Nursing School Harder than Medical School? (Solved & Explained)

So you might be considering pursuing a career as a Nurse or Doctor?

Deciding on a career isn’t always easy!

Choosing the right career means taking into account your personality, interests, and goals.

Further, choosing a career also need to consider earn capacity, demand for roles, and pay.

So is Nursing harder school harder than Medical school?

Medical school is significantly more difficult than nursing school. Admission to Medical School is not only much more difficult, but the volume of study at Medical School is also much greater than at Nursing School.

While there are some similarities in what is taught, Medical School goes into much greater detail.

The amount of learning is also more intense. Don’t be put off if you want to become a doctor though.

If someone is willing to apply themselves, work hard, and be intelligent enough they will do at medical school.

Going on to become a Doctor.

To enter medical school a candidate requires A-Grade college scores in mathematics and science subjects, with competition being great.

In comparison to a nursing school requires a high school certificate or diploma.

How do you become a Nurse?

According to MedicalNewsToday, there are 2 types of nurses, licensed practical nursing (LPN) or in some states referred to as licensed vocational nursing (LVN), and registered nurse (RN).

Educational requirements vary for each and depend on the degree to which a nurse plans on accelerating their career.

The education that an LPN/LVN or an RN receive differ, as does their scope of practice.

An LPN/LVN receives a 1-year certificate or degree from a vocational or hospital or trade school.

They can perform certain nursing duties, but they are not able to provide the same level of care to patients as an RN.

To obtain a license as an LPN, they must take and pass the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-PN.

An LPN/LVN may continue their education and pursue either an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) through bridge programs.

These can take anywhere from 2 to 4 years, depending on the chosen degree.

Some RNs choose to obtain an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN), a 2-year technical skill-focused program.

There are many ways to enter into a nursing career and become an RN, but the preferred degree to obtain is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

This is a 4-year college program. It includes a curriculum based on coursework, lab time, and clinical skill development through a hospital or other medical experience-based program.

To practice as a registered nurse, the National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-RN must be taken and passed.

Becoming a nurse can take anywhere from 1 to 4 years, depending on the level of nursing education planned.

LPN/LVN: 1 year
Associates degree RN: 2 years
Bachelor’s degree RN: 4 years

Nurses seeking an advanced degree will require additional education beyond their basic nursing education, which can range from two to five years depending on the degree being obtained.

How do you become a Doctor?

Doctors must complete a four-year undergraduate program, along with four years in medical school and three to seven years in a residency program to learn the specialty they chose to pursue.

In other words, it takes between 10 to 14 years to become a fully licensed doctor.

Once you finish your medical education, including your residency program, you need to take an exam for the state you plan to practice medicine in.

Are Doctors smarter than Nurses?

Many people assume that doctors are smarter than nurses, and nurses could not perform duties as a doctor as they are not smart enough.

So are doctors smarter than nurses? Nurses are just as intelligent and competent as doctors.

Because medical school provides a deeper level of learning than nursing school, doctors will have more depth of medicine than nurses.

This however does not make doctors any smarter than nurses.

We do have an article that discusses “Do you need to be smart to be a nurse?”

Can a Nurse become a Doctor?

Yes, Nurses can go on to become a Doctor. You will need to at a minimum complete a four-year undergraduate program, along with four years in medical school.

But before you do make the change ask yourself why you want to now pursue medicine, are there other areas of nursing or specializations that you can go into that can fulfil your career goals.

If you are wanting to make the move to medicine, Nurses typically make excellent Doctors because they have spent a lot of time at the bedside developing finely tuned skills in observing, communicating with, and caring for patients.

Nurses are experienced with medical terminology, working in teams, and with the culture in hospitals.

Related Articles

Is Medical school more expensive than Nursing school?

Yes, Medical School is more expensive than Nursing School. Typically, to become a Doctor tuition fees are much higher than Nursing fees.

Considering that a Doctor spends many more years studying than a nurse, in the end, a Doctor will end up with a large bill.

Even though you will be earning high wages, having a large tuition bill does add stress, knowing that you have to somehow pay it off.

I have researched average tuition fees, this does not take into consideration living costs. Only tuition costs.

In the USA, for a four-year course, a medical student can expect to pay anywhere from $150,444 (in-state, public school) to $247,664 (out-of-state, public school) and up.

Nursing school tuition fees vary, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $40k to $100,000 each year in private institutions and large universities in the USA.

A course that runs for 4 years.

In the UK, to become a Doctor or Nurse the cost is the same.

You should expect to pay up to £9,250 per year for undergraduate degrees at England institutions.

These are usually full-time courses over three years

In Australia, annual medical fees are $37,000 and putting the total bill for a medical degree at $180,000

Australia, the average fees for nursing courses in Australia range between AUD$27,000 to $35,000 per year.

These are usually full-time courses over three years

Final Thoughts

Becoming a Nurse or Doctor will take an enormous amount of hard work and dedication.

Either role can take lead you to various career paths, where you can have a highly fulfilling role and also financially rewarding.

Being a nurse you do get more interaction time with patients.

Not to say that Doctors do not, but Nurses do get to spend a lot more time with patients.

For many, spending quality time caring for a patient is a reason to be a nurse.

Hope you have found this article interesting and helpful, for a further article relating to medicine see below

Is Medical School Hard? (Explained) – WorkVeteran