What should I do?

[anewmanx]

You may want to consider other alternatives just in case Medical School doesn't cut it for you, keep your options available.  It's a long and tough road ahead for you, persistence will pay off with a few obstacles in the way, as you have children or toddlers under the age of 6.  You will have a heck of a time getting things done, especially school work.  The main thing that will distract you are your kids, time management is key...  

Having said that, you may also consider online options for your pre-med courses, you really need to decide if you want butt-in-seat or online, there are many colleges and universities that offer a pre-med track.  Search this board or Student Doctors for those options, it's been mentioned here before:  
Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid305656
Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid305104

Here are two threads you may want to view while you're at it:
Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid308865
Link: https://www.degreeforum.net/mybb/Thread-...#pid310384

Now here is the kicker, each person has their own idea on how to proceed, advice is to be read and understood but it is up to you to take it - most of the time, I read the forums with a backup plan or two/three.  Some advice I've read on Student Doctors are not helpful at all.  There are numerous people looking into medical school and it's very competitive, I've seen people who complete an MD but don't get residency, then go back to Nursing hoping to be an NP.  Lastly, this is my advice to you. 

1) You have a degree, skip the thought of having a second degree unless all the courses you take will get you the prerequisites for medical school completed.  Example, a BS in Human Biology at Logan University, it'll hit all the requirements for Medical School.

2) Get all your pre-med requirements completed is your main goal right now, this requirement actually will also satisfy other pre-professional programs such as the ones I mentioned in my threads above.

3) Decide on what specialty you want to get into, such as Family Medicine, Immunology, Oncology, Pathology, whatever it may be and also see what schools you are interested in.  Check and see what graduates say about the program and their requisites.

4) Have a backup plan, so if Med School won't work, maybe something along the same lines,  DVM, NP, PA, ND, PharmD, PsyD, etc, other allied-health professional that have different responsibilities but similarly work in a clinic or hospital setting.

Thanks for the excellent advice. I’ve lurked studentdoctor for years. I have a definite interest in psychiatry which makes phmnp a very appealing alternative. I just hate to not give my patients the best care possible.

[bjcheung77]

Thanks for the excellent advice. I’ve lurked studentdoctor for years. I have a definite interest in psychiatry which makes phmnp a very appealing alternative. I just hate to not give my patients the best care possible.

If your main goal is in the Psyche or psychiatric professions, you may want to consider a double major to combine the careers of both Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist.  Essentially, you just want to obtain enough credentials to get you certified or licensed in both professions, but your educational end goal might look like a Doctor of NP & PsyD combined.  Basically, many professionals who go for the PHMNP also go for a higher level graduate degree such as the PsyD or Psychology PhD and that is what I would rather recommend you to do, instead of going for the MD.  I know several people and read others who have done it this way... it's the most appealing alternative for you, I would think about this route first and foremost...

For example, each individual is different and if it was me, I would go for an online education from one of the smaller players in a similar field, I am interested in Bio-Medical Engineering & Sciences.  I was going to follow Sanantone's pathway and apply to UF Online Masters but decided against it pretty last moment & mainly due to the Coronavirus, I have my eyes set on a Master's One Health at Ross University Vet Med School in the Caribbean.  Even though it's cheaper at $9 grand vs $16 grand at UF, it's not the main reason for choosing the program, the different program courses and subject matter taught is what I am more interested in, not always just cost.   It's a "mixed bag" concentration of animal, environmental, and human health that is taught entirely online, there are similar subjects I really enjoy... from Agriculture to Animal and Marine Biology or Zoonotic Diseases (yes, the Coronavirus).

Finally, I have thought about Medical School as well (and the strangest thing is) there are ways to become an MD with an online education.  There are 3 distance based online medical schools that peak my interest (mentioned in my thread in post above), the first two years of Medical Education is done via online lectures and virtual labs, final two are clinical-clerkships done at a local hospital (it an be affiliated with the school or ones you choose yourself if you have the right connections).  If all the stars align perfectly, those connections can help me get residency without leaving foot from my local area, everything will be done in my local clinic or hospital - I might even be able to choose the times so I can continue doing what I do now (consulting/contracting in the Business/Education/Health & IT fields).

[clep3705]

Doctor of NP is Doctor of Nursing Practice, not Doctor of Nurse Practitioner. Although most DNPs are NPs, it's not necessary to be an NP to get the DNP degree. A DNP degree does not include additional clinical training. It does not make an NP a more competent clinician. It's a clinical leadership track. Virtually no PMHNPs get a PsyD or PhD in clinical psychology. Yes, there are a few exceptions, but they don't disprove the rule. It doesn't make sense for a PMHNP to get a PsyD or clinical psyc PhD. If you want nursing advice (NP is a part of nursing), go to allnurses.com where there are hundreds of thousands of nurses and more nurse practitioners than this forum has members.