Switch majors before I dig myself into a hole?

[kapers]

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Hey there:

I'm a new SDN member from Canada, currently studying first year nursing at a university for a BScN. During Gr 12 I wrestled constantly with the decision between a biology/biochem degree and nursing, which I hadn't really considered until late during uni applications. It came down to picking between these two programs at a certain school (chosen for proximity to home and scholarship money) and I choose nursing. However I wasn't entirely convinced one way or another. If the uni I'm at (and will probably finish my undergrad at) had a medical science program, or a better bio program that supported/recognized premeds more, I might have chosen the other way. But, for me, first semester nursing was nothing at all to complain about. I did enjoy it, and am doing very well in it. I enjoy the subject matter, the interaction with people during clinicals, and the focus on health care.
Coming out of high school I was sure I wanted to to pursue a career in the health professions- most likely as an advanced practice nurse or doctor. (Fear not, I understand there are many more options out there in health care, I happen to be interested in these two). After a semester of nursing, among other things, I know that I want to pursue medicine as a primary goal, and not simply as an afterthought. Should I take a year out of my program, get the prereqs, and then return to nursing? (If that's possible) Should I change my major now to bio? Should I finish nursing, then do the prereqs? Or would that dig me into a hole where I would have to backtrack to prepare for medical school . . . I'm confused as to what action to take next, if I need to take any at all. Actually, in Canada, you don't necessarily need prereq science courses to apply to some schools- however the MCAT is required for most schools, so I still need to learn the subject matter in the prereq couses to prepare for the MCAT. This meaning that one could study from purely from study guides for the MCAT. Would this be a foolish idea?
Any advice, especially from nurses who made the switch to medicine, would be appreciated!

 

[BSN2DOC]

Hey there:

I'm a new SDN member from Canada, currently studying first year nursing at a university for a BScN. During Gr 12 I wrestled constantly with the decision between a biology/biochem degree and nursing, which I hadn't really considered until late during uni applications. It came down to picking between these two programs at a certain school (chosen for proximity to home and scholarship money) and I choose nursing. However I wasn't entirely convinced one way or another. If the uni I'm at (and will probably finish my undergrad at) had a medical science program, or a better bio program that supported/recognized premeds more, I might have chosen the other way. But, for me, first semester nursing was nothing at all to complain about. I did enjoy it, and am doing very well in it. I enjoy the subject matter, the interaction with people during clinicals, and the focus on health care.
Coming out of high school I was sure I wanted to to pursue a career in the health professions- most likely as an advanced practice nurse or doctor. (Fear not, I understand there are many more options out there in health care, I happen to be interested in these two). After a semester of nursing, among other things, I know that I want to pursue medicine as a primary goal, and not simply as an afterthought. Should I take a year out of my program, get the prereqs, and then return to nursing? (If that's possible) Should I change my major now to bio? Should I finish nursing, then do the prereqs? Or would that dig me into a hole where I would have to backtrack to prepare for medical school . . . I'm confused as to what action to take next, if I need to take any at all. Actually, in Canada, you don't necessarily need prereq science courses to apply to some schools- however the MCAT is required for most schools, so I still need to learn the subject matter in the prereq couses to prepare for the MCAT. This meaning that one could study from purely from study guides for the MCAT. Would this be a foolish idea?
Any advice, especially from nurses who made the switch to medicine, would be appreciated!

This isn't the answer you are looking for, but do what you enjoy. If you enjoy nursing, pursue nursing. I have not taken the MCAT but I would think self-teaching yourself everything (biology, physics, chemistry, organic) would be MCAT suicide. I would think it would be far easier to take the classes.

And with your nursing degree, if you decide that medicine is not something you want to pursue, then you will have a degree to fall back on that is still in the health field and pays very good money (well, here in the US it does... not sure about the nurses pay in Canada).

 

[gman33]

You need to decide on your ultimate goal in order to get advice on what the best route is to get there.

If you have decided that you want to go to medical school, instead of becoming an NP, then it probably doesn't make sense to pursue a nursing degree. You can major in whatever you are interested in, but if you major in bio or something similar, then you can take the prereqs as part of your major requirements.

For the MCAT, I would strongly recommend taking the classes before you take the test. You have to take them anyway, so you might as well use them to your advantage.

BTW - Why is this posted in the nontrad forum?

 

[kapers]

Sorry, it was a first post, I just guessed and thought it might fit here; in which forum should it have gone?

The ultimate goal is medicine. I know it sounds contradictory then, to say that I'd rather complete nursing than switch to biology now. You're right, it would make sense to switch, if medicine was my ultimate goal, but I see some benefits in nursing. Problem is, I do enjoy nursing (and think that I'd enjoy it more than biology degree) . . . but how can I explain that I'd rather be doing medicine?
I'm beginning to think that if I could finish nursing, then somehow come back for a 5th year to get the prereqs, that would be ideal. I wonder if that is possible? (I wouldn't mind going to school for another year, especially if I had a whole year to concentrate on medical school applications/ MCAT).


Can you really do WELL in the MCATs with just the prereqs? I mean to say- I know that a certain degree is not required, but would having a degree from the faculty of science, so to speak, help you very much? And (forgive my ignorance) I'm also interested to know what the consensus is on what those prereqs are. BSN2DOC, you mentioned bio, chem, organic, and physics- is that a full year of each?

Forgive my rambling ... and thank you- I appreciate the discussion!

 

[BSN2DOC]

Most US Medical Schools require 2 semesters (8 credits) of each: General Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, & Physics.

However, there are some schools that require more. I am not familiar with Canadian Medical Schools but I would assume it would be very similar.

 

[Beast11]

Sorry, it was a first post, I just guessed and thought it might fit here; in which forum should it have gone?

The ultimate goal is medicine. I know it sounds contradictory then, to say that I'd rather complete nursing than switch to biology now. You're right, it would make sense to switch, if medicine was my ultimate goal, but I see some benefits in nursing. Problem is, I do enjoy nursing (and think that I'd enjoy it more than biology degree) . . . but how can I explain that I'd rather be doing medicine?
I'm beginning to think that if I could finish nursing, then somehow come back for a 5th year to get the prereqs, that would be ideal. I wonder if that is possible? (I wouldn't mind going to school for another year, especially if I had a whole year to concentrate on medical school applications/ MCAT).


Can you really do WELL in the MCATs with just the prereqs? I mean to say- I know that a certain degree is not required, but would having a degree from the faculty of science, so to speak, help you very much? And (forgive my ignorance) I'm also interested to know what the consensus is on what those prereqs are. BSN2DOC, you mentioned bio, chem, organic, and physics- is that a full year of each?

Forgive my rambling ... and thank you- I appreciate the discussion!

To answer your first question-yeah, non-trad is probably the complete wrong forum, but it is read a lot.

There is a canadian med forum (
Student Doctor Network Forums > International Medical Forums > General International Discussion
Canada

I never read the international forums, and can't comment on the activity there. However, I have "heard through the grapevine" that the admissions process in Canada is different from U.S. and you probably would need a very high MCAT and GPA to be considered competitive.

Keep trying whatever interests you-just make sure you do really well

 

[kapers]

Calculus is generally not viewed as a prereq??
At the risk of sounding big headed and cocky, I think that my GPA isn't going to be a huge problem (I know, I've only been thru one semester of uni . . . ) its preparing for and doing well on the MCAT that worries me right now.