There are people in all professions who aren't satisfied, wish they picked another profession, are unhappy with how they spend their days. I think that happiness in your medical career depends on it being a good match at what you are passionate about, what you are good at, what makes you happy. These people who are unhappy with their choice of medicine (I know several) in my humble opinion didn't find what they were expected, or worse yet they didn't consider what they expected when they started and compare that with the realities of the profession.
Hope that helps some!
Adam
Also, there are people that are unhappy no matter what. They are looking for something outside to forfill them when there are things inside that are making them unhappy.
As Adam stated, you'll see this in every occupation. What you need to do (and what I have done) to combat this, is to avoid those negative posts...there are enough positive posts to read.
I think all of us have, at one time or another, talked to doctors who said they wish they hadn’t gone into medicine and that we should certainly reconsider.
However, I have talked to equally as many who have told me that while they have thought about the question, they always come up with a different answer; that is, that they can’t imagine doing anything else.
I think one of the advantages we have as non-trads is that we have had a chance at other careers. If we have decided to go to medical school, it is because it is something we really KNOW we want to do.
I read here and in other forums that acquiring a BSN degree is not much help in getting into medical school. I’m 19 and my dream is becoming an M.D. ; however it is financially impossible for me. That’s why I’ve decided to complete an ADN in community college and work as a nurse for one year before taking my Bachelors degree in order to have better chances for getting a loan. My questions is - What is a good and useful Bachelor’s degree that can help me get into Medical school. I know that having a high science GPA is a must.
Thanks in advance to everybody that can answer my humble question :)))
Theres nothing wrong with becoming an RN then go to medical school afterwards, It will not be a big negative just not a big advantage to getting accepted to medical school, your chances are the same as others. One thing you do not have to do os volunteer for patient experience, now you can volunteer for anything! I did.
Now for my Standard advice to all who go into nursing before Medicine, (RN for 17 years here) DO not tell anyone in Nursing school or afterwards while working, Why? You will have troubles you never would have dreamed of, nurses do not like other nurses who want to become Doctors (no matter what is said to you you will have the wounds in your back from the knives they will be back stabbing you with.)
Sure its ok to shadow the Docs you meet and such but keep it on the Downlow, one cover story could be you are thinking of NP, as long as the nurses think you may stay in nursing they should leave you alone. I do not like Lies so just keep it to yourself as much as possible, one thing to remember you are there to work and care for patients your personal life is yours and you should take care not to tell people you work with too much (I have learned this too many times, many many sad stories and my butt is quite smaller from the bites taken out of it)
DRFP, Thank you for the advice I will surely remember it. Well I have a long way in front of me. I’ll just try to get good grades and etc.
megboo thank you for the advice. It probably sounds like a lame excuse but I’m too young and with almost no experience to know what am I good at or not. I just wanna work a qualified job, make good money and have a good life. I didn’t came from the other side of the globe to the things that I enjoy.
If somebody else has a story or an advice regarding my question I’ll be happy to read it
It probably sounds like a lame excuse but I'm too young and with almost no experience to know what am I good at or not. I just wanna work a qualified job, make good money and have a good life. I didn't came from the other side of the globe to the things that I enjoy.
Many of us here think if we were younger then we would have done............for me the truth was I thought Family and Nursing was enough, I found out for me it was not. Besides loving medicine and Family Practice, I looked at what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
Many bring up money, If I die tomorrow then I have no debt, no money worries, but what I did with my life is what matters. Money is fleeting, human experience and life is more important. Doing what makes you happy is important. No body talks about how that guy had a loan, they talk about "Doc Bill " and how he cared for people.
When you think of the future think about what you want for yourself and do what makes you love life.
I agree that not everyone can be or should be a Doctor, but for those who can then do it with Passion knowing you will love your job ( Yea I hate getting up at 5 am and on call but thats the bad part the good out weighs that)
If your path takes you nursing-premed- medical school like me then fine as long as you want this.
Hi, all! I’m a 3rd year med student (Osteopathic), an RN, an FNP and I’m 54 yrs old. I started in medicine as a candy striper in HS but having a family diverted me to nursing school rather than med school. I loved being a nurse and know I will love being a doc. Follow your heart!!! - T
Hi, BGboy. As a whole I would counsel against doing an ADN. Here’s why… if you want to go further with nursing, you will have to go back to school and get your BSN (it’s a bit of a do-over, although sometimes you can get into an accelerated program).
In Colorado, we have a waiting list that is 3 years long to get into the ADN program. If you are stuck on a waitlist, it only further delays your opportunities to be out there working. In addition, you have to have had a number of prerequisites including Psychology, 2 semesters of Anatomy/Physiology, English, and others just to get on the waitlist. I know that the A/P classes require biology first, so you can get stuck a long time trying to get all the requirements in.
Moreover, once you do get into the ADN program, I don’t think much that you will do will meet requirements if you want to pursue medical school.
However, if you go to a 4-year school and pursue a degree in something like Microbiology or Biomedical Science or Biology or Chemistry, you can certainly work in premed prerequisites (and many of the upper level science courses will also double as nursing BSN prereqs for a fast-track program if one is available in your state… here in Colorado we have programs that run for 20 months after you get a bachelor’s degree in another subject, provided you meet the prereq’s for the program) and give yourself a shot at the MCAT. It’s one way for you to see if your interests match the rigorous science study demanded of medical school students, while leaving the door open to Nursing, should you decide that Medical School is not your bag.
If you are willing to work as a CNA, it is great experience, both for becoming a nurse and for becoming a doctor, because you will learn bedside manner and the basics of patient care. Although CNA salaries are small, the training is fairly quick (80 hours of coursework–i.e., a couple of weeks–a few days of clinicals, and an exam to get licensed).
CNA licensure is also a prereq for one of the BSN programs here in Colorado. Moreover, it also has served as my clinical experience requirement for my medical school applications. I was just accepted into the DO program at RVUCOM, and another CNA on my floor was just accepted into the MD program at UCHSC, so I would highly recommend the experience.
I know that there is an awful lot of information to digest. I would certainly go talk with an academic advisor and/or career counselor to help guide you towards the best fit for your interests, needs, and abilities. The financial aid is out there if you need it.
Hi, Pamula. I went back to the beginning of your post and I thought I would share with you that the admissions folks at RVUCOM told a group of us that being a nurse was an asset due to the healthcare experience (one of the applicants was a former nurse).
Because Osteopathic Medicine likes to recruit folks who have an interest in Family Practice, someone with a good bedside manner can be a real asset if that is your direction. There are many aspects of your experience as a nurse that will make you a better physician down the road.
As a rule patients tend to prefer nurses (and even NP’s) over doctors, not because nurses know more, but because nurses have the people skills that make patients feel comfortable. Building a level of trust with a patient only serves to accelerate the healing process. Remember that healing is not only a science but an art as well. If you can learn the science, you are well set, because you already have mastered the art.
After all, a good deal of medicine is about analysis, then communicating with patients and encouraging them to comply with a treatment plan–as a nurse you have followed through to help people with the plan, as a doctor you will diagnose and design the plan yourself. It’s a wonderful segue to know what goes on on both sides of the coin–you’ve seen the stumbling blocks in patient care, you know what doctors do that frustrates nurses and patients, and hopefully you will avoid the missteps and miscommunications.
When you get to an interview, sell the positive aspect of your experience. It is what has helped to make you who you are today. Your healthcare experience will give you the confidence and instinct to follow through with the knowledge you will attain in medical school.
