Nursing or DO?

[ecami_21]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey! So this may be a long post, just FYI!🙂

I am super stuck between nursing school and DO school. I am a third year in college,studying international relations and biology. Most likely, I will be doing a fifth year. During my first two years of college, which was a at a community college, I let work and extra-curricular activities get in the way of my studies. There would be weeks were I would work 35-40 hours while going to school full time, which I totally regret. Because of it, I received a 3.1 GPA at my community college. Now, I attend UC Davis, and I am hoping to earn better grades. Because I went to a very small CC, I didn't have any research/ clinical opportunities, but I did work in a hospital as a CNA. When I graduate, I know that I want to help people, especially in times of disaster and in third world countries. I always thought I wanted to become a nurse practitioner to do this, but after coming to UC Davis, my eyes have been opened up to becoming a doctor. I really like the idea of becoming a doctor, but I am super intimidated. However, I really want to have the up-most knowledge of the human body/diseases/etc. I want to know the WHY of the conditions that occur in patients. According to my research, med school addresses this much more than nursing school does. I do like the holistic approach to nursing, and the fact that they get to spend lots of time with the patients. This is what brought me into looking into DO school, because I learned that it follows a holistic based medical model. I do have some concerns/questions, and I was wondering if I could have some advice from you all?

1. I am terrible at math, would this make me a bad doctor?
2. Is it even possible for me to get into med school at this point, due to low grades/experience?
3. What happens if I make a mistake as a doctor? How common is it to get sued/fired?
4. Given my circumstances, should I stick with becoming a nurse practitioner?
5. For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?
6. Is there any other advice that you would offer me? What would you do??

On the other hand, I am very attracted to nursing, because many master entry programs don't require students to take physics/chem/calculus, which are three courses I am very scared to take. Also, I like that nurses can work in a variety of specialties/units throughout their careers. I know that many NPs can diagnose, however, how much medical science do they actually know? Also, I know that in many states and countries, NPs can work independently, which I really want to do.

Sorry for the super long, perhaps confusing, post! This is just everything going that is going through my mind lately!

Thank you so so much for your HONEST input!

 

[deleted812153]

1: If you can cut in in physics, you're golden
2: Yes
3: It happens. Getting fired for it is pretty rare - it has to be a spectacular ****up.
4: Up to you. I haven't heard of many doctors wishing they went to nursing school, but it's happened enough for the nurses.
5: Doctor, generally speaking
6: Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell

On the subject of helping people in third world countries, we're finding out that giving them aid (in both food and economic terms) just makes them worse in the long term. This principle may also apply to healthcare, but **** if I know so you might want to look into that yourself.

 

[Noisewater-TDX]

1. I am terrible at math, would this make me a bad doctor?
2. Is it even possible for me to get into med school at this point, due to low grades/experience?
3. What happens if I make a mistake as a doctor? How common is it to get sued/fired?
4. Given my circumstances, should I stick with becoming a nurse practitioner?
5. For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?
6. Is there any other advice that you would offer me? What would you do??

Thank you so so much for your HONEST input!

So... I'm an RN, been one for 6 years. I will be starting DO school in August.

Listen to me, look into your heart and figure out if you want to be an RN or Doc. I always wanted to be a doc and I for one reason or another postponed taking the MCAT and went to nursing school. I gained some insanely good clinical experience that is going to help me as a doc, but that doesn't mean my route was the best.

If I were you, I would take a year or 2 to take higher level sciences and bump your GPA. Look at my stats in my signature. They aren't great, I got in.

To answer your questions,
1- a little math is needed, but you can learn it quick. Calculus is overkill, more like basic algebra at most.

2- after a little extra course work and clinical hours, yes. Try to get a job in an ER somewhere. You will get the best exp there.

3-not sure, I haven't heard of many people being sued directly. It's usually the hospital as a whole.

4- maybe, maybe not. They made the NP degree a doctorate recently. Sooo... You are still going to be going to school for 3-4 years.

5- you can do that with both degrees.

 

[Flirt]

Hey! So this may be a long post, just FYI!🙂

1. I am terrible at math, would this make me a bad doctor?
2. Is it even possible for me to get into med school at this point, due to low grades/experience?
3. What happens if I make a mistake as a doctor? How common is it to get sued/fired?
4. Given my circumstances, should I stick with becoming a nurse practitioner?
5. For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?
6. Is there any other advice that you would offer me? What would you do??

As far as answers to your questions, I agree with Trump (for once lol). At the end of the day only you can answer the nurse vs DO question because you know yourself, and what you will be satisfied with. For me, it is MD/DO or bust, nothing else would have been enough, but some people don't feel that way so you need to dig deep to answer that one.

 

[deleted812153]

I'd also add that there are places in America that are on par with 3rd world countries. Appalachia, Detroit, Chicago, reservations... these places are BAD (<-link). You don't have to leave the country to help the underprivileged.

 

[Flirt]

I'd also add that there are places in America that are on par with 3rd world countries. Appalachia, Detroit, Chicago, reservations... these places are BAD <-link. You don't have to leave the country to help the underprivileged.

This is true

but more importantly your signature 🤣🤣🤣

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

This is what brought me into looking into DO school, because I learned that it follows a holistic based medical model

First, there is no "holistic" model. Everyone learns the same stuff whether MD or DO, outside of some manipulation that the large majority of DOs (95% or something like that) never use in practice. Second, you need to decide whether you want to practice medicine or nursing because they are very diffferent. Medicine is medicine and nursing is nursing. Third, don't shy away from a career path simply because you are afraid of some hard classes.

Get some shadowing and see what it is that doctors actually do, usually there is a disconnect between what people think they do and what actually happens. Same with nursing. Nursing is a lot of following orders, knowing what to watch for as you monitor a patient, and knowing when to call the doctor if you think things are getting hairy.

1-no
2-yes, but you need to work towards it, fix your GPA, get experiences. Probably looking at a year or more to get a solid app together.
3-getting sued is common, losing said lawsuits is less so. Getting fired is usually for something that doesn't have to do with your medicine. Usually you are a huge tool that bullies people or stuff like that. Doctors are people too, and mistakes will happen whether you like it or not. A lot of being a doctor is seeing an issue and having the guts to try anything to fix it for the patient.
4-I would never become an NP personally, I would do PA if I wanted the mid level route. CRNA would be the only nursing degree I would potentially consider.
5-doctor, especially certain fields like OB/gyn, general surgery, there are many.
6- get some shadowing. Preferably in a hospital because then you can also see how the nurses work with the doctors. You can get into a DO school if you put the effort into putting together a good app, but only you can decide if it is worth it and what you want.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Make your life easier, become a nurse if it satisfies your career goals.

 

[JB50]

More patient contact as a nurse. More med as a physician. Diagnostics (physicians) --> orders for treatment (nurses).

This changes in surgery but ya.

 

[Noisewater-TDX]

More patient contact as a nurse. More med as a physician. Diagnostics (physicians) --> orders for treatment (nurses).

This changes in surgery but ya.

Doctor accesses pt, orders stuff ---> nurse runs around for a bit to complete said orders ---> doc orders more stuff ---> cycle repeats multiple times ---> pt gets dispo'd ---> new patient shows up.

The cycle of an ER doc/nurse relationship. Lol.

 

[dwgrubbs1s]

Hey! So this may be a long post, just FYI!🙂

I am super stuck between nursing school and DO school. I am a third year in college,studying international relations and biology. Most likely, I will be doing a fifth year. During my first two years of college, which was a at a community college, I let work and extra-curricular activities get in the way of my studies. There would be weeks were I would work 35-40 hours while going to school full time, which I totally regret. Because of it, I received a 3.1 GPA at my community college. Now, I attend UC Davis, and I am hoping to earn better grades. Because I went to a very small CC, I didn't have any research/ clinical opportunities, but I did work in a hospital as a CNA. When I graduate, I know that I want to help people, especially in times of disaster and in third world countries. I always thought I wanted to become a nurse practitioner to do this, but after coming to UC Davis, my eyes have been opened up to becoming a doctor. I really like the idea of becoming a doctor, but I am super intimidated. However, I really want to have the up-most knowledge of the human body/diseases/etc. I want to know the WHY of the conditions that occur in patients. According to my research, med school addresses this much more than nursing school does. I do like the holistic approach to nursing, and the fact that they get to spend lots of time with the patients. This is what brought me into looking into DO school, because I learned that it follows a holistic based medical model. I do have some concerns/questions, and I was wondering if I could have some advice from you all?

1. I am terrible at math, would this make me a bad doctor?
2. Is it even possible for me to get into med school at this point, due to low grades/experience?
3. What happens if I make a mistake as a doctor? How common is it to get sued/fired?
4. Given my circumstances, should I stick with becoming a nurse practitioner?
5. For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?
6. Is there any other advice that you would offer me? What would you do??

On the other hand, I am very attracted to nursing, because many master entry programs don't require students to take physics/chem/calculus, which are three courses I am very scared to take. Also, I like that nurses can work in a variety of specialties/units throughout their careers. I know that many NPs can diagnose, however, how much medical science do they actually know? Also, I know that in many states and countries, NPs can work independently, which I really want to do.

Sorry for the super long, perhaps confusing, post! This is just everything going that is going through my mind lately!

Thank you so so much for your HONEST input!

1.) No but may make for a rough time in your pre med classes.
2.) Yes, get your GPA up and nail the MCAT.
3.) Malpractice insurance exist for this reason. Yes you can get fired depending on what it is. Yes you can be sued.
4.) You should stick with what you feel is best. If you truly are committed to going down the medical route, then go into medicine. If you are okay with not having the deeper knowledge, but enough to help people, then go into nursing. Nurses do a lot of good in the healthcare system and make a large impact.
5.) You could do both with either. It all depends on how you want to help.
6.) Don't think you aren't smart or are "settling" if you go into nursing. Don't think you are too dumb to go into medicine. Research both fields extensively. Shadow some doctors and see if that is really the route you want to take. Shadowing doctors will give you a pretty good perspective on what you will actually be doing on a day to day bases in your career.

 

[ecami_21]

I'd also add that there are places in America that are on par with 3rd world countries. Appalachia, Detroit, Chicago, reservations... these places are BAD (<-link). You don't have to leave the country to help the underprivileged.

That's a really good point! Thank you!

 

[ecami_21]

Thanks for all the advice everybody! It is much appreciated!

 

[JB50]

Doctor accesses pt, orders stuff ---> nurse runs around for a bit to complete said orders ---> doc orders more stuff ---> cycle repeats multiple times ---> pt gets dispo'd ---> new patient shows up.

The cycle of an ER doc/nurse relationship. Lol.

Idk how I would feel if my doctor accessed me

 

[Noisewater-TDX]

Idk how I would feel if my doctor accessed me

Hahahaha... You know what I mean!

I mean. We do access the rectum to assess tone. What happens in the er, stays in the er

 

[edmedt]

Hey! UC Davis alum here. I have some advice here!
I am a biochem major graduated from UCD in 2014. Recently just accepted by a DO school near my home.
Of course, you need to try as hard as you can to boost up your GPA to make you competitive to be considered for any graduate programs admission, either MSN, MD, or DO. However, you should not be worry too much about your GPA right now, given you still have a year or two to go
I would recommend you to take some MCB and BIS classes (BIS 101 to 104)* since the new MCAT has more biochemistry and molecular bio. Those classes certainly help you to prep the test and medical school essentially. To boost up GPA, try to take some NUT classes, upper division in particular. They are interesting and helpful for your healthcare career.
Beside of classes, it is good to intern at the UCD medical center. You can explore more medicine through the volunteer internship and, essentially, polish your application. You should definitely look up the internship through ICC.
To choose between being a doctor or NP, for me, it is really depend on what kind of specialty you want to practice. If you want to practice in primary care, dermatology, or ped, NP would not be a bad option, given the less time in training and school. If you, however, want to practice in some really skills demanding specialty, such as surgery, anesthesiology, or ophthalmology, going for doctor maybe a a better option.
Hope this help!

 

[MaximusD]

If you are asking, you don't understand how profoundly different the pathways are. Do more shadowing.

 

[Dr. Rafiki]

You realize you could be asking "nursing or MD?" in which case I think you probably already know which you'd prefer. Please research what it means to be a DO before you have these thoughts.

Sent from my LGLS676 using SDN mobile

 

[ecami_21]

Hey! UC Davis alum here. I have some advice here!
I am a biochem major graduated from UCD in 2014. Recently just accepted by a DO school near my home.
Of course, you need to try as hard as you can to boost up your GPA to make you competitive to be considered for any graduate programs admission, either MSN, MD, or DO. However, you should not be worry too much about your GPA right now, given you still have a year or two to go
I would recommend you to take some MCB and BIS classes (BIS 101 to 104)* since the new MCAT has more biochemistry and molecular bio. Those classes certainly help you to prep the test and medical school essentially. To boost up GPA, try to take some NUT classes, upper division in particular. They are interesting and helpful for your healthcare career.
Beside of classes, it is good to intern at the UCD medical center. You can explore more medicine through the volunteer internship and, essentially, polish your application. You should definitely look up the internship through ICC.
To choose between being a doctor or NP, for me, it is really depend on what kind of specialty you want to practice. If you want to practice in primary care, dermatology, or ped, NP would not be a bad option, given the less time in training and school. If you, however, want to practice in some really skills demanding specialty, such as surgery, anesthesiology, or ophthalmology, going for doctor maybe a a better option.
Hope this help!

That does help! Thank you!

 

[ecami_21]

You realize you could be asking "nursing or MD?" in which case I think you probably already know which you'd prefer. Please research what it means to be a DO before you have these thoughts.

Sent from my LGLS676 using SDN mobile

What do you mean by that exactly?

 

[ecami_21]

That does help! Thank you!

Hey! UC Davis alum here. I have some advice here!
I am a biochem major graduated from UCD in 2014. Recently just accepted by a DO school near my home.
Of course, you need to try as hard as you can to boost up your GPA to make you competitive to be considered for any graduate programs admission, either MSN, MD, or DO. However, you should not be worry too much about your GPA right now, given you still have a year or two to go
I would recommend you to take some MCB and BIS classes (BIS 101 to 104)* since the new MCAT has more biochemistry and molecular bio. Those classes certainly help you to prep the test and medical school essentially. To boost up GPA, try to take some NUT classes, upper division in particular. They are interesting and helpful for your healthcare career.
Beside of classes, it is good to intern at the UCD medical center. You can explore more medicine through the volunteer internship and, essentially, polish your application. You should definitely look up the internship through ICC.
To choose between being a doctor or NP, for me, it is really depend on what kind of specialty you want to practice. If you want to practice in primary care, dermatology, or ped, NP would not be a bad option, given the less time in training and school. If you, however, want to practice in some really skills demanding specialty, such as surgery, anesthesiology, or ophthalmology, going for doctor maybe a a better option.
Hope this help!

Why did you decide to go the DO route? Did you ever consider becoming a mid-level practitioner, such as an NP? I am thinking I would rather go the DO route, since it will give more independence in my career, as compared to going the nursing route. Thoughts? Thanks!

 

[Noisewater-TDX]

Why did you decide to go the DO route? Did you ever consider becoming a mid-level practitioner, such as an NP? I am thinking I would rather go the DO route, since it will give more independence in my career, as compared to going the nursing route. Thoughts? Thanks!

You said it. Independence. I didn't want to be a mid level.

 

[Dr. Rafiki]

What do you mean by that exactly?

By this I mean it appears you believe DOs to be on the same caliber as midlevels such as PAs, NPs, etc. The truth is that DOs are medical doctors and as such receive equally rigorous training as MDs do. They are not even close to similar to the profession of a midlevel. So, again, please research what it means to be a DO before you try to draw it as comparable to NP.

Hint: the current NASA medical chief is a DO. You will have the chance at gaining a surgical specialty as a DO. You have full autonomy as the chief medical authority in a healthcare setting as a DO. None of the above applies to nursing.

 

[ananasmed]

I considered nursing school, even applied and was accepted to master's entry programs before deciding to go to medical school. Try to imagine yourself working as an RN or even an NP. When I thought about it, I imagined I would feel regret at not having pursued medicine, and that I might even be spiteful/jealous of physicians I worked with, thinking "Ugh, I *COULD HAVE* done that!" and possibly having ended up going to medical school after spending all of that time to become a NP (hint: this is not a short path). From your post, it sounds like you want to do medicine but you're scared you aren't good enough or smart enough. If you can push aside those feelings and build confidence, get a tutor for your physics/chem/math classes if you need to (I did!) and don't look back.

 

[ecami_21]

I considered nursing school, even applied and was accepted to master's entry programs before deciding to go to medical school. Try to imagine yourself working as an RN or even an NP. When I thought about it, I imagined I would feel regret at not having pursued medicine, and that I might even be spiteful/jealous of physicians I worked with, thinking "Ugh, I *COULD HAVE* done that!" and possibly having ended up going to medical school after spending all of that time to become a NP (hint: this is not a short path). From your post, it sounds like you want to do medicine but you're scared you aren't good enough or smart enough. If you can push aside those feelings and build confidence, get a tutor for your physics/chem/math classes if you need to (I did!) and don't look back.

That gives me so much hope! Thank you!!

 

[ecami_21]

By this I mean it appears you believe DOs to be on the same caliber as midlevels such as PAs, NPs, etc. The truth is that DOs are medical doctors and as such receive equally rigorous training as MDs do. They are not even close to similar to the profession of a midlevel. So, again, please research what it means to be a DO before you try to draw it as comparable to NP.

Hint: the current NASA medical chief is a DO. You will have the chance at gaining a surgical specialty as a DO. You have full autonomy as the chief medical authority in a healthcare setting as a DO. None of the above applies to nursing.

Oh okay, gotcha! Yeah I know that a DO is a medical doctor, and that they are not midlevels. However, since I always thought nursing was for me previously, I just wanted to know the exact differences between the two. But now I know, thanks to this thread and my research! Thanks for your help! 🙂

 

[TXMED_1695]

Your list is a little strange because you are thinking about things that are irrelevant to either pathway. You're taking an extremely longer pathway to get into either fields. Become a nurse and then consider NP, you can not become an NP without the nursing portion completed. Focus more on the here and now, for example, like getting better grades. You're asking if it is common to get fired as a doctor, but you do not know if math is required to become a doctor. You should print out both degree planners for nursing and pre-medicine and understand, "the here and now", in order to get started down a pathway. Getting into nursing school is not an easy task. Most of those gals have 3.5+ GPA, and are really good students. In my area there is a 1 year waiting list to get into the nursing program, so having low grades makes it really hard to get into the RN program.

1. You need College Algebra, Trigonometry, or Pre-calculus, and then Physics 1 & 2, all your Chemistry courses require mathematical conversions/equations. You do not have to worry about being a doctor that is bad at math, because it would be difficult to even finish the prerequisites for a premed program. I went from being terrible at math to calculating the Goldman equation, which is used to calculate the reversal potential across a cells membrane, calculating all the ions involved with just simple recall. (You can change number 1, like I did - if you want to become a doctor)
2. Always possible. 100% up to you though, and you are limited on the amount of time you can waste before it is not possible. The more courses you take and you do poorly in them the harder it is for you to fix your GPA.
3....
4. You're not even a nurse, how do you even know if you want to become a NP.
5......
6. Do not over think things, focus on one thing, and do it to the best of your ability.

Hey! So this may be a long post, just FYI!🙂

I am super stuck between nursing school and DO school. I am a third year in college,studying international relations and biology. Most likely, I will be doing a fifth year. During my first two years of college, which was a at a community college, I let work and extra-curricular activities get in the way of my studies. There would be weeks were I would work 35-40 hours while going to school full time, which I totally regret. Because of it, I received a 3.1 GPA at my community college. Now, I attend UC Davis, and I am hoping to earn better grades. Because I went to a very small CC, I didn't have any research/ clinical opportunities, but I did work in a hospital as a CNA. When I graduate, I know that I want to help people, especially in times of disaster and in third world countries. I always thought I wanted to become a nurse practitioner to do this, but after coming to UC Davis, my eyes have been opened up to becoming a doctor. I really like the idea of becoming a doctor, but I am super intimidated. However, I really want to have the up-most knowledge of the human body/diseases/etc. I want to know the WHY of the conditions that occur in patients. According to my research, med school addresses this much more than nursing school does. I do like the holistic approach to nursing, and the fact that they get to spend lots of time with the patients. This is what brought me into looking into DO school, because I learned that it follows a holistic based medical model. I do have some concerns/questions, and I was wondering if I could have some advice from you all?

1. I am terrible at math, would this make me a bad doctor?
2. Is it even possible for me to get into med school at this point, due to low grades/experience?
3. What happens if I make a mistake as a doctor? How common is it to get sued/fired?
4. Given my circumstances, should I stick with becoming a nurse practitioner?
5. For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?
6. Is there any other advice that you would offer me? What would you do??

On the other hand, I am very attracted to nursing, because many master entry programs don't require students to take physics/chem/calculus, which are three courses I am very scared to take. Also, I like that nurses can work in a variety of specialties/units throughout their careers. I know that many NPs can diagnose, however, how much medical science do they actually know? Also, I know that in many states and countries, NPs can work independently, which I really want to do.

Sorry for the super long, perhaps confusing, post! This is just everything going that is going through my mind lately!

Thank you so so much for your HONEST input!

 

[ecami_21]

Your list is a little strange because you are thinking about things that are irrelevant to either pathway. You're taking an extremely longer pathway to get into either fields. Become a nurse and then consider NP, you can not become an NP without the nursing portion completed. Focus more on the here and now, for example, like getting better grades. You're asking if it is common to get fired as a doctor, but you do not know if math is required to become a doctor. You should print out both degree planners for nursing and pre-medicine and understand, "the here and now", in order to get started down a pathway. Getting into nursing school is not an easy task. Most of those gals have 3.5+ GPA, and are really good students. In my area there is a 1 year waiting list to get into the nursing program, so having low grades makes it really hard to get into the RN program.

1. You need College Algebra, Trigonometry, or Pre-calculus, and then Physics 1 & 2, all your Chemistry courses require mathematical conversions/equations. You do not have to worry about being a doctor that is bad at math, because it would be difficult to even finish the prerequisites for a premed program. I went from being terrible at math to calculating the Goldman equation, which is used to calculate the reversal potential across a cells membrane, calculating all the ions involved with just simple recall. (You can change number 1, like I did - if you want to become a doctor)
2. Always possible. 100% up to you though, and you are limited on the amount of time you can waste before it is not possible. The more courses you take and you do poorly in them the harder it is for you to fix your GPA.
3....
4. You're not even a nurse, how do you even know if you want to become a NP.
5......
6. Do not over think things, focus on one thing, and do it to the best of your ability.

Thanks for brining all of that up. I guess I tend to overthink things and I definetly think way to much about the "What-ifs". That is good advice to focus on "here and now".... Thank you! Also, that is inspiring how much you improved in math. Thanks for bringing that up. What tips do you have for improving in mathematics?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[ecami_21]

I considered nursing school, even applied and was accepted to master's entry programs before deciding to go to medical school. Try to imagine yourself working as an RN or even an NP. When I thought about it, I imagined I would feel regret at not having pursued medicine, and that I might even be spiteful/jealous of physicians I worked with, thinking "Ugh, I *COULD HAVE* done that!" and possibly having ended up going to medical school after spending all of that time to become a NP (hint: this is not a short path). From your post, it sounds like you want to do medicine but you're scared you aren't good enough or smart enough. If you can push aside those feelings and build confidence, get a tutor for your physics/chem/math classes if you need to (I did!) and don't look back.

Thanks for this!! 🙂

 

[Levo]

For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?

The logistics of doing global health work, especially efficacious global health work as opposed to cheap voluntourism are very challenging. Those challenges are not insurmountable and I do know people who've managed to do this. However, this comes at great sacrifices in terms of income, career advancement, and deferring family life for multiple years. I would imagine it ends up being impossible for many people who set out with that goal in mind. Would you be as genuinely interested in either or both professions if you were to cast aside your global health aspirations?

 

[AttendingAdvice]

Being a doc means u have to be ok making decisions and directing others to give care. u have to be ok being the captain of the ship. DOs are more opened to some of the alternative therapies so if u are of like mind DO is a great option. being a doc, the money is usually better but the hours can be worse. look into the short ebook on Amazon by Adrian Aaron, written by a nurse who became a doc. it will give u some critical info and clever tips for your situation. Good luck to you!

Hey! So this may be a long post, just FYI!🙂

I am super stuck between nursing school and DO school. I am a third year in college,studying international relations and biology. Most likely, I will be doing a fifth year. During my first two years of college, which was a at a community college, I let work and extra-curricular activities get in the way of my studies. There would be weeks were I would work 35-40 hours while going to school full time, which I totally regret. Because of it, I received a 3.1 GPA at my community college. Now, I attend UC Davis, and I am hoping to earn better grades. Because I went to a very small CC, I didn't have any research/ clinical opportunities, but I did work in a hospital as a CNA. When I graduate, I know that I want to help people, especially in times of disaster and in third world countries. I always thought I wanted to become a nurse practitioner to do this, but after coming to UC Davis, my eyes have been opened up to becoming a doctor. I really like the idea of becoming a doctor, but I am super intimidated. However, I really want to have the up-most knowledge of the human body/diseases/etc. I want to know the WHY of the conditions that occur in patients. According to my research, med school addresses this much more than nursing school does. I do like the holistic approach to nursing, and the fact that they get to spend lots of time with the patients. This is what brought me into looking into DO school, because I learned that it follows a holistic based medical model. I do have some concerns/questions, and I was wondering if I could have some advice from you all?

1. I am terrible at math, would this make me a bad doctor?
2. Is it even possible for me to get into med school at this point, due to low grades/experience?
3. What happens if I make a mistake as a doctor? How common is it to get sued/fired?
4. Given my circumstances, should I stick with becoming a nurse practitioner?
5. For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?
6. Is there any other advice that you would offer me? What would you do??

On the other hand, I am very attracted to nursing, because many master entry programs don't require students to take physics/chem/calculus, which are three courses I am very scared to take. Also, I like that nurses can work in a variety of specialties/units throughout their careers. I know that many NPs can diagnose, however, how much medical science do they actually know? Also, I know that in many states and countries, NPs can work independently, which I really want to do.

Sorry for the super long, perhaps confusing, post! This is just everything going that is going through my mind lately!

Thank you so so much for your HONEST input!

 

[GBCrzzyy]

I know it has been brought up by others answering your questions but I just wanted to throw in my take:

I, personally, would never want to become a nurse. I don't know too much about NPs because I never looked into that pathway. However, I know that I want to be my own boss and have as much autonomy as possible. I don't like jobs where I'm constantly following orders/requests all day long. I have so much respect for the people who do choose nursing but it's just not for me. I like the freedom to make my own decisions and lead. That would be my biggest issue with becoming a nurse.

Another thing to consider; DO's are not as well recognized outside of the US. It can be difficult for anyone planning to work overseas. It's probably different for those looking to do short bouts of service but a long term/permanent job outside of the US as a DO can be very hard depending on where you want to go and what you want to do in that area. If you truly want as much international freedom as possible, MD may be your preferred route. The "holistic" principles have been adapted by MD schools now so there really isn't a difference besides MD schools lacking the OMM training. But a majority of DOs don't use OMM in practice anyways. International practice rights are not a concern for me since I plan to stay in the US so I'm perfectly happy going to a DO school but it may not be the best option for you if you truly want to practice in other countries.

Here is a great article that contains a map showing which countries have unlimited practice rights for DOs http://jaoa.org/article.aspx?articleid=2094563

Should you decide to look into MD schools instead of DO, I suggest starting with your state schools. You will definitely need to rock those missing pre-reqs and take some other upper level science classes to raise your GPA and show that you are capable of handling a medical school curriculum. You'll definitely want a great score on the MCAT regardless of whether you choose MD or DO too.

As a final side note; DO schools are rapidly becoming more and more competitive so don't think of it as much easier to get into than MD schools. There are more applicants every year and they just did away with their grade replacement policy so they are quickly climbing the ranks to match many MD schools in competitiveness. Just some food for thought.

 

[deleted831695]

Should you decide to look into MD schools instead of DO, I suggest starting with your state schools. You will definitely need to rock those missing pre-reqs and take some other upper level science classes to raise your GPA and show that you are capable of handling a medical school curriculum. You'll definitely want a great score on the MCAT regardless of whether you choose MD or DO too.

As a final side note; DO schools are rapidly becoming more and more competitive so don't think of it as much easier to get into than MD schools. There are more applicants every year and they just did away with their grade replacement policy so they are quickly climbing the ranks to match many MD schools in competitiveness. Just some food for thought.

In fact, some DO schools already have class profiles on par with, if not exceeding, 'lower-tier' MD schools. Central Michigan's 2016 Entering Class Profile was 3.6/28 or 504. This current cycle's MSUCOM accepted applicant averages are 3.6+ SCIENCE/506.

 

[ecami_21]

I know it has been brought up by others answering your questions but I just wanted to throw in my take:

I, personally, would never want to become a nurse. I don't know too much about NPs because I never looked into that pathway. However, I know that I want to be my own boss and have as much autonomy as possible. I don't like jobs where I'm constantly following orders/requests all day long. I have so much respect for the people who do choose nursing but it's just not for me. I like the freedom to make my own decisions and lead. That would be my biggest issue with becoming a nurse.

Another thing to consider; DO's are not as well recognized outside of the US. It can be difficult for anyone planning to work overseas. It's probably different for those looking to do short bouts of service but a long term/permanent job outside of the US as a DO can be very hard depending on where you want to go and what you want to do in that area. If you truly want as much international freedom as possible, MD may be your preferred route. The "holistic" principles have been adapted by MD schools now so there really isn't a difference besides MD schools lacking the OMM training. But a majority of DOs don't use OMM in practice anyways. International practice rights are not a concern for me since I plan to stay in the US so I'm perfectly happy going to a DO school but it may not be the best option for you if you truly want to practice in other countries.

Here is a great article that contains a map showing which countries have unlimited practice rights for DOs Gray Zone: Why a Delayed Acceptance of Osteopathic Medicine Persists in the International Community | The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association

Should you decide to look into MD schools instead of DO, I suggest starting with your state schools. You will definitely need to rock those missing pre-reqs and take some other upper level science classes to raise your GPA and show that you are capable of handling a medical school curriculum. You'll definitely want a great score on the MCAT regardless of whether you choose MD or DO too.

As a final side note; DO schools are rapidly becoming more and more competitive so don't think of it as much easier to get into than MD schools. There are more applicants every year and they just did away with their grade replacement policy so they are quickly climbing the ranks to match many MD schools in competitiveness. Just some food for thought.

Super helpful, thank you!

 

[BeddingfieldMD]

I'll answer your points as follows:

1. I am terrible at math, would this make me a bad doctor?

If you're truly "terrible," it might make it difficult for you to do well enough in some of your prerequisite coursework (which you may already be done with) and/or MCAT to get into medical school. But keep in mind, half the country can barely do long-division. So I doubt you're really "terrible." If it's just not your forte, you'll probably be fine. There are plenty of medical specialties that don't require advanced math skills on a daily basis.

2. Is it even possible for me to get into med school at this point, due to low grades/experience?

Based on what you've described in your original post, yes. You will need to work very hard in your next year and a half to bring up your GPA. And your med school options will be limited, to be sure, unless you pursue additional post-bacc coursework to further improve your GPA. But it's still possible. Also, try to gain good experiences during the next year. Again, you may need to delay applying to med school by a year to gain some good clinical experiences after you graduate, since you don't want to let them interfere with your studies. You really need to rock the grades from here on out.

3. What happens if I make a mistake as a doctor? How common is it to get sued/fired?

A 2010 study by the American Medical Association revealed that 61% of physicians have been sued for malpractice at least once by the ends of their careers. So there's a fairly good chance you will eventually be involved in a malpractice case. This varies by specialty, region of practice, and other factors. It doesn't mean the end of your career, but it can be a huge headache. That said, it shouldn't discourage you from becoming a physician. It's just a fact of life. You will have malpractice insurance and backup from your hospital, group, etc.

Being fired is rare, but it also can happen. In fact, some residents are "fired" during their residency--and left to find another specialty or a different residency program in which to finish their training. This usually occurs for negligence or a complete mismatch of your skills with your chosen specialty. It is rare to occur for making an honest mistake. This is so rare I wouldn't let this discourage you either.

4. Given my circumstances, should I stick with becoming a nurse practitioner?

As you've suggested, being a physician and nurse practitioner involve two very different levels of training and responsibilities once out in practice. You need to very clearly evaluate the two jobs and describe which fits your personality and career/life goals better. Don't base your decision primarily on your "circumstances."

5. For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?

Members of both professions can be valuable. I would note, however, that whichever route you choose, you should realize that the vast majority of your time will be spent practicing medicine or nursing here in the United States in a traditional setting. Most clinicians do overseas mission trips on a volunteer basis, which isn't sustainable long-term for obvious reasons. Very few organizations will "pay" you to do this work. Public health career options do exist, but they are rare and usually involve performing more administrative tasks and not practicing medicine or nursing in third-world countries.

6. Is there any other advice that you would offer me? What would you do??

From what you've described, medical school is not out of reach for you. To get there, you do have an uphill climb and will have to work hard. But it's possible. You need to explore the two career options (physician versus nurse), evaluate your life and career goals, and decide which you really want to do. Good luck!

 

[123456ers]

Hey! So this may be a long post, just FYI!🙂

I am super stuck between nursing school and DO school. I am a third year in college,studying international relations and biology. Most likely, I will be doing a fifth year. During my first two years of college, which was a at a community college, I let work and extra-curricular activities get in the way of my studies. There would be weeks were I would work 35-40 hours while going to school full time, which I totally regret. Because of it, I received a 3.1 GPA at my community college. Now, I attend UC Davis, and I am hoping to earn better grades. Because I went to a very small CC, I didn't have any research/ clinical opportunities, but I did work in a hospital as a CNA. When I graduate, I know that I want to help people, especially in times of disaster and in third world countries. I always thought I wanted to become a nurse practitioner to do this, but after coming to UC Davis, my eyes have been opened up to becoming a doctor. I really like the idea of becoming a doctor, but I am super intimidated. However, I really want to have the up-most knowledge of the human body/diseases/etc. I want to know the WHY of the conditions that occur in patients. According to my research, med school addresses this much more than nursing school does. I do like the holistic approach to nursing, and the fact that they get to spend lots of time with the patients. This is what brought me into looking into DO school, because I learned that it follows a holistic based medical model. I do have some concerns/questions, and I was wondering if I could have some advice from you all?

1. I am terrible at math, would this make me a bad doctor?
2. Is it even possible for me to get into med school at this point, due to low grades/experience?
3. What happens if I make a mistake as a doctor? How common is it to get sued/fired?
4. Given my circumstances, should I stick with becoming a nurse practitioner?
5. For my goals, helping people in third world countries, is becoming a doctor or nurse better?
6. Is there any other advice that you would offer me? What would you do??

On the other hand, I am very attracted to nursing, because many master entry programs don't require students to take physics/chem/calculus, which are three courses I am very scared to take. Also, I like that nurses can work in a variety of specialties/units throughout their careers. I know that many NPs can diagnose, however, how much medical science do they actually know? Also, I know that in many states and countries, NPs can work independently, which I really want to do.

Sorry for the super long, perhaps confusing, post! This is just everything going that is going through my mind lately!

Thank you so so much for your HONEST input!

Lol. I'm TERRIBLE at math, but I got As in physics and gen chem and am doing pretty well on the MCAT math prep stuff. Honestly NONE of the math you need to know for any of this stuff is that bad. Yes, it sucks sometimes but pretty much anyone who is willing to put in the work can do it. Don't sell yourself short!
You can still get into DO school.
I mean it happens, sure. One of the decisions you're gonna have to make is if you want to be ultimately responsible for a patient as physicians are.
Being a nurse practitioner is awesome. They're getting increasing autonomy. Pays really well. If I were you, I honestly probably would go this route. But again, if you want to be a physician, go for it.
I dont think it matters whichever you do. Nurse or Dr, there will be some kind of organization that would love to work with you overseas.
Only advice I would give is not to be scared of courses. A lot of them sound worse than they really are. I never thought I could do well in o chem 2 or biochem. I had high As in both, despite what I had heard and the limitations other people tried to make my believe. Again, don't sell yourself short. At the same time, being a nurse and maybe getting your practitioners license is a great path that I know has served several friends of mine well.

Both are good options. I hope you pick the one you feel best about.