A nurse studying to be a doctor is the same as any profession studying to be a doctor, you’ll have to start right at the beginning. A doctor isn’t an advanced nurse – it is a completely different degree. However, having the experience of being a nurse can’t be harmful if you are going to be a doctor. Some of the best docs, were nurses first.
If a nurse wants to become a doctor
More and more med students are coming from all kinds of professions. Nursing is as good as any, and even makes logical choice because you are already in the health care fields, and understand the sacrifices it entails. Besides, going to nursing school gives you an opportunity that many traditional students don’t have; nurses see the bad side or not so glorious side of med but yet they still love it.
However, it’s pretty rare for nurses to go to medical school. There are a few that do, but most med students go right from college to med school. Obviously a nurse would have to go back to school and get a bachelor’s degree, if she or he doesn’t already have one.
A registered nurse may have a few of the pre-med courses such as biology. However, many of the “hard” science courses such as physics, calculus, chemistry are not included in the typical nursing curriculum.
Med schools are very open to various undergrad degrees and diversity but they do expect your undergrad science GPA to be well above decent. You should realize that one would need a strong chemistry background and good understanding of biology to make it through medical school.
If you are seriously committed to this really lifetime journey and have the true interest, intellect, and work discipline then go for it!
Just take your premed classes, study for the MCAT and do well, and then apply.
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