RN to MD

[af6060]

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I've constantly been going through doubts, because I know how competitive it is and I hear about all the rejections from friends. I feel that I am currently not a very strong applicant in comparison to many other pre-meds. However, I do know that I wish to be a part of the healthcare field. Would completing a second bachelor's degree in nursing and working in the medical field for a little while help before I try applying? Has anyone gone through RN to MD before?

Thanks!

 

[alanine1985]

I would not get an RN in hopes that would make me a better medical school applicant. Firstly it is going to make your life harder when you go interview at medical schools because you are going to have to come up with some really great replies to the most asked question in the world of med interviews which is why do you want to be a doctor. It takes away any form of "I want to help people" because your already doing that as a nurse. I think from people I have known trying to go back to medical school as a nurse you get casted as someone who did not have a real burning passion to be a doctor and now after not really liking being a nurse think the grass is greener over on the M.D. side of the hospital. Not that it is true but I'm sure you could see how people may think that. Basically if you want to be a physician do the things you have to do to get into medical school (research, volunteer, shadow/get clinical experience, make sure you have a nice MCAT, apply early to as many schools as possible and hit up the DO schools) If you want to try to crawl your way into medical school by jumping around all over health care its possible just probably more difficult for you to get into a school one day. Looking focused and very dedicated to being a physician is very important to many admission boards hence one of the other most common questions you may hear at an interview "So what would you do if you don't get in?"

 

[Kaustikos]

My only concern is that when you're in nursing, would you really want to/have the time and energy to devote to applying to MD/going through it? Nursing is by no means easy, especially if they put you on night shift. I would give serious thought to pursuing a career like nursing in order to make yourself more appealing to Medical School. There are other choices that are less demanding in healthcare that can highlight your dedication to healthcare.
Also take into consideration how you're going to answer the questions the OP put up before you. You will definitely have a leg up on a majority of applicants in terms of EC/jobs. But will it be worth it? I have seen Pharmacists, Nurses, PAs, and PhD's going into Medicine, so I know that it can be done. Just realize that you're adding 2+ years of education you could put to better use in other forms of education if your academic record is a concern (MSTP's for one).

If you really want to do nursing, try to just go through the Kaplan routine. You'll be hated by RN's, but you'll be a nurse too, so it doesn't matter.

Also, if they catch wind of your true desire to go into Medicine, you can have one of the most excrutiatingly annoying final years of rotation in nursing.