All of my discussions w/ PDs, admissiobs types, current and former medical students have indicated, with a few exceptions, that my age will not be at issue. For me, being a physician is always something that I have wanted to do; I had a 20 year career as an Army and Air Force medic with which to determine if medicine is where I want to be. This isn't some half baked poorly thought out idea on my part. I had family obligations that meant that I had to put my dreams on hold for a little while but now my time has arrived and I'm going to sieze the moment.
I have had a few PDs and admissions folks tell me that my age would be a factor in admissions and residency decisions but I have had more to say that it would not be. I've also met a fair number of individuals that went to medical school after the age of 35 and they are thriving as students and/or practicing physicians now (some of whom specialized). Bottom line, I'm doing this irrespective of what the stats say my odds of becoming a physician will be.
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(1) Define "few".
(2) You are 42-years-old. You will be 46-years-old when you will complete your medical degree. You will be 49-years-old, at the earliest, when you have finished a residency and can practice on your own. That will also be in the year 2020, provided you start now. You will also be probably $140,000-$160,000 (roughly) in debt,
if not more. You also have to factor in all of the lost wages in whichever field you're employed-in now over the next seven years. Then, if all goes well, you will begin realistically re-earning a decent wage (residency doesn't count) when you're 49-years-old... at the earliest and unless you specialize (which will take longer). You are also likely to begin working very hard in a dynamic and changing healthcare environment - not in a
good way, mind you, for physicians - to begin both paying off your med-school debt, paying your bills, and saving for retirement. And, this assumes everything goes as planned.
There are two schools of thought here, in my mind. The first one is that "you're gonna be 49-years-old anyway" and, if this is your dream and calling, then nothing will deter you. I would, however, examine very hard what your motivations are and what you hope to expect by being called "doctor" one day because, trust me, it's not all that it's cracked up to be.
The second school of thought is that you want to secure some sort of future and that you will maximize your earning potential, in the long run, over what it currently is now. I would simply tell you not to hedge your bets. There is, yes, predicted to be a huge doctor shortage, but this is mostly in rural areas and in primary practice. I believe that this will become the domain of the "independent" midlevel by the time you graduate your residency. So, unless you can figure out a way to make a lucrative living in primary care, you're going to have a lot of debt and a short time to pay it off. Your family, if you have one that depends on you, should be strongly considered in that regard.
Say you specialize... this will not be easier coming from a Caribbean school as the increasing number of spots in U.S. medical schools (both MD and DO programs) is going to significantly close that door. That's not to say that you can't get into a general training program, like Internal Medicine, and then switch later. But, this again is going to take more time earning the fairly paltry "stipend" paid by most training programs (with which you're supposed to cover your living expenses
AND start paying off your school loans).
Then there's also the consideration of being almost 50-years-old (or older) and essentially starting out in a new career. I'm in the middle of my fourth year of private practice, am in my early 40's now, and am still learning the game (and still considered a "junior" partner in my practice). Guys the age you're gonna be when you
start will be the power brokers in your practice, and you will not be their equal. You'll be on the level of the guy in his early thirties just starting out. By the time that guy is your age, he'll have 20 years of experience in practice.
I'm sure (or I hope) that you've considered these things. If you're fit and don't have a family history of health issues, no reason you can't practice until you're 70-years-old. Just be prepared to be well behind the 8-ball when you start. Yes, other people have done it. How many look back with regret is a different issue, and one I personally don't have an answer for. I can tell you, though, having been ten-years your junior when I started this that it is a far different journey than you can envision now. And, depending on what field you go into, it may not be everything you'd hoped or dreamed it would be.
Just more to consider. Good luck whatever you decide.
-Skip
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