1 answer
Diana
Student
Yuma, Arizona
1
Question
Updated
132 views
What is the best college to go for nursing in Yuma az?
I want to be a pediatrician and I want a college that teaches me well.
Login to comment
1 answer
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach, Mentor
1221
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Diana,
It's great that you have discovered a passion for a career in health sciences! You can go to nursing school and later specialize to become a pediatric nurse. Or, if you want to become a pediatrician, you need to go to medical school to become a physician and later specialize in pediatrics during your residency.
Let's unravel that:
To become a registered nurse in Arizona, you can go to college for an associates degree (ADN) which takes 2 years or a bachelors degree (BSN) which takes 4 years. Employers typically prefer a bachelors degree, but it is possible to start with an associates and then attend a bridging program to bachelor. When you graduate from your nursing program, you take the NCLEX-RN examination and apply to be licensed through the Arizona State Board of Nursing.
Once you are a registered nurse, you can start working. You specialize through work experience and by earning advanced certifications. You can also get a masters and/or doctoral degree or opt for further schooling to become e.g. a nurse practitioner.
There are many options for nursing schools. Have a look at admission requirements. There may or may not be pre-requisites or tests that you need to pass before you can apply. There are usually information sessions for potential new students.
If you want to stay in Yuma for the time being, Northern Arizona University has a campus in Yuma and offers a bachelor degree in nursing: https://nau.edu/college-nursing/
Arizona Western College is also in Yuma and offers an associates degree in nursing:
https://www.azwestern.edu/degrees-and-certificates/nursing
If you are headed to medical school, it's unlikely that nursing courses will fulfill any medical school pre-requisites, and pre-requisites for nursing school are different from pre-requisites for medical school. The requirements are just too different because the professions are so different.
If you want to go to medical school, you first need to earn a bachelors degree in any field (4 years) and pass a list of pre-requisite courses. Many students opt for a major in a biology/chemistry/biochemistry field because those majors cover many of the pre-requisites, but you can get your bachelors in any field as long as you also pass the pre-requisites. Have a look at admission requirements for medical schools you might consider.
You then have to take the MCAT admission test. Medical school is competitive, so you need to maintain a high GPA in your undergraduate studies and get an excellent score in the MCAT. You also need to demonstrate medical experience from paid jobs or volunteering in the medical field. Research experience is also helpful to be a competitive applicant.
If you get accepted into medical school, you'll earn your MD or DO during the next 4 years. The first 2 years are mostly classroom learning, while the last 2 years include clinical rotations. You then specialize by doing your residency in pediatrics, which takes another 3 years before you can take the board exams.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
https://azbn.gov/
https://www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-colleges-for-nursing/s/arizona/
It's great that you have discovered a passion for a career in health sciences! You can go to nursing school and later specialize to become a pediatric nurse. Or, if you want to become a pediatrician, you need to go to medical school to become a physician and later specialize in pediatrics during your residency.
Let's unravel that:
To become a registered nurse in Arizona, you can go to college for an associates degree (ADN) which takes 2 years or a bachelors degree (BSN) which takes 4 years. Employers typically prefer a bachelors degree, but it is possible to start with an associates and then attend a bridging program to bachelor. When you graduate from your nursing program, you take the NCLEX-RN examination and apply to be licensed through the Arizona State Board of Nursing.
Once you are a registered nurse, you can start working. You specialize through work experience and by earning advanced certifications. You can also get a masters and/or doctoral degree or opt for further schooling to become e.g. a nurse practitioner.
There are many options for nursing schools. Have a look at admission requirements. There may or may not be pre-requisites or tests that you need to pass before you can apply. There are usually information sessions for potential new students.
If you want to stay in Yuma for the time being, Northern Arizona University has a campus in Yuma and offers a bachelor degree in nursing: https://nau.edu/college-nursing/
Arizona Western College is also in Yuma and offers an associates degree in nursing:
https://www.azwestern.edu/degrees-and-certificates/nursing
If you are headed to medical school, it's unlikely that nursing courses will fulfill any medical school pre-requisites, and pre-requisites for nursing school are different from pre-requisites for medical school. The requirements are just too different because the professions are so different.
If you want to go to medical school, you first need to earn a bachelors degree in any field (4 years) and pass a list of pre-requisite courses. Many students opt for a major in a biology/chemistry/biochemistry field because those majors cover many of the pre-requisites, but you can get your bachelors in any field as long as you also pass the pre-requisites. Have a look at admission requirements for medical schools you might consider.
You then have to take the MCAT admission test. Medical school is competitive, so you need to maintain a high GPA in your undergraduate studies and get an excellent score in the MCAT. You also need to demonstrate medical experience from paid jobs or volunteering in the medical field. Research experience is also helpful to be a competitive applicant.
If you get accepted into medical school, you'll earn your MD or DO during the next 4 years. The first 2 years are mostly classroom learning, while the last 2 years include clinical rotations. You then specialize by doing your residency in pediatrics, which takes another 3 years before you can take the board exams.
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Karin recommends the following next steps: