Premed Nurses: Roll Call!

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I'm an RN with 5+ years experience. I currently work in the ICU and NSICU in a level II trauma center in the SF Bay Area. The only thing that I think I would love more than nursing and be better at would be a forensic pathologist. So here I am in phase one of my great adventure called "The Great Plunge" (Working title.)

Phase 1: Research and Refresh (12/2009-09/2011)
Research for the undertaking of this adventure is well underway. Cautiously optimistic. Plan to start post-bacc classes after refreshing gen. chem and calc taken 9 years ago! Hardcore saving for tuition under way. Goodbye dreams of a new car; I'll be the captain of the Black Pearl for many, many more years.

Phase 2: Post-bacc Coursework and MCAT (9/2011-5/2013)

Phase 3: Apply to Medical School (5/2013-12/2013?)

Phase 4: Medical School (2014-2018)

Phase 5: Residency (2018-2022)

Phase 6: Fellowship (2022-2023/4?)

Career!:biglove:

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There are some advantages of being a nurse over being a doctor (and this, mind you, is based on my limited experience as a medical student so it isn't in any way and expert opinion). I don't know any nurses who are forced to be awake for 30 hours on one shift. I was on the wards once and heard a nurse complaining that she'd come in late and thus had to miss her lunch break. I thought, lunch break?? It seems that the nursing profession in many ways is more humane. Also, nurses are often protected by unions. They have the liberty of going on strike if they feel their needs are being violated. Medical students and residents are treated badly, and it is against the culture of medicine to complain about having to work 80 hours, or to admit to having a life outside of work.

Also, nurses can move from one field to another more easily than doctors who invest several years of residency training to one field.

A nurse who moves into the medical field probably has an advantage over the medical students in the clinical realm (at least at the start). When I got to the wards, I'd taken fewer than 15 histories, had minimal training in physical exams, and had no idea how to do blood draws. A ex nurse would be a lot less lost!
 
There are some advantages of being a nurse over being a doctor (and this, mind you, is based on my limited experience as a medical student so it isn't in any way and expert opinion). I don't know any nurses who are forced to be awake for 30 hours on one shift. I was on the wards once and heard a nurse complaining that she'd come in late and thus had to miss her lunch break. I thought, lunch break?? It seems that the nursing profession in many ways is more humane. Also, nurses are often protected by unions. They have the liberty of going on strike if they feel their needs are being violated. Medical students and residents are treated badly, and it is against the culture of medicine to complain about having to work 80 hours, or to admit to having a life outside of work.

Also, nurses can move from one field to another more easily than doctors who invest several years of residency training to one field.

A nurse who moves into the medical field probably has an advantage over the medical students in the clinical realm (at least at the start). When I got to the wards, I'd taken fewer than 15 histories, had minimal training in physical exams, and had no idea how to do blood draws. A ex nurse would be a lot less lost!

nice post...fair assessment of both sides...
 
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There are some advantages of being a nurse over being a doctor (and this, mind you, is based on my limited experience as a medical student so it isn't in any way and expert opinion). I don't know any nurses who are forced to be awake for 30 hours on one shift. I was on the wards once and heard a nurse complaining that she'd come in late and thus had to miss her lunch break. I thought, lunch break?? It seems that the nursing profession in many ways is more humane. Also, nurses are often protected by unions. They have the liberty of going on strike if they feel their needs are being violated. Medical students and residents are treated badly, and it is against the culture of medicine to complain about having to work 80 hours, or to admit to having a life outside of work.

Also, nurses can move from one field to another more easily than doctors who invest several years of residency training to one field.

A nurse who moves into the medical field probably has an advantage over the medical students in the clinical realm (at least at the start). When I got to the wards, I'd taken fewer than 15 histories, had minimal training in physical exams, and had no idea how to do blood draws. A ex nurse would be a lot less lost!

The purpose of this thread isn't about which discipline has it rougher. I'm not about to go into the abuses and crap that nurses deal with. And unions, even if you are in one, do not help much either. If you care to know for yourself, look into shadowing one for a week. The bottom line is that both nurses and physicians have legitimate complaints. It isn't a pissing contest however.

You're right in that it is easier for a nurse to change area of specialty.

Oh, just as an FYI, most nurses are familiar with working 16 h shifts, getting about 4 hours of sleep and then coming back for another 12 or even 16. So nurses "get" what it's like to be sleep deprived. We also understand that it is not ideal, because tired people make mistakes! Physicians have the nurse and pharmacy as a safety net when they write inappropriate orders. The nurse is the last stop, last defense between the wrong treatment and the patient.

And CTDN (California Transplant and Donor Network) nurses routinely do 48 h shifts. And maintaining dead people is busy, busy, busy.
 
Pre-med and nursing student here. I earned my bachelors degree in Psychology, and I’m now doing my pre-reqs for medical school as well as pursuing a 2nd bachelors in nursing. By the time I finish my 2nd bachelor’s I will also have my pre-reqs finished for medical school. I’m getting into the medical field one way or another. lol.
 
Pre-med and nursing student here. I earned my bachelors degree in Psychology, and I'm now doing my pre-reqs for medical school as well as pursuing a 2nd bachelors in nursing. By the time I finish my 2nd bachelor's I will also have my pre-reqs finished for medical school. I'm getting into the medical field one way or another. lol.

Curious... why did you decide to pursue the BSN when you already had a bachelor's degree? Why not just find a job (I have a degree in psych and found it pretty easy to find a wide variety of decent paying jobs), complete the medical school prerequisites and apply? Seems like the BSN is just a waste of time/money since you won't ever be working as a nurse and medical school doesn't care about quality hands on patient care experience.
 
i did my BSN and worked 3 yrs on the floor and in the ER before starting med school. i'm soooo glad i did it because nursing is a wonderful introduction to medicine...plus i'm able to work per diem shifts whenever i want some extra cash!
 
Curious... why did you decide to pursue the BSN when you already had a bachelor's degree? Why not just find a job (I have a degree in psych and found it pretty easy to find a wide variety of decent paying jobs), complete the medical school prerequisites and apply? Seems like the BSN is just a waste of time/money since you won't ever be working as a nurse and medical school doesn't care about quality hands on patient care experience.

I figured that if I was not able to get into medical school...I will be able to atleast complete an accelerated BSN program and become a nurse. It's the "Don't put all your eggs in one basket" idea. The accelerated BSN program starts once/year and I missed the application deadline for 2010, so I have to wait until 2011. So I figured, while I wait, I might as well finish the prereqs for Med School and apply to both.
 
It is possible. I did EMTB to ADN to BSN worked as ICU RN, and am now a second year medical student.

Good route.
 
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