Students who graduated from medical school and failed to match with a residency program are turning to nursing school to fulfill their medical aspirations, reports Stat News.
This year, about 29,000 medical school graduates matched with residency programs but roughly 8,640 applicants failed to receive an offer. These individuals have the option to reapply for residency after spending a year doing research or completing a fifth year in medical school, or leave the medical field entirely.
Some states, like Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas, have passed laws allowing unmatched medical school graduates to work with a collaborating physician in medically underserved areas. However, physician advocacy groups have largely objected to these laws due to safety concerns.
Now a growing number of unmatched MDs are contemplating nursing school to pursue their goal of treating patients, Stat News reports. The cost and time-requirement to complete their nursing degree has caused students to advocate for a more straight-forward track from a MD to a master's in nursing.
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