almost 40 and interested in medical school

[goulashlover]

Here's a bit about me- I am nearly 40 and have been working in Japan for the past four and a half years (started as an English Teacher, now working as a Japanese/English translator). Before this I held a variety of jobs and, for a while, was my grandmother's caregiver. I have managed, in the last 6 years, to go from being homeless and without work to being very financially stable, debt free, decent job. I feel ready for med school. It's something I have wanted to do since I was 31 but couldn't because I was going through a nasty divorce, was laid off shortly after and couldn't get work, unsupportive family etc etc.

My experience in the field is a little mixed. I was my grandmother's full-time caregiver for nearly two years and, more recently, spent nearly a month volunteering at a medical clinic in Thailand. I'm not sure how my experience as my grandmother's caregiver will be viewed, but it was a very full-time position. I was responsible for everything- managing doctor's appointments, helping her take showers, administering meds, etc. School wise, I studied at a good liberal arts college, history major, 3.2 GPA. I have taken Pre-Calc, Calc 1 & 2, Statistics, and nutrition- As in all of them. I am interested in doing a postbac and am thinking about UPenn or Bennington. Any advice? I'm a little worried that my background will be viewed with suspicion but am hoping it won't be.

Any advice would be *greatly* appreciated. Thank you!!

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[cubssox2000]

If you are really interested in medicine, then by all means you should give it a try.

However, as I am sure you know, you will face a very uphill battle. You're going to need a post-bac to complete all of the pre-reqs, so it might be two more years before you can even apply.

With your experiences, you can probably come up with a great AMCAS and PS. If you can score well on the MCAT and get the grades in the post-bac, then your application should be fine.

One thing though, some schools may take a look at you and say: "This person is in their 40's. They have their life in order. No debt, financial stability and a job. How will they adjust to living on loans and studying for 10+ hours per day? Is it worth our investment to give this person a seat when he may not graduate until their late forties?" Then there are other issues that have to deal with you. Because of your status, you would have to apply to a broad range of schools. You would have to be flexible about possibly moving to a new city and starting life over.

If you think that you can really handle it, then try for the post-bac. If you can do it at night (so you can keep your job), then see how you feel when you finish.

Good luck!

 

[Daedra22]

In your position I would seriously consider becoming a PA or an NP. It would be 4 years of medical school, plus at least 3 years of a residency before you could get started... and this is after you've taken the pre-reqs. By all means, if your heart is set on becoming a physician, then I wish you the best. I just can't help but think that that in your position I would want to get a stable job and start working rather than rack up 100k+ in debt and wait almost a decade to start really *working.*

 

[Catalystik]

Your age is not an issue. Check out SDN's Nontraditional Forum and see what I mean. There are lots of aspirants like you, starting the journey later in life. There is a doc in my community who started med school at 53 and completed his residency two years ago.

A formal postbac is a fine idea, consdiering your are financially able. SDN also has a Postbaccalaureate Discussions Forum where you can get information about a wide range of programs and some alternative ideas as well.