Hello Again.
I have been contemplating another route to strengthen my Med School application and wonder if this is a wise choice. The local University here offers an accelerated nursing program (BSN)- it is three semesters (total 1 year).
I have all science pre req’s from my prior attendance at the Univer. for a BS and MS in Engineering, but my early grades are not great.
I wondered if I did the BSN and then worked for 2 years if this would strengthen my application? It woudl take me atleast that long to do pre req’s again.
Has anyone considered this route? Advice is welcome! Thanks!!
For your purpose, the answer is no. Going this route could even become an enormous negative. Read the following links:
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?t…
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?t…
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?t…
I posed a similar question on this site some time ago and got generally negative response. My question was specifically about going straight to med school from a BSN program.
Its not to say that such a plan could never work, but it does not appear that there is any advantage to a BSN vs any other program of study. And from what I have seen on this site, could be viewed as more of a negative than positive.
However, on the flip side, nearly every phycian I have quizzed have known of nurses that have gone the medical school route after working for some time. I’ve read posts on this site from many who have gone from a nursing career on to med school
I think that by all means if you want to go to nursing school, you should go. Going through a nursing program with the specific intent of trying to improve a med school application may not be the best route.
I think the “IT DEPENDS” answer applies very well here… especially because I know someone who is in an accelerated BSN program, and spoke to an admissions officer at NYU who told him they would view his experience in a positive light. Perhaps that’s also because he was premed at a strong 4 year university many years ago, had a poor MCAT but also worked in medical research for nearly 10 years before starting his BSN. It was not intended to be a pre-med type of program, as he already has those courses and thought he wanted to be a nurse instead – yet it is giving him great clinical experience.
You say you have prior science experience–did you do bio, chem, orgo, physics?
I do have endless science classes. I have an Undergrad in BioMedical Engineering, so I have all the general chems, physics, Orgo 1. The only missing items are A&P Organic II and Biochem. (taking A&P now).
The reason I considered the BSN program is to get the clinical experience. By the time I start, which would be next summer, I would have all the med school pre reqs done.
I’m still up in the air. Either way, I am a few years out from making application to med school, which I am perfectly fine with. I just need to pick a direction!
This is my speculation of the “perception” of how adcoms view nursing. If you have been a nurse for sometime and then apply, it appears to be viewed competitively. On the other hand, trying to use a degree in BSN as a direct path; that is applying while still in nursing school or immediately after nursing school without a few years of work experience, would raise a flag as not committed. What you need to be careful of looking like you are jumping into med school application mode immediately after BSN. You want to show your nursing experience to be an important part of your decision to apply to medical school.
I think 2 or probably 3 years in of experience as a nurse before applying would be sufficient. So I would recommend working 2 years, studying/taking MCAT and applying 3rd year post-BSN. Then you’ll be over 3 years experience when interviewing. Weave your nursing experience into “your story”, ie the narrative you express to medical schools. For example working as an ER nurse is why you want to go into Emergency Medicine