Hello. I have a unique combination of circumstances-I am a 40yr old Nurse Practioner, who plans to finally pursue my dream of becoming a MD. I was a Biology major in undergrad so I took all the pre-reqs. However they are 10yrs old. Help! Do I really need to take some over?
Does anyone know of other NPs who have gone on to med school?
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Yes. Me 
I’m a 53 year old first year medical student who was an NP.
Take biology again. Really. Even in 10 years there has been a lot of change.
If you have some idea of medical schools you are interested in, you could check with those specific schools about your specific prerequisites. Some schools want your prereqes to be no more than 5 years old.
Also, you have to take the MCAT’s on the material in basic bio, chem, organic chem and physics. Retaking some of all of these prereqs will ensure that they are very fresh in your mind. It will give you the opportunity to get letters of recommendation from science faculty for your application, which you will need. And it will ensure that when you are in medical school you will be better prepared for some of the content (I’m in biochemistry right now, and I am VERY thankful for excellent chemistry and organic chemistry in my postbac program).
Those are my thoughts, anyway
Kate
Hello fellow Nurse Practitioner! I’m in the same boat as you. Good luck on your journey!
Hi,
I am also a nurse practitioner contemplating going to med school in the future. I’m presently taking Organic Chem I and I took Gen Chem 1 and 2 last year. I also have very old prereqs (I’m 45 years old) and will likely take Physics next year and possibly repeat General Biology in the future. Many med schools also recommend courses in Genetics and Biochem as well, so I might take those courses in the future as well.
As you can see, you are not alone…
Welcome and good luck on your journey!
on suggestion is to save the genetics or bichem till last because you can apply to programs and complete those while your application is being reviewed.
Kate
Thanks for the advice -I agree! I am retaking Org Chem and Physics first alongside studying for the MCATs.
I am planning to do some volunteer work as I have been too exhausted after work for the past 6 months. How did you factor that in your application?
Good luck fellow colleagues!
Since there are so many NP’s in here, I wanted to ask y’all a question.
I was just wondering what made you decide to become physicians after being NPs?
The reason I ask is that I debated for several years pursuing a PA program versus med school due to being older, but decided on med school.
I have that question as well, I contemplate being an NP or PA because of the time requirement, is there any specific reasons for the change? I worry that if I choose the NP route that I will regret that decision and end up in the same place I am now.
Hey there! I am an NP also 40 years old. I am currently finishing up Org Chem I with part II to go for the Spring 2011. I will be taking the MCAT in the summer of 2011 and will apply same time. I wanted to move on to become an MD because I realized shortly after becoming an NP that I thirst for a depth of knowledge at the cellular level in regards to disease and its treatment that my training as an NP did not provide. I can’t beleive that applying to med school is just around the corner and my dream is so close to being realized. Good luck to you on your journey!
Kate,
I am new to this forum. I came across your post when searching the related topic about NPs going to med schools. I am a NP student who is considering going to med school. I am almost finished with my NP degree. But I am thinking about not getting licensed and going straight for med school. But I am concerned that I will have a tough time at the school interview regarding my change of mind. I do have a good explanation though. So, I was wondering if they questioned you about why you switched to be an MD after being an NP.
Thanks,
Izzy
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They did indeed ask that. I talked about teaching Community Health nursing and volunteering at a free clinic to do prenatal care, and how that brought me to a place of wanting to do primary care - to increase the scope of both patients I could care for and medical problems I could address.
They sometimes asked why I didn’t just go for an FNP. I want to do overseas medical outreach as well as rural primary care in this country and explained that I wanted the depth of medical knowledge that would enable me to recognize and care for uncommon as well as common medical problems.
I would be prepared to talk about your own reasons for wanting to go into medicine.
Medical school is very expensive so considering working as an NP until ready to start medical school to be in a good financial position might also be good strategy.
Kate
Izzy,
I am also an NP student. My program is suspected to be done July 2021 if I stay on track with clinicals (which is hard with covid). Recently I’ve realized, as my program comes to an end, that my education was not what I was really burning for to prepare me to understand the “why” behind being a clinician rather than algorithms and just knowing assessments and plans of care. I was planning on finishing my NP, getting licensed, seeing how the market is and what types of jobs I can get, while also taking a few pre-med classes in the meantime.
But if you 100% know physician is what you want, I think finishing and going right for it is a great option. I am sure your nursing background and NP education will help with your application. And they will appreciate you finished what you started with graduate school even if you did not get licensed. For me, if it was not for being engaged and having a wedding to plan and think about my fiance, I would have a set plan after graduation to start prepping for med school application. Best of luck! I’d be interesting to see how your journey goes.