What am I doing? I'm totally insane.

[Sundae]

Clod - you amaze me once again.
But in a way I think I am diminishing you by even thinking that.
Your posts, your education history, your career and the issues you have dealt with (both children and stepchildren) should have been enough to convince me you are an exceptional person, And they have. So I duly apologise for my surprise.

Many people here do the same to me by moving into challenging new jobs, taking further education, pursuing uncertain careers. I wish I had a tenth of your (collective) drive.

Congrats. Clod. You'll be an asset to any goal you seek to accomplish.

[footfootfoot]

Clod, I said become a doctor not because I don't regard NPs as highly (SIL is one) but because I think, given your experiences with shithole docs, you would be an asset to moms and dads who have been in your place, a little more power for you to change the world.

Whatever you do, you will obviously be great at it.

[TheMercenary]

The problem is the the time and cost it takes to go through that training. Premed requisites are all contained in the undergrad program. A nursing degree does not give them to you. 4 years of medical school. 1 year transitional internship. 3 - 5 years residency training, depending on your specialty. Even Family Practice is 3 more years. And guess what, you have to pay for it all and you are really married to the program, it would be nearly impossible for an active mother to do without a husband with a great job and a lot of time off to take care of the family.

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by plthijinx

unintellectual? really?

I think he sees it as mostly bedpan-changing. He's got a little bit of old-school genteel misogynism leftover from his upbringing. Amusing but harmless.

Originally Posted by wolf

It is unusual to hear of someone who is not already an RN entering an RN-P program, but hey, if it's what you want to shoot for, go for it.

There's a specific program for it at the University of Texas, the "Alternate Entry MSN." Designed for people with a bachelor's in something else. There are 9 undergrad prereqs (some of which I already have, the rest I'll be knocking out over the next few semesters before applicaion time,) then a 2-year intensive program. At the end of year 1, you have your RN, but it's only valid in Texas, and they are very clear that you should not use this as an exit point from the program. At the end of year 2, you have your master's, and are qualified to take the NP certification exam. Roughly 80 spots in the program per year, out of 120-160 applicants. The prospect of which does frighten me, that I might get on this train and then not actually make it into the program next Fall, but I'm reasonably confident I'm going to be in the upper 50% of applicants.

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Clod, I said become a doctor not because I don't regard NPs as highly (SIL is one) but because I think, given your experiences with shithole docs, you would be an asset to moms and dads who have been in your place, a little more power for you to change the world.

That's the beauty of the NP. I think in this state you have to have your caseload overseen by a doctor, but in our own clinic the majority of patients are seen by NPs exclusively, one doctor supervising, unless there are special circumstances. I will be able to be the exact asset that we are benefitting from right now. I haven't mentioned my plans to anyone at that office yet, but I know for sure I can get a recommendation letter for the program from our NP, and with any luck I'll have a job slot ready and waiting for me. And, if it turns out I can't handle all-autism-all-the-time, which I acknowledge may happen, the credentials are still transferrable to any other specialty.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

That's the beauty of the NP. I think in this state you have to have your caseload overseen by a doctor, but in our own clinic the majority of patients are seen by NPs exclusively, one doctor supervising, unless there are special circumstances.

I think this will be the wave of the future.

Go for it Clod.

[Griff]

My girls adore their NP.

[Pico and ME]

I always end up seeing a NP because my doctor is usually booked up for three or more weeks. I really like them...they seem friendlier and more approachable. My doctor always seems slightly irritated.

Im bettin you will make a great NP, Clod.

[kerosene]

I think it is a fantastic idea, Clod. I think the medical community needs more practical, intelligent people like you.

[plthijinx]

hell i say go for it!!

[BrianR]

A question: How does a PA or NP differ from a FMC?

Go for it Clod!

[Clodfobble]

PA = Physician's Assistant. My understanding is these are folks who graduated with pre-med bachelor's degrees, but didn't go to med school for whatever reason (the cynic says they couldn't get in, the polite person assumes they wanted a family instead of another 9 years of intense schooling.) In my experience, they only see patients for a brief time before the MD comes in, and take general information. They can't prescribe meds or diagnose in any way. There is also a thing called a "medical assistant," who work behind the scenes gathering lab results and calling in prescriptions that the doctor has written. These people don't have to have any schooling at all, technically, the doctor can choose to hire who he wants, although there is a certification program if one wants to pursue it.

NP = Nurse Practitioner. These are RNs who also have a master's degree in nursing and have passed a certification test. They have their own prescription pads, and are generally given appointments with patients where the doctor does not come in at all, the MD just reviews their cases with them at the end of the day to make sure nothing's out of line. Often there will be an additional letter at the beginning indicating a specialty--Family Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Nurse Practioner, Gerontology Nurse Practitioner, etc.

I don't know what an FMC is--Family Medical Counselor? Focused Mental Conditioner?

[wolf]

A physician assistant is not someone who balked at med school after premed, but is a separate degree program. PAs grew out of a bunch of Vietnam-era medics who got back to the world and were told, "no, all of your experience in the bush doesn't count for shit, but if you want to get hired as an orderly and move bedpans around and have no responsibility that a janitor can't also manage, you can have a great career in medicine."

I think that the word "assistant" throws a bunch of people off.

PAs do write (countersigned) scripts, can do procedures, do diagnose and treat.

[Clodfobble]

Any idea what an FMC is wolf?

[Undertoad]

Ford Motor Corporation!

[wolf]

Originally Posted by Clodfobble

Any idea what an FMC is wolf?

Never heard of it, google didn't help. Context?