Nursing school vs medical school is a choice that will shape your career in healthcare. Nursing school, especially ABSN programs like Marian’s, can be completed much faster than medical school. Medical school is much longer, but physicians are more highly specialized and can earn more in the long term.
When considering a career in healthcare, nurse and physician are roles that might come to mind first. Nursing school vs. medical school is an important choice that will shape your future career. Nursing school can be completed much faster, especially through 16-month accelerated BSN programs, and nurses generally focus on assessing patients, administering treatment, and coordinating care. Medical school takes much longer, up to 11 years before independent practice, but physicians have more authority to diagnose and determine patient treatment.
Marian University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program can prepare you to enter a nursing career in as few as 16 months. We could be the perfect option if you decide that nursing school is right for you.
Either choice will help you enter a thriving career where you help patients. Let’s evaluate nursing school vs. medical school by comparing the differences between the student experience and the career paths you access with both.
Understanding the Differences Between Nursing School and Medical School
Nursing and physician careers both involve helping patients and improving outcomes through quality care. The timelines, costs, and day-to-day work when earning a degree can be very different, though. It can be helpful to compare the differences of nursing school vs. medical school along these criteria.
Timeline to Practice
There is no one pathway into nursing. You can become a licensed practical nurse with only an associate degree, but it can limit your opportunities. A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is the most common and useful degree path, with research showing that nearly 28% of employers require new hires to have a bachelor’s degree while 72% strongly prefer baccalaureate-prepared nurses.
A traditional BSN degree takes four years to complete. ABSN programs like Marian’s can be completed much more quickly, in as few as 16 months in our case. We offer transfer pathways for second degree and transfer students, so a previous bachelor’s degree is not required.
See how Marian ABSN can put you on the fast track to a new career.
Length of education is one of the main differences between doctors and nurses. Medical school is a much longer pathway. After earning a bachelor’s degree, most often completed in four years, you would complete four years of medical school followed by a residency lasting three to seven years, depending on specialty. Independent practice usually arrives seven to 11 years after you begin medical school, though some physicians also take on fellowships that further extend training by several years.
Curriculum and Learning Style
The curricula of medical school and nursing school are different, but both prepare students for professional practice. Marian ABSN delivers a 16-month curriculum for students enrolled in the program at either of our program sites in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Nashville, Tennessee. Students will learn through a combination of:
- Online-based coursework able to be completed on a more flexible basis while still meeting deadlines.
- In-person nursing skills and simulation labs developing nursing skills and techniques in a simulated clinical environment.
- Clinical rotations treating patients firsthand at top area healthcare facilities.
We deliver our curriculum in a way that engages with all learning styles, and you will start labs and clinicals quickly after beginning the program.
Medical school spends the first year giving students the foundations of subjects including genetics and microbiology, as well as building basic clinical skills. Students in year two move onto clinical-focused subjects and simulated scenarios. The last two years involve rotating through core specialties in a clinical environment, as well as internships and residency prep.
Residency is several years of supervised practice completed after medical school graduation. Completing residency is required to practice independently.
Licensure and Exams
As a BSN graduate, regardless of whether you learned through a four year or ABSN program, you will need to pass the NCLEX-RN before being able to earn licensure. The state you earn licensure in can also make a major difference. The Nurse Licensure Compact is an agreement between most jurisdictions in the United States allowing nursing licenses to transfer between states. If you do not earn licensure in an NLC state, you may need to re-apply for nursing licensure if you ever move. Both Indiana and Tennessee are NLC states.
To become a physician, you would first graduate from medical school and begin residency. You will take the United States Medical Licensing Examination over three steps, typically completing two during medical school and the last after the first year of residency. After residency, you apply to a state board for a medical license. The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact offers a faster pathway to gaining licensure across multiple states.
What Are the Differences Between Nurse and Doctor Career Outcomes?
Each of these roles require different education and training, and either can be an excellent career path. Let’s look at the differences in career outcomes between nurses and physicians and get a better idea of what each profession looks like.
Scope and Autonomy
Registered nurses assess patients, administer treatment, and communicate with patients and loved ones to educate them throughout their care. They use clinical judgment in evaluating a patient’s condition and intervene directly if the patient quickly worsens. All RNs begin as generalists before finding a specific practice area.
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) like nurse practitioners can diagnose, order tests, and prescribe medication in many states. Autonomy for APRNs can vary by state or by employer policy.
Physicians have full authority to diagnose and treat patients, setting the agenda that other care professionals follow. Physicians are also typically more highly specialized than nurses after training in specific roles for several years.
Earnings & Timeline
Both nurses and physicians can be high earners. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that registered nurses earn a median wage of $93,600 per year, while advanced practice registered nurses like nurse practitioners nurses bring in a median wage of $132,050 per year. Physicians are reported to earn a median wage equal to or greater than $239,200 per year.
Physicians certainly earn more than nurses, but the salary figures alone aren’t the full picture. Medical school and residency take much longer than nursing school and require more money, especially when compared to an ABSN program like Marian’s. You could graduate, pass the NCLEX-RN, earn licensure and work for five years or more before a physician even begins practicing independently.
Career Mobility
Nursing is a role with a great amount of career mobility. The nursing shortage means there is demand everywhere, and the Nurse Licensure Compact can make it much easier to move states without disrupting your career. Nurses can also work in a wide range of practice areas, with different requirements for different roles. BSN-educated nurses are also equipped to gain experience and enter nurse leadership positions. There is a nursing role for nearly any work environment you are looking for.
Physicians have higher earning potential, but they are more limited in their career paths. Physicians receive more highly specialized education and training, with family medicine and internal medicine as two of the most common practice areas in primary care. Changing specialties will most likely require additional years of formal training. It is also more difficult to handle licensure when moving states.
Why Nursing Might Be the Right Choice for You
If you want a meaningful career in healthcare that starts sooner and builds on the degree you already have, nursing through an ABSN program could be the best option for you. If these reasons fit your goals and outlook, consider looking into nursing further.
See how you can succeed in nursing school and graduate ready to help others.
1. You Can Start Your Career Sooner
Whether you have earned a previous non-nursing bachelor’s degree or just have previous college experience, Marian’s ABSN program can help you move into a clinical role far faster than most other pathways. Your previous courses can count toward completion of your prerequisites, and after completing a 16-month curriculum and passing the NCLEX-RN you can move straight into helping others in this career.
2. You Can Explore Practice Areas
Nursing does not have one single career path. Instead, you can work across a range of practice areas without needing to take on years of additional education. Nursing practice areas can include:
- Cardiac nursing
- Emergency room nursing
- Home health nursing
- Labor and delivery nursing
- Medical-surgical nursing
- Pediatric nursing
After gaining experience you can enter a nursing leadership position, and you can also pursue a graduate education to become an advanced practice registered nurse. Nursing is flexible, accommodating a range of career paths.
3. You Lower Education Costs
Compared with medical school, nursing school generally costs less and lets you begin working much sooner. That earlier income also could reduce the amount of debt you need to carry. If you want to pursue an APRN role, many employers provide tuition assistance, loan support, or certification reimbursement to offset costs.
4. You Get Meaningful Patient Time
Nurses spend more time with patients and families than any other role on the patient care team. Physicians are usually more restricted in the time they spend with each patient due to the demands of their role. As a nurse you’ll coach people through new diagnoses, reinforce medication and self-care plans, and make note of subtle changes in their condition. You will see the tangible results of your work daily, which can be a rewarding feeling.
Make Your Nursing Choice With Marian ABSN
When comparing nursing school vs. medical school, you will find that they are different paths for people who want to train for separate careers. If you want to start helping patients and earning more quickly, and you value flexibility in your career, Marian University’s ABSN program could be the path you are looking for.
Contact us today to speak with an admissions advisor and set yourself on the path to a rewarding new career in healthcare.