nurse practitioner to MD or DO

[Smittyballz]

I have 2 questions. The first is what is the length of time for someone to become a nurse practitioner for someone who holds a bachelor's degree in another field such as psychology. I was wondering if there is a residency needed if you choose a specialty or even if you do not is there . I am looking to do it in the least amount of time. My second question is if there is a special program for nurse practitioner's to become a doctor(md or do) and if so where to find it. Thanks so much Joshua Smith

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[J Lucas]

Nurses are not Physicians. If you want to be a medical doctor GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL! I sure wouldnt want you as my doctor since it seems your only looking to take shortcuts through life.

 

[rpkall]

If your ultimate goal is med school, take the premed coursework at some kind of extension school (Harvard Extension, or something similar), and then take the MCAT and apply to medical school. If you have a degree in psych or another field + life experience, that's a big plus for someone applying to med schools especially if you do fairly well in your classes and on the MCAT.

Regarding NP/PA-->MD/DO, there's really nothing "faster" than actually going to med school.


The majority of NP programs out there are continuation tracks for people who already have their bachelors degree in nursing, I think. If you don't, you have to do some sort of coursework in nursing before you start at the level of other entering NP students. In that case, if you're going to spend a year getting a nursing degree (or the equivalent thereof) you might as well look into other options too, like PA-C or MD/DO prereq coursework, instead of limiting yourself to nursing.

 

[awdc]

UCSF has a three-year master's program for those who want to be a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist but who are not nurses and obtained a bachelor's degree in another field.

You can check it out here.

But I would echo the sentiments of others on this board. There are no shortcuts if you want to practice medicine. Invariably, there are trade-offs to becoming a mid-level practitioner (as there are with becoming a physician). You have to decide if those trade-offs are worth it in the long run. If you decide to become a physician later, there are no fast-tracks just because you are a NP. In fact, there are PAs and NPs that are in my medical school.

If you really want to be a mid-level, why not also look into making sure all your pre-med courses are fulfilled for a year (I'm assuming you already have most of them with your psych degree) and then go to a PA school (two years).

Best wishes in your decision.