Is 40 years old too late to start down the path of doctorhood?

[Analog Synth Guy]

TLDR: 40 years old, BA degree (few/old STEM classes), fear of cost & lost wages, but eager to pursue a higher-purpose calling.

I'm curious how many of you (or if you know anyone who has) started down the road to become a doctor late in life (and has been successful).

I'm 40 now. I only have a liberal arts degree (BA in General Studies in 2019) and a couple science classes which are now over a decade old. My GAP during that degree was 3.9, but I have some older classes, including for an AA and some other random college where I wasn't as successful. Assuming I study for and get a competitive MCAT score by spring of next year, and only apply to schools with no specific STEM pre-reqs, I would be starting medical school at the age of 41. After four years of medical school and another three to seven of residency, I'm staring down the barrel of being around 50+ years old when I start my career as a doctor. If I do end up needing pre-reqs, add another year or two onto that. Not a huge change, but that would mean starting medical school at age 42 or 43.

I know I can still have a long and prosperous career and help hundreds or thousands of people going this route and the way I see it, in ten years, either way I'll be 50 years old; do I want to be a 50-year-old doctor or a 50-year-old still working in IT? I love IT, but I don't feel like it's my calling.

I was active duty in the Army for 14 years as an LPN. I graduated top of my class and loved being a nurse, but about two years ago, I got a couple IT certs and got out of the Army to pursue a career in IT. It's fine, but I feel like I could be (and should be) doing more with my life.

I am working with an AMEDD recruiter who is suggesting I apply for the HPSP, a scholarship through the military where they pay for the whole thing (except MCAT test/prep and school applications) and even give you a stipend for living expenses while you're in school, but given my age, I'm not confident I would be able to commission following medical school, as who knows what health conditions might arise in the next eight to ten years? So, while that's the ideal situation, I might have to fund this completely on my own through loans and whatever scholarships I might be able to get.

If I were to fund this on my own, I would come out of school with several hundred thousand dollars in student debt, with only making $50-$60k during residency. Essentially, I'd have nearly a decade of lost wages. I know mathematically that after that, I'd be looking at probably around $200k+ for the next couple decades. I don't ever plan on retiring (unless boards and regulatory considerations become too cumbersome), so I could easily have at least 20+ years of practice.

While it's not money or prestige that motivates me (again, I do pretty well now and live well below my means anyway), it's the financial situation that really scares me about all this.

I'm curious to know this community's thoughts on my situation. I'll be happy to provide any additional details you like. I guess I'm really hoping to find some encouragement from this community and others (or stories of those you may know) who've been successful pursuing this sort of calling this late in life. I think I understand now why people have mid-life crises; it's an age where you're still young enough to pursue even lofty goals (though I'll likely never be an astronaut) but also an age where wisdom, discretion, and - let's be frank; comfort - temper those goals and expectations. I would absolutely have to make some sacrifices in my free time and extracurricular activities (I'd have to quit my successful cover band), but I don't have children or really anything holding me back from pursuing this full-tilt.

NOTE: Aside from my 14 years as a nurse, I continue to work IT in a hospital and have many doctor friends with whom I have high levels of mutual respect and admiration, all of whom would be thrilled to write glowing recommendation letters, so that, at least, would not be an issue. I'm also a fairly competent writer and have a lot of diverse experiences given my age and career(s), so I think I could write a compelling personal statement. It's really the pre-reqs and/or MCAT that I would need to bust my tail over in these next few months.

What do you think?

EDIT: I will periodically be editing this. I will bold edits so as to differentiate them from the OP, depending on who replies and when.

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[PeteytheFish]

The answer to your question honestly has nothing to do with other people and everything to do with you. If you think that you would rather be a doctor than an IT worker when you are 50, then you should do it and be confident in your decision.

I'm a fourth year medical student and am 40 years old. I'm not the oldest one in my class, nor would I be in the class below me, or the class below that. I know of a second year who is 46, and who is just fine with that. Me? I realized in my mid-thirties that I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least try to go to medical school, so here I am, about to apply for residency.

It is not an easy path, but then it isn't an easy path for anyone. Medical school sucks, no matter how you slice it. I have the benefit of having lived a life - I had a different career, I pursued all kinds of higher education prior to med school, I traveled the world, I got married, I bought a house, I lived life as a real adult. And that serves me extremely well in med school. Unlike my youngest classmates, I understand the world of work and am able to navigate the politics of medical school in a way that some of them are not. I don't spin out about the small stuff. My attendings, faculty, deans, etc. are all my age (or younger), so I am not afraid of working with them and establishing close relationships. That part is great.

On the other hand, I also work with residents who are in their late 20s and have never managed anyone, so that can be a nightmare. I have different expectations of how a person should be treated at work, and medicine does not necessarily live up to that (but you know that already). I also feel the physical impact - it's hard to stand all day, shift my sleep schedule around, function at a high level when consistently sleep-deprived. All of that would be easier if I were 28.

If you want to do it, do it. Get on the train now and then get off again as soon as you are able. I totally recommend it and don't regret a thing, but my path is not yours, is not someone else's, and your path is yours alone. If this is the only move that will make you happy, then you should do it and never look back. How you end up feeling about it ultimately is entirely up to you.

The financial situation is terrifying. I'll be graduating this year with close to $300,000 in debt, and my spouse and I are hosed if something happens to me before that is paid off. Let's just say I've become quite good at health maintenance and going to the doctor on the regular. And also, barring disaster, it's going to be OK. I cannot control this factor, so I just have to assume the risk.

Good luck with your decision. Happy to answer questions over DM if you want.

 

[xffan624]

Did you use any of your GI Bill for your IT certs? That can be used to cover most of your medical school, greatly reducing the debt burden.

 

[Analog Synth Guy]

Did you use any of your GI Bill for your IT certs? That can be used to cover most of your medical school, greatly reducing the debt burden.

Oh my god; no, I haven't touched my GI Bill yet. Didn't even consider that! *facepalm*
Yes, that's a great idea. From what I understand, it won't cover all of the tuition, but it would definitely greatly offset the cost! I definitely need to do more research on that and get in touch with a benefits advisor. Thank you for that suggestion. That makes the civilian route a lot more palatable, should I need it! Thank you!

The answer to your question honestly has nothing to do with other people and everything to do with you. If you think that you would rather be a doctor than an IT worker when you are 50, then you should do it and be confident in your decision.


I'm a fourth year medical student and am 40 years old. I'm not the oldest one in my class, nor would I be in the class below me, or the class below that. I know of a second year who is 46, and who is just fine with that. Me? I realized in my mid-thirties that I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least try to go to medical school, so here I am, about to apply for residency.

This is my line of thinking. I'd rather try and fail than not try at all.

It is not an easy path, but then it isn't an easy path for anyone. Medical school sucks, no matter how you slice it. I have the benefit of having lived a life - I had a different career, I pursued all kinds of higher education prior to med school, I traveled the world, I got married, I bought a house, I lived life as a real adult. And that serves me extremely well in med school. Unlike my youngest classmates, I understand the world of work and am able to navigate the politics of medical school in a way that some of them are not. I don't spin out about the small stuff. My attendings, faculty, deans, etc. are all my age (or younger), so I am not afraid of working with them and establishing close relationships. That part is great.

Yes; I was thinking about this, too. It's funny; I joined the Army when I was 24; so I had already lived life a bit and been out in the "real world" so even while the drill sergeants were smoking us, while some of the younger kids were crying or getting upset, I was like, hell; I'm getting paid to do pushups? Yes, please! I do look forward to being a "social equal" (I guess?) with my professors and having my decades of experience as an adult help temper my expectations and conscientiousness when it comes to the stress and workload.

The financial situation is terrifying. I'll be graduating this year with close to $300,000 in debt, and my spouse and I are hosed if something happens to me before that is paid off. Let's just say I've become quite good at health maintenance and going to the doctor on the regular. And also, barring disaster, it's going to be OK. I cannot control this factor, so I just have to assume the risk.

Yeah, as I mentioned (before I was reminded of my GI Bill benefits), I know I'd have some heavy student loan debt, but with some careful planning, taking care of my health, and working to pay them off ASAP, I think I can mitigate a majority of the risk. I feel like a hypocrite, though, since I found Dave Ramsey (the anti-debt guy) a few years ago and have eschewed all debt for years now, only to consider going hundreds of K in debt for this. I might start another thread discussing veterans who've done this on the GI bill and get a good feeling for how much in loans I'll realistically end up with, since I know I'd get a good deal of teh tuition paid for as well as a living stipend. It'd just be a matter of earning money between semesters I'd need to consider.

Good luck with your decision. Happy to answer questions over DM if you want.

Thank you so much. I might take you up on your offer if I think of anything I don't wish to ask publicly (since threads like these can be valuable for people in the future).

 

[xffan624]

Be sure to check out the Veteran benefits subforum in this forum for more information on the GI bill. It covers 36 months of benefits and should fully cover any state school tuition (I think the current rule is regardless of instate status, but definitely look more into this on the website) which depending on your program length would last sometime during during 4th year. There's an extension for STEM programs you can apply for which medical school should qualify for under the spirit of the law but if you read the threads in the subforum there's been some difficulty getting it approved (due to stupid technicalities) so it's not something I would rely on. It's possible by the time you'd be applying for it that this would change, but, of course, who knows.

If you have percent disability, I suppose vocational rehab is a possibility but given that you're already employed in a job I'm not sure how you would justify getting approved for more education. It's designed to help disabled veterans get jobs and education benefits is one benefit that it offers to achieve that.

Re: HPSP the Army HPSP age limit is 42. It can be waivered, but I think the question is do you want to spend your entire medical career as an Army doc? Because if you get HPSP that's pretty much what you'll be doing. By the time you fulfilled your obligation you bumping up on retirement age. You already know the score on military medicine so the normal caveats don't really apply but I'll say it anyway, if you join again, you're an officer first and then a doctor. My experience from working with Army medical folks were that this concept came easiest to the prior service folks anyway.

My background is I direct commissioned as an environment health officer, did 5 1/2 years, and then got out and went to medical school at 30 (used some GI bill and then got approved for Voc rehab). I came out of medical school with no debt which was a nice feeling even if I was a little bit older than some of my colleagues in residency.

 

[Goro]

First off, many thanks for your service to our country. Hooooahh!

Our oldest matriculating student was 56, so yes, you can do it. I'd estimate that you're looking at a 2-3 year period of getting your app up to the point of submission.

 

[Analog Synth Guy]

First off, many thanks for your service to our country. Hooooahh!

Our oldest matriculating student was 56, so yes, you can do it. I'd estimate that you're looking at a 2-3 year period of getting your app up to the point of submission.

Thank you

I'd be interested to know the motivations of that 56-year old (and background, life experiences, financial situation, etc.). I can't imagine if they came out with student loans that they'd ever have enough time pay off the loans and start to earn enough money to really make it worth it, but then again, as with my motivations, it's not about the money. I'm intrigued, I guess, to say the least. Then again, there I go, showing my youth chauvinism: I even said in my OP that I believe I can practice into my 70s, so this dude (or gal) could easily have a wonderful 15+20 year career (or more).

In any case, I'm hoping it won't be a full 2-3 years before I apply, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if it were that long. If I find a school that doesn't require specific semester hours of specific STEM classes (as I understand it, there are many), I was planning on studying for the MCAT for the next 4-6 months and possibly applying for school next year (so yeah, at least one year before matriculation at a minimum), but even if I find I need at least SOME pre-reqs, I can take between 6 and 12 classes a year, depending on how much of a life outside of work and school I want; I've been taking classes via AMU which does 8-week courses, and I wouldn't chance more than 2 courses at a time, maybe only one, depending on how intensive the classes are. For reference:

IF I need pre-reqs:

• I have plenty of English classes. I could be wrong, but I don't see that as a class that a medical school would want me to retake, even if it's old.
• I have biology and A&P (~2011)
• I have a general chemistry semester (but only 1; might need to take retake that and a second one)
• I have at least one, maybe 2 psychology/child development classes. Again, another one I doubt would need to be retaken, but I could be wrong.
• I have algebra, but it's old. I'll probably need to take it again or another math/stats class
• I haven't taken physics since high school, so I'd need that.
• I will definitely need organic chemistry if required, as I've never taken this.

Overall, I don't think I'd need to take more than 6 or 7 classes, and I think/hope my years as a nurse might count for something if a human being is evaluating my application, but that's pretty much my next step; organizing all of my transcripts so an admissions counselor can determine what I need to be eligible/competitive.

I'm also searching for effective MCAT study resources. There doesn't seem to be a consensus, and I get it; when I was studying for the NCLEX (nursing licensure exam), no one could agree on the best study resources either. I guess you just pick one, mix and match, and hope!

 

[Goro]

Check in the MCAT forum for advice.

Your clinical experience counts precisely as that, clinical experience. Your military service counts for more, actually.

Your age may not be the handicap you think it is, as wisdom counts for a lot as well

 

[PikminOC]

My brain is not as sharp as it was in my twenties going thru med school. I also don't have the energy to do med school and residency at this age. Everyone is different with this tho.
Not sure how recent your clinical experience needs to be with apps as you still have a ways to go before applying.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

I started med school at 40 (am a veteran as well) and went into surgery. I'll be 50+ when I finish residency/fellowship so it definitely can be done.

It's great that you still have your full GI Bill. If you apply and choose wisely (state schools or schools with full yellow ribbon), you can get through med school almost debt free. State of residency can also be a big factor for admissions and scholarships if you live in some states such as Texas or North Carolina. Also make sure you check out the Pat Tillman Scholarship and other scholarships which can help with costs. Don't go HSPS for many reasons (check out the military medicine forum for some insight).

Good luck!

 

[Analog Synth Guy]

My brain is not as sharp as it was in my twenties going thru med school. I also don't have the energy to do med school and residency at this age. Everyone is different with this tho.
Not sure how recent your clinical experience needs to be with apps as you still have a ways to go before applying.

Yeah, I have decided that when I start studying for the MCAT (or pre-reqs if/when I need them) and especially actually going to medical school, I will need to set aside extra time and cut some extracurriculars out of my life, at least until I get into a good study groove. I'm still very smart, but I just don't have the energy and focus I did 15 years ago, although it's not too far diminished.

I started med school at 40 (am a veteran as well) and went into surgery. I'll be 50+ when I finish residency/fellowship so it definitely can be done.

Nice! Glad to know there's people out there doing this. I'll probably be 41 or 42 by the time I start, but not too far off.

Don't go HSPS for many reasons (check out the military medicine forum for some insight).

I'm not sure I follow. I poked around for a little bit and didn't see anything that jumped out at me. If it's about being in the military, I've got no issues with that. Anything specific you're referring to or can you share a link?

 

[PikminOC]

Med school is very different from lpn school. It is all consuming and will take up all of your time. It's a full time job just for the lectures and then you have to have to study the rest of the time. As goro said pls look at the premed and med achool forums for assistance.
We had people in med school your age, I really don't know how they did it. We had a crna in my class.

 

[Analog Synth Guy]

Med school is very different from lpn school. It is all consuming and will take up all of your time. It's a full time job just for the lectures and then you have to have to study the rest of the time. As goro said pls look at the premed and med achool forums for assistance.

Thank you, yes, I will be on the MCAT forum a lot when the time comes, maybe in the next month or two. And yeah, I am prepared to make med school my full-time job and cut out much of my free time. For me, LPN school was my full-time job, actually, since I did it through the Army But yeah, I know it's far less intensive than med school will be.

We had people in med school your age, I really don't know how they did it. We had a crna in my class.

Well, as I mentioned, I don't have children or anything really eating up my time and energy other than my job and extracurriculars that I choose to do, so as long as I take care of myself, exercise, etc., I'm confident my age won't be a huge factor in my success (or lack thereof).

 

[karaya]

HPSP Review From An Active Duty Attending

Hello all - I am an active duty physician. I received a military-funded scholarship that paid the cost of medical school called the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP) upon being granted acceptance into medical school. Likely many of you have heard of the program, but despite its...

forums.studentdoctor.net

 

[Goro]

OP, if that's your real name, suggest changing it for anonymity's sake.

 

[BC_89]

I'll echo what others have mentioned on here in terms of using your GI Bill benefits. The link below has some great step-by-step information on what benefits you're eligible for, what benefits you can apply for, and a few examples of peoples questions/experiences within some of these benefits:

Veterans' Benefits

I'll address this in the lens of you preparing for medical school (regardless of your age). In order to see exactly how much of the GI Bill you have left, I would create an account with eBenefits portal page and search for education eligibility (may need a copy of your DD-214 to create an account). Once you log on, it'll tell you how many months/days you have left of your GI Bill. It sounds like you just got out a few years ago, so chances are the Forever GI-Bill applies to you (no longer an expiration date). I'd encourage you to also look in the veterans subforum to see other benefits that may apply to you (STEM scholarship extension, Hazelwood Act if you resided in TX at the time you joined the army, so on and so forth).

In terms of starting later in life, I'll add this - if you have any financial assistance to get you through school, I'd say that is more of a reason to chase a decade worth of studying while literally getting paid to be a student (even if its only a portion). Take advantage of all options rather than simply jumping ship to satisfy an "itch." Plenty do not regret starting later in life, but plenty of others do. If you have no plans of marriage or kids, then I say even more reason to get a head start and prepare for a career pivot (I feel veterans have a bit of an incentive to start later in life having already done things others haven't (good and bad)).

Oh, be sure to apply for our military badge upgrade - Send me a PM of your service verification letter (eBenefits) and I'll take care of the rest.

 

[Splenda88]

My good friend has just started an EM residency at the age of 60.

I started med school in my mid 30s. I am an attending now and love it. You gonna get old(er) regardless. It's never too late.

 

[Analog Synth Guy]

OP, if that's your real name, suggest changing it for anonymity's sake.

I hadn't planned on posting anything I wouldn't want known publicly about me or attributed to me, but I suppose you're right. You never know. In any case, I can't change it for 2 weeks, but when I can, I will. Thank you!

I'll echo what others have mentioned on here in terms of using your GI Bill benefits. The link below has some great step-by-step informative information on what benefits you're eligible for, what benefits you can apply for, and a few examples of peoples questions/experiences within some of these benefits:

Veterans' Benefits

I'll address this in the lens of you preparing for medical school (regardless of your age). In order to see exactly how much of the GI Bill you have left, I would create an account with eBenefits portal page and search for education eligibility (may need a copy of your DD-214 to create an account). Once you log on, it'll tell you how many months/days you have left of your GI Bill. It sounds like you just got out a few years ago, so chances are the Forever GI-Bill applies to you (no longer an expiration date). I'd encourage you to also look in the veterans subforum to see other benefits that may apply to you (STEM scholarship extension, Hazelwood Act if you resided in TX at the time you joined the army, so on and so forth).

In terms of starting later in life, I'll add this - if you have any financial assistance to get you through school, I'd say that is more of a reason to chase a decade worth of studying while literally getting paid to be a student (even if its only a portion). Take advantage of all options rather than simply jumping ship to satisfy an "itch." Plenty do not regret starting later in life, but plenty of others do. If you have no plans of marriage or kids, then I say even more reason to get a head start and prepare for a career pivot (I feel veterans have a bit of an incentive to start later in life having already done things others haven't (good and bad)).

Oh, be sure to apply for our military badge upgrade - Send me a PM of your service verification letter (eBenefits) and I'll take care of the rest.

Good advice; I will send you that when I can. I haven't applied to the eBenefits site yet (even though I'm not active duty Army anymore, I'm not Air National Guard but haven't needed my GI Bill yet).

My good friend has just started an EM residency at the age of low 60s.

I started med school in my mid 30s. I am an attending now and love it. You gonna get old(er) regardless. It's never too late.

That's incredible! I guess people (who take care of themselves) are living longer these days, so he could easily have a 15 or 20 year career. Good on him.

 

[gyngyn]

In any case, I can't change it for 2 weeks, but when I can, I will.

Let me know what you would like it changed to and I'll do it!

 

[CajunMedic]

Not at all. I started medical school at 37 after a career in EMS as a Paramedic, time in the military, and working on the Mississippi river on towboats. I turned 40 on an Emergency Medicine away rotation. I'm 46 now, working as a emergency medicine attending and an EMS Medical Director. I used my post 9/11 GI bill to get through undergrad, I wish I had used it for medical school

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

I've had life kick me in the bollocks for half of my life. I'm finally moving towards what I want to do and nothing else really matters to me. I'm mid 30s. Financially, even starting premed in your 40s will work out to be well above the average/median US. You just wont have a mansion and 5 cars (unless you dump your retirement account).

My IRL friend just started psych residency at 45.

My only (neurotic) concerns are never being able to say "worked 40 years in the field" or that I somehow won't be good enough, but the truth is you don't need 10-20+ years of experience as an attending to be a great physician, or even one of the best physicians. Many residents and new attendings are staying more up on the research, have natural communication abilities, etc.

To me it's more about staying active and passionate, and never "phoning it in". That is what separates good doctors from great ones, and yes, there are going to be some 30+ years experience superdocs, but that's ok, it means you can learn from them.

 

[rangerdad]

Bro let's go! I am 40 and just finishing my 2nd year. I just won my appeal for Voc Rehab and can pay for my school. School is the hardest thing you will ever have to do, especially at this age (I remember when I was sharp and never got tired) but it will be amazing.

 

[operaman]

You may find medical school to be surprisingly easier than you think. Nothing you learn is med school is that challenging; it’s just the sheer volume of relatively simple concepts coming at you at once. The drinking from a firehouse metaphor is pretty accurate.

As a fellow non trad and with many non trad colleagues and friends, I think we have a slightly easier time adapting to the idea of school truly being a full time job because we’ve actually worked a full time job before. I found myself just approaching school like a job and devoting similar hours and it was fairly manageable. The unforgivable sin in Med school is procrastination. Avoid that and you’ll be just fine.

I think the only place where I struggled a bit more was residency. The overnight “home” calls followed by full days were especially tough for me. In my 20s I think I could have chugged a coffee and been fine the next day, but I definitely had a harder time bouncing back. Thankfully I was in a program with very infrequent call.

But other than that, doing medical training with the perspective of a fully formed adult is pretty awesome. Patients and faculty respect you more and will tend to assume your competence based on your appearance. You will definitely get mistaken for an attending many times, and have to disappoint everyone when you reveal you’re the intern.

But it sure is a heck of a lot of fun. I had an absolute blast through med school and residency. Fellowship was so amazing I’d be a lifelong fellow if I could have gotten paid enough to do so. And now attending life is fantastic too. Scarier for sure, but I still pinch myself that I get paid to do this job.

 

[Hollow Knight]

One of my classmates is over 40 with over 10 kids. You'll be fine!

 

[Ho0v-man]

You can do it if you want. But I wouldn’t, personally.

It’s not like I don’t find the subject matter interesting or important. But this “calling” stuff is basically just manufactured by the powers that be to get us to give even more self-sacrifice to a system that will never love you back.

During the pandemic, hospital administrators didn’t even try to be subtle about how little they cared if we live or die, just make sure your H&P has the maximum billable codes in it.

I will mention though that if you go to med school, then you’re likely taking a spot from someone who would practice 30+ years so you can practice 10-15 years. If this is a “I want to help people” goal, then you’d actually benefit society more by NOT going because you’d be taking 15+ years of a doctor away from it if you attend.

My personal advice, don’t blow up your comfortable life for this. It’s just a job.

 

[lanzhou_lamian]

It’s not like I don’t find the subject matter interesting or important. But this “calling” stuff is basically just manufactured by the powers that be to get us to give even more self-sacrifice to a system that will never love you back.

During the pandemic, hospital administrators didn’t even try to be subtle about how little they cared if we live or die, just make sure your H&P has the maximum billable codes in it.

I agree with this. Medicine is great, but the "calling" rhetoric is often used to exploit healthcare professionals to work more, in more dangerous conditions, for less pay, because if they are "truly passionate about medicine, then it shouldn't be about the compensation." If you feel a strong pull towards medicine, that's great, but just go in with your eyes open to the fact that even though doctors may care deeply about patients, admin cares deeply about money, and as a doctor this can cause conflicts that you'll often be on the losing end of.

I will mention though that if you go to med school, then you’re likely taking a spot from someone who would practice 30+ years so you can practice 10-15 years. If this is a “I want to help people” goal, then you’d actually benefit society more by NOT going because you’d be taking 15+ years of a doctor away from it if you attend.

Disagree. Your average outpatient ophthalmologist will probably see magnitudes more patients in their career than the average IP vascular surgeon, just because of length of procedure. Does that mean the vascular surgeon is contributing less or that their spot in medicine was a waste? I wouldn't determine a doctor's worth based on number of patients seen or numbers of years practiced. Just be good to the patients that you see. Plus, even if OP were to retire after 15 years, there are no shortage of people clamoring to get into medical school to replenish that number.

 

[Ho0v-man]

I agree with this. Medicine is great, but the "calling" rhetoric is often used to exploit healthcare professionals to work more, in more dangerous conditions, for less pay, because if they are "truly passionate about medicine, then it shouldn't be about the compensation." If you feel a strong pull towards medicine, that's great, but just go in with your eyes open to the fact that even though doctors may care deeply about patients, admin cares deeply about money, and as a doctor this can cause conflicts that you'll often be on the losing end of.


Disagree. Your average outpatient ophthalmologist will probably see magnitudes more patients in their career than the average IP vascular surgeon, just because of length of procedure. Does that mean the vascular surgeon is contributing less or that their spot in medicine was a waste? I wouldn't determine a doctor's worth based on number of patients seen or numbers of years practiced. Just be good to the patients that you see. Plus, even if OP were to retire after 15 years, there are no shortage of people clamoring to get into medical school to replenish that number.

You misunderstand. If OP starts PGY-1 at X program at 45 years old, then likely he/she has displaced someone who would have been otherwise been a PGY-1 there but about 20 years younger.

There’s no shortage of people clamoring to get into med school, but there are finite positions for training and a shortage/maldistribution of physicians. Using finite training resources to train someone who will practice in a specialty ~20 years less than someone else worsens the shortage of physicians in that specialty. This is not up for debate.

 

[lanzhou_lamian]

You misunderstand. If OP starts PGY-1 at X program at 45 years old, then likely he/she has displaced someone who would have been otherwise been a PGY-1 there but about 20 years younger.

There’s no shortage of people clamoring to get into med school, but there are finite positions for training and a shortage/maldistribution of physicians. Using finite training resources to train someone who will practice in a specialty ~20 years less than someone else worsens the shortage of physicians in that specialty. This is not up for debate.

No, I understand what you're saying. I just don't think it matters. The fact that America chooses to artificially cap the number of physician training positions leading to a "shortage" has nothing to do with whether OP should go to medical school or the impact they can have once they're a physician. I also don't think anyone should practice for any longer or shorter than they personally want to due to the shortage. Doctor's social contribution is helping patients. Making sure there are enough doctors such that there's not a shortage should be the social contribution of politicians and the AMA.

 

[RustBeltOnc]

OP: Yes, you can do it. You can get into medical school and complete a residency.

However, I've noticed over the years that similar threads often minimize/dismiss/ignore the challenges of the new attending physician.
People seem to expect the gratification once residency finishes. That's often not the case. Yes, it depends on the field but for many, this stage is the most difficult, in part because you can't predict when you feel comfortable/confident.

Will it take one year? Two? Three? Will you still be in good physical shape when you really hit your stride?

Please take this issue into consideration.