A thought.

[Longcatislong]

I just realized...I'm going to be in school until I'm 30.

That sounds so daunting. I'm 23 and just beginning my post-bacc. By the time I graduate from dental school, most of my friends will have established careers, relationships and perhaps even starting their families. Me? I'll be in 200K+ debt.k

Edit: I'll also be starting my dental career, which is awesome. I'm not normally this pessimistic, I swear!

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[Pons Asinorum]

Not going to get a lot of traction around these parts with that problem. Most of us are over 30 now and still emphasizing the pre in pre-med. Most of us will be in our 40's the first attending paycheck we get cut.

 

[Helen Wheels]

Yep, assuming I pick a 3 year residency with no fellowship, I won't be an attending until I am 47 years old.

 

[Helen Wheels]

You know what, I never thought of it that way before.... hmmmn seeing it spelled out like that....

 

[SFGuy2011]

I just realized...I'm going to be in school until I'm 30.

That sounds so daunting. I'm 23 and just beginning my post-bacc. By the time I graduate from dental school, most of my friends will have established careers, relationships and perhaps even starting their families. Me? I'll be in 200K+ debt.k

Edit: I'll also be starting my dental career, which is awesome. I'm not normally this pessimistic, I swear!

Agree with Pons Asinorum. You're not going to get a lot of sympathy in this forum for earning your first real paycheck at age 30. There are a lot of people here who're just starting on their post-baccs at age 30. I'm starting med school at 34, and I won't be done with residency until I'm at least 41.

 

[Longcatislong]

Well, at least we're all united in that we're a ways away from attaining our goals.

?

this thread was just me "thinking out loud".

 

[legit schnitzel]

Well, at least we're all united in that we're a ways away from attaining our goals.

?

this thread was just me "thinking out loud".

No worries. That's what these forums are for. Traditional or Non-Traditional, once you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, the debt will still be very real, but the burden of paying it off will seem very doable.

 

[musicmajor]

I just hope I can practice for at least one year before I retire.

 

[PharMed2016]

I just realized...I'm going to be in school until I'm 30.

That sounds so daunting. I'm 23 and just beginning my post-bacc. By the time I graduate from dental school, most of my friends will have established careers, relationships and perhaps even starting their families. Me? I'll be in 200K+ debt.k

Edit: I'll also be starting my dental career, which is awesome. I'm not normally this pessimistic, I swear!

No sympathy here. I'm in the same boat.

Kinda wish that I finished my bachelors and went straight to medical school. Instead I delayed and added 2 more years because I went pharmacy. My sister would've been practicing as an attending for 2 years by the time that I am done.

Also, nothing keeping you from establishing a relationship or starting a family during this time.

 

[E46Chick]

--I will be 31 when I start working on my pre-reqs.
--Current GPA 3.0 will have AABA in May 2011, working full-time but will quit job in August 2011 before the real work begins.
--I will be 34-35 (I hope) when I enter med school (pending acceptance and all)
--39 when done with med school
--43 when I finish residency

...at times I wish I had the balls to do this sooner but I had to grow up first and I am glad that I did. I am sure being older has it's benefits in terms of mental/emotional stability (with some of us) but I worry (we all do) from time to time...probably about nothing.

I wonder if my desire to be a trauma or general surgeon is pie-in-the-sky dreaming or is this something I can really do at that age? I have a excellent hand-eye coordination, 20/15 vision and am highly tacticle and can easily visualize in 3D an object I am touching but cannot see. Will this fade (duh) as I age?

Admittedly I am scared S#%#^less as I barrel down this course on fire, eyebrows singed and body braced for impact...but hell...what do I know?

Ramblings of a 31 year old hospital butcher wanna be!

 

[Pons Asinorum]

...

I would highly recommend scrubbing your name and actual identifying information such as your email or LinkedIn profile from your signature. This is a place that rewards anonymity. Nothing good will come from people being able to identify you here.

 

[Torr]

I would highly recommend scrubbing your name and actual identifying information such as your email or LinkedIn profile from your signature. This is a place that rewards anonymity. Nothing good will come from people being able to identify you here.

Am I the only one that cared more about my age when I was in my early 20's? When I turned 24 I was like "OMG. I'm not even in med school yet!". Now that I'm older I just don't think about it. People keep trying to convince me that I'm old (grandma!) but I just don't feel it.

I mean being a woman, the whole biological clock thing does come up once in a while but I figure I'll just go freeze some eggs soon and be rid of that concern.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Am I the only one that cared more about my age when I was in my early 20's? When I turned 24 I was like "OMG. I'm not even in med school yet!". Now that I'm older I just don't think about it. People keep trying to convince me that I'm old (grandma!) but I just don't feel it.

I mean being a woman, the whole biological clock thing does come up once in a while but I figure I'll just go freeze some eggs soon and be rid of that concern.

I'm with you here as well. Five years ago I was like "Oh boy 30" and it was going to be a big deal. I'm 28 now and not caring so much. It gets a tad daunting when I think of my age when I finish if I start at 32, but I'll be that age doing something I'm passionate about. It phases me a whole lot less now.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

If I am fortunate and matriculate next year, I'll be ~36 when I start, 43 when I finish residency, and I have to figure out how to have kids in there too... I get that you're worried about your age OP, but there are many of way further up the list... We've had careers, mainly the wrong ones, and are making a change. To my benefit, even going to school etc, I will take in more money than I would have if I worked in this job until I retire; there are people on here who can't even say that...

 

[ChemMed]

I just realized...I'm going to be in school until I'm 30.

That sounds so daunting. I'm 23 and just beginning my post-bacc. By the time I graduate from dental school, most of my friends will have established careers, relationships and perhaps even starting their families. Me? I'll be in 200K+ debt.k

Edit: I'll also be starting my dental career, which is awesome. I'm not normally this pessimistic, I swear!

I'll be starting med-school at 30 so I'm afraid I can't give you to much sympathy, but your not old and life will happen one way or another. It doesn't stop just because you had a career. You'll be fine. Don't worry to much about it.

 

[sgtbrushes]

Try to take everyone's comments not as flaming but as, "You're actually in pretty good shape. Stay optimistic." Besides, life expectancies nowadays are in the 70s or 80s. Who cares if you're in school till your 30s? It's better than working for 50 years. I went to work straight out of high school, and now I'm back in school. You know what? School is a hell of a lot better than working...

 

[gunito]

Ill be $350k in debt (hopefully less) and 35 when i finish my residency. I will also have to support my family with school loans and resident wages...Would you rather do something you love or keep up with your friends?

 

[drgioiadds]

I'll be 35-36 when I start DO school. I'm in the process of changing careers - I don't think I'll be old when I'm done school. I feel younger now (and am in way better shape) that I was when I started dental school at 22.

 

[91W10]

I just realized...I'm going to be in school until I'm 30.

That sounds so daunting. I'm 23 and just beginning my post-bacc. By the time I graduate from dental school, most of my friends will have established careers, relationships and perhaps even starting their families. Me? I'll be in 200K+ debt.k

Edit: I'll also be starting my dental career, which is awesome. I'm not normally this pessimistic, I swear!

I love the general response from people like me: you will finish at an age that is younger than when we started.

Do not worry about the time too much. We are all racing towards the same finish line.