I am 29 and considering getting my undergrad and then heading off to med school. I have owned a business in media but don’t feel that I am doing what I want to be doing. I can’t shake the idea of being a doctor. Has anyone ever gotten their undergrad late in life and gone to med school? Will I be the oldest in class? What advice do you have for me?
Are you too old? No. There are a lot of things to this question.
But also be aware that the vast majority of people who go to college planning on going to medical school, don’t. They don’t have good GPA’s, or struggle with general weed out classes in undergrad and self select Out. Even most of those that actually apply don’t get In. Highly qualified applicants often time need a second cycle.
So, 4 years of undergrad (maybe less depending on if you have college credits, but you’d likely need to take biology, chemistry, organic, biochemistry, and physics, which is at least 2 years. MCAT, 4 years of medical school then at least a 3 year residency. So, likely need a decade of time.
Right now a physician can make serious money. A lowly paid MD is making a couple hundred grand, but most often you go a few hundred G’s in debt, and you aren’t contributing to retirement for a decade. If you have a great career, your opportunity cost of going to medical school can be quite staggering. No one really knows what you will get paid when you graduate and get licensed a decade later. It probably won’t be peanuts, but the socialistic tendency of the populace will be reflected in your paycheck.
Unless there is significant changes to reimbursement, you could work 40-65 and retire wealthy. You have less room for error than say I, who became an attending at 29.
Emotionally, it can be harder as your older, especially if you have a wife and kids. Medicine is hierarchical, often times to stupidly so. MS and residents can be degraded if their upper levels or just the system. As a MS3 during surgery, I had to get up there early (often a 0430) to make a stupid list at special copier to make a booklet. If this wasn’t done, i was yelled at for being stupid. preround, then round with intern at 0515, then with PGY3 at 0600, to be ready in the OR by 0700 to be either ignored while watching the resident get berated, or get pimped. Again most of medical school was a good experience, but there was tons of garbage, that looking back, didn’t need to be there.
Good luck. I hope you figure it out. I hope you enjoy your journey, wherever you go.