Am I too old?

[LateBloomerMD2B]

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Hi all-

I am 42 (you can get up off the floor now) and after a long theatrical producing career have decided to pursue a medical profession. While I did attend college (back in the days of quill and scroll), I am in need of pre-med courses before I can even think of applying to medical school. If I am correct, that means Chemistry, Biology, Organic Chemistry and Physics. I plan on starting these courses in January, as well as beginning self-study for the MCAT.

Bottom line: Is it too late for me?

In your opinion, do you think I will have to attend a Caribbean school in order to get accepted; and if so, is that necessarily a bad thing? Or, is 42 too late anyway?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, fellow wise ones.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

You are not too old, I know a lot of people in their forties in medical school. My partner in Anatomy was 50 when he started. Try Osteopathic Medical schools.

 

[njbmd]

Back in 1997 I got into 6 out of the 6 allopathic schools that I applied to at age 45. Take your pre-med coursework and do well (no grade less than B+ with a good percentage of As) + do well on the MCAT (total grade of 30 with no section less than 8) + good extra curricular activities and personal statement. Don't neglect any portion of the application that is within your control. Apply broadly (your state schools and others that are of interest) and don't look back. I ended up being the third oldest in my school with one person starting at age 49 and another starting at age 53. All of us graduated and all of us are practicing.

The joke among us was that all three of us that were older were runners. We would see each other on the running paths all the time but our younger colleagues were tired all of the time. Good luck!

 

[DrMidlife]

You're not too old. Your ability to get accepted is going to be a function of how well you can compete with vast hordes of young punks. You'll be evaluated on your undergrad GPA and your demonstrated ability to push hospital stretchers long before your maturity and experience come into play. (That undergrad GPA? That means every transcript you ever had is now highly relevant.)

I'm 41 and in the middle of applying this year. I gave up a great deal for this path. I'm about 80% sure it's worth it.

First and foremost make sure you know what you're doing. Get a copy of Iserson's "Getting into Medical School: A Guide for the Perplexed." And find a physician to shadow, preferably one who can't wait to retire and will try to talk you out of it.

Volunteering and community service are important to have, and you should start these right away.

Best of luck to you, and do keep us posted.

 

[Flopotomist]

So instead of blowing happy smoke up your @ss, let me sprinkle some reality on the parade, and then you can see why you MAY want to reconsider this path.

1. Finishing up your pre-med courses will set you back ~$10-20K PLUS the lost opportunity costs of any wages you would have earned over the two years it will take you to finish. I have no idea what you make in the theater world, but lets say that over two years you would have earned $90K. That is $100K lost before you even start.

2. Medical school will cost you anywhere from $120K - $250K in loans, and again another $175K in lost opportunity cost.

3. Residency might be close to what a theater person earns - so we will say that there is no opportunity cost lost here, but remember, interest is accumulating on those student loans still.

4. If you are starting now at 42, you enter medical school at 44, you graduate at 48, and you finish residency at 54. This means that at 55, you will now have ~$350K -$400K in student loans (damn you interest) have lost ~$165K in lost opportunity cost.

5. This is just the financial part of the equation.

6. If healthcare is a passion, there are other routes to take that will allow you a fulfilling, financially rewarding career without the 10 years of med school and residency (and debt). Have you looked into NP, PA, CRNA, or even RN programs?

 

[Barfalamule]

In Flopotomist's quote, he gave you 6 years in residency. I'm going to pull that back to 4 and say you start at 53. That is a healthy 15 years in practice, if you want to retire at 68. The upper limits of the age in medical school is probably the mid-late 50s. I don't think I've heard of anyone starting med school over 55. With that in mind, you will be entering med school at a youthful 44-45. Not too shabby. Consider the financials, but keep in mind that this can still be a 20 year career. You just have to make sure you really (really really) want it. I think the post-bacc program and the EC's will help guide your way.

You are not too old.

So instead of blowing happy smoke up your @ss, let me sprinkle some reality on the parade, and then you can see why you MAY want to reconsider this path.

1. Finishing up your pre-med courses will set you back ~$10-20K PLUS the lost opportunity costs of any wages you would have earned over the two years it will take you to finish. I have no idea what you make in the theater world, but lets say that over two years you would have earned $90K. That is $100K lost before you even start.

2. Medical school will cost you anywhere from $120K - $250K in loans, and again another $175K in lost opportunity cost.

3. Residency might be close to what a theater person earns - so we will say that there is no opportunity cost lost here, but remember, interest is accumulating on those student loans still.

4. If you are starting now at 42, you enter medical school at 44, you graduate at 48, and you finish residency at 54. This means that at 55, you will now have ~$350K -$400K in student loans (damn you interest) have lost ~$165K in lost opportunity cost.

5. This is just the financial part of the equation.

6. If healthcare is a passion, there are other routes to take that will allow you a fulfilling, financially rewarding career without the 10 years of med school and residency (and debt). Have you looked into NP, PA, CRNA, or even RN programs?

 

[Law2Doc]

So instead of blowing happy smoke up your @ss, let me sprinkle some reality on the parade, and then you can see why you MAY want to reconsider this path.

1. Finishing up your pre-med courses will set you back ~$10-20K PLUS the lost opportunity costs of any wages you would have earned over the two years it will take you to finish. I have no idea what you make in the theater world, but lets say that over two years you would have earned $90K. That is $100K lost before you even start.

2. Medical school will cost you anywhere from $120K - $250K in loans, and again another $175K in lost opportunity cost.

3. Residency might be close to what a theater person earns - so we will say that there is no opportunity cost lost here, but remember, interest is accumulating on those student loans still.

4. If you are starting now at 42, you enter medical school at 44, you graduate at 48, and you finish residency at 54. This means that at 55, you will now have ~$350K -$400K in student loans (damn you interest) have lost ~$165K in lost opportunity cost.

5. This is just the financial part of the equation.

Flop, While your concern is true, bear in mind that someone who has been in the workforce for quite a while is often in the best position to actually pay for med school. Not sure if the OP is or not, but I'm just pointing out that financial issues are often more significant for the trads who are borrowing tons as compared to nontrads who at least partially can self finance. If you can get through med school with minimal borrowing (which usually only older nontrads and kids from wealthy families have a shot at), that puts you a couple of years ahead in terms of earnings.

The only real issue for OP is the why. Older nontrads have successfully made it through med school without having to resort to offshore options. But everyone is going to want to know you have a really good and well thought out reason to be uprooting your life at this late stage, trading in your producing career for another decade of school and training, only to have a very short couple of decades of career at best when you get out. So the best thing you can do is a ton of shadowing first, to see if this is really what you want, and to make sure the job is actually what you are imagining. Do not launch into premed courses until you get into a hospital and see what today's young doctor's lives are actually like. There is a ton of paperwork, scut work, and quite a few negatives you need to know about before you launch into such an endeavor.

 

[njbmd]

In Flopotomist's quote, he gave you 6 years in residency. I'm going to pull that back to 4 and say you start at 53. That is a healthy 15 years in practice, if you want to retire at 68. The upper limits of the age in medical school is probably the mid-late 50s. I don't think I've heard of anyone starting med school over 55. With that in mind, you will be entering med school at a youthful 44-45. Not too shabby. Consider the financials, but keep in mind that this can still be a 20 year career. You just have to make sure you really (really really) want it. I think the post-bacc program and the EC's will help guide your way.

You are not too old.

The oldest person that I have heard of starting medical school was 63. He paid for his education out of his pocket and owed nothing at the end of four years. He is now happily practicing after three years of residency in Internal Medicine.

As Law2Doc pointed out, many older applicants have more financial resources than younger applicants but ability to pay is not a criterion for medical school acceptance. If a person wants to take on the debt load for professional school, there is no law that prevents them from doing so because of age.

There are also no limits to how long you may practice medicine. I have a couple of colleagues (one a cardiothoracic surgeon) who turned 78 and still practices full time. He has no plans for retirement and is by far, the wealthiest person in our department owning several homes in Aspen and Wyoming. He loves his work and does it very well after almost 50 years.

Age is not a determinant of length of practice as there are 40-year-olds who are complaining how tired they are (looking for options of getting out) and 65-year-olds who are totally enjoying their work with no signs of retirement or interest in retirement from medicine. If you look at any career in terms of retirement, you are going to be pretty miserable.

For that matter, I could retire now (at age 55) on more salary that I am making as a fellow because of my previous job but I am looking forward to ramping up my practice in a few months.

If the OP wants to pursue medicine and has the stamina, interest and grades, he/she is likely to be successful in gaining admission into medical school. Medical schools are not gates to keep people out because of perceived length of practice but professional schools that provide training for people that they deem are qualified. Fortunately for the OP, being well-qualified to pursue this education does not have an age limit and is not age-related. Being younger does not confer any special status for admission nor does being older screen you out.

 

[Flopotomist]

Flop, While your concern is true, bear in mind that someone who has been in the workforce for quite a while is often in the best position to actually pay for med school.

You could spin this either way. Either the non-trad with a very good job COULD pay their entire way and not go into debt, in which case logically they would be giving up a lucrative job and hence even MORE lost opportunity cost, OR the person does NOT have such financial resources, in which case my post still holds true. EIther way, the finances HAVE to be a bigger part of the equation for somebody that is older.

 

[Vihsadas]

Bottom line: Is it too late for me?

*Ahem* As I've said before,
The Only pertinent counter-retort to this question:

Are you Dead?

If you are, then you are probably too old, if not then you're fine.

 

[Law2Doc]

You could spin this either way. Either the non-trad with a very good job COULD pay their entire way and not go into debt, in which case logically they would be giving up a lucrative job and hence even MORE lost opportunity cost, OR the person does NOT have such financial resources, in which case my post still holds true. EIther way, the finances HAVE to be a bigger part of the equation for somebody that is older.

I guess I didn't understand what you were saying. If you were saying it might not be financially feasible for an older nontrad, then see my response above. Someone who had decades of earning can often afford med school better than someone who is going to rack up more debt on top of undergrad debt.

If you are focusing on opportunity costs, then I'd suggest you are missing the point of such a career change. Opportunity cost is lost with nearly any successful career-changing nontrad --Someone coming from a lucrative profession is always going to be taking a loss to do medicine. But folks who want to make a change simply won't be doing it for financial reasons. You simply cannot ever catch up to where you would be if you take into account lost salary, probably raises over the year, and "time value of money", and replace it with the negative cash flow of paying out six digit tuition. But generally, such a decision is not going to be based on a goal of maximizing lifetime income, it is based on doing something that interests and excites you. Which is worth more than money to most people who have already been in the rat race for a time.

No 40+ year old gainfully employed person is ever going to be going into medicine for the money -- if he is, he should have his head examined. But I disagree that this is often going to be a dealbreaker issue.

 

[Law2Doc]

Are you Dead?

If you are, then you are probably too old, if not then you're fine.

Actually if you are dead and still able to type onto SDN, then you probably still aren't too old. Half the post-call folks are walking around the hospital like zombies anyhow -- you would fit right in.

 

[drlisa0318]

I guess I didn't understand what you were saying. If you were saying it might not be financially feasible for an older nontrad, then see my response above. Someone who had decades of earning can often afford med school better than someone who is going to rack up more debt on top of undergrad debt.

If you are focusing on opportunity costs, then I'd suggest you are missing the point of such a career change. Opportunity cost is lost with nearly any successful career-changing nontrad --Someone coming from a lucrative profession is always going to be taking a loss to do medicine. But folks who want to make a change simply won't be doing it for financial reasons. You simply cannot ever catch up to where you would be if you take into account lost salary, probably raises over the year, and "time value of money", and replace it with the negative cash flow of paying out six digit tuition. But generally, such a decision is not going to be based on a goal of maximizing lifetime income, it is based on doing something that interests and excites you. Which is worth more than money to most people who have already been in the rat race for a time.

No 40+ year old gainfully employed person is ever going to be going into medicine for the money -- if he is, he should have his head examined. But I disagree that this is often going to be a dealbreaker issue.

Let me chime in as an older non-trad NOT coming from a monied position. Although I've been in accounting for 25+ years, I'm not a CPA; therefore, I don't make all that much. In fact, in Oklahoma, just to sit for the CPA exam, I'd have to have essentially a masters in accounting which I have NO desire to do (believe me, while the company I work for is great, as is my boss, accounting just isn't particularly interesting.) Anyway, that's even more schooling than I'm currently having to do in order to take the MCAT. I have no savings and at the rate I'm going, I'll NEVER be able to retire. So, if I'm going to work till I drop ANYWAY, I might as well be doing something I love and am passionate about. Considering that we not only live paycheck to paycheck, quite often scrimping just to buy groceries and gas, I don't think it will be a hardship to quadruple my salary (at least), even when it means I'll have ~$200,000 in school loans.

 

[billydoc]

Being a nontrad myself, I have to agree with the financial assessment, at least somewhat. But as was said before, I really doubted that any sane person in their late 30s and 40s will persue career change to medicine for the money alone. Especially these days. But I don't know when was te last time you personally tried to get in any nursing program, or PA or what have you. Advising someone to go CRNA You've got to be kidding me. These programs, believe it or not are a lot more competative than many medical schools are. You have to be an RN first, also with BSN or higher and two years of te critical eperience (usually only MICU or SICU are considered. No ER, no OR, no PACU etc). I've been an RN for almost 17 years and know about these things as an insider. No matter what health career te OP may choose it's going to take between 4 to 7 years to get going with practicing, and earning something. But if s/he has heart set on being a pysician it will be the biggest mistake to sell him/her self short, and live wit this regret forever. The financial, health, life expectancy, family responsibility are all very valid concerns. But no excuse/reasoning/rationalization etc will make someone happy, if they are unhappy doing what they do now. I'd say go OP go 😀

So instead of blowing happy smoke up your @ss, let me sprinkle some reality on the parade, and then you can see why you MAY want to reconsider this path.

1. Finishing up your pre-med courses will set you back ~$10-20K PLUS the lost opportunity costs of any wages you would have earned over the two years it will take you to finish. I have no idea what you make in the theater world, but lets say that over two years you would have earned $90K. That is $100K lost before you even start.

2. Medical school will cost you anywhere from $120K - $250K in loans, and again another $175K in lost opportunity cost.

3. Residency might be close to what a theater person earns - so we will say that there is no opportunity cost lost here, but remember, interest is accumulating on those student loans still.

4. If you are starting now at 42, you enter medical school at 44, you graduate at 48, and you finish residency at 54. This means that at 55, you will now have ~$350K -$400K in student loans (damn you interest) have lost ~$165K in lost opportunity cost.

5. This is just the financial part of the equation.

6. If healthcare is a passion, there are other routes to take that will allow you a fulfilling, financially rewarding career without the 10 years of med school and residency (and debt). Have you looked into NP, PA, CRNA, or even RN programs?

 

[billydoc]

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


Ooops something was going on with the "h" key, but I'm tooo damn lazy to correct anything.

 

[Krisss17]

So instead of blowing happy smoke up your @ss, let me sprinkle some reality on the parade, and then you can see why you MAY want to reconsider this path.

1. Finishing up your pre-med courses will set you back ~$10-20K PLUS the lost opportunity costs of any wages you would have earned over the two years it will take you to finish. I have no idea what you make in the theater world, but lets say that over two years you would have earned $90K. That is $100K lost before you even start.

Possibly it could cost the amount given, but it is also possible that the OP has residency in a state where college education doesn't cost that much.

2. Medical school will cost you anywhere from $120K - $250K in loans, and again another $175K in lost opportunity cost.

There are options where if the OP chose to practice in a physician-shortage location, this amount might be drastically cut.

3. Residency might be close to what a theater person earns - so we will say that there is no opportunity cost lost here, but remember, interest is accumulating on those student loans still.

4. If you are starting now at 42, you enter medical school at 44, you graduate at 48, and you finish residency at 54. This means that at 55, you will now have ~$350K -$400K in student loans (damn you interest) have lost ~$165K in lost opportunity cost.

Actually unless they are going for a residency for surgery or specializing, for an IM or Peds, it is 3 to 4 years, so the OP would actually be 51/52.

5. This is just the financial part of the equation.

6. If healthcare is a passion, there are other routes to take that will allow you a fulfilling, financially rewarding career without the 10 years of med school and residency (and debt). Have you looked into NP, PA, CRNA, or even RN programs?

Yes, there are other options, but each have some cost associated with them. Depending on the OP's previous education (i.e., they have a degree or not), they are still looking at a number of years before they could practice as a NP, PA or CRNA. Even an Associate Degree nursing program will require a minimum of 3 years (1 year for prereqs and 2 for the nursing program itself).

I say to the OP, give it your best shot...I would rather try and fail to get into med school than to let others dissaude me and realize that had I followed my own gut I might actually succeed. Besides 10 years from now you'll still be the same age you would be whether or not you attempt this. Instead of putting all of your attention on the destination, why not enjoy the journey...who knows what will happen within the next 10 years!

Sorry, but I have to interject on a few comments....

 

[Lokhtar]

Hell, I'm 23 and even I'm taking a hit in terms of Opportunity Cost for medical school (won't break even till I'm about 50). Switching from a lucrative job almost never pays off - but the money is not really the point of the switch.

 

[gman33]

First, you are not too old. There is really no such thing.
You can be done with school and residency and practice for 20+ years.

How were your grades in UG? If your GPA was lower than 3.5, you may need to take some additional classes to boost your GPA to a competitive level. If it's lower, search the forums for threads about low grades. There are plenty of posts.

Focus on your prereqs, take them at a 4 year school, and try to get an A in every class. Don't take on more work than you can handle. You may feel a need to rush to get your prereqs done, but start out slow. You may want to take some intro math classes before you take chemistry or physics. There are many people in these forums who got a few bad grades in prereqs and are now fighting an uphill battle to gain an acceptance.

Besides grades, start volunteering now if you haven't already. You will need to demonstrate to med schools that you know what you are getting into. Plus you need to find this out for yourself.

Good luck on your journey.

 

[alpha62]

Try the Army. I had a 45 year old flight surgeon with me who had just graduated med school. I think he's just now clearing his active duty service obligation.

the poor bastard hated it, kicked himself in the ass for going M.D. he already had a successful career in another field, just got a bug up his ass to do it.

I watched the poor guy squirm taking **** from guys half his age.

They're right about the PA route. freaking insane process to get in now, the field is being taken over by females, but if you have a theatrical back ground you may be able to deal with drama queens better than anybody.

Anybody that tells you money isn't a factor probably already has it or they were raised by Hippies on a commune in Vermont.

 

[Lokhtar]

Anybody that tells you money isn't a factor probably already has it or they were raised by Hippies on a commune in Vermont.

No one said its not a factor - but it isn't the overwhelming factor, at least for me. I am not going from a six figure job to wandering the streets with no money. I'd have a comfortable living either way, so I might as well do it doing something I enjoy.

 

[LateBloomerMD2B]

Money is definitely a concern, but my earning potential will be substantially increased once the educational pursuit is complete. So, what am I missing in the equation? I will have 200,000 of debt, but will have the earning potential to pay it off quite quickly.

A doctor friend of mine (radiologist) is retiring after a 17-year career. He has a house in St. John, a house in Connecticut, and two homes in upstate New York. Plus, he is is the sole supporter of his family. He hails from a lower middle class family and financed his medical education entirely on student loans. He pointed out that with low interest rates on the loans, he actually chose to invest his income, rather than pay off his student loans right away. Granted, the financial climate is quite different these days -- and the state of the medical profession in the US is in flux; I still don't see how I would come out with empty pockets after practicing for 2 decades. In fact, if done right, it seems like I would have a very healthy retirement (if I chose to retire.) Help me see what I am missing.

I spoke with a very successful Beverly Hills dermatologist today who really discouraged me from going the medical school route. He said that if he had to do it now at 42 (we are the same age), there is no way he would put his entire life on hold for the sheer time investment alone to attend medical school. And, this advice is from someone WITH an extremely successful private practice. He said that when in your 20s, it makes sense. But, in your 40s, to bow out of being present for family, friends, etc., is just not logical or beneficial. Would I really have to completely erase myself from interpersonal relationships outside of the educational realm for those 10 years?

Thanks for listening...

 

[alpha62]

No one said its not a factor - but it isn't the overwhelming factor, at least for me. I am not going from a six figure job to wandering the streets with no money. I'd have a comfortable living either way, so I might as well do it doing something I enjoy.

I agree and good for you bud. If you've got the money already, at least you're doing something good with it. I know of people sitting on a pile of inherited money or easy dot.com money and all they do is screw off the day.

You know the lead guitarist of Queen just finished his PhD in astrophysics. It just doesn't happen enough you see somebody do good with a lucky break.

 

[alpha62]

Money is definitely a concern, but my earning potential will be substantially increased once the educational pursuit is complete. So, what am I missing in the equation? I will have 200,000 of debt, but will have the earning potential to pay it off quite quickly.

A doctor friend of mine (radiologist) is retiring after a 17-year career. He has a house in St. John, a house in Connecticut, and two homes in upstate New York. Plus, he is is the sole supporter of his family. He hails from a lower middle class family and financed his medical education entirely on student loans. He pointed out that with low interest rates on the loans, he actually chose to invest his income, rather than pay off his student loans right away. Granted, the financial climate is quite different these days -- and the state of the medical profession in the US is in flux; I still don't see how I would come out with empty pockets after practicing for 2 decades. In fact, if done right, it seems like I would have a very healthy retirement (if I chose to retire.) Help me see what I am missing.

I spoke with a very successful Beverly Hills dermatologist today who really discouraged me from going the medical school route. He said that if he had to do it now at 42 (we are the same age), there is no way he would put his entire life on hold for the sheer time investment alone to attend medical school. And, this advice is from someone WITH an extremely successful private practice. He said that when in your 20s, it makes sense. But, in your 40s, to bow out of being present for family, friends, etc., is just not logical or beneficial. Would I really have to completely erase myself from interpersonal relationships outside of the educational realm for those 10 years?

Thanks for listening...

I'm a PA and my MD boss said he's steering his kids away from medicine. The golden age of Docs on the Golf course is OVER. Wait till Hilary gets her hands on this thing.... you'll all be begging Castro a day clinic job in Havana

 

[Blade28]

Back in 1997 I got into 6 out of the 6 allopathic schools that I applied to at age 45.

😱 I had no idea! Double kudos to you in all you've accomplished - that's so impressive.

 

[budhak0n]

Ask yourself... Am I too old to climb Everest?

Am I too old to go cliff diving in Mexico? Am I too old to start a rock band and go on a World tour?

But don't ask yourself if you are too old to learn to care for others. If your goal is to become a care giver... well I'm no authority on the matter b/c frankly I'm 39 and doing my prerequisites this year ( OChem, Bio etc) and I haven't been admitted anywhere yet...

So I'm not authority but I certainly don't feel I'm too old ...

I was in with my physician today and told him what i was doing when I handed him my "immunization" form and he asked how old I was ... and his only comment was well "AT Least you'll know what you want to do " ...

None of this too old stuff.. he just basically said .. rather you than me.. which we both had a good laugh about..

I'm sure he doesn't miss med school ...but NO WAY you're too old.

If you discover a gene blocker at 60 that cures cancer will the historians write? He had once considered med school at the age of 35 but considered himself to be too old and instead perfected the art of making French toast?

 

[budhak0n]

I agree and good for you bud. If you've got the money already, at least you're doing something good with it. I know of people sitting on a pile of inherited money or easy dot.com money and all they do is screw off the day.

You know the lead guitarist of Queen just finished his PhD in astrophysics. It just doesn't happen enough you see somebody do good with a lucky break.

Brian May has a PHD? See ya learn something new everyday.

Kewl.

 

[NewHope]

Brian May has a PHD? See ya learn something new everyday.

Kewl.

Especially with all, and I mean ALL that his brain been through or ll these years...lol

Incredible resiliency 😍

 

[billydoc]

I'm a PA and my MD boss said he's steering his kids away from medicine. The golden age of Docs on the Golf course is OVER. Wait till Hilary gets her hands on this thing.... you'll all be begging Castro a day clinic job in Havana

Well, I hope the Americans in general are not that stupid. Though as a New Yorker, I lost my faith in it long time ago. We "stepped in it" twice already. However, I think you should not exclude yourself from this fate just yet. I've been an RN for 17 years. I remember her 1994 Socialist fiasco, and how many ppl with not much seniority at my hospital were let go. Of course, now we have a "nursing shortage" b/c they expect 1 person to do what at least 3 ppl were doing before. You could thank madam Hillary for that I wish the same would apply to the blood-sucking leaches called "lowyaa" or lawyer. So Hillary can shove it up her Big....."law degree". But she is very polarizing creature, and may not be able to hoodwink the whole Nation into trading the Bill o Rights for the Communist Manifesto. She wants you and me to live in the Marxist-Lenenist "paradise", but it never applied to the Billary alliance 😱 😡. But if MD/DO are going down be assured you're going right behind them.
Gee, that's scary 😱 🙄

 

[njbmd]

Hi all-

I am 42 (you can get up off the floor now) and after a long theatrical producing career have decided to pursue a medical profession. While I did attend college (back in the days of quill and scroll), I am in need of pre-med courses before I can even think of applying to medical school. If I am correct, that means Chemistry, Biology, Organic Chemistry and Physics. I plan on starting these courses in January, as well as beginning self-study for the MCAT.

Bottom line: Is it too late for me?

In your opinion, do you think I will have to attend a Caribbean school in order to get accepted; and if so, is that necessarily a bad thing? Or, is 42 too late anyway?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts, fellow wise ones.

This is the OPs original question. If you have a comment related to this question, then please post it. If you are interested in another topic, please feel free to start another thread rather than hijack this one. If you have a response that is directed at one particular poster, then use the PM if your response does not add to the topic of the thread. In other words, try to be professional and courteous to the OP and not hijack the thread. Thanks.

 

[Coastie]

Is it too late for you? Depends on your goals in life. Live without regrets, but know that actions have consequences, and that nothing happens in a vacuum. There will be a great economical and physical toll, greater on you than someone younger. If you're still willing to go for it after weighing the pros and cons, then go for it. Make sure you are very HONEST with yourself and that you seek objective advice with regards to the price you will pay all around. Make your decision afterwards.

Good luck.

 

[Avant]

Hi, LateBloomer:

I skimmed the responses, but I guess my answer is a bit at odds with most. I think you can be too old for med school.

I am in my last semester and am 41. I practiced law before med school, then made a big left turn somewhere. Currently, I am trying to decide between Anesthesiology (if so, I will participate in the 2009 match) or pursue a non-clinical career with the MD/JD.

So, how can someone be too old? First, you will be stepping entirely out of your age group and spend most of your time with people in their mid- to late-twenties. Not a huge problem, really, but eventually for me I missed age-matched peers. You will be treated like the clueless med student we all are when we hit the wards. Some of the this treatment can be a bit rough, and it may be harder to take a PITA resident if that person is 15 years younger than you are and clueless about life. And if that resident (or attending) is threatened by your age or prior experience, you are in for some pain. Last, you will lose any professional identity you may have and revert to "student". This loss of status and identity can be difficult.

Second, it is physically demanding. Overnight call sucks and can be frequent in some residencies. Staying up all night when I was 23 and in law school was nothing. Now it is painful. Doing this repeatedly throughout a residency does not seem pleasant to me. Surgery can require you to stand in one spot for hours. In my 3rd year surgery rotation I scrubbed into a vascular surgery and then was required to stand for 7.5 hours and watch the two (seated) vasc surgeons do their thing. My feet died that day. My back died in Ortho surgery.

It is also mentally demanding. Like knees and hair, the brain changes after 40, with studies showing a small but progressive loss of memory and cognitive abilities. Probably I am a better learner now than when I was in law school because I am more efficient, but rote memory takes longer - and so much of med school is rote memory.

Lastly, the whole med school/residency march may seriously crimp your other life plans. Do you have a family? If so, this can be very hard. I have 2 young kids and agonize over being gone so much for an Anesthesiology residency. Are you married? Med school is hard on marriages, of course, and I've seen some non-trad marriages get ripped apart due to the time apart and the changes that occur to the med student while the supportive spouse watches. If one is married, it is probably relationship suicide to make such a huge, painful, costly, and time-consuming career change without your partner giving 100% informed support.

Ultimately, there are 2 questions: Is it doable for me? AND Is it worth it for me? For some, the answer to the first is "yes' but "no" to the second. Give yourself plenty of time to think about this. It is a very hard road and requires complete honesty with yourself about your abilities, desire, emotional and relationship (if applicable) stability.

Good luck! 🙂

 

[notdeadyet]

If healthcare is a passion, there are other routes to take that will allow you a fulfilling, financially rewarding career without the 10 years of med school and residency (and debt). Have you looked into NP, PA, CRNA, or even RN programs?

This question should be posed to everyone applying to medical school, not just the old folk. And you'll probably get very similar answers.

 

[DrKnowItAll]

There is no money in medicine anymore. I know VERY FEW happy doctors. They ones that are content are usually older (accumulated wealth from the glory days) or in select specialties like dermatology and radiology.

Depression is very common among doctors. I wish you could check out the social networking site Sermo (only for licensed physicians) to hear the pain and suffering.

It's a gloomy time for medicine and there is no hope in sight!

I recommend: If you like healthcare, do public health, a PhD in health policy or PA (if you want to see patients)

If you want to make money, go to a good business school and get your MBA.

I would hate to see you become suicidal in 4th year of medical school.

 

[notdeadyet]

Bottom line: Is it too late for me?

Here's a couple of thoughts, OP. (disclosure: I'm a 36yo first year med student):

1. Don't plan on starting to study for the MCAT for at least another year. You need to have done a majority of prereqs to get the most out of MCAT study. Any study for the MCAT you do earlier is precious time wasted that could have been applied to bettering your application.

2. If at all possible, try to reach a point where you can quit your day-job and use student loans or savings to do full-time study, either at a formal postbac or full-time at a local university. Some folks poo-poo the need for this, but the older you are, the more relevant it is. You will get many adcoms asking, "are you prepared for the rigors of full-time study?" Pointing to recent full-time coursework irons out that worry. Saying you were last a full-time student when the president's dad was president can be a cause for concern amongst adcoms.

3. Don't rush things. There will be very little difference in the eyes of adcoms between a 44yo applicant and a 45yo applicant. You will have an uphill battle to climb and you want your app to be as strong as possible. More folks die of indigestion than starvation in this process. Don't be one of them. Take as long as it takes to do it right.

My personal recommendation would be to do the Chemistry sequence part-time just to wet your beak and start clinical volunteering. Find a full-time program and you can complete the rest of your sequence in one year. Use ample time to nail the MCAT. It is a three to four year process from where you are now to interviewing, at a minimum. But don't rush it.

Lastly, look into folks like Judy Colwell, or other private counsellors who have worked as adcoms. She specializes in taking folks from very non-traditional backgrounds and walking them through the smartest way to do this process. SDN is great, but you'll get some criminally bad advice here with little frame of reference. An hour's conversation with her can save you hundreds of hours of wasted time.

Best of luck. You need to get as strong a GPA and MCAT as the 22yo applicant, and you'll encounter a handful of schools that will be prejudicial against older students. But for schools who are not, folks with a past career to talk about and a lifetime of experiences to draw from are a welcome applicant. I applied at 35 and had not problems. PM me if I can help.

 

[MLakeLAc]

2. If at all possible, try to reach a point where you can quit your day-job and use student loans or savings to do full-time study, either at a formal postbac or full-time at a local university. Some folks poo-poo the need for this, but the older you are, the more relevant it is. You will get many adcoms asking, "are you prepared for the rigors of full-time study?" Pointing to recent full-time coursework irons out that worry. Saying you were last a full-time student when the president's dad was president can be a cause for concern amongst adcoms.

FYI, OP, it is possible to go to school full-time and work full, or almost full-time as well. It sucks, no doubt about it, but it's doable if you can make your schedule work. Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

 

[OncoCaP]

I'm not as concerned about the age. I'm just not sure I understand the desire to switch and undertake the new challenge.

Personally, I'm an old MS1 myself (almost 40) and I see a lot of opportunities to use my skills in areas that interest me. I'm frankly surprised how much I like this stuff. Granted all the heavy lifting is up ahead, but if I need to live at the hospital for surgery stuff, that's fine. My family will miss me, but it's not like I didn't work my tail off in my former job.

Some 28 yo attending chewing me out ... fine, whatever turns her on. I'll mop floors if that's what needs to be done. It's not like I've never been chewed out by a client or disgruntled executive. I'd be perfectly happy doing family practice or a specialty. I see much more good than bad by far right now in medicine for people who are looking for opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. Financially I'm able to make the change. I do research on the side and could see myself doing a lot of research projects that would be very difficult for someone outside the medical profession to gain access to.

There are amazing people in this field that are wonderful to work with. Medicine's a nice field, but I would never do it for the money. There is no way I could ever recover the lost income that I miss while I'm in school / training. For me money is just not that important. I'm doing this because I can and I think it's the best path for me (and hopefully my future patients). I'm doing this to give back to society after having a really fun life already.

 

[McSnappy]

My husband is the one in school, we have preschoolers and a elementary student. It hasn't been so bad with the time, I look at it as if he had a corporate job that had him traveling it would be about the same amount of time gone. The first two years are 7 days/wk. but you could schedule around activites a lot of the time. Except for being on call (which isn't that much) he's home every night. If it is your passion, go for it...you'll be the same age in 10 years whether you go to school or not.

 

[Amy B]

You are NOT to old!!

I am 41 years old and will graduate (God willing) this year. And I am not the oldest one in my class. There were a number of classmates older than me. We have one lady that is in her 50's. People are living older and do things later in life.

I say if you want it....THEN GO FOR IT!!!

All my best👍