Heeding the call: Becoming a doctor at this Late Hour, page 1

reply to post by silo13

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Thought about that, but decided that keeping someone alive long enough to get them to the hospital is not the same as fixing whatever may be ailing them. It's worth the time for me to be able to know how to fix what's wrong, not merely bandage it. Thanks for your reply!

reply to post by jimnuggits

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Fixing what's wrong is more of a modern day RN's job. MD's have a very large group of patients during their shifts, thus spending little time with each of them. RN's depending on the unit (ICU-- 1-2 patients, med surg 6-8, step down 4-8), cover ALL the bases: nutrition, skin maintenance/care, medication administration, interpreting lab values, assessing, critical thinking/care planning/prioritization, teaching, are all part of the job. We are the primary care givers in hospitals, not MD's.

Anyway, since you already have a BA, you can take some nursing prereq's and apply to a 1 year accelerated program. If you want to advance from just a basic RN, you can look into NP, which enables you to give medical diagnoses upon assessments and prescribe medication just like a MD. That would require a masters and DNP.

reply to post by bekisu

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I am certainly not discrediting what art teachers do, I 'are' one.

I just feel that doctors get to aid their fellow humans in a way that can mean the difference between life and death.

Art teachers, abstractly perhaps, but not so much.

I am really torn about giving up teaching, I love what I do. But I still feel that being a Doctor is the ultimate in service to others, and I feel like I have an intellect that will be naturally suited to it.

Teaching Art is great, but it leaves my intellect twiddling its thumbs sometimes....

reply to post by DustbowlDebutante

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That is part of the reason why I started this thread, I wanted to see how many others are feeling the impulse to go back to school and get better educated to help their fellow humans.... Thanks for posting! (maybe we'll see each other on campus)

reply to post by Expat888

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That is really interesting, because I would love to be trained in both disciplines of medicine... I believe that that is the future of medicine, a blending of west and east... Tell me more!

reply to post by jimnuggits

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My only advice would be to follow your heart and do what you love, whether it be a career in medicine, teaching, or any other field.

I was absolutely convinced that a career in medicine was what I was destined to do, but after less than two years in practice, I walked away from it, choosing instead to pursue a career as a military officer. (non-medical corps) After a decade of service to my country I resigned my commission, earned my securities license, and worked as a financial advisor. That lasted almost three years before I was once again drawn to my original calling in medicine. The road to return to the medical field was rough, but I ultimately prevailed and returned to my original calling.

Sometimes life will lead us down less trodden paths that we feel may hinder our progress, however my experience has been that changing careers strengthened my commitment to my medical career. I was blessed with experiencing a multitude of career fields, a diversity of professional knowledge, and a much more broad understanding of how to deal with people from various other walks of life.

While medicine certainly requires strict professional knowledge, many fail to understand that in order to stand out in said field you must also be able to relate to people. To communicate and empathize. Some of my most rewarding moments are rooted in the medical field, but I've also experienced some of the most painful and heartbreaking moments of my life there too. It can be a rollercoaster ride with high peaks and swooping lows, but the real question is asked when the ride comes to a halt and you ask yourself, "Was it all worth it?" I'd have to answer "ABSOLUTELY."

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