RN to Pediatrician with DO

[Drmom2b]

This site offered me the first knowledge of DO schools. A little background. I am a 22yr old Community College Student. I am married and have a 14 month old son. I have always dreamt of being a pediatrician and have begun to work towards that goal. I have been batteling the pros and cons of getting my RN. I need to have a job that will pay me decently now...I mean more than $8.00 an hr. Anyone with a child knows that is not even close to enough to take (what I call GREAT care of my son)... I am torn. I want to take the RN program to establish a nice cusion account for my family.(I know nurses dont make that much however I'm not high maintanence), but have been told by many that Medical Schools Frown upon a nurse becomming an MD. I truly want this! Is it possible to have a BSN and get into medical school? Will attending a DO school allow me to be a pediatrician? What to do? Any ideas as to what courses to take? Thanks for reading this and I hope to hear some replies!! THANK YOU AGAIN.

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[group_theory]

This site offered me the first knowledge of DO schools. A little background. I am a 22yr old Community College Student. I am married and have a 14 month old son. I have always dreamt of being a pediatrician and have begun to work towards that goal. I have been batteling the pros and cons of getting my RN. I need to have a job that will pay me decently now...I mean more than $8.00 an hr. Anyone with a child knows that is not even close to enough to take (what I call GREAT care of my son)... I am torn. I want to take the RN program to establish a nice cusion account for my family.(I know nurses dont make that much however I'm not high maintanence), but have been told by many that Medical Schools Frown upon a nurse becomming an MD. I truly want this! Is it possible to have a BSN and get into medical school? Will attending a DO school allow me to be a pediatrician? What to do? Any ideas as to what courses to take? Thanks for reading this and I hope to hear some replies!! THANK YOU AGAIN.

Welcome to SDN

Every year there are nurses who successfully make it to medical school and do well and graduate.

Yes, you can become a pediatrician via the osteopathic medical school route. Currently the osteopathic (AOA) and allopathic (ACGME) pediatric residencies are DO-friendly.

Courses that you have to take:

1 year of biology with lab
1 year of general chemistry with lab
1 year of organic chemistry with lab
1 year of physics with lab
1 year of english
optional (recommended by a lot and required by some schools) - a course in genetics and/or a course in biochemistry.

Also get to know the professors that you like ... you will eventually need letters of recommendations (LOR) from some of them. Oh, and DO WELL on MCAT

Be aware that some nursing classes with the same title may not satisfy med school admission criteria ... it is best to contact the schools you are interested in to inquire.

In terms of whether or not you need a bachelor degree ... it is up to individual schools although the vast majority of matriculating students will have a bachelor degree upon admission, but there are always a few exceptions. Check each school's individual requirements to see if you need a Bachelor prior to matriculation.


To be or not to be [a nurse], that is the question
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous poop,
Or to take arms against a sea of patients,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;

Just be aware, it might be hard to finish your premed requirements while working full-time as a nurse. Also, while some people may work per diem as a nurse during the first two year of med school, be cautious because the volume and speed of medical school can throw you overboard if you don't keep up. Forget working during the 3rd and 4th year - you'll be putting in 50-90 hrs/week on rotations (and no assured nights or weekends off).

Good luck and I'm sure you will find many people on this board and especially in the Pre-DO forums who can help you with your pursuit.

 

[Faraaz23]

Its true it is sometimes hard for a nurse to go onto med school. However, given your situation, if you explain it to them and that it was what you needed to do to support your baby while still doing something relevant in the healthcare industry, i'm sure they will take that into consideration.

 

[mshheaddoc]

moving to pre-osteo where this is a more suitable topic.

You also might want to browse in the non-trad forum as many people have made the switch from RN-DO/MD

 

[Vox Animo]

This site offered me the first knowledge of DO schools. A little background. I am a 22yr old Community College Student. I am married and have a 14 month old son. I have always dreamt of being a pediatrician and have begun to work towards that goal. I have been batteling the pros and cons of getting my RN. I need to have a job that will pay me decently now...I mean more than $8.00 an hr. Anyone with a child knows that is not even close to enough to take (what I call GREAT care of my son)... I am torn. I want to take the RN program to establish a nice cusion account for my family.(I know nurses dont make that much however I'm not high maintanence), but have been told by many that Medical Schools Frown upon a nurse becomming an MD. I truly want this! Is it possible to have a BSN and get into medical school? Will attending a DO school allow me to be a pediatrician? What to do? Any ideas as to what courses to take? Thanks for reading this and I hope to hear some replies!! THANK YOU AGAIN.

Going to a DO school will help you become a pediatrician. And some schools frown upon the nurses going to medical school, but some schools will appreciate it. I think that is just luck of the draw with your interviewer. Use your personal statement explaining why you want to go from nursing to medical school and explain your family commitments. My medical school class (DO) has some clinicians (BSN, PA, EMT...ect).


You will have no problem getting in.

 

[msl2007]

At my school we have several RNs to MDs (and PAs to MDs, and teachers to MDs...) We also have plenty of non-trads and single and coupled parents.

But if you like the nursing approach, and aren't sure about changing fields, why not go NP? Nurse practitioners can work in peds offices, see patients, prescribe, etc, and their training costs less and they make more sooner than do DO/MDs with residencies. The work hours and taing hours might be ebtter for a single parents as well, I don't know.

If you don't need/want to be a doctor specifically, that might be a way to go. Certainly something to at least look into.

 

[DoctorMom78]

I think that getting your RN would be a great idea. Not only does it allow you to provide for your family, but it does offer a lot of options in the future (such as NP) if the DO/MD thing does not work out. Plus, you can always find a job as an RN. If you keep your grades up, do well on the MCAT, and gave great ECs, I don't think you will have any trouble going to medical school. That was actually my original plan, but when I transferred schools to get my bachelor's and sat down with the nursing department, they directed me to the biology department. For me, biology was a better fit and doing a PhD was my back-up plan. Nursing just wouldn't have been right for me (I am a total control freak ), but I think that it is a great option if it interests you. I have a lot of respect for nurses. They work really hard. Good luck!!!!

 

[PlasticMan]

Get the RN. For raising a family, the RN will give you a good cash flow and flexible hours. Many work only 3-3.5 days/week of 12 hours shifts. Starting salary right now for an RN in Manhattan w/ an associates in nursing is $72k/year w/ no clinical experience! What other career would allow you to study for 2 years after high school, then start making money like this? It's a great career; you will never be without a job.

 

[MaximusD]

This site offered me the first knowledge of DO schools. A little background. I am a 22yr old Community College Student. I am married and have a 14 month old son. I have always dreamt of being a pediatrician and have begun to work towards that goal. I have been batteling the pros and cons of getting my RN. I need to have a job that will pay me decently now...I mean more than $8.00 an hr. Anyone with a child knows that is not even close to enough to take (what I call GREAT care of my son)... I am torn. I want to take the RN program to establish a nice cusion account for my family.(I know nurses dont make that much however I'm not high maintanence), but have been told by many that Medical Schools Frown upon a nurse becomming an MD. I truly want this! Is it possible to have a BSN and get into medical school? Will attending a DO school allow me to be a pediatrician? What to do? Any ideas as to what courses to take? Thanks for reading this and I hope to hear some replies!! THANK YOU AGAIN.

I am in no way saying that you will be unable to become a DO as you've outlined. What I would argue is that you should consider becoming a certified nurse practitioner possibly... it would be a shorter route from already having your RN.

If you research that possibility and are unhappy with it, best of luck on your journey! It must be difficult having a 14-month old at such a pivotal time in your life, but there are others on here who have weathered and enjoyed the exact same experience.

If I can be of any help, please let me know. Oh and you most-assuredly can be a pediatrician with a DO degree. In fact, there are peds DO residencies that go unfilled every year so even if you don't get excellent marks in med school and only do average on your boards, chances are you can still land a spot. We say it all the time on here but.. if you can land the residency, you can be anything with a DO that an MD can be bc both degrees have separate equal licensing.

 

[MaximusD]

Get the RN. For raising a family, the RN will give you a good cash flow and flexible hours. Many work only 3-3.5 days/week of 12 hours shifts. Starting salary right now for an RN in Manhattan w/ an associates in nursing is $72k/year w/ no clinical experience! What other career would allow you to study for 2 years after high school, then start making money like this? It's a great career; you will never be without a job.

Especially not with the projected shortfall in practicing nurses within the next 20 years.

OP: have you considered a PA program as well?

 

[mshheaddoc]

I'm going to go off the off beaten path here.

You said you need a job asap that will help you support your child. Nursing will help you do that. If your husband will not be able to support you during your medical school journey it might be a good idea to consider nursing. But do not think that nursing and medicine are on the same playing field. They are two different professions. I was in the position a few years ago that I thought I would never become a doctor so I applied to nursing school. Fate intervened and about 4 years later, here I am about to take the MCAT. I however do not have a family to help support. I am in school with 2 mothers, one is a nurse and the other is in school full time. The nurse is about ready to give up on medical school b/c of the time commitment with pre-reqs. The other isn't sure if her family can take the commitment of medical school. But I also know a mother who commutes to school (single mother) while her daughter is in school during the day and is slowly working towards her bachelors. It really depends on YOU and want you want to do. If you need to get a job that will pay decent money and you are interested in nursing, go to nursing school. As stated you could always go into a Nursing Practioner program (masters program) where you could specialize in pediatrics. Or you could become a physician's assistant which has the same scope of a doctor but not necessarily has that same amount of training as a doctor.

But if you truly know you want to be a doctor and you wouldn't be satisified being a nurse, then don't be a nurse. Be a doctor. It takes alot of soul searching and discussions with your spouse for the road ahead. There are also schools that are offering the primary care pathway for those students who want to go into primary care specialities where medical school is 3 years vs 4. I know LECOM does this. You could always complete the BSN while working as an RN and doing prereqs for medical school. You don't need to have your career path set now. Many people apply in their late 20's successfully to medical school. So take your time and make the best decision for yourself.

 

[Funky]

hooray another SDN mom

Getting a DO is definitely a step towards the right direction. As I see it, you're still very young and I don't see why you can't chase your dream right now if you can handle being a mom at the same time. I always mention the fact that I know a cardiologist who got her nursing degree, spent 10 years doing nursing, went to med school and did well because of her experience, and then became a cardiologist. So yes it is absolutely feasible to get both a nursing degree and then move on to becoming a physician. Just keep in mind that you have to factor in that you will be taking prereqs for the next year or so, the mcat, interviewing, 4 years of med school, 3 years of pediatrics residency, and then you are finally an attending.

 

[Drmom2b]

I would like to say thank you to those of you who have responded to my concerns. Just to clear some things up. My fiance' is more than willing to go the extra mile for our family. He understands that its going to be tough and that it wont be a smooth ride. I KNOW for a fact I am going to be a doctor. I will not settle for anything less. I am still wondering about what are the majors most pre med students take. I know biology.. but what are some others. I am extemely interested in Psychology!! Being a mom and going to school is something I knew I was going to have to do before he was even brought into this world... I've accepted that. I'm beginning to lean towards Psychology as my major bc this is one other subject that I enjoy and could see myself working as if it takes more than one year to get into medical school. If you guys/ladies have any more advice PLEASE post...it is greatly appreciated!!

 

[mshheaddoc]

You can do whatever major that you'd like, many do biology as it gives you a more indepth look at medicine. Taking the pre-reqs and a few upper level classes would prepare you for medical school with no problem.

Good luck and Welcome to SDN

 

[grinchick5]

I would like to say thank you to those of you who have responded to my concerns. Just to clear some things up. My fiance' is more than willing to go the extra mile for our family. He understands that its going to be tough and that it wont be a smooth ride. I KNOW for a fact I am going to be a doctor. I will not settle for anything less. I am still wondering about what are the majors most pre med students take. I know biology.. but what are some others. I am extemely interested in Psychology!! Being a mom and going to school is something I knew I was going to have to do before he was even brought into this world... I've accepted that. I'm beginning to lean towards Psychology as my major bc this is one other subject that I enjoy and could see myself working as if it takes more than one year to get into medical school. If you guys/ladies have any more advice PLEASE post...it is greatly appreciated!!

My unsolicited advice regarding majors is to major in what you enjoy! I know I always do best in the classes that interest me the most. So if you're interested in psych and do well in your psych classes, go for it!!

No matter what your major, you might want to consider taking a biochem class...I've heard this is really helpful when you get into med school.

 

[CTrainSJU]

I would like to say thank you to those of you who have responded to my concerns. Just to clear some things up. My fiance' is more than willing to go the extra mile for our family. He understands that its going to be tough and that it wont be a smooth ride. I KNOW for a fact I am going to be a doctor. I will not settle for anything less. I am still wondering about what are the majors most pre med students take. I know biology.. but what are some others. I am extemely interested in Psychology!! Being a mom and going to school is something I knew I was going to have to do before he was even brought into this world... I've accepted that. I'm beginning to lean towards Psychology as my major bc this is one other subject that I enjoy and could see myself working as if it takes more than one year to get into medical school. If you guys/ladies have any more advice PLEASE post...it is greatly appreciated!!

I was a psych major in undergrad. At my interview at DMU one of my interviewers actually told me he prefers psychology majors and feels that they are the most prepared to enter into the world medicine (not the answer I was ecpecting at all). Like others have said though, do what you enjoy. In my undergrad pre med classes the girl who seemingly rocked every orgo, physics, and biochem test was an english major.

 

[Vox Animo]

My unsolicited advice regarding majors is to major in what you enjoy! I know I always do best in the classes that interest me the most. So if you're interested in psych and do well in your psych classes, go for it!!

No matter what your major, you might want to consider taking a biochem class...I've heard this is really helpful when you get into med school.

As far as biochem, biochem one is fairly useless. Biochem 2 which is more centered on metabolism will be helpful. However the amount of work you will need to put in to do well may not be worth the amount of work that you will get out of in medical school. I took them however because i found them interesting. Just my advice from experience.

 

[TerpDO]

Lots of great advice has been given already. Here is a little more:

- while the exact major you earn in college may not be too important, I think you want to make sure that you take the proper pre-reqs AND some upper level science courses as well. This year I interviewed with some people who stated that they only took the pre-reqs before appplying, while they said that they ace'd them, they told me after the interview that they were still grilled on their relatively lack of science courses compared with most applicants. Also you may want to take the pre-reqs BEFORE you start thinking about the MCAT, I'm not saying that doing well on the pre-reqs will guarantee a good score on the MCATs (I am not saying that at all), but at least you won't be disadvantaged and learning new material when studying for the MCAT if your pre-reqs are already done. I hope this makes sense. One last note is that if you are really stressed on time for some reason, a background that is plentiful in clinical experience may offset a lack of upper level science courses to some degree I believe, but it is still best to have both.

- You mentioned that you currently attend community college. I am not sure if this will have any impact on your applications so you may want to call some of the DO schools in your area to find out if this affects your application in any way. If it does, they may give you some suggestions on how to address this.

- Lastly a word of encouragement. I was in a post-bacc program at an allopathic MD school in the past. On several occasions some of my friends (also in the post-bacc program) would speak with the dean of admissions for the MD school and ask her lots of questions about admissions and some about DO schools. What she always said was that, "for pediatricians, I would ALWAYS prefer to go to a DO." Take this to mean as little or as much as you would like, but my personal goal is to be a pediatrician myself and after hearing this, I am more than 100% sure that I am on the right track with starting DO school in the Fall.

You may want to write down some key points stated in this entire thread and work on a plan if you think you are ready. Best of luck to you!

 

[Drmom2b]

As I have read the wonderful responses I have done a lot of soul searching and discussions with my family. Money is not a problem right now and not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouths..(No offense to those who have this). I am now working full time (24hrs) a week as a CNA (I've had this certification since before graduating high school) This job offers benefits (GREAT) benefits for me and our son. I would like to build up a network of friends amongst the users here on studentdoc. So I have posted my MSN messenger screenname on my profile. Please message me or respond.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

I still havent decided on a major. The more I think of Nursing the more I DONT want to pursue it. Psychology seems exciting but there are so many majors out there!!! I'd like to hear about your majors and stories...good or bad.

 

[Buckeye4life]

I was a chemistry major for 3 years, switched to sociology so I could graduate in 5 years from undergrad. Went back and got my master's in physical therapy, and will start med school this fall. Non-traditional road, but I can stretch and strengthen you while discussing the descrepancies of Marx and Weber. Just kidding, I didn't pay that much attention to what either of those guys had to say. Btw, are you married or engaged? couldn't tell by your posts.

 

[lrobin15]

As I have read the wonderful responses I have done a lot of soul searching and discussions with my family. Money is not a problem right now and not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouths..(No offense to those who have this). I am now working full time (24hrs) a week as a CNA (I've had this certification since before graduating high school) This job offers benefits (GREAT) benefits for me and our son. I would like to build up a network of friends amongst the users here on studentdoc. So I have posted my MSN messenger screenname on my profile. Please message me or respond.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

I still havent decided on a major. The more I think of Nursing the more I DONT want to pursue it. Psychology seems exciting but there are so many majors out there!!! I'd like to hear about your majors and stories...good or bad.

Okay, how about a different perspective. I am a non-trad student -I have 4 children and returned to school in 2005 -I am 33 yrs old. What I want you to consider is the route I have taken. I am currently apply for DO schools. I have had 3 interviews and I have 1 next week. I have not heard back on any of them yet b/c the were back to back and they all are saying 2-3 weeks. I know, there is nothing special about that. What is special, is that I will not have a BS or BA at matriculation! That's right -no degree. At many schools the requirement is that you have 90 hours toward your BS or BA. Now you have to know that I have a very good gpa and made the avg MCAT score. What I also had was killer recommendation letters from my profs, tons of shadowing, and leadership opp (via church and school). The main thing they are looking for in applicants like myself, is proof that another year of undergrad work will make no difference in how you do in med. school and that you can handle the rigors of med school (12 hrs x 6 days a week of classes and studying).
I know that LMU-DCOM has told other people that CC courses were fine, but some schools say that it is not equal. They say that getting an A at a CC in Organic Chem is not equivilant to getting an A in O. Chem at a University -mainly because the competition effects the curve. The curve at a CC may be a lot steeper than a University. I do not go to the best University, but there was no curve in O. Chem!
It sounds like you are leaning away from the RN route, which is good. Because if you were thinking of working as a RN while in med. school, that would not work! Matter of fact, if the adcoms new that, they would not accept you. No one would recommend anyone trying to work and go to med school.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[Drmom2b]

Just to clarify. I am happily awaiting an engagement...hehe.. we know we are getting married in December. He is waiting for a certain day to propose...we'll see . I was only going to get my nursing degree bc I dont really see myself doing any of the other majors ... Being a doctor is my first and foremost choice. Above all else that is the top pick. However I am also trying to look out for my family. If something happens and I get a waiting list then I am going to need to work in order to begin paying loans and taking care of my family. I would not work during med school as I know this is impossible. Also does anyone have any suggestions on getting a position shadowing a physician?? How do you approach a doctor??

Thanks Again!