Many nurses develop a passion for learning and desire to continue their education. Maybe you would like to be more directly involved in creating a plan of care for your patients. But what does it take for a nurse to become a provider? Fortunately, there are many paths for a nurse to reach that goal, including pursuing medical school to become a medical doctor (MD) or completing graduate school and becoming an advanced practice provider.
How to Get Into Medical School as a Nurse
If you are considering applying to medical school as a nurse, you will need to fulfill several requirements. Schools may vary in their application requirements, so I recommend you set up an appointment with a school advisor before you apply in order to understand the prerequisites fully.
Finish a Bachelor’s degree
Before applying to medical school, you must have a bachelor’s degree. As a nurse preparing to go to medical school, this means you should have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in nursing. It may be advantageous to double major in nursing and another science (biology or chemistry), or to complete a second Bachelor’s degree in science after completing nursing school.
Another option is to complete a post-baccalaureate program, in which undergraduate courses are taken, but no other bachelor’s degrees are conferred.
Complete prerequisite courses
Most medical schools require applicants to have completed several other undergraduate science courses. Frequently, it is required to have:
- 2 courses in biology with a lab
- 2 courses in general physics
- 2 courses in general chemistry with a lab
- 2 courses in organic chemistry with a lab
Some medical schools also require 1 course in biochemistry, 1 course in psychology, and 1 course in statistics.
Due to COVID, some medical schools will accept a “pass” grade from a pass/fail grading system. However, most medical schools require a B- or better in the required undergraduate science courses.
Make sure you pass the GPA requirement
Most medical schools require you to have a minimum of a 3.2 GPA to apply. However, to be a competitive applicant, it is recommended that you have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Take the MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, is a multiple-choice exam that most medical schools require for admission. The MCAT is a good way to predict how well you will perform in medical school. The test consists of 4 different sections:
- “Chemistry and Physical Foundation of Biological Systems”: questions involve chemistry, physics, and biochemistry
- “Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills”: questions involve reading comprehension
- “Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems”: questions involve biology and biochemistry
- “Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior”: questions involve psychology and sociology
The MCAT is scored from the lowest score of 472 to the highest score of 528. In order to be a competitive applicant, it is recommended to have an MCAT score of 510 or better. The MCAT is a rigorous and lengthy test, usually taking about 7 and half hours to complete. On average, students will spend 12 weeks studying for the exam.
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Check requirements for extracurricular activities and community service
Some medical schools require either community service or volunteering. There are a great number of opportunities for community service for applicants, and no specific type of community service is better or worse than another.
Most medical schools want you to be passionate about the type of community service you are performing and expect you to be able to speak to why that service is meaningful to yourself and to the community.
Prove clinical exposure
Exposure to a clinical setting is usually required so that the applicant has some sort of reasonable expectation for what medicine involves.
If you’re a nurse applying to medical school, you have a unique advantage for this requirement! Obviously, you already fully understand what it means to work in health care, for better or for worse.
How to Do Well in Med School as a Former Nurse
Medical schools in the United States typically take 4 years to complete, with the first 2 years consisting of classes and the last 2 years consisting of rotations in clinical environments.
As a nurse, again, you have a unique advantage here. You have already had plenty of exposure to anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, and pathophysiology. However, the coursework required to complete medical school is rigorous and extensive, and you should be prepared to spend your days in a classroom learning new material and their nights in a library studying.
After graduating from medical school, students are given the title of Doctor of Medicine (MD) and pursue a residency. MDs choose which type of medicine they would like to specialize in and match with a facility in order to complete their specialty training.
Residencies are typically from 3 to 7 years in length, depending on the specialty. For example, family and internal medicine residencies typically last for 3 years, while cardiothoracic surgery residencies typically last for 6 years.
What if I Want to Be a Provider, but I Don’t Want to Go to Medical School?
Becoming an advanced practice provider
Many nurses want to become a provider, but they don’t want to go to school for 4 more years and wind up with a mountain of student loans.
Fortunately, there is the option of becoming an advanced practice nurse. Advanced practice nurses, also called “advanced practice providers” or “mid-level providers”, are nurses who pursue graduate level education in order to become a provider.
There are 3 types of advanced practice nursing:
- Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist: a provider that administers anesthesia in a surgical setting
- Certified Nurse Midwife: a provider that cares for women across their lifespan and is involved in pregnancy and delivery
- Certified Nurse Practitioner: a provider that examines patients, diagnoses conditions, and creates treatment plans similarly to an MD. Specialties include family medicine, psychiatric mental health, pediatrics, neonatology, gerontology, and acute care.
Requirements
Graduate nursing programs require a bachelor’s degree in nursing and at least a 3.0 GPA. Many programs additionally expect at least 1 year of clinical experience, with some programs requiring work in a more acute setting such as the ICU.
Education requirements differ depending on what type of advanced practice nursing you want to pursue and on the specific school. All advanced practice nurses must obtain either a Master of Science in Nursing or a Doctor of Nursing Practice in order to become a provider. Many nurses choose to first obtain a master’s degree and start working as an advanced practice nurse, and later return to obtain their doctorate after gaining some work experience.
How long does this take?
Depending on the school, programs can take anywhere from 18 months to 5 years to complete. Clinical requirements vary based on the individual programs. In general, a minimum of 500 clinical hours are needed, however, some programs require up to 1,000 clinical hours. Some may also ask for the creation and implementation of a scholarly project, which requires additional hours in a clinical setting on top of the basic requirement.
Requirements differ – make sure to choose a program that works for you
Because the application requirements and educational programs differ so much between schools, it’s a good idea to set up an appointment with an advisor at the program you are considering.
Advisors are amazing resources as they will specifically address the prerequisites for an application and how to stand out as a candidate. In addition, advisors can discuss the specifics of the curriculum, the required number of clinical hours, the time to complete the program, and the requirements of the scholarly project.
Finally, setting up an appointment already gives you the chance for a good impression: It shows that you have an interest in the program and are proactive in the pursuit of your education.
Which Path is Right for Me?
Think about the time investment
Deciding between medical school and graduate nursing school is a deeply personal decision and it depends on your individual goals and interests.
First, consider the length of the educational program. Becoming an advanced practice provider typically is less of a time commitment than medical school, with programs lasting between 18 months and 5 years as opposed to 4 years of medical school plus a medical residency on top.
Consider the financial aspect
Next, consider the costs of education before applying to any school. Medical school generally costs more than graduate school, although scholarships and funding are available for both. Make sure to calculate all of your debts, what your current spending patterns are, and how much you currently make as a nurse.
It is very difficult to work while attending medical school so you need to decide if you will be able to afford rent, food, and basic necessities for 4 years. Most nurses continue to work part time during graduate school in order to still earn a salary and maintain their license.
Medical doctors earn higher wages than advanced practice nurses, so it may be better to take on more debt now and earn more later. On the other hand, it can be difficult to pay off loans later, and so it may be better to take on less debt now but earn less later.
What do you want your scope of practice to be?
Third, determine what you want your scope of practice and specialty to be. MDs can work unsupervised in any setting. Depending on the state, advanced practice nurses can either work independently with full privileges or they may be required to work as a team with an MD.
Choosing a less specialized track, such as family medicine or internal medicine, offers a broader scope of practice and more settings to work in. However, less specialized providers usually earn less money.
Ultimately, both MDs and advanced practice nurses provide excellent care to patients and help to reduce the shortage of providers in the United States. No matter what path you choose, a commitment to the pursuit of knowledge and patient safety are the most important aspects of continuing medical education.
