What to do??

[babycapybara]

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I am freaking out. I have been accepted to a great second degree nursing program which is supposed to start at the end of August. Part of the reason i chose to go for this program is the time factor. I'm 35 and I always have this feeling of time pressure...why, I don't know. Lately though, I've been reconsidering and wondering if I should switch gears and go for medical school instead. I wouldn't be able to start until 2008 at the ripe old age of 37. I have a 4.0 science GPA (though still have to take physics). I am so worried that after a year or so i will start to feel that nursing isn't enough for me. My original plan was to go for a MPH after a few years of nursing, but i just found a medical school which focuses on international health...it seems like this program is made for me.
Sometimes i feel too old..but on the other hand not doing something because of that is ridiculous..isn't it?? I can't decide what to do..the nursing school is a sure thing, while the possibility of being accepted into medical school is still 2 years away.
any suggestions, advice?

 

[chopstick1]

I am freaking out. I have been accepted to a great second degree nursing program which is supposed to start at the end of August. Part of the reason i chose to go for this program is the time factor. I'm 35 and I always have this feeling of time pressure...why, I don't know. Lately though, I've been reconsidering and wondering if I should switch gears and go for medical school instead. I wouldn't be able to start until 2008 at the ripe old age of 37. I have a 4.0 science GPA (though still have to take physics). I am so worried that after a year or so i will start to feel that nursing isn't enough for me. My original plan was to go for a MPH after a few years of nursing, but i just found a medical school which focuses on international health...it seems like this program is made for me.
Sometimes i feel too old..but on the other hand not doing something because of that is ridiculous..isn't it?? I can't decide what to do..the nursing school is a sure thing, while the possibility of being accepted into medical school is still 2 years away.
any suggestions, advice?

I know exactly what you mean....I hit the same crossroad once and chose RN (4 yr) school. after 8 yrs, now going for medicine. nursing was great. good salary, flexable hours but it just wasn't enough...but it gave me a chance to see the medical field first hand, develop relationships, and save up for school. I went back for pre med after RN. there's older people starting medicine so as long as your mcat/grades are high...you'll get in somewhere.

I am not sure what you want to do but a RN with MPH, you're scope of practice will not be as open as a MD/DO. my teacher did a similar track, RN, MPH, PhD, now works for CDC, international med. you could finish RN school, get experience, get LOR's, finish physics then apply. a friend of mine did it backwards, finish pre reqs, took DAT, didn't get in, finish RN, got in. another got into OT school while 2nd yr in nursing school. whatever you decide, stick to your dreams!! good luck!

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Babycapybara - the clock isn't ticking as loudly as you might think. I was strongly encouraged to go to medical school at age 35 - but, for a variety of personal reasons, I didn't do it. When my dad died three years ago, I realized that if I were ever going to do something different in my life, I needed to do it. Guess which dream came back? I jumped into pre-med studies, and I'm starting medical school in August aged 44 years, 11 months. I have absolutely no regrets - I'm a different person than I was at 35 - and I'll practice 15 - 20 years then retire. I intend to have a blast.

Nursing is probably the world's most honorable profession. Nurses with advanced degrees have huge opportunities. Soon, I think, nursing educators will be able to pretty much write their own tickets.

But if your heart is in medicine, remember - getting in is a high-risk crap shoot for every one of us non-traditionals. We all had to invest at least two years of incredibly hard work with no guarantee of success. You have clinical experience and good grades, so I'd say your chances are already better than many older candidates. If you want it, go for it. You could decide to go back to graduate nursing school later. Or now, and apply to med school later. You're not as old as you think. The only caution I can give you is that I think the bar for getting into medical school does start rising quickly after you're 40 - subtle age discrimination still exists. I had good stats - but I was also very, very lucky.

Either way, good luck! It sounds like your heart is already talking to you - relax, and just listen for a while. 😉

 

[TypeA]

Babycapybara - the clock isn't ticking as loudly as you might think. I was strongly encouraged to go to medical school at age 35 - but, for a variety of personal reasons, I didn't do it. When my dad died three years ago, I realized that if I were ever going to do something different in my life, I needed to do it. Guess which dream came back? I jumped into pre-med studies, and I'm starting medical school in August aged 44 years, 11 months. I have absolutely no regrets - I'm a different person than I was at 35 - and I'll practice 15 - 20 years then retire. I intend to have a blast.

Nursing is probably the world's most honorable profession. Nurses with advanced degrees have huge opportunities. Soon, I think, nursing educators will be able to pretty much write their own tickets.

But if your heart is in medicine, remember - getting in is a high-risk crap shoot for every one of us non-traditionals. We all had to invest at least two years of incredibly hard work with no guarantee of success. You have clinical experience and good grades, so I'd say your chances are already better than many older candidates. If you want it, go for it. You could decide to go back to graduate nursing school later. Or now, and apply to med school later. You're not as old as you think. The only caution I can give you is that I think the bar for getting into medical school does start rising quickly after you're 40 - subtle age discrimination still exists. I had good stats - but I was also very, very lucky.

Either way, good luck! It sounds like your heart is already talking to you - relax, and just listen for a while. 😉

Well put! Thanks! I needed to read this too! 🙂

 

[kllyhlls]

I dropped my "awesome 2nd degree BSN/RN program" this morning, then went to my first "pre-med" science this morning (chemistry I). My big worry is my grades from 12-15 years ago when I screwed around.


Good luck,

K

 

[babycapybara]

it's good to hear from people going through the same things i am. i wrote to see what the deferral policy of the BSN program is. That way i can take this year to finish pre-reqs, take the MCAT and apply. At least I will know I have tried. If you apply for medical school in june when do you usually hear if you are in?
The other thing that keeps nagging at me is having children...I really want to someday, but that someday will have to be in the next 5-10 years. No prospects of having them right now and who knows..maybe i never will. so i guess there is no point in waiting for something that may never happen, right?? 😕

 

[chopstick1]

it's good to hear from people going through the same things i am. i wrote to see what the deferral policy of the BSN program is. That way i can take this year to finish pre-reqs, take the MCAT and apply. At least I will know I have tried. If you apply for medical school in june when do you usually hear if you are in?
The other thing that keeps nagging at me is having children...I really want to someday, but that someday will have to be in the next 5-10 years. No prospects of having them right now and who knows..maybe i never will. so i guess there is no point in waiting for something that may never happen, right?? 😕

good idea! whatever you decide to do, finish your pre req, mcat, and apply. don't lose the dream. applying in june should get you secondaries real soon, interviews by sept? and on depending on your secondary. check out the interview area before you go. there's a thread about RN to MD. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=289475

I am in the same boat with the whole children thing (I am 33). don't worry. just get in. there are people with children/pregnant in school, others wait till residency, or graduation. you'll figure it out when the time is right

 

[mshheaddoc]

If you apply for medical school in june when do you usually hear if you are in?[/B]

You won't hear probably until Sept/Oct is when interviews begin, then the waiting after interviews is all the way through May. If you are waitlisted you can hear all the way up through August. Its a long process

The other thing that keeps nagging at me is having children...I really want to someday, but that someday will have to be in the next 5-10 years. No prospects of having them right now and who knows..maybe i never will. so i guess there is no point in waiting for something that may never happen, right?? 😕

You can always adopt if things don't work out with a partner. Don't make that a huge factor into your decision because when the time comes to face that battle you will. As you said, no point in waiting for something that may never happen!