Penn BSN for Med School?

I am a high school student and my passion has always been with medicine and becoming a primary care physician. Upon doing some research, I found Penn’s BSN and it feels like it would be a great fit for me. Is it normal to major in nursing (something that really interests me) to apply to medical school (where I eventually would like to go)?

Yes many nursing students at Penn are pre-med.

You can major in anything you’d like. Jus keep in mind that you have to take the necessary prerequisites: usually calculus, stats, biology, chemistry, physics, etc.

Will you be able to fit these in along with your nursing degree requirements? If not some students do a post bacc program.

@Penn95 How easy/common is it do that?

@sgopal2 do you know how difficult it is to do this while in undergrad?

How easy is it to do what ?

@sgopal2 to take pre-med reqs while completing the nursing degree?

I have no idea. Check the penn BSN degree requirements.

Bumping in case anyone else has had any experience with this!

@2023doctor “do you know how difficult it is to do this while in undergrad?”

Just being premed at Penn is difficult. The students are excellent. Adding it into a Nursing degree will challenging too. Having said that, the opportunities to get research experience and hands on work experience at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania right on campus would be amazing.

@Much2learn how accessible is research to first and second year students?

@2023doctor My D is in SEAS, and was able to get a stipend research opportunity freshman summer. She also was able to work on a research paper first semester of Junior year.

It clearly varies by student, but there are definitely opportunities there. I would ask about it when you visit. This is probably easier to do for students with some basic coding skills to contribute.

In my mind, the opportunities related to the research hospital are a top differentiator for Penn. Working as a nurse or an EMT or research assistant or in any role will be educational. Not many schools have a world class facility and doctors just walking distance from your dorm. I would want learn about the details from the nursing school and the pre-med program, and consider how you could take full advantage of it.

@Much2learn thank you so much for the response! Penn truly sounds like it would be an incredible fit for me. You might not know the answer to my last question, but do you know if being a male nursing applicant in the ED round will give me an advantage?

@2023doctor I do not know, but think it may slightly. Just like they would like to have a balanced class in engineering, I assume they would like to have a more balanced class in nursing too.

@Much2learn thank you so so so much for the help!!

My DD was accepted last year by Penn Nursing and Wharton, Health Care Management Dual Degree program. She elected to go to an elite LAC instead to do premed. The problem with the Penn Nursing school is that the curriculum which should be posted on their web site is so prescriptive. There is no room to take a regular premed schedule.

Another advantage is that from Penn Nursing, you can easily move to a NP program, and being a NP can be very close to primary care medicine.

“The problem with the Penn Nursing school is that the curriculum which should be posted on their web site is so prescriptive. There is no room to take a regular premed schedule.”

A lot depends on the individual student. I know a Penn student who complete 3 majors in 4 years. I know another who is completing a specialty major with a minor and a master’s in 4 years. The program may offer no room for some while allowing plenty of room for the right student. The number of APs coming in, the students ability to manage a larger course load, and possibly take a couple of summer classes one year, may have a big impact.

I know there are a number of these students, and I know it is difficult, but I think it it achievable for the right student who knows what they want and is willing to work for it.

@Much2learn if it became too difficult to complete the pre-med track with nursing, is it possible to transfer to CAS?

@2023doctor
I think it depends. I have the impression that there is a sensitivity to students who begin Nursing because it is viewed as slightly easier to get into, and then want to switch. Having said that I know it does happen, and they don’t want to trap honest Nursing students who change their mind.

Having said that, I know it does happen. I also know that some nursing students have minors, so they must have some flexibility. If you have a few APs or are willing to take a few Summer classes.

If I were in your position, I would want to contact the I think it would be fine, but if I were you, I would investigate in more detail with the Penn Nursing admissions.

https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/admissions/contact-admissions/

Basically I believe the pre-med requirements are about 8 credits that you would need to fit in.

I believe that another possibility would be to apply to CAS and get a minor in the Nursing School. I believe they also offer a few of those.