RN to MD Progress/Support Thread

[ER_casey]

1. Yes, schools accepted my prerequisites, but why wouldn’t they?

2. I used all the typical resources (Kaplan, Princeton etc) but what I wish i did was a lot more practice questions and tests!

3. Number of schools just depends on your GPA and MCAT. I believe I applied to 30 or 40, but I was also totally fine with DO school, so I had a lot of broader options! The amount of time from completion of your prerequisites/MCAT and acceptance just depends on when you take your test. I would say it’s ideal to test in the late spring/early summer and have your app complete with a score in late June or early July, but it is MUCH better to take extra MCAT prep time than it is to do poorly on the MCAT and have to dig yourself out of a hole!

Take plenty of practice tests and only take the real thing when you know you can get the score that you want.

Awesome! I was asking more for the physics aspect, because im taking basic physics classes not like physics with calc.

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[KeikoTanaka]

Awesome! I was asking more for the physics aspect, because im taking basic physics classes not like physics with calc.

I only took basic physics from a community college, and this counted. I did Biotechnology at my undergrad which did not require Physics. So after the fact when I decided to pursue medical school, I went to a CC to complete some extraneous pre-reqs.

 

[SnoogleRN]

Hey all,

Love this thread, hoping to get some information for my situation. Here's me: (FYI short version is at the bottom if you don't want to read all of this lol)

I'm 25, male, been an RN with an MSN for *ahem* 3 months. Before I get to why I know this is what I want after such a short time in nursing... I went to a large public university for my undergrad, where I majored in Biomed. I originally went to school aspiring for either research/lab work or possibly for a health profession. Toward the end of my undergrad, after volunteering in EMS, I was still undecided. After graduating, I decided that I wanted to go into nursing since I had the most exposure to nursing while working in EMS and it seemed like a rewarding and fulfilling career in healthcare. My cGPA was 3.46 and idk what my sGPA was, but I expect a tad lower (mid 3.3s?). Not great. Because of my major, I already have most prereqs, which consist of about 1/2 As and 1/2 Bs. I had considered applying to med/dental/pa school but I really couldn't figure it out, I think because I was too young and 4 years of schooling seemed like such a long time.

I proceeded to go into an accelerated direct entry master's in nursing program and finished with a 3.93 GPA and a master's degree. I began working on an interventional cardiology and vascular unit and have loved it, up until now. Basically, since graduating undergrad I got married and bought a house (which basically fell apart after buying it and required a ton of work), all right around the time I began nursing school. I learned real time management and responsibility, which is why I did so much better in school this time around in an intensive and condensed nursing program. However, as I have finished my orientation on my unit and despite the complex nature of this unit and the nursing I'm practicing, I'm realizing the knowledge cap that nursing practice has due to the limited nature of our scope of practice and education. I've learned what to do as a nurse (obviously there's more to learn, I'm still new), but I'm beginning to want to know more and do much more than my scope and level of education grants me. I'm not fulfilled, and I want more. I have shadowed physicians and love that life and job, more than what I'm doing now and more than the job the APPs do that I've worked alongside.

I have yet to study for or take the MCAT, which I know will have a significant effect on my plan moving forward. I have some questions though on your thoughts as to how I should proceed.

SHORT VERSION & questions:

25 years old, male, New England area
Majored in Biomed @ public university: cGPA 3.46, sGPA idk, little lower than that. Most premed prereqs are done.
Master's in Nursing w/ Clinical Nurse Leader cert: GPA 3.93
6 years volunteer 911 EMS experience, 3 months nursing experience on interventional cardiology/vascular (will be closer to 1-2 years by the time I actually apply)
I have not taken the MCAT yet, and before I do, I'd like some input from you all:

Should I consider doing a post bacc program? There are some in my area and I'm not opposed, but don't want to do it if it's not necessary. Should I do a postbacc before I take the MCAT? Will my nursing GPA (and a hopefully competitive MCAT score) be enough to offset my subpar undergrad gpa? I'm confident that with adequate studying I will do fine on the MCAT, but obviously only after actually taking it will I know for sure. I'm completely open to DO programs as well as MD, but I'm pretty area restricted as I would prefer to not leave the New England area. Boston schools and UNECOM in Maine are my top choices as of now. Should I focus more on just DO schools or should I apply to both?

Thank you so much for any input. I'm so glad to know I'm not alone in this decision!

P.S. I read somewhere on SDN that nursing classes count towards sGPA for DO schools. Can anyone confirm this?

 

[la flame]

Would you guys consider all the nursing prereqs apart of your science GPA when applying to med school? For example, I took two semester of A&P at my university but it was for "allied health professionals" such as nursing majors, etc. My Microbiology class was also the same ( for allied health science students).

I do plan on taking Microbio again (for Bio majors) but I just wanted to know where those pre-nursing preqreqs fit at. I don't think they do but just thought I'd ask.


Also, speaking of A&P, I got a C in my 2nd semester of A&P which was a 4 credit class. Do you think I should re-take it for an A? My University allows you to replace the entire grade if you re-take it for the second time. I was just so immature at that time; back then, I found out I got into nursing school that semester so my motivation to do good was an at an all time low; little did I know I would want to be a doctor a few years down the road lol.

 

[Ultimax]

Nursing pre-requisites do not satisfy medical school requirements. You will need to retake some classes, which will count at post-bacc courseworks. Graduate GPA does not change your undergraduate GPA, so i suggest do really well on those post-bacc courses such as Biology, Physics, Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biostatistics, and so forth. Your MCAT will either make it or break it, so until you have your MCAT score, it is hard to predict your chance. My statistics is in my signature, so you can look at it as a reference. I do think that being a nurse helps, but ultimately its your GPA and MCAT that will help you stay competitive.

 

[DO_or_Die]

4 year RN in pediatric trauma, I took the prerequisites over a 2.5year period while working and shadowed some of the Docs that I work for. I have been accepted to 2 DO schools thus far, not much luck with the MD schools. There really is no shortcut but It can be done!

 

[RNthenDoc]

4 year RN in pediatric trauma, I took the prerequisites over a 2.5year period while working and shadowed some of the Docs that I work for. I have been accepted to 2 DO schools thus far, not much luck with the MD schools. There really is no shortcut but It can be done!

Nursing is more like a longcut to medicine

It will all be worth it though, I’m sure!

 

[DO_or_Die]

Nursing is more like a longcut to medicine

It will all be worth it though, I’m sure!

I agree, it's not the preferable path, but it was perfect for me. I don't think I would appreciate my future nurses as much if I wasn't one already. It gives me an extreme appreciation for the multidisciplinary team that I feel are often disregarded by the doctors.

 

[ianturner0429]

4th year in med school here. Did LPN-to-ADN-to-BSN in 10 years before deciding. I can relate.

 

[DO_or_Die]

4th year in med school here. Did LPN-to-ADN-to-BSN in 10 years before deciding. I can relate.

What age did you matriculate and did your age influence the possibility of doing a fellowship? I will be 27 when I matriculate, which I know isn't old, but it does make me consider stopping after a 3 year residency.

 

[ianturner0429]

What age did you matriculate and did your age influence the possibility of doing a fellowship? I will be 27 when I matriculate, which I know isn't old, but it does make me consider stopping after a 3 year residency.

I was 30. You’ll realize that there are other bigger things than age that influences your decision to pursue fellowship. For me, I’m content with just doing residency but I’m open to fellowship if it will interest me. I have a friend who is in her late 30s pursuing orthopedic surgery (long AF residency) and then onto fellowship. Another friend in his 40s is doing general surgery who will do trauma fellowship. 27 is non-traditional but still relatively young.

 

[Ultimax]

27 is not old at all, i will be 33 next year when I matriculate, and I want do do Interventional Cardiology. I jump from RN to NP, then realize I want more autonomy and I want to specialize. Ill probably be 43 when I start practicing but better late than never.

 

[ThetisAntithesis]

27 is not old at all, i will be 33 next year when I matriculate, and I want do do Interventional Cardiology. I jump from RN to NP, then realize I want more autonomy and I want to specialize. Ill probably be 43 when I start practicing but better late than never.

This is me!! Matriculating next year, currently an NP. I'll be 32. Not sure what I want to do yet though - looking at surgery, NICU, critical care).

 

[ianturner0429]

This is me!! Matriculating next year, currently an NP. I'll be 32. Not sure what I want to do yet though - looking at surgery, NICU, critical care).

You’ll figure it out. If you want to pursue more competitive specialties, you’d need to start networking and doing some scholarly projects/research.

 

[ianturner0429]

27 is not old at all, i will be 33 next year when I matriculate, and I want do do Interventional Cardiology. I jump from RN to NP, then realize I want more autonomy and I want to specialize. Ill probably be 43 when I start practicing but better late than never.

Cardio is kewl. I’m applying to internal medicine and will match next year. I’m also interested in cardiology, as well as ID, GI, or primary care.

 

[xDNA]

24y.o RN on a Level 4 NICU. Applying next cycle, would be 26 at matriculation. Interested in Ophthalmology, Plastics, and ENT

 

[Chardeemacdennis60]

I am M26 that graduated from a large state nursing school with my BSN back in 2016 and have been working in the SICU of a university health system since that time. Prior to that I worked as a nurses aid through school and had full intentions on applying to CRNA school as soon as I could. During my first year out of nursing school I did all the CRNA things such as shadowing experience, passing the CCRN, and was studying for the GRE.

Medical school had always been a seed that I had planted in my brain since the beginning of college but I had talked myself out of it along the way multiple times, for more reasons than one. It was during the month of CRNA school applications that I determined this was not the choice for me and that I would rather devote my life to a passion than a paycheck and I started chasing the dream in 2017.

Since 2017 I have taken 50 credits of prerequisite courses through my university while working full time, primarily filling my hours during the weekends for 3 years and using vacation time to fill the gaps. A big persuasion in my decision to change careers was the awesome tuition benefit program my university has for full-time employees where I could take up to 10 credits for free/semester. Throughout this time I have been volunteering on a routine basis and shadowing docs while working on all the kinks of my application. I am thrilled to say that I will be taking the MCAT in April and applying in this summer's cycle.

Throughout the past 3-4 years I have thought about quitting more times than I can count, primarily as I responded to code browns on the weekends as all my friends enjoyed their early 20's. Now that there is a light at the end of the tunnel I have absolutely 0 regrets about my decision and how I spent my years since college and I get more excited every day I get closer to applying.

Applying as a nurse has definitely not been the easiest path to medical school that one could have chosen. I have been called a "traitor" and laughed at by more of my colleagues than I care to admit. I definitely keep to myself on the unit more and have a tighter group of work friends who have offered genuine support throughout the process. All this is insignificant in the long run though.

I wish all my fellow RN's the best in the journey, keep it up!

 

[Salty_ninja]

Hello, all. I'm a "new" RN (have worked med-surg for 6 months) who worked as a PCT in hemodialysis during my ADN program. I've been interested in medicine since I was 14. (I saw my primary physician for cold symptoms that wouldn't go away and when he entered the room he noted that my shoulders were unequal and started the domino effect that precipitously led to spinal surgery. I was absolutely enamored of the profession at that time.)

Having grown up with one parent who never graduated high school and one who received a GED, college was viewed as unnecessary in my household and medical school was deemed unattainable and cost prohibitive. As a result of this and some family issues during the latter portion of high school, I moved from Louisiana to New York on my own at 18. I was too broke to consider school, so I got a job and just survived until I was 23.

I met with a community college advisor and indicated that I was interested in medicine but unsure of what path to take, how to afford it, etc. Somehow I got convinced that nursing was the right fit and started pre-reqs. Midway through that semester our house burned down and I had to withdraw. It took 1.5 years to recuperate, so I re-enrolled in the fall of 2016 with the intent to follow through to my FNP. I graduated with my nursing A.A.S. in May of this year (3.49 overall GPA, 4.0 sGPA) and began working immediately. Part of my CC's program includes enrolling in your BSN after graduation, so I did that despite reservations that had been growing.

The last 6 months of building relationships with the physicians, PAs, and NPs I work with has rekindled my desire to pursue medicine. Having done some shadowing, had many 1 on 1 conversations at 2am with providers at the hospital, and researched the curriculum for several PA/NP programs, I know that the depth of knowledge regarding disease processes and diagnostics is not going to be satisfied going either of those routes, so I intend to pursue medical school.

I'm here because the timing of my revelation has me in a pickle. I'm ending my 1st semester of my BSN (with a 4.0). I get 1/2 off of tuition for nursing courses ($7,000/semester for 15 cr hrs) but would have to pay outright for non-nursing courses. If I transfer to a SUNY school in my area for a B.A. in biology, I'd pay $4,000/semester, I'd add 2 semesters into the total timeframes, but I'd come out with less debt and seemingly more prepared to sit the MCAT as I'd have multiple upper level science courses under my belt.

I'm meeting with a SUNY advisor in the morning but was wondering if anyone has any pointers. (Sorry for the novel but I wanted to be thorough!)

 

[DO_or_Die]

Hello, all. I'm a "new" RN (have worked med-surg for 6 months) who worked as a PCT in hemodialysis during my ADN program. I've been interested in medicine since I was 14. (I saw my primary physician for cold symptoms that wouldn't go away and when he entered the room he noted that my shoulders were unequal and started the domino effect that precipitously led to spinal surgery. I was absolutely enamored of the profession at that time.)

Having grown up with one parent who never graduated high school and one who received a GED, college was viewed as unnecessary in my household and medical school was deemed unattainable and cost prohibitive. As a result of this and some family issues during the latter portion of high school, I moved from Louisiana to New York on my own at 18. I was too broke to consider school, so I got a job and just survived until I was 23.

I met with a community college advisor and indicated that I was interested in medicine but unsure of what path to take, how to afford it, etc. Somehow I got convinced that nursing was the right fit and started pre-reqs. Midway through that semester our house burned down and I had to withdraw. It took 1.5 years to recuperate, so I re-enrolled in the fall of 2016 with the intent to follow through to my FNP. I graduated with my nursing A.A.S. in May of this year (3.49 overall GPA, 4.0 sGPA) and began working immediately. Part of my CC's program includes enrolling in your BSN after graduation, so I did that despite reservations that had been growing.

The last 6 months of building relationships with the physicians, PAs, and NPs I work with has rekindled my desire to pursue medicine. Having done some shadowing, had many 1 on 1 conversations at 2am with providers at the hospital, and researched the curriculum for several PA/NP programs, I know that the depth of knowledge regarding disease processes and diagnostics is not going to be satisfied going either of those routes, so I intend to pursue medical school.

I'm here because the timing of my revelation has me in a pickle. I'm ending my 1st semester of my BSN (with a 4.0). I get 1/2 off of tuition for nursing courses ($7,000/semester for 15 cr hrs) but would have to pay outright for non-nursing courses. If I transfer to a SUNY school in my area for a B.A. in biology, I'd pay $4,000/semester, I'd add 2 semesters into the total timeframes, but I'd come out with less debt and seemingly more prepared to sit the MCAT as I'd have multiple upper level science courses under my belt.

I'm meeting with a SUNY advisor in the morning but was wondering if anyone has any pointers. (Sorry for the novel but I wanted to be thorough!)

I have taken the required prerequisites over a 2.5 year period only 1-2 classes at a time (the most I took in one semester was bio1/bio2 and trig), all while working as an RN/volunteering and shadowing. I took a very light course load the semester that I took the MCAT (I only took genetics). I went PRN last summer to do a SURF (summer undergraduate research fellowship) at a large research heavy medical institution and was able to do a poster presentation at Harvard. If you do well in the prerequisites, do decent on the MCAT and have a well polished application i.e. very good letters of recommendation from the physicians you work with/professors, well written personal statement and essays, you should be able to get several interviews. The process had been a lot more arduous than I originally thought, but it is completely doable. Being a nurse has been only a positive in my journey. Seeing as you have only been a nurse for such a short while though, why not spend some more time in that role and see if you don't learn to love it more?

 

[Salty_ninja]

I have taken the required prerequisites over a 2.5 year period only 1-2 classes at a time (the most I took in one semester was bio1/bio2 and trig), all while working as an RN/volunteering and shadowing. I took a very light course load the semester that I took the MCAT (I only took genetics). I went PRN last summer to do a SURF (summer undergraduate research fellowship) at a large research heavy medical institution and was able to do a poster presentation at Harvard. If you do well in the prerequisites, do decent on the MCAT and have a well polished application i.e. very good letters of recommendation from the physicians you work with/professors, well written personal statement and essays, you should be able to get several interviews. The process had been a lot more arduous than I originally thought, but it is completely doable. Being a nurse has been only a positive in my journey. Seeing as you have only been a nurse for such a short while though, why not spend some more time in that role and see if you don't learn to love it more?

As bedside nursing was never my end goal and I was sold the idea that I was better suited for nurse practitioner by my original advisor, I feel woefully misled. My interest was always medicine. Having now worked alongside and shadowed for over 90 hours between ED physicians, a primary care physician, a DNP working on our medical surgical unit, and an FNP in primary care, I understand that continuing to follow the nursing path is not going to satisfy the breadth/depth of knowledge I seek regarding diagnostic medicine nor offer me the opportunity to take a prominent leadership role within emergency medicine within my area (our level 1 trauma hospitals here don't utilize advanced practice nurses for tha T purpose). Reaching this understanding has given me the push I need to set aside my self-doubt and pursue the career that offers me the above mentioned opportunities.

On an alternate note, I had a 4.0 in hard sciences, humanities, etc. I struggle most (I was an B- student in core nursing courses) with nursing theory because my interest lies more in the medical model than it does the nursing model.

 

[la flame]

Hello, all. I'm a "new" RN (have worked med-surg for 6 months) who worked as a PCT in hemodialysis during my ADN program. I've been interested in medicine since I was 14. (I saw my primary physician for cold symptoms that wouldn't go away and when he entered the room he noted that my shoulders were unequal and started the domino effect that precipitously led to spinal surgery. I was absolutely enamored of the profession at that time.)

Having grown up with one parent who never graduated high school and one who received a GED, college was viewed as unnecessary in my household and medical school was deemed unattainable and cost prohibitive. As a result of this and some family issues during the latter portion of high school, I moved from Louisiana to New York on my own at 18. I was too broke to consider school, so I got a job and just survived until I was 23.

I met with a community college advisor and indicated that I was interested in medicine but unsure of what path to take, how to afford it, etc. Somehow I got convinced that nursing was the right fit and started pre-reqs. Midway through that semester our house burned down and I had to withdraw. It took 1.5 years to recuperate, so I re-enrolled in the fall of 2016 with the intent to follow through to my FNP. I graduated with my nursing A.A.S. in May of this year (3.49 overall GPA, 4.0 sGPA) and began working immediately. Part of my CC's program includes enrolling in your BSN after graduation, so I did that despite reservations that had been growing.

The last 6 months of building relationships with the physicians, PAs, and NPs I work with has rekindled my desire to pursue medicine. Having done some shadowing, had many 1 on 1 conversations at 2am with providers at the hospital, and researched the curriculum for several PA/NP programs, I know that the depth of knowledge regarding disease processes and diagnostics is not going to be satisfied going either of those routes, so I intend to pursue medical school.

I'm here because the timing of my revelation has me in a pickle. I'm ending my 1st semester of my BSN (with a 4.0). I get 1/2 off of tuition for nursing courses ($7,000/semester for 15 cr hrs) but would have to pay outright for non-nursing courses. If I transfer to a SUNY school in my area for a B.A. in biology, I'd pay $4,000/semester, I'd add 2 semesters into the total timeframes, but I'd come out with less debt and seemingly more prepared to sit the MCAT as I'd have multiple upper level science courses under my belt.

I'm meeting with a SUNY advisor in the morning but was wondering if anyone has any pointers. (Sorry for the novel but I wanted to be thorough!)

Why don't you just complete the required courses for your preferred medical list + MCAT? I think as long as you take your intro bio classes + genetics/microbiology, you should be good for either. From what I have read on other threads, plenty of people have done well on the MCAT with just their basic intro bio classes without taking upper level courses such as cell bio or genetics. Even though I am technically a "2nd degree seeking student" for a Biology degree at my university, I plan on "quitting" as soon as I'm doing with all my med school prereqs. I'm also a RN (BSN).

How fast do you want to complete your Biology if you really want it? Like do you plan on going to school full time or just taking 1-2 classes a semester? Keep in mind taking classes along with labs (most science classes require 3 hour lab a week) are a huge time commitment.

 

[Salty_ninja]

Why don't you just complete the required courses for your preferred medical list + MCAT? I think as long as you take your intro bio classes + genetics/microbiology, you should be good for either. From what I have read on other threads, plenty of people have done well on the MCAT with just their basic intro bio classes without taking upper level courses such as cell bio or genetics. Even though I am technically a "2nd degree seeking student" for a Biology degree at my university, I plan on "quitting" as soon as I'm doing with all my med school prereqs. I'm also a RN (BSN).

How fast do you want to complete your Biology if you really want it? Like do you plan on going to school full time or just taking 1-2 classes a semester? Keep in mind taking classes along with labs (most science classes require 3 hour lab a week) are a huge time commitment.

I have to finish a bachelor's degree. My BSN costs more than my Biology B.A. would and would take the same amount of time to complete but at a higher cost. It just makes more sense for me to pursue the bio degree. I'll be attending full-time this fall and I'll finish in 5 semesters. I'll be working per diem in the interim while I'm attending school.

 

[la flame]

I have to finish a bachelor's degree. My BSN costs more than my Biology B.A. would and would take the same amount of time to complete but at a higher cost. It just makes more sense for me to pursue the bio degree. I'll be attending full-time this fall and I'll finish in 5 semesters. I'll be working per diem in the interim while I'm attending school.

Oh ok, that make sense now, I thought you had to complete your BSN and you also wanted to pursue a Bio degree. If you are really set with being a Physician, then I would also forgo the BSN and jump straight into a Bio degree if I were in your shoes. Goodluck on your classes. To give you my schedule, I just finished Ochem 1 (with lab), Bio 2 (with a lab), and Statistics this semester while working part time (12 hours). I definitely feel like I could either add another class or another 12 hour shift with 11 credits atm.

 

[ianturner0429]

Hello, all. I'm a "new" RN (have worked med-surg for 6 months) who worked as a PCT in hemodialysis during my ADN program. I've been interested in medicine since I was 14. (I saw my primary physician for cold symptoms that wouldn't go away and when he entered the room he noted that my shoulders were unequal and started the domino effect that precipitously led to spinal surgery. I was absolutely enamored of the profession at that time.)

Having grown up with one parent who never graduated high school and one who received a GED, college was viewed as unnecessary in my household and medical school was deemed unattainable and cost prohibitive. As a result of this and some family issues during the latter portion of high school, I moved from Louisiana to New York on my own at 18. I was too broke to consider school, so I got a job and just survived until I was 23.

I met with a community college advisor and indicated that I was interested in medicine but unsure of what path to take, how to afford it, etc. Somehow I got convinced that nursing was the right fit and started pre-reqs. Midway through that semester our house burned down and I had to withdraw. It took 1.5 years to recuperate, so I re-enrolled in the fall of 2016 with the intent to follow through to my FNP. I graduated with my nursing A.A.S. in May of this year (3.49 overall GPA, 4.0 sGPA) and began working immediately. Part of my CC's program includes enrolling in your BSN after graduation, so I did that despite reservations that had been growing.

The last 6 months of building relationships with the physicians, PAs, and NPs I work with has rekindled my desire to pursue medicine. Having done some shadowing, had many 1 on 1 conversations at 2am with providers at the hospital, and researched the curriculum for several PA/NP programs, I know that the depth of knowledge regarding disease processes and diagnostics is not going to be satisfied going either of those routes, so I intend to pursue medical school.

I'm here because the timing of my revelation has me in a pickle. I'm ending my 1st semester of my BSN (with a 4.0). I get 1/2 off of tuition for nursing courses ($7,000/semester for 15 cr hrs) but would have to pay outright for non-nursing courses. If I transfer to a SUNY school in my area for a B.A. in biology, I'd pay $4,000/semester, I'd add 2 semesters into the total timeframes, but I'd come out with less debt and seemingly more prepared to sit the MCAT as I'd have multiple upper level science courses under my belt.

I'm meeting with a SUNY advisor in the morning but was wondering if anyone has any pointers. (Sorry for the novel but I wanted to be thorough!)

I was in your shoes a few years ago. After my ADN, I decided to pursue BSN instead of Biology. It was a bit more expensive, but I gained a lot of leadership and managerial skills, both of which translated into better clinical and interpersonal/professional skills (prolly helped me in honoring most of third year and receiving the Internal Med Clerkship Award in my med school). To prepare for med school, you don’t really need upper-level Bio classes other than the ones needed for MCAT; med schools cover the others pretty well. BSN also requires you to take upper-level electives, so you could take useful classes like Physiology. When I was deciding like you are now, I thought I’d get more benefit from learning interpersonal/professional and managerial skills, both of which are covered less in med school. I also thought that having a BSN looked better on paper, and understanding the nursing model on a deeper level before the medical model has given me a wider perspective. Coming from a low/mid-tier med school and now interviewing at many of top residencies for my specialty, I am glad I pursued BSN - program directors are often impressed by it. Friend of mine in general surgery at Vanderbilt and another who is now applying for orthopedic surgery have decided to finish BSN, as well. All of us have worked as nurses for at least 10 years.

You have to dig deep to find your values. Find our what is important to you, your short- and long-term goals, how you plan to get where you want to be, etc. Also look at the entirety of your application. Looks like your science GPA is high, but you may need to improve your overall GPA. Shadowing only shows you a very small glimpse of medicine. When shadowing, ask your preceptors the hard questions - their schedules, work-life balance, happiness, continuing educations, sacrifices, etc. Medicine is rigorous and long AF, so shadow not just to check the box, but also to really imagine yourself and your loved ones (significant other, as well as first- and second-degree family members) in that lifestyle.

For your advisors, take what they say with a grain of salt. Most of them haven’t done what you’re trying to do. They can help you in certain ways, but they themselves aren’t doctors who used to be nurses.

 

[MeechiX]

Hello everyone! I just joined this board but I've been reading through many threads for the past month.

I'm a 23F in my last year of my BSN program. I've decided that I want to pursue the MD route. However, my plan is that I'm going to finish my BSN and work as RN while taking my remaining MD school prerequisites (Ochem 1 & 2, BioChem - those are the only classes I have left to take at least to my knowledge). I guess I wanted some advice. I'm planning to work as an RN for about 2-3 years to save money (cut costs on MD school), knock out my remaining prerequisites, get some volunteer and shadowing hours in there (should I start these now or wait until after I've graduated, so they're more recent?), and study for the MCAT while having a source of income. I believe I'll be 27/28 by the time I start medical school, which I have zero problems with.

My GPA is 3.98 and 4.0 in nursing school at the moment. I originally wanted to take the CRNA route upon graduation, however, my love for anesthesia wouldn't allow me to. I do need to do quite a bit more research in regards to MD vs DO because I want to become an Anesthesiologist. I'm a bit afraid to ask my BSN professors because they would see it as betrayal in a sense since I truly don't want to be a nurse for the rest of my life (no offence to anyone, it's a great career just not one I want to do forever).

I just want a headstart on my pathway to medical school so I can plan ahead. Any life experience or advice (regarding what you did, medical school applications etc) you guys can give would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ultimax]

You need to make sure that nursing classes satisfy requirement for med schools. I am a nurse practitioner and as I know, many nursing classes do not meet those requirements, including statistics, microbiology. Your nursing experience will help, but ultimately its the MCAT that will make or break your application. Working as an RN while taking pre-requisite courses is a great idea. Also, ask for recommendation letters from physicians and hard science class (Biology, Microbiology, Gen Chem, O Chem, Biochem). You need at least 3 letters with 2 letters coming from those hard science classes. Start making connection with these professors to get those letters.
Regarding MD vs DO, I leave it for others to chime in. Im not against DO, I just know that if you want to get into competitive specialty (for me, I want to do Interventional Cardiology), you will have an uphill battle as a DO student. But if you are fine with primary care and less competitive specialty, I see no difference between these degrees.
Once again, study hard for MCAT (aim for 513, which is 88-90 percentile) and get those recommendation letters ready, then you will have a better idea whether you are competitive for MD or not.

 

[MeechiX]

You need to make sure that nursing classes satisfy requirement for med schools. I am a nurse practitioner and as I know, many nursing classes do not meet those requirements, including statistics, microbiology. Your nursing experience will help, but ultimately its the MCAT that will make or break your application. Working as an RN while taking pre-requisite courses is a great idea. Also, ask for recommendation letters from physicians and hard science class (Biology, Microbiology, Gen Chem, O Chem, Biochem). You need at least 3 letters with 2 letters coming from those hard science classes. Start making connection with these professors to get those letters.
Regarding MD vs DO, I leave it for others to chime in. Im not against DO, I just know that if you want to get into competitive specialty (for me, I want to do Interventional Cardiology), you will have an uphill battle as a DO student. But if you are fine with primary care and less competitive specialty, I see no difference between these degrees.
Once again, study hard for MCAT (aim for 513, which is 88-90 percentile) and get those recommendation letters ready, then you will have a better idea whether you are competitive for MD or not.

Thank you so much!
I was originally a Biology major (at that time I was headed for Dentistry) so my Statistics, Microbiology classes were originally to satisfy a Biology degree. About the letter of recommendations, I do have one already from my Microbiology professor (it was done at a community college but was 4 credit hours with the lab). When you mention one letter of recommendation from a physician, would it be from one that I shadow?
I must say, I need to do more research in regards to MD v. DO for an anesthesia specialty. I'm already refreshing myself on some of the subjects for the MCAT despite the fact I won't be taking it for a bit.

 

[Ultimax]

The letter of recommendation can be from any physicians that know you well. If you apply to DO schools, some of them require the letter to be from an osteopathic physician.
Apply as early as you can, that means you will likely want to take the MCAT in early spring, as the score will be available 1 month later. In the mean time, bolster your ECs with community service. You will accumulate plenty of clinical hours by the time you apply. If you can participate in quality improvement projects, leadership experience (mentor other nurses, charge nurse, wound care champion etc) that would make you a more well rounded applicant as you have research, leadership, and patient interaction experiences. If you have 515 MCAT on top of those experiences, you are very competitive.
Regarding Anesthesiology, its hard to predict until you do USMLE Step 1. So keep your minds opened. I know I want to do Interventional Cardiology, but if my Step 1 is in the bottom 10%, I know Ill probably end up in primary care. Do I like that? Absolutely no, but sometimes life happens.

 

[la flame]

Hello everyone! I just joined this board but I've been reading through many threads for the past month.

I'm a 23F in my last year of my BSN program. I've decided that I want to pursue the MD route. However, my plan is that I'm going to finish my BSN and work as RN while taking my remaining MD school prerequisites (Ochem 1 & 2, BioChem - those are the only classes I have left to take at least to my knowledge). I guess I wanted some advice. I'm planning to work as an RN for about 2-3 years to save money (cut costs on MD school), knock out my remaining prerequisites, get some volunteer and shadowing hours in there (should I start these now or wait until after I've graduated, so they're more recent?), and study for the MCAT while having a source of income. I believe I'll be 27/28 by the time I start medical school, which I have zero problems with.

My GPA is 3.98 and 4.0 in nursing school at the moment. I originally wanted to take the CRNA route upon graduation, however, my love for anesthesia wouldn't allow me to. I do need to do quite a bit more research in regards to MD vs DO because I want to become an Anesthesiologist. I'm a bit afraid to ask my BSN professors because they would see it as betrayal in a sense since I truly don't want to be a nurse for the rest of my life (no offence to anyone, it's a great career just not one I want to do forever).

I just want a headstart on my pathway to medical school so I can plan ahead. Any life experience or advice (regarding what you did, medical school applications etc) you guys can give would be greatly appreciated.

I'm kind of almost in the same position as you except I graduated last summer. I'm currently working a part time job (home health nursing). I immediately went back to my university last fall to finish my premed preqreqs and I'm enrolled again full time for this upcoming Spring (Ochem 2, Physics, Genetics with all labs). D

Do you plan on working full time and taking 1-2 classes a semester? If you only need 3 classes like you mentioned above, then that's great (I needed a whole year of classes). The only thing that sucks with your situation is that many colleges have a chemistry sequence so you can't take Biochem until Ochem 2 and can't take Ochem 2 until Ochem 1, etc. Is your university like this? From what I have read online, Ochem 2 isn't that useful for the MCAT but Biochem is a huge part of the new MCAT so definitely take it. After you finish your Biochem class, I would start dedicating 2-3 months soley studying for the MCAT, maybe longer for you because you haven't taken an actual Biology course in a while.


IMO you should definitely apply to Medical school as soon as you are ready and finished w/ the MCAT. The loss wages you would work as a Doctor are way more important than working an extra 2 years as an RN. Goodluck

 

[MeechiX]

I'm kind of almost in the same position as you except I graduated last summer. I'm currently working a part time job (home health nursing). I immediately went back to my university last fall to finish my premed preqreqs and I'm enrolled again full time for this upcoming Spring (Ochem 2, Physics, Genetics with all labs). D

Do you plan on working full time and taking 1-2 classes a semester? If you only need 3 classes like you mentioned above, then that's great (I needed a whole year of classes). The only thing that sucks with your situation is that many colleges have a chemistry sequence so you can't take Biochem until Ochem 2 and can't take Ochem 2 until Ochem 1, etc. Is your university like this? From what I have read online, Ochem 2 isn't that useful for the MCAT but Biochem is a huge part of the new MCAT so definitely take it. After you finish your Biochem class, I would start dedicating 2-3 months soley studying for the MCAT, maybe longer for you because you haven't taken an actual Biology course in a while.


IMO you should definitely apply to Medical school as soon as you are ready and finished w/ the MCAT. The loss wages you would work as a Doctor are way more important than working an extra 2 years as an RN. Goodluck

Thank you! I hope things are going smoothly for you.
I do plan on working full time while finishing out the remaining science prerequisites. I'm pretty sure it'll take me a year (spring-summer-fall semesters) because of the science sequence you mentioned in regards to Ochem and biochem. If I remember correctly I believe Houston, TX does it that way. I will probably add in some genetics, cell biology etc to get some more upper bio classes in.
I am getting a headstart on some MCAT content refreshing because like you said, it's been a little bit since my gen chem, bio, physics, psych days.
Question: should I continue to work full time while doing dedicated mcat studying, or drop down to part time as an RN?
In regards to your last paragraph, you're definitely right. I was struggling with the idea of still working as an RN for 2 more extra years for income for school. I really do want to get to Medical School as quick as I can (I'm incredibly excited).
Thank you again for your advice!

 

[Ultimax]

MCAT is superimportant, so definitely study hard for it. That means part time RN is a must. Remember that you are competing against many qualified applicants with extensive research backgrounds, meaningfulextracurricular activities, military service, and legacy status. You need to devote full time to studying for it. The exam is harder than you imagine, NCLEX does not even come close. It will make or break your application. The average MCAT for matriculant in MD schools is 512, that means you need to aim in the 85 percentile minimum to stay competitive for MD schools.

 

[MeechiX]

MCAT is superimportant, so definitely study hard for it. That means part time RN is a must. Remember that you are competing against many qualified applicants with extensive research backgrounds, meaningfulextracurricular activities, military service, and legacy status. You need to devote full time to studying for it. The exam is harder than you imagine, NCLEX does not even come close. It will make or break your application. The average MCAT for matriculant in MD schools is 512, that means you need to aim in the 85 percentile minimum to stay competitive for MD schools.

I definitely will. Thank you for the advice. I don't really know what I'd do without this board. You guys are seriously a life saver!

 

[Sonilala]

Hello, I have been an RN for almost 2 years and just obtained my BSN. I have decided that I would like to know more about medicine and be able to answer my own questions and the questions of others, so I am hoping to start back for pre-reqs this upcoming spring. I'm 28, married, have two stepkids that live with me full time, my husband and I are in the process of buying a house, and we are trying for a baby. I also already feel too old to be doing this...but I know I'm still part of the younger group!!

I mainly have one question currently...what if there is just one medical school that I want to go to? Should I still apply to others? (Obviously not now, when I am ready to apply).

 

[Ultimax]

You need to apply broadly, the field is very competitive. Only 40% of applicants get accepted out of all the applicants. And out of those 40%, half of them only got one interview. The MCAT will make or break your application. For instance, the average MCAT for MD matriculant is 511.6 (85 percentile) and cGPA is above 3.7. An estimate is that you will only receive interview invitation from 15% of the schools you apply to. So if you apply to 20, you may get interview invitations from 2-3 schools, and its 50-50 whether you get waitlisted, rejected, or accepted once you complete your interview.
It is hard to predict your chance till you do your MCAT. As i mentioned above, you need to score in the top 15% in the exam to stay competitive for MD schools. So definitely study hard for it.

 

[la flame]

Thank you! I hope things are going smoothly for you.
I do plan on working full time while finishing out the remaining science prerequisites. I'm pretty sure it'll take me a year (spring-summer-fall semesters) because of the science sequence you mentioned in regards to Ochem and biochem. If I remember correctly I believe Houston, TX does it that way. I will probably add in some genetics, cell biology etc to get some more upper bio classes in.
I am getting a headstart on some MCAT content refreshing because like you said, it's been a little bit since my gen chem, bio, physics, psych days.
Question: should I continue to work full time while doing dedicated mcat studying, or drop down to part time as an RN?
In regards to your last paragraph, you're definitely right. I was struggling with the idea of still working as an RN for 2 more extra years for income for school. I really do want to get to Medical School as quick as I can (I'm incredibly excited).
Thank you again for your advice!

Yeah I managed to ace Ochem last semester which was a huge morale boost for me knowing how notorious it is as a weed out class! I’m also in the TX area as well ( Austin)!

As for your MCAT question, as soon as you finish Biochem, I would dedicate at least 3 months studying especially since it’s been forever since your prereqs lol. Definitely work part time if you have the finances. Most people spend 4-5 hours a day studying and you will quickly burn out working full time as well. Enjoy your last semester of nursing school!

 

[Etopn23]

Hello, I have been an RN for almost 2 years and just obtained my BSN. I have decided that I would like to know more about medicine and be able to answer my own questions and the questions of others, so I am hoping to start back for pre-reqs this upcoming spring. I'm 28, married, have two stepkids that live with me full time, my husband and I are in the process of buying a house, and we are trying for a baby. I also already feel too old to be doing this...but I know I'm still part of the younger group!!

I mainly have one question currently...what if there is just one medical school that I want to go to? Should I still apply to others? (Obviously not now, when I am ready to apply).

Yes. Under no circumstance should you apply to only one medical school. You mess up that first time and you are labelled a re-applicant which effectively hamstrings you. Either you want to become a doctor and are willing to go anywhere or not. If you are blessed and get into the school of your choice then you're good. You've other options otherwise.

IDC if you're a 4.0 520+ nature publisher, do not count on one school. The process is completely unpredictable.

 

[MeechiX]

Yeah I managed to ace Ochem last semester which was a huge morale boost for me knowing how notorious it is as a weed out class! I’m also in the TX area as well ( Austin)!

As for your MCAT question, as soon as you finish Biochem, I would dedicate at least 3 months studying especially since it’s been forever since your prereqs lol. Definitely work part time if you have the finances. Most people spend 4-5 hours a day studying and you will quickly burn out working full time as well. Enjoy your last semester of nursing school!

Ah okay. That makes a lot of sense. Sadly I have this spring and fall semester of nursing left, so I'd graduate with my BSN in December. I wish it was my last semester lol. But thank you again!

 

[Newtonian21]

Take whatever you read here with a grain of salt. Every person's situation is different. Because Johny got in with a 520 MCAT doesn't mean you can't get in somewhere with a 505 MCAT. Goodluck!

 

[Lavendar]

Hello everyone! I am 23 years old and in my last year of nursing school in an ASN program (currently in semester 3 out of 4). Originally I was a pre-med, but I chickened out when I saw acceptance rates and I convinced myself it was too risky to take that <50% chance of getting into medical school and that my life would be ruined with a biology degree, so I made a poorly thought out decision to apply for my community college's nursing program. I got my AA while finishing my nursing school pre-requisites and got accepted into the program. I have spent over a year in nursing school, and it is exactly what I feared. It does not have the depth that I want, all the learning feels like it is above the surface. Interventions and assessment is where it pretty much caps. I thought I could compensate on wanting to be a doctor by becoming a CRNA or an NP, but I just don't have the interest in anesthesia that I thought I did, and the job itself does not sound appealing to me. As for NP, we all know how that job market is right now with NPs being pumped out 24/7, and I don't see their autonomy increasing in the near future. So here I am, back on a route that I never thought I would be again.

My Cum. GPA and nursing GPA are 4.0. I graduate this December with my associates in nursing, and from there will go to university for my RN-BSN. While I do RN-BSN I will work as a nurse and work the medical school pre-reqs into my schedule. Unfortunately, the pre-reqs for nursing school did not at all satisfy the ones for med school, so I still have to take gen chem, o chem, physics, and 1 semester of biology. My goal is to have my medical school application ready within the next 2-3 years. I will use this thread to share my progress along the way. I am so glad to have a community of people going through such similar journeys. It is true that our route to medical school is longer than the traditional biology major students, but I feel like the clinical experience we are able to gain is valuable.

 

[Newtonian21]

Hello everyone! I am 23 years old and in my last year of nursing school in an ASN program (currently in semester 3 out of 4). Originally I was a pre-med, but I chickened out when I saw acceptance rates and I convinced myself it was too risky to take that <50% chance of getting into medical school and that my life would be ruined with a biology degree, so I made a poorly thought out decision to apply for my community college's nursing program. I got my AA while finishing my nursing school pre-requisites and got accepted into the program. I have spent over a year in nursing school, and it is exactly what I feared. It does not have the depth that I want, all the learning feels like it is above the surface. Interventions and assessment is where it pretty much caps. I thought I could compensate on wanting to be a doctor by becoming a CRNA or an NP, but I just don't have the interest in anesthesia that I thought I did, and the job itself does not sound appealing to me. As for NP, we all know how that job market is right now with NPs being pumped out 24/7, and I don't see their autonomy increasing in the near future. So here I am, back on a route that I never thought I would be again.

My Cum. GPA and nursing GPA are 4.0. I graduate this December with my associates in nursing, and from there will go to university for my RN-BSN. While I do RN-BSN I will work as a nurse and work the medical school pre-reqs into my schedule. Unfortunately, the pre-reqs for nursing school did not at all satisfy the ones for med school, so I still have to take gen chem, o chem, physics, and 1 semester of biology. My goal is to have my medical school application ready within the next 2-3 years. I will use this thread to share my progress along the way. I am so glad to have a community of people going through such similar journeys. It is true that our route to medical school is longer than the traditional biology major students, but I feel like the clinical experience we are able to gain is valuable.

You'll be fine. Just make sure you have a good reason for your personal statement of why you're pursuing medicine. Besides get some clinical experience first. 2-4 years of working as a nurse are good clinical practices. It will also help you in terms of patient/provider relationships. Do not underestimate what you'll do as a nurse, or not do it right because your mind isn't there. We are all providing patient care be it a doctor or nurse. All we want to do is to prevent and treat diseases. Lastly, do not underestimate the MCAT, it is not the NCLEX. Good luck! I am applying this cycle.

 

[DO_or_Die]

Hello everyone! I am 23 years old and in my last year of nursing school in an ASN program (currently in semester 3 out of 4). Originally I was a pre-med, but I chickened out when I saw acceptance rates and I convinced myself it was too risky to take that <50% chance of getting into medical school and that my life would be ruined with a biology degree, so I made a poorly thought out decision to apply for my community college's nursing program. I got my AA while finishing my nursing school pre-requisites and got accepted into the program. I have spent over a year in nursing school, and it is exactly what I feared. It does not have the depth that I want, all the learning feels like it is above the surface. Interventions and assessment is where it pretty much caps. I thought I could compensate on wanting to be a doctor by becoming a CRNA or an NP, but I just don't have the interest in anesthesia that I thought I did, and the job itself does not sound appealing to me. As for NP, we all know how that job market is right now with NPs being pumped out 24/7, and I don't see their autonomy increasing in the near future. So here I am, back on a route that I never thought I would be again.

My Cum. GPA and nursing GPA are 4.0. I graduate this December with my associates in nursing, and from there will go to university for my RN-BSN. While I do RN-BSN I will work as a nurse and work the medical school pre-reqs into my schedule. Unfortunately, the pre-reqs for nursing school did not at all satisfy the ones for med school, so I still have to take gen chem, o chem, physics, and 1 semester of biology. My goal is to have my medical school application ready within the next 2-3 years. I will use this thread to share my progress along the way. I am so glad to have a community of people going through such similar journeys. It is true that our route to medical school is longer than the traditional biology major students, but I feel like the clinical experience we are able to gain is valuable.

I think you should work for several years as a nurse. Being a nurse actually showed me how much I love patient care and even though I'm going on, my love and respect for nursing as a profession was honed by being a nurse. You're still under the constraints of your school and do not know yet what it means to be a nurse and won't until you're out on your own for some time. You may fall in love with nursing, who knows? If you don't, you can reevaluate. The medical schools might question your commitment to medicine as you have not yet shown commitment to nursing. Nursing is at the epicenter of patient care.

 

[Pound4Pound]

Hi I finally got my mcat score today. Disappointed since I averaged 508.5 on my aamc practice FLs. Anyway,..

Non Trad (31 yo)
First time applicant
3.5-3.6 GPA (have to calculate it)
Mcat: 505 (This is my first time taking the mcat btw)
3 years CNA
7 years RN (Telemetry, ICU, ER) - multiple certifications but adcom probably doesn't care about that
Charge nurse position - telemetry and ER
200+ hours clinical volunteer at a free clinic
Recently just started to mentor/tutor nursing students at a nursing school as well (non clinical)

The only DO school in my state has a median mcat of 508 and my in-state MD school has a median MCAT of 512

Do I even have a chance?

 

[DO_or_Die]

Hi I finally got my mcat score today. Disappointed since I averaged 508.5 on my aamc practice FLs. Anyway,..

Non Trad (31 yo)
First time applicant
3.5-3.6 GPA (have to calculate it)
Mcat: 505 (This is my first time taking the mcat btw)
3 years CNA
7 years RN (Telemetry, ICU, ER) - multiple certifications but adcom probably doesn't care about that
Charge nurse position - telemetry and ER
200+ hours clinical volunteer at a free clinic
Recently just started to mentor/tutor nursing students at a nursing school as well (non clinical)

The only DO school in my state has a median mcat of 508 and my in-state MD school has a median MCAT of 512

Do I even have a chance?

Yes I would say that you do. I had a 502 and I got into my state DO school that has an average of 507, as well as KCU that has an average of 508. Be able to write about your experiences and articulate on them. My nursing experience was brought up at every single interview and it went over very well. Be able to think of patients you've taken care of that have impacted you, I'm sure you have countless stories as I did. The only thing I suggest is that you should shadow both an MD and a DO. Start collecting your letters of rec from teachers/physicians if you haven't and see if your school offers a change to apply for a committee letter as it is highly, highly recommended that you have one from your school. Your stats are very good for DO, if you are dead set on MD I would recommend a retake.

 

[Pound4Pound]

Yes I would say that you do. I had a 502 and I got into my state DO school that has an average of 507, as well as KCU that has an average of 508. Be able to write about your experiences and articulate on them. My nursing experience was brought up at every single interview and it went over very well. Be able to think of patients you've taken care of that have impacted you, I'm sure you have countless stories as I did. The only thing I suggest is that you should shadow both an MD and a DO. Start collecting your letters of rec from teachers/physicians if you haven't and see if your school offers a change to apply for a committee letter as it is highly, highly recommended that you have one from your school. Your stats are very good for DO, if you are dead set on MD I would recommend a retake.

I felt defeated after seeing my mcat score but your post gives me hope. Thank you!

 

[Theavalachesflight22]

I figure now would be a decent time to throw my experience in the hat for you all given my free time.

I am Currently a 4th year USMD student getting ready to match and being the next chapter of my life. I will do my best to give my stats. I will also attempt to highlight things that I found to be crucial in not only preparing to apply to medical school from a nursing background, but also along the way in medical school.

Background : BSN degree. I worked for ~ 2 year's in a ICU. Was planning on CRNA however decided here I was going to attempt to get into medical school. Took 9 pre-requisites over the course of the next year (biology, chem,o-chem, physics and biochem all with labs). At this point in time I was ready to study for the MCAT and also decided to step down from the ICU and took a job in outpatient nursing for a more predictable schedule while preparing for MCAT.

Quick note on this decision to work outpatient. Turns out that having seen medicine through the lens of inpatient and outpatient setting was insanely beneficial in the eyes of all of my interviewers. I cannot stress how big this was and still is. Even on residency interviews people loved the fact that I had experience in Both.

MCAT prep : This was tough as I was not a great test taker at this time in my life. The key thing to remember here is Your non-traditional nursing background is only useful insofar as you are able to play the game effectively like all other pre-medical students. What I mean by this is that if you cannot get the MCAT score or the GPS's or pre-requesites, you will not get a chance to showcase your wonderful healthcare experience and the things that we all know will make you a great physician.

STATS : Overall GPA was 3.80, sGPA was 3.9. MCAT was 498 (not great at all). Tons of work experiences, tons of volunteering.

Letters of rec : I developed many relationships with physicians that wrote me fantastic letters. Perhaps one of the strongest parts of my application. Do. Not. Underestimate. This.

Application : I considered retaking the MCAT due to the low score, however it was a fairly new test and there was quite a bit of confusion how to use it. I decided to apply MD only (probably not smart), and applied smartly to about 25 programs in home state and places the MSAR appeared to give me a chance.

Interview season : I was fortunate to get 2 interviews. I will say that once you get the interview, this is your Time to Shine. Honestly on both medical school interviews and residency interviews. This dominates the conversation. All things being equal between you and another candidate, nursing experience is such an wonderful compliment to your physician toolbox.

Other lessons learned : I will say that some of people in the nursing world tried to tell me to keep my medical school ambitions down. Overall being vocal about wanting to attend medical school and wanting to become a physician opened many doors that led to close connections, mentors and letter writers. This was invaluable.

Some advice for those in medical school that are a nurse : The nursing card is a great experience to have. You have so much texture to add to each encounter and learning point. However, remember that everyone else also has something equally valuable to add. Don't get caught up in thinking your nursing experience precludes you from learning something from someone who does not have said experience.

I will try to peep this thread and answer any specific questions.

Best of luck out there everyone. I will leave you with my favorite quote that suck with me the whole experience of shifting to medicine and applying to medical school.

"You can never fail if you never give up"

 

[GS2011]

I am starting out on this journey. I have six years of critical care experience. I'm an RN CCRN, and I get my BSN this July. I plan to take chemistry II at my local CC while I wrap up my capstone and elective during the summer. I am not sure if this is a wise decision or not.
If all goes according to plan then I will start taking my remaining corses as follows:

Fall 2020: Orgchem I & Biology I
Spr 2021: Orgchem II and Biology II
Sum 2021: Physics I
Fall 2021: Biochemistry and Physics II
Spr 2022: Study for MCAT - Take MCAT around May or April

I plan to work FT in the ICU (nights) up until the start of Summer 2021. This will give me the chance to pay off my car and also my credit card debt. I will still have student loan debt, but oh well - I'm gonna have a hell of a lot more debt by the end of this journey.

Doing this also means turning down my NP spot at a good brick/mortar school and I am having ambivalence about doing so, I am not sure if the secon thoughts are fear, or if the second thoughts themselves are evidence enough I should not pursue medicine.

I just cannot fathom any more nursing model education. I should have majored in something I loved like linguistics or biology, then applied to medical school, but here I am =( I do not want more regret, and after reading how even NPs here are dissatisfied with their breadth of knowledge, this further confirms my suspicions that NP school will leave me hungry for more knowledge.

 

[Ultimax]

I am an NP, and yes the depth if knowledge is definitely lacking in NP school. I left my full-time job back in March 2018 to start taking pre-requisite courses and I am taking my last pre-requisite class right now. I am totally happy with my decision because just like you, I am not impressed with the curriculum in NP school. I want to know why we give heparin for blood clot and what effect heparin has on our body, not just order PTT for the heck of it and pretends I know what I am doing. I am not going to lie, I was making almost 150k per year, and I do miss those pay checks. But at the end of the day, I want to follow my passion for medicine, and enjoy practicing medicine to the fullest of my potential. I am thankful to have the support of my wife, and I wouldnt start this journey without her support.
Many of my NP colleagues are not happy with my decision to go back to medical school, as they are very involved in lobbying for independent practice for NPs. Im not going into politics here, but just my 2 cents, NPs are great to handle simple cases; but not able to handle complex cases as you would see in the ICU or on medical floor. There is no short cut to medicine.
Follow your passion when you still can. Ask yourself, 10 years from now, would you regret not trying to go back to medical school when you still have the determination and passion? If your answer is yes, then my best luck to you in your journey.

 

[Dave1980]

I am an NP, and yes the depth if knowledge is definitely lacking in NP school. I left my full-time job back in March 2018 to start taking pre-requisite courses and I am taking my last pre-requisite class right now. I am totally happy with my decision because just like you, I am not impressed with the curriculum in NP school. I want to know why we give heparin for blood clot and what effect heparin has on our body, not just order PTT for the heck of it and pretends I know what I am doing. I am not going to lie, I was making almost 150k per year, and I do miss those pay checks. But at the end of the day, I want to follow my passion for medicine, and enjoy practicing medicine to the fullest of my potential. I am thankful to have the support of my wife, and I wouldnt start this journey without her support.
Many of my NP colleagues are not happy with my decision to go back to medical school, as they are very involved in lobbying for independent practice for NPs. Im not going into politics here, but just my 2 cents, NPs are great to handle simple cases; but not able to handle complex cases as you would see in the ICU or on medical floor. There is no short cut to medicine.
Follow your passion when you still can. Ask yourself, 10 years from now, would you regret not trying to go back to medical school when you still have the determination and passion? If your answer is yes, then my best luck to you in your journey.

You are a brave and motivated person! Do you think you will ever break even financially from this?

 

[Theavalachesflight22]

I am starting out on this journey. I have six years of critical care experience. I'm an RN CCRN, and I get my BSN this July. I plan to take chemistry II at my local CC while I wrap up my capstone and elective during the summer. I am not sure if this is a wise decision or not.
If all goes according to plan then I will start taking my remaining corses as follows:

Fall 2020: Orgchem I & Biology I
Spr 2021: Orgchem II and Biology II
Sum 2021: Physics I
Fall 2021: Biochemistry and Physics II
Spr 2022: Study for MCAT - Take MCAT around May or April

I plan to work FT in the ICU (nights) up until the start of Summer 2021. This will give me the chance to pay off my car and also my credit card debt. I will still have student loan debt, but oh well - I'm gonna have a hell of a lot more debt by the end of this journey.

Doing this also means turning down my NP spot at a good brick/mortar school and I am having ambivalence about doing so, I am not sure if the secon thoughts are fear, or if the second thoughts themselves are evidence enough I should not pursue medicine.

I just cannot fathom any more nursing model education. I should have majored in something I loved like linguistics or biology, then applied to medical school, but here I am =( I do not want more regret, and after reading how even NPs here are dissatisfied with their breadth of knowledge, this further confirms my suspicions that NP school will leave me hungry for more knowledge.

I think that this plan sounds good. With regard to the Chemistry II overlapping I would make sure you are able to perform well and nail the grades during this time. Also with regard to nursing model vs medical model, I think your assessment is about what mine and others making the jump have.

My only caution is to ensure this work load allows your full capacity to get A's. Also, the MCAT prep will allow you to get the highest score you can. These two factors will be the major ones when it comes to getting interviews for school's and if you need to postpone your path to ensure you do well the first time then by all means take that extra time.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[Ultimax]

You are a brave and motivated person! Do you think you will ever break even financially from this?

Not likely, but at least I will be happy with my decision. I do not want to look back 10 years from now, and regret that I did not have the courage to make that transition.