RN or NP to MD

[Brwn98]

For those who have went from nursing to medical school, what were you reasons? What could you do as a doctor that you can't do as a NP for instance. Just asking!

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[mig26x]

medicine is one profession and nursing is another profession. They work as part of a team which complement each other. I advice you to search this topic at what does one do that the other doesn't before a war starts here.

this has been address numerous times before.

Doctors go to medical school, nurses to nursing school. Both schools have their own requirements and goals. One school is not easier than the other because they were created to fulflll two very different tasks in healthcare and therefore cannot be compared to one another.

 

[Febrifuge]

Quite so. It's like asking the question, "who is the better athlete -- the world's best swimmer, or the world's best baseball player?" There is way too much opinion to sort through for there to even be a right way to answer the question.

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

medicine is one profession and nursing is another profession. They work as part of a team which complement each other. I advice you to search this topic at what does one do that the other doesn't before a war starts here.

this has been address numerous times before.

Doctors go to medical school, nurses to nursing school. Both schools have their own requirements and goals. One school is not easier than the other because they were created to fulflll two very different tasks in healthcare and therefore cannot be compared to one another.

Very well said.

 

[silas2642]

For those who have went from nursing to medical school, what were you reasons? What could you do as a doctor that you can't do as a NP for instance. Just asking!

I think that you should go to vet school.

 

[schutzhund]

I wanted to know more and have more of a role in management.

I decided to not be an NP because I wanted to be a doctor, not play doctor.

 

[maceo]

Quite so. It's like asking the question, "who is the better athlete -- the world's best swimmer, or the world's best baseball player?" There is way too much opinion to sort through for there to even be a right way to answer the question.

the worlds best swimmer has had to sacrifice more of himself/herself to achieve that status than the worlds best baseball player. How many baseball players do you know who work out 18 hours a day.

 

[Brwn98]

I believe many of you have grossly misinterpreted the aim of my question. I was not asking if one profession is "better" than the other--nor am I asking if going to nursing school is easier than going to medical school. What I AM asking is what motivated people to get an MD having had a NP or RN degree. Actually, upon closer reflection, one could have realized this since the question implies that there is a difference in the roles each plays. I was simply interested in knowing what had motivated someone to look at their job as an NP or RN and decide, "Hey, I'd like to be a doctor." Again, the question implied NOTHING about one profession being better/easier than the other--or any of the other judgment calls with which some of you have imbued my previous statement. Some of you have indirectly answered my question albeit with a dismissive tone, lacking the sincerity of a person willing to give advice.

 

[labcat01]

Here is one nurse's opinion- I think that very intellectual and driven nurses eventually hit the point where they are not challenged by bedside nursing anymore and desire something more. The natural next step would be NP school or Medical school. The problem I see is that these same nurses go on to become NPs only to get frustrated by the lack of respect from physician colleagues and other allied health providers. The real problem is that you are only going to rise so high as an RN/NP. MDs/DOs are the ultimate providers and without that level of education, you (the nurse) will always be limited in the kind of care you are allowed to provide.

Just my opinion! Make sense?

 

[Therapist4Chnge]

I've seen a lot of bedside 'burn out', which seems to be a common catalyst for the change. I think part is wanting to do something different, part wanting to learn more, and part wanting more autonomy.

 

[DrJosephKim]

I've met several nurses who pursued medical school because they recognized their own potential and desire to be a physician. Now with the DNP push, I think fewer nurses and NPs will be pursuing medical school + residency.

 

[NPdoc2be]

I wanted to know more and have more of a role in management.

I decided to not be an NP because I wanted to be a doctor, not play doctor.

Perhaps I've misunderstood schutzhund's statement here, but it comes off as pompous and idiotic. It seems to imply that NP's are just "playing" doctor. Firstly, doctor is an academic term not a clinical profession so you should have replaced the word "doctor" with "physician" or at least "doctor of medicine." Secondly, only a completely pompous idiotic ***** would suggest choosing to be an NP is tantamount to playing physician.

I apologize if it is I who misunderstood the comment however.

Now, if I ever decide to go back to school to study medicine, it would be

1) to get a broader deeper more science-based understanding of health issues that a medical education offers in comparison to a nursing education with regards to disease processes, treatments, diagnostics, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology and pathophysiology.

2) to be able to practice health care delivery with significantly less barriers--some of which are understandable/reasonable, many of which are not

3) to open up more options for me to deliver health care

4) to make more money--usually significantly more

I imagine these are the top reasons NP's, RN's (and other health care professionals) would give as their reasons for switching.

 

[NPdoc2be]

I wanted to know more and have more of a role in management.

I decided to not be an NP because I wanted to be a doctor, not play doctor.

Perhaps I've misunderstood schutzhund's statement here, but it comes off as pompous and idiotic. It seems to imply that NP's are just "playing" doctor. Firstly, doctor is an academic term not a clinical profession so you should have replaced the word "doctor" with "physician" or at least "doctor of medicine." Secondly, only a completely pompous idiotic ***** would suggest choosing to be an NP is tantamount to playing physician.

I apologize if it is I who misunderstood the comment however.

Now, if I ever decide to go back to school to study medicine, it would be

1) to get a broader deeper more science-based understanding of health issues that a medical education offers in comparison to a nursing education with regards to disease processes, treatments, diagnostics, anatomy and physiology, pharmacology and pathophysiology.

2) to be able to practice health care delivery with significantly less barriers--some of which are understandable/reasonable, many of which are not

3) to open up more options for me to deliver health care

4) to make more money--usually significantly more

I imagine these are the top reasons NP's, RN's (and other health care professionals) would give as their reasons for switching.

 

[NPdoc2be]

sorry for the double post--my computer was on the blitz!!! I need a mac!!!

I've met several nurses who pursued medical school because they recognized their own potential and desire to be a physician. Now with the DNP push, I think fewer nurses and NPs will be pursuing medical school + residency.

I don't imagine the DNP degree is going to cause the majority of nurses who are medicine-minded to choose it over medical school--at least I hope not. Nursing is a totally different track and a very different approach with a different set of assumptions in terms of health care delivery than that of medicine. People TEND to be wired for one or the other it seems and getting a DNP is not likely to satisfy a medicine-minded nurse.

As for pre-med and pre-nursing students, one would have had to decide on nursing or medicine relatively early on in undergraduate studies as switching from one to the other typically adds AT LEAST two years worth of classes (full year of inorganic & organic chem, physics & bio w/labs for medicine vs. full year of human a&p & courses in microbiology , nutrition, human growth & development, sociology and psychology for nursing). At least this was the case when I was in school for students switching between the disciplines.

 

[labcat01]

I don't imagine the DNP degree is going to cause the majority of nurses who are medicine-minded to choose it over medical school--at least I hope not.

I agree with you- in fact, this whole DNP fiasco is making me think twice about pursing my NP. I think that a Master's is fine for mid-level providers. I don't see the point of forcing everyone into a terminal degree that seems to offer no real advantage. I guess we could argue on this all day.

 

[devilpup]

I've met several nurses who pursued medical school because they recognized their own potential and desire to be a physician. Now with the DNP push, I think fewer nurses and NPs will be pursuing medical school + residency.

very good point. Assuming this would apply to nurses wanting to do primary care. An RN desiring to do surgery/medical specialty would have to go the MD route.


However, what if DNP's wanted to specialize? I say 'what if' very cautiously. but

let's go into Mundinger's head shall we --> DNP's specializing in XYX... then starts salivating.

 

[bradt9881]

. An RN desiring to do surgery/medical specialty would have to go the MD route.

Why? They are already specializing, doing work in surgical clinics, cardiology, ob/gyn, midwifery, etc. That cat's already out of the bag, and isn't going back in anytime soon.

 

[devilpup]

Why? They are already specializing, doing work in surgical clinics, cardiology, ob/gyn, midwifery, etc. That cat's already out of the bag, and isn't going back in anytime soon.

Why? Autonomy my friend. The autonomy that the DNP attempts to promote.

hey you just reminded me, gotta feed my obese cat.

 

[jbar]

Why? They are already specializing, doing work in surgical clinics, cardiology, ob/gyn, midwifery, etc. That cat's already out of the bag, and isn't going back in anytime soon.

True, but what a PA/NP in primary care is doing is very similar to what an MD is doing in terms of the problems they are seeing and the care they are giving. In those other specialties there is a big difference between handling patients on the cardio floor and doing the cath, seeing Ob patients v doing c-sections. In surgery you may get to assist, but you aren't doing the case as the lead. So if a RN really wants to do those things the NP route doesn't get them as close in the specialty fields v primary care.

 

[Peptoboy]

I made the switch based on a desire to receive the most education that I could regarding patient treatment that I could. I wanted to be the best health care provider. I loved being a nurse, but I wanted more.

 

[258881]

I made the switch based on a desire to receive the most education that I could regarding patient treatment that I could. I wanted to be the best health care provider. I loved being a nurse, but I wanted more.

First of all, I am extremely glad I finally decided to check this site out.

My story: I always wanted to do medicine but did the smart thing (NOW I see it more and more) by going to get my BSN and be an RN prior to going to medical school.

I always wanted to go get an MD... but figured that a nurse gets to a whole new level of closeness and patient interaction than a physician ever will. And it is true. I wanted to capitalize on this and gain as much experience as I could before I went back to school.

Having that I mind, I geared my undergraduate eduction differently than other nursing students, with more focus on medical school admissions down the road. All in all, I have been an Neuro ICU RN at Barrow Neurological for 2 years now and apply this summer. My reasoning for this transition is to EXPAND on my skills... to broaden my medical knowledge and gain more autonomy while taking care of more patients on a daily basis as opposed to 2 in the ICU. I feel that as an RN I am taking care of two patients while an MD may see ~15. Also, I might want to go the surgical route and only a medical degree will allow me to do that.

Another primary reason is that I was ALWAYS, even in nursing school, medicine minded. This is obvious because I KNEW I was going to go back to medical school. That's also another story: telling my nursing buddies and instructors, yeah I am going to go to medical school even before I graduated

I don't want to go to the NP/CRNA/DNP route as there will always be limitations in autonomy. Varying state laws regarding supervision, etc. Additionally, the MD/DO is viewed in the public eye much differently than an NP/DNP/etc. If I am going to go back to school, I might as well as get the most for my time. Additionally, if I want to go the surgical route, the NP/DNP (currently) won't be able to supply me with this ability.

All in all, it comes down to increasing my knowledge base, autonomy, scope of practice, and lastly, compensation.