"The Plan" Or "How realistic am I really being"

Though I have always wanted to be a doctor, I’ve always had alot of other goals and desires for my life, so I spent quite a while sowing oats of less scandalous natures for a few years. I did everything from working as a personal coach for a short time to bartending to trying to join the army (they wanted every bit of me except my knees).





My last three years have been spent in a blur of sleepless nights, adrenaline rushes, cardiac arrests, and greasy fire house dinners (its amazing what you can make for less than 3.00 per person). Now I am mostly off the truck for the time being. I am working in an ED (which I would love to be in as an intern someday as there is a med-school attached) In my off time, I am in school becoming a paramedic, which I guess brings me to the plan.





I am going to cheat and call EMT stage one (1), which is more a part of the mental game because I can say, Hey, I am over 4 years into this, why freak out now … mom?





That would make paramedic stage two (dos). The thing is that I am hoping that in retrospect this all looks very deliberate. In actuality I went to paramedic school not with the intention of making my way ever closer to medical school, but because I was frustrated at not being able to do more for my patients (though medical school would greatly expand that as well). I had been pretty highly certified as an EMT, tons of ALS skills that I wasn’t allowed to use. Plenty of critical care skills that I had no chance to use and a wallet full of cards. Paramedic met that need. So this is where I am at now.





Once I finish with Medic school, I will be moving on to stage three ©. This will involve Finishing my degree (including an incidental RN along the way) with a strong Science background and a summer research project and institute thrown in for good measure. The plus side of this step is that my employer will pay for at least 80% of it if not all.





Having completed Stage three ©, I will move onto stage four (four), Medical school.





So that is the basic plan. it makes sense to me. It feels like it has a logical (if not zen-like) flow to it and that I have te resources at my disposal to complete each step well. Now the question to those out there, casual observers and seasoned veterens alike, How does it strike you?

Well, since you are already in medic school, finish it. However, I’m not so sure about the “incidental RN” along with the degree, unless it has to do with getting it paid for. What is your rationale for the nursing degree? Are you thinking a BSN for your degree? If so, be very careful about the science coursework you take, because at many institutions, the biology and chemistry courses required are a lower level course than what medical schools require.
I definitely understand your frustration with not being able to do more for your patients. That is a lot of the reason that I decided to pursue medical school (EMT background as well).
In general, you have a sound plan. Just make sure that when you start the degree that you are taking rigorous enough courses both to count as pre-reqs and prepare you for the MCAT. The big plan is the easy part. Hammering out the little details is where it gets tougher.
Amy

Mostly the BSN is a price tag decision, free is hard to argue with. I am going to have to look into the Sciences and see if I can substitute higher level sciences in to make certain that I am straight. I’d hate to have to re-re-enter college because of that.
Much appreciated.
What are these small details that I have yet to discover? (heh, it took me 26 years to get the big picture)

I was also wondering about this roundabout way…if you want to go to medical school and that is your ultimate goal then why not just finish your EMT and then go for a degree you enjoy taking the pre-reqs along the way? this is much quicker then first getting a BSN and then doing pre-reqs. As Amy stated most science classes for the BSN are usually not the same as those for the pre-med curriculum. At my school the nursing students took a gen chem/organic chem that was not the one for the pre-professional majors so beware. Also, getting the BSN just because it is paid for is kind of counterproductive to your goals (time wise and effort wise) regardless of it being free. I also want to point out that adcoms will question you about this switch from RN to medical school…although this might not be a big issue…but still. Good luck.

Welcome! Sounds like you have a reasonable plan. if it’s being paid for, it doesn’t seem like the BSN route is all that unreasonable so long as you are aware that you’ll probably have to take some extra science classes. I wouldn’t think the program would have an issue with you taking a more difficult series of science classes. Once your in med school the EMT-P and RN degrees allow you to work PRN and make some pretty reasonable money during breaks and slow times. I’m a big fan of taking advantage of free school. Especially after having to pay off $$$ in loans from undergrad and grad school. Good luck! See you around.

Hello, I’m an RN in medschool and would not suggest the RN to medschool route to anyone. Do what you want though, the only problem I see is that Nursing school is getting competative and when I went I was interviewed. Don’t know if they still do that. Your young and still have a lot ahead of you!
Good luck!

Hrm, I may have to consider alternatives to the RN more seriouly here… much appreciated for the advice so far.

MedicofOne -
I definitely wouldn’t do a regular RN. A BSN might be feasible. Before embarking on it, make sure that you can substitute in the necessary med school science pre-reqs for the nursing ones. Also, as others have stated, you may find that getting into a BSN program (especially the clinical years) is pretty competitive. There aren’t enough nursing instructors available.
In addition to the previously mentioned aspect of adcoms questioning why you did nursing if MD was your ultimate goal, you may need to be prepared for some hostility from your fellow classmates and the nurses you will work with during clinical years (if they find out you are applying for medical school). Most of them will also not understand why you are doing nursing school. There have been some stories (on here, I think) of some nurses who were really kind of taken aback at the lack of support they received from their co-workers (and in some cases downright hostility) when their co-workers found out they were pursuing medical school.
Just do a lot of investigating before you commit to the BSN/RN path.
Good luck.
Amy

Hey there,
I would not get a nursing degree unless you are interested in nursing (or unless you are super close to finishing the degree already). When you apply to med school, you will have to explain how you chose your major. Med schools will want to know what interests you–you will have a lot more to tell them if you pick a major because you like the subject, not because it was free. (Although I can understand wanting to take advantage of the free tuition–there’s probably a way to spin it, but you’d have to find it!) You also have a lot of health care experience already. Are there other things you’d be interested in majoring in? Maybe even a non-science subject? You do have to make sure to take the correct pre-reqs, but aside from that there’s lots of flexibility.
A lot of people do go from nursing to medicine, but I think they usually work as nurses first, or at least start nursing school planning to become nurses. Nursing degrees take a lot of work–I think it would be hard to do if that weren’t your career goal. But that’s just me…
Well, good luck! Welcome to OPM.

Quote:

MedicofOne -
I definitely wouldn’t do a regular RN. A BSN might be feasible. Before embarking on it, make sure that you can substitute in the necessary med school science pre-reqs for the nursing ones. Also, as others have stated, you may find that getting into a BSN program (especially the clinical years) is pretty competitive. There aren’t enough nursing instructors available.
In addition to the previously mentioned aspect of adcoms questioning why you did nursing if MD was your ultimate goal, you may need to be prepared for some hostility from your fellow classmates and the nurses you will work with during clinical years (if they find out you are applying for medical school). Most of them will also not understand why you are doing nursing school. There have been some stories (on here, I think) of some nurses who were really kind of taken aback at the lack of support they received from their co-workers (and in some cases downright hostility) when their co-workers found out they were pursuing medical school.
Just do a lot of investigating before you commit to the BSN/RN path.
Good luck.
Amy


I just wanted to comment, when I went to Nursing School there was not a big difference in an AA degree RN (3 years) and a BSN degree RN (4years) except that one year of undergrad, I took all the same sciences,and 3 psych courses courses undergrad, the difference was in more math, more other courses to make a BS degree. The Core Nursing courses are the same, they have to be or you would not be an RN. The main reason I tell people not to do this is because why get a BSN then try to apply right into Med school?
You are not an RN until you pass the NCLEX and you practice a year. The first year is like a residency for MDs. So you would start and only go most way not all the way. It will add about 1 to 2 years onto the goal of med school.
I think EMT is better because you can do it faster and still get the patient contact, it can be paid or volunteer. You still would do the premed route. Much better option.I have also talked to medical assistants.
Do what your heart tells you though.
Good luck!

Hi. I don’t have personal experience with being an EMT or nurse however I thought I would tell you what a doctor on an admissions committee said. At a question/answer session at a prospective med school, one student asked if she got an RN, worked for a couple of years and then applied to med school would this help her chances for admittance. The consensus of the panelists was that it would actually hurt her chances. They said it is different if you are already a nurse for many years and decide that you want to go to med school but when they see that you just finished your RN and are now applying to med school, they said from an admissions point of view they immediately interpret this as “this is someone who doesn’t know or isn’t sure of what they want to do.” And any admissions committee will tell you that they want to see applicants that absolutely know and are committed to becoming doctors.
I say that just so you will consider the heart of “why” you would be pursuing a nursing path. If in your heart you WANT to try nursing and learn from an INVALUABLE group of people (sometimes I think nurses know more than doctors ) than go for it…I always think you should do what interests you and what you love. However if your only reason for doing it is to improve your chances to get into med school than I would ask you to think long and hard about this path.
Bea

Ive sat down with a benefits coordinator and found out that outside of the nursing discount, I also get a blanket reimbursement of classes that I would like to take other wise. That with other scholarships and grants puts me in good stead to take regular classes without having to go the nursing route.
Thanks for the great advice guys. I think I am going to camp here on this site with you for a while.

As Bea put it so well, med schools don’t necessarily look kindly on applicants using a BSN as a stepping stone to med school. It’s one thing to have been an RN practicing for a number of years, but something else to be seen as rushing from one degree to the next.
Cheers,
Judy

Well that looks better then, believe me I don’t want to knock nursing,(Since I’m an RN) but it really should be done cause thats the career you want. I think you will find your path to medicine. Hang out and good luck!