RN Trying to decide whats next...

[RNtoMDDO]

Hello all,

I am needing some advice on which path I should take next. I will be starting my last semester of nursing school in January and I am unsure of where I should go/what I want to do next. Prior to attending my ADN program, I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration and ended with a 3.3 cGPA. While I realize that my GPA is less than stellar, I can't seem to shake the idea of working towards medical school.

The only prerequisite that I have taken is Chem I, and that was almost 7+ years ago. I want to start from the beginning with the very basic intro courses in Biology and Chemistry and work my way up. After graduating in may with my RN, do you think it is necessary for me to get my BSN, or should I just start working on the pre-requisites for medical school since I already have a bachelor's degree. Is medical school even a possibility for me being that my GPA is already so low? I did really well my first semester of college (back in 2008) but then got way off track (with partying/social life) and my GPA took a turn for the worst. I have been an A-B student since 2012 and plan to take my time with my pre-requisites while working as a nurse.

I understand that this has been a very unconventional path to medical school, but it seems that the more I learn, the more I am wanting to learn. I have given some thought about the NP route, but I can't imagine going to school online and having the knowledge to treat patients afterwards. I just turned 26 and realize that probably wouldn't even matriculate until the age of 29. However, I have no kids and no spouse so I have nothing to lose at this point. Where do I even start with EC's? I currently work as a tech in the Emergency Room and will probably work as a nurse there after I take the NCLEX. I have also worked at a Pre-School for the last 7 years. Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

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[frenchyn]

First I do not think you need to get your BSN since you already have a bachelor. Second, you can definitely improve that 3.3 GPA with pre-med pre-q and just get a 30+ MCAT score (not sure what the new one is). Third, you have work experience, now you just need to start volunteer. Pick few places where you really enjoy and talk about or show your passion in. LMK if you have other questions

 

[NoTownPreMed]

My advice would be to focus on finishing up your final semester, tackle the NCLEX, get your nursing experience, and then start thinking about taking your prereqs.

 

[OGLoc23]

Hello all,

I am needing some advice on which path I should take next. I will be starting my last semester of nursing school in January and I am unsure of where I should go/what I want to do next. Prior to attending my ADN program, I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Healthcare Administration and ended with a 3.3 cGPA. While I realize that my GPA is less than stellar, I can't seem to shake the idea of working towards medical school.

The only prerequisite that I have taken is Chem I, and that was almost 7+ years ago. I want to start from the beginning with the very basic intro courses in Biology and Chemistry and work my way up. After graduating in may with my RN, do you think it is necessary for me to get my BSN, or should I just start working on the pre-requisites for medical school since I already have a bachelor's degree. Is medical school even a possibility for me being that my GPA is already so low? I did really well my first semester of college (back in 2008) but then got way off track (with partying/social life) and my GPA took a turn for the worst. I have been an A-B student since 2012 and plan to take my time with my pre-requisites while working as a nurse.

I understand that this has been a very unconventional path to medical school, but it seems that the more I learn, the more I am wanting to learn. I have given some thought about the NP route, but I can't imagine going to school online and having the knowledge to treat patients afterwards. I just turned 26 and realize that probably wouldn't even matriculate until the age of 29. However, I have no kids and no spouse so I have nothing to lose at this point. Where do I even start with EC's? I currently work as a tech in the Emergency Room and will probably work as a nurse there after I take the NCLEX. I have also worked at a Pre-School for the last 7 years. Any advice on the matter would be greatly appreciated.

You don't need to get a BSN. Look into post-baccalaureate programs for career changers who need to complete the prereqs. Alternatively you could take these prereqs on your own at a university as a post-bacc student without being formally enrolled in a program.

Medical school is definitely still possible with a 3.3 cGPA. Just do well on your prereqs so you can improve both your cGPA and, just as importantly, your sGPA. Med schools care more about your most recent performance than that more distant.

 

[RNtoMDDO]

Thank you so much for the help! I will start looking into post-baccalaureate programs in the area. Im only taking one 9-credit hour class in the spring, so I was thinking about adding an Intro to Chemistry course to get back into the swing of things.

 

[frenchyn]

Post bac program is expensive. Try to calculate your gpa with all the preq if you get all A or some B to see what it will be. As far as I know post back program is for someone who really need to improve their GPA

 

[New_Slang]

Post bac program is expensive. Try to calculate your gpa with all the preq if you get all A or some B to see what it will be. As far as I know post back program is for someone who really need to improve their GPA

Not true - that's more an SMP. And it doesn't have to be expensive. You don't have to do a formal program at a specialized school. I enrolled in the local university as a non-degree seeking student and completed everything just fine and had access to the post-bacc/pre-med advisor who did my committee letter and help set me up with classes.

Edited for autocorrect

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Post bac program is expensive. Try to calculate your gpa with all the preq if you get all A or some B to see what it will be. As far as I know post back program is for someone who really need to improve their GPA

But what is their GPA? It seems like it could be sub-3 which means they do really badly need something like an SMP if they want a hope of success in applying

 

[OGLoc23]

But what is their GPA? It seems like it could be sub-3 which means they do really badly need something like an SMP if they want a hope of success in applying

OP stated 3.3 cGPA.

 

[brainnurse]

Agree with all the advice above except for this:

My advice would be to focus on finishing up your final semester, tackle the NCLEX, get your nursing experience, and then start thinking about taking your prereqs.

If you don't feel that nursing is your ultimate goal, then there is no need to wait for nursing experience to start taking prereqs. My one regret is that I did not take anything other than nursing classes during nursing school/early into my nursing career, despite the nagging urge to pursue medicine. I thought I'd tackle the NCLEX/get experience/etc. and none of those really benefited my path to medicine. If anything, my progress was delayed. If you feel that you can handle nursing school, introductory science classes and NCLEX prep, then, by all means, go full speed ahead, and good luck to you!

Also, if you don't have to, skip the Introductory Chemistry and take classes you actually need (Gen Chems, Bio, etc.). If you want a review before diving back in, get a review book. It'll save you both time and money.

 

[NoTownPreMed]

Agree with all the advice above except for this:



If you don't feel that nursing is your ultimate goal, then there is no need to wait for nursing experience to start taking prereqs. My one regret is that I did not take anything other than nursing classes during nursing school/early into my nursing career, despite the nagging urge to pursue medicine. I thought I'd tackle the NCLEX/get experience/etc. and none of those really benefited my path to medicine. If anything, my progress was delayed. If you feel that you can handle nursing school, introductory science classes and NCLEX prep, then, by all means, go full speed ahead, and good luck to you!

Also, if you don't have to, skip the Introductory Chemistry and take classes you actually need (Gen Chems, Bio, etc.). If you want a review before diving back in, get a review book. It'll save you both time and money.

What I meant was to do them concurrently. I've considered taking some science courses before during my second year in nursing school, but the clinical/theory hours needed to invest and do well was substantial. I've had a few of my nursing colleagues fell off the honors list just before graduation because they were trying to balance out their final years of nursing school along with taking other science classes as well.

 

[Seattle Mariners Fan]

Goro, Gyngyn, and DrMidlife and a few others are on adcoms. I would take their subjective advice seriously. Otherwise, I would advise focusing on evidence rather than colloquial advice for a decision as large as a postbac.

About 45% of first-time applicants don't actually get in. Those who don't get in on their first try have much, much lower success rates in successive application attempts.

If you don't get in, you have a) a year's lost earnings b) the cost of tuition/books/misc expenses, which on the low end is going to be 7500. If your skillset is in business, c) you have to explain to future Office Space type employers what you were doing for those 15 months - "I was going to be an MD but got a 3.4 in my postbac, so I'm back here applying to put coversheets on TPS reports again for 36k per year" doesn't slightly even begin to sell...so you'll be lying about your time or you'll be homeless.

Evidence on admissions:

https://www.aamc.org/download/321494/data/factstablea16.pdf

Average cGPA of matriculants is 3.7 on a SD of .25. So around 85% of all matriculants have better than a 3.45. Those that do not have a 3.45 likely have some sort of "in"

DO's matriculants were excess 3.5 last year, and the applicant pool size and average GPA of their applicants is significantly up this year:

http://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/data-and-trends/2012-15-app-report.pdf?sfvrsn=10