Any thoughts on what is too old for pod school?

[poody]

Career changer potentially considering podiatry. I did the math of average tuition versus expected salary and it would take only a few years to break even from current lost earnings. I considered podiatry in my 20s and regret not pursuing it. I would probably start school at age 35. I'm currently a lead med tech.

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[shadesofgrey]

What number did you use for your expected salary? Any idea on what age you would like to retire at?

This forum, myself included, tends to skew pretty negative on the profession. I started podiatry school at 25 and still wish I had gone a different route. Any particular reason you would want to go DPM versus CRNA, RN, PA, etc.

I think in general, unless you are able to avoid taking out a large amount of loans, podiatry school is to risky to recommend because the ROI is so variable. Furthermore I think it is literally unethical for podiatrists to urge young students to become pods without a very lengthy discussion about the high debt and possibility of poor ROI.

 

[Weirdy]

ROI aside-

35 isn't too late. Saw plenty of pod students and residents who were that age. Some (not a majority) were older.
Consider the other side of things.

Married?
Kids?
Do you understand what podiatry school will expect from you in terms of studying hours and rotations?
Board exam dedicated studying time prep?
Financially you will not be holding a job or providing any significant income for 4 years?

Then you go to residency-
If married with kids, does your spouse realize they will be a single parent for a majority of the time?
That your salary will be close to what you are making right now or a little more while you work 14+ hour days?
Do your kids realize you will not be there for their school stuff, sports stuff, just around in general?

Then look at yourself and current health-
Do you have the mental discipline to study for hours at a time?
Do you have all your emotional baggage sorted out?
Will your body at 35 be able to handle call schedules, driving in the dead of the night, being in the OR, seeing consults while running on 2-3 hrs of sleep?

Forget the ROI stuff for a second and think about the above.
If you're still game then apply.

Looking back if I was 35, I wouldn't do it.
I wouldn't do it in my late 20s either.
Hindsight.

 

[caliking87]

I had some classmates that were older and it was simply more challenging. Not saying it can’t be done, but especially 4th year of school requires month to month travel all over the place. Most people with just a spouse or single could move around for relatively cheap. The older classmates with kids, pets etc either had to leave their family for a year of travel, or spend absurd amount of money to get air bnbs that would accommodate.
School can be done much cheaper when you’re younger and have less dependents.

 

[Drjc1977]

ROI aside-

35 isn't too late. Saw plenty of pod students and residents who were that age. Some (not a majority) were older.
Consider the other side of things.

Married?
Kids?
Do you understand what podiatry school will expect from you in terms of studying hours and rotations?
Board exam dedicated studying time prep?
Financially you will not be holding a job or providing any significant income for 4 years?

Then you go to residency-
If married with kids, does your spouse realize they will be a single parent for a majority of the time?
That your salary will be close to what you are making right now or a little more while you work 14+ hour days?
Do your kids realize you will not be there for their school stuff, sports stuff, just around in general?

Then look at yourself and current health-
Do you have the mental discipline to study for hours at a time?
Do you have all your emotional baggage sorted out?
Will your body at 35 be able to handle call schedules, driving in the dead of the night, being in the OR, seeing consults while running on 2-3 hrs of sleep?

Forget the ROI stuff for a second and think about the above.
If you're still game then apply.

Looking back if I was 35, I wouldn't do it.
I wouldn't do it in my late 20s either.
Hindsight.

Sound advise.

 

[Feli]

...I did the math of average tuition versus expected salary and it would take only a few years to break even from current lost earnings. ...

As said, what are you using as "average tuition" and "expected salary?"
You are also failing to account for compound interest (on student loans and any debts you carry now), tuition inflation of about 5%/yr, living costs, 7+ years of missed wages (and growth of those wages).

Even if you're sitting with a golden ticket or something (doubtful), it's not a good idea.
You'd be 42 before out of residency (later if any gaps, fellowship, etc)... you won't have much energy left by then. Harder to work 60-80+hr weeks and sleep less as you get older.

Mainly, assuming no nepo baby factor, you simply will be unlikely to ever get out of debt at that later age. Heck, a lot of DPMs coming out of residency at 30 will never get out of debt either (barring some kind of loan forgiveness). The interest is a mother.

...try RN associate degree if you are trying to increase earnings fairly quick. Miss less work time and spend much less in loans. Being a "doc" sounds cool, but I would swallow your ego, look at your situation realistically and logically, and do the smart thing. GLuck

 

[Dermato Fight Club]

...try RN associate degree if you are trying to increase earnings fairly quick. Being a "doc" sounds cool, but I would swallow your ego, look at your situation realistically and logically, and do the smart thing. GLuck

100% Look at local colleges. My local college has a 2 year RN degree for under 11k all in. Can do RN to BSN all online if you want to in the future. This can be done for 5k and 1 year while you can still work. Work in an ICU and if you want to do CRNA that's a total possibility. If you get bored/tired of patient care you could go a completely different route with a BSN and become like a CEO/COO etc. of a hospital/remote workers comp case manager/risk management consultant etc. The BSN can be used in a lot of different ways.

 

[GreenHousePub]

One guy who was in residency kept telling everyone he was in his mid-40s, but he's in prison now and can't practice podiatry so take that as you will.

I'd say if you can graduate without any student debt then do it. If not, find something else.