another 30 year old non trad question

[piecesofsoup]

Hi there, I'm 30 and considering applying to medical school. I wanted to be a doctor most of my life (since I was 5). I double majored in college in physics and biochemistry hitting all my premed prereqs, worked in a biophysics lab for 2 years, and got a good score on the MCAT. I volunteered in high school and in college and was involved in premed communities on campus. So theoretically, I could've gone to medical school at 22 immediately out of college (ie I was on that track).

Instead I got a job as an engineer. At the time, I was really excited about putting my physics degree to use and immediately jumping in to the real world. I also needed the money to pay off college loans and to live since my family has always struggled financially. I felt really lucky to get such a good job right out of college, but I still assumed I'd eventually go to medical school since that was my main interest. I started the med school application process at one point but some things happened in my personal life that were harder to deal with than I wanted to admit (this has been a common theme for me) and I felt too stressed to handle the application process, yet I believed I couldn't justify quitting my job just to apply (though I now realize I totally could have).

My job was extremely demanding, averaging 60 hours/week but at times 80+hours/week for months on end (ie no days off). After six years, I was really burnt out and miserable. I felt like I couldn't think straight when all my time and energy were being sunk into work that wasn't rewarding, so I quit. I've had a lot of awesome experiences in my time off including working in a few different businesses, picking up new hobbies, and traveling a ton internationally. I've also spent a lot of this time suffocating under my own depression and anxiety which have loomed over me since childhood. I've taken a lot of measures to build healthier thinking patterns and habits, but it's still a struggle. Family life has always been tough for me, and I've had a hard time distancing myself from it.

I feel like if I had a million dollars, I would go to medical school. But since I haven't worked in two years and have used up my savings in that time, and I still struggle with depression and anxiety, going back to an engineering job at least in the short term seems like a safer/more responsible choice.

So here are my questions, which I perhaps should only be looking inward to answer instead of asking on a forum, but I'm curious what all of you with experience on this path think:

If I haven't gone to medical school yet, does that mean that's not really what I want to do? Or is it just that in my personal journey, now is the right time because I've grown in the way that I needed to, even if I had all the prereqs at 22?

What are some steps I can take to gain clarity on whether this is the right choice for me at this time?

Is it crazy to think becoming a doctor is something that's still available to me given that I haven't done anything medically relevant since college?

Any advice/comments/comics/recipes welcome.

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[mrjbb]

Sometimes it just isn't the right time. I've been on this journey for over 10yrs. I put my Med school "dream" on hold more than once in the past decade. Started a business and a family. I was recently in the process of buying our dream home. But none the less, I knew (because of the immense debt I was going to acquire) I was going to have to put my dream on hold once again.

I spoke to my wife about it and she agreed that I had put med school on the back burner for far too long, plus we can always buy a house later on. She helped me realize that if I felt that it was the right time to go all the way and attempt my dreams, then I should go for it. I feel as though I've matured a great deal and gained a vast amount of real world experience that will aide me in my path towards becoming a well-rounded physician. Point blank, it's never too late in my opinion.

I don't know how to explain it, but it just feels as though it's the right time. I volunteered close to ~200hrs in the ER 9yrs ago. Since then I'm in a similar position as you in the sense that I have zero clinical experience in the last several years.

I'd begin with volunteering again and shadowing a few docs in a few different specialties. This alone may awaken your desire and allow you to regain clarity. I'd imagine you could also include your past clinical experience on your apps as well and combine them with any new clinical exposure you'd come by.

And no it's not crazy. Many of us are sacrificing and risking a great deal to follow this path.

The upside is you have most if not all of your prereqs. You'd have to brush up on them and study for the mcat again. Some of the people on here that have written the mcat after taking their prereqs many years prior can comment much better than I can on this.

Could you provide us with more details such as cgpa, sgpa, old mcat score, etc... This may help others more familiar with the process to formulate a more detailed response.

 

[Jose rubio]

Thanks for sharing your story. I am a non trad student on my first year of med school. Here is what I think: The fact that you are still thinking about going back to school for what you have always wanted is a reflection of your true desires. Yes, it might be an uphill battle due to the circumstances you described, but the reality is that if you do not try and apply, the answer will be a resounding no. I wish I could tell you for sure that you will be admitted into med school because of your MCAT score or your life experiences, but no one can until you give the opportunity to admission boards to even consider you as a potential medical student. Having said that, I would suggest to get involved in a medicine related opportunity (scribe, EMT, hospital volunteer...) so that 1) you get to see what life is like in a hospital and kind of gauge if your emotional/mental status can handle the stress and demands of working in the field by observing those that are already in the field, and 2) you can strengthen your application in the near future to make sure that you have better shot at obtaining an interview at a school and an admission. As I am sure you know, the admission process is looking at scores and pre-reqs, but also they look at personal traits and experiences that can substantiate your desire to be a physician. If becoming a doctor is your real dream, I would say give it a try and see what happens.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

So here are my questions, which I perhaps should only be looking inward to answer instead of asking on a forum, but I'm curious what all of you with experience on this path think:

If I haven't gone to medical school yet, does that mean that's not really what I want to do? Or is it just that in my personal journey, now is the right time because I've grown in the way that I needed to, even if I had all the prereqs at 22?

Read through this forum. Many people go to med school in their thirties and forties. For some it's because they didn't discover their desire to be a physician until later, while for others (myself included), the path was just more circuitous than most for whatever reason.

I personally believe things will happen at the right time, so if you haven't gone to med school yet, that just means it wasn't the right time.

What are some steps I can take to gain clarity on whether this is the right choice for me at this time?

I spoke to my wife and the chaplain who married us. They gave me good insight and assured me I wasn't insane.

Is it crazy to think becoming a doctor is something that's still available to me given that I haven't done anything medically relevant since college?

Any advice/comments/comics/recipes welcome.

Nope. It's never too late to start clinical volunteering or getting clinical experience/shadowing. In fact, you should definitely start that ASAP.

 

[piecesofsoup]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful responses and for sharing your stories.

Some more info - my ugpa/sgpa was about 3.2. Not great, I know. I'm hoping that having two difficult degrees from a top 20 university offers some balance, though some med schools probably don't even consider anyone below 3.6. MCAT score was 34, equivalent to a 516 on the new one. Taking it again I'd have the advantage of maturity and years of working under pressure but the disadvantage of having to relearn most of the subjects. I'm expecting to need at least 3 months worth of serious studying to get up to speed.

 

[Brorthopedic]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful responses and for sharing your stories.

Some more info - my ugpa/sgpa was about 3.2. Not great, I know. I'm hoping that having two difficult degrees from a top 20 university offers some balance, though some med schools probably don't even consider anyone below 3.6. MCAT score was 34, equivalent to a 516 on the new one. Taking it again I'd have the advantage of maturity and years of working under pressure but the disadvantage of having to relearn most of the subjects. I'm expecting to need at least 3 months worth of serious studying to get up to speed.

The GPA won't work in your favor but considering that you're a non-trad it can definitely be overlooked, especially if you do a SMP. If you don't want to do a SMP, I would study your ass off for the MCAT, score well and then apply broadly. I don't know what your preferences are, but at least 10 DO schools and 15 MD schools should give you a good shot.

Best of luck.

 

[piecesofsoup]

Thanks for the advice. What would you say the threshold MCAT score is for doing a SMP? I hadn't planned on doing a SMP because of the cost, though tbh I'd like to get back in the school zone.

 

[deleted648172]

I'm a 32 yo pre-med. I wasn't ready as a 20-something, but I'm ready now. There's a requisite maturity before one can appropriately feel compelled to a career helping others.

Shadowing physicians and seeing them care for patients really helped me understand what would be rewarding to me in the practice of medicine. There is a lot of UNrewarding stuff, the list is long, it is ****ty. But if you can recognize what about the job feeds your soul, then there will always be a reason for you to do it. I'm guessing that's what keeps people going in the long run.