Hello all,
i just found this website, and i think it is awesome! Esp. for the MD/DO’s who stick around for advice…
Anyways…
I’m 25, female currently living in Denver in 2nd Semester of FNP program at UCHSC.
So…
I’m pretty much thinking i want to try and go to med school…
My hx: known i wanted to be a Doctor at least since high school maybe earlier…
Got my BS Pre-med/Biology 2003, 3.01 or something GPA… i think the science score is lower, looked back got all C’s in Chem, some Math, etc… i got mostly A’s and some B’s in upper level Bio courses such as Anatomy, Immunology, Virology, Micro and Med Micro… but don’t know if that is figured in the total Science score or only the required science courses… bla bla okay
So I speak German, long story did an exchange in High school, did 2 years of my undergrad in Germany. So my goal at the time was to move back to Germany and attend Med School there. Main reason because i wanted (still do) want to live in Germany and another HUGE reason was that tuition is basically free, the fees are like 300 a semester… So i graduated in 2003, and moved back to Germany applied to Med School… didn’t really think i would get accepted because only 18 places available for foreign students… but they did look at high school grades (3.5gpa) so that helps… so first i got a rejection letter. While i was over there i already was considering other options… not ever even really considering US med schools, primarily based on my GPA and i had taken MCATs (for which i did NOT study at all…due to moving reasons,etc) i got 5,5,6… so if i had studied,… Anyways i considered Carribean Med Schools, PA school, etc… that’s when i came across NP’s which i prior had no idea about… My mom is a RN,BSN and told me never to become a nurse, and i had NEVER entertained the idea of nursing, was just not something i was interested in… Not that i don’t “care” but i LOVE medicine, i loved the subjects of Biology and my undergrad… Anyways… i discovered you could become a practitioner (FNP) in 3 years… for which you do an accelerated BSN program in 1 year, get RN liscense and then 2 years grad school… So i decided this would be a good option for me, after 5 years of undergrad i really just wanted to give a shot, take a BP, something to do with patients. So… After i make this decision, i recieve a denial from the German Med school where i applied…like i accepted, so being a christian, i believed this just confirmed my decision that i should go the FNP route… all is good…
THEN…
about a week later, i recieve another letter saying that they changed their mind that i was accepted…
TALK ABOUT INNER TURMOIL!!!
ahhhh… So i prayed about it, and after long thinking and talking to a current German med student who informed me that i would have pretty much NO patient contact for 4-5 years and when i did it would be observation only (not participation)… AND the fact that the only job i could get at the military base with my BS degree was at Taco Bell… As much as i wanted to live in Germany and as much as i wanted to go to Medical school I just could not see myself working at Taco bell for the next 7-9 years to support myself while i attended school…
So i stuck with my decision… went to UM University of Miami (FL) last year graduated 2005 with BSN…
Decided to move back to CO where i am a resident because UM is CRAZY for tuition…
So last semester i started the FNP program here, and i was seriously thinking about quiting because it was just a joke… i was like you got to be kidding me that this is grad school… i didn’t do much and got straigt A’s…Maybe i just know what the professors want since i’ve been in school forever… but i just dont’ “get” the nursing theory, i don’t agree or like all the qualitative research… I"m used to the cut and dry this is how it is of biology… I do like the caring and considering a lot of the human aspects portion… but even though this semester is getting to be mroe interesting, i know when i am finished as an NP, i will still not be practicing medicine and i feel like i will never know what i want to know if i don’t go to MEd school… I work at a large hospital here in Denver on the Peds unit and am seriously jealous of the residents, (even when they get irritable after being there for 20 hours) i would rather be discussing the patients with them, then weighing diapers, seeing what color the poop is, hanging medicines, etc…I truely love working with people and helping people and the patient contact so i have NO regrets that i made this decision, i got into the healthcare field quickly like i wanted to… But i realize i really want sooo much more… My ultimate goal is to probably work in the US or Germany and go on several medical mission trips throughout the year and give free medical care to poor people. I can do this as a NP, but my skills and knowledge will be limited. I don’t want to become the queen of referrels or always having to ask the Doc because i don’t know. And also being in the hospital i am opening to considering other options, surgery, ortho, ER medicine, etc… I never thought i would want to cut people open, but you never know it might be interesting. the human body is just sooo awesome…
I am also an EMT (did during my undergrad)will lapse in May i believe…
I’ve shadowed an MD in an ER in 2000, done various volunteer work nothing much consistant but various things. I’ve talked to NP’s and PA’s.
So i’ve ordered MCAT books. Need to take a practice test, see how it goes… graduated 03 so know i have forgotten things, still have most if not all of my undergrad books (cept O-chem, got rid of that one QUICK!)Will try and take MCAT april 07, and apply that summer…
I will then graduate with FNP Dec 2007… If i got accepted i would/could start Aug 2008…
So being that Med School is soo unsure (although i do have the owner of the universe on my side 
i don’t think it would be wise to drop the FNP school, so i would always have that to fall back on if my MCAT is crap or i just don’t get accepted. And although i have ton of loans from UM last year and last semester, i plan to pay for rest of next 2 years by working full time (which i am doing now).
So that’s my long story… Its really nice to get it out in the open with people who have maybe similar experiences and can relate…
I am thinking of looking into DO schools… seems like possibly better chances of getting in, maybe more older people attending… Kirksville looks like a good school.
How much healthcare work do schools want? Is working as EMT for 6 mo, and nurse (will be 2-3 yrs when enrolling) enough…
How much volunteer work? I have done various things, 3 mos at Pregnancy Center, 1 full week 30 hours at a Sports camp for kids last summer, etc…
I am also afraid of how to defend myself (the short version) of why being an FNP is not enough for me… and that it sounds kind of stupid to go to school for 7 semesters, get MSN,FNP and never work as an FNP… i’ve also heard and read in some posts that coming from Nursing background is not looked good upon…
Also recommendations: i don’t think anybody would know me good enough from my undergrad institution to write a recommendation for me… if the profs are even still there…
Can i just get recommendations from Doc’s where i work? such as from the attending’s on my floor? I also don’t think my Professors from the FNP program will want to write recommendations knowing i dont’ want to stay in the field…
So i may not be able to get any rec’s from Profs…
Plus i don’t plan on telling med schools that i was previously accepted --> even if was German school taught in German… But being that i went pre-med to nursing to FNP, and then want to go back to Med School will i be seen as wishy-washy?? I don’t think i am, i’ve always known what i wanted, just have always followed the more practical opti
on, and my mind, i really want to follow my heart, i just went the long way about it.
So sorry for the long post… Nice to meet you all.looking forward to getting to know you all.
Neelia 
Hi there,
You do not have to “defend” your interest in medicine. Since you have paid your tuition for your FNP program, you do not owe anyone an explanation as to why your interests have moved elsewhere. You will not be the first person to change their mind about FNP and surely you will not be the last. Rather than take an attitude of defense, try to articulate the differences between FNP and medicine and why medicine is your true calling.
Second, you are going to need some letters of recommendation from professors. You may even need some additional coursework to get this done so be prepared to do this. What you do not want to happen is to get past the MCAT, application done and rejections coming in because you do not have the proper letters of recommendation. A letter or two from physicians that you work with is fine but you are going to need some academic letters. You also need to be very familiar with the DO philosophy and you should shadow a DO and get a letter.
As for appearing fickle in your career choices, find a way to weave everything into a coherent treatise that emphasizes your broad interests and abilities. Having broad interests and abilities is not counter to becoming a physician.
Make sure that you are well-prepared before you take the MCAT. You only want to take this exam one time and you want to do well. Give MCAT preparation plenty of time and take your time. There is no age limit to application to medical school so take your time and do well with your prep.
Good luck and welcome to the board.
Natalie 
We have a number of OPM’s who have come from a nursing background and are in/out of med school and some who are going to begin med school this next year.
Hang in there.
Cheers,
Judy