Am I crazy?

[sunnyjohn]

Hello everyone,

I discovered this site along with allnurses. com a few days ago. Since then I have been glued to my little Mac.

Ever since I blew chunks on the ER floor in 5th grade and they admitted me to the ped's ward, I knew healthcare was for me.

Here is my dilemma...

1. I am 32. No I don't think that is old, but I really would like to have kids someday. I would like to be very involved in the life of my future husband and children.

2. I have tons of varying interests. Translation- I have never found a subject that I did not like. Hiking, bowling, Math, English, UFO's, Basket weaving, Poetry, Spanish, Investing, you name it...

3. I didn't do well in my early days as an undergrad. Basically, I was smart, but a lazy son-of-a-gun. Consequently my grades sucked. I understood the material, could repeat the stuff backward and forward, could even explain it to all my classmates but when it came to test time, I bombed. I have more W's, D's, C's and F's on my transcripts than is healthy. (I have gone back to college in later years and out of 65-cr hr I have gotten A's with only one B).


4. I have attended 4 colleges, great schools but none of them Ivy league (U of Nebraska, Georgia Southwestern, El Centro Community and North Lake Community). I am about to start my 5th college and I will probably attend at least two more before I am done. I move a lot.

5. I still have to take every single med school preq. I didn't "test" well early in my college years, I even have to take "prealgebra". Even the science classes I took in college years ago. This after 4 years of High school Chemistry, Physics and Calculus ( I went to an outstanding foreign high school were they would recognize kids with a penchant for science and start you in them as early as 9th grade)

6. I work as a Surgical Technologist, CST. I love it but I want more. Besides, seen more than few surgical residents I could take in a fight...hehehe....(Mainly because they work too many hours and never sleep)

7. I'm broke. I only have my IRA, 401(k) money, and a few stocks and bonds. If I don't work, I would starve and have no rent money. I lived in my car while going to scrub tech school, I don't know if I could do that again.


8. Working in the OR I have developed a great respect for Nurses and CRNA's. What about that choice?


Am I crazy for thinking I can be a doctor? Where do I start?

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[Law2Doc]

Hello everyone,

I discovered this site along with allnurses. com a few days ago. Since then I have been glued to my little Mac.

Ever since I blew chunks on the ER floor in 5th grade and they admitted me to the ped's ward, I knew healthcare was for me.

Here is my dilemma...

1. I am 32. No I don't think that is old, but I really would like to have kids someday. I would like to be very involved in the life of my future husband and children.

2. I have tons of varying interests. Translation- I have never found a subject that I did not like. Hiking, bowling, Math, English, UFO's, Basket weaving, Poetry, Spanish, Investing, you name it...

3. I didn't do well in my early days as an undergrad. Basically, I was smart, but a lazy son-of-a-gun. Consequently my grades sucked. I understood the material, could repeat the stuff backward and forward, could even explain it to all my classmates but when it came to test time, I bombed. I have more W's, D's, C's and F's on my transcripts than is healthy. (I have gone back to college in later years and out of 65-cr hr I have gotten A's with only one B).


4. I have attended 4 colleges, great schools but none of them Ivy league (U of Nebraska, Georgia Southwestern, El Centro Community and North Lake Community). I am about to start my 5th college and I will probably attend at least two more before I am done. I move a lot.

5. I still have to take every single med school preq. I didn't "test" well early in my college years, I even have to take "prealgebra". Even the science classes I took in college years ago. This after 4 years of High school Chemistry, Physics and Calculus ( I went to an outstanding foreign high school were they would recognize kids with a penchant for science and start you in them as early as 9th grade)

6. I work as a Surgical Technologist, CST. I love it but I want more. Besides, seen more than few surgical residents I could take in a fight...hehehe....(Mainly because they work too many hours and never sleep)

7. I'm broke. I only have my IRA, 401(k) money, and a few stocks and bonds. If I don't work, I would starve and have no rent money. I lived in my car while going to scrub tech school, I don't know if I could do that again.


8. Working in the OR I have developed a great respect for Nurses and CRNA's. What about that choice?


Am I crazy for thinking I can be a doctor? Where do I start?

I don't think you're crazy (although the UFO reference is a bit suspect). Lots of people take the plunge and do med school who are older than you. A few of your concerns will be difficult to reconcile, but not necessarilly impossible, with the realities medical path -- Being "very involved" with husband and kids and not stopping work to avoid being broke are the biggies -- you will need to have a very supportive spouse for family care needs during the clinical portion of med school and your residency (or start a family very late in life), and you will almost certainly need to stop work and to borrow a lot of money (even at a state school) to make it through (once you get to the med school stage). I would suggest you finish up the science prereqs and take the MCAT, and then you can take more realistic stock as to whether this is something you are ready and able for, and want to pursue.
As for the Nurse/CRNA question -- that is a personal decision as to whether the lack of autonomy inherent in a support position will satisfy your interests/drive. You may find that similarly limiting to your current position as compared to a physician position.

 

[Anastasis]

3. I didn't do well in my early days as an undergrad. Basically, I was smart, but a lazy son-of-a-gun. Consequently my grades sucked. I understood the material, could repeat the stuff backward and forward, could even explain it to all my classmates but when it came to test time, I bombed. I have more W's, D's, C's and F's on my transcripts than is healthy. (I have gone back to college in later years and out of 65-cr hr I have gotten A's with only one B).

I have a question: those D's, C's and F's - are they the classes that you took later and got A's in? If they are - I wouldn't worry so much about them.
Because (and take this with a grain of salt - all my experience is with Psyc Grad School apps but I think this still applies) - They are looking for someone who is dedicated and knows what they want to do now. You might have been lazy before but the A's will show that you've recommitted yourself and you CAN do the work.

That's my 2 cents.

 

[sunnyjohn]

I retook 2 of the F's and turned them into A's. The rest of those bad grades are almost all in science classes, that's why I have to start from scratch.

Thanks for the replies..

Agape

 

[kota315]

Repeat your courses, do well in them, take the MCAT and run with it....

Nothing wrong with being a nurse (I'm one now) if you can handle the limiting aspect of the position (and I'm an ER nurse.....we have the most autonomy of any nurse next to NP/CRNA). I considered the midlevel role and know it wouldn't work for me.....

good luck!

 

[blaze1306]

I'm in roughly the same situation as you(see "past comming back to haunt me" post. I went to a number of schools while playing baseball and my non-science g.p.a was good(aside from a number of w's on my transcript). The profiles at mdapplicant.com can give you some great encouragment, and a new trend of good grades should make you competative. Good luck!

 

[sunnyjohn]

I will check it out. Thanks for the info.

 

[wam_256]

You are not crazy to think that you can be a doctor. If that is what you really want, go ahead and do it!!!! Just be happy with what you want to do. Wish you the best!!!