level career if i choose to.

please continue to drop comments.

 

[chimichanga]

I'd like to add a dose of reality here. In many facilities, there is mandatory OT, so those 12h shifts turn into 14h, 16h. Then there is mandatory OT sign-up, so you may wind up working more than three days a week...

been doing this over 12 years in several hospitals...Never have I seen mandatory OT...

As a house sup, I would never mandate anyone to stay...

I think it is the exception, not the rule...

 

[bryanboling5]

The rushing, the demands, and the stress wasnt very appealing to me.

Life is full of rushing, demands and stress. If you love what you do, it's a little more bearable.

However, one thing that I noticed...when I was contemplating medicine, almost every doctor I talked to said, "Don't do it. If I could do it over again, I wouldn't."

When I talked to nurses and said I was thinking about nursing, they almost all told me what a great career it was and how they loved it. Now, I'm not saying that all docs hate it and all nurses love it. That was just my informal study. Purely anecdotal evidence!
Bryan

 

[plouffes]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently a 3rd year and pursuing a BA Biology Degree; however, from the look of my academic status, i'm not so sure i'll be able to get into Med School (2.9 gpa).

Now, i'm considering to change my career path and pursue Nursing. However, i'm not sure whether i should stick with my BA in Biology or switch to Psychology. I've pretty much completed all the undergrad sciences. Would taking upper division Bio courses be a waste of my time, if i do pursue Nursing as a career? I'm at total loss right now >.<

Please, feel free to drop some advice from yours or a friend's experience.

Thank you so much ^_^

Your GPA is not going to get you into a nursing program either. Nursing programs are also very competitive. Most programs require at least a 3.0 to even have your application looked at, let alone to be admitted. You may better off looking at med schools in the Caribbean. Or honestly, I would just take some more classes and boost your GPA.

 

[d0rkothee]

Your GPA is not going to get you into a nursing program either. Nursing programs are also very competitive. Most programs require at least a 3.0 to even have your application looked at, let alone to be admitted. You may better off looking at med schools in the Caribbean. Or honestly, I would just take some more classes and boost your GPA.

Yes, i totally agree. Right now, my main focus is just boost up my grades I'm a 3rd year, so i have roughly 4 more quarters to raise my GPA.

 

[foreverLaur]

Your GPA is not going to get you into a nursing program either. Nursing programs are also very competitive. Most programs require at least a 3.0 to even have your application looked at, let alone to be admitted. You may better off looking at med schools in the Caribbean. Or honestly, I would just take some more classes and boost your GPA.

The accelerated BSN programs are not nearly as competitive as a traditional programs. Both the programs by me have about 30 applications per starting time (one starts fall, spring, and summer while the other just starts summer) and admit about 20 students. Seems like pretty good odds to me.... assuming the GPA is brought up. However, the program I am applying to only requires a 2.5.

 

[caroladybelle]

been doing this over 12 years in several hospitals...Never have I seen mandatory OT...

As a house sup, I would never mandate anyone to stay...

I think it is the exception, not the rule...

As a traveler, I have seen several hospitals with mandatory OT. Interestingly, all of them were union facilities. And some of them international known. It is common in NY and in Philadelphia. In one NYC, at least two to three times per week on my unit alone, a evening shifter got mandated to do a double (work from 1515 to 2345 and find out at 2315 that they suddenly have no choice but to stay until 0745). Though I could not be mandated as contract, I volunteered to take mandate about 3 times during a 13 week assignment. I felt sorry for those with kids, and one shift for a nurse with three kids that found out that shift that she was pregnant...and got mandated that night. (For those of you that know my previous writings, that would be the "Hospital from Hell tour - NYC".

(My thoughts - if I were paying dues for a union.....and it didn't provide protection against MOT.....it would be useless baggage.)

 

[Farmer Jane]

I've never been *technically* given mandatory overtime, but I've been in plenty of situations in which my leaving would have constituted patient abandonment. Even if there wouldn't be legal consequences I just couldn't bring myself to walk away.

 

[fab4fan]

The accelerated BSN programs are not nearly as competitive as a traditional programs. Both the programs by me have about 30 applications per starting time (one starts fall, spring, and summer while the other just starts summer) and admit about 20 students. Seems like pretty good odds to me.... assuming the GPA is brought up. However, the program I am applying to only requires a 2.5.

That's not exactly something to be proud of. "Gee my school only required a GPA of 2.5!"

 

[foreverLaur]

That's not exactly something to be proud of. "Gee my school only required a GPA of 2.5!"

Just pointing out that a 3.0 isn't a required minimum for all nursing schools. Most I have seen required a 2.75+. At least the ones in my area receive approx 30-35 applications for 20-25 seats each application cycle (some once a year, some 2-3 times a year) so these programs don't seem to be as popular as traditional programs. What really gets me is a religious/hospital based 2nd degree BSN program about 1 hour from me (2 years in length with more strict prereqs and a worse reputation) has a 2 year waiting list

 

[fab4fan]

I've never been *technically* given mandatory overtime, but I've been in plenty of situations in which my leaving would have constituted patient abandonment. Even if there wouldn't be legal consequences I just couldn't bring myself to walk away.

Yep. I've been mandated both outright and in the subtle way you described.

Just because it hasn't happened in chimi's corner of the universe doesn't mean it isn't reality for a lot of nurses every day. And frankly, I call BS on any nurse who claims to be ignorant of the issue. That would mean that nurse would never visit a nursing website, read a nursing journal, talk to any nursing colleagues in other facilities. Like I said, either it's BS or willful ignorance.

 

[Farmer Jane]

That's not exactly something to be proud of. "Gee my school only required a GPA of 2.5!"

Yup. Besides, there's the stated requirement and what is actually practiced. If there's a lot of competition in a program you'll need a much higher GPA to get in, no matter what the website says.

 

[Jawbone]

I agree with what everyone else is saying. Nursing is not a fall-back plan. People only make it in NS if they REALLY want to do it. Contrary to popular belief on this board, NS is demanding, both academically, physically and emotionally. It sucks up your time and energy. The money can be good, but you also have to deal with terrible management, coworkers, doctors and issues such as working weekends, holidays and trying to get management to let you take a vacation or sick day once in a while. I'll say that most nurses value and enjoy their profession, but it comes at a high cost. Only do it if you want to be a NURSE, not a doctor wannabe. (NOT the same thing, SDN doctors!!)