Can a Nurse Become a Doctor?
Nurses and doctors are both essential parts of the healthcare field and work together closely to ensure that patients receive the best possible care. Both have vastly distinct roles and responsibilities. But a registered nurse (RN) can become a medical doctor (MD), as long as they go through additional schooling, training, and exams. Read on to find out how to go from nurse to doctor and everything it takes to get there.
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There are some nurses who have always dreamed of making a career change and becoming medical doctors, but college happens, life happens and things change. Nursing sometimes is the next best option. It is only after being in the field and seeing the differences between nurses and doctors do those individuals desire this career path again.
Others want to be more helpful to their patients. Some want more responsibilities including more invasive procedures or overseeing the team. There is a milieu of reasons why someone would want to become a doctor; it is a decision that should not be made lightly. It impacts not only the nurse but also their family and friends. Medical training is long and carries a heavy financial burden.
There has always been a stigma surrounding doctors and nurses transitioning to this profession. A decade ago very few nurses would leave bedside nursing to enter medical school but now nurses, doctors, and medical schools are more accepting.
While there is still a slight stigma, it is important for nurses in medical school to remember their training, bedside manner, and compassion towards the patients, but also remember that MDs look at patients with a separate set of objectives and these objectives are what saves lives.
First and foremost, you must already have an undergraduate bachelor’s degree. If the degree is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) then most of the coursework will be sufficient as prerequisites for medical school.
If you have a degree in another non-science field, it is important to take notice of all prerequisite coursework.
If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree – this would be the first step in becoming an MD.
The next step is taking the Medical College Admission Test or MCAT. This exam must be taken within three years of applying to medical school. The MCAT is a standardized computer-based exam that assesses problem-solving, critical thinking, written analysis, and knowledge of scientific concepts and principles.
Unfortunately, prior healthcare experience as a nurse does not give those individuals an advantage over others. In fact, it’s possible that the longer nurses have been practicing will actually have a disadvantage on the exam.
Most students take the MCAT in their last semester of undergrad and prepare extensively in classes. Some major universities even offer students review courses. Nurses would be required to find their own study programs.
The MCAT exam is like the NCLEX that focuses less on real-world application and more on textbook learning. This could be a disadvantage to some nurses.
After sitting for the MCAT, scores are reported to the medical schools that were applied to. Some schools prefer nurses because of their prior experience in the healthcare field while others see it as a hindrance. Medical schools look at undergraduate grades, coursework, the university the individual graduated from and the MCAT scores. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) some medical schools do not look at applicants with MCAT scores under a certain score.
Medical school is two years in the classroom setting and two years in the clinical setting. Regardless of prior healthcare experience and training becoming a medical doctor still take four years. Being a nurse does not cut this time down.
After medical school, new physicians attend a residency program that is between two and four years. If an individual wishes to specialize in a specific field, a fellowship is required.
