mthomas2 said:
I find myself constantly questioning myself whether or not I'm doing the right thing. Here's my story. I have 3 kids plus a wonderful supportive husband. I own and run a lucrative event planning company but it's not what I want to do for the rest of my life. Now that the kids are older, I feel like I have the opportunity to go back to school for something I wanted to do many years ago..optometry. I've been taking my pre reqs and it's been hard but so far I'm getting the grades. I think my fear is that I've been use to making a certain income that now I'm realizing it won't be there as much because I have to commit my time to studying. It's the easy way out to continue what I'm doing but I hate it and honestly I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to do what I really wanted to do but it's a big sacrifice--am I kidding myself? Any words of encouragement?
I'm sure you've thought about a lot of these things, but...
Like many of us non-trads, you'll probably need to borrow money, definitely for tuition, probably for living expenses. If you're ready to finish up your pre-reqs and do the full court press for med school, you'll need to get your financial boat in tip-top shape; pay off debt & build some savings. It's hard to do, but it's now or 10 years from now.
If this is your dream - go for it. But there will be real financial costs. And costs your family will have to bear as well. How supportive is your husband? Cooking? Cleaning? Is he going to step up his efforts with the kids? Is your husband ready to spend more time alone? How about your kids? Are they ready for you to meet new people who are different and perhaps more educated? Can your family be creative enough to let you grow like this and see you as a doctor?
Tough questions.
With kids, you'll want to avoid, as much as possible, a move. But to get the residency you want, you may eventually have to move - which would be especially tough during your kid's teenage years (don't know how old your kids are).
I left a career in IT in August for the Bryn Mawr post bac program. My wife and 2 yr old daughter came with me.
We're scared $h1t1ess, but we talked about all these things. We thought about it for 2 years before pulling the trigger. Having a viable back up plan to bail yourself out financially is a good idea - just in case it doesn't work out.
I'm hoping to link in to a program affiliated with Bryn Mawr and skip the glide year.
I guess the bottom line I would say is carefully consider everything with your family - be sure they understand how hard everything will be. Getting into medical school and finishing it are just the beginning - residency is the most demanding part.
Don't think of your self as selfish - you've given up a lot to have a family. If you decide to go for med school, you can do and be something great - but you'll need the support of your family.
Good luck to you - whatever you decide.
