Upskilling from RN to Doctor...thoughts?

I'm currently a Year 2 nursing student who is due to graduate next year.

I have decided that i would like to continue my studies in the medical area by attending Med School, after completing my Post Graduate year.

Has anyone on here done this before? Upskilled to become a doctor after training to be a nurse? If so, how did you find it?

Here in New Zealand, it is a 7 year degree. I have talked to the head of the Med School and on the basis that i acheive a B+ average over the 3 years [I'm currently on A-] then i can possibly take 1-2 years off the degree.

I dont want to give up my dream of nursing as it has always been a passion of mine but i've been told that at 19 years old, if i want to continue my studies into that field, to go for it while i'm young.

Thoughts? Am i absolutly crazy?
I have had nothing but positive feedback and encourangement from those i have talked to about this idea, would be interested to hear thoughts from RN's worldwide.

=)
<=== not a doctor, but my spouse works at a local med school and I have had a lot of discussions with his MD colleagues about job satisfaction. The responsibility and prestige of being an MD are plusses to them. They love being the major decision makers in someones care. ANd of course the income potential is much greater. What they hated was the time committment that goes with that, especially the women who later had children. It is sometimes not worth the sacrifice to them when it comes to the time away from children. Of course, nurses are going to tell you the downside of not being respected for the essential job we perform, and the backbreaking work.They are two different professions in the same field. The philosophies are different, but in the end you have the same goal. THere are areas of nursing where you can practice at an advanced level. You are not an MD, but your level of responsibility in decision making in patient care is much higher. Think about what role you want to play in that care, what your personal goals are and how your personality fits in. THe best physician I was ever a patient of was first a nurse. She had a diffferent approach -- much more hands on and holisitic -- than other MDs I had seen. You can combine nursing in to your medical practice if you like. Good luck in making your decision!Quote from Nurse_In_TrainingI'm currently a Year 2 nursing student who is due to graduate next year.I have decided that i would like to continue my studies in the medical area by attending Med School, after completing my Post Graduate year.Has anyone on here done this before? Upskilled to become a doctor after training to be a nurse? If so, how did you find it?Here in New Zealand, it is a 7 year degree. I have talked to the head of the Med School and on the basis that i acheive a B+ average over the 3 years [I'm currently on A-] then i can possibly take 1-2 years off the degree.I dont want to give up my dream of nursing as it has always been a passion of mine but i've been told that at 19 years old, if i want to continue my studies into that field, to go for it while i'm young.Thoughts? Am i absolutly crazy?I have had nothing but positive feedback and encourangement from those i have talked to about this idea, would be interested to hear thoughts from RN's worldwide. =)

Quote from fotografe THe best physician I was ever a patient of was first a nurse. She had a diffferent approach -- much more hands on and holisitic -- than other MDs I had seen. You can combine nursing in to your medical practice if you like. Good luck in making your decision!

thats very nice... but you know in our country doctors became nurses..

Quote from lovelychethats very nice... but you know in our country doctors became nurses..

Quote from Nurse_In_TrainingI'm currently a Year 2 nursing student who is due to graduate next year....=)

My childrens Ped was an RN before going to medical school at the age of 45 and she is the BEST Ped I have ever met! Her nursing background was a definate plus. She only applied to one medical school and got accepted right away.

Yeah, I agree with Gennaver about the misuse of the word "upskill." "Switching careers" or "switching fields" is better, as there are already too many stereotypes as nurses being halfway, less intelligent doctors.

Apologies, didnt mean the term "upskill" to be taken in that content.What i meant was excatly what you said, a change of profession.Thanks for your thoughts.

Quote from lovelychethats very nice... but you know in our country doctors became nurses..

Quote from Nurse_In_Training*confused*

Have you considered becoming an advanced practice nurse? I've thought about med school but I really like the nursing approach to health care so if I do go on (and I plan to) it will be to become a Nurse Practioner or something else to do with nursing. I would suggest that you really look at what is the philosophy of each profession before you decide on one or the other. They really are quite different and you may find that you "fit" with one of them better than the other. Good luck!

My sister was a Peds ICU nurse for 1 year before going back to med school. She is now an ENT, and never looked back. She did, however, give up a lot she didn't expect to miss (like a life). For example, she's been married to another doc, and they didn't want children, but now she is 41, and wants a baby. She realizes there's a lot she missed and gave up in order to be a doc. The lifestyles of nurses and doctors can vary greatly, so maybe you should anticipate your 'life's' plan before making a decision.