How likely is this?

[spiffymedic]

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I am a 23 year old with a wife and two kids. I started college (In fall of 2007) for a degree in biology for hopes I could get into med school. The university I attend is a small no-name university in GA. I hear horror stories of med school and residencies. I sometimes feel it is unrealistic to think I could manage med school, a residency, marriage, and two kids on top of having to relocate to attend med school. I was just wondering what others thought. I have talked to a couple of doctors who use the line, "Anything is possible". I agree that almost anything is possible, but with a family I feel I should seek probable before possible.

 

[RLTW75]

Most people you talk to will tell you you're crazy!! Why would you want to do something like that? You'll never have the time to do it, etc. If you really believe this is your calling than go for it.

You unlike many of the other non-trads in this forum actually have a leg up on the whole process. You have a 24/7 cheer leading squad. There are going to be many a nights when you don't want to study for ochem, or crack that book for an mcat review, but you have a wife and kids who will support you and help give you motivation when you need it most.

Its a long journey and something that's not going to happen overnight, but the one thing most people overlook is the amazing power of the human mind. If you can overcome the voices in the back of your mind telling you its impossible than you're already half way there.

Good luck

 

[njbmd]

I am a 23 year old with a wife and two kids. I started college (In fall of 2007) for a degree in biology for hopes I could get into med school. The university I attend is a small no-name university in GA. I hear horror stories of med school and residencies. I sometimes feel it is unrealistic to think I could manage med school, a residency, marriage, and two kids on top of having to relocate to attend med school. I was just wondering what others thought. I have talked to a couple of doctors who use the line, "Anything is possible". I agree that almost anything is possible, but with a family I feel I should seek probable before possible.

There is nothing "horrible" about either medical school or residency. Both of these types of training prepare you for a job that you enjoy (if not, why are you entering medicine).

Whether your college is "no-name" or big "name" is not a consideration in this process. How you perform at that college is a huge consideration in this process.

Plenty of my medical school classmates had wives, husbands and children when they entered medical school. All of them managed to graduate and all of them are now finished with residency at this point. If you plan and prepare yourself financially and academically, you should be able to get through medical school as many have done before with or without a family.

It's your dream. If you allow others to "talk" you out of what you have decided you want to pursue, then you were not very dedicated to that dream in the first place. If you and your family are prepared for what medical school and residency will entail, there is no reason to believe that you will not be able to get through them much the same as you have gotten through undergrad.

Will it be easy? No, but then what fun is life without a challenge? Either you want this or you don't. If you want this, then plot a strategy that will allow you to achieve and provide for your family at the same time. Plenty of people do this all the time.

 

[thoffen]

I think there is a very high chance that you will succeed (as history of other students has proven) if you make it to med school. Thing is, you'll be forced to make a lot of trade-offs that simply will not want to do. Are you prepared to sacrifice time with your family and money in the short run? The question is not if it's possible but rather if it's right for you.

 

[gman33]

The question that you need to answer is whether you want to do what it takes to become a doctor. People with families who come from small schools get into med school every year. It can be done, but you need to figure out if you want to do it. The road will be long and will require sacrifices from you and your family. For the time being, I'd say to just concentrate on your studies and try to explore as many options as you can. Also, make sure that you are interested in the other career options that will be available to you as a bio major. You don't need to major in this to get into med school, and it's good to do something you enjoy in case you change you mind.

 

[Weoh]

I'm married, have 2 kids (2.5 yrs old and 8 mths)-- starting M1 in August. Probably the most important advice that I could give would be to make sure that your spouse is behind you. I don't think anyone who's married goes to med school hoping for a divorce, but sometimes it happens. As long as both of you know what's ahead, that it's temporary, and that your family is priority #1, you should be fine.

If she's not behind you, you may want to begin having those discussions about why you want to pursue this. She's going to be a big part of your support through it, so it's important that she feel prepared going in to it with you.

 

[DrJosephKim]

you are still very young. it can certainly be done. remember that some medical students start at age 50!

 

[spiffymedic]

Someone mentioned not to go into Biology unless I was interested in the field, sort of to fall back on, I suppose. Well, my university offers no pre-med degree and the only three degrees that offer enough electives are a BA in Psychology, chemistry and biology.

I chose biology simply because I feel it would look better than say a psych degree. Does it really matter what your degree is in? Or would the bio look better than psych?

 

[Weoh]

Someone mentioned not to go into Biology unless I was interested in the field, sort of to fall back on, I suppose. Well, my university offers no pre-med degree and the only three degrees that offer enough electives are a BA in Psychology, chemistry and biology.

I chose biology simply because I feel it would look better than say a psych degree. Does it really matter what your degree is in? Or would the bio look better than psych?

It really doesn't matter what your degree is in before med school. Most applicants (if I remember the stats correctly) usually have degrees that are in the hard sciences-- bio, chem, biochem, etc. That said, there will also be a number of students that will have majored in anything from psych to english lit to spanish (or other foreign language). Regardless of the major that you choose, your goal should be to do well in that major, in the required pre-req courses for medical school and on the MCAT.

Actually being interested in the major is helpful though-- as spending the time studying to do well would probably be less of a chore than if you hated your major.

 

[gman33]

Major doesn't matter.
About 50% of matriculants are bio majors, but that means the other 50% aren't.
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2007/mcatgpabymaj07.htm

If you like bio and the career options it provides, than by all means major in it. My usual advice is just to major in something that you enjoy. More than half of the applicants don't get in and many more change their mind before they even apply. I don't like expecting the worst, but just make sure you will have a degree you will find useful if things don't work out as planned. You can get in with any major. I think statistically speaking bio majors have one of the lowest acceptance rates. (not that I think that means much of anything; probably just because so many apply)