[CCHADWI]

I was asked an interesting question a few days ago, by a teenager who is interested in the healthcare industry. She didn't know whether she wanted to become a doctor or a nurse, and asked me a question. Which should I become? And why would someone become a nurse, especially with a BSN and not want to become a doctor? I didn't have an answer for her. Now I do know all the leg work for both, however, I told her that I would post her questions to actual nurses. We'll ask nurses, why they didn't want to become doctors. Give us your dirt, so she will have actual stories from those who may have or may not have thought of becoming a doctor, or why nursing was their choice from the beginning.

[Anonymous]

OH but I did want to be a doctor.. But I went to College the first time at the University of Orono. I was the poor kid and woman didn't become doctors then..AT least not as they do now..Actually, I think the stats will bear out the fact that there are more woman in Med school now than men. HMMMMMMM do the men know something we don't?

Now I'll tell ya why I wouldn't want to be a doctor today.

Crappy hours unless you're a protologist
BSN is a looooooooooong way from Doctor BTW
If you think nurses have paper work wait til you become a doctor.
Expensive to start a solo practice today.
Lawsuits and insurance problems up the wahzoo.
Not enough time to bond with patients
Doctoring and nursing are very different. Nurses become invlolved more. Most of the time.
No time for family Again proctology looks good.
Lots more student loans and some docs really never get out from under them


Should I go on.

WR,,, three commas for Becca

[cassioo]

people (including my spouse) still ask me why don't I go back to medical school to be a doctor...I don't want to.
I like what I do I don't need more headaches.

[1mg.epi]

WHO wants to be called at 2am by some nurse asking if they could give a patient a Tylenol. Then at 3am, some other nurse calls to tell me that I have a confused patient. Then when I get up I can make out a check to pay one of my many student debts and malpractice insurance. Then work 18 hours to see enough people to cover the decrease in medicare payments. Plus, spend an extra 2 hours a day doing medicare required paper work. See my family now and then.

Lets see my life as a nurse where I leave work and forget about it. 4 days off a week. My schooling was paid by my employment. vs. what I stated above. DUHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! If doctors are so smart (which many are very smart) Why do they pick this life style.

[nursinghumor]

Going to medical school probably crosses every nurse's mind at one time or another. In my case, I wasn't so in love with Medicine or the idea of becoming a doctor to devote 8, 10, 12 years of my life to becoming one.

It's a tremendous sacrifice and I respect those that make it knowing the attrition rate along the way is significant. My heart simply didn't lead me in that direction.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[Smurfetjuz4u]

Unfortunately, here in the Philippines, a lot of doctors.....meaning lots of them, and dentist too... are now striving to become a nurse. Nursing is like the PreMed of the new millenium. lol.

[nursinghumor]

I have noticed a large number of foreign doctors looking at nursing or physician assistant as an alternative.

Is it because it is so difficult to take a medical degree from a foreign country and transfer it to the US?

Imagine it could also be because Nursing as a career will be extremely lucrative and in demand for the next few decades.

Andrew Lopez, RN
http://www.4nursing.com

[medi]

I've read some articles about MD's here in the states giving up their medical practice to become RN's too. One, an OBGYN, said he would rather be able to give more care to his patients and could do that better as a nurse-- and the high malpractice insurance rates as an OBGYN were making his expenses outweigh his income and he thought he could do better an as RN.

Things are crazy. Tort reform has to happen.

I wanted to be able to work quicker than I would have been able to had I gone to med school, then done residency. As I look at the hours my cousins and father had to spend away from home in their medical practices I'm not unhappy about the choice I made.