RN to MD Progress/Support Thread

[bkennedy]

@Eccesignum
I have really been reading your post and value your opinion. I am a current Nurse Practitioner and am pursuing med school. I just finished Bio 1 and chem 1 at a local cc with an A in both classes. I will be taking Bio 2 and Chem 2 in couple weeks.

My question is...I had planned on taking orgo and physics next fall at a local reputable university, but it is very expensive. So now I am debating taking them at my local cc. I hate that cc are looked at poorly. I can say I took bio 1 and Chem 1 13 years ago at a university and the cc was much harder and graded much stricter.

Do you think taking my classes at a local cc will be okay?

My first three years of college were rough 13 years ago before nursing school so my cumulative GPA is just over 3.0 with a strong upward trend in nursing school and a graduate GPA of 3.9.

It seems hard to pay 4000 for two classes that I can take at cc for 900 and learn just as much.

I do live close to a DO and MD school and will be applying for both. I know normally I wouldn't have a chance for MD but hoping since my work is affiliated with the med school it may help.

Sorry this was so long. All advice is welcome. I do know I would need to do well on the MCAT. I will also be taking biochemistry at the university because it is not offered at cc.

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[Eccesignum]

@Eccesignum
I have really been reading your post and value your opinion. I am a current Nurse Practitioner and am pursuing med school. I just finished Bio 1 and chem 1 at a local cc with an A in both classes. I will be taking Bio 2 and Chem 2 in couple weeks.

My question is...I had planned on taking orgo and physics next fall at a local reputable university, but it is very expensive. So now I am debating taking them at my local cc. I hate that cc are looked at poorly. I can say I took bio 1 and Chem 1 13 years ago at a university and the cc was much harder and graded much stricter.

Do you think taking my classes at a local cc will be okay?

My first three years of college were rough 13 years ago before nursing school so my cumulative GPA is just over 3.0 with a strong upward trend in nursing school and a graduate GPA of 3.9.

It seems hard to pay 4000 for two classes that I can take at cc for 900 and learn just as much.

I do live close to a DO and MD school and will be applying for both. I know normally I wouldn't have a chance for MD but hoping since my work is affiliated with the med school it may help.

Sorry this was so long. All advice is welcome. I do know I would need to do well on the MCAT. I will also be taking biochemistry at the university because it is not offered at cc.

A lot of people have felt your pain on the expense of classes at a 4-year versus cc.

Taking pre-reqs at a cc will close some doors. Not all, not even most, but some. For MD schools you can see which accept cc pre-reqs and which don't by getting yourself a copy of the MSAR on the AAMC site (they have an electronic version out). MSAR is worth having anyway as you can search schools based on a lot of factors like GPA ranges, MCAT ranges, etc etc. Very helpful when strategically building your application list, even this early. I was already contacting my in-state MD and DO schools before I had taken my MCAT, to touch base with admissions, tell them my wacky story (I was a major GPA resuscitator after a terrible first run almost 13 years ago), and see what their opinion was on what I needed to do to make myself more competitive. A year later the assistant admissions dean at one of those schools even remembered me when I went to interview.

DO schools seem to be much more lenient with cc credits, though I hesitate to say they all accept them. But I can name multiple people on SDN off the top of my head who did all their pre-reqs at a cc and are now DO students. I don't believe DO has a counterpart to the MSAR but they might. As you build your list of DO schools, again, you might want to get in touch and ask them yourself. They'll start a file on you, and someone just might remember your name later as well.

 

[bkennedy]

A lot of people have felt your pain on the expense of classes at a 4-year versus cc.

Taking pre-reqs at a cc will close some doors. Not all, not even most, but some. For MD schools you can see which accept cc pre-reqs and which don't by getting yourself a copy of the MSAR on the AAMC site (they have an electronic version out). MSAR is worth having anyway as you can search schools based on a lot of factors like GPA ranges, MCAT ranges, etc etc. Very helpful when strategically building your application list, even this early. I was already contacting my in-state MD and DO schools before I had taken my MCAT, to touch base with admissions, tell them my wacky story (I was a major GPA resuscitator after a terrible first run almost 13 years ago), and see what their opinion was on what I needed to do to make myself more competitive. A year later the assistant admissions dean at one of those schools even remembered me when I went to interview.

DO schools seem to be much more lenient with cc credits, though I hesitate to say they all accept them. But I can name multiple people on SDN off the top of my head who did all their pre-reqs at a cc and are now DO students. I don't believe DO has a counterpart to the MSAR but they might. As you build your list of DO schools, again, you might want to get in touch and ask them yourself. They'll start a file on you, and someone just might remember your name later as well.

Thank you so much for the advice. I know my local MD and DO both accept cc courses, but may not be as competitive.
Thanks again for the advice. I will definitely call admissions to give them my story and ask questions.

 

[ICUBlue]

AMCAS counts all classes from every post-HS institution. What determines where they count is how they're classified. If your anatomy class is on your transcript as BIO or BIOL it'll count for science GPA. If not (if they were NUR for example) they'll count for overall GPA but not science. Someone on the last page pointed out that AACOMAS on the other hand counts NUR into science, so there are likely other differences between the two as well. If you're planning to also apply DO I'd make a note to check up on that

How graduate level courses are counted depends when they were taken. If it's graduate-level coursework that you took while formally enrolled in an undergraduate program, credit for the graduate coursework is usually counted toward the undergraduate degree requirements. If you were enrolled simultaneously in an undergrad and master's degree program the grad coursework is counted as grad and not undergrad. In professional degree programs (like Nursing) leading ultimately to a bachelor's degree, grad-level courses count as undergrad if I recall correctly. And if it was grad work that didn't count towards undergrad progression at all, it's counted as grad.

Grad GPA and undergrad GPA are ultimately considered separately for MD schools, where undergrad GPA carries much, much more weight. For DO, as a DO admin has confirmed here before, grad GPA is factored together with undergrad.

At least that's how it was last year. You might want to consult the AMCAS instruction manual or call AMCAS to make sure with your specific situation. And again AACOMAS may have other differences (I'm sure someone on here can comment on that).

Financial tips -- save some money, har. I worked two jobs per diem through my second degree and squirreled money into a special account just for application season. I'm glad I did, because the process can be ridiculously expensive (if you end up applying to multiple schools and have to be all over the place for interviews). Then there's moving costs, which can get substantial if you're moving to a high COA area. Start putting away buffer cash now so you don't run up credit cards as much as possible.

Gen Chem 1, ehhh. Depends how comfortable you are with chemistry. A general review book with practice questions and liberal use of Khan Academy got me through GChem 1 and 2 with no trouble. I found GChem boring as hell and OChem/Biochem far more interesting, but YMMV

DO schools count NURS into the science GPA?

This would actually lower mine a significant amount. Can I choose to not enter them that way and keep it strictly BCPM?


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[KEJ]

Hello Everyone,

Short and to the point. I'm a 43 year old RN/paramedic (7.5 years, with both emergency department and ICU experience). My backstory is long and complicated, and I won't bore you with the details. However, I applied to medical school once before in 1995-96, and it went nowhere. I decided to redo my premedical coursework and the MCAT (which is quite different now), and my stats are competitive. So far, I have 11 interview invitations (7 MD, 4 DO....5 completed, 6 pending). I have been accepted to two schools, and I have committed to one of them (an MD school). So, to my fellow RNs that are aspiring to medicine, it CAN happen. It isn't easy juggling 12 hour night shifts and daytime coursework, but it is doable. My middle aged dinosaur self is going to medical school in the fall (so to anyone who thinks they are "too old"...look at me as an example). Super pumped !!!! I wish each of you the best in your journey.

Congratulations!! That's amazing! Thanks for sharing your story... I'm a 36 yr old paramedic (15 yrs) / RN (9 yrs). I'm a night shift ER nurse... mostly working weekends and going to school during the week. I graduate with my bachelor's degree in may. Your story is inspiring! Hopefully I'll be where you are in a couple next year

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[Eccesignum]

Can I choose to not enter them that way and keep it strictly BCPM?


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Unfortunately no, if it has a NUR designation it's going to be counted as BCPM under AACOMAS rules (in AMCAS it isn't BCPM). In both AMCAS and AACOMAS you must enter your terms, and each course name, title, subject (NUR, ENG, etc), grade, and whatever additional information they request.

Since you also submit your transcripts and they will check your entries against it, there's no real way around this.

 

[NoTownPreMed]

Hey my fellow RN's. How's the progress, anyone plan on applying this cycle?

 

[@Hazel-rah]

Me! MCAT April 28 then we'll see...

 

[NoTownPreMed]

Me! MCAT April 28 then we'll see...

Nice, definitely keep us updated!

 

[@Hazel-rah]

Nice, definitely keep us updated!

Ok, I will. I mostly have this and all other social media sites blocked unless I have an MCAT related question SDN may help me with or sometimes read through the 509+ advice thread for motivation. So, I'll update when it's over! 40 more days to study!

 

[ICUBlue]

MCAT June 17, squeezing my app in this cycle too! Finishing my prerequisites while studying this semester. Can't believe this year is finally here. Like many of you, I've been schemin' since 2014


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[flightnurse2MD]

Hey! This thread was just brought to my attention- I never knew this existed. Great to see a bunch of people making the leap. Above is a link for inspiration and check out my youtube channel. Like you, I have been nurse for over 15 years and currently wrapping up the end of my 3rd year of medical school. I'm making a series of videos to help out anyone wanting to pursue a career in medicine- especially nurses. Feel free to hit me up for any advice and good luck to you all!

 

[flightnurse2MD]

Here's a video how I went from nursing school to CRNA school to medical school. Hopefully, the way I did my premed coursework will help you guys out! Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!

 

[runner96]

I'm an undergraduate nursing student (one year left) at a top-ten nursing school. I recently had a change of heart about nursing, and want to pursue medicine. All of my classmates love nursing school and enjoy the clinicals, but I find that I miss the hard science courses such as orgo and physics. I just got a job as a research assistant and I might be working at JHU SOM this summer as a research intern (waiting to hear back, but my chances are about 50/50- long story). Meanwhile, all of my fellow nursing students are working as CNAs (meh..). I truly wish I was more interested/invested in nursing, but I find that my interests lie elsewhere. I've considered switching to biochem or chem, but I only have a year left of the program, and working as a nurse will be a great way to make money/get experience before starting med school!

I somewhat understand the issues med schools have with nurses going to med school such as the shortage of nurses, "why not NP school", etc, but I know I will feel guilty if I don't at least try to go to pursue my newly-realized dream.

I plan to finish my degree in nursing and jump right into med school pre-reqs while working part time as a nurse. My GPA is 3.81, I have 100s of hours of clinical experience (EMT, nursing clinicals, volunteer in a TRU), some leadership experience (microbiology TA, peer mentor, tutor), and, now, research experience.

Anyone else in the same position? Any advice? Thanks a million!!!

 

[DoctorCrush]

Hope to meet you fellow nurses on the interview trail this year!!

 

[popopopop]

I'm an undergraduate nursing student (one year left) at a top-ten nursing school. I recently had a change of heart about nursing, and want to pursue medicine. All of my classmates love nursing school and enjoy the clinicals, but I find that I miss the hard science courses such as orgo and physics. I just got a job as a research assistant and I might be working at JHU SOM this summer as a research intern (waiting to hear back, but my chances are about 50/50- long story). Meanwhile, all of my fellow nursing students are working as CNAs (meh..). I truly wish I was more interested/invested in nursing, but I find that my interests lie elsewhere. I've considered switching to biochem or chem, but I only have a year left of the program, and working as a nurse will be a great way to make money/get experience before starting med school!

I somewhat understand the issues med schools have with nurses going to med school such as the shortage of nurses, "why not NP school", etc, but I know I will feel guilty if I don't at least try to go to pursue my newly-realized dream.

I plan to finish my degree in nursing and jump right into med school pre-reqs while working part time as a nurse. My GPA is 3.81, I have 100s of hours of clinical experience (EMT, nursing clinicals, volunteer in a TRU), some leadership experience (microbiology TA, peer mentor, tutor), and, now, research experience.

Anyone else in the same position? Any advice? Thanks a million!!!

If you have financial support already, I'd drop out in a heart beat and pursue my pre-reqs and other necessary things. Every year you're in nursing is delaying a year from being a practicing physician. The nursing salary is nice, but the overall time is too much of a sink UNLESS you need financial support.

 

[flightnurse2MD]

I'm an undergraduate nursing student (one year left) at a top-ten nursing school. I recently had a change of heart about nursing, and want to pursue medicine. All of my classmates love nursing school and enjoy the clinicals, but I find that I miss the hard science courses such as orgo and physics. I just got a job as a research assistant and I might be working at JHU SOM this summer as a research intern (waiting to hear back, but my chances are about 50/50- long story). Meanwhile, all of my fellow nursing students are working as CNAs (meh..). I truly wish I was more interested/invested in nursing, but I find that my interests lie elsewhere. I've considered switching to biochem or chem, but I only have a year left of the program, and working as a nurse will be a great way to make money/get experience before starting med school!

I somewhat understand the issues med schools have with nurses going to med school such as the shortage of nurses, "why not NP school", etc, but I know I will feel guilty if I don't at least try to go to pursue my newly-realized dream.

I plan to finish my degree in nursing and jump right into med school pre-reqs while working part time as a nurse. My GPA is 3.81, I have 100s of hours of clinical experience (EMT, nursing clinicals, volunteer in a TRU), some leadership experience (microbiology TA, peer mentor, tutor), and, now, research experience.

Anyone else in the same position? Any advice? Thanks a million!!!

Medical schools have issues with nurses?

 

[popopopop]

Medical schools have issues with nurses?

Not nurses, just career switchers or anyone who can't explain the switch to medicine. I read a lot about it before my app last year, but didn't run into that problem during interviews. SDN's views on nurses however....

 

[FCMike11]

Medical schools have issues with nurses?

No. Noone ever mentioned nursing shortage or nurse practitioner in my interviews. They asked me to explain "why do you want to be a physician" and why i didnt want to be a nurse anymore was self-evident.

Just have a compelling explanation and you'll be fine in that regard.

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[flightnurse2MD]

No. Noone ever mentioned nursing shortage or nurse practitioner in my interviews. They asked me to explain "why do you want to be a physician" and why i didnt want to be a nurse anymore was self-evident.

Just have a compelling explanation and you'll be fine in that regard.

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Almost a 4th year and no one ever asked. Guess it was pretty clear why...

 

[flightnurse2MD]

Not nurses, just career switchers or anyone who can't explain the switch to medicine. I read a lot about it before my app last year, but didn't run into that problem during interviews. SDN's views on nurses however....

and surgical residents....lmao

 

[@Hazel-rah]

Is anyone taking MCAT Friday besides me? If so, good luck!

 

[DoctorCrush]

Is anyone taking MCAT Friday besides me? If so, good luck!

Good luck! I'm signed up for June 1st and I'm ready to die.

 

[FNPBC2MD]

I'm a DNP, FNP-BC and I am going back. I currently work in Palliative Care. I want to go to medical school DO or MD. I wish obtain the knowledge and skill set to provide better care to patients. In my field physicians & NPs do exactly the same job but of course pay is vastly different as it should be for education. I have 5 classes and the MCAT between myself and applying. I plan to start in the Fall semester. I am 39 so will most likely be one of the oldest applicants when I am ready to apply. You only live once so might as well see if I can pull this off.


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[@Hazel-rah]

I'm a DNP, FNP-BC and I am going back. I currently work in Palliative Care. I want to go to medical school DO or MD. I wish obtain the knowledge and skill set to provide better care to patients. In my field physicians & NPs do exactly the same job but of course pay is vastly different as it should be for education. I have 5 classes and the MCAT between myself and applying. I plan to start in the Fall semester. I am 39 so will most likely be one of the oldest applicants when I am ready to apply. You only live once so might as well see if I can pull this off.


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[Vertebrate]

New member here... I couldn't find a formal introduction thread and I figured this was the best thread to acquaint myself with SDN.

I'm technically not a working RN yet, but I recently finished up my first year of my BSN, so I'm a student nurse. I will take my NCLEX around this time next year!
A little about me:
I always knew I wanted to go into SOMETHING in healthcare, even as a young boy (cliche, I know). This stems partially from my family's medical background (a good few of my relatives are physicians or work in healthcare). These same relatives strangely told me to go into nursing instead of medicine. So of course I listened to the adults!

Long story short, I've always had this little voice in the back of my head telling me to go into medicine. I ignored that little voice up until now. I honestly thought I'd fall in love with nursing when I began nursing school, but now I'm not sure about that at all. I find myself far more interested (dare I say "geared") in the medical side of healthcare rather than the nursing side. I am far more interested in what the docs are doing and WHY they are doing it. Not knowing the science behind everything I am doing is killing me. So I'm fairly determined to make a hard push for med school after I graduate nursing school.

My plan:
I plan on finishing out my BSN and sitting for my NCLEX and hopefully passing it. I'll work as an RN (hopefully in ICU or ER, probably won't happen right out of school though) for around 2 or so years while I take my remaining prereqs (Physics I&II and OChem I&II with labs and maybe Biochem) and study for my MCAT through out those 2 years and then take the MCAT after/close to completion of my battery of OChem courses. Aiming for A's in all of my courses here on out because my GPA is sitting around a 3.2 (lots of B's on my transcript lol). I know I'll have to blow my MCAT out of the water. And I really don't give a damn if I get into an MD or DO program I just wanna be a physician.
I'm currently 22, and I'll be 23 when I finish my BSN so I'm looking at about 25-26 before I can realistically apply.

And serious thanks to @flightnurse_almostMD , during this semester I really felt like I made a huge mistake going into nursing instead of medicine, then I found one of your videos while lurking on this forum and it lit a fire in my belly.
Momma didn't raise a quitter. I'm gonna finish what I started and in the end, these experiences as a nurse are just going to make me a better physician in the future.

Sorry for the lengthy post but I had to get some of that off my chest (my nursing cohort and professors doesn't exactly look too fondly upon my plans for the future, sadly) and I needed to introduce myself somewhere. Looking to get to know all of you fine folk!

 

[c12H22O11]

New member here... I couldn't find a formal introduction thread and I figured this was the best thread to acquaint myself with SDN.

I'm technically not a working RN yet, but I recently finished up my first year of my BSN, so I'm a student nurse. I will take my NCLEX around this time next year!
A little about me:
I always knew I wanted to go into SOMETHING in healthcare, even as a young boy (cliche, I know). This stems partially from my family's medical background (a good few of my relatives are physicians or work in healthcare). These same relatives strangely told me to go into nursing instead of medicine. So of course I listened to the adults!

Long story short, I've always had this little voice in the back of my head telling me to go into medicine. I ignored that little voice up until now. I honestly thought I'd fall in love with nursing when I began nursing school, but now I'm not sure about that at all. I find myself far more interested (dare I say "geared") in the medical side of healthcare rather than the nursing side. I am far more interested in what the docs are doing and WHY they are doing it. Not knowing the science behind everything I am doing is killing me. So I'm fairly determined to make a hard push for med school after I graduate nursing school.

My plan:
I plan on finishing out my BSN and sitting for my NCLEX and hopefully passing it. I'll work as an RN (hopefully in ICU or ER, probably won't happen right out of school though) for around 2 or so years while I take my remaining prereqs (Physics I&II and OChem I&II with labs and maybe Biochem) and study for my MCAT through out those 2 years and then take the MCAT after/close to completion of my battery of OChem courses. Aiming for A's in all of my courses here on out because my GPA is sitting around a 3.2 (lots of B's on my transcript lol). I know I'll have to blow my MCAT out of the water. And I really don't give a damn if I get into an MD or DO program I just wanna be a physician.
I'm currently 22, and I'll be 23 when I finish my BSN so I'm looking at about 25-26 before I can realistically apply.

And serious thanks to @flightnurse_almostMD , during this semester I really felt like I made a huge mistake going into nursing instead of medicine, then I found one of your videos while lurking on this forum and it lit a fire in my belly.
Momma didn't raise a quitter. I'm gonna finish what I started and in the end, these experiences as a nurse are just going to make me a better physician in the future.

Sorry for the lengthy post but I had to get some of that off my chest (my nursing cohort and professors doesn't exactly look too fondly upon my plans for the future, sadly) and I needed to introduce myself somewhere. Looking to get to know all of you fine folk!

My story is VERY SIMILAR to yours. I always knew I wanted to work in healthcare and began working at my local hospital in a busy med surg floor as a PCT/tech. It was awful. I was lucky to have found the position I currently have which is also as a tech, but in an ICU and have been doing it for 3.5 years. I went into nursing as an alternative to medicine thinking that I could be happy with nursing. Nurses are great, but I don't see myself doing it for more than a couple of years. I just finished my first semester of nursing school and barely passed. I had a 78.9. We need a 77 to pass. I am struggling with nursing school so bad because the questions are too subjective. I am sitting in a review for the exam and the professor reviewing the exam would say that he agrees with the answer we are saying A as the best answer, but the person who wrote it says it was B. I miss the hardcore sciences where the answers were cut and dry. There was no speculation. I still want to go to medical school and I am sitting here wondering if I should continue nursing school, but there is a high potential my GPA may drop.

I have only complete first semester of nursing school and I found myself studying beyond what it was required of me to know. I want to know more about the pathophysiology and why the course of treatment is the way it was prescribed. I am at a cross roads - continue or get my bachelor's degree in something else. I am not a quitter, but this 8 credit hour nursing class that I just received a C, is going to drop my 3.9 GPA horribly.

 

[mallows03]

This thread gives me life!! Thank you all for posting your inspirational stories.

I am 26 years old and have been working as an RN for 3 years at a long term acute care rehab on a progressive care unit. I took my BSN in another country and basically have to retake a lot of undergrad classes here. I've decided to just go for a second bachelor's degree in BS Biology at our local state university. I've been worried since my grades aren't up to par even with extra tutoring and watching plenty of youtube videos. I started off strong my first semester ending with a 3.99 gpa that has slowly been slipping since as the classes get harder and harder (aka organic chemistry and physics). I still have to take another semester of physics and english classes and then hopefully take my MCAT's. I'm also worried about how to write my personal statement since the only reason I want to get into medical school is to become a forensic pathologist (I watched too much CSI in middle school).

Any advice on how to write a personal statement that sounds better than just saying I watched too much CSI growing up?
Also, any thoughts on medical school abroad? (Almost all the doctors that I have worked with finished medical school either in India or in the Caribbean)

Thank you!

 

[FCMike11]

I'm also worried about how to write my personal statement since the only reason I want to get into medical school is to become a forensic pathologist (I watched too much CSI in middle school).

Any advice on how to write a personal statement that sounds better than just saying I watched too much CSI growing up?
Also, any thoughts on medical school abroad? (Almost all the doctors that I have worked with finished medical school either in India or in the Caribbean)

Thank you!

Talk about motivation to help people. All advice I've seen is to not fixate too much on a specialty (unless you have some compelling background/research). What specialty you want to be in isn't as incredible important as it is that you want to help people.

My PS was something like this:

Body 1- anecdote of my life now and a why I want to be a physician "moment"

Body 2- early background, how i ended in nursing

Body 3- motivation for medicine/taking care of people clearly distinguished from scope kf nursing

Body 4- more motivation for medicine/helping people/understanding of the responsibility of being a physician

I wanted the take away of anyone who read my PS to be "wow. This guy has thoroughly analyzed what this decision. He has to be a physician."

 

[mallows03]

Talk about motivation to help people. All advice I've seen is to not fixate too much on a specialty (unless you have some compelling background/research). What specialty you want to be in isn't as incredible important as it is that you want to help people.

My PS was something like this:

Body 1- anecdote of my life now and a why I want to be a physician "moment"

Body 2- early background, how i ended in nursing

Body 3- motivation for medicine/taking care of people clearly distinguished from scope kf nursing

Body 4- more motivation for medicine/helping people/understanding of the responsibility of being a physician

I wanted the take away of anyone who read my PS to be "wow. This guy has thoroughly analyzed what this decision. He has to be a physician."

Thank you so much! I will try to work on my personal statement again.

 

[CherV]

Hey! This thread was just brought to my attention- I never knew this existed. Great to see a bunch of people making the leap. Above is a link for inspiration and check out my youtube channel. Like you, I have been nurse for over 15 years and currently wrapping up the end of my 3rd year of medical school. I'm making a series of videos to help out anyone wanting to pursue a career in medicine- especially nurses. Feel free to hit me up for any advice and good luck to you all!

Thank you for this post! I have been fighting myself about going back to medical school for years, I have been a nurse for 10 years and I finally feel confident enough to go for it. Great video too!

 

[NursetoMD2017]

Hi Everyone,
I've been a RN for 7 years. I now work as a nurse investigator with one of the BON. I am in the process of completing the requirements for medical school. Basically, I have to repeat all sciences and math requirements. It great to see the support with this Forum!

 

[@Hazel-rah]

Hi Everyone,
I've been a RN for 7 years. I now work as a nurse investigator with one of the BON. I am in the process of completing the requirements for medical school. Basically, I have to repeat all sciences and math requirements. It great to see the support with this Forum!

Good luck with everything and welcome to the forum

 

[Eccesignum]

Hi Everyone,
I've been a RN for 7 years. I now work as a nurse investigator with one of the BON. I am in the process of completing the requirements for medical school. Basically, I have to repeat all sciences and math requirements. It great to see the support with this Forum!

I had to retake math all the way from college algebra to calculus (calc is not required for most medical school, it just was for the bio degree I was pursuing). It sucks mightily, but it'll pay off if you take it seriously. Best of luck to you.

 

[flightnurse2MD]

Hey, guys! Hopefully your endeavours are progressing well and I have a new video below that may help you all out. Good luck!

 

[AnotherIndianDoc]

I have been creeping this thread for a long time, and finally decided to post!

I am a 24 yo RN BSN that has been working in SICU for the last 3 years. I initially wanted to be a CRNA, and so took a position in a busy SICU thinking it will elevate my chances into getting into CRNA school. Fast forward a few years, and I've made a huge change in decision to pursue medicine, and I was always the one in nursing school saying "oh I'd never want to be a doctor" - I guess the jokes on me now because, guess what, I do.
My father passed away 2 years ago, and his death has been a catalyst of mixed emotions, and I finally feel like I'm in the right direction to do what I have been designed to do (if you believe in fate, destiny, etc lol, and I know I can't use Destiny as my personal statement for med school, ha!)

This thread has been giving me motivation the last few months as I pursue a path in medicine, and start all of my science prereqs.

Just wanted to say hello, you guys are amazing, and it's so inspiring hearing all of the stories and journies of people on their way to medicine, either from being a nurse or something else entirely (non-traditional students, that is).
I will update as I get further along in my courses.
Just taking chem 1/2 this summer. I graduated with honors from my undergraduate college, and am doing prereqs through a CC before I transition back to my undergraduate college to take the upper-level sciences/maths. I've already spoken with a Med School advisor at the school I would like to apply to, and she's been great in guiding me towards the classes I need to take, and even stated that I could come back to her when I was ready to write up my personal statement.
I am honestly excited about this journey, more excited than I have been in a while.

Only thing I am hesitant about is, how do I keep working full-time? Over the summer I've used a LOT of my PDO to keep me afloat but I don't want to lose my health insurance by going Part-time. My manager has been great about working with me and switched me to weekends but I can't keep using my PDO. So we'll see how that goes. I may have to transition to part time. It may sound whiny, but as a 24 yo, it's hard working every weekend.

Sorry if that was long and all over the place, Hi to everyone again!

 

[@Hazel-rah]

I have been creeping this thread for a long time, and finally decided to post!

I am a 24 yo RN BSN that has been working in SICU for the last 3 years. I initially wanted to be a CRNA, and so took a position in a busy SICU thinking it will elevate my chances into getting into CRNA school. Fast forward a few years, and I've made a huge change in decision to pursue medicine, and I was always the one in nursing school saying "oh I'd never want to be a doctor" - I guess the jokes on me now because, guess what, I do.
My father passed away 2 years ago, and his death has been a catalyst of mixed emotions, and I finally feel like I'm in the right direction to do what I have been designed to do (if you believe in fate, destiny, etc lol, and I know I can't use Destiny as my personal statement for med school, ha!)

This thread has been giving me motivation the last few months as I pursue a path in medicine, and start all of my science prereqs.

Just wanted to say hello, you guys are amazing, and it's so inspiring hearing all of the stories and journies of people on their way to medicine, either from being a nurse or something else entirely (non-traditional students, that is).
I will update as I get further along in my courses.
Just taking chem 1/2 this summer. I graduated with honors from my undergraduate college, and am doing prereqs through a CC before I transition back to my undergraduate college to take the upper-level sciences/maths. I've already spoken with a Med School advisor at the school I would like to apply to, and she's been great in guiding me towards the classes I need to take, and even stated that I could come back to her when I was ready to write up my personal statement.
I am honestly excited about this journey, more excited than I have been in a while.

Only thing I am hesitant about is, how do I keep working full-time? Over the summer I've used a LOT of my PDO to keep me afloat but I don't want to lose my health insurance by going Part-time. My manager has been great about working with me and switched me to weekends but I can't keep using my PDO. So we'll see how that goes. I may have to transition to part time. It may sound whiny, but as a 24 yo, it's hard working every weekend.

Sorry if that was long and all over the place, Hi to everyone again!

Thanks for sharing your story! Glad you found this thread! I have only worked PRN through this because I can take off long amounts of time. For example, the month before my MCAT, I scheduled not to work at all.

There are definitely a LOT of people who do keep working full time, sometimes they do nights... A lot of schools are moving towards competencies rather than hard pre reqs so it's worth looking at the school you'd want to go to and tailoring your classes to that plus whatever content you don't know for the MCAT.

Good luck!

 

[bornunderatree]

Just wanted to provide a little update on my journey.

Cardiac ICU (surgery and medical) RN BSN for 3.5 years. Started off at a community college a long time ago. Did prerequisites and volunteering while working full time (couldn't have done it without a receptive leadership team). Applied at 12 places, had 4 interviews, matriculating to UC Irvine in a few short weeks.

To all those RNs thinking about MD, do it. I was suggested to keep my aspirations a secret, but the more I shared, the more support I received.

Good luck!

 

[calivianya]

Only thing I am hesitant about is, how do I keep working full-time? Over the summer I've used a LOT of my PDO to keep me afloat but I don't want to lose my health insurance by going Part-time. My manager has been great about working with me and switched me to weekends but I can't keep using my PDO. So we'll see how that goes. I may have to transition to part time. It may sound whiny, but as a 24 yo, it's hard working every weekend.

It is hard working every weekend, but you just do it because you have to. My schedule has been Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights 1900-0700 the whole time I've been working on my third bachelor's. I tried to get all M/W or T/Th classes. Didn't work last fall - I was in class Monday through Friday while working Thursday, Friday, Saturday. It was awful. I managed to get no Friday classes in the spring of this year, but that turned out worse - class Monday 1100-1900, Tuesday 0930-2200, Wednesday 1400-1900, Thursday just 0930-1230. Biochem, physics, physics lab, ochem 2, ochem 2 lab, metabolic seminar, chemistry elective. It was awful, but I lived through that too... then I started volunteering Wednesday mornings and had a MCAT review class three days a week on top of the full time school and full time work... looked more like Monday 1100-2300, Tuesday 0930-2200, Wednesday 0800-2300, Thursday 0930-1215, Saturday 1400-1700 then. Plus working the same three nights. I don't know how anyone could stand to be around me then. I was not a nice person.

Currently doing my last class over the summer session, and once again working every single stupid Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. You've just got to do what you've got to do. You've got to ask yourself how bad you want this every time you feel like quitting because you have no break. It's a hell of a turnaround getting off work Sunday morning and going to class all day on Monday, especially when you're switching your sleep back and forth from days to nights and back twice a week, which will half kill you in and of itself.

I didn't switch to weekend option formally - my only regret now is I wish I had. You literally have no choice if you're working full time and going to school full time but to work every weekend, pretty much. If your job offers a differential to be straight weekends, take it. That's the best advice I can give you. At least you get a little extra compensation for totally screwing your life over.

I would also advise you not to use all your PTO. You're going to want to go on vacation once you finish killing yourself with your insane workload. Might as well be able to get away for a bit when you're done.

 

[NoTownPreMed]

Hey guys, good to hear that everyone is doing well and are one step closer to reaching their dreams. For those of my fellow RNs who have made it. What are your thoughts now, reflecting back on all of the things you've sacrificed and done to get where you are? I took a good break after last semester to spend more time with my wife and kids. It was a much needed vacation. I thought to myself perhaps putting this dream aside will eventually help me open my eyes and see the important things in life. But it hasn't really. I keep thinking every now and then, how empty it has been for me when I'm not thinking about becoming a doc. My family have always supported me every step of the way, but always have this guilt built inside of me for being selfish. What are your guys thoughts?

 

[@Hazel-rah]

Hey guys, good to hear that everyone is doing well and are one step closer to reaching their dreams. For those of my fellow RNs who have made it. What are your thoughts now, reflecting back on all of the things you've sacrificed and done to get where you are? I took a good break after last semester to spend more time with my wife and kids. It was a much needed vacation. I thought to myself perhaps putting this dream aside will eventually help me open my eyes and see the important things in life. But it hasn't really. I keep thinking every now and then, how empty it has been for me when I'm not thinking about becoming a doc. My family have always supported me every step of the way, but always have this guilt built inside of me for being selfish. What are your guys thoughts?

I haven't made it and I may not but, my thoughts:
Hopefully you're not becoming a doctor for only selfish reasons.. You're doing it to do all the good you can in all the ways you can for as long as you can for as many people as you can. (partially hijacked quote by John Wesley) Even if I don't make it, I'll never stop working to that end. Each person is different with his own unique path, so you just have to decide if you'll take this one. Medical school isn't going anywhere tho. Good luck!

 

[AnotherIndianDoc]

Currently doing my last class over the summer session, and once again working every single stupid Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. You've just got to do what you've got to do. You've got to ask yourself how bad you want this every time you feel like quitting because you have no break.e.

All I can say is WOW!! I thought my schedule was crazy, but you've literally motivated me to be / do so much better! Kudos to you for being a super-person (seriously, you are!) and I understand the "do what you've got to do" mentality, that's what's gotten me through the summer and working every weekend while my 20-something friends are having the time of their lives.

Fortunately, I work at a pretty great hospital and have a very understanding manager, who is willing to let me go to part-time with benefits! My fall classes are going to be a lot like yours above so I'll need all the time I can get to study and actually get to the end of this journey. We do have a weekend shift diff + night shift diff, because we have no weekender plans, per say, but I have been utilizing that shift diff, and will continue doing so.

 

[Mdcsmitty]

Hey guys I am a 28 year old PICU nurse that will be finishing my pre reqs for med school starting next month. I made some mistakes in school by dropping out of college 10 years ago without withdrawing from the classes which resulted in multiple F's on my transcript due to not withdrawing from the class. ( Yes I'm an Idiot ). Since then I became a Paramedic I was Valedictorian of my class and I went on to retake the classes that I failed earning A's in them at its lowest my GPA was a 1.7 I was able to retake and get that back up to a 3.2 which is where I was when I got my associates. I at that point decided to try for med school and went on to take some more pre reqs I did Chem 1 which I got a B in and then the next term decided to add Physics 1 to Chem 2 for that semester and that was a mistake. I was currently working as a Paramedic for my city which required working 6 days a week and we were short staffed so those shifts could be anywhere from 8 to 18 hours and I was still expected to come back for my next shift. I wouldn't know when if I was going to get to leave work until I was actually walking out the door. That schedule was not conducive to doing well and my grades suffered. I got a C- in Chem 2 and a D+ in physics. Feeling defeated after this term and listening to disgruntled physicians I decided to abandon becoming a physician and went to nursing school. In nursing school I new going in that I was settling but felt like I did not have a choice so I went with it. I was on the Honor Role every term, I was inducted to the honor society, was president of student government and after graduating got a job in a ER. A big reason for my success in nursing school was that I decided to quit my job as a Paramedic and got a job as a Aid in a hospital working 2-3 days a week instead of 6. Since graduating I began work at a ER and after six months transferred to the pediatric ICU which is where I currently work. I am also finishing my BSN in a few months ( I only have 2 classes left ) and I made the deans list and will be graduating with honors on my transcript. I am retaking Physics this fall and hopefully will transfer to the weekend program so I can retake chem 2 along with completing physics 2 in the spring. Take O Chem over the summer, and then biochem and MCAT prep during the fall so I can take the MCAT and be ready to apply as soon as the Apps open in 2019. I am just hoping that my multiple displays of academic adequacy via my honors, deans list and so forth will show that my past struggles in school where due to poor life decisions and not intellectual insufficiency. By the time I apply my bad grades will be 12 and 5 years in the past respectively and I am hoping that someone will give me a chance as I feel like I would make an excellent doctor with my past experiences.

Good Luck to everyone

 

[popopopop]

.

Make sure to calculate your cumulative and science gpa and really understand where you stand.

 

[codemanAZ]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on SDN. I am open for any input or advice for my situation. I have been an RN for over 8 years now. I have broad nursing background which includes skilled nursing, acute rehabilitation, med/surg in addition to trauma/surgical ICU in a level 1 trauma center which is where I currently reside. I am finishing up my BSN at the end of this year. My RN-BSN grades have all been A's but they are fairly easy online classes. If I get an A in my next two classes, my overall GPA for 126 credits will be 3.45 and my science GPA is 3.23. My science classes are as follows.

Bio 1 (Majors) - B
Fundamental Chemistry with Lab - A
Human A&P 1 - B
Human A&P 2 - B
Microbiology - C (toughest class, all tests were fill in the blank and we got marked for spelling errors
Human Patho - A

My highest math is College Algebra/Functions and is 4.0

My plan was to take Chemistry 1 and 2, Org Chem 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, Biochem 1 and 2, and Bio 2.

My sciences are over 10 years old. In 2001, I dropped out my first semester of college and got a W on 3 classes and an F in the math but retook math 3 years later with an A. The F is not factored into my GPA on the transcript though. I do have other W's on my transcript for classes that were more of interest rather than what was needed for my major. I missed my first psych test from stupidity and my teacher said to take the W and retake next semester to which I got an A.

Would like your opinion on my chances for MD vs DO and whether I would be competitive enough. It's probably hard to answer this since I still need to factor in future science classes. Also recommendations on the order I should take my science classes if I were to start next spring?

Thank you all for your time.

 

[cellsaver]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on SDN. I am open for any input or advice for my situation. I have been an RN for over 8 years now. I have broad nursing background which includes skilled nursing, acute rehabilitation, med/surg in addition to trauma/surgical ICU in a level 1 trauma center which is where I currently reside. I am finishing up my BSN at the end of this year. My RN-BSN grades have all been A's but they are fairly easy online classes. If I get an A in my next two classes, my overall GPA for 126 credits will be 3.45 and my science GPA is 3.23. My science classes are as follows.

Bio 1 (Majors) - B
Fundamental Chemistry with Lab - A
Human A&P 1 - B
Human A&P 2 - B
Microbiology - C (toughest class, all tests were fill in the blank and we got marked for spelling errors
Human Patho - A

My highest math is College Algebra/Functions and is 4.0

My plan was to take Chemistry 1 and 2, Org Chem 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2, Biochem 1 and 2, and Bio 2.

My sciences are over 10 years old. In 2001, I dropped out my first semester of college and got a W on 3 classes and an F in the math but retook math 3 years later with an A. The F is not factored into my GPA on the transcript though. I do have other W's on my transcript for classes that were more of interest rather than what was needed for my major. I missed my first psych test from stupidity and my teacher said to take the W and retake next semester to which I got an A.

Would like your opinion on my chances for MD vs DO and whether I would be competitive enough. It's probably hard to answer this since I still need to factor in future science classes. Also recommendations on the order I should take my science classes if I were to start next spring?

Thank you all for your time.

I love your passion. Congrats on the BSN! Huge accomplishment.

Ten years is a long time ago. You are right- online science courses wont be taken seriously for medical school. If you want medical school, you need to shed your nursing model and pivot to physician.

Go for MD. I did my DIY Post Bacc 20+ years after college. Do the premed courses required (forget your previous science courses as counting), ace them, and crush the MCAT. This is your do over period in life.

Don't look back at the courses 10 years ago. Your horizons are wide open. Reach for the stars.

 

[LisaRN-MD]

I am fairly new to the site. Being 26 soon to be 27 wife and mother of 2, I began to think MD was next to impossible. I started out as a pre-med student and ended up in nursing school. I am currently an Critical Care RN. 2-3 years sounds about right when it comes to how much time I will be ready to even sit through the MCAT. I currently have an ADN. My goal is to get a degree in biomedical sciences. I have known since I was a kid that I wanted to become a physician. I have been in the medical field since I was 18. My first job out of highschool was a tech on an open heart step down unit, where I did my first year as a nurse. I recently transferred to CCU. I do not have this superb collegiate background but I am willing to work hard. My husband has been nothing but supportive and it helps tremendously. Any advice is welcomed. It will be interesting to see how I get through this being a wife and mother. I was going for NP but I feel like I am still settling. I don't want to be 40, asking myself 'what if.'

 

[DocKage88]

So I'm stealing someone else's idea and making a progress thread for all us RN to MD/DO hopefuls. Feel free to post a little about yourself, where you work, your progress / timeline, interests, or anything else pertaining to nursing.

Myself: 27, male, Florida / St. Pete area, I've worked on a Medical Respiratory floor for almost two years now. I'm sure I could make myself content for a little while if I went to the ICU or ED but eventually I'd want more.

I have a few C's in sciences prior to starting this journey. Never figured they'd hurt me down the road. I started my post bac with Chemistry II and Anatomy and Phys since I never had to take it as a prereq. I finished Organic Chemistry I and Trig this Spring, Organic Chemistry II this Summer B session (I need to ask this professor if he's willing to write a strong LOR since I spent a decent amount of time in his office hours). All A's so far but now I have Physics I this Fall (I was horrendous at Physics in high school like 11 years ago), and I guess Physics II and Biochemistry in the Spring. I'm not sure if I should take those two together. Especially since I'm getting married in January and will likely miss a week of class for the wedding / honeymoon.

Interests: PM&R (SCI, Musc, TBI) is probably my top choice even though I don't have exposure to it at the moment. The idea of working with people who can actually get better and gain some functionality back really excites me. Whereas my floor the majority of these people are never going to stop abusing alcohol, drugs, smoking etc and thus will never get better. It's a pretty decent lifestyle speciality too. Primary care in theory sounds good (working on prevention and managing chronic illnesses as necessary). I played baseball in college for a couple of years until I was basically too injured to give it my best so Sports Med seems appealing too and there are a few routes to that.

Timeline: Finish Physics I, II, and Biochemistry by Spring. Study a few months for MCAT, take in the Fall and eventually apply.

So there's a bit about myself. Feel free to post if you're a nurse or if you're not but have some advice for us.

Thanks

 

[DocKage88]

Hello all,

I see that quite a few of you posted a few paragraphs to detail your circumstances, dreams and our common goal of becoming an MD/DO. Let me apologize for not being so lengthy in my introduction. I also will post from my phone more likely than not so please forgive any grammatical errors. I'm an 35 year old SICU RN and have been working in critical care for a couple years now. I startes my nursing education around age 28 and have currently been practicing professionally for 3 years now and during that time my sense of fulfillment has shifted to a sense of yearning for more/ to be more. Not taking anything away from nursing but that yearning has become intensified since the birth if my twins. I lead a comfortable life with a wife, kids and a mortgage lol. Like most RN we all wanted to go the route of NP or CRNA but in my instance and i sure like most of us non traditional students life has become an obstacle. In my case with new financial responsibilities in the form of supporting an household and two infants i have gotten into a rut of grinding out my days with my head down no longer enjoying this life I've worked so hard to achieve. Money has become a pervasive component in my life and while its not all about the money, more money will allow me to grasp and enjoy the things that are "everything" such as more time home, financial security for the future and also meaning not having to do OT to make ends meet. I currently work the overnight shift 7pm to 7am and the off schedule either has me missing out on life or being a zombie through life. I've decided that i want to become and MD for all the reasons detailed and many more reasons that Im sure you can relate too but i have 2 main issues. 1) at age 35 how long will it be before i can start pulling in the income i desire and 2) will i be able to make this transition while fulfilling my financial responsibilities and not straining my household. If anyone is in my predicament please lend your advise. Thanks for listening and hope to speal with someone.

 

[brainnurse]

Hi, everyone! My house is currently being packed up for the Big Move (TM) and I'm trying to stay out of the movers' way so I thought I'd check in on you wonderful people. I love that this thread is continuing to grow. I'll try to answer some posts while I'm here. Let's see..

1) at age 35 how long will it be before i can start pulling in the income i desire and 2) will i be able to make this transition while fulfilling my financial responsibilities and not straining my household.

These are two very valid concerns that you definitely should be thinking about before diving into this journey. At this age and with a family, I'm sorry, but financial stability isn't a logical reason to go into medicine.

Your pre-reqs could take between two to five years to finish depending on how much Chemistry you've already done. Application can add at least a year if the stars don't align. Then you'll have four years of medical school with upwards of 200K of debt, then at least three years of residency after that (where the pay is between 38K-48K/yr). That's between 7-12 years of minimal to negative income before you start pulling Attending money (which, granted, will be fairly substantial, ie, >= $150K/year). Will you be able to make that transition? Only you can truly answer that, but if you're already having a difficult time with money as a nurse, the path to medicine might not be the safest bet.

I was going for NP but I feel like I am still settling. I don't want to be 40, asking myself 'what if.'

Hi, Lisa! This is a common reason I've seen around here for making the leap. I was also an ADN-prepared ICU nurse around your age when I decided to start the journey to medicine. Actually, your story resonates with me a bit. I also had mediocre grades, worked full-time, and have an extra-supportive husband who couldn't have been more amazing as I mulled over this insane notion of going back to school to be a doctor. All that being said, I don't have a kid, so your path might be extra challenging.

I wanna address your decision to get a Biology degree. It's fine. People do it all the time. But I do question the logic of extending your pre-req years when you can just finish up your BSN? I also caution against this because labs are time sinks, and you'll need SO MANY LABS to get a biology degree. That's not a problem for youngins who don't have other responsibilities, but for an adult with a full-time job and a family, it's bound to be ridiculously tough! Years ago, the illustrious @QofQuimica gave me this sage advice that I'm now passing on to my fellow nurses:

What, medical training isn't already long enough for you that you want to add on a couple extra years? To me, this is a no-brainer. Assuming you can take the proper pre-req courses, heck yeah, get the BSN instead of wasting two years on a biology degree you don't want or need. Even if there is a bias against admitting nurses to med school (and I don't believe there is one, having been on the adcom side of things), isn't it kinda sorta already too late for you to avoid it? I mean, if you did get a BS instead of the BSN, are you somehow magically no longer going to be a nurse applying to medical school?

She's a wonderful resource for non-trads and her words significantly affected the trajectory of my path to med school. I went the BSN route and DIY-ed my pre-reqs. I took some CC classes because of schedule and money issues (while still eventually obtaining my degree from a four-year university). I did what I had to do, aced my classes, and, lo and behold, the adcoms didn't care what my degree was in. The degree doesn't matter as long as you keep your numbers competitive and check the boxes.

--

Mmk, movers need attention. I'll try and get through more posts later. You guys keep rocking, ok? <3