Nurse Practitioner vs Attorney (medical school, best, nurses, requirements)

[texdav]

Dehreees like law really depend on the person after they get out of school. It uis just likie nursing'alot of peole can get the degree but never should have netered the field because they lack basic skills needed.

[lawmom]

I would not recommend law. I was a clinical social worker (MSW) for 9 years then went to law school. Top 10 in the class, law review, but 4th tier school (single mom then and worked.) I got a 50% scholarship and still owe about $1000 a month in loans now. In many areas of the country, lawyers are not the wealthy people we think they are! Some around here survive on court appointments at $50 an hour, which has to pay overhead, etc.

I do family law, wills and Social Security disability -- I love the latter, and hope to limit my practice to only that. Family law is draining and divorcing parents are the worst (some exceptions, of course.)

I would encourage anyone with the aptitude and temperament to go the NP route. Heck, if I weren't almost 40 with 2 little kids, and had a program near me, I'd go to med school or become a CRNA. My husband is a doc, and get recruitment calls all day long. No one wants or needs more lawyers.

Respect? People love to hate lawyers. Jokes about killing lawyers are not uncommon.

[stan4]

Lol...I was privileged to hear Jim Whittaker speak on some of his travels. One joke he made about some attorneys he took climbing:

"You could tell it was really cold out because the lawyers had their hands in their own pockets."

[lawmom]

In the rural area I live in,one lawyer is such a drunk that even his criminal and child protection clients who have zero insight mention his drunkenness. Another was sanctioned by the overseers for a shady real estate deal. Another is under investigation for mismanagement of a trust fund. Another has a trial coming up for showing his whodangly to a woman at a convenience store. Another took $5000 from a client some years ago.

Are all lawyers crooked? Of course not! Most are not, but it's only the bad ones that people talk about.

[kyjuristII]

I like the message from lawmom - I am a lot older than her (53) graduated from law school high in my class and did well professionally but really hated the politics and found being a General Counsel an ethical nightmare. I got sick at 51 and decided to do what I had always wanted to do -medicine (I was a healthcare lawyer for many years). I completed three semesters of pre-PA prerequisites - am currently working as a Medical Assistant at a teaching hospital. After getting in the hospital, I decided to go nursing instead. I am starting the second degree BSN program in August and hope to have the energy to go on to do the NP.

I miss the law - it was 27 years of my life. But I never had any personal life during those years and I truly enjoy spending time with the patients. I would like to work 20 more years doing something I want to do.

PS - I would like to talk to lawmom about her disability work.

[INTN]

I was a paralegal for over 10 years. Always a good student and it was assumed I would eventually become a lawyer. Well I was in the field long enough to realize I didn't want to be a lawyer pushing paper and helping people prolong arguments vs actually solving things or doing something *I* felt was useful.

I recently started my BSN and hope to become a NP or a PA. I think the starting money is comparable, if not better, for a NP vs a lawyer straight out of school. Regarding which is regarded as most prestiguous it's half a dozen of one and the other. It all depends doctors may look down on NPs and half the general public may look down on lawyers, it's all relative.

[Boxcar Overkill]

I'm an attorney, and I really like my job. But there are 1000 different ways to practice law, and not all of them are healthy. Many of them can leave a person bitter and burn out. You have to find a practice that's right for you.

Family law is an area of practice that can certainly kill your soul. First because they are the worst clients in the world - even worse than criminal law. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Family lawyers end up hating most of their clients - and get a lot of bar complaints. And second, there's a lot of pressure when you know that your client is a perfectly nice person who wants custody of their child, but the other parent is pretty nice too. The court could go either way. When I was in private practice, those kind of family law cases kept me up at night.

Like doctors doing their internships, the first year or 5 out of law school doesn't pay the big bucks. It's your 6 on where you start getting paid. However, some fields, like prosecutors, will barely 6 figures, but it's very low six figures. And that's just after they get experience.

Criminal law can be fun. Both sides. Prosecution doesn't normally have as long of hours as the private sector, but doesn't pay as much. But there's a sense of purpose, and you don't have clients to deal with.

You can start your own practice, and be your own boss. That's cool, but remember this- the amount of money you will make is directly related to how good of a business man you are, not how good of a lawyer you are.

I like being a lawyer, and I don't think I would like being a nurse. For awhile now I've been a prosecutor, and I have to say it's the most fun I've had practicing law. I'm hooked on it, and even if it doesn't pay as well as some of the other areas, I really enjoy what I do. On the other hand, there are certain types of law that I wouldn't like to practice. So the legal profession is what you make of it.

Sorry for the stream of consciousness, non-edited or spelled checked message. I'm in a hurry.

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by INTN

I was a paralegal for over 10 years. Always a good student and it was assumed I would eventually become a lawyer. Well I was in the field long enough to realize I didn't want to be a lawyer pushing paper and helping people prolong arguments vs actually solving things or doing something *I* felt was useful.

I recently started my BSN and hope to become a NP or a PA. I think the starting money is comparable, if not better, for a NP vs a lawyer straight out of school. Regarding which is regarded as most prestiguous it's half a dozen of one and the other. It all depends doctors may look down on NPs and half the general public may look down on lawyers, it's all relative.

Actually, with your legal background, you might consider legal nurse consultant

[Boxcar Overkill]

I've never felt like anyone looked down on me for being an attorney. The opposite, actually. But I'm a prosecutor, so maybe I get a pass.

I'm not sure why there are so many television shows about lawyers.

[INTN]

mm_mary: LNC is an option, as is investigations (experienced there too), BUT I really would like the one on one with people in a helping vs adversarial capacity for a while

Boxcar: If I told you I was in civil litigation (all types and both sides) all those years, I guess that would explain how I got fed up. Hats off to you for finding your passion.