I am a 31y/o RN with 2 young children, with an ASN in nursing. After LOTS of deep thought I am confident that I don’t want to continue on in nursing. I love my job as an L&D nurse, but obtaining a masters degree in nursing will not expand my scope of practice in the way that I desire, which has brought me to my 2 year thought about decision to bite the bullet and apply to med school. Which brings me to my question.I am confused as to what I should major in for my Bachelors degree. I majored in Biology prior to changing my major and graduating with my associates degree in Nursing. I can either continue with the Bio major and then apply, or I can continue with my RN-BSN program, and apply as a BSN. Both will take me about the same amount of time due to the fact that I will have to take extra science courses after my BSN that are med school pre-reqs. I am really not too enthused about finishing my BSN. The thought of 2 yrs of nursing clinicals again just isn’t exciting to me, especially since I already spend 36hrs + call each week working in a clinical area, and I am not interested in pursuing a graduate level degree in nursing. I currently volunteer at a pregnancy crisis center, and my overall GPA is 3.81, but I am concerned that med school admissions may view my finishing out my BS in a different field of study as showing a lack of commitment??? Does anyone have any words of wisdom, b/c I am hemming and hawing and keep changing my classes that I am scheduled to take this fall. Thanks in advance 
The choice of major is not a concern for medical schools. It is more important to have good grades. You can major in Underwater Basket Weaving with a minor in Scrapbooking and if you have very good grades in the pre-requisites and in your other classes then you are fine.
The only caveat about choosing a major is that it should be something that you can fall back on as Plan B should Plan A (attend medical school) fall through. The admissions process is a crap shoot. There are no guarantees. You can have perfect scores and still not get into medical school because you botched the interview or you applied late in the cycle.
Either way, the choice of major is inconsequential to medical schools. They like variety in their applicants.
Ditto what Gabe said! The only thing that you are required to do is to take the prereqs and get your bachelors degree.
And Welcome!!!
Thank you both for your quick response. I have actually thought about a plan B. If I continue with my major in Bio and can’t get into med school then I will go for PA. If I continue with my RN-BSN I will do FNP. But my first choice is obviously med school. My grades are decent. Only 1 C in College Algebra (12 years ago) but I am retaking that this semester to improve my GPA plus, I would like to refresh myself before I take Calculus. I made 1 B in nursing school. I always wanted to go to med school but was talked out of it when I was younger. Now I’m older and know more about myself to know what I want. :0). Thanks again. This a great site, and I have lurking here for quite a while. Good luck to both of you.
Don’t do the BSN. From everything you are saying, it is so narrowly applicable to only one very specific “Plan B” that I think it would be a waste of your time and money. Majoring in something that will allow you to incorporate the prereqs in your remaining two undergrad years seems to me to make the most sense from a time and money standpoint.
Good luck!
Mary
Ditto what Mary just said. 
Cheers,
Judy
It might be more profitable for you to do the BS in biology rather than nursing. First, as Mary pointed out, this will allow you to incorporate the prereqs for medschool in your remaining two years of undergraduate work. Second, if you need to turn to plan B, you might have the choice of attending not only PA but also NP school with a non nursing BS if you are a practicing RN.
Go with your guts feeling and aim to become what you really wants to be.
- Idalyn Said:
Go with your guts feeling and aim to become what you really wants to be.
I agree to a point. Going for the BSN will be more limiting, but I don't think majoring in biology (unless that is what you really want to major in and enjoy) is required. Minoring in bio might be a better suggestion, and majoring in an area of interest would reap higher rewards in grades and motivations.
Because there are a greater proportion of science majors applying to medical school among more traditional students, your GPA will really need to be competitive...I'm sure that there are a lot of biology/chemistry majors that have not had success in getting into a med school on their first (or more) go around because they chose biology only to get into medical school and didn't do well (or as well) as students really interested in biology.
In post # 62540, the writer states that she had started of as a biology major, she then did AD in nursing. It appears that she was now questioning whether she should complete her biology or BSN. It is in this context that i sugested biology.
When your application is considered with others, you’re not compared to other biology majors or other history majors or other old students or other young students. Your application is considered on its own merits. So major in what you want, because your unique path to medical school, and how you present it in your application, is what will make your application attractive.
Mary
Thank you Mary. I understand that one can major in any field of study before attending med school; however, it is important to point out that BSN program does not include all prereqs for med school. Whereas BS biology might offer the RN the prereq she needs for medicine, her first priority, and NP or PA school plan B.
Added information, a few years ago i was in a similar situation, and i choose to do BSN; this did not offer me the premed requisite. This is my point in stating that it might be more profitable if she does BS in Biology over BSN.
I was trying to communicate that BS in biology or any other field of study which includes med school prereq will be more profitable than BSN if medschool is a priority . Please feel free to enlighten me. This forum is great. I learn a great deal here.
thanks to all of you. I really just needed someone elses oppinion who doesn’t already think I’m nuts LoL! I’m going to follow through with the Biology major, since I already have several classes toward that major. I enjoyed it the first time around… just didn’t quite know what to do with it and so swapped. Now I know better. Thanks again. I am sure I will post more questions in the future!
- Idalyn Said:
Added information, a few years ago i was in a similar situation, and i choose to do BSN; this did not offer me the premed requisite. This is my point in stating that it might be more profitable if she does BS in Biology over BSN.
I was trying to communicate that BS in biology or any other field of study which includes med school prereq will be more profitable than BSN if medschool is a priority . Please feel free to enlighten me. This forum is great. I learn a great deal here.
I think we're making just slightly different points. My point in this circumstance is that you can major in ANYthing and also complete your prerequisites, although it might be more economical from a time standpoint to major in a science such as biology. But you can get your prerequisites while majoring in any field in the college of arts & sciences.
However, you are correct that you won't be able to also do the prereqs while majoring in nursing for a BSN, because the curriculum gives you much less flexibility.
Mary
You all have made some good points. From my understanding, however, to move ahead into a master’s level NP program, they want the BSN. But since this really isn’t the OP’s ultimate goal, and the OP liked being a bio major before, why not go with that?
My situation is different, b/c I put so much already into the bridge program, and I teach on the side at a CC and enjoy it. . .and except for the added expense, a masters in nursing education seemed fun for me.
But I am at a place where I have to hone in a bit more and decide my best course of action here on out. Since we have some good post-bac pre-med programs around here, it just seemed best to finish what I started and then go into the post-bac program.
Oh, and I guess I don’t believe in looking too far into back-up plans until you really have to do so. Yes it is good to be flexible and be prepared for anything; but how realistic is it to actually be totally prepared for anything. Better to be flexible I say.
It really seems to me that having a bit of a tunnel vision in order to get into medical school is just that way for a reason–that is, only so many spots with many more applicants.
Things can and will move in life, and it is always good to be flexible.
But sometime you have to focus on that goal and not get all bent out of shape about what may or may not happen.
After all, didn’t George Benard Shaw say, “Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get.”