Hi all; I’m new to this forum. I have been a RN for about 5 years and am thinking about taking pre med courses. I was premed for a time in college, but due to multiple factors, ended up with an associate’s degree in nursing from a community college and a BA in psychology. I have been back and forth in my mind about going the NP vs. MD route but I can’t seem to make any progress in my head, and figured I’d come here for some input.
Pros to NP-
-Shorter (2-3 yrs vs 10 – 2 yrs of postbacc, 4 yrs med school, 4 yrs residency…)
-shorter=cheaper (and I would probably have more luck getting NP scholarships)= less debt (Im already $40k in the hole from undergrad)
-less rigorous/stressful (I have a history of anxiety/depression that can worsen under academic stress)
-won’t be 40 by the time I finish residency, having toiled away in academia/hospitals for all of my 30s
-pretty much guaranteed acceptance
-no MCAT
Pros to MD-
-more authority/prestige/power- able to pratice independently in more arenas and take on more (or different) hospital leadership positions
-better foundation in medicine (or “med/surg” as we nurses call it— I am leaning towards a psychiatry residency although also considering ED)
-Wont always wonder “what if” and feel like I gave up on my dream
If it helps, I did 1 yr at a fairly prestigous liberal arts college (GPA 3.35-- all As in science courses), 2 yrs at community college RN program (GPA ~3.8), and 2 yrs getting BA in psychology (GPA ~3.7). I have taken over a year of college bio, but it was >5 yrs ago and i pretty much forget everything. I am not a fan of physics, chemistry, and math, and this is the most off-putting part of med school/becoming an MD (vs med school itself).
I would really rather be an MD, and I do believe if I committed myself, I could do well in a post bacc, get into med school, and finish. However, I am hesitant about the huge time commitment (at least 2 yrs of science preqs to even apply to med school), which is esp. frustrating as I already have years of patient contact and have been in a leadership position in healthcare–it feels like 2 steps backward for 4 steps ahead…
Also the financial commitment is huge- I dont have a family that can support me in that way. I am also prone to anxiety/depression and worry that the rigors and long hours of med school will bring that out, and I’ll end up spending my 30s irritable and depressed, even though I am “achieving my dream.”
So I am done blabbing for now, any advice or pearls of wisdom? Esp. from a nurse who has gone through med school?
Dear Pretzelface,
Welcome to OPM! I hear what you are saying, particularly the premed years. That science is important background for first year med school, which doesn’t have a lot to do with patient contact but does have a lot to do with mechanisms behind the pathophysiology (and sometimes, the pharmacology).
If you are primarily interested in psych, I would think a psych NP would be worth considering, as you would be getting a lot of not really relavent content and practice, in med school. Their ability to practice and scope of practice is pretty good, as well. If you are thinking ER, then NP will NOT get you there.
Having 30 years nursing/NP experience, what I’d say is as far as satisfying yourself, perhaps it is important to ask yourself if you really want to learn the “stuff” in med school. If you don’t want to learn it, then premed and med school would be far more irritating 
Regarding depression - would also be a problem with NP school, but not for as long. What would be important is establishing a relationship with a counselor and with a primary care doc, so you could get antidepressants when needed and maintain good emotional health throughout. Most med schools have a counseling person and welldevelopmed referals for further tx (as it’s not an uncommon problem.
Will perhaps contribute some more thoughts later.
Kate
Kate- Thanks for your response. I am defintiely excited about learning the pathophys parts of med school, just not as much the hard, non-clinical sciences (histology, biochem etc). The depression is well managed-- I have a therapist and have been on antidepressants for about 10 years-- it has not interfered with my work. I do tend to get competitive about grades and can isolate myself studying, so I would be more worried about that in the more competitve/rigorous environment of med school than NP school, although I realize NP school will also be challenging and full of new stuff to learn. At least in my area, I do see a lot of NP roles in the ED, although I’m sure they get more of the routine cases and have less autonomy then the docs.
(My two cents)
The premed years are more of a mental and emotional strain…or so I’ve been told. Regardless, graduate programs in medicine and healthcare will test your fortitude.
Ask yourself what exactly are you passionate about. What makes you light up? Exposure to patients, scientific nitty gritty stuff? Because at the end of the day it is that very same passion that will pull you through the lows of endless nights of studying to reach those euphoric highs of something that you’ve accomplished and you are good at.
I say start with some basic chemistry and physics classes and labs…see how you like them. Learn the ins and outs as they relate to your fundamental A&P knowledge. If you feel something click then push further and see how far you get.
