Whats the difference between a nurse practioner and a doctor?

Answer 1

A nurse praticianer is someone with a nursing degree and some if not all of medical school. And a doctor is a graduate of medical school.

Someone can complete medical and not be a doctor for certain reasons, such as a injury that would leave them not fully able to care for a patient.

Answer 2

Tthe answer to your question is in education...see answers already given BUT also the approach to your medical problem. NP's are trained to treat the WHOLE patient. We will do a thorough ..hands on ...history and physical to define the problem. Then YOU and your NP can make an informed judgement on your diagnosis & treatment options. We spend more time. M.D's are trained look for a 'medical problem' in the quickest possible time, give you a prescription, and toss you out the door. Several studies have shown NP care to be equal to or significantly better than an M.D.
My program was 4 yrs college for a BSN, then 3 yrs in a Masters degree program for NP's. No 'medical school involved. In my state in NewEngland we spend 24 months after graduation working with supervision. After that we can practice completely autonomously and prescribe any meds necessary and refer you to appropriate help when you need additional expertise. You can even open your own clinic.
Last ....but not least....there is the salary...we get 1/2 what an M.D. makes...between $30 and $45 bucks an hour. We also pay a lot less for malpractice insurance and are NOT $150,000 in debt upon graduation. See your NP today !

Answer 3

A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has completed advanced education (generally a minimum of a master's degree) and training in the diagnosis and management of common medical conditions, including chronic illnesses. NP's work under the supervision of a doctor. A doctor oversee's the work they do and reviews rx's that they are qualified to dispense. They can only wirite rx's for certain medications.

A doctor completes their BS and graduates from a 4 year allopathic or osteopathic medical school. They then go through a residency program based on their specialty that lasts from 3-8+ years.