Are you ready? Deep breath. As far as I know, there is no such thing as an RN to MD program (Unless, of course, you are interested in attending a shady foreign school with dubious credentials and then risk finding yourself unable to get a residency seat.) There are no recognized RN to MD programs in the world. These types of programs simply do not exist!

There is no need to despair, however. Despite the fact that there exists no such RN to MD bridge programs, there is no barrier preventing one from attending medical school an gaining their MD. Moving from RN to MD will require you to attend medical school as a regular student. You will need to apply the same as anybody else. Basically, your RN certification and work in the medical field serve only as very helpful extracurricular activities. Experienced RNs certainly have an advantage over other applicants. You will have real, working knowledge of how medical care works. You will truly understand what a career in medicine will entail. Your work experience will greatly assist you in getting into the medical school of your choice, but the basic requirements and course of study are exactly the same for you as they are for anybody else.

Now what does that mean for you? Should you give up on your dream of working as a physician? No, of course not. If you are truly dedicated and want to make it happen, you can certainly do it. You will need to deal with naysayers, people who will question your reasons for changing from RN to MD, etc. but there is not anything stopping you. With a high GPA, credit in all your required science classes, and a decent MCAT score in addition to your work as a nurse you will certainly have an advantage over similar applicants.

Now that you know the truth about RN to MD programs, you should look into the requirements and advice for medical school admissions (if you are serious about attending medical school, of course.) Good luck, you’ve got a long journey ahead of you.