How can I prepare to transition from an IMG to RN?

[Anonymous]

I'm going to be going to an accelerated nursing program in the summer. I graduated from medical school back in my home country (USA recognizes the degree). Are there any books I should be reading before nursing school to better adjust?

What are the chances that colleges won't let me take the Anatomy, microbiology, pharmacology, psychology, physiology, and pathology courses again because I've already taken those courses with more credit hours than that needed for nursing school. Is it possible to go straight to clinical practice learning?

[Oliverlogan263]

Here are a few thoughts on preparing to transition from being an IMG to an RN:

- To help adjust your medical mindset to a nursing perspective, look for books written by nurses that explain things like how they prioritize care, communicate with patients and families, collaborate with doctors, etc. Understanding the different role and way of thinking could help a lot.

- For your science course credits, be sure to check each school's policy on credit transfers. A lot of times they'll accept prerequisites if they were recent and your grade was high enough. Doesn't hurt to ask the admissions office early on if they'd waive any courses since you've already taken more advanced versions.

- You could see if the school has an "advanced placement" or "accelerated" track for someone in your position, where they place you right into clinical or have you do an independent study to prove your knowledge instead of retaking classes. Again, ask the advisors - they may have options.

- No matter what classes you do/don't have to take, you'll still need to do all the hands-on clinical hours working under a nurse's supervision. That practical experience of learning nursing skills/procedures is super important.

- In your free time before the program starts, see if you can shadow some local RNs, ask tons of questions, and get comfortable with nursing terminology, documentation styles, working as part of the healthcare team, etc. The more familiar you are, the smoother the transition will go.

Let me know if any of that helps or if you have any other questions! You've definitely got awesome experience and knowledge on your side.

[Asker]

Thank you so much!!

[Oliverlogan263]

You’re very welcome

[ChicoFromThe305]

You seem highly intelligent judging by this, you should try, I mean if you shitted on those other courses already I don't see why you should take it again if you have document proof of your graduation of the other classes but the I don't know how all that stuff works