Nursing Major
Started by tennisball80
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Well, if you got rejected from med school (assuming that you would still be pursuing this), you'd have something to do for the year in between. If you're thinking of becoming a nurse... Well, they're paid well because they're overworked. You'll be doing a ton of scut work and get the crappy shifts at first, but you can work your way up to decent hours and such. I really don't know a lot about nursing--I avoid it like the plague, actually, because where I'm from everyone becomes a nurse. I can't tell you how many times I've been told, "Oh, you're smart. You should become a nurse!"
Anyway. Maybe someone else can answer this question better...
Anyway. Maybe someone else can answer this question better...
I'm a nurse. I think it would be pretty time-consuming to do a nursing major and complete all the pre-med requirements. Nursing has very little leeway in the courses you take, so you may end up with another year or two in college doing pre-med courses.
I can't speak to how medical schools would view a nursing major, but I think nursing schools would raise an eyebrow at a student who didn't really want to become a nurse.
I can't speak to how medical schools would view a nursing major, but I think nursing schools would raise an eyebrow at a student who didn't really want to become a nurse.
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Yeah, that is most likely true. Although it would be great to work as a nurse for a couple of years to make some money and really find out if you want to be a doctor.
Well, I don't know enough about this type of admissions to medical school, so I will take a back seat to that topic.
As far as a nursing career goes, you can become a NP and do a lot of stuff under the "supervision" of a physican.
Advantages:
- very good pay, especially starting. You could definitely make A LOT in a short period of time (~5 years I say to get upper 5 digit figures)
- they're in contact with patients more than doctors in the hospital. Sometimes, the nurses I have known point out mistakes doctors might make in prescribing medicines
- The shifts are long, but that means instead of a 8-hour 5 day a week shift, then you could do like a 12 hour (which, seriously goes by soooo fast) shift for only 3-4 days a week. That gives you a few days off, which is helpful if you want to start a family and do that type of thing.
Disadvantages:
- Scheduling is tight within the major itself. You need certain courses a certain amount of clinical time. You'll be very time consumed
- THey're on their feet all day (but I think doctors are too!) They have a lot of patients to take care of. But, I wouldn't see this as a disadvantage - this is part of their job.
- It's kind of looked as an "inferior" profession among some cultures/people, but don't let that stop you from majoring in it.
Plus, you have those intrinsic rewards when patients come and thank you for taking care of them, or the family comes to thank you for taking care of their loved one. 🙂
I LOVE nurses and have the greatest, utmost respect for them. I went to nurse camp this summer for a week and I never realized how much work they do. They start from 7 with medicines and charting, and by the time they're done with that they had to do that routine all over again! They had to grab a bite when they could, and did not have the luxury of having a set time.
habibah
That depends on how you define "rarely". My med school class has 3 ex-nurses. Plus there are many others in our class who left other careers in allied health as well.
I see nothing wrong with pursuing a nursing degree if you wish to. And if it were me, it would be very easy to defend at a medical school interview. The notion that there is any shortage because nurses are going into medical school is nonsense. At least they are still contributing to healthcare. Everyone else is quitting hospital work entirely!
Bottom line: choose WHATEVER major you want in college. Then make sure to add your pre-med classes and just do well in it.
I wouldn't do it.
There are definitely some positives (lots of patient exposure, "Head start" on pharm, pathophys, etc.), but a lot of negatives.
First, bachelor programs in nursing are rigorous because it combines on the job training with theoretical classroom stuff. Time commitments in the "clinical" years can be high and make it difficult to arrange interviews, take any prereqs you have left, etc.
Next, you will be considered a pariah by many if they find out you're using nursing as an immediate bridge to medicine. Nurses are not "doctors-lite" they are an entirely separate branch of medicine with their own ideas about how things are done. Many will see you using it as a stepping stone as an affront to them and will make your life difficult. This is different than the "ex-nurse" who applies to medical school after working in the field.
Similar to point one above, by taking a nursing curriculum you are limiting your options to have a well rounded unergraduate experience. Many of the bachelor nursing people I knew didn't have time for fun/easy classes that even premeds get to take to fill requirements do to the college of nursing's strict requirements.
Wow, I did a lot more nurse defending in this post than I'm used to. Hopefully should give me some karma on the floors.
There are definitely some positives (lots of patient exposure, "Head start" on pharm, pathophys, etc.), but a lot of negatives.
First, bachelor programs in nursing are rigorous because it combines on the job training with theoretical classroom stuff. Time commitments in the "clinical" years can be high and make it difficult to arrange interviews, take any prereqs you have left, etc.
Next, you will be considered a pariah by many if they find out you're using nursing as an immediate bridge to medicine. Nurses are not "doctors-lite" they are an entirely separate branch of medicine with their own ideas about how things are done. Many will see you using it as a stepping stone as an affront to them and will make your life difficult. This is different than the "ex-nurse" who applies to medical school after working in the field.
Similar to point one above, by taking a nursing curriculum you are limiting your options to have a well rounded unergraduate experience. Many of the bachelor nursing people I knew didn't have time for fun/easy classes that even premeds get to take to fill requirements do to the college of nursing's strict requirements.
Wow, I did a lot more nurse defending in this post than I'm used to. Hopefully should give me some karma on the floors.
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