After becoming a nurse.. is it possible to specialize and become a doctor, consultant or radiologist?

Question

or something higher up in the healthcare chain

Answer 1

Tari is close but has made some errors in her reasoning. The term doctor is a misuse in society for the job of Physician. All Physicians are doctors but all doctors are not physicians. I, for example, have the degree of doctor and title of doctor, but I am not a Physician, I am a Nurse, who then got my masters as a nurse practitioner and then a doctoral degree in health care studies. I generally do not use the term doctor in a clinical setting, but when my staff and patients call me Dr. I make sure they realize I am a nurse practitioner.

However, I also know several RNs who got a BSN from college and then decided to go to medical school, and became MDs or DOs after completing their additional education.

Another error Tari made was saying a nurse practitioner was like a physician assistant. They have similar tasks in the clinical setting, but the educational preparation can be very different and the concepts by which they practice are different. All NPs currently graduating in the US have at least a Masters Degree in Nursing. The Physician Assistant programs range from an associates degree at some institutions to a bachelors at others and a masters at still others. There are also differences in the licensure of NPs and PAs. A frequent difference is the theory by which they treat patients. NPs treat patients from a whole patient perspective, whereas PAs are thought by the disease theory.

All things are possible, and there are few limits to what a person can do from a start as an RN. The question is how much work are you willing to put in to get where you want to be?

Answer 2

No, not through specialization but it can be done. You can get a masters in nursing (MSN) and become a nurse practitioner which is very close to a doctor and the equivalent of a physician's assistant. Yes you can be a consultant and they make great money. As for radiology, you can work in the radiology part of the hospital as a nurse and work with radiologist in a team effort. I hope I have helped and remember in nursing there are limitless opportunities!

Answer 3

It's certainly possible; however, as others have mentioned, some of those careers require a great deal of education.

For example, a radiologist needs to do four years of pre-med (usually a degree in biology or related field), followed by four years of medical school, after which they must complete five additional years of post-graduate training. They then need to pass the written and oral exams, followed by a sub-specialty fellowship that lasts one to two years.

That's a total of 14-15 years of school...cha ching!

I think we could help more if we knew why you were considering this...

Are you simply wanting to broaden your horizons and find a new life for yourself?

Are you no longer interested in dealing directly with patients?

Are you looking to increase your income?

What's the deal? lol

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best.

Good luck!

Answer 4

To become a doctor, radiologist or other type, you'd have to go through much additional schooling - med school, internship, etc. Consultants come at all levels, and some nurses do some consulting.

Answer 5

yes you could but it would mean additional studying as theres more exams and written work to do as well as the theory side of things so i would seriously consider your options before you decide

Answer 6

Of course it's possible but it will take you years to complete your studies.

Answer 7

Best answer is from Tari above.

Answer 8

No. You have to study and qualify for years.