Nursing school to med school?

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RNtoPossibleMD

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I have a very untraditional background so I'm going to be vague for anonymity. I have a B.S. in bio, another Bachelor degree in a non-science field, and also partially completed a post-bac at a well-known university. Dropped out because of extreme personal circumstances. I had a stellar GPA until the last semester of my B.S. and during the post-bac due to the circumstances out of my control; in hindsight I really should have appealed to the university but it's too late at this point. Anyway, I told myself I would never get into medical school with those stats so I applied for nursing school. I'm in one of the top nursing schools in the country and a supposedly prestigious/difficult entry-level Master's program. I graduate this winter and it's been fine so far. Plan was to go into a DNP with NP specialty program (3-year) right afterwards. I'm getting A's and B's though I could do better if I tried - the content is very easy even compared to my B.S. I honestly am very unhappy in nursing the longer I stay and I feel like I am not using my potential at all. I have lost all motivation for the program. I never attend class and I barely study. I put in less and less effort on assignments but still get A's. I know deep down that I just want to be a doctor and enter the military at some point.

Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that I am currently engaged and my fiancé does not want to move. He wants to purchase a house and settle down for a while. I realize my spotty record is also probably undesirable. I finally calculated my GPA today and was shocked to see that my cGPA is only 3.51, and sGPA 3.05. I'm embarrassed. I have so many credits that I don't think taking more classes is going to bring the sGPA up by much. I have student loans in the six-figures (long story - the majority weren't for tuition). I'm in my mid-20s. I'd be applying to 5-6 schools max, the ones in my geographical area, and many of them are really good. I'd have to brush up on prereqs, maybe take a few again due to age, take biochem, and take the MCAT. Don't know if I need to get volunteer/shadow hrs. Another massive undertaking after being in school for so long.

Do you guys think I even have a chance? Practically speaking is this even feasible or is it a completely nonsensical and fantastical idea? I've spoken to a few people so far and they think I'm nuts. They recommend just going for the DNP, getting additional NP specialties, and just working to pay off my debt.

I feel crazy. I don't know how to give up the dream either if that's what's necessary.

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Sounds like you would be an extreme long shot. I'd suggest finding a niche area of nursing that you enjoy. It's a great field and being an NP is a prestigious and well-compensated job.
 
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Agree with @Dave1980 . As a normal applicant you'd probably need to attend an SMP or structured post-bacc to fix your sGPA issues since you say that you have too many credits to be fixed. Either that or move to Texas and declare Academic Fresh Start (which obvs isn't possible since you can't move). And yes, you would still need shadowing/volunteering.

However, given your limited situation and the fact that you're talking about applying to very good schools, your options are much, much more limited. You'd be giving a significant amount of time, effort, and earning potential to a very low probability event.

Intellectual potential and professional achievement have to be balanced against your other desires as well. Having a fulfilling relationship/marriage comes at the cost of the freedom to do whatever you want. The financial choices you make regarding school, job, and spending will affect both of you and your future children. Ultimately, you have to decide what's the most important to you and what you can live with. If you have a happy life 20 years from now and you're unfulfilled, you can't look back and think "I could've been a doctor." It's very likely that doing that would have drastically changed your life and outcome.
 
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I felt the same way when I was in PT school. Everything bored me, and I was doing well without trying. After speaking with my wife, I decided to take the leap of faith and apply to medical school. It worked out great for me, but I had scholarships all throughout my undergrad career. So, I wasn’t too worried about the student loan/financial aspect of it.

One of my friends became an NP, worked during the day, and took her pre-reqs at night. She was able to make some cash, but worked toward her dream as well. As for your GPA, some people blow the MCAT out of the water and it makes up for a lower GPA, or they do a post-bac linked with a medical school.

Now, the big issue is your fiancé. I wouldn’t have applied to medical school if my wife said “no.” But she was extremely supportive and has helped me 100% this entire time. My relationship with my wife comes first, and everything else is secondary. Honestly, I don’t think many of us can answer your question. Have I heard about students getting accepted with your scores? Yup. Are there students that successfully transfer from nursing/RT/PT/etc to medical school? Yup.

I think it will be helpful if you sit down and make a list of pros/cons of becoming an NP or MD/DO. For me, becoming a doctor made sense financially and goal wise. If you decide that becoming a doctor is the only thing that will make you happy, then do it. WARNING: I always tell people that if they can’t see themselves enjoying day to day life in their job, find something else (I am a dreamer lol).

Anyways, checkout out a podcast called “Oldpremeds podcast.” It is by Dr. Ryan Gray and he is phenomenal. There is a new video called “Is changing careers concerning to ADCOMS.” And it is worth a listen. Also, he has another podcast called “The premed year,” and there is a video about an NP on his way to med school, students with 2.7 GPA’s getting into med school, unsupportive family members, etc... Check it out and he usually gives solid advice.

OP, I know I have been all over the place, but hopefully you choose the right path. PLEASE checkout the podcast. It saved me countless stupid decisions and landed me a spot in medical school. Also, feel free to PM me, because switching professional schools suck.
 
How are you going to get into a medical school and join the military with a spouse who doesn’t want to move???? I hope you realize that most potential med students don’t get into their first choice (or local) medical school and have to move? And as a military doctor you would have little to no choice on where you are placed?

You have at least three strikes against going MD: GPA, debt and fiancé.

This may be better left for when you finish your nursing education, work for a while to pay down debt and then revisit the decision. Sorry for the tough love.
 
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Honestly, being an NP is a great profession if you can find your niche. You're right, the curriculum is not particularly challenging (working on my DNP now, and it is one of the reasons I'm now pursuing medical school), but if you don't want to move it's probably your best bet. It's also much easier cost-wise. I work 60 - 80 hrs/wk as a psychiatric nurse and am paying out of pocket for a DNP without much issue. Now, for me, I want to work in a rural setting. an NP program just doesn't leave me comfortable enough for that to work, as my scope of practice is very small (even as an FNP). I want to understand psychiatric and physical illnesses, and won't get that super broad base as an NP. So, medical school it is. I'm not going to lie though - if NP's had more in depth education, I would go that direction. If you don't want to work rurally, I think an NP is a great way to go - and your ability to practice competently is entirely dependent on your drive, either as an NP/PA or MD/DO. I also have triple digit school loans and multiple bachelor's degrees. If I didn't have the overreaching reasons for wanting medical school to feel best prepared for my patients in a small town, I would stick with the NP. You could also join the military as a nurse, but if a spouse doesn't want to move......well, that may kill that bird anyway.
 
I also agree with precisiongraphic - paying down some loans and working for a bit will help you decide too (and, if you hate nursing so much, you may not like medicine.) I worked for a while to ensure I liked medicine and patient interactions. The politics are miserable. But the patients make it all worth it. It also helped me get my foot in the door of the medical sector, help with some research, learn more to better prepare for medical school, ask a ton of questions, make some money, and really ensure my decision is the right one. If I don't get in this year, I won't apply for another 5 years or so (little guy is starting elementary school and I don't want to move him in the middle of those formative years). My plan is to work my butt off and pay off all of my debt if I don't get in. It really is a marathon
 
I strongly encourage you to speak with someone who currently is an active-duty physician or was recently, as they can give you a better idea of what is required for military service commitments. That said, should you join the military, you'd most likely be required to relocate for your first assignment, and even with only a four year hitch, it wouldn't be unusual for you to have to move at least one more time. There are also several training requirements during medical school which require you to be away from home for several weeks. It's a good way to pay for school, but it's not for everybody.
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Sounds like you would be an extreme long shot. I'd suggest finding a niche area of nursing that you enjoy. It's a great field and being an NP is a prestigious and well-compensated job.
I wouldn't use the word prestigious but it's a fine career
 
How much do you love your fiance? Seriously.
 
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