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!
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!