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College Discussion / Colleges and Universities / CC Top Universities / University of California - Los Angeles
nursing/premed transfer?
miss blue sky
Registered User Posts: 199 Junior Member
I'm actually starting at UCSD in the fall but I suddenly realized that nursing may be a good major for me. I know they don't start nursing transfers for the BSN prelicensure major until fall 08, which may work out for me because I already have almost 50 units (AP & CC courses).
I'm an undeclared biological sciences major. I'd like to become a doctor but I am not sure if I could stay in school that long. I was thinking about transferring into the nursing major at UCLA and somehow getting pre-med requirements done so I could keep my options open.
I'd really like to become a nurse (practitioner, actually) because I feel like it would be a lot more practical than slaving away in medical school and unable to have a family and such. If I were to do such thing, I'd be able to have a backup plan in case things don't go the way I'd like them to.
Do any of you guys have any suggestions?
I'm an undeclared biological sciences major. I'd like to become a doctor but I am not sure if I could stay in school that long. I was thinking about transferring into the nursing major at UCLA and somehow getting pre-med requirements done so I could keep my options open.
I'd really like to become a nurse (practitioner, actually) because I feel like it would be a lot more practical than slaving away in medical school and unable to have a family and such. If I were to do such thing, I'd be able to have a backup plan in case things don't go the way I'd like them to.
Do any of you guys have any suggestions?
Post edited by miss blue sky on
This discussion has been closed.
Replies to: nursing/premed transfer?
i'm not just going for a regular nursing degree (RN). i'm interested in becoming a nurse practitioner (NP), which requires a few more years.
i'm also not keen on the idea of not having a stable family life, having to go through sleep-deprived years (residency), and dealing with the ridiculous amount of responsibility that is put on a doctor's shoulders.
the idea of being a doctor is great. in a practical sense, i feel like i'd be better suited as a nurse.
*eh life is hardd...:(
If you are having reservations about pursuing medicine right now, it's probably not for you. One needs 100% financial, emotional, spiritual commitment to the lifestyle. These are the bare minimum requirements. You can't just dabble with the idea of maybe this, maybe that, otherwise you'll fail in your pursuit. If you can't see yourself spending 100-120 hours being in class and studying every week during med-school, subsequently working the same amount of hours during residency, then you'd better rethink your career path.
Plenty of individuals change careers in their 30s, 40s, 50s deciding to pursue medicine and get accepted into a program. So it can be done if you decide to pursue it later. But statistically speaking, 30 and over non-traditional pre-meds don't do as well on the MCAT compared to students straight out of college or other counterparts still in their 20s. And older applicants, even if they have advanced degrees, don't get any special treatment from med-school admissions committees. Rather, they tend to get grilled, put through the ringer and are more closely scrutinized during interviews about their intentions to pursue medicine.
Here's an anecdote about me recently meeting a 40 year-old woman who just finished med-school in May and starting Internal Medicine residency at a hospital in NY. She graduated with a Biochem-English double major from UCLA, applied to med-school twice during and right after college, worked 4 years, subsequently earned a Masters in Nursing at Yale in 3 years , worked as nurse practioner for 4 years at Columbia Hosp. in NY, applied to med-school again at 35 and got accepted. She had a couple of kids while in med-school. I asked her if she had any doubts about her dream of becoming a physician. She said, "Oh plenty! But my husband, family and close friends were all very supportive. That really encouraged me to be persistent".
This may not be what you want to hear, but since you asked for advice I'm going to give it. Put aside any planning until you've done some more investigation. It is my guess like you have no direct exposure to what nurses or NP's do; you have never volunteered in a setting working with them, have not talked to any about their careers, etc. This isn't a slam, it just means you're making decisions without first becoming sufficiently informed. What I suggest is that when you start ucsd you haunt the career center. Many colleges can place you in contact with current alums working in fields you are considering, so do that and talk to NP's and nurses. Furthermore ucsd has an associated hospital so you should easily be able to find volunteer slots. Take advantage of that and spend a few months seeing what the jobs are really like before you make big plans. When you decide what's right you won't be worrying about keeping options open, you'll have a solid goal in mind and you'll do what it takes to get there.
I'd reccomend starting at UCSD, which has a fine reputation in the sciences, maybe do some research and find out if you want to develop a specialty (pediatrics, for example) because looking at this with the broad intent of being a doctor is very difficult
Also, you might consider being a PA (physician's assistant), which is between a nurse and an MD and requires just 2 years of med school.
mikemac, you're right. i probably haven't given it much thought. i have volunteered at hospitals for many years, but i haven't discussed nursing as a career. thank for you for the great idea. the problem is, UCSD does not have a nursing major, so if i felt that nursing would be a better profession for me rather than medicine, i wouldn't be able to pursue it at UCSD.
if i were to pursue a career in medicine, my specialty would be in ob/gyn. again, the idea of becoming a MD is great, but who knows.
But one step at a time. Also you might want to peruse your local library (or amazon) for books about medical careers. And take advantage of all those nurses around you at the hospital when you volunteer! People are usually more than happy to give advice to students -- just like us here