<p>Hello! I'm a high school senior who will be attending the University of Washington-Seattle starting in the Autumn of 2014. I've been going back and forth between whether or not I want to do nursing or pursue a major fit for medical school. </p>
<p>So, I thought a great idea would be to get my BSN and complete the pre-med requirements. Based on the research I've done for UW-Seattle, most of the Nursing pre-reqs and Pre-Med pre-reqs are overlap. (Although, I know I'll probably have to take physics classes as my "electives", but that doesn't bother me. I'm also not opposed to taking a few courses during the summer to fulfill my Pre-Med requirements.)</p>
<p>I've seen a lot of people on the internet saying that having a major in nursing with hopes of attending Medical School someday is a bad idea. Why is this? If I'm completing the requirements + majoring in a similar major, why is it frowned upon?</p>
<p>In summary, I want to use nursing as a safety net, but I also want the option to pursue further education that's not limited to a CRNA or NP. Any advice would be extremely helpful!</p>
<p>-EDIT- Just realized there's tons of topics about this, I'll search the forum some more. </p>
<p>Are you sure the requirements overlap? A BSN will require some survey courses in chemistry, not more than a year’s worth. Med pre-reqs (and remember the pre-reqs are changing a little for students taking the MCATs in 2015 or later) will include a full year of gen chem, a full year of O chem and a semester of Biochem. And yes, physics. It’d be a pretty rare nursing program that would have that much room for electives or that much time for labs that didn’t conflict with clinicals.</p>
<p>@ordinarylives Based on what I’ve found, to start the BSN program you need 90 credits. 10 in written communication. 8 in problem solving. 15 in Visual, Literary, or Performing Arts. 26-33 in Natural World (All of the “science” courses. And However many more credits needed to get to 90, so electives.</p>
<p>For the UW-Seattle Medical School, one needs 6 quarters in social sciences. 9 quarters chemistry and biology (Although, no specific titles besides general chem, biology, and biochemistry). 3 quarters physics. </p>
<p>I know that anything on my transcript that says NURS 212 (or whatever) won’t count towards my 9 quarters of science needed. </p>
<p>What changes are happening to the MCAT? </p>
<p>Also, I’m going to be taking a summer program this year that gives me 6 credits that I can use as electives or social science, along with another 5 credits coming from taking a class before the quarter starts. That saves me two classes… (Which probably isn’t much, but at least it’s something.) </p>
<p>If it works, it works. Changes to the 2015 MCAT include more chem (gen, O, AND bio), more upper division bio (so gen bio, often a full year, A&P, which you’d take for nursing, + some upper division), more social sciences (wouldn’t be an issue for nurses), and I think the math goes to calc and stat rather than just one or the other. You want to be sure you’re not making the mistake of looking at the minimum requirements to the med school. Dig around and find the profiles of the accepted class.</p>
<p>The thing you would need to be most concerned about with your plan, I think, is your grades. Not that a year of OChem is a walk in the park, but nursing classes often have a tougher grading scale than other classes (78% is minimum passing at my employer, but I’ve seen as high as 80%). There’s no curve, no rounding, and let’s be honest, super high GPAs are rare. Look at the graduation list from previous years. How many summas do you see? Lots? Then you’ve got a shot. Not so many? Many not be the major to stay in if you want the GPA of the accepted med students.</p>
<p>Have you considered, however, the ramifications of being a nurse when you really wanted to be the doctor? You wanted to treat disease and call the shots. As a nurse, you’re going to treat the patient and, with cuts to CNAs and LPNs at the hospital setting, you’re going to be cleaning up messes, often. They’re very, very different fields. Personally, I don’t want to be cared for by a nurse who wanted a career to fall back on, just like I don’t want my kids in the classroom with someone who couldn’t make it and fell back into teaching. Someone else can comment on the ethics of taking a spot in nursing school when you don’t really want it. </p>
<p>On the bright side. Your college looks to be a 2+2 program, which does give you some time to decide your path. </p>
<p>You might stay in the nursing program for a year, and then make a decision at that time whether to switch out to being a regular biochem pre-med major. If you don’t do extremely well in your bio and chem classes, your decision may be made for you.</p>
<p>Hi, looks like U of Wash. is a 2+2 Nursing Program. You have to apply to Nursing after 2yrs so that is one bright side of the situation. You have been admitted into the Nursing Program so you have time to take a few classes, do some volunteering / shadowing & get some ideas etc. Good luck!</p>