RN to Med School?

[Anonymous]

I am a RN in my early/approaching mid 30's and I work in a very interesting area that involves both research and patient care. I have a specialty certification and years of experience. Lately, however, it just doesn't feel like enough. I am craving getting involved on a deeper level. I want to go to med school and eventually come back to my workplace as a fellow. If all goes well it would take 8 years: one year of post bac, 4 years of med school, and three years of an internal medicine residency before I could interview for a fellowship position in the specialty that I love.

No desire to be a NP or PA. I am married with one child who will go to full day school next year. My family is complete and my husband is supportive. Is this crazy?

[Anonymous]

So, so crazy. -an md

Ps. On second thought, very crazy for 90% of people in you circumstances (even those who think it sounds good) but there are exceptions-maybe you are one!

[Anonymous]

so much debt, at a relatively older age, and so much time missed with your kid. Won't a Master's degree or PHD work just as well?

[Anonymous]

So much debt. Be a CRNA. 2 years, great pay. Do you have 2 years of critical care or ICU experience?

[Anonymous]

Anon 23:12, a PhD takes a LOT of time, especially in a science field that requires lots of time in the lab. not to mention the years of being a postdoc.

[Anonymous]

Go for it!!

Though my sisters who are doctors think being a physicians assistant is the best happy medium

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anon 23:12, a PhD takes a LOT of time, especially in a science field that requires lots of time in the lab. not to mention the years of being a postdoc.

But there is no debt with a science PhD: you should have funding for the time. Plus, from my experience, people coming back for the PhD are much more focused and able to avoid many of the grad school pitfalls (mostly psychological).

-- a science PhD, started right out of College. My four year program became a 7 year program because of my issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anon 23:12, a PhD takes a LOT of time, especially in a science field that requires lots of time in the lab. not to mention the years of being a postdoc.

yes, but if there are 6 year MD-PHD programs, seems it should all be do-able in 4 years, without much debt, or on-call hospital time. Although residency has changed a lot since my days, it is still not family friendly

[Anonymous]

SO MUCH DEBT.

Post bacc will cost $50K.
Private med school will be $50K x 4 for tuition alone. At least. Many programs are more.
U of Maryland (in state) is $35/year. UVA is $43K (in state)

So you are talking about roughly $250K for tuition.
Plus loss of nursing income for 5 years---so add in another $300K easily. You could probably add 50% more to this loss of income while you're in school for 5 years.

So you're out $550k (very conservative estimate---your net loss will probably be more like $700K once you add in interest on the loans and the difference between what your nursing salary is now ($??) and what it will be during 4-5 years of residency/fellowship ($40-50K).

I don't know what field your'e going into but if you're doing a medical sub-speciality unless it's GI or cards you'll be making under $200k when it's all done in 9 years.
Probably much less if you're planning on going into research (and if it's cards or GI research it's probably sub $200k as well).

The ONLY way I'd see this making any sense is if you're married to a high income earner and money simply doesn't matter.
I know 2 women who went to medical school in their 30's who are in this situation---their husbands paid AND they're going into higher paying fields in medicine (one ER medicine, one radiology).



--RN married to MD who has contemplated this whole scenario and couldn't justify the expense.

[Anonymous]

If you plan to work for a government or nonprofit group then you may get your loans forgiven after a while but perhaps won't be able to cosign for loans for your child to go to school while you owe so much yourself

[Anonymous]

Visit the student doctor forums. I definitely think you can do it. If you look on the older student forums you'll see people in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who are in med school. If your husband supports you I'm guessing he is willing to shoulder all of the financial burden while you are in school which is a major plus.

[Anonymous]

Isn't a fellowship typically a training program for a specialty, and lasts only a few years? What would be your career goal for after the fellowship?

[Anonymous]

I know you said you don't want to be an NP, but can you expand on why not? It seems like a really good option for you to delve deeper, continue your education, not go into so much debt, and still be around for your child.

You could always just start with the one year post-bacc program and see how things go.

[Anonymous]

You should pursue it if nothing else will do but i recommend thinking long and hard if something else could be as rewarding. I'm a dr and have a niece who is a premed student-its painful for me to contemplate the long, exhausting, demoralizing, expensive slog she has ahead and she is a bright eyed 19 year old.

And it's not just me! Female Med school/residency friends that I've spoken to about niece's premed plan have said-every single one of them-something along the lines of "you've got to talk her out of it!"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't a fellowship typically a training program for a specialty, and lasts only a few years? What would be your career goal for after the fellowship?

First, thank you all for the replies.

To answer this question and those of the RN married to an MD poster, my end goal would not be particularly financially rewarding. The fellowship and career area that I am interested in is hematology/stem cell transplant (BMT) and translational research with regard to cellular therapy in this field. It is an endlessly fascinating (for me) and deeply human field. I have no desire to go into private practice and am really at home in the academic research environment. The physicians are the primary investigators on the research protocols get to do both bench and bedside work. They craft and direct the protocols.

I work with some excellent NPs and PAs, but they are limited to a clinical role. The more that I work with phase 1 clinical trials, in my limited capacity, the more that I want to know. I am acutely aware that the gap between my knowledge base and that of the physician researchers is vast. It is the knowledge and total engagement with the entire process of translational research, from the lab to the patient, that I want.

An additional thought is that the journey would be the destination in many ways for me.

To the posters who suggested it, I had not considered a phd program before. That is an interesting idea and I am looking into it. I think that I would miss having patient contact.

Sometimes we can't have it all. I have a good life, interesting work, and a loving family. I can't complain! We will see where the journey of life leads. Keep up the suggestions. Sorry for the lengthy post.