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- Aug 9, 2017
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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..
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.
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:
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.
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Mmk, movers need attention. I'll try and get through more posts later. You guys keep rocking, ok? <3
Thank you for this wonderful post! I may have to do some prereqs at CC and am shaky about it.