Going back to broke student life worries me

[deleted1097916]

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I'm soon be 30, female, not married. I applied to this cycle.

I recently started working as a travel nurse and fortunately, I started making money that I thought I never could as a nurse.

I grew up with a single mother and up until now, all my money went to my living expenses/tuitions/apps. So I feel like now it's my time to pay her back. But if I go back to school now, who knows how long it's going to take to make decent money again. Probably at least 7yrs. After all she has done for me, I think she should be able to enjoy her life a little before she gets too old.

I do want medicine but I'm thinking if I should take a year or two just to save/make enough for her retirement plan? But I'm also already "old" for med school. I don't know. I feel selfish for going after my dream while I can finally take care of my mom.

Is there any older students who can give me an advice? I would really appreciate it.

 

[eteshoe]

Coming in older is perfectly fine. When I started I was ~26 (graduated college at 20) and there was a 33 yr old guy in my class. By the time I finish my super long dual degree path I'm going to be about 35/36.

You're not selfish for going after your dream, but delaying a year won't really make a huge difference in the span of a 30-40 year career.

 

[Crayola227]

Your plan makes no sense to me in the scheme of things.

You don't sound that committed to medicine to me. Maybe you should forget the whole thing.

 

[deleted1097916]

Your plan makes no sense to me in the scheme of things.

You don't sound that committed to medicine to me. Maybe you should forget the whole thing.

Could you elaborate which part makes no sense to you?? I see that you are a physician so I genuinely want to know

 

[Crayola227]

Could you elaborate which part makes no sense to you?? I see that you are a physician so I genuinely want to know

Several things. You didn't mention wanting kids, but I suspect so since you mentioned being unmarried, single, 30, and ALL of that is only really relevant if you are interested. I could be wrong.

In any case, you have already applied. Taking time off is always a gamble. Because it can weaken your app (it makes your activities and letters older) and it only really makes sense to take time off if you can explain your gap years to med school. Gap years make the most sense if your app needs significant work, ie it's not good enough to get in and so you are only taking the time to get better. Sometimes starting family or sorting out other things that truly need it will be OK, but it also opens up a number of concerns at the same time about ability to handle your family and health and be in med school at the same time. Admissions wants to see you be fully career committed via school or working on your app while balancing those other things at the same time, since that is what is needed in training.

You would need to be doing things to strengthen your app and demonstrate a commitment to being a physician. Despite the clinical experience, working as a nurse does NOT demonstrate commitment to being a physician. So trying to tread water in keeping your app competitive, current, while working full time in nursing, while in reality trying to have time for your mom...brings me to the next point.

I also struggle to see how much money you can make in just a year or two for your mom to really be worth it. You're better off getting to attending faster and being able to afford things then.

People also forget that for every year you age, your risk of developing a disability or condition that affects your work goes up. Med training is relentless and brutal. It's best to just get it done.

All of the above admission committees are aware of. I don't see anyone who has done medical school and in admissions not being aware of all of this, and looking at the above, and not reading into it that for whatever reason you're not fully committed. Like looking for a reason not to start. They are looking for any clues that you might fail as a reason not to extend an acceptance.

They also might worry that if your dedication to your mother is such that you put off for a year or so to make an otherwise not terribly impressive amount of money for her retirement (unless you keep busy enough to obscure this reason for your gap year(s), what might happen if she were to get ill while you are in training. I was asked this very question at multiple interviews many times over.

It's not a compelling reason to delay in the eyes of most physicians or adcoms. Most of us put our families on the very backburner for many years and that is essentially expected. What you propose flies in the face of that. What's worse, is I seriously wonder how much good the shift in focus would really do your mom's financial situation.

The fact that I worry about this last bit, is where I question if this is really the motive behind you wanting to delay or if it's something else.

Adcoms are extremely sensitive to any whaff of what they might see as indecision or lack of commitment. That's why I said what I said.

At some point you will have to backburner your mom to pursue a medical career. It doesn't get easier the older they get, believe me.

 

[Crayola227]

Lol ensue the thumbs down from people not happy they're not getting cheerleaded and I'm just not mincing words about how this would be received. I'm not only a physician I also volunteer for admissions at a very liberal med school that is probably more family friendly and commited to diversity than most. A lot of the adcoms skew to older physicians who have time for adcom, I might add. So I hear their attitudes and they tend to be pretty conservative and old school on most issues.

But if you'd rather this was an echo chamber devoid of physicians or adcom, I imagine thumbs downing lengthy thought out explanations might be a good way to do it.

@Goro what do you think of the OP's proposed plan? Am I off base here?

 

[frosted2]

You said you applied... did you mean accepted or are you still waiting to hear back? That might make your decision easier.

Just a thought... nursing is booming right now (I've heard some ICUs paying 5k a WEEK... that is bananas) why not keep riding that gravy train to the bank and go to med school a bit later?

 

[Bonne Nuit]

My take is that it‘s either now or never for medical school. You’ve already spent all this time and money applying. If you withdraw now, do you honestly think you’re going to go through the hassle of retaking your MCAT, getting new LORs, and rewriting your PS/secondaries in a few years? It’s something to think about.

I know how hard it is to walk away from good money, believe me. But it’s not like it’s going to be any easier to walk away a few years down the line. You’re just going to be even more established in your career and that much more accustomed to your nursing income. So if you want to be a nurse, then absolutely stay in nursing - it would certainly be the easiest path. But if you really want to be a doctor, then now’s your chance. You can choose to close the door on medicine for the time being, but just know that life may never allow you to open it again.

 

[Dave1980]

I'm soon be 30, female, not married. I applied to this cycle.

I recently started working as a travel nurse and fortunately, I started making money that I thought I never could as a nurse.

I grew up with a single mother and up until now, all my money went to my living expenses/tuitions/apps. So I feel like now it's my time to pay her back. But if I go back to school now, who knows how long it's going to take to make decent money again. Probably at least 7yrs. After all she has done for me, I think she should be able to enjoy her life a little before she gets too old.

I do want medicine but I'm thinking if I should take a year or two just to save/make enough for her retirement plan? But I'm also already "old" for med school. I don't know. I feel selfish for going after my dream while I can finally take care of my mom.

Is there any older students who can give me an advice? I would really appreciate it.

A couple things:

1. You may not get in and then your decision is made for you. Getting in is not easy and you don't mention any stats so I have to assume there is a halfway decent chance you won't get in. That might be a blessing in disguise.
2. After taxes and whatnot are you really making life-changing money as a travel nurse? Even if you give your Mom 50k a year for a year or 2 that isn't really life changing when planning for life and retirement.
3. If you already applied you should just see it through and make your decision after the cycle is over.

 

[Goro]

I'm soon be 30, female, not married. I applied to this cycle.

I recently started working as a travel nurse and fortunately, I started making money that I thought I never could as a nurse.

I grew up with a single mother and up until now, all my money went to my living expenses/tuitions/apps. So I feel like now it's my time to pay her back. But if I go back to school now, who knows how long it's going to take to make decent money again. Probably at least 7yrs. After all she has done for me, I think she should be able to enjoy her life a little before she gets too old.

I do want medicine but I'm thinking if I should take a year or two just to save/make enough for her retirement plan? But I'm also already "old" for med school. I don't know. I feel selfish for going after my dream while I can finally take care of my mom.

Is there any older students who can give me an advice? I would really appreciate it.

Have you applied yet? If not, when do you plan to?

FYI, some of my all time best students have been in their 30s and 40s.

 

[Crayola227]

Have you applied yet? If not, when do you plan to?

FYI, some of my all time best students have been in their 30s and 40s.

She applied.

No one has discouraged her from attending because of age.

The question is should she take off one or two years to make money as a nurse to give her mother for her retirement.

 

[Goro]

The question is should she take off one or two years to make money as a nurse to give her mother for her retirement.

No. Work during the app cycle, OP, and if you're accepted, go to med school.

You won't lose a year of an attending's salary.

That's when you can really take care of your mom.

 

[deleted1097916]

My take is that it‘s either now or never for medical school. You’ve already spent all this time and money applying. If you withdraw now, do you honestly think you’re going to go through the hassle of retaking your MCAT, getting new LORs, and rewriting your PS/secondaries in a few years? It’s something to think about.

I know how hard it is to walk away from good money, believe me. But it’s not like it’s going to be any easier to walk away a few years down the line. You’re just going to be even more established in your career and that much more accustomed to your nursing income. So if you want to be a nurse, then absolutely stay in nursing - it would certainly be the easiest path. But if you really want to be a doctor, then now’s your chance. You can choose to close the door on medicine for the time being, but just know that life may never allow you to open it again.

You are absolutely right. It's only going to get harder down the road. Who know what's going to happen next year...
I really appreciate your reply! I will take my chance now 🙂