Why a doctor and not a nurse?

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realruby2000

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Many say that they want to do medicine b/c
they Passion for science, Love working with people
Want to make a difference in their lives etc. But cant nurses do the same thing? What would you say if an interviewer asked you "Why a doctor and not a nurse?"

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A doctor is allowed to manage patients and decide what is the best way to treat them. You don't have to work under other people, you make the decisions yourself with your knowledge. You are also able to develop a special bond with patients because of your role. I also want the opportunity to have my own practice if I decide to.

Those are just off the top of my head but put shortly...if I were in another health profession I would feel like something were missing:) Medicine is for me:)
 
Doctors make alot more money
 
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You make some good points in comparing the two careers but there are differences. For me one of the main differences is in the training itself. I am sure that the top nurses in this country are far better than the worst physician in total patient care, but in general physicians are much better trained in determining distinct diagnoses of a problem, e.g., this patient has pneumonia. Nurses are trained in observing specific problems and providing some treatment, e.g., impaired gas exchange, provide oxygen. These differences are subtle but understanding the physiological pathway behind the diagnoses is much more intriguing to me than just recognizing the symptoms.

An important part of a profession for me is being respected for my knowledge and skills by the people I work with, the people I work for, and the public at large. Certainly this does not come instantaneously with being a physician, but it can be garnered and some of the most respected members of our society have been physicians. Unfortunately, nurses are rarely acknowledged for their skills and knowledge much less respected for them even though they are knowledgeable and offer critical skills in providing health care.

I also like the idea that medical school is near the top of the heap when it comes to education. You can't go much further. That is somehow comforting to me. Hopefully when I finally get there I don't get lost in the feelings of the "what's next?" kind of thing that many people do when the reach the pinnacle of a goal, educational or otherwise.

Good nurses, like good mothers and good teachers, rarely receive the respect and admiration they deserve...
 
Shadow a nurse for a week and you will find out why. :)
 
I want to order Golightly, not give it.
 
to aks why do you want to be a doctor is a valid question. But, to ask why in comparison to another occupation is not really valid and I would not answer it. I would simply tell why i wanted to be a doc.
 
Having changed my major halfway through a Bachelor's in nursing program, I know exactly why I wanted to be in medicine vs. nursing.

As mpp mentioned, nurses are rarely respected or appreciated for their skill. Keep that in mind, future docs... there are a lot of brilliant nurses out there, and a lot of the docs I have seen could learn a thing or two from them (just my $.02 :D )

Working with patients is very rewarding, something that you could find satisfaction in by practicing either medicine or nursing. Having spent a lot of time working in an ICU, I do think that these nurses have a lot more interaction with patients and their families. When you are caring for someone for twelve hours a day, 3-4 days a week (during the weeks or months that critically ill people are hospitalized) you really get to know people and thier families, versus the ICU docs, who have tons of patients to follow, and not an entire shift to spend doting on just one or two patients (this is not to say that the dr.s relationship with the patient is any less significant or "intimate", it is just inherently different... at least in the ICU/Critical Care setting)

Educational differences are tremendous. I was fascinated by what I learned in nursing school, but I did not truly "get" what we were learning until I changed my major to biochem and started taking some more advanced science courses. The level of science courses (intro bio, A&P, chem) are WORLDS apart from the deeper level of understanding demanded by a career in medicine, something that is both challenging and invigorating.

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Medic171:
•to aks why do you want to be a doctor is a valid question. But, to ask why in comparison to another occupation is not really valid and I would not answer it. I would simply tell why i wanted to be a doc.•••••I would disagree.... as the original poster pointed out, there are a lot of health related careers out there that could fulfill one's desire to help others and combine that with scientific interests. Ad coms will want to know that you have considered what these other professions have to offer, and they want to see if you know what medicine is all about. They want to ensure that you have decided that medicine, and no other health or service related career, will satisfy your career/professional/personal aspirations (to determine whether you have a "passion" for medicine, so to speak)
 
I was asked this question in most of my interviews. I usually said that being a doctor was much more of an intellectual challenge, and I needed intellectual challenges in my life. I also said that in general physicians or surgeons can make a greater impact on a person's life.
 
I was also asked a similar question, and while I echoed some of the sentiment given here, I made the focus of my answer that health care is often provided by a team of people working together for the best of the patient. As a physician I get the opportunity to be a leader and direct that team. That is exciting to me. :wink:
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by mpp:
•You make some good points in comparing the two careers but there are differences. For me one of the main differences is in the training itself. I am sure that the top nurses in this country are far better than the worst physician in total patient care, but in general physicians are much better trained in determining distinct diagnoses of a problem, e.g., this patient has pneumonia. Nurses are trained in observing specific problems and providing some treatment, e.g., impaired gas exchange, provide oxygen. These differences are subtle but understanding the physiological pathway behind the diagnoses is much more intriguing to me than just recognizing the symptoms.

An important part of a profession for me is being respected for my knowledge and skills by the people I work with, the people I work for, and the public at large. Certainly this does not come instantaneously with being a physician, but it can be garnered and some of the most respected members of our society have been physicians. Unfortunately, nurses are rarely acknowledged for their skills and knowledge much less respected for them even though they are knowledgeable and offer critical skills in providing health care.

I also like the idea that medical school is near the top of the heap when it comes to education. You can't go much further. That is somehow comforting to me. Hopefully when I finally get there I don't get lost in the feelings of the "what's next?" kind of thing that many people do when the reach the pinnacle of a goal, educational or otherwise.

Good nurses, like good mothers and good teachers, rarely receive the respect and admiration they deserve...•••••You also can't go much further than getting a doctorate in math/physics/chem. Many people don't even last in these programs.
 
i was asked this exact question at one of my interviews and i can't even remember what i answered... but i agree with most of what you all said.
 
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I was asked..."why not a PA or Nurse Practitioner"? They can see patients and a nurse practitioner can have their own practice. What would you guys have said to this question? I answered by talking about the level of training an MD receives and the broader range of opportunites an MD has.
 
I was asked this question during the U Mich interview. One way to take this question is the leadership avenue. Why do you want to control the patients treatment? Talk about traits that you believe make you ideally suited to manage people's health.
 
In my mind, I have three reasons to choose an MD over nursing.
1. knowing the theory behind diagnosis and treatment. as painful as I find biochemistry, I like knowing why things happen
2. autonomy
3. the challenge of med school, residency, etc. I think I'm a masochist :)
 
•••quote:••• In my mind, I have three reasons to choose an MD over nursing.
1. knowing the theory behind diagnosis and treatment. as painful as I find biochemistry, I like knowing why things happen
2. autonomy
3. the challenge of med school, residency, etc. I think I'm a masochist ••••Actually, that would make you more of a sadist. Welcome to the club!
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by fourthwatch96822:
•You also can't go much further than getting a doctorate in math/physics/chem. Many people don't even last in these programs.•••••It's funny that you wrote that because I am leaving a PhD program in physics to go to medical school (if I get in that is...). If I had more time I would probably try and do both.
 
Wow mpp...I also left a Ph.D. program to go to medical school. Ph.D. in Experimental Pathology at UTMB, to be exact. :p
 
i'm interested in surgery, and nurses cannot do surgery. But army special forces medics or the pararescueman can perform minor field surgery. though MD can do something more complex.
 
These are all good answers for food for thought. Certainly agree on scientific depth of knowledge. However, playing devil's advocate:

With respect to autonomy in patient care, unfortunately, these days more often than not the doctor does not have the final word in patient care- the insurance company does. Even if you're in a private/group practice you will have substantial contracts with insurance companies.

Another interesting comment I've heard from some NPs/PA's is that once you decide on your specialty as a doctor, it's very difficult to go into another one without completing another residency, which is time consuming and very expensive. They felt they had more flexibility to move within specialty areas once practicing than doctors did.
 
In replying the doctors have more contact with patients. That is bunk.

When my daugther was ill, I spent hours a day with nurses. I knew their home life, their husbands name..even the ages of their kids. Nurses in a hospital setting have much more patient contact than physicians. Physicians round and then come back for procedures or problems. That's it.

Many who want to go into medicine have no idea what they're getting into, I think. One premed wants to do trauma..and she thinks she'll only be working a few days a week and making 500 K a year. She has no idea she'll be working nearly 7 days a week for 18 hour days. She also has no idea she'll be meeting families at the darkest point in their life everyday, and nearly every hour. Constantly dealing with grief and hardship..usually with bad news. Not a fun job unless you can come out on top with alot of cases, I suppose.

I, personally, want to do it because I enjoy the science aspect. I enjoy making the diagnosis and the problem solving aspects. Nurses cannot do that. Even though nurses take a few basic sciences, they can't go in depth and major in a science in undergrad. It is the best of both worlds, I think. Plus, I have a thing for sick children..they are my passion...and I want to help them. Honestly, I've never thought I'd make a great deal of money. I honestly haven't given it a great deal of thought. I hope to pay my loans back and let that be that.

And for the bonehead who said prestige....prestige is like beauty. It's in the eye of the beholder. Not everyone will admire you. Admiration depends on the skill of the physician..mostly, I've remembered the physicians who's kindness and empathy went above the call of duty. I've admired a few physicians, but not all. Some aren't worth the paper they're degree is printed on. Notice I say admire..they aren't magnificient, know all, be all Gods. They are men who go home and watch porno and drink beer. And women who go home to screaming children. Get real.

Alicia
 
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by snowballz:
•In replying the doctors have more contact with patients. That is bunk.


And for the bonehead who said prestige....prestige is like beauty. It's in the eye of the beholder.
Alicia•••••I think you misread. No one here said that doctors spend more time with patients than nurses.

I think the prestige factor is also acceptable as it is much easier to earn admiration from society as a physician than as a nurse.
 
Well..lets be really childish here...wow.

Who gets more prestige? The US president or a a lawyer? The bum on the street or the postal worker? The mcdonalds fry cook or the farmer who grows the potatoes?

If you have a lack of respect for nurses, and think they deserve less respect, that is really horrible. Nurses work very, very hard for alot less pay than a doctor. They are THE link to the patient. Why can't they all be part of a healthcare team that all plays different roles? There are rts, mds, rns, cnas, lpns etc, etc that all share a role in patient care.

Where would doctors be without nurses to make observations, change dressings, and carry out their orders? Wow, give a nurse some respect for doing the dirty work.

Alicia
 
Once again, I think you have misread. Here is what I posted first:

•••quote:•••An important part of a profession for me is being respected for my knowledge and skills by the people I work with, the people I work for, and the public at large. Certainly this does not come instantaneously with being a physician, but it can be garnered and some of the most respected members of our society have been physicians. Unfortunately, nurses are rarely acknowledged for their skills and knowledge much less respected for them even though they are knowledgeable and offer critical skills in providing health care.

Good nurses, like good mothers and good teachers, rarely receive the respect and admiration they deserve... ••••Calling people boneheads is so mature...
 
Let's not forget that nurses have leadership roles too.

I have a friend who is a psych rn and is a director for a crisis response organization. She is in charge of every program under the organization. She is boss of the supervisors that run the crisis hotlines and in charge of the social workers that do outreach work. She is responsible for supervisor training and the hiring and firing of staff. She never sees patients, because she is a director.

Patient care coordinators are also nurses in executive positions.

There are master level programs for executive nursing roles/administrative roles.
 
I wa actually asked this exact question and by a nurse at my University of Chicago interview.
 
I like posting here because you guys often point out things about a subject that I did not consider on my own. I see why the question is valid, and I liked your responses(and disliked a few). Thanks!
 
I find it interesting that so many people consider nurses to "just carry out the doctor's orders". If you've ever seen a nurse in the ICU/ER, for example, you'd see that is is a position that requires a lot of quick thinking and assessment skills. Nurses are responsible for lives as well as doctors, and need to know when to act and when not to. They deserve a lot more respect and pay than they get.
 
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