10 years and I'm still here on SDN.

[Fluidity of Movement]

Hey everyone it's been a while. I signed up for this website almost exactly 10 years ago to the day. Life has been crazy and I've accomplished a lot of things. I'm really proud of myself as a human. But I still can't really picture myself outside of this profession.

I've been out of school for 6 years, but when I left school I was feeling like a superstar. Great grades, great research posters (one at a med school), bright things all around. I'm turning 33 soon, and will still have years left of undergrad and no MCAT score.

I guess there isn't much point to this post, I'm no longer a huge neurotic mess of a premed as I was. Just coming to everyone now as someone who has never lost sight of their goal, and is once again taking another swing down this path. I'm in the state now of trying to figure out how to get back on this bandwagon. It's taken me most of this year just to gather the strength to try again over fears of all of the doubts.

My family are desperate at this point to talk me out of it. They say I'm too old, I don't have the money or the privilege, I'll have to retake classes or spend years saving up. I say I'm still young, passionate, and my grades are almost 4.0 over 90 credits, even if they were spread out over many years at a CC (had to work, military, etc).

I just want to be a doctor. And at this point I don't even care which body part I'm assigned. I don't care about money. I don't want to retire at 65. I pray for the strength and mental fortitude to be able to be the best person at my job despite the time gaps, and to keep working until the day I die (or close to it).


Just some random thoughts and a happy ten year anniversary to myself of starting college, and this time-honored career path. And here's hoping within the next year I'll be in university and shining brightly towards my dream once again. I'll certainly need support, and hopefully this message helps some others.

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[LunaOri]

Best wishes!

 

[PikminOC]

Yes I've been a member a long time too

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome back!

 

[Goro]

Hey everyone it's been a while. I signed up for this website almost exactly 10 years ago to the day. Life has been crazy and I've accomplished a lot of things. I'm really proud of myself as a human. But I still can't really picture myself outside of this profession.

I've been out of school for 6 years, but when I left school I was feeling like a superstar. Great grades, great research posters (one at a med school), bright things all around. I'm turning 33 soon, and will still have years left of undergrad and no MCAT score.

I guess there isn't much point to this post, I'm no longer a huge neurotic mess of a premed as I was. Just coming to everyone now as someone who has never lost sight of their goal, and is once again taking another swing down this path. I'm in the state now of trying to figure out how to get back on this bandwagon. It's taken me most of this year just to gather the strength to try again over fears of all of the doubts.

My family are desperate at this point to talk me out of it. They say I'm too old, I don't have the money or the privilege, I'll have to retake classes or spend years saving up. I say I'm still young, passionate, and my grades are almost 4.0 over 90 credits, even if they were spread out over many years at a CC (had to work, military, etc).

I just want to be a doctor. And at this point I don't even care which body part I'm assigned. I don't care about money. I don't want to retire at 65. I pray for the strength and mental fortitude to be able to be the best person at my job despite the time gaps, and to keep working until the day I die (or close to it).


Just some random thoughts and a happy ten year anniversary to myself of starting college, and this time-honored career path. And here's hoping within the next year I'll be in university and shining brightly towards my dream once again. I'll certainly need support, and hopefully this message helps some others.

33? Just a baby. Some of my all time best students have been in their 30s and 40s.

 

[Staphbreak]

haha, its hard to stay away. been lurking here since undergraduate college days

 

[Osminog]

Your family makes strong points. Based on what you say here and the content of your post history, I’d strongly encourage you to consider other paths.

 

[Radishguy]

I’m 37 and applying, so I would’ve been in college already when you were just starting high school. If you’re too old, I must be geriatric.

 

[wook]

Not too old. Started med school at age 36. Oldest in my class started at age 50.

 

[runlolarun]

Hey everyone it's been a while. I signed up for this website almost exactly 10 years ago to the day. Life has been crazy and I've accomplished a lot of things. I'm really proud of myself as a human. But I still can't really picture myself outside of this profession.

I've been out of school for 6 years, but when I left school I was feeling like a superstar. Great grades, great research posters (one at a med school), bright things all around. I'm turning 33 soon, and will still have years left of undergrad and no MCAT score.

I guess there isn't much point to this post, I'm no longer a huge neurotic mess of a premed as I was. Just coming to everyone now as someone who has never lost sight of their goal, and is once again taking another swing down this path. I'm in the state now of trying to figure out how to get back on this bandwagon. It's taken me most of this year just to gather the strength to try again over fears of all of the doubts.

My family are desperate at this point to talk me out of it. They say I'm too old, I don't have the money or the privilege, I'll have to retake classes or spend years saving up. I say I'm still young, passionate, and my grades are almost 4.0 over 90 credits, even if they were spread out over many years at a CC (had to work, military, etc).

I just want to be a doctor. And at this point I don't even care which body part I'm assigned. I don't care about money. I don't want to retire at 65. I pray for the strength and mental fortitude to be able to be the best person at my job despite the time gaps, and to keep working until the day I die (or close to it).


Just some random thoughts and a happy ten year anniversary to myself of starting college, and this time-honored career path. And here's hoping within the next year I'll be in university and shining brightly towards my dream once again. I'll certainly need support, and hopefully this message helps some others.

Hello, first of all thank you for your service to our country that is already a big an accomplishment to be proud of along with everything you have accomplished. I think the decision to go into medicine is very serious and some people dont consider all of the consequences. I am 40 years old and two of my best friends from college are both physicians and both of them said if they knew what they know now they would have both picked something else. It would be a good excercise to do an estimate of the costs and what that looks like for you when paying it back and how much income you actually recieve based on specialties you are interested in. Be realistic also. You may want to be a dermatologist but even the number 1 student at a school may not even get it. Also think about realistically the time you will give up. I dont know if you are married or have kids but working 80 hours a week as a resident means you wouldnt be able to attend family functions. I think people have a really optimistic view of what a career in medicine is and someone with your background could provably succeed in any path you chose. Full disclaimer, I started med school in 2006 and left after one semester on a leave of absense and didnt return. I personally wish I had considered other paths as an undergraduate as my top grades etc would have likely made me successful in many other paths but I got a little too focused on the goal and not if it was making me happy. I am not discouraging you and yes people go to medical school in their 40s. Unfortunately many people retire earlier than expected due to health conditions etc. Maybe do the math on when you would finish as well and how much debt you would have to still pay off at 65 if you did end up retiring then. Be honest with yourself if you really dont mind working 80 hours a week and going without sleep as residents often do. I am happy to talk more with you of.you like.

 

[Radishguy]

Hello, first of all thank you for your service to our country that is already a big an accomplishment to be proud of along with everything you have accomplished. I think the decision to go into medicine is very serious and some people dont consider all of the consequences. I am 40 years old and two of my best friends from college are both physicians and both of them said if they knew what they know now they would have both picked something else. It would be a good excercise to do an estimate of the costs and what that looks like for you when paying it back and how much income you actually recieve based on specialties you are interested in. Be realistic also. You may want to be a dermatologist but even the number 1 student at a school may not even get it. Also think about realistically the time you will give up. I dont know if you are married or have kids but working 80 hours a week as a resident means you wouldnt be able to attend family functions. I think people have a really optimistic view of what a career in medicine is and someone with your background could provably succeed in any path you chose. Full disclaimer, I started med school in 2006 and left after one semester on a leave of absense and didnt return. I personally wish I had considered other paths as an undergraduate as my top grades etc would have likely made me successful in many other paths but I got a little too focused on the goal and not if it was making me happy. I am not discouraging you and yes people go to medical school in their 40s. Unfortunately many people retire earlier than expected due to health conditions etc. Maybe do the math on when you would finish as well and how much debt you would have to still pay off at 65 if you did end up retiring then. Be honest with yourself if you really dont mind working 80 hours a week and going without sleep as residents often do. I am happy to talk more with you of.you like.

I never understood this “you work 80 hours a week as a resident” line of thinking as a reason not to do medicine. I know a lot of people who work 80 hours a week. From age 24-34 I worked 80 hours a week and there was no end to that. It wasn’t like, after three years or five years I am going to get out and and be making great money (relative to what the rest of the country makes) and I don’t have to keep this schedule if I don’t want to. When I was working that schedule, that was it and that was all it would ever be until I retired or died. I ended up changing things up for a bunch of reasons, but all of my friends from that job (minus three who did die) are still doing exactly that. And the work wasn’t office work. It was difficult— to give you an idea of how difficult, the three that died were a suicide, a heart attack (at age 39), and suffocation (that was probably the worst death I have ever seen out of hundreds). So this enormous hardship that so many people talk about is just life for a pretty good portion of the population. You can argue that no one should have to do that type of work for those types of hours, and I won’t argue, in fact, I’ll agree. But acting like residency is some special type of hardship is just not accurate .

I know you are probably just trying to help OP out by giving him the “facts of medicine” from an inside source, but your facts are opinions and not anything close to the truth. OP, the truth is that the average American makes about $45,000, which is less than a first year resident, so not a lot of opportunity cost there. But if you’re going to medical school, odds are you are pretty smart, so let’s say you make double that, $90,000/yr. That means you’ve missed out on $360,000 of potential income going to med school. When you’re in residency, you’ll still be making about $30,000 to $40,000 less than you would be, so let’s use the high number, multiply it by three years since, according to the comment, you are going to be the lowest paid specialty, a pediatrician, and that gives you another $120,000 to add to the opportunity cost. Now you factor in an average medical school tuition of $200,000, and you have $680,000 in debt and lost wages due to becoming a doctor. However, even at the lowest paid average salary, you are still making $220,000/ year, which is almost 5x more than the average American, and more than double what you would’ve been making as a smart American. So it will take you just over 5 years out of residency to break even, after that, you are in the top 10% of all income earners, possibly higher depending on how you manage your money. If you are still paying off your debts when you are 65, that has nothing to do with your career choices, that has to do with the US school systems producing financially stupid citizens.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Why did you quit school before you got your undergrad degree?

I think you would do best, thinking of things in small chunks. Go back and finish your undergraduate degree--making sure you get in any med school prerequisites (I assume you may have to repeat some of the ones you took previously.) After that you will be in a better position to know if you really want to go ahead and work at applying to med school.