So glad to have found you. Reading posts here have made me feel better about my decision to go to med school.
I’m a 33 year-old mom to 2-year-old twins. I am a few months away from beginning a BSN program for nursing, my first degree. I have a 1.2 GPA from 15 years ago, when I left school for family reasons in the first year and didn’t have the sense to drop classes before leaving town. My current GPA as a sophomore is 4.0.
I have always wanted to be an MD, but the universe took me in a different direction (rather harshly). Now I have a chance to start over. I am going to nursing school because I want/need some healthcare experience and I also need an income while taking pre-med classes, ideally, at a hospital’s expense.
I already know that I’m not a “nurse-person”. I also know I’ll probably catch some flack here for doing nursing as my undergrad, but I don’t think I can feed my kids and pay for school with a Bio degree.(Anyone with advice on this, please share.)
And if something unexpected happens, (ie husband loses job, death of parents, the US drops into a depression) and I can’t continue school, I feel I need a contingency plan. I can do an NP master’s where I live, which would work if we were suddenly unable to move somewhere else for med school.
Questions:
Will my old GPA from 1994 be a problem?
Should I take trig or calc based physics if the schools I’m looking at don’t require calculus? Would it help me on the MCAT to have had calculus?
Should I take trig or calc based physics if the schools I’m looking at don’t require calculus? Would it help me on the MCAT to have had calculus?
Will nursing help or hurt?
Will CC credits be a detriment?
I will pass on what I have heard here. Your GPA will have less impact on DO schools. They will use your new grades to calculate a GPA (assuming you take the classes over that you failed.)
A DO school also has the reputation of being more understanding with older students, but I wouldn’t ever rule out MD if thats your goal.
The calc/algebra question. I have been reading up on it. I am taking algebra. Some say cal based classes give you a deeper understanding with less formulas to learn. I am sticking with algebra.
I am in community college for my pre-reqs. Some schools PROBABLY will show a preference for non-community college classes. I can’t afford a University right now. Most conclude that you should be ok with CC classes, just DO WELL in them.
I never heard anyone say nursing got them into medical school, but I think the clinical background will not hurt. During an interview, you may be asked WHY you want to go from nurse to Dr.
Ok, thats my 2 cents based on my research and not my experience.
Esme, Totally with you! Love this place already - just for the feeling of being understood and not criticized by well intentioned people that think it would be “too hard”, you know?
I believe whole hearted in doing (for a living) something that strikes your interest if not your passion. If you are not a nurse kind of person and you intend to have a clinical degree before trying med school… have you considered PT, Speech or OT instead? Sure thing I am biased - I am an Occupational Therapist - but it can be an alternative. If something happens that will make you work longer on that profession before pursuing med school, at least you will be doing something you like. Believe me, specially when you are dealing with patients, you have to like what you do or it will wear you out. Just a thought… I am just starting the pursuit of new horizons (med school) and I wish you all the best!
Have you considered an AA in nursing instead? That way you can begin working in 2 years, fund your remaining 2 years of undergrad (often with the help of your hospital employer) and finish up your BA in something other than nursing. I’ve been told that having a nursing degree is not a very good undergrad degree for medical school, and if you could do something else that takes care of your science requirements and prepares you for MCAT’s, like biology, it would be taking care of two things at once. Also, this rout would give you 2 years of working experience in the medical field before applying to med school, which takes care of all your patient exposure requirements and will solidify your interest in continuing. You would also have the same back up plan in place: you could become a PA, CRNA, or Nurse P. (you might need a BA in nursing for the Nurse P., but maybe not).
Lots of info on CC here, recommend you do a search. Make sure you get a 4.o.
Yes, I originally began at a CC with a nursing ADN program, but then learned that their NCLEX exit scores were not great. The school is currently on probation, so I didn't want to be involved. Besides, I don't want that degree anyway. I feel if I just go for what I want from the start, I can save time. I can go through the Nurse Practitioner MSN program after my BSN if med school doesn't work out. I need a BSN no matter what, I figure it's much more more flexible than a Bio degree.