What are the differences between becoming a nurse practitioner and a family medical doctor? Plus and minuses?
Asked by Chuck
I know that becoming a doctor requires many years of medical school and training and endless nights of studying. However, a nurse practitioner only needs 2 years of graduate school. Which is worth it?

Best Answer:
depends what you want to do. nurse: pros: less schooling more time for personal life probably less responsibility cons: less responsibility lower salary cannot diagnose doctor: pros: can diagnose more responsibility higher salary cons: more responsibility more schooling these are just some of the pros and cons. personally, i want to become a doctor, because i really want to be able to diagnose, and not just do more minimal activities like taking blood pressure. i just hope that i can also play a role in counseling patients and the psychological and emotional aspect of medicine, because i know doctors are usually busier than nurses. in the family medicine speciality, you probably would have more time to do the psychological and emotional aspects of medicine too. good luck!

personally, I would rather be a doctor. They get paid higher, they diagnose, and they can do so much more than a nurse. The down side is that they work so many long hours. Nurses just work from 7-3,3-11,or 11-7. Nurses who work in doctors offices don't do as much, but nurses who are floor nurses or are in a specialty area do a lot more. I would recommend becoming a registered nurse though. Even though there is a few more classes you have to take, they can do more things, like insert ivs and give you medication, which nurse practicioners can't.
Answered by Ali

I don't know if this is right for the USA or not, but I would think both countries run the same- In Canada, NP's can diagnose, and they can prescribe too. A lot of more remote places are hiring NPs in place of doctors because of a lack of doctors. Nurses do more then "just take blood pressure".
Answered by Nate's Gal