Three years of RN experience has only lead me back to my initial dreams of becoming an MD. Do I have any other options besides continuing on to earning a bachelors degree in nursing then completing a post- bacc premed program? I estimate that it should take me about three years to complete... 1 year for RN-BSN Bridge and 2 years for premed post-bacc. Would earning a bachelors degree in a different science make me a more competitive applicant? Would it take roughly the same amount of time or longer?
RN to MD?
- Thread starter Mbzer90
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There are quite a few 1 year Special Masters Programs (SMP) geared towards future med applicants - you should look into those. A great "Official Guide to SMP" is here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/the-official-guide-to-special-masters-programs.346106/
Below are the requirements for most MD schools:
1 yr biology w/lab
1 yr chemistry w/lab
1 yr organic chemistry w/lab (PRE-REQ: Chemistry)
1 yr physics w/lab
1 yr math w/lab
1 yr english w/lab
some require a psychology/sociology class
After 5 mins of research I've crossed out the ones I think you would have done by the time you finished your BSN without ANY other classes. Looking at this, it seems like it's gonna take at least 2 more years of undergraduate education to complete these requirements (Gen chem is a pre-req for organic and I do NOT advise taking them concurrently).
It would be a better use of your time to finish your BSN, do a post-bacc that will get all the requirements out of the way for your application, and then take your MCAT and apply. Another undergraduate major would take a long time to complete, and (from my point of view) would be fiscally and temporally inefficient.
*Edit: however, if you have already taken gen chem, you could theoretically go back to undergrad and get organic and physics out of the way along with other classes, which may or may not let you get a BS in some other science in a year. That might be better than going to an SMP depending on your specific situation (where you'd go to UG vs SMP, how many classes you'd need to take). The BSN/SMP is still the easier/less complicated option though, IMO.
Below are the requirements for most MD schools:
1 yr chemistry w/lab
1 yr organic chemistry w/lab (PRE-REQ: Chemistry)
1 yr physics w/lab
1 yr english w/lab
some require a psychology/sociology class
After 5 mins of research I've crossed out the ones I think you would have done by the time you finished your BSN without ANY other classes. Looking at this, it seems like it's gonna take at least 2 more years of undergraduate education to complete these requirements (Gen chem is a pre-req for organic and I do NOT advise taking them concurrently).
It would be a better use of your time to finish your BSN, do a post-bacc that will get all the requirements out of the way for your application, and then take your MCAT and apply. Another undergraduate major would take a long time to complete, and (from my point of view) would be fiscally and temporally inefficient.
*Edit: however, if you have already taken gen chem, you could theoretically go back to undergrad and get organic and physics out of the way along with other classes, which may or may not let you get a BS in some other science in a year. That might be better than going to an SMP depending on your specific situation (where you'd go to UG vs SMP, how many classes you'd need to take). The BSN/SMP is still the easier/less complicated option though, IMO.
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Doesn't really matter what your bachelors is in - it will not give you a competitive edge. Just do well in your pre-reqs, have good LOR, and destroy the MCAT.
D
deleted307836
I though SMP's were geared towards people who have already completed the prereqs and taken the MCAT - not for students basically starting from scratch.
If you do become an RN, you will have to address the question of why you are turning your back on one licensed profession to pursue another. The med schools hate "puddle jumpers" ie, career jumpers, so the onus will be on you to demonstrate why you are no longer interested in nursing. If you want to be a MD, finish a degree in ANYTHING and take the pre-med pre-req courses (including biochem, psych and soc for the new 2015 MCAT) or finish nursing school and become a nurse. Also, IMHO, most of the nurses struggle in orgo. Not sure why.
D
deleted307836
Sorry, but you don't know what you're talking about. This is simply not true.
D
deleted307836
BTW, if you read the OP's post, you'll notice how they've already been a nurse for three years.
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You're right, most are. Buuuuut there are some that are geared towards, dare I use the aforementioned term... "puddle jumpers."
Straight from the AAMC website (https://services.aamc.org/postbac/):
The purposes of these programs vary. Some are designed for persons wishing to change careers; these individuals have not yet completed the science courses required for medical school application. Other programs are designed for persons wishing to enhance an existing academic record; these students have taken the requisite courses, but need to improve their GPAs to increase the competitiveness of their medical school applications. Still other programs are specifically designed to assist persons from groups currently underrepresented in medicine or from educationally or economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
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deleted307836
That webpage is referring to all post-bacc programs. Normally, "post-bacc" refers to a formal program geared towards career changers who have few if any of the pre-reqs completed.
I guess you could say that SMP's are a "type" of post-bacc program, but they are not what one usually refers to when discussing post-baccs.
SMP's are specifically designed for students who HAVE completed the prereqs but wish to advance their academic standing. See this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/the-official-guide-to-special-masters-programs.346106/
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Huh? What odd conjectures.
Becoming a physician after being a nurse is improving upon one's knowledge base and marketability, not turning one's back upon nursing. I have been a RN for almost 8 years, and I am living proof that medical schools do not hate "puddle jumpers." Non-traditional students are accepted all the time. Organic chemistry was the most fascinating subject of all my science courses, and I performed well in it.
OP, I do recommend you finish your BSN. It will be beneficial while you are working and taking the rest of your prerequisites. Rather than doing a SMP after earning my BSN, I took many of my classes at the local community college to save time and have professors who were actually interested in teaching me the subject material.
OP, don't listen to the naysayers. Nursing is a great stepping stone to medicine. Plus, you will rock the clinical years of med school, and have the nursing perspective when practicing medicine.
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You might want to post some of your future inquiries in the non-trad forum. You'll probably get more responses from RNs who are on the same path as you.
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+1
I thought med schools liked non-trads- especially one with 'real' clinical training who decided he/she wants more responsibilities in their career.
Good Luck!
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The real question most premeds have to answer for is why they are turning their backs on biology/chemistry to study medicine. We have a real need for these students to succeed in their discipline, yet a large number of them end up abandoning their studies to become physicians. How do they expect to explain this betrayal to the adcoms?
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The med schools hate "puddle jumpers" ie, career jumpers, so the onus will be on you to demonstrate why you are no longer interested in nursing.
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