By "old" I mean late 20s, 30-ish, or older. Anyone who came to this career decision late, or just slacked off when they were younger? I was one of those gifted and talented youths who wasted their talents and youth. What about people doing this while raising kids, etc.? Tell me your stories.... (I can't be the oldest one out here)

I'll be 29 this summer...the beginning of my 4th year. I was also a "gifted and talanted" youth. I played college baseball and football and decided that I wanted to be a doctor about my the middle of my Junior year...no joke. Because of some of my undergrad shinanigans (however you spell that...) I didn't have the greatest grades...had to take the MCAT 2 times and didnt get into school until my 2nd application. I ended up going to DO school and think it was a great decision. There was someone in my class that was 46 when we started, so dont worry about your age or any of that garbage. Go for it. Good luck.

I'm 26. Made the decision to go into medicine after working in industry for 3 years(graduated with a business degree). I'm finishing a post bacc program (basic science courses) this semester.. there are a bunch of older people in my post bacc program, a guy who is in his 40s, and several in their 30s.

if you want more stories, go to the post bacc forums.. there are tons of older applicants in that thread.

i'm old--i'm turning 28 in about two months, which is making me feel ancient. i have been directionless for a long time and just decided that medicine appealed to me a little more than year ago. my undergrad degree is in history, and i have a law degree. i'm currently working fulltime and finishing up my remaining prereq's and am going to take the mcat this summer. i'm not going to apply until fall 2005, so i'll be thirty when i start (assuming i can get in) and likely 40 or so when i start practicing, which is sort of a scary thought. currently, i have no kids, but i might want to have one in a few years, which means i'm going to have to think about fitting that into a med school/residency schedule. i am married, though. anyway, that's my boring story.

Will be 27 if I get in 2005. Worked for almost 6 years and have an MA. Very low Ugrad gpa but will hopefully have a high MCAT/grad GPA combo to distract. I'm very happy with my late premed track, single, and planning to be childfree when married. Ain't life grand? :laugh:

I turn 29 right before I start this summer. Spent 6 years as an engineer, figured out that it was not the long term career path I wanted and decided to change course to something that will give me a little more job satisfaction. Single and kidless, makes the career change decision a little easier but still tough kissing my 30s goodbye. :rolleyes:

Check out http://www.oldpremeds.net

I'm 35 years old, married with 2 children, and working as a self-taught software designer and data analyst. I was bit of a golden child in high school, and went off to college inteding to become a doctor. I struggled mightily in my first 2.5 years in college, spent most of that time drunk, and eventually was asked to leave to clean up my act. Which I did, and then finished up in 1993 with a degree in English while working full time.

I kept working for the same company as a manager for several years, and taught myself network engineering and then software design. Twice, I had customers negotiate with my company to hire me away to them. So until a couple of years ago, I've pretty much just taken the easy course. It's been lucrative, but deeply unsatisfying. So, in 2002, I started courses to complete a masters in computer science - I figured I could apply my computer skills in a more meaningful position if I had the formal education to go along with hacking ability.

But when I was successful in my calculus and proofs classes early in my second college career, I realized that my original dream might be within reach, and switched over to general biology and chemistry. I finished organic chemistry last night and will finish physics tomorrow, and be done with prerequisites. I took the MCAT in April and should have a high-30s score. I'm applying this summer with a 2.95 cumulative GPA, with 4.0 post-bacc and 3.8 over the last 6 semesters worth of coursework. I have been volunteering in the ED for 2 years and have done quite a bit of shadowing.

Obviously, my miserable GPA is the big hole in my application, but I'm hoping that admission committees will overlook the difficulties of my youth and recognize the potential I have to be a contributor to their student bodies and to the medical profession.

Anyway, we'll see. You never know until you try. Good luck to you, and if there's anything I can do to help, let me know.

I just turned 31 on mothers day!! I will be applying in 05 so I'll be 33 when I start med school. I am so ready to be there, but I realize that I should enjoy the moment now!! congrats to everyone with whatever decisions you make regarding med school apps!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

I'm 29 with a BS in Chemistry and a MS in Computer Science. I work as a network engineer and am taking the MCAT this fall. I'm going to take a few more sciences and aim for entering fall of 2005 somewhere(hopefully). I'll be 30. I'm single and have no children which makes career choices like this that much easier. Don't feel bad, it looks like there's plenty of us old premed farts lying around ;) Best of luck to everyone in realizing their dreams. It just takes awhile for some of us.

i'm 33 now and will be applying this year. i've been working as an aerospace engineer for the past 10 years and got interested in medicine slowly over the past several years. i started volunteering and taking classes just to see where it went and now i'm at the end and ready to apply!
it seems like it went by really fast.
my undergrad grades fresh & soph year weren't great and i didn't spend last summer de-worming orphans in somalia, but hopefully the volunteer work i have and the fact that i've been taking post-bac classes while working 45-50 hours a week will show that i can still handle a heavy load and care about giving back

I am 31 now and will be applying this year so I will be 32 IF I get into medschool this cycle. All my other family members are Engineers so I too became an engineer but I was always interested in Sciences and Biology especially ....... I thought I had lost my chance of becoming a doctor but after coming to this country I realized that there is still time to fulfill that dream ..... so here I am ....... Just waiting for my April MCAT scores ..... so much rides on it ...... I have almost finished the AMCAS application ... I even got confirmation from AMCAS that they have received one of my transcripts .... waiting on 3 (yes Three more :)) to reach their office

Thanks for sharing, guys. I get pretty bummed out sometimes, surrounded by 20-somethings with 4.0's. My transcript is a mess; I've been in and out of school for nearly a decade. I was originally a business major, till I had my first bio lab. I was hooked. I've taken time off from school to raise three children (ages 3, 8, and 12) and sometimes work full time to make ends meet. This leaves me with a spotty transcript and a 3.4 GPA. But, like wine, I am better with age. Pre-meds like us bring a sense of maturity, wisdom, and experience which sets us apart from our younger counterparts. I'm hoping that with a decent MCAT, qualities like those listed above will detract from my lackluster grade history. Whatever happens, it's reassuring to know there's others out there like me. Thank you sooooo much for sharing your stories! Good luck to all of us, young and old(er)! :thumbup:

I guess I'm not technically an "old premed" because I'm only 24, but I recently made the decision to apply to med school a year after I graduated with a bs in ecology. I'm planning on applying next year in 2005 for the fall of 2006. I just wanted to reply to say how great it is to read so many positive stories and attitudes. I've been on other premed listserves, and I've gotten a lot of negative feedback that b/c I'm finishing my premed requirements at a different university than where I did my undergrad, I'm not going to get in. I'm trying to stay very positive, try to get into a post-bacc program if I don't get in on the first try, and make this happen.

Well, I don't consider myself "old". I'm trying to apply for 2005 & I will be 33 then. I've been an RN for approx. 9 years & it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life, so, I guess I would rather spend the rest of the years that I'm in my 30's doing something I want to do instead of what I'm doing now!
internetwop

I'm 26, have a BA in Buisness. I was a banker for 5 years. I always knew I wanted to become a doctor, but sometime life takes us for a rollacoaster ride. I recently quit my job last year to pursuit medical school fulltime. I took the MCAT last month and am still waiting for the out come. :scared: I am applying for the 2005 class as well. I am married, but have no kids. It's really good to see others in the same position I am. :)

I'll be 28 last week, having graduated from law school 4 years ago, and practiced law since then. I always had wanted to go to med school while younger, but was very young when I graduated from college, and was dissuaded from med school by my family, and the length of school. With a little more maturity now, I realize it is what I still want to do, so I will not be dissuaded this time. I'm finishing up my prereqs this summer and applying for 2005 entry. Luckily, I live in Texas, so my chances are pretty good.

I'll be 28 last week, having graduated from law school 4 years ago, and practiced law since then. I always had wanted to go to med school while younger, but was very young when I graduated from college, and was dissuaded from med school by my family, and the length of school. With a little more maturity now, I realize it is what I still want to do, so I will not be dissuaded this time. I'm finishing up my prereqs this summer and applying for 2005 entry. Luckily, I live in Texas, so my chances are pretty good.

Good luck, Ken! I'm in Fort Worth. Maybe we'll be classmates! I'm older, without a degree, but I feel that doing this at this point in my life is going to serve me better than if I had done it earlier, when I was young AND stupid. Maturity(relative term :laugh: ) is my friend in this case. :thumbup: :D

I will be transplanting to Texas in 20 days and am an older student. does living there give an advantage in the app process??

Good luck, Ken! I'm in Fort Worth. Maybe we'll be classmates! I'm older, without a degree, but I feel that doing this at this point in my life is going to serve me better than if I had done it earlier, when I was young AND stupid. Maturity(relative term :laugh: ) is my friend in this case. :thumbup: :D

Thanks! Good luck to you too. I definately think my maturity and determination are much better than had I done it while I was younger. Plus, I've seen the world through eyes other than those of a student. I'm applying to all the Texas schools, as well as a few others (dependant on my MCAT), but am a bit behind the ball because I'll be taking the August MCAT. I'm hoping for Southwestern, it being a great school and in Dallas, but would really think I would be happy just about anywhere that takes me. :D

Thanks for sharing, guys. I get pretty bummed out sometimes, surrounded by 20-somethings with 4.0's. My transcript is a mess; I've been in and out of school for nearly a decade. I was originally a business major, till I had my first bio lab. I was hooked. I've taken time off from school to raise three children (ages 3, 8, and 12) and sometimes work full time to make ends meet. This leaves me with a spotty transcript and a 3.4 GPA. But, like wine, I am better with age. Pre-meds like us bring a sense of maturity, wisdom, and experience which sets us apart from our younger counterparts. I'm hoping that with a decent MCAT, qualities like those listed above will detract from my lackluster grade history. Whatever happens, it's reassuring to know there's others out there like me. Thank you sooooo much for sharing your stories! Good luck to all of us, young and old(er)! :thumbup:

hi UNTlabrat!!

sounds like we have a LOT in common!

I'll be 26 in July. Like you, I wasted my talents and parents' money. I made straight A's up until the middle of my junior year of high school, when we moved to another city. After that, I just sort of slacked off. Even though I was no longer in all honors, I went from straight A's to A's, B's, and even a C or two in my new school. I went to Millsaps for my first semester, then came home, sat out a semester, and have gone to my virtually unknown local university off and on for the last 7 years.

My transcript is a mess as well. SO many withdrawals, change of majors (as I doubted myself, changed and changed AND CHANGED majors), and too many B's and C's for my liking. I've worked full-time ever since I was 18, and at one point I was working 80 hours a week (maybe I can tell the interviewers "at least I have practice for clinicals and residency :laugh: :meanie: )--I had my own video store, so I was not even worrying about school.

I've always wanted to be either a doctor or vet. Because of my laziness, procrastination, and stupid decisions, I won't be applying for at least 2 or 3 years, and I hope to God I haven't messed up THAT much.

I wish you all the luck in the world. I feel your pain! :love:

I will be transplanting to Texas in 20 days and am an older student. does living there give an advantage in the app process??

There are 6 Texas med schools that must take at least 90% Texas residents, plus a 7th (Baylor) that usually takes 70% or so Texas residents. That leads to it being easier for a Texas resident to get in to med school than just about any other state. I think that you have to live and work here (as opposed to being a full time student) for at least a year (not sure about the time requirement) to get resident status, or have residency through your parents.

There is such debate on getting residency. Make sure you got that correct. Supposed that when you submit your application and you only live here a couple of months, I doubt you can get state residency.

Another good state for Medical school is Ohio, probably even easier than Texas. They got several schools average MCAT lower than 27.

There is such debate on getting residency. Make sure you got that correct. Supposed that when you submit your application and you only live here a couple of months, I doubt you can get state residency.

Another good state for Medical school is Ohio, probably even easier than Texas. They got several schools average MCAT lower than 27.

Having lived in Texas since 1983, I never got too worried about residency status here. I checked on the TMDSAS site, and 12 months of employment is the requirement, with a proviso that it can't be 12 months of employement solely for the purpose of gaining residency for school. Check it out:

http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/txres.htm

Ken

Sheesh you guys are very young! :)

My transcript is a mess as well. ... Because of my laziness, procrastination, and stupid decisions, I won't be applying for at least 2 or 3 years, and I hope to God I haven't messed up THAT much.

I wish you all the luck in the world. I feel your pain! :love:

:love: During the interview, I will refer to this as "life experience." :laugh:

Thanks for sharing your story. BTW, Grease is one of my all-time favorite movies (that doesn't make me old, does it?) :laugh: :laugh:

Well, I don't consider myself "old". I'm trying to apply for 2005 & I will be 33 then. I've been an RN for approx. 9 years & it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life, so, I guess I would rather spend the rest of the years that I'm in my 30's doing something I want to do instead of what I'm doing now!
internetwop

I think it is wonderful that you are an RN and now you want to become a physician. I'm a 4th year PharmD student and will graduate in 2 weeks, but i'm applying to medical school next year. I was on rounds and I told an RN of my intentions of applying to medical school and she asked me why I wanted to pursue another degree....I thought about it and I said that I wanted to have more one-on-one contact with patients.....she thought about my reply and asked, "why don't you become a nurse"? They have the most contact with patients. I was kind of stupified and didn't really know how to reply without putting the profession of nursing down and without sounding like an ego maniacal, power hungry, bastard.
I was wondering why you wanted to pursue medicine from the stand point of a nurse?
Thanks

Hi GoBlue...I will respond & won't hold it against you that you're a Wolverine fan, me, OSU ofcourse!! Ha Ha
Anyway, it is true that you have much more patient contact as an RN. You are with the patients nonstop, which, leads to alot of "burn out". Don't get me wrong, I love taking care of patients, but the nursing profession itself is VERY draining!! There are the short staffing issues, mostly women in this profession, which I shouldn't have to tell you...backstabbing, bitching, etc. But, even if I didn't work in a hospital, maybe a slow-paced clinic or something, I still want to take all the clinical experience I have & take it to another level. I don't want limitations, I tend to get bored easily & i'm bored in this profession, not that it's not challenging, especially if you work in ER, ICU or where I work-Oncology. I went back to school & am finishing up a degree in biology. I love the depth of science & nursing has it's limited science application if that makes sense. I don't regret becoming an RN at all! It's given me the confidence to apply to med school-if I'm accepted somewhere, clinical rotations will not be as scary for me-I work at Medical College of Ohio & treat very ill patients, so I've encountered a lot of medical exposure!!! You know, doctors can get very "burned out" too, it can be a very stressful field, I see it everyday, but like I said, I would like to take my knowledge to a different level & have a bigger part in my patients care/treatment. But, there is nothing wrong with becoming an RN, it's just a personal preference for me...without good nurses, hospitals wouldn't exist. Sorry for the long reply, I really only touched on some pro's & con's of nursing. Hoped that answered some of your questions.
internetwop

Darn near 36 y/o and I'm not giving up...gotta master the mcat beast. :)

Good luck to all the old farts!

Darn near 36 y/o and I'm not giving up...gotta master the mcat beast. :)

Good luck to all the old farts!
Yep. Took lots of Rolaids and Maalox with me to the testing site, tracked my mileage, different routes to find the shortest vs. the quickest, and identified all fire exits before settling in.

What's wrong with being an old fart? LOL

I'm a 32 y/o resp therapist, applying now. Hope I get in

Sup GOBLUE 2004,

I too am a Pharm D student just graduating now and I am contemplating in applying to Med School. Where are you thinking of applying and have you taken MCAT's yet. Moreover, do you know how much weight does a Pharm D carry in the application process. Thanks.

I will be 36 June 12 and I will be starting med school August 16. All you twentysomethings can just step off. :meanie:

And we old premeds can kick traditional applicant butt every day of the week and twice on Sundays. :D :D :D

Seriously, there's a lot of us. During the application process, I always got questions about why I was going into medicine, but I never got any bad vibe about the age thing. (My previous experience was in the arts, so it was understandable that everyone would be curious about "why medicine".)

Hi.

It is so nice to see so many people in the "career changer" boat such as myself.

I just turned 26 and decided last October to make the jump back to the pursuit of medicine.

In just 8 months, it is incredible to look back and see just how much my life has changed. From a new home owner, working on an MBA and making a very competitive salary to a post-bacc undergrad, living back at home and making hardly minimum wage. It's been humbling, and yet very rewarding. I can honestly say that I love what I am doing now and look forward to the challenges ahead.

I do have several questions for anyone who may have answers. I am just getting ready to finish up my application and of course personal statement. But I feel like there is so much I don't know . . .

here are some of the things I am very curious about:

1. are there any med schools in particular that tend to have higher percentages of older applicants being admittted? (i'm from florida and will be applying everywhere in the state, so i am most curious about ooportunities outside of florida)
2. what are the feelings about attending schools outside of the U.S.?
3. do you know of any good books or websites for individuals in our situation that are somewhat all inclusive . . . about the application process, picking schools, etc . . .
4. finally, i am curious to know about others personal statements. I realize these are called personal statements for that very reason, but I am interested in why others have chosen to go back? I feel as though I am struggling to come up with one concrete answer. There are so many experineces both good and bad that have influenced me. But I do not have any one life alteriing moment in my life that pushed me back into medicine.

Thanks for any help you may be able to give . . .

Great luck to all of you! :love:

Nicole

I'm glad I found this forum. I'm old too. Before I decided upon a career in medicine, I worked on a dinosaur farm and I planted a flowers in the Garden of Eden. :laugh:

Seriously, I'm 30 and I have a BS Chemistry and MS Computer Science. I originally wanted to be a vet but allowed people to talk me out of it (LONG story). After Sept 11 and working in Corporate America, I decided that there had to be more to life, so I began to look at vet med. I shadowed a vet and wasn't too impressed, but it was better than my job.

When I was laid off and moved home, I took some pre-vet/pre-med courses and was surprised at how much I remembered. I did pretty well. After doing more soul searching, I realized that human medicine suited my interests better than animal medicine. My personality didn't fit animal medicine...in other words, I'm not the animal activist type. Plus, it always seemed like we would eventually wind up euthanizing animals, so that we wouldn't prolong their suffering. It got old and depressing. If a person breaks their back or has a serious illness, there is so much that can be done. It's not the end of the road. Treatment options are very predictable with animals.

As far as the other stuff goes, I just have to worry about the MCAT. I'm taking some courses to make my application stronger.


Good luck to all of you!!
:luck:

yep, another old timer here- i'll be 31 in september and had either a successful career as a musician or squandered my youth and talent, depending on how you look at it. no question i would like to have done this earlier, considering i'll be around 33-34 when i start med school. but life intervenes in mysterious ways, and so i'm just at the beginning. again.

it's SO encouraging to know there are others dealing with similar issues! we need to form some sort of support group or something.

cheers!

PS: you all are great! have to read all of these mini-bios. liverotcod, is that your cat? if so, is your name a reference to your cat's favorite victuals (or is that spelled 'livarot'?)

oops, sorry for the tangent........

...it's SO encouraging to know there are others dealing with similar issues! we need to form some sort of support group or something.

cheers!

Yeah, we could meet at Denny's on the same day every week (after our afternoon naps and during early bird specials, of course), complain about the functioning (or lack of) our bowels and how those whippersnappers are trying to kick us out of medical school! :laugh: :laugh:

Seriously, though, we all came here, and we can keep coming back. Let's consider this our support group. I love the fact that so many people have responded, and the thread seems to have a slow, steady life of its own (like me) :thumbup: :love: :laugh:

I'll bite....will be 37 when I take in MCAT in 2006. :)

I've been on other premed listserves, and I've gotten a lot of negative feedback that b/c I'm finishing my premed requirements at a different university than where I did my undergrad, I'm not going to get in. I'm trying to stay very positive, try to get into a post-bacc program if I don't get in on the first try, and make this happen.

I saw this and wanted to mention that this sentiment is totally wrong. Med schools do not care where you get your prereqs completed, as long as it is an accredited school. Anything from community college to Harvard Extension is fine.

I didn't do a formal postbacc, because I had completed about half of the prereqs the first time through. I did an extension course, six months of two lectures and two labs, plus a summer course. All of these courses were done far away from my UG school. None of my interviewers questioned my postbacc setup (and I was admitted to a few schools), so I can say it was effective.

Since this is the MCAT forum, I'll add that I took the MCAT in April, in the middle of my Organic Chemistry II lectures. Because I was drilling ochem three times a week, I was very well prepared for it on the MCAT.

Hey Everybody
I am 31 years old and I have always wanted to be a doctor but didn't realize I had a chance until I became grown. I have finished the premed stuff and I'm taking the Kaplan summer class for the MCAT. Like most of you I had to back track a couple of years but I worked as a clinician with a M.S. in Clinical Psych and now as a sleep tech. Which by the way is a wonderful medical field job that allows you to study while your patients sleep. It pays pretty good too. But I will pray for you all to get in if you return the favor. Let's keep our fingers crossed!
Eric

Hi!

I am 32, I am applying this year. I hope it works out - for all of us. Good Luck!

Scout

I'm older than most, probably. Turned 30 while sitting in an MCAT diagnostic with 14 of my closest friends. Currently an AF pilot, but was pre-med oriented (Zoology) in College. Took the MCAT scores, retook this Spring, waiting anxiously for results.

No kids, but a strong career. Waiting for permission from the AF to apply, so that's an extra hurdle. Hoping to be a military doctor by decades end :)

Good luck, Ken! I'm in Fort Worth. Maybe we'll be classmates! I'm older, without a degree, but I feel that doing this at this point in my life is going to serve me better than if I had done it earlier, when I was young AND stupid. Maturity(relative term :laugh: ) is my friend in this case. :thumbup: :D

Hey guys - I'm in Dallas and want to get into TCOM for 2005, can I join the study group?

In terms of being chronologically enhanced, I'll be 42 this year, 2 kiddos and taking the MCAT in August and my last 6 bio hours in the fall.

I've got a spotty record also (some I's that rolled to F's about 14 years ago) with a 3.3 overall and 3.58 science (including the F's). The last two years of premed prereqs are 4.0 (bio/gen chem/ochem).

I called some out of state schools and told them my gpa and they were like,"Send in the app, now".

Don't get discouraged. Remember, as a radiologist friend of mine told me, a medical career isn't about who's smarter, it's about who can endure the most. Think marathon instead of sprint.

If you get a little down, feel free to PM me...I may need to do the same someday....

Hi!

Age 37, and applying MD/PhD this summer. So I'm not just old, but I'm crazy too!! :laugh:

I'm older than most, probably. Turned 30 while sitting in an MCAT diagnostic with 14 of my closest friends. Currently an AF pilot, but was pre-med oriented (Zoology) in College. Took the MCAT scores, retook this Spring, waiting anxiously for results.

No kids, but a strong career. Waiting for permission from the AF to apply, so that's an extra hurdle. Hoping to be a military doctor by decades end :)

Ok, so what're you flying? Air Force brat here. I used to love it when the Navy would come in talking trash about being the best fighter pilots in the world - until they went up against USAF at Langley. Usually, they went home with their tails between their legs....pin gold wings on 'em and let 'em fly off of a boat and they think they own the skies, sheesh.....(Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Anyone who wears the uniform deserves respect no matter the service).....

Hey guys - I'm in Dallas and want to get into TCOM for 2005, can I join the study group?

In terms of being chronologically enhanced, I'll be 42 this year, 2 kiddos and taking the MCAT in August and my last 6 bio hours in the fall.

I've got a spotty record also (some I's that rolled to F's about 14 years ago) with a 3.3 overall and 3.58 science (including the F's). The last two years of premed prereqs are 4.0 (bio/gen chem/ochem).

I called some out of state schools and told them my gpa and they were like,"Send in the app, now".

Don't get discouraged. Remember, as a radiologist friend of mine told me, a medical career isn't about who's smarter, it's about who can endure the most. Think marathon instead of sprint.

If you get a little down, feel free to PM me...I may need to do the same someday....

Hey Dave, I'm taking the August MCAT as well, and also finishing my last 6 hours of Bio in the Fall. I'm also finishing Orgo in the summer, 6-11pm for 2 months. I figure it will be a good review for the MCAT, but also a busy summer.

Well, it seems most of us are at or near 30s (give or take an SE of 10 yrs :), but what does it all REALLY mean anyway?). I am currently 32 y.o. undergraduate - a classic academic late bloomer, with an apparent gluttony for punishment :). I began out of high school enlisting in the Navy, to become an independent duty corpsman and then on to surgical first assisting. Thereafter, I had the wild notion that I wanted to jump in and attempt the school for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). It was an odd decision to be sure, but I like the small-team work ethic, and it ended up being a good personal asset.

After 8 years, I began my undergrad, and changed schools after a year, in order to maintain support for a double major in molecular bio and computer science. I originally had no intent to go into medical school, but rather rather wanted to enter into a graduate program with an interest in infectious disease, or oncological research. I think my acid test then was in that working in surgery to me was more a pain in the ass than a life impacting career. I suppose perspective (read: low man on totem pole) was handing me my opinion at the time. But I took for granted the patient base I enjoyed, both as an IDC, and as a private FA (working for a hospital in this area is terribly fraught, by design I would argue, with fire breathing and gnashing of teeth).

During my undergrad career, I watched my grades plummet in a short time from several semesters of 3.76 to 3.5, and then with onset of a chronic injury (dive related), and then redeployment on 9/11, I witnessed by best in stuttered wisdom. I became hard headed and attempted to complete classes remotely, never once considering a leave of absence (but then I had only a few hours to make the decision for withdrawal when 9/11 came around). Obviously I was wrong, and consequently saw the dive to a 2.5 (I am working on a recalculation as I believe it's a 2.88 now, but we'll see.). Incompletes can do that far easier than performing poorly in a class.

So I contact a pre-med advisor on my wiley idealism of med school and here is an interesting reply that all might want to read.
================================================== ========
Although there is legally no age discrimination, the number of people
over thirty who are accepted to medical school is very small. The
number accepted over forty is very very small. The reasons for these
reduced numbers is not always obvious and should be stated.
1. To become a physician at 45 means that individual will practice medicine twenty less years than the physician at 25. As a tax payer, I get more from my tax support for a medical student if that student
practices medicine longer.

2. The much older student recognizes bull**** faster and is less likely to endure it than a younger student. There is a lot of bull**** and bush marking in the education of a physician. Don't underestimate the impact of this statement.

3. The older student has additional responsibilities, often of a maturing family, that are not faced by a younger student.

4. The much older student does not have the same stamina as the younger student.
================================================== ========

Although most of these issues can be easily be rebutted on an individual basis, it DOES seem that Medical Admissions Committees (MACs) are a bit on the discriminatory side - though legally age is not supposed to be a factor in admissions. But I'm not pursuing that here.. just laying out some information I received, regardless of what I hear elsewhere. Yeah, receiving this info made for quite a discouraging day yesterday.

However, the bottom line is, although my GPA is certainly not endearing to a MAC, I should be able to nail the MCAT, which will hopefully open a couple of doors or draw at least a second glance. I suppose if anything shouldn't be underestimated, it's my resolve to complete this thing that I've started. The end story of this traversal will be interesting in the least.

I was presented with the idea recently to try DPM schoolbyt both fiancee, family, and advisor (we are in the process of buying a home, the hours are supposed to be decent, and the pay good in a growth market). Immediately I looked at this as a plate of bitter apples being handed to me. Under the circumstances, it wasn't the question IF I would eat them as much as it was HOW I would go about it. Ultimately I had to look at my true intent. Regardless of the potential pay, hours, and convenience, I just can't do something that I don't feel my heart would be in. But then, I have to do more footwork on the matter.

Will post as events emerge. This feels a decent section for communication between us all as well as interpersonal diaries. This is a nerve racking but exciting decision I think I've personally come upon. And it's taken me only 14 yrs to make it :) Good luck to everyone in their pursuits.

Cheers,

Phillip

Ok, so what're you flying? Air Force brat here. I used to love it when the Navy would come in talking trash about being the best fighter pilots in the world - until they went up against USAF at Langley. Usually, they went home with their tails between their legs....pin gold wings on 'em and let 'em fly off of a boat and they think they own the skies, sheesh.....(Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Anyone who wears the uniform deserves respect no matter the service).....

I'm "Moosepilot"! The C-17 is big and when you put fuel in it makes a distinctive "Moose call" as air burps out the wing fuel tank vents. So I'm a big cargo plane pilot, flying rubber dog doo wherever it needs to go : )

I will be transplanting to Texas in 20 days and am an older student. does living there give an advantage in the app process??

Living here doesn't give an advantage, however being a Texas resident does. By state law, Texas schools are only allowed to accept 10% non-residents to their medical school class. Baylor College of Medicine is an exception in that they accept ~25% non-residents. (non-residents meaning non Texas residents)

I turn 30 in July!! I just started my postbacc program in January. It's going well so far.

I was another one in the young and talented club, but somewhere along the line I lost my way. I had a kind of sheltered upbringing and the culture shock that was college life was part of what distracted me from my studies. Immaturity had a large part to play as well. I became a bit lazy and tried to get by with doing the least possible to still get B's. I was pre-med when I started but by the time I finished I was doing Music and Computer Science. Music, because it's my other major passion. CS, because the boom was just starting. I figured I'd work a few years and then finish my premed stuff and eventually get back into medicine.

I've been working as a Systems Analyst ever since. Work quickly became boring but I was also spending time gigging as a saxophonist for Latin bands. That was so much fun that it made up for my unsatisfying career. However as the years passed the music scene died down a bit (though it's picking up again!!) and so I was forced to think about my future. I knew I couldn't spend my entire life here at this computer. I also knew that while I loved music I couldn't see myself making that my career and practicing the required hours daily. I longed to be back in my community, working with and for the people. Medicine started intruding more and more strongly. It got to the point where I was thinking about it EVERY day at work. I finally couldn't take it anymore and on my 29th birthday last year I vowed to start going down the pre-med path once again.

I'm married and have no kids yet, but would like to have one now rather than during med school so I have to figure out when I can take a year off my postbacc program. I also have to fit in the volunteer stuff. All kinds of neat opportunities come up around here but I can't do much because of my full-time job. I am not at the point where I can stop working yet. It will probably be another 2 years before that. That, combined with the year off I will probably need, means that I wouldn't be entering med school until maybe 2008! We'll see what happens. I am ultra scared of the medical lifestyle so I may end up doing something else. But at the same time I can't think of anything I'd rather do. *sigh*

Good luck to you all! :luck:

Hi!

Age 37, and applying MD/PhD this summer. So I'm not just old, but I'm crazy too!! :laugh:

Yep, going for the dual degree punishment,too; although my experience heavily favors research, rather than clinical. If I don't get in this cycle, I'll try to get more medical experience and try, try again.

I will be 25 when I enter and 29 when I graduate assuming I did this in the quickest possible time frame. I avoided all hard sciences as an undergrad and ended up with a degree in Marketing. I worked hard for the man for a few years before realizing it was like beating my head against the desk every day for 8 hrs straight. I was scared silly when my sister almost died in a car accident (she has a severe brain injury). It wasn't until I spent lots and lots of time in hospitals and a lot of time contemplating my own mortality that I decided to go ahead and give ochem a whirl. And I aced it. I mean, what 18/19 year olds can compete with a very focused adult. I made lots of friends with the younger folks because I am not all that old.. but I guess I feel like I am with everything I have been through. I am still waiting on the MCAT from April, but my practice scores were great and I know I can make it. I think the fact that I am a little older is a gift. Unlike a lot of premeds, I got to study abroad and have all kinds of fun experiences. I am married to someone who takes care of the stuff on the homefront and I have time to really learn the stuff in my classes. IT IS AWESOME! Oh yea, and it is nice to be able to go to the bar and get a gin and tonic before class!!

If I've left anybody out, I apologize. The Alzheimer's setting in, you know. The Alzheimer's setting in, you know...

Those of us here have a unique perspective that I like to consider an advantage. Good luck to those waiting for April scores and those studying for August.

I noticed a trend in this thread in the DFW area, it would be fun if we went to school together, scooting down the hall with our canes, popping Rolaids. Ah, good times... :laugh:

Ha! I have a pack of rolaids in my bag just for all of my premed friends. Personally, I am sticking to pepto. It has a pain killer in it and though it makes one's tongue black, I think it is the best!! Ha! Yeah, there are a lot of nice premeds in Dallas. I am at UTA... and we have plenty of us older ...err.. wiser folks.

I'm 28, went back to do post-bacc work when I was 26. My degree is in business, but I started out premed. I worked for a few years--until I really hated it and then decided to embark on this crazy journey. I took the MCAT last Aug. and I just retook in April. I'm married (no kids yet) and my husband is a huge source of encouragement and support, eventhough he thinks I'm nuts to put myself through this! Good luck to everyone!! Anyone else in the Chicago area?

Thanks for sharing, guys. I get pretty bummed out sometimes, surrounded by 20-somethings with 4.0's. My transcript is a mess; I've been in and out of school for nearly a decade. I was originally a business major, till I had my first bio lab. I was hooked. I've taken time off from school to raise three children (ages 3, 8, and 12) and sometimes work full time to make ends meet. This leaves me with a spotty transcript and a 3.4 GPA. But, like wine, I am better with age. Pre-meds like us bring a sense of maturity, wisdom, and experience which sets us apart from our younger counterparts. I'm hoping that with a decent MCAT, qualities like those listed above will detract from my lackluster grade history. Whatever happens, it's reassuring to know there's others out there like me. Thank you sooooo much for sharing your stories! Good luck to all of us, young and old(er)! :thumbup:

Don't count yourself out based on your age or grades. Flaunt your experience! :) There are some schools out there that realize the possible upside of older students (greater focus, wider skill set, wider applicable life experiences, actual work experience, ...the list goes on). I will be starting at Case in 2 months, 3 days after my 34th birthday. Case has a history of accepting older students who come to medicine late (they call us "bent arrows", ouch), usually around 5-10% of the class. Rather than frowning at my unorthodox career during the 11 years after college, they really seemed to appreciate my diverse experiences (in spite of my 3.4 GPA :) ). There are other such schools, check mean and median age stats, but don't get hung up on it. Best of :luck: .

I'm 23...does that count? No? I just want to belong somewhere. :( Somehow, I feel old compared to other premeds.

[QUOTE=DRealDrZ]...shinanigans (however you spell that...) ...QUOTE]

Is that not the best word ever?

I was one of the misguided youths. I'm about 26 now and never left college. I started as pre-med, partied my A's away and went to architecture school for 4 years. While there, I found out why I wanted to be a doctor and I got my self back on track. Now, I am about a year from graduating with a BS in biochem and am applying as we speak. The younger pre-meds at my school have much better gpa's, but are lacking the maturity that comes with experience. I made some mistakes, but I have learned from them and am a little less wet behind the ears.

It's great to see so many other "old" folks applyin'... eases my mind a bit. I'm right there with y'all (30 right now). My MCAT testing room only had one other person in the room over 23. We kept looking at each like we should have some sort of secret hand shake or something. I'm impressed by all the folks who have their S***t together enough at the age of 21 to apply to med school. I certainly didn't but, I'm glad I waited until now. Feel much more ready.

A tip that some of you (been out of school for a while) folks might check out it you haven't already....

I was stressing about how to organize and send out my Letters of Recommendation (LOR) for secondaries because I didn't have a handy dandy premed advisory committee like the folks in school do. I was dreading making copies on my own and was worried how schools would treat LOR's sent to them by an applicant. so I did a little digging and found out the my undergrad school (where I graduated from) allows all students AND graduates to use their LOR filing service. Whew! Now I just have my recommenders send their letters to my undergrad school, tell the school where to send my LOR's and they'll take care of it. Well worth the $65. Might be a help for some of you others. Thought I'd share.

Good Luck to all of you... It'd be great to see some other "non-trads" if I get into school

I'm 23...does that count? No? I just want to belong somewhere. :( Somehow, I feel old compared to other premeds.
oldness (?) is a state of mind Anybody's welcome here. Speaking of welcome, welcome to SCB, NubianPrincess, lovez, Pinky, Perrin, and bdt. This little "non-trad" community makes me feel better every time I visit and every time someone new (or old) comes along. Good luck! :luck:

i'm in the club...i'm an old(er), definitely non-trad applicant - and hopefully i'll be a minute shy of 30 if i start med school in august (linkage program) IF the MCAT divas have spared me...my background is in the arts, quite a career change, but i wouldn't trade some of my experiences for anything. i don't really view typical undergrads as my competition - i really believe older students are judged more independently. and i am going to tell myself that until i believe it or until my acceptance phone call comes!! hard to believe the past 2+ years is coming down to the next couple of days...my fingers are crossed for all who are waiting for results - and damn all those people who spread rumors about june 7th scores!!! you know who you are - and karma's a b-yotch!

one more weekend of waiting :rolleyes:

hey hawkeye,
just looked at your profile - we are kindred spirits! both studied theatre, both in NJ!
let me know how you're doing!
:thumbup:

I guess that I am old enough to be considered "older." I am 26 now, graduated in May 2001 with my BS in Pharmacy, and have been working for a pharmaceutical company since then.

Even while in pharmacy school, I had the desire to go to medical school. In the back of my head I wondered, could I have gone to medical school? Would I have been a good doctor? But I saw my student loans beginning to pile up, and I decided I wasn't ready to go any further with plans for medical school at this point.

We have different speakers come in at work, and one day I went to hear a woman speak on how to become an unstoppable woman. She opened by asking the audience if she were to take out a magic wand, and could remove all of the obstacles in our way, what would we do? I thought about it for a minute, but my answer became very clear. I would be a doctor. I thought again about my answer, as I listened to my friends talk about being wedding planners and interior designers, but no, I wanted to be a doctor. As I looked around the auditorium, at the women and men who were there that day, I saw people in their 20's, 30's, 40's, even 50's. All thinking of what they would do if given the chance. And that's where my biggest epiphany came. I did not want to be 45 and still thinking "I'd be a doctor" when asked the same question. Not that there is anythign wrong with that, but if it was in my heart now, and had been since I was younger, I should go for it. It is what I wanted when I was 14, 20, and now at 26. Later in the seminar, she made another comment that hit home. She had each of us list the obstacles that were standing in the way of what we wanted to do, then asked if we thought we were the only ones who had to face those obstacles. She mentioned that for each perceived obstacle, there was someone before us who over came the same issues. I thought of my perceived obstacles, the length of school to become a doctor, the financial burden of school, the long hours during residency, the effect medical school would have on my ability to be a mother, among others. People who came before me had succeeded, and there was no reason to think that I would not also be successful. I left this seminar feeling very excited, as I had finally admitted to what I truly wanted to spend my life doing.

From that day on, I have not looked back or questioned my decision. I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to look deep inside myself and realize what my passion in life is, and for having the courage to pursue that passion. Sometimes I worry, like we all do, about going back after being out so long. But I feel I know myself so much better, and have a much better perspective, and am much more prepared.

Sorry for the long story! I am a detail person!

Good luck to us all!!! Holding my breath until the 15th.....

You go, girl!

I, too, worry about what quality parenting I'm providing while dedicating most of my time and energy to school. I've found a balance I can live with. Now, my attitude is, being a mother is going to make me that much better of a doctor. They are my inspiration, so I tell them.

My kids are really proud of me, too (3, 8, and 12). That helps, too.

I'll be 30 when I enter med school. I was 26 when I started down this road. I remember sitting in Physics class and I told some whippersnapper my age. She turned to me and said, "I think it is so NICE to be in a class with someone from a different generation..."

I was like, "Umm... thanks?" :eek:

I'll be 30 when I enter med school. I was 26 when I started down this road. I remember sitting in Physics class and I told some whippersnapper my age. She turned to me and said, "I think it is so NICE to be in a class with someone from a different generation..."

I was like, "Umm... thanks?" :eek:
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

happened to me in physics class too. couple of youngins didn't know who sang that "whip it" song. they looked at me and said "ask her, she'll know"
never thought devo would be a hot topic for 20 year olds in 2004... :laugh:

Hey, I can play this game, too!! I'll be 32 in the fall of 2005 and have a background in the arts (music education and performance).

It's taken a while, but I've gotten over being "old." I'll be the same age in 10 years no matter what I do....All of the faculty and physicians I talk to downplay the age thing; nobody that I have come in contact with has said that I would have a tough time because of it.

Good luck on the 15th!!!

Good luck on the 15th!!!

Thanks! You too!

Yep, going for the dual degree punishment,too; although my experience heavily favors research, rather than clinical. If I don't get in this cycle, I'll try to get more medical experience and try, try again.

Whew!! I was beginning to think I was the ONLY "old" one interested in pursuing this option!

My concern with getting in this cycle is getting accepted to a school that has a strong, supportive graduate program in addition to a solid medical school. I've seen bad experiences in grad programs destroy people.

Honestly, I wonder if I should just my PhD first.:confused:

Thanks for the welcome UNTlabrat--I'm very happy that I finally stumbled on to SDN! I am not a mom yet, but just like all women going down this path (especially those of us whose biological clocks are ticking louder than others) I worry about the impact of med school, ect. on my marriage and parenting abilities. I agree with you that being a mom will make you a better doctor--I really admire you (and others with kids) that are going after what may seem to be the impossible! Just like pharmgirl said, we aren't the first ones to do ever do this. If you're happy with what you are doing--your family will also be happy!

Good luck to all of us on the 15th!!!

My concern with getting in this cycle is getting accepted to a school that has a strong, supportive graduate program in addition to a solid medical school. I've seen bad experiences in grad programs destroy people.
:

I thought about MD/PhD programs too (I was looking at Toxicology or Genetics) but canned the idea when I thought about my own personal experiences with grad school. It seemed like I had to deal with too much political BS. If I felt that way in a Masters program, I imagine that it would be worse in PhD program. A former professor of mine went to school at MIT and her research was stolen (notes, etc). http://www.witi.com/center/witimuseum/womeninsciencet/1996/060496.shtml

If I remember correctly, she had to start over. She would talk about her experiences and you could see the pain in her face like it happened yesterday. Pretty devastating. It could have destroyed her career, but was able to bounce back.

I've seen so many people take 6+ years to complete a program, not b/c the research was going bad, but they were held back by hateful advisors and committees.

That's why I plan to be a pathologist...which I see as being a doctor/scientist w/out the PhD. The best of both worlds. :p

I thought about MD/PhD programs too (I was looking at Toxicology or Genetics) but canned the idea when I thought about my own personal experiences with grad school. It seemed like I had to deal with too much political BS. If I felt that way in a Masters program, I imagine that it would be worse in PhD program. A former professor of mine went to school at MIT and her research was stolen (notes, etc). http://www.witi.com/center/witimuseum/womeninsciencet/1996/060496.shtml

I've seen so many people take 6+ years to complete a program, not b/c the research was going bad, but they were held back by hateful advisors and committees.

That's why I plan to be a pathologist...which I see as being a doctor/scientist w/out the PhD. The best of both worlds. :p

I remember this professor's story on PBS. She's at/from A & T right?

Yes, I saw/had some "interesting" experiences in grad school too and your right about Pathology being a good combination between science and medicine. But please,please, reconsider the MD/PhD route. The professional advantages of this program are too numerous to name here. With a soild support in the grad school portion, you CAN do it.

I remember this professor's story on PBS. She's at/from A & T right?

Yep, she's from A&T. She was my biochem professor and she also was my advisor for a year.

...I did not want to be 45 and still thinking "I'd be a doctor" when asked the same question. Not that there is anythign wrong with that, but if it was in my heart now, and had been since I was younger, I should go for it.

Pharmgirl, I love your story! I had a similar experience...I'm 26, graduated 4 years ago from undergrad...double major, all the honors, blah blah blah...got a "great" job (sounded great, anyway). I was working, making some dollars to pay back my loans, but really bored and sad at work...not bored in the sense that I didn't have enough to keep me busy, but mentally bored. Not challenged. Feeling like I was spending my waking hours on pointless tasks that didn't really mean squat to anyone...I'd always wanted to be a doc, but thought i wasn't smart enough. I know, stupid, right? But science didn't come easy to me in high school, and I was too scared to try it in college--it was easier to stick with the stuff I knew I was good at.

Anyway, after working for three years, I realized that I'd aways regret it if I didn't try. Like you, I didn't want to be 45 and thinking, if only I'd been brave enough to go after the career I really wanted! Started taking the pre-req's while working full time a year and a half ago...hardest three semesters of my life, but got all A's! Just finished up and took the MCAT this spring. You all are so right, those 19-year-olds can't compete with a motivated adult when it comes to classwork! LOL They were all really nice to me though...they thought it was cute that I always came to class "dressed up" (I was working at the university where I was taking classes, so I'd leave work to go to class) and would always ask me what it's like to be married, etc.

It is truly inspirational to read all of your stories...I love this thread! Good luck to everyone and if there's anyone out there reading this who is sitting on the fence, trying to decide if they should really give up a comfortable existence to follow their dream of becoming a doctor, I say GO FOR IT! Life is too short to waste it doing something you don't love. :love:

Where are you guys? How'd you do? Anybody retaking w/ me in August?

I really had hoped to score higher than my age :confused:

Where are you guys? How'd you do? Anybody retaking w/ me in August?

I really had hoped to score higher than my age :confused:


Me too!!! This will be my third time...I refuse to let the MCAT people keep me out of med school.

hey all - just thought I'd chime in by way of reassurance - I was an "older" student - 28 when I started (with a wife and three kids - youngest was 2 months old when I started med school). I was a computer info systems type who had given up the dream. Just like some others have said, I decided that I didn't want to be 60-70 years old looking back and saying "I wish I'd given it a shot". Prayed hard about it, got the go-ahead, and went back to school while working full-time.

This was all done with my wife's full support, a Very Important Thing! (she worked probably harder than I did to get us through). Took me three years to get my science courses and MCAT in before I could apply, but it was worth it. Glad I did it, and I wasn't the only one - I had several fortyish people in my class (at UT in San Antonio) and the class in front of me had a guy in his fifties. I did quite well in school - not quite AOA but plenty good enough to get my residency choice.

Fast forward to today - I'm a radiologist in private practice, and I love what I do. There are frustrations, to be sure, and there are certainly problems with medicine - but there's no other career like it.

BTW - my son just got his MCAT back and will be applying this fall - that's how I came to be nosing around and found this place - checking out what it's like now.

Best of luck to all you non-trads - and if any of you are thinking you will be the only "weird" old student, you will be surprised when you get there.

The only caveat I would add is this: don't do it for money - if you want to get rich, you can likely make more in the long run by applying the same energy and time commitment you would give to medicine to an alternative career and to investing wisely with your earnings.

Dr. Greg

The only caveat I would add is this: don't do it for money - if you want to get rich, you can likely make more in the long run by applying the same energy and time commitment you would give to medicine to an alternative career and to investing wisely with your earnings.


I don't believe very many nontrads do it for the money. Especially when you consider the people like me that gave up near 6 figure salaries to take the MCAT for the upteenth time! :mad: :laugh:

Dr. Greg, you rock!

I had watched an older friend of mine do it before me, so I knew it could be done. :D Now that I'm about to start, the years it took for the pre-reqs seem like they just passed in a blur.

You are so right about having a supportive spouse. My husband goes around telling everyone he's only doing this so I can support him in the style to which he intends to become accustomed, so I guess I'll have to direct him to read your post.

Of course, he's joking. :laugh:

I think. :rolleyes:

Oh, and come to think of it, I DID score my age on the MCAT. Perhaps I should start lying about my age in the other direction. :cool:

i scored my age, too, though this is one time i wish i was older. i don't plan on retaking, so at least i can let go of the mcat beast. i think once they scale all the scores, they should adjust for age! :p

I just read through the whole thread, and surprised to find I haven't checked in here yet. I'm 29, a registered dietitian in NY and a reapplicant. I have found SDN to be a great source of info and support, as I know no real life pre-meds. I'm just happy I didn't find SDN until after I took the MCAT. I got married a month ago, and hubby is planning on taking the NYS Bar exam, so I have to confine my school list to states which reciprocate with NY. Anyone run into this problem?

Anyway, great meeting all of you. Good luck!

Oh, on a similar vein of the "whip it" stories. I was in my Kaplan class and most everyone, including my instructor were seniors at NYU. One evening before lecture someone asked who had already graduated and there were a handful. Those other students who were already done, out of school one or 2 years, and were kinda smug about it. When the conversation came my way, and I told them when I had graduated, one guy turned to me with a sympathetic look, and condescendingly said "Good for you." You can just hear it, can't you.

When the conversation came my way, and I told them when I had graduated, one guy turned to me with a sympathetic look, and condescendingly said "Good for you." You can just hear it, can't you.

OMG. I totally can.

I love when someone tells me they've been out of school "for a while now," meaning a year or two. I also love when they stumble over the "19" part of my graduation year. As in:

THEM: Oh I've been out for a while. Class of 2002. When did you graduate?
ME: '97
THEM: Nine... Nineteen...1997? Oh.


You'd think I just said 1897! Whippersnappers!

im not that old yet... but i, too, am applying to MD/PhD and will be 26 when I start (if I get accepted this cycle).

i started college and graduated with the idea that i wanted solely to be a basic scientist and to go for a PhD. But somewhere about a year after graduating i decided that clinical medicine needed to be part of the fray, too.

so i took the MCATs in april, did better than I expected, and am applying right now, too.

its so nice to hear from all the other folks who are not still spending their weekends drunk at frat parties.

i hope to someday meet some of you in school!

anyone from vermont? thats where we are!

lynnie

Oh, I know that tone.

Try telling 'em you graduated high school in 1986. :eek:

It's like they suddenly start wondering how you can be walking around upright. A lot of them suddenly realize I'm *much* closer to their parents' age than to theirs.

Cognitive dissonance can be fun! :laugh: :laugh:

Oh, I know that tone.

Try telling 'em you graduated high school in 1986. :eek:

It's like they suddenly start wondering how you can be walking around upright. A lot of them suddenly realize I'm *much* closer to their parents' age than to theirs.

Cognitive dissonance can be fun! :laugh: :laugh:

One of my teachers asked me about my age, and when I told him that I was born when Gerald Ford was president, everyone looked at me like I had two heads. Someone said "Who's Gerald Ford?" Another student said "There never was a president named Gerald Ford."

Once he realized his mistake, he said "You're that old???"

I replied, "Yes. I went to the prom with Moses, too. Would you like to see the pictures?" :D

Oh, I know that tone.

Try telling 'em you graduated high school in 1986. :eek:

It's like they suddenly start wondering how you can be walking around upright. A lot of them suddenly realize I'm *much* closer to their parents' age than to theirs.

Cognitive dissonance can be fun! :laugh: :laugh:


Aw, hawkeye, good for you! ;)

"Yes. I went to the prom with Moses, too. Would you like to see the pictures?" :D

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

My fiance is EVEN OLDER than I am (collective gasp). He likes to say that Moses owes him a nickel.

(Do you keep in touch with Moses? We could use that nickel...)

I'll be 30 in the fall. I just left my Software Engineering position to start med school this coming August. I kept working while taking MCAT and applying... It was very entertaining telling my colleagues at work about my future career plans. :)
It can be done. I wish you all good luck!

Wow. Never knew there were so many out there just like me. I'm (dare I say it...) um... 37. I went to a very prestigious Ivy League college way back in 1984 (yes, I was only 17), and had no clue why the heck I was studying anything at all, so after I didn't go to classes my fourth semester, I left school.

Since then, I've been a firefighter for five years, a paramedic for 10, and a wife and mother of two children (now 6 and 9). Three years ago I broke my ankle on the job, and while spending a year in and out of casts I made the decision to go back to school and try for med school. Always being one to take the easiest way possible :rolleyes: I dove in with 21 credits of chemistry, math, physics, etc. I just finished my fourth regular semester (and two summer sessions), and have taken 96 credit hours in 24 months. Planned on taking the April MCATs while taking OChem II, PChem II, Advanced Calculus, and a couple of other upper division classes - but my daughter came down with mono in March and decided to share. I took the April MCAT anyway, but only got a 25Q. I'll be taking them again. My husband is a SAINT - immensely supportive.

I've had pretty good experiences back in college as "Mom" which is what most kids call me - I always have the kleenex, the advil, the extra pencils - you name it. But you know what absolutely gets me giggling? These kids are whining about not having time to study because they're partying. They have no idea what it's like to study while cooking dinner, being up all night with your kids throwing up, waking up and finding out the dog had Montezuma's Revenge all over the frickin' house... Ah, well. It's good to know I'm not the only one!

I'll be 26 soon and I feel old, but this thread has made me feel much better. :) I was "gifted and talented" as a kid, just brimming with promise. I did great in high school, and then when I went to college, I just lost it. I didn't do that well my freshman year, decided not to be premed anymore, took a semester off Junior Year, and when I came back, I promptly took another semester off. Then I decided to apply, did poorly on the MCAT, decided I would never get into med school, and I'm interested in science, so why not pursue that route.

Finally, after working for a couple years, I'm applying. I have such a complex about the path I've taken though! I've been told I look like a flake for leaving school, returning for a semester, leaving again, and then finishing. Threads like these make me realize I am not only competing against people who graduate in 8 nice neat semesters with a 4.0.

I guess you could say I'm older. I'm only 25 now, though I'll be entering school (crosses fingers) when I'm 26.

The part that bothers me a bit is that I'm still single. At least some of you have families. I look down the line and realize that I'm going to be 34 or so before I'm finally earning a really nice income. That's scary.

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

My fiance is EVEN OLDER than I am (collective gasp). He likes to say that Moses owes him a nickel.

(Do you keep in touch with Moses? We could use that nickel...)

I'm looking for the dude, too. He owes me a new pair of shoes (he got sick at the prom and ruined the night).
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Hello!!!! :)
I'm 26...have an Associates Degree in Fashion Merchandising Management. Worked in the industry for about five years. I'm finishing up my undergrad with a History Major and Minor in Bio. I'm glad I didn't finish my bachelors at FIT...I would've been dead. I was slacking big time!!! I have one year left and taking my Mcat in April.
Nice to see I'm not alone...whew..I was starting to bug out.

good luck to everyone.

I'm bumping this because there are some newbies who might find this helpful.

I guess I will contribute...

I'm 25 and I hope to start med school in 2005. I started college right out of high school but I got swept up in the dot com boom and a part-time job turned into a full time career. It took me six years to finish my BA, and my degree was in philosophy so I still had some catching up to do. I went back to a nearby state university and finished my pre-requisites.

My wife was a big catalyst for my return to school. She just finished her second year of vet school and watching her study made me realize how much I missed science/medicine. Yes, I will be in my mid 30s when I finish my residency, but I'm going to be in my mid 30s someday anyway! Actually when you think about it, you are really practicing medicine after your second year in school. Granted you aren't making money until your internship, but you are still treating patients, etc.

Wow, thank the Lord for this thread. I, too, am an "older" student making the journey towards med school; I recently turned 26, and will (hopefully) enter med school at age 28 or 29, depending on whether or not I take the extra year to flesh out my application. I've read every response, and I must say that a lot of your life stories are inspirational for someone in my (our :p ) position. So allow me to share:


The only thing that's ever been a constant in my life in terms of what I wanted to do was that I knew with absolute certainty that I desired to help people in some meaningful way. What form that would take, be it teaching, or social work, or as a psychologist, was never clear to me; other concerns and issues also dominated my life for many years (nearly a decade), and my priorities were horribly skewed as a result. I never gave much thought at all to what I would do with my life in terms of a career until I was about 24. I was the prototypical hyper-intelligent slacker (1540 SAT, 4.0 GPA, yadda yadda), who never developed adequate study habits because I simply never had to, and allowed non-academic concerns to dominate my thinking for entirely too long, which eventually derailed my academic caboose. As a result, I failed every single course for over 3 years, and my GPA dropped to a 1.7 at one point. All of this was attributable to my personal issues as well as my tendency to procrastinate, leaving me with 200 pages of calculus to teach myself from a textbook at 3 AM in the morning the night before a 10 AM exam. I'd do ok (considering that I hadn't been to lecture and the night before was the first time I had ever seen the material), and get like 70's, but I'd always be upset about it and end up just blowing off the rest of the semester, resulting in a failure (as for why I simply didn't withdraw, well, don't ask-- in hindsight, I guess I'm not as smart as I like to suppose I am :p ). Similar things would happen in every course, every semester; every semester, I'd vow to myself that I would do my work on time....and every semester the same thing ended up happening, no matter how firm my resolve.


Anyway, to make a hideously long story short, various circumstances in my life conspired to make me start thinking more about my future career a couple of years ago, and for some reason, becoming a doctor just popped into my head. The more I thought about it, the more appealing the idea became. In my early 20's, I had realized that whatever I ended up doing had to fulfill three criteria: first, I wanted to do something to help others, as previously mentioned; secondly, I desired to do something commensurate with my abilities-- I didn't want to wake up in 25 years and realize that I had squandered what I've been given in the way of the gray matter. I'm too proud, and wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened. Lastly, I wanted to be financially comfortable for my future family-- not rich, just comfortable; I'm not a materialistic person by any stretch, coming from a family of average means. Were I fated to live a solitary life, I'd be perfectly content making $60K, but eventually I'm going to have to provide for a wife and kids, ya know.


So anyway, it became increasingly clear that very few (if any) professions could fulfill these criteria in the way becoming a physician would. I'm not sure that this "criteria-based analysis" is the best way to look at things, but unfortunately, I've never just been incredibly DRAWN to anything, except helping and learning, and there's no shortage of either in medicine I figure. I also came to look upon it as an accomplishment, and, for the first time in my life, I desire to accomplish something rather than being the person of whom everybody says, "oh yeah, he's really smart", yet still in college. I never really cared about accomplishing anything, because I am very content with who I am and my intellectual capabilities-- I never felt I had to "prove" anything to anybody, because what I had was readily apparent (as I'm sure it is for many of you). More than anything, I feel that seeing my sister graduate with honors from NYU (3.9 GPA), and all the hard work she put in to achieve that, and the recognition she got, and how proud everybody was of her...well, that made me want some of that for myself (although I still tend to not measure myself by things from without). Too bad it took nearly 25 years to light that fire under my ass, huh? :laugh:


Sorry for the lengthy and somewhat meaningless post, but I figured I'd share my journey to this point just like some of you have. I also hope that none of the above comes off as braggadocio, because that wasn't my intent; I just wanted to give somewhat of a psychological profile of myself, which helps to understand why it took me so long to get here. :)

So for this past year I've taken the usual pre-reqs and maintained a 3.9, and am going to do the same this year even if it kills me (o-chem, physics, genetics and microbiology etc.). Even though I finally have a direction in life, which helps a LOT with the procrastination, old habits die hard, and that is still my biggest struggle in this regard. I realize that at some point, I just need to cut the sh!t and buckle down. I wouldn't even mind if I was disciplined enough to come home and do 2-3 hours of schoolwork, but I'm not-- I'm going to have to be this year, however. In contrast, my sister came home every night from school at 6 PM and did 4-6 hours of work every single weeknight for 4 years (and a lot on weekend, too). That's why I admire and respect her; she's my inspiration.


So I plan to take the MCATS next august, but it increasingly looks like I'll need the extra year to bolster my application in terms of EC's and to further bring my GPA back up from the abyss as well as take some supplemental courses (biochem, physics in medicine, medical ethics etc.). If I do that, then I'd take the MCAT the following August, and be 29 when I entered med school. It's very frightening, because I'll be 36-38 when I'm done, depending on what I decide to specialize in (leaning towards pediatrics-- I adore children), and I wonder when I'll have kids. My mom and aunts tell me not to worry however, and to be happy that I'm not a female with a biological clock. :D Still, I always envisioned playing with my kid and rolling around etc.-- I don't wanna have arthritis in my knees before they're born. ;) Finding a partner and getting married and having kids was always the biggest priority in my life, and romantic concerns dominated my life for a decade; now, I'm not only being asked to drop those priorities down a notch, I have to basically forget about them completely, as it will be so far off. And that is a very bitter pill to swallow, and it is the only reason why I'm still somewhat reticent about this whole endeavor. I realize that I'm not nearly the only one to whom these concerns are an issue, but I wonder if it's as important to some of you as it is to me (not to get into a pissing match or anything-- I just mean to say that "if it IS as important to you as it is to me, how do you deal with it and allay those fears?").


Then I just tell myself that if I merely got my bachelor's degree and ended up in a "normal" job, and then turned around when I was 32 and wasn't even engaged yet, I'd be VERY upset, as I would realize that I could have been a doctor by then. So that's what I keep saying to calm myself when those fears overtake me-- I tell myself that nothing is guaranteed in life, and who knows if I would have been married by age 33 anyway, so it's about time I do something for myself and stop worrying about people who aren't even in my life yet. :p


So yeah, that's the plan. Wish me luck <crosses fingers>. Best of luck to my fellow non-traditional applicants; you've really encouraged me by relating your experiences. :)


And yes, I realize that I talk entirely too much. :o

and thanks for sharing your stories here. I find it comforting that there are so many of us.

CJ: As I'm sure you read, I was also one who squandered all my God-given talents. Sometimes I believe intelligence is a curse in that it is easy to get used to not working very hard. So when I first entered college (when I was 23!) I thought it would all be so easy. How wrong I was! The first few semesters were easy, but like you, one bad grade and butt loads of procrastination would discourage me and I would lose steam about mid-semester. Sometimes it would work out for me, sometimes not.

Now take the above problem with sustaining motivation and throw in my pre-occupation with finding a soul mate and someone with which to raise my kids. This led to two failed marriages and the realization that marriage is not for me. For the past 12 years I have been a mother first, then provider, wife, etc. This left little time for school and studying. So why medicine? Why choose such a rigorous, debt-incurred, oft-thankless training? I've always known I had a knack for dealing with people, especially when they're at their worst. I found out I loved science and problem solving, working with my hands and research. This led me here. About two years ago, I decided it was time to get it done. It's easy to sit around and say "I want to be a doctor" while doing nothing aggressively to meet that goal. I made the decision to buckle down and GO FOR IT. So now I've taken just as many hours per semester as my traditional counterparts, while volunteering in research and my community, and manage to keep my GPA somewhat competitive while raising and supporting my kids. Yes, it was an extremely hard decision to become "student" first and "mommy" second, and there are times when I wonder if it is worth the impact that my lack of presence has on my family. But now the focus is on my dreams, my goals, and what I have to offer the world. Finding the balance between school and family is a daily challenge, but to (maybe) answer your question: I love my children--in fact, they are my true inspiration--but I felt incomplete, knowing that I had something to offer the world; that there is a need for people like me, and not sharing my talent and love with the world is...well, it's just not right. On the other hand, having children, I cannot imagine my life without them, and I would not be the person I am today if not for them. Indeed, I believe this arduous journey would be less meaningful if not for them. I used to wonder if I'm too old, that I may be wasting my time and resources chasing this dream of mine. Starting this thread was the most empowering thing I've done in a long time. I have good days and bad days, but in the end, I know I can be proud of where I am and where I am going, as a future physician and as a mother. So my advice to you is to not look too far ahead and wonder if you'd wish for something else now. Don't concentrate on what you may be missing. Enjoy this part of your destiny, you'll only be here once. The wife and the children will come. It may be later than you had hoped, but things have a way of working out, and people have a way of rolling with what life throws at them. I imagine you are no different. :luck:

Wow you people are really pouring your hearts out over here!
Does anybody study late at night because they have children. I study from 1-5 every morning. I work night shifts at the hospital so I am used to the odd hours but I do worry the last week I have to totally flip my schedule back to days so I can take this MCAT. I plan on staying up one whole day and taking a 1/2 of an ambien and waking up that morning to go run, eat breakfast, so some prayers and then its GERONIMO!!!!! I'm diving in!

Since I don't know yall I can only say a prayer for you and your struggles. It really does help a lot having a partner though especially with children. I couldn't imagine trying to study and take care of kids at the same time.
Good luck and God bless!

have determination (and good timing and luck). i will be 29 when i start med school this august - i found out i got in a couple of weeks ago. i'm going to think of all the non-trad pre-meds when i get there and know there must be some in the room with me!! i will find you if you are there!! just wanted to say it is possible. i think i used to question my career/academic choices more, but now i am thankful for the perspective it gives me. the med school just sent a questionairre and asked "If you didn't get into medical school, what would you be doing?" :p what a loaded question!

...Does anybody study late at night because they have children. I study from 1-5 every morning....

:laugh: :thumbup: :laugh:
During the long semesters, I have my son set his alarm, just in case...he's found me more than once asleep at my desk atop a biochem/pharmacology/physiology, etc. book. :idea:

But breakfast was always ready.....(Cheerios, bowl, spoon :D )
...Good luck and God bless!
Thanks! You, too! :love: :love: :love:

UNTIabrat ... thanks for bumping the thread. I did a search on shoes and this thread came up ... interesting none-the-less.

So ... my story ... I'm currenly 25, halfway completed my MBA working full-time and looking to enroll in a post-bacc program.

Overachiever in high school ... great GPA, all the activities, 1200 SAT (wish I would have studied now), etc. Go to college, and I was burnout from high school. My friends in high school called me doc b/c I was always the first to help someone who was hurt. Freshman year I went to an all women's college in VA and I wasn't happy. Concentrated on my grades my spring semester after a disaterous fall but transfered to another college. Freshman year of college I also was an athletic trainer and LOVED it. I wanted to do sports medicine (even if its one of the hardest specialties ... but what isn't?). So when transferring to my new school (I was DIV III going to DIV I) I didn't play any sports (in DIVI I played DIVIII) and couldn't do athletic training. I was a chem major so I was taking OChem, Qchem and wondering what was I doing. I wasn't doing well, mostly b/c my study habits stunk. I didn't even try to study for the most part and was getting C's while teaching the material to those who were getting B's. End of my soph year I switched my major to Econ and minored in business. At this point I was in a relationship with someone who then transferred to my school beginning my junior year. Pretty much disaterous. Not saying it was him, it was mostly me because I felt so lost in the world. I didn't have direction and was very conflicted. I knew my life was endanged when I had the lowest of low GPA's my last semester in college ... a 1.8. I never got a C in high school. Well once, in AP ADV CHEM b/c I got senioritis early in the year .... but I hit ROCK BOTTOM. My overall GPA was a 2.3, science GPA sucked b/c my Qchem class was a joke and everyone got a D except for the 2 people in the class who actually did Qchem for a living (teacher was a visiting prof) and I didn't really try in college. So I took a job when I graduated with a bank I had worked at in high school and college.

As you can see by my join date, I have debated medicine for a long time. I was also deterred to go into medicine as school loans for my undergrad were $$$$ and I was overwhelmed by the thought of more debt ($140K!!!) so I just plugged along the banking route. Finally, I decided I needed to be in the medical field in some capacity so I turned to nursing. Applied and everything b/c I hated my job and my life. Well I never went to nursing school b/c a job opportunity came up with better pay in a different field (mortgage industry) so I took that. As I started they had a MBA affliation with a local university so I have started my MBA. I started a year ago and I am currently halfway done, therein lies my dilemma. Time is ticking. I have to do post-bacc but I don't want to leave the MBA when I'm almost done. Plus the money thing is still an issue but when I look back ... I wish I would have sucked it up when I first graduated. Of course I'm sure everyone says that but I also don't think that I would have been capable of handling school back then. I'm willing to overlook the money and concentrate on my goal. But post-bacc is at least a year away and I am contemplating going full-time but I do have financial obilgations as well so that will be addressed in about 3 months when I start to apply to programs. But I will be either 27 or 28 when I start med school (if I get in the first time!!!)

The past 3 years I have been through alot of life changes. I think what really drove me into medicine was my father's accident. He stepped on a cracked grate outside his office and fractured both of his femurs (don't ask me how, to this day we STILL aren't sure) and was bedridden for about 8 months. I wanted to help him so badly and he was moved home 4 weeks after the accident non-weight bearing. So we had to help him do everything from his bed, the OT and PT would come and help him with learning to transfer, etc. My mom became the best nurse in the world and I admire her for that. Which is why I looked into nursing. I want to help people, care for people, explore diseases and how the body functions. That is more medicinal than nursing though. My parents reaction to nursing was why don't you just go through med school (mind you this was only 2 years ago). Now they think I'm crazy to give up my stability in the business world. They want me to go to law school now. But I'm trying to drive the point across to my mother that medicine has always been a curious passion of mine. If I don't do this now, it will be my one regret.

So with all my life changes over the past 3 years from college, the family issues, the career issues, and finally the relationship issues ... I broke up with my boyfriend of 5 years b/c we were in two separate stages of our lives, and yes although I don't want to admit it to him, he was dragging me down academically in some aspects b/c he didn't flourish in his academia. He is trying to finish up his undergrad in business right now, just as unsure of what he wants to do as well as I am. I miss him as we have grown apart over the past 9 months but right now this is the happiest I have ever been.

I am currently volunteering at a hospital, just started this past weekend. I am on the oncology floor right now, nothing exciting. but even on my first day with the haggard nurses and doctors everywhere who ignored my exisitence I knew that I fit in. I longed to have the knowledge of the med student next to me on the elevator. I felt that this is the path that is true for me. So right now I am researching, researching, and researching everything about medicine, med school, processes, residencies, etc. My friend is a 4th year in maryland and he was impressed at how much knowledge I know about the process and med schools in general. Things that he didn't even know about in reference to actual med schools and stats, etc.


I have alot of experience that I bring to the table, so to speak. I will be entering med school with at least 4 years work experience, an MBA (which I have a good GPA thus far) and a broken undergrad. The past 8 years of my life have been a struggle for me with direction ... But there is a song that I sang in my high school "choir" that is a poem by robert frost ... that pretty much explains my life ... because no matter what choices I have made, they are my choices and I would not be who I am today without them. Some of us are just that stubborn and hardheaded that we chose to take the "road not taken" and yep, I'm one of them. :D But that isn't going to slow me down!!!!

The Road Not Taken

By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

The took the other, just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the other for another day!
Yes knowing how way leads to way,
I doubted if I shall ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in yellow wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Thanks for sharing. I feel like I should comment on shoes, though :D
Seriously, I love the Frost poem. It is truly the anthem of non-trads (see my sig), although I doubt he consciously intended it to be... :)

You said you were close to finishing your MBA. Is there the possibility of a dual degree (MD/MBA) if you entered med school before you finished?

Anyway, good luck to you. Welcome to our little support group. We're here all the time (ok, I am, anyway :p )

labrat

Hello! :)

I am 31yo, plan to start med school fall of 2006, so I'll be 33 by then. I am one of those "wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid'' people. I have known since about the age of 10 that I was going to be a physician. Unfortunately, I didn't set things up well enough in UG to get there. :(

I was a Biology major in UG but graduated in 1995 with mediocre grades. I took the MCAT once in August of 1995 and again mediocre at best. I am determined to get there so, now I am completing a Master in Health Care Admin, retaking some of the pre-reqs along with some additional science electives and gearing up for MCAT April 2005. :thumbup:

Good luck to all of us so-called ''old premeds!" :D

Blessed1

Thanks for the thread, I am 30, almost divorced, and the mother of a really cool 13 year old son. I am at a technical college right now and about two semesters away from transferring to the local university. :)

Just curious for the "old-timers" ... who's going MD and who's going DO? Or applying to both ... for those of you who have done it ... where did you go?

Thanks for sharing. I feel like I should comment on shoes, though :D
Seriously, I love the Frost poem. It is truly the anthem of non-trads (see my sig), although I doubt he consciously intended it to be... :)

You said you were close to finishing your MBA. Is there the possibility of a dual degree (MD/MBA) if you entered med school before you finished?

Anyway, good luck to you. Welcome to our little support group. We're here all the time (ok, I am, anyway :p )

labrat

labrat,
Well as for the MBA/MD ... I looked at the program at one specific school but the cirriculum was completely different (its at a sister campus of the school that I'm currently in). I haven't talked to admissions about it yet, that would be my next step, but then I might be limited on where I could go. Additionally, there program is TOTALLY different. It seemed like it was more of a MBA/MPA cross over or something which the concentrated healthcare classes. I'm interested in the MPA but I might try to find a program that I can go to school for MD/MPA and graduate on time. Some schools have a requirement that you can only transfer like classes into the program. I'm in a 20 class program with 9 already completed (with 2 waived) int he past year, and I have decided to go full time starting this upcoming fall. I currently have an email to the administration asking if its possible to transfer in 2 online courses at another university since I need to be done by the spring (or the summer but I have a "seminar" course that is only offered spring/fall that needs to be taken the last semester). Also there is a time limit on how long you have to finish the program. This one is 5 years. That is not enough time for me to go to med school and finish it. So I'm going to get it done this year, apply to post-bacc programs and go from there!!

I saw your signature and found it amusing that I myself also look upon Frost as a "mantra". :)

I also like the line from "Finding Nemo" with Dory singing ... "Keep on swimming, Keep on swimming, Keep on swimming, swimming, swimming, Keep on swimming ...."

Just curious for the "old-timers" ... who's going MD and who's going DO? Or applying to both ... for those of you who have done it ... where did you go?
For several reasons, my first choice is TCOM's DO/Ph.D program.
1. I have the DO mentality.

2. I like the atmosphere around campus. I've volunteered there and talked to several faculty members and students, and I already feel at home there. :love:

3. Location, location, location

bump

Hi all!

I'm an *older* student as well (almost 34). I'm 2 semesters into my postbac and plan on taking the April MCAT and applying for entry in 2006. I have a checkered school history...It took me until August 2003 to get my BA. I quit school at UCSD in 1994 12 units short of my degree! Stupid stupid stupid... and has a dismal 2.8 overall GPA. I went back to school full time in 2001 at another university and finally!!! graduated last August Magna Cum Laude. (Of course, If I'd known that I would follow my dream of being a doctor, I wouldn't have been so hasty to get that degree right away...darn financial aid isn't so good for us post-bachers)

Anyway, nice to see there are a few of us on this board :)

Roselee

One of my teachers asked me about my age, and when I told him that I was born when Gerald Ford was president, everyone looked at me like I had two heads. Someone said "Who's Gerald Ford?" Another student said "There never was a president named Gerald Ford."

Once he realized his mistake, he said "You're that old???"

I replied, "Yes. I went to the prom with Moses, too. Would you like to see the pictures?" :D

Yes, I too love these youngster comments. There was a really cool "oldie" thread about statements that were made to some older students.

I mentioned something about remembering the day Reagan was shot and exactly what I was doing at the time. The guy next to me wasn't even born yet :laugh:

For the record, I'm 37 and will be 38 when starting . . . assuming I get in this cycle. I don't feel old, but my back sometimes disagrees. Age is definately a state of mind, for the most part.

When I looked at how many years of my working career remain, it made all the difference. Then devoting 10 years of schooling to gain the personal satisfaction inherent in medicine (making a difference in someone's life) just doesn't seem so long. Especially when you consider MS3 is when patient contact really accelerates.

Good luck to all you fellow non-trad's :thumbup: . Follow your heart.

Bumping this to complement another thread

I am 38 and starting in a week at Mayo Clinic. I only applied M.D. because I did not know enough about D.O and did not ever want to deal with explaining to anyone what it was....

only my experience, but the necessity to explain what a DO is pretty much disappears when you get into the clinical environment. after you get your degree and are practicing, patients only need to know that you are a licensed, board certified physician. i'm not saying you hide your degree, but the poeple who ask the most about the differences and need the most explanations are usually pre-meds! i work with MDs and DOs and there is no difference between then practically and clinically. either way, you're going to be a doctor.

bump .... ALSO can we get this bumped to maybe the post-bacc forum. MCAT is kinda out of place for this.

bump .... ALSO can we get this bumped to maybe the post-bacc forum. MCAT is kinda out of place for this.
Even better, can we have our own non-trad forum?

Mods?

i have a bfa in animation. haha! and a certificate in art therapy. and if there was a certificate for it, i would also have a 2 year degree in Bumming Around. im starting what i hope will be 2 years max in undergrad classes.. i havent taken any math or science classes in college before..and im still not exactly sure what i want to be. indecision is ruining my life!

Ya'll come over and comment on this thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=138379&page=1&pp=20

Hey, if you're looking at this thread you might also be interested in the new non-traditionals forum. It's down near the lounge (scroll down on the big list of forums).

Thanks UNTLabrat for the work!

yeah. i'll be about 25 when i apply to med school.

I haven't visited this site in awhile and just noticed this forum!! :D I am 35 and will begin school at Western U/COMP in a couple of weeks. I am married with 3 children (3, 6, and 8). I study after they go to bed (around 8PM) till 12-2am, depending on what is going on (long time if I have an exam coming up or an activity is coming up with the family later in the week). I also study on the weekends...take notes with me on car rides, to the swimming pool, etc.

I have always wanted to be a doctor. Love the medical field. It has always facinated me. When I was younger I did not have a lot of confidence and certainly did not want to go to school for many years!! I graduated college with a BS in Speech Pathology/Audiology. I was not interested in the career path at all!! So, I did not go on to get the required Masters Degree. I did direct care for the MRDD population for awhile, then went to Medical Assistant school. I got a job in the medical field and stayed there for 10 years. I was able to talk to a doctor in a frank matter and that is what got me to follow my dreams. I had the opportunity to ask this doctor if he liked his job....if he had to do it all over, would he? or does he regret it? What do you like about your job? What don't you like?

So, after this conversation I began meeting with a pre-med advisor to find out what I had to do to get going. She outlined a two year plan....so, I could work 30 hours a week while doing this. It turned out to be a 3 year plan because i took time off to have my third child.

I took my MCAT in April 2003 after taking the Kaplan classroom course. I didn't do real good, but I think my experience in the medical field, GPA, and LORS made up for it. I found out I did well on my interview, as well. I applied to AZCOM, TOURO, and COMP. I sent secondaries to AZCOM and COMP. Got an interview with COMP and was accepted. AZCOM rejected me...suggesting I retake the MCAT.

Now I am here in SoCal, trying to get used to this HOT weather!! Starting to get mentally ready for school. Been busy trying to make sure my kids are registered for school...still need to get their school supply list and go get the supplies. My youngest has a daycare place to go that I feel good about. My husband is working the graveyard shift right now, but hopes to change to a day job soon. If that happens I will have to find my oldest two a before/after school program. I am glad there are other people out there who are going through what I am going through. People used to say to me, "I don't know how you go to school, work, and spend time with family." I would just say, "I don't think about it. I JUST DO IT!" ;)

Many times I sit at the dinner table, looking at my family thinking that I am very blessed to have my supportive family while going through this journey. I love them so much and don't think of them as an obstacle to my goals. At times it is challenging, but I wouldn't want to embark on this journey in any other way!!

Well, thas all folks :p

I haven't visited this site in awhile and just noticed this forum!!


This is a brand spanking new forum we have going on here! I think that this is great!!! :)

Howdy all! It's great to see that they finally added a nontrad forum on here :).

I'm 30 and still have 4 years left of ugrad (will end up with a triple degree - bio, chem, and philosophy). I had to add philosophy to keep financial aid since I had to limit myself to the 12-15 credits financial aid actually budgets us for, and I can't take all science all the time. I need to exercise the other parts of my brain too :D or I go nuts. I've wanted to be a doctor since I was a little girl but I also wanted to be a world-class figure skater, an actress, and a dancer lol. I had every intention of going to college as a premed bio major until my junior year of high school when I started getting really involved in the music and theater programs at my school. I went away to college as a music ed major and ended up hating the school, life, everything so I bombed out at the end of my first year. Came home, enrolled in the local CC, and got heavily into dance. Let my academics completely slide - tons of withdrawals and F's when I just wasn't interested in putting in the time necessary to do well in a course or was just bored with it. Decided that I was too old to have much of a career in dance and moved to Colorado to skate again since I wasn't yet too old for that. Enrolled in the local CC with the intention of eventually getting into PT school. Money ran out within 8 months of my being in Colorado so I quit school and skating and worked full time for 4 years. Finished a couple semesters part time at the CC and transferred to the university 2 years ago. By that point I had come full circle and wanted to pursue medicine again. Adjusting to the academic life again has been difficult - worked too much my first semester back so my grades weren't awesome, but were definitely better. Hit the Ochem and calculus walls hard but working on surviving it (I get it, just can't seem to get over the performing well