Is this even possible?

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mms62

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Hi folks. I've been lurking on this site for about a year, mostly reading the "things I learned from my patients" threads. I finally decided to join, as I've been debating going back to school.

My educational background: Bachelor of Science, double major in mathematics and biology. M.S in mathematics, concentration in statistics and probability theory, and Ph.D coursework in mathematics, with a concentration in biostatistics. I earned a 4.0GPA throughout all of that, though I never finished my Ph.D.

Currently I'm a 38 year old single mother of three teenagers. My interest in medicine began when my oldest was diagnosed with a relatively rare bone disease when he was a preschooler. The other two kids were tested and the youngest was also affected. So, I've spent the last 12 years in and out of doctors offices and hospitals. The more I experience with the boys, the more interested I've become in the field of radiology. I find that I'm fascinated looking at the various types of scans and studies my boys' surgeon has ordered. Even better, their surgeon is awesome and takes the time to teach me what I'm looking at.

So, as the boys have gotten older and more independent, I'm considering going back to school, but instead of finishing my Ph.D, I'm considering medical school. From what I've researched, my educational background and grades should be sufficient, though of course I'd have to study quite a bit of biology and chemistry to have a prayer of performing well enough on the MCAT to get a decent score. I'm a pretty good student, so I think I can do that, given enough time.

My question for you is this: at my age, is medical school and residency even possible? I don't know a lot about the realities of medical school; only what I've read online. It seems pretty intense, so I'm not sure that I can balance my family needs with being a student again. My youngest is just barely a teenager, but the older kids are pretty self sufficient and I could rely on them for a few years to help keep the house going (I'm divorced and get no help from my ex). Financially I could swing being out of work for four years, so that's not an issue. I still have the issue of multiple doctors' visits and several operations a year between the two affected boys, but those are generally outpatient surgeries or single overnights, and again, I can rely on the other boys to help in the recovery process of the one who's had surgery.

I'd appreciate honest opinions about attempting medical school this late in life, and any advise about making it work if I do decide to go for it. Thanks!

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My question for you is this: at my age, is medical school and residency even possible? I don't know a lot about the realities of medical school; only what I've read online. It seems pretty intense, so I'm not sure that I can balance my family needs with being a student again. My youngest is just barely a teenager, but the older kids are pretty self sufficient and I could rely on them for a few years to help keep the house going (I'm divorced and get no help from my ex). Financially I could swing being out of work for four years, so that's not an issue. I still have the issue of multiple doctors' visits and several operations a year between the two affected boys, but those are generally outpatient surgeries or single overnights, and again, I can rely on the other boys to help in the recovery process of the one who's had surgery.

Short answer: Yes, it's possible. Long answer: Yes, it's possible, but whether or not it's possible really isn't the question you should be asking. You should be asking what it would take and what sacrifices it would require, and whether the process will still be worthwhile considering all that.

For example, let's look at this purely from a debt-and-earnings standpoint. You're 38; let's say that takes two years to get into medical school. That has you in medical school at 40 and out at 44. Median educational debt for a medical school graduate in the US is $175k as per the AAMC. Now let's assume you land a residency in a good specialty- quite possible considering your academic talents. That'll be another 5 or so years. Realistically, you're not going to start earning a good paycheck or making headway on that debt until you're 50.

Does this mean you can't go this pathway? Absolutely not. You just need to examine what repercussions this will have for your life. Are you deadset at retiring at/around 60 years old so you can travel the world while you're still somewhat young? That's really not going to be compatible with this career path. Does the thought of working until 70+ not bother you so long as you're fulfilled in your career? Then great, this won't be an issue for you at all.

Ask the same questions for everything else. Do you have the time to devote 40-60 hours a week to academics on top of being a mom? Will you have the energy to work 60-80 hour weeks as a resident? Do you have any compelling reason to suspect you won't be able to work long enough to address the educational debt? Are you ok with uprooting your family if you need to relocate somewhere in two years for medical school, four years later for residency, and five or so years after that for a permanent job?

Literally all of this is up to you, so it really comes down to knowing thyself. There are people who do it though, so it's a matter of you rather than the pathway. But yes, it's something you can do if all things considered you find it worthwhile.
 
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Thanks for the reply. You brought up a few things I hadn't thought of and a few things I have thought of, but haven't come up with a solid answer yet.

Uprooting my family is a major concern. Given that the disorder the two boys have is relatively rare, I'm somewhat limited in location by where there are experienced surgeons. That could present a problem, though possibly not. If I got accepted into the medical school in my current city, that wouldn't be an issue at all. There are also good med schools in the cities where I know there are experienced surgeons for my boys. The issue, of course, is that I'm self-limiting schools, which makes things more difficult for me than somebody who could move just anywhere. On the other hand, my boys are teenagers. My oldest will be graduating from high school in three years, and the other two aren't that far behind. Given the hypothetical timeline you gave, they'd all be in college themselves by the time I graduated med school, so moving myself is less of a concern at that point. Of course, that does raise other issues such as state residency for tuition purposes, but that's something I'm willing to work with down the line.

I'm perfectly okay working into my 70's, barring some major health disaster. As of now, I can't see that happening. I'm in really good health and generally have more energy than my friends who are the same age (and younger!) While I obviously can't predict the future, I don't see that changing any time soon. What I can see happening is the boys graduating and going off to college, leaving me really bored and having no idea what to do with myself. Right now I'm balancing the needs of three kids, two dogs, household responsibilities and a job with absolutely no help at all from any other adults. I even find time for a social life! One way or the other, I do want to go back to school. Failing to finish my Ph.D leaves me feeling like something's just not complete. If I decide against med school, I'll start another Ph.D program. That might be the easier route, but I like to challenge myself.

I do know that if I go the med school route, I want to go into radiology. None of the other specialties hold anywhere close to the same interest for me. I've been reading quite a bit about what residency is like for radiology, to get an idea of what I'd be signing up for.
 
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It's doable, but really research things. If you are limited in geography AND in specialties you think youd be happy with, you might be putting too many conditions on this path to be a good one. Radiology requires good boards scores, and requires a prelim year, four years of residency and then in most cases a fellowship. So it's really one of the longer paths, comparable to a lot of the surgical subspecialties. Also bear in mind that for some of medicine you may experience 80 hour work weeks, both in 3rd year of med school and in intern year, where you have overnight call and work weekends. Not a biggie IMHO, but a lot of people would have trouble wrapping their minds around spending their 40s running around alone on the wards all night a couple of times a week. Do your due diligence, its not for everyone, but it's not impossible.
 
To seriously consider this, you need to decide if you're willing to accept 300k plus interest in debt, and actually run the math on how that will affect your life. You obviously have the math skills to do that. The median debt may be 175k but that number is heavily influenced by people whose parents can pay for some or all of their education, and also people at state schools. The median debt at private schools is closer to 200k. The COA at many private schools is now over 300k, and even at most public schools it's 200k in most places and it is getting higher and higher every year. You've stated that your sons need to be near specialized surgeons, which presumably means you have to live in a large city where the cost of living is going to be higher as well. Student debt interest rates are also slated to go up now that they've tied the interest rate to the 10 year treasure bond. Understand that going to medical school in your 40s doesn't just mean that you would need to work until your 70s. It might mean that you could never retire, or that doing so would be financially ruinous. Student debt is not like other debt, it cannot be discharged in bankruptcy the same way that other forms of debt can. And in terms of your specific interest, there's lots of chatter right now about problems in the radiology job market right now. Hard to say what the field will look like by the time you'd get to residency, much less an attending. Do you really want to take all those risks that with two children with serious medical conditions?

I'd like to be positive but I'll be honest, in your situation I would never consider medical school a viable option.
 
You also have to consider if you would be happy going into fields other than radiology..... I don't think it's wise to pigeon hole your aspirations, unless it's family med or peds,.....because you may not get that residency you want. Get experience shadowing more fields is my suggestion. If you feel the excitement in the mundane tasks of family medicine or psych, then you should keep looking into medicine!
 
The debt is a serious consideration. That is one of the things that lead me to finally start asking questions instead of just reading. As for specialties, while at the moment I really do like the idea of radiology, I'm not against the idea that I'd get into rotations and discover that there's something else I like as much or better. After all, here I am considering a drastic change from my original educational goals!

Right now this is just a consideration. Thank you for your honest opinions. I'm still in the research stage of deciding which way I want to go, so you've been very helpful and have given me a lot of food for thought. With the research I've been doing before I ever posted, I was leaning towards the idea that med school wouldn't be an option, and I was thinking about just finishing a Ph.D. I just don't feel like I'm "done", if that makes any sense. I've never been happy that I dropped out of my Ph.D program, so there will be some sort of school in the future. It's now only a matter of "which one."
 
The debt is a serious consideration. That is one of the things that lead me to finally start asking questions instead of just reading. As for specialties, while at the moment I really do like the idea of radiology, I'm not against the idea that I'd get into rotations and discover that there's something else I like as much or better. After all, here I am considering a drastic change from my original educational goals!

Right now this is just a consideration. Thank you for your honest opinions. I'm still in the research stage of deciding which way I want to go, so you've been very helpful and have given me a lot of food for thought. With the research I've been doing before I ever posted, I was leaning towards the idea that med school wouldn't be an option, and I was thinking about just finishing a Ph.D. I just don't feel like I'm "done", if that makes any sense. I've never been happy that I dropped out of my Ph.D program, so there will be some sort of school in the future. It's now only a matter of "which one."

With your background I'd strongly suggest going back for a PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, or population health rather than an MD. Quantitative skills are in demand and there is lots of opportunity to be involved in healthcare issues going that route.
 
I know a woman that was in a similar situation, and also has one child with a special condition. Her first MCAT was low 20s. Somehow she persevered and matriculated at 41 years old. She ended up graduating close to top of the class, got into AOA (medical honor society) and matched the residency she wanted. Neuro Med Peds or something like that. She is now in her second year of residency.

You aren't too old, and I think that your children will be marvelous motivation, as long as you have the right support system in place to help you out with them while you are in med school. If you are really convinced that it is medicine and nothing else, I can't see why you should let age be a bother.
 
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This is unlikely. AAMC lists $300k as 93rd percentile in debt burden for medical school graduates. Median debt would be $175k.

https://www.aamc.org/download/152968/data/debtfactcard.pdf

That is for graduates in 2013. She would be graduating in....2020? 2021? That number is not going to hold. And as I said, the median number is distorted by people whose parents can help with the costs, and people who can go to state schools. The availability of cheaper state schools is heavily dependent on your state of residency, and she needs to expect higher cost of living due to having a family and needing to be in a city.

300k needs to be contemplated seriously by everyone who is financing their education on loans.
 
Absolutely possible! Being a 4.0 student, I doubt you will have any issues balancing your dreams with family life.

I am trying to pursue my dreams and it doesn't help being 30+. It is hard for me to balance my full-time job with pre-med studies.
I have started my studies with TBR Physical Chem and have planned my prep. over 4 years time while keeping my FT job.

If you strongly feel it, go ahead and do it... love to quote my fav line...
"It is very hard, at times you wonder if it is worth it and if you are able to even do it. Ask yourself this, will you be happier?"
 
I have to second SN12357; if you plan on going this alone, (i.e no finances from parents, significant savings) you should have to be comfortable with $300K, or $250 at the least.

OP, make sure you are willing to move. It may almost certainly be in the cards, unless you are fortunate.
 
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I was very lucky in that I have no student loans from my past education. I was able to fund my other degrees through merit scholarships and graduate TA's, so I'd be going into this debt free. That is one advantage that a lot of students don't have, as many have loans from their undergrad work as well. I also think it's wise to estimate on the high side, so the $300k figure isn't out of line. Without going into too much detail about my finances, I will be able to meet basic living expenses without working, so that might help as well. I do need to be in a major city though, which makes things tricky. I've looked into Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Diego, NYC, and Minneapolis. I'm fairly confident that with my previous academic records, and assuming I earn a suitable score on the MCAT, I should be able to overcome the gap in years since I was last in school and be able to get accepted into a decent school. I'm not as confident about the Ivy's, but I'm not going to write myself off either.

SN12357, my original Ph.D program was mathematics/biostats (my school didn't offer a plain biostats program). That option is still on the table. I will research the other options you suggested. Medical research is something that interests me, so options other than medical school that could get me into a research position are something I've been looking into. I've worked in educational research and banking up until now, so regardless of what option I choose, I need to put a significant amount of time into studying the hard sciences again in order to be competitive.

DocWinter, I'm definitely willing to move, especially as the boys get older. The nature of the condition they have is such that the need for surgery decreases substantially as the patient stops growing. While I'm still unwilling to be away from experienced surgeons, the demands on my time will become significantly less as the years progress. I'm a bit leery of posting the name of the condition on a public forum, so please forgive me for being vague.

I'm still quite torn. I'm aiming to matriculate at either a med school or a Ph.D program by 2016 or 2017, so I'm running out of time to commit to one option or another.
 
Why didn't you finish your PhD and how far away were you from finishing it at the time?
 
I was two terms into the coursework. I delivered a baby at 24 weeks gestation, had a three year old and one year old already, and my husband left me and disappeared (and I haven't seen him since). Trying to work, take care of three babies, and go to school at the same time proved to be to much. I never intended to be out of school this long. Life just took over. The oldest and youngest were diagnosed with the bone disease, normal issues raising a family by myself and just life has kept me busy. I've finally decided that I'm not happy with things as they are and no more excuses. The kids are older and the demands on my time are less significant. I've been working hard to put myself in a financial position to be able to go back to school, so I won't have any excuses!
 
As others have mentioned, it is definitely possible to pursue an MD in your circumstance. Given your stellar grades, I'm going to assume you'll be able to have a stellar MCAT score as well. With that in mind, I do think it is realistic for you to get into a school that will have the medical care you need for your children.

At the end of day, I don't think there is a right or wrong, better or worst decision on whether you should go back and finish your PhD or pursue an MD. There will be pros/cons with both and I don't think there will be a strong factor that makes one better than the other. You'll just have to pick one and be at peace with it.
 
yes, it's doable. Some of my all time best student have been in their 30s and 40s. One just graduated at age ~50.

Hi folks. I've been lurking on this site for about a year, mostly reading the "things I learned from my patients" threads. I finally decided to join, as I've been debating going back to school.

My educational background: Bachelor of Science, double major in mathematics and biology. M.S in mathematics, concentration in statistics and probability theory, and Ph.D coursework in mathematics, with a concentration in biostatistics. I earned a 4.0GPA throughout all of that, though I never finished my Ph.D.

Currently I'm a 38 year old single mother of three teenagers. My interest in medicine began when my oldest was diagnosed with a relatively rare bone disease when he was a preschooler. The other two kids were tested and the youngest was also affected. So, I've spent the last 12 years in and out of doctors offices and hospitals. The more I experience with the boys, the more interested I've become in the field of radiology. I find that I'm fascinated looking at the various types of scans and studies my boys' surgeon has ordered. Even better, their surgeon is awesome and takes the time to teach me what I'm looking at.

So, as the boys have gotten older and more independent, I'm considering going back to school, but instead of finishing my Ph.D, I'm considering medical school. From what I've researched, my educational background and grades should be sufficient, though of course I'd have to study quite a bit of biology and chemistry to have a prayer of performing well enough on the MCAT to get a decent score. I'm a pretty good student, so I think I can do that, given enough time.

My question for you is this: at my age, is medical school and residency even possible? I don't know a lot about the realities of medical school; only what I've read online. It seems pretty intense, so I'm not sure that I can balance my family needs with being a student again. My youngest is just barely a teenager, but the older kids are pretty self sufficient and I could rely on them for a few years to help keep the house going (I'm divorced and get no help from my ex). Financially I could swing being out of work for four years, so that's not an issue. I still have the issue of multiple doctors' visits and several operations a year between the two affected boys, but those are generally outpatient surgeries or single overnights, and again, I can rely on the other boys to help in the recovery process of the one who's had surgery.

I'd appreciate honest opinions about attempting medical school this late in life, and any advise about making it work if I do decide to go for it. Thanks!
 
Based on all your replies, I'm going to start looking into possibilities in more earnest. There's a lot of overlap in the areas of academic study I need to re-learn in order to be competitive for either med school or a Ph.D program, so I'll start with those areas first until I commit to one path or the other. I am a little bit worried about the time gap between now and the last time I was in school. Is that something med schools even look at? I'm far more familiar with admissions requirements for grad schools. I'm wondering if I should take (or audit) some formal classes instead of self study just to have a more current academic record.
 
Based on all your replies, I'm going to start looking into possibilities in more earnest. There's a lot of overlap in the areas of academic study I need to re-learn in order to be competitive for either med school or a Ph.D program, so I'll start with those areas first until I commit to one path or the other. I am a little bit worried about the time gap between now and the last time I was in school. Is that something med schools even look at? I'm far more familiar with admissions requirements for grad schools. I'm wondering if I should take (or audit) some formal classes instead of self study just to have a more current academic record.

Medical schools will want to see some type of recent, formal, relevant coursework. Whether that takes the form of retaking the basic prereqs or doing more upper-level biology will depend on whether or not the schools you will want to apply to will take your 15-20 year old prereqs. You should ask each school directly.

Basic rule of thumb seems to be that up to 10 years old is no problem, but older than that you really need to inquire directly to the schools.
 
Also, if you'll be taking the MCAT in 2015 or later (which it sounds like you will be), it will cover biochemistry, genetics, and social sciences in addition to the traditional pre-med pre-reqs of biology, chemistry, physics, and organic chemistry. I think you may be looking at a longer timeline than you anticipated—there's a lot to do to get prepared for the MCAT and get relevant clinical experience to show you know what you're getting into (not to discount your many years of interesting medical experiences, but the patient perspective will not be sufficient for this purpose).
 
Oh, I'm well aware that my perspective as a patient's parent is only the very tip of the iceberg. Some of my experience is more relevant than others. For example, I've done a significant amount of informal research into genetics, as the disease that affects my kids is a genetic condition, and I wanted to know as much as possible. I tend to prefer the more medically oriented sources, which often times means I go off onto side trips to be able to understand concepts and terminology I didn't previously know. Obviously that's still minor compared to formal coursework, but it is relevant.

All of my coursework is over ten years old. I will make contact with the admissions counselors at the schools I'm most interested in and begin the process of determining what I would need to do to make myself competitive. Based on other things I've read, I was thinking two to three years would be enough time. If that's not enough, that will be a factor in deciding which way I go.
 
With your background I'd strongly suggest going back for a PhD in epidemiology, biostatistics, or population health rather than an MD. Quantitative skills are in demand and there is lots of opportunity to be involved in healthcare issues going that route.
Agree.

OP, what you are suggesting (i.e., going to med school in your 40s) is certainly possible, but that doesn't make it advisable. The biggest question that you need to answer is this: would you be happy going into one of the primary care specialties, particularly family med/peds/internal med? If your specialty choice is radiology or bust, then I would strongly advise you against going to medical school, especially given how much less resistance you would meet if you completed your PhD instead. If you're not sure whether you'd be content in a primary care field, then I suggest you start by shadowing some PCPs to help you figure out an answer to this question. If you decide that you would honestly be happy as a PCP in one of the three specialties that I mentioned, then medical school is probably a realistic goal for you, assuming you are willing to do what is necessary to assemble a strong app.
 
Thank you everybody for your honest replies. I was able to talk to an admissions counselor at the state school that's local to me (I got lucky in that she happened to have a free moment). I had unofficial copies of all my old transcripts with me, so it was a productive meeting. She advised me that I would definitely be admissible given a suitable MCAT score (the average score for matriculating students at that school was 33.4 for the last year they had handy statistics), but I do need to take a few classes, as my newest coursework is 13 years old. For this school, I would not need to retake all of the prereqs, but I would need to take biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry and at least one more biology related elective (she suggested genetics). My math and physics are fine being as old as they are.

Taking into consideration the input from this board, I've decided to go ahead and start taking those classes. These classes overlap with the coursework I want to retake to make myself a competitive candidate for a biostats Ph.D., so it's not wasting my time. This buys me another year to look into things that you have suggested, such as shadowing primary care physicians, in order to make a more informed choice.
 
Hi folks. I've been lurking on this site for about a year, mostly reading the "things I learned from my patients" threads. I finally decided to join, as I've been debating going back to school.

My educational background: Bachelor of Science, double major in mathematics and biology. M.S in mathematics, concentration in statistics and probability theory, and Ph.D coursework in mathematics, with a concentration in biostatistics. I earned a 4.0GPA throughout all of that, though I never finished my Ph.D.

Currently I'm a 38 year old single mother of three teenagers. My interest in medicine began when my oldest was diagnosed with a relatively rare bone disease when he was a preschooler. The other two kids were tested and the youngest was also affected. So, I've spent the last 12 years in and out of doctors offices and hospitals. The more I experience with the boys, the more interested I've become in the field of radiology. I find that I'm fascinated looking at the various types of scans and studies my boys' surgeon has ordered. Even better, their surgeon is awesome and takes the time to teach me what I'm looking at.

So, as the boys have gotten older and more independent, I'm considering going back to school, but instead of finishing my Ph.D, I'm considering medical school. From what I've researched, my educational background and grades should be sufficient, though of course I'd have to study quite a bit of biology and chemistry to have a prayer of performing well enough on the MCAT to get a decent score. I'm a pretty good student, so I think I can do that, given enough time.

My question for you is this: at my age, is medical school and residency even possible? I don't know a lot about the realities of medical school; only what I've read online. It seems pretty intense, so I'm not sure that I can balance my family needs with being a student again. My youngest is just barely a teenager, but the older kids are pretty self sufficient and I could rely on them for a few years to help keep the house going (I'm divorced and get no help from my ex). Financially I could swing being out of work for four years, so that's not an issue. I still have the issue of multiple doctors' visits and several operations a year between the two affected boys, but those are generally outpatient surgeries or single overnights, and again, I can rely on the other boys to help in the recovery process of the one who's had surgery.

I'd appreciate honest opinions about attempting medical school this late in life, and any advise about making it work if I do decide to go for it. Thanks!
Have you thought about PA school or Nurse Practitioner at all? It would be less years, less expensive, and you get to practice just as much (if not more) medicine compared to a doctor. I have a PCP that I have NEVER seen, I always see his PA and his PA has PLENTY of autonomy. My boss is being treated by a PA, single-handedly, for Lyme Disease. Also, a Nurse Practitioner runs the entire Women's Health Clinic in Boulder. Look at the other options as well… they'll save you a ton of time and money, and will probably give you equally as much satisfaction in practicing medicine.

My friend's roommate is a PA and her first job offer out of school was $160K… and you can move around specialties if there's something else you're interested in. I have a friend who's going to NP school and she's in her mid 40s, just starting.
 
Yes, it is possible! You are NOT too old.

My father started med school at 45. He had 7 kids at home (my mom stayed home with us full time). We were poorer than Job's turkey at that time but we made it! I was in the 5th grade when he started and I mainly remember the long hours. He closed the library down every night. He even took me to class with him a couple of times. We loved it. He finished his training for family practice when I was a senior in high school. We've all been inspired by him.

He's in his 70s now and still practicing. He hasn't regretted it for a second.

So, you can absolutely do it! I think the main questions is, how much support do you have?
 
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Yes, it is possible! You are NOT too old.

My father started med school at 45. He had 7 kids at home (my mom stayed home with us full time). We were poorer than Job's turkey at that time but we made it! I was in the 5th grade when he started and I mainly remember the long hours. He closed the library down every night. He even took me to class with him a couple of times. We loved it. He finished his training for family practice when I was a senior in high school. We've all been inspired by him.

He's in his 70s now and still practicing. He hasn't regretted it for a second.

So, you can absolutely do it! I think the main questions is, how much support do you have?

Wow!!! Thanks "ah38651" for sharing this super inspiring story....simply wow!!!
Hats off to your dad :)
 
Hi folks. I've been lurking on this site for about a year, mostly reading the "things I learned from my patients" threads. I finally decided to join, as I've been debating going back to school.

My educational background: Bachelor of Science, double major in mathematics and biology. M.S in mathematics, concentration in statistics and probability theory, and Ph.D coursework in mathematics, with a concentration in biostatistics. I earned a 4.0GPA throughout all of that, though I never finished my Ph.D.

Currently I'm a 38 year old single mother of three teenagers. My interest in medicine began when my oldest was diagnosed with a relatively rare bone disease when he was a preschooler. The other two kids were tested and the youngest was also affected. So, I've spent the last 12 years in and out of doctors offices and hospitals. The more I experience with the boys, the more interested I've become in the field of radiology. I find that I'm fascinated looking at the various types of scans and studies my boys' surgeon has ordered. Even better, their surgeon is awesome and takes the time to teach me what I'm looking at.

So, as the boys have gotten older and more independent, I'm considering going back to school, but instead of finishing my Ph.D, I'm considering medical school. From what I've researched, my educational background and grades should be sufficient, though of course I'd have to study quite a bit of biology and chemistry to have a prayer of performing well enough on the MCAT to get a decent score. I'm a pretty good student, so I think I can do that, given enough time.

My question for you is this: at my age, is medical school and residency even possible? I don't know a lot about the realities of medical school; only what I've read online. It seems pretty intense, so I'm not sure that I can balance my family needs with being a student again. My youngest is just barely a teenager, but the older kids are pretty self sufficient and I could rely on them for a few years to help keep the house going (I'm divorced and get no help from my ex). Financially I could swing being out of work for four years, so that's not an issue. I still have the issue of multiple doctors' visits and several operations a year between the two affected boys, but those are generally outpatient surgeries or single overnights, and again, I can rely on the other boys to help in the recovery process of the one who's had surgery.

I'd appreciate honest opinions about attempting medical school this late in life, and any advise about making it work if I do decide to go for it. Thanks!

In my MCAT class there was a 55 year old lady who went back to school at the age of 52 to take her pre-reqs. She was very unhappy at how her father was taken care of in his final days and wanted to go into geriatrics. She was very sharp. She did well in all of her pre-reqs, did well on the MCAT and made it into med school. She will be in her 60's when she finishes residency. She quite a nifty little lady, probably had more energy and stamina than the people 30-35 years younger than her. She was so inspirational during class.
 
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