Hello everyone!
I’m new here, and it seems as though I’ve found a great forum. This seems to be a much more supportive environment than some of the other forums I’ve come across and I’m glad to be here!
So…a bit about me:
I’m about to graduate an accelerated BSN program (I have a second BS degree) at a well known Florida university. I chose nursing after several years of working in social services, planning to go on to this school’s Family Nurse Practitioner program. I was confident that I’d made the right decision by going into nursing, as I appreciate nursing’s philosophies about care, but have reached somewhat of an existential crisis now. My education has left me longing for more. Much more…
While I continue to feel that nurse practitioners (and midlevel providers in general, including PA’s) are incredibly valuable members of the healthcare team, I’m no longer certain about my decision for graduate studies. Frankly, I do not feel that I would be satisfied with the education provided through this nurse practitioner program.
My dilemma is this: Medical school is a long, long, arduous road. Especially considering my lack of the hard science prerequisite coursework (physics 1 and 2, chem 1 and 2, organic, biochem…you know, the whole shebang). Frankly, I’m intimidated by some of these prereqs, and concerned about the amount of time it would take to be application ready. I will also be working as a nurse (the good thing here is flexibility). Is it possible to complete these courses while working 3 days a week? Is this going to take years? Have I made a terrible mistake?
Also, one of the reasons that several people (including my primary care doc) have tried to dissuade me from medicine is that my interest is in primary care. Yes, I am part of the approximate 1% (kidding…) who does not want to specialize, but to actually work in a rural clinic. This is why the nurse practitioner role has been suggested to me so many times.
Anyways, it’s encouraging to see so many non-traditional students! Any advice to help me navigate this existential crisis will be greatly appreciated.
you are not alone. I’m currently a registered nurse. I’m about to start my formal post bacc premed. Medicine was always my choice of career but because of lack of financial support i chose to go for nursing, thinking that i may be content since i’m still providing care to patient…but the desire of becoming a physician have hunted from the day i graduated until now. I don’t fill like i have fullfill my desire that i had since i was 8 yo. I have try to content it with the idea of becoming a nurse anesthesia since the salary is as close as a doctor…helas it was not enough…my drive of becoming a physician does not rely on the money but the work itself and all the effort that are required to stay a physician.Nursing in no way have not been able to fill that hunger in me.
I come from a country where doctors are scarse therefore i think i could do good for them…
so don’t give up, you have made the right decision.
- enante1129 Said:
so don't give up, you have made the right decision.
Don't take this as an affront but if you really do plan on becoming a physician I would strongly recommend enrolling in some English classes that would remedy your use of the language.
If you write your application essays like what you have above, you are guaranteeing you do not get admitted to a med-school!
Both points are well taken. You have to be sort of OCD to make it in this field, and bad grammar and mis-spellings reflect an inattention to detail that is in appropriate in medicine.
That said, going from nursing to doctoring is not such a stretch. There are a lot here with a lot worse backgrounds. Like Geology for instance.
good luck!
Swy55,
I noticed you completed a FP residency. If you don’t mind my asking, how have you found family medicine to be so far? Do you enjoy it? One reads many things about the challenges of going into family practice these days, so I’m curious to hear what your experience thus far has been.
Also, is it possible to do well in prerequisite courses while working? It seems that everyone has their own opinions about this (formal vs. informal post-bacc, taking time off, etc), so I’m interested to hear what peoples’ personal experiences have been. Time away from work may not be an option for me. I need to pay off my current loans before taking on the big ones. Is there a way that you recommend sequencing/pacing the courses (aside from the obvious Chem 1 before Chem 2, and so on)? I’d rather not take 3 years to complete prereqs, but am willing to be patient and do things slowly if that yields a better end result.
Thanks!
I did not take this the wrong way at all. if anything, your post is very helpful. I will be startin my post bacc in the fall. Therefore I will take an english class to help me where I’m lacking. Thank you.
I’m a fighter, I will not back out. I have to be honest I’m very intimidated by the whole thing, because i know it isn’t easy…that is the reason why I turned to olpremeds for support.
By the way, if you don’t mind can I get your email, you can proof read some of my work to help me be successful. I assume that you are commenting because you want to help…I hope
So, although I am probably already known as the board’s nursing-EDUCATION-basher, let me just chime in to say I’m doing the same thing (social services to accelerated BSN/MSN to bailing with BSN only to premed prereqs), and my only regret is not bailing earlier. Good luck!
sc
Wow, same exact scenario! It’s great to hear about someone with a similar experience and goal in mind. I wouldn’t say that I bash nursing education per se, but I would say that I hoped to get much more out of my program. And I did find certain aspects terribly unappealing. Did you work as a nurse while returning for prereqs? If so, how challenging was that? I’m interested to hear more about your experience so far since your situation mirrors mine!
PM me and you’ll wish you’d never gotten me started. 
sc