Why Doctor And Not Nurse

A good answer shouldn’t diminish the role of a nurse – they’re just as fundamental to medical care as doctors! – but it shouldn’t be ill-informed either. So here are six ideas that could prove useful when choosing to become a doctor over a nurse.

Why Become A Doctor Instead Of A Nurse? (6 Reasons)

The main reason to become a doctor instead of a nurse – although people will often argue money, prestige, and leadership – is to gain an advanced scientific understanding of the principles behind the disease.

For the intellectually curious going into healthcare, that can be a dealbreaker!

But it’s an interesting question. It’s also one used often in medical school interviews to get a better feel for candidates too. Especially when judging how much thought they’ve given to their future career.

A good answer shouldn’t diminish the role of a nurse – they’re just as fundamental to medical care as doctors! – but it shouldn’t be ill-informed either. So here are six ideas that could prove useful when choosing to become a doctor over a nurse.

Note: Obviously these won’t apply to everyone – it takes a certain type of person to become a doctor!

Let’s dive into each…

Leadership

One misconception many people have about nurses is that they are pushed around by doctors. This isn’t the case. There are many nurses in leadership roles, dictating patients’ care, etc, just not as many as doctors!

Where doctors might have another edge is when it comes to “intellectual leadership”. Due to their training, and wider education in core science subjects, doctors tend to have a deeper understanding of why certain decisions in healthcare get made. Because of this, they might get a different type of pleasure leading a healthcare team too.

Of course, there’s also the argument that doctors sit at the top of the totem pole in terms of the healthcare hierarchy. And that they have the final say on a patient’s treatment plan. But this is probably, in the US at least, more down to insurance companies at the end of the day.

Still, doctors are, in the view of the general public at least, seen as the frontline leaders in hospitals and surgeries. They’re also the ones deemed to have the greater responsibility too.

So it’s no surprise this is given as a common reason for choosing to be a doctor over a nurse.

Intellectual Hunger

As doctors undergo more rigorous and lengthy training than nurses, being intellectually curious is important. It’s also a solid reason to choose to become a doctor over a nurse given your responsibility to stay up to date with current research.

I’m not saying nurses can’t be intellectually curious – a lot of them are! I’m just maybe suggesting it’s less of an expectation of their role.

Doctors, for the most part, are licensed prescription givers in a healthcare setting. They’re also tasked with working out the puzzle of presenting symptoms and delivering a diagnosis.

Without being too dedicated to monitoring ongoing clinical research or reviewing medical journals, it’s difficult to stay on top of all that. But it’s also a responsibility with a lot of appeal.

Prestige and Money

This is a controversial one given increasing nursing salaries (especially traveling nurses). Where there might be a more concrete case however is with “prestige”. Doctors, at least in most areas of public consciousness, are seen in a more prestigious light than nurses.

Whether or not this is fair or not, is beyond the scope of this article. But, in most countries, possibly due to the responsibility they assume and the training they undergo, the title of doctor does carry a certain kind of gravitas.

Another thing worth mentioning – although it’s probably not a good idea in a medical interview – is money.

According to 2018 data, the average nurse salary is just shy of $80K per year. Compare this to the average primary care physician at $238K though (with specialist pay being even higher), and you can see how this could be a big motivator.

But of course, this doesn’t factor in training time, expenses, and the cost of running your own business. All things doctors usually have to consider more than nurses.

Expertise

Possibly the best reason on this list, and one that usually sits well with medical school interviewers, is the argument that becoming a doctor requires more intellectual rigor than becoming a nurse.

Now, I’m not saying for that reason people should be turned off about becoming a doctor – I’ve mentioned before how you don’t necessarily need to be smart to be a doctor. I’m just saying becoming a doctor exposes you to further educational training. Training that enables you to understand the reasons for pathologies, the pathways, and mechanisms, etc, more than just associating symptoms with a cause.

The education of a nurse, although a big commitment, isn’t as in-depth here. It’s rare they’ll understand pharmacological modes of action and the surgical aspects of care, for example, more than your average doctor would.

The same goes for understanding lab values, how and why particular pathologies occur, and why the prescription of one drug over another would be the best course of action.

Doctors get more of all that good stuff.

Research Opportunities

Although nurses do undertake medical research, just check out the American Nurses Association, for example, opportunities are no way as widespread as they are for doctors.

This is also why research (and the teaching that generally comes from it) makes up part of what a lot of medical applicants call “the trinity“.

Used to refer to the opportunities medicine (and becoming a doctor) delivers in terms of patient care, science and teaching, the trinity is another key answer used by medical applicants to respond to the question of nurse vs doctor.

For academics who enjoy diving deep and going further in science, the research projects afforded to doctors are generally a lot higher than they are for nurses. Strikeout and discover something unique in your research too and suddenly the idea becomes even more appealing.

Autonomy/Flexibility

Finally, the last major reason becoming a doctor might appear more appealing than a nurse is flexibility. Especially in terms of the number of specialties and areas of medicine available. Not to mention surgical opportunities too.

Having the chance to channel your studies into a specialist area, and rise to prominence in a niche field, also allows for a lot of autonomy also. Even more so if you decide to open up your own practice, run your own business, and employ other health workers.

That’s something not many nurses get the opportunity to do.

Arguably becoming a doctor might open more opportunities for work overseas or in lifestyle specialties also. But again this is case-dependent.

Final Thoughts

Deciding to become a doctor over a nurse is a personal decision. The ideas above however might help inspire you if you’re undecided or looking to show you’ve considered all the possible pros and cons.

When it comes to medical interviews and these types of questions, examiners are looking for thoughtful and logical responses over stock stereotypes. Hopefully, these have helped.

Enjoyed this article? You might find the following post useful!

Difficult Interview Questions: Why Medicine And Not Nursing?

Find out how to answer a common Medical School interview question which candidates struggle with – why Medicine and not Nursing?

You might be prepared to answer the question ‘Why Medicine?’ – but are you ready to answer ‘Why Medicine and not Nursing?’ in your Medical School interview? Follow this guide to give a good answer and avoid making some common mistakes.

The Question: Why Medicine And Not Nursing?

This is a commonly asked question in Medical School interviews.

It isn’t supposed to be a trick question – it’s an opportunity to prove that you’re truly motivated to study Medicine and understand what being a Doctor (and also what being a Nurse) involves.

Why This Question Is Difficult

If you are interested in healthcare and want a career where you will be helping people, why wouldn’t you consider Nursing?

When answering this question, some candidates fall into the trap of saying something derogatory or belittling about Nurses. This will be a red flag for interviewers.

You shouldn’t say anything which suggests that you think Doctors are more important than Nurses – because it isn’t true! Doctors and Nurses are both vital members of the multidisciplinary team (MDT) and provide essential patient care in their own way.

Some candidates also answer this question insufficiently because they demonstrate a poor understanding of what Nurses do.

If you want to work in Medicine, it’s important that you know what other members of the MDT do and what their responsibilities are. For example, Nurse Practitioners can take on leadership roles, diagnose patients, prescribe and participate in medical research, so you shouldn’t mention any of these as something that only Doctors can do.

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How To Answer This Question

Firstly, as part of your interview prep, do some research and find out exactly what Nurses do.

In your answer, demonstrate that you know this and acknowledge their role within the medical team. Then explain what is different about the role of a Doctor and why this is the right path for you. For example, you could say that Medicine offers a larger scope for specialisation than Nursing. Perhaps you want to have the opportunity to perform surgery?

The education system is also very different. Doctors are formally trained in Medicine and spend years studying how diseases work and how they are managed. By contrast, Nurses are trained in providing holistic care. When working together, Doctors will ultimately take full responsibility.

Whatever you say, make sure you back it up with examples which explain why you are more suited to becoming a Doctor and not a Nurse.