28 Yrs Old and thinking about becoming a Dr.

[silverbug]

Hi Everyone,

I'm 28 yrs old with no degree and am thinking about pursuing a career in medicine. I have spent the past few yrs working as a propulsion technician in the aerospace industry but simply cannot see myself being in that field til retirement. Quite frankly, I don't see myself working in the corporate setting at all. Prior to that I spent 5 yrs in the Marine Corps working on fighter jets.

Recently I've really been questioning my future and have really been leaning more towards medicine. My grandfather was a surgeon and I always admired that about him. It's been a dream of mine and I would really like to make it come true. I currently hold no degree and am having trouble deciding on what would be the best route to pursuing a career in medicine. I realize that I will probably will be working full time throughout my undergrad so my GPA will probably not be so great and question whether I will even be able to get into med school. Plus, I will be older (in my later 30's to mid 30's) when I eventually apply to med school. I have also been in a committed relationship now worry about the strain this might put on my significant other. I'm sure she's thinking marriage and I'm thinking medicine lol.

I've been looking into SGU's BS/MD program and was wondering if this would be a good approach given my age and the fact that I am a nontraditional student.

I would be starting from scratch and don't even know which degree to pursue. I would lean more towards mechanical engineering but don't want to risk the GPA. I also fear pursuing a degree in Biology since I have heard from many people that a Biology degree by itself is almost worthless nowadays. I need some direction and would appreciate any advice all of you can give me. Thanks.

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[Bluesun]

Let me be the first to say welcome to SDN .

The first piece of advice I can give you is to spend some time reading the FAQ. Most of the threads linked there may not be directly related to your immediate situation, but they will all give you a better idea of what is in store for you if you decide to pursue this.

Not having a degree is not necessarily a bad thing. You have the opportunity to ensure you are the best possible candidate for medical school from the get-go. Having said that, you have a lot of work ahead of you -- more than you may realize.

I realize that I will probably will be working full time throughout my undergrad so my GPA will probably not be so great

If you are planning on applying to medical school, you should plan on getting straight A's in your undergrad program, and that's not an exaggeration. Depending on your undergrad degree, some ADCOMs may give you some leeway, but the further you are from a 4.0, the less desirable of a candidate you will become. Equally as important is your understanding of the science material that will be covered in your undergrad courses. You need to have a strong understanding of physics (not necessarily calc based physics), chemistry (including organic) and biology in order to do well on the MCAT.

As an engineer, it's hard for me to tell you to not get an engineering degree, but if medicine is your goal, there are faster and easier routes. For the vast majority of people, medicine is an all-or-nothing pursuit -- and it kinda has to be, given how competitive admissions are. It's always good to have something to fall back on, though, and ultimately it's up to you and how much work you are willing to put in. How confident are you in your academic abilities in the sciences and in mathematics?

Many people starting out seem to have the mindset that no matter the obstacle, they can overcome it for their desire to be a doctor. I am (was) guilty of this. However, talking about taking 10-12 credit hours of hard science while working full time is completely different from actually doing it, and doing well while maintaining some semblance of a life. If you have a family already, this complicates matters even further.

As a bit of a side note, as ex-military, shouldn't you have a GI bill or something to help you out with finances? Do you need to work full time? It will take you considerably longer to finish an undergrad degree if you are not able to take a full course load. When I was in school for engineering, nearly every semester was 14-19 credit hours. We got no summers off. The only semesters "off" were those that we spent working at co-ops (paid internships). It took me 6 years to finish my degree, and that's not uncommon in engineering (although for most it took 5). I worked semi full time when I was in school, and because of that my GPA suffered. Now that I want to pursue medicine, I have my work cut out for me because of that fact. I also had very little free time.

Read up on the process and what it takes to make it into medical school. Read up on what it's actually like being a doctor. Set up some shadowing experiences in your area. Talk to doctors, talk to med students. Read as much SDN as you can swallow, but take a lot of it with a grain of salt (including my post). Lastly, don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. It's an incredible amount of work, and you will have to make many sacrifices.

 

[DrMidlife]

I suggest that going to SGU is buying an overpriced, low-quality product. Your interest in SGU means SGU has a very successful marketing department. Good schools don't generally need marketing departments.

I suggest that 28 years of age is a terrific time to go to college. I wish I'd started pursuing medicine at 28 instead of 38. You will be nowhere near the oldest student in college, if you start on your bachelors by 30, or at your medical school, if you start by 35. You have the benefit of having had a career before medical school, and presumably some maturity and perspective, which will pay off for you big time.

I suggest that you should focus on getting a bachelors degree, in a completely normal manner, in a US public (or inexpensive private) school, taking advantage of Pell grants and any other free money. It doesn't matter what you major in; it's convenient to major in biology because prereqs are included. If you pick a major like piano or aeronautical engineering, you can take the prereqs as electives, or take a minor. You can pretty much walk into the undergrad advising center at any 4 year college, and start having conversations about what you need to do.

If you want to set yourself up to succeed at a university in hard classes, then you can take a night class or two, now, in math or English, at a community college. (Preferably don't take more than a few CC classes, if you want to go to med school.) Address any shortcomings you have in study skills or focus before you start taking physics/chemistry/etc at a university. Figure out what you need in a college/university (big/small school? big/small town?) and then figure out how to get it.

If you want to go to med school, then get mostly A's in your bachelors degree. Look for opportunities to get into clinical settings. Look for opportunities to volunteer in your community. If you can't get A's, stop taking classes until you figure out how to get A's.

Best of luck to you.

 

[LupaCupcake]

it is not too late

you need to be honest with your sweetie, this takes support and sacrifice

you know how people talk about the life of military spouses and how hard it is on them sometimes.....the life of medical student spouse is not easy either

she needs to be secure in the relationship and in you, none of that "you don't spend enough time with me anymore" stuff. I am not saying those comments are not valid sometimes, but she would need to understand that sometimes you will be too tired to pay her full attention. If she is insecure or needy then you need to fix those issues first because if you DO have a very supportive other half it can make a world of difference sometimes.

Hmm....I don't want to type anymore, I am exhausted. Why am I still on SDN when I said in my last post that I was going to bed

 

[dmf2682]

Hi Everyone,

I'm 28 yrs old with no degree and am thinking about pursuing a career in medicine. I have spent the past few yrs working as a propulsion technician in the aerospace industry but simply cannot see myself being in that field til retirement. Quite frankly, I don't see myself working in the corporate setting at all. Prior to that I spent 5 yrs in the Marine Corps working on fighter jets.

Recently I've really been questioning my future and have really been leaning more towards medicine. My grandfather was a surgeon and I always admired that about him. It's been a dream of mine and I would really like to make it come true. I currently hold no degree and am having trouble deciding on what would be the best route to pursuing a career in medicine. I realize that I will probably will be working full time throughout my undergrad so my GPA will probably not be so great and question whether I will even be able to get into med school. Plus, I will be older (in my later 30's to mid 30's) when I eventually apply to med school. I have also been in a committed relationship now worry about the strain this might put on my significant other. I'm sure she's thinking marriage and I'm thinking medicine lol.

I've been looking into SGU's BS/MD program and was wondering if this would be a good approach given my age and the fact that I am a nontraditional student.

I would be starting from scratch and don't even know which degree to pursue. I would lean more towards mechanical engineering but don't want to risk the GPA. I also fear pursuing a degree in Biology since I have heard from many people that a Biology degree by itself is almost worthless nowadays. I need some direction and would appreciate any advice all of you can give me. Thanks.

Thanks for your service! Echo the post about trying to go to college full time. Use whatever free money/ GI Bill you can.

As a side note I work at a major aerospace corporation as an aero and mechanical engineer, doing aerodynamics. If you'd like my perspective on this kind of study feel free to PM me.

Also depending on your high school stats you may want to think about a combined BS and MD degree. The MSAR lists several, and I know my alma mater of rensselaer polytechnic ( see avatar) had a joint program with Albany medical college. Maybe others can comment on said programs.

 

[UpwardTrend]

You have already accomplished alot. You're definitely not too old for this journey. As others have said, don't work more than you absolutely have to during undergrad. Definitely find an undergrad that interests you because you can knock out the 8 pre-reqs as electives for any program. I would also suggest that you begin volunteering in a clinical setting ASAP. Cruise these forums and use the search function to find out which Extra Curricular activities are beneficial, the difference between MD, DO, Caribbean, etc. You can also search around to find help from other Marines that have done exactly what you are thinking of doing. There is so much information on these forums. You have definitely come to the right place. Good luck

 

[OldMemphis]

You'll have to decide for yourself. But I think my picture should be in the dictionary under non-trad. I graduated in 2000. Went back for prereqs at 36 in 2010. I'm a 39 year-old OMS-1. Just figure out what you need to do and then set about getting it done.

 

[Indianarn]

Let me be the first to say welcome to SDN .

The first piece of advice I can give you is to spend some time reading the FAQ. Most of the threads linked there may not be directly related to your immediate situation, but they will all give you a better idea of what is in store for you if you decide to pursue this.

Not having a degree is not necessarily a bad thing. You have the opportunity to ensure you are the best possible candidate for medical school from the get-go. Having said that, you have a lot of work ahead of you -- more than you may realize.

If you are planning on applying to medical school, you should plan on getting straight A's in your undergrad program, and that's not an exaggeration. Depending on your undergrad degree, some ADCOMs may give you some leeway, but the further you are from a 4.0, the less desirable of a candidate you will become. Equally as important is your understanding of the science material that will be covered in your undergrad courses. You need to have a strong understanding of physics (not necessarily calc based physics), chemistry (including organic) and biology in order to do well on the MCAT.

As an engineer, it's hard for me to tell you to not get an engineering degree, but if medicine is your goal, there are faster and easier routes. For the vast majority of people, medicine is an all-or-nothing pursuit -- and it kinda has to be, given how competitive admissions are. It's always good to have something to fall back on, though, and ultimately it's up to you and how much work you are willing to put in. How confident are you in your academic abilities in the sciences and in mathematics?

Many people starting out seem to have the mindset that no matter the obstacle, they can overcome it for their desire to be a doctor. I am (was) guilty of this. However, talking about taking 10-12 credit hours of hard science while working full time is completely different from actually doing it, and doing well while maintaining some semblance of a life. If you have a family already, this complicates matters even further.

As a bit of a side note, as ex-military, shouldn't you have a GI bill or something to help you out with finances? Do you need to work full time? It will take you considerably longer to finish an undergrad degree if you are not able to take a full course load. When I was in school for engineering, nearly every semester was 14-19 credit hours. We got no summers off. The only semesters "off" were those that we spent working at co-ops (paid internships). It took me 6 years to finish my degree, and that's not uncommon in engineering (although for most it took 5). I worked semi full time when I was in school, and because of that my GPA suffered. Now that I want to pursue medicine, I have my work cut out for me because of that fact. I also had very little free time.

Read up on the process and what it takes to make it into medical school. Read up on what it's actually like being a doctor. Set up some shadowing experiences in your area. Talk to doctors, talk to med students. Read as much SDN as you can swallow, but take a lot of it with a grain of salt (including my post). Lastly, don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. It's an incredible amount of work, and you will have to make many sacrifices.

Most of the people have been telling you the right thing. You would have to decide at this point. I think, the best place to start is to start taking the classes required by most med schools. I am 41 years old and have a BS in biology and nursing but have been out of school for 9 years. Took my MCATs this year and have 2 interviews so far. I only applied to DO schools. But what I would say is start looking into some EC activities even if you do it one day a week. Start pilling up things that you can use in your application to make you a strong candidate. Keep your grades up and when you are ready to take MCATs work your butt off for it. Do your best and hope for the best. I'd say if I can do it, any one can.

 

[Darth Doc]

Hi Everyone,

I'm 28 yrs old with no degree and am thinking about pursuing a career in medicine. Prior to that I spent 5 yrs in the Marine Corps working on fighter jets.

I would be starting from scratch and don't even know which degree to pursue. I would lean more towards mechanical engineering but don't want to risk the GPA. I also fear pursuing a degree in Biology since I have heard from many people that a Biology degree by itself is almost worthless nowadays. I need some direction and would appreciate any advice all of you can give me. Thanks.

It doesn't matter what your degree is, as long as you get the necessary prerequisites with the right scores. Instead of biology, you could even aim for a BS in nursing. That way if med school didn't work out you would have a career ready... if that's the direction you wanted to go in.

I agree with the others about using your GI bill. There are also ROTC programs that would put you through a 4-year program at many state schools. With your prior service it would be a piece of cake. No one would treat you like just another "dot". If you have no spouse or family, look into going full time to school. It'll get you more prepared for medical school in a faster period of time.

I have a friend who did a BS/MD program, but didn't make the cut for the MD program. According to him, the pre-med program there was much harder than a regular BS degree and he didn't have the grades to move on to their MD and his grades were enough off that he didn't have the grades for other MD programs either. I met him in physician assistant school. He was pretty smart. After his experience, I don't know that I would recommend a BS to MD program to anyone. I don't know anything specific about the program you mentioned, though.