I'm New and Already Frazzled!

Hello!

My name is Micah. I don't know if I can get any questions answered on this board, but I don't know where to go. Maybe someone can direct me if nobody can help me!
I am a 25 y/o (26 on Jan 23) female who is just starting undergrad in the fall of 2003. I spent the last couple of years as a Paramedic and fell in love with medicine. My goal is to go to Med School, and all the mess that goes with that.

My problem is this: I haven't been to (real) school since 1995. I'm scared to death. Everyone I talk to says that to get into a Med School, you must have a strong undergrad background of sciences and math, especially upper division classes.

I'm okay at science (I know I'll have to study my ass off), but I've taken College Algebra 3 times and have failed everytime. I didn't even pass Pre-Algebra in High School. That's how bad I suck at math. And these people are telling me I should be taking Calculus? 8O
I know this will be nothing compared to Med School, but biology/anatomy/how things work just fascinate me, whereas Math makes me wanna crawl in the closet and cry.

Now I know I won't know what specialty I want to go into until the very last minute, but I kind of need to have an idea so as to determine what undergrad classes to take.

I'm contemplating a few careers: Psychology (I am bipolar and psychology just fascinates me- it's nice to empathize with your patients, especially because they will soon be able to prescribe medication as well!), Emergency Medicine, Radiology.....

Of course with EM/Rad I would have to do a lot of science/math. But, it would be a more chaotic, non-stop field, which is where I thrive.
With Psych I would have to major in Psych.- a TOTALLY different and easier class line-up. But, would I get sick of the same patients over and over, sabatoging their own success?

::sigh::

I am not going to a good undergrad school (no pre-med) as I cannot afford it. So nobody that I have at my fingertips can tell me a damn thing about what classes to take, what i should expect, etc...

Does anyone have any advice for the old, anxiety-ridden, girl who's heart is pulling her into being a doctor but has no idea how to start her journey to an unknown land?

Anything you can say will help me, I promise, even if it's 4th-hand information.
I'm in San Francisco and plan on going to San Jose State (I'm moving there), if this helps anyone.

Sincerely,
With advanced thanks,

Micah Maranda

[HeartRN]

Hi, Micah! I'm Marla, married to a 1st year cards fellow....when I read your story, it reminded me so much of myself, I had to reply!

For the longest time, I, too, aspired to be a doc....in high school I loved all of the science courses I took, and I even started out as pre-med in college. However, I always choked when it came to math. Although I made it through a few tough courses with a great deal of practice and discipline, I wound up majoring in Poli Sci and graduating with a BA in poli sci(my dad is a poli sci prof!)....that was the first time I went to school! Following graduation, I knew I would return to school no matter what, to teach, go to law school, or whatever, so I started looking at my options. (A little background may be in order here...my husband and I met when we were 19 as undergrads--he was helping me study for a Bio exam!) Anyhow, after taking a year or two off following graduation (hub was in 2nd year of med school), I still wanted to return to school...and I still had the healthcare career bug. I looked into PT or OT school and felt frustrated because at the time, jobs in that area were in short supply. My awesome husband suggested nursing, and after a great deal of research (I even went to EMT school just to make sure a hands-on health career was for me) so it was--I returned to school for four more years and got my BSN. Honestly, it was the best thing I have ever done. I love my work, and believe me, there is NEVER a dull moment. Nusring has taught me more about the human spirit than I could ever have dreamed possible. Granted, it has its challenges, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Plus, the possibilites for career growth are endless. I also never think of nursing as something I "settled for" in place of becoming a physician. Honestly, being married to one is quite enough! It is a long, winding, uphill/downhill road (but still an adventure!) I am currently a critical care RN in a busy cardiac surgery ICU. I am almost 31, and I am still thinking of one day returing to school to become a nurse practitioner.

I don't know if you have ever thought of this option--if not, please consider it! The world needs more caring, dedicated, and intelligent nurses. And from the way your post sounds, you definitely fit the profile!!! Best wishes, and feel free to e-mail me or send me a post anytime.

[HeartRN]

Also forgot to mention that if you go to nursing school, it doesn't even have to be a 4-year program. You can pursue several options--go to a community college, get your master's while you get your BSN, etc etc. There are many, many ways to do it!

[Meenah]

Welcome Micah,
I am Luanne, I am also an RN. I agree being married to an MD is enough. I have never regretted becoming a nurse. I currently work in the Emergency Room and in the Endoscopy unit. I like the variety of two different departments. There is alot of scholarship money out there for Nursing. The hospitals in our area are very competitive for nurses, and some will pay for your school if you agree to work for them afterwards, I'm not sure what the time committment is. Check it out in your area. I also had trouble with math, get a tutor!!!! Just my two cents!
Luanne

Thanks so much for replying Marla and Luanne.

You know, I did think of nursing. I worried about one thing, though. I'm bipolar. As far as dealing with emotions go, I'm like a pregnant woman shooting up estrogen while watching Old Yeller, if you know what I mean.
I know that nurses have a lot of the same patients, many of whom are on the last downhill ride of their lives. Especially you, Marla. How do you deal with losing people left and right in the ICU? Getting to know their families, isn't that difficult?
Now of course, I'm not stupid, I know doctors deal with the same thing. But Nurses do spend a great deal more time with their patients than doctors do.
I don't want to be a callous doctor, I just don't want to get attached.

However, I also know that I could be a trauma nurse. How fun! Luanne, what are the differences in the departments you work in? Is there one you like better?

Here's another question I have. If I decide to go the Nursing route, after my undergrad, would it be likely to be accepted into Med School with a Nursing Degree if I decide I still want to be a doctor? Or would I be looking at more undergrad schooling? 8O

Thanks for your time. i really appreciate it!

Micah

[HeartRN]

Micah--Glad to hear you have given nursing some consideration! As for the bipolarity issue--believe me, nurses have many emotional issues themselves. We are human to the core, and I have cried with families and patients alike over the last several years (as well as with other nurses!) Many of us struggle with depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder and undoubtedly bipolarity (not to mention a host of other issues involving children and family).

For me, I think it's about working to achieve balance between caring very deeply about doing my best to keep people alive after a major surgery, but recognizing that sometimes the caring might manifest itself in making people as comfortable as possible near the end of life. Although this is easier said than done, the rewards include tremendous personal growth (at least I like to believe I have grown ) I have come to accept that death is not always a negative thing, and I feel privileged to have been with some patients during their last moments. I find plenty of ways to "decompress", too (like this website, for instance!), so I don't drag home the emotional baggage of my job--although my husband and I do use each other to unload when there are particularly tough days.

Finally, as Luanne has also pointed out, there are many areas of nursing one might choose to work. Some areas are definitely always very emotionally charged (e.g. ICU/ER) whereas other scopes of nursing are not so life and death (outpatient, community nursing, public health nursing, etc) I love the complexity of critical care, although I don't know that I will last there forever. I think it's just a matter of finding your niche.

If you do decide to go to nursing school and still want to pursue med school, I am fairly certain you would still need several courses not required for nurses. For example, I don't know of any nursing schools that require Organic Chem I and II, a pre-req for med school.

Best wishes, and keep us posted about what you explore! Take care.