<p>Hi All!
This is my first time posting on this forum, so please bear with me!
My situation is rather unique, which is why I'm hoping someone on this forum will have some insight. I graduated from a well-regarded BSN program and will be starting as an RN in September. While I enjoyed every minute of my nursing education, my +600-hour clinical education in the hospital helped me realize that I am better suited to the MD role in healthcare, as opposed to the nursing role.
I am interested in pursuing a pre-med post-bacc degree and ultimately enrolling in med school. Here's where things get complicated. The job I'm starting in September is in Bermuda. I have family on the island and certain obligations necessitate that I move out there for the next year. My question is this: are there any distance learning post-bacc programs that are considered an acceptable and comprehensive alternative to traditional post bacc programs? If not, does anyone have recommendations regarding what I can do during my year abroad to help me reach my goal? As med school is a very long-term commitment, I am eager to get started sooner rather than later!
Any and all suggestions are welcome! Brutal honesty is encouraged.
Thanks :)</p>
<p>Well your undergrad gpa will be important, as well as your MCAT scores. So depending on how good or bad they are the length of your post-bac may have to vary. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if you can do a post-bac in Bermuda, or do one by distance learning. The best way to do that would be to study in the US. You can find the list of postbac program options from the AAMCAS website.</p>
<p>I am just curious as towhee your reasons are for wanting to be a doctor from a nurse? I hope you don’t mind me asking, I am just intrigued.</p>
<p>Since you have a full BSN, your training probably covered some of the required pre-med coursework:</p>
<p>2 semesters general chem w/lab
2 semesters organic chem w/lab
2 semesters general bio w/lab
2 semesters general physics w/lab
1 semester of freshman writing
2 semesters college level math classes</p>
<p>I know that our state U doesn’t require OChem, physics or math for BSNs, but that some schools do require OChem for their nursing students.</p>
<p>So given you have some of the pre-reqs out of the way, you probably don’t need a full post-bacc program. You just need to take a few additional classes and don’t really need a post-bacc program for career changers–though if you want to pursue that, you certainly can. </p>
<p>(Here’s a search tool to find post-bacc programs. You should select career changer for type.</p>
<p><a href=“http://services.aamc.org/postbac/[/url]”>http://services.aamc.org/postbac/</a> )</p>
<p>Your problem is that both physics and OChem have required labs–which cannot be completed thru a distance education program. Also all US med schools (both allopathic and osteopathic) require that your science coursework be completed at a US or Canadian university–so taking those courses locally in Bermuda probably isn’t a viable option.</p>
<p>If you are going to be in Bermuda for a year, you might investigate if you can take 2 math classes (statistics and calculus 1 are most often recommended/required) from your alma mater or from your home state university or other accredited US university via distance education and at least get those out of the way.</p>
<p>Right now I don’t see any way you can fulfill the lab science requirements from outside the country. Those will likely have to wait until you get back in the US.</p>
<p>Once you have completed your lab sciences, you can prep for the MCAT and sit for the exam. Assuming both your GPA and MCAT scores are good, then you can apply to medical school and enter the fray with everyone else. I suspect if you have a good answer to “why physician and not nursing” question, your clinical experience will be a boost to your application.</p>
<p>wayoutmom:</p>
<p>the OP may not have any premed prereqs completed – it really depends on the college s/he attended. For example, I checked one Cal State U and it clearly stated the the Bio course required for a BSN (P&A) did not fulfill any Bio major/minor requirements at that college. Thus, it would not count for premed. Ditto the Chem class required for a BSN offered at the same Cal State – it is only equivalent to a HS honors Chem course, not AP-level.</p>
<p>My D’s college also offers a BSN and it clearly says that the science courses taken by those in the Nursing program do not fulfill the premed prereqs.</p>
<p>BB–that’s for that!</p>
<p>Our state U has pre nursing students enrolled in Bio for Health Sciences and Gen Chem for Health Sciences–which are the same classes the pre meds take. It’s something of local joke that here it’s harder to get into the state flagship’s nursing program than it is get into med school. (Nursing students are only accepted after they complete their soph year and must have 3.5 GPA to be considered, but in reality due to program space limitations need closer to 3.75-3.8 to be admitted. Probably explains our nursing shortage…)</p>