I am still here… not sure if it's the right thing to do or not.

[JoeJoe2482]

Hello,

I became a member of SDN around 2016 but had been lurking in the forums browsing for far longer.

Basically, I have a drive to begin my pre-med journey but am struggling for years on the reality of my situation...

I am married, 36 and have a daughter that is almost 3. Going back to school would be difficult for me but could manage because the current career i've chosen is unfulfilling and mostly burnt out. I have school loans from my bachelor's that has not yet been completely paid off and because of some financial issues in my past, bankruptcy, I am unable to get new ones at the moment.

Thinking of going back to school to get a science or technology Bachelor's with the pre-med courses largely included as I have no taken any pre-reqs or the MCAT.
My UGPA however is very low (2.4 ish?) so I would need to do fairly well before applying to any schools. And am thinking of volunteering in some clinical aspect to get an idea of the inner workings of healthcare that the average patient doesn't see.

I write this because the will is there but i over-analyze, second guess and talk myself out of a lot in life and am afraid to put forth the effort for something that is absolutely unrealistic. Would love some feedback but mostly just venting frustration at the realm of possibility. And am totally not sure where to go career-wise. Eventually soon, I will be considering a Master's Degree if I don't move forward with medicine but still unsure of the academic area it will be in.

Thank you all for listening!!

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[Dr. Let 'er Buck]

36 with a kid is not impossible. I'm 35 with a wife and two kids who decided to go back to school (well, I never went a first time). Sold our home, vehicles, toys (4wheelers and such), and moved into rental housing hundreds of miles away.

I'm not going to lie..... it was hard. It has been the hardest thing I've ever done. But I was unfulfilled in my career and wanted a change.

The one thing extra which you have weighing you down is your GPA. I went to a semester of college after high school and walked out half way through, letting my transcript take the multiple Fs. Though those have stuck with me, medical schools seemed happy to overlook something which was 18 years ago. Since you have a degree already, and a poor GPA, you are kinda facing an uphill battle. What is your degree in? How long ago was your last class?

If you really want to make this leap, start taking classes and getting into the swing of things. You absolutely MUST get better grades than before. Adcoms would need to see an upward trend. Before that though, you would need to get a pretty decent score on the MCAT. Without having taken the pre-reqs you are most likely a few years away from being ready unless you've been working in some sciency field since then.

What you are proposing is certainly a gamble. If you make it, you would become a physician. If not..... you'll accrue a lot of debt and not have much to show for it on the other side. Only you and your spouse can decide if the risk is worth it.

 

[Ad2b]

It's not impossible but after 3 years of wondering/ruminating and not doing anything, you've gotten older, your questions are the same.

To me, an anonymous internet person, I don't think the desire is there for medicine - at least not enough to put in the time/dedication it takes to get through pre-reqs let alone the MCAT and medical school.

There are many avenues for people interested in the medical field that do not require all the MD/DO does.

 

[el_duderino]

You'd probably be 40 before you and a real shot at matriculation.

 

[ForgotUserName]

It can certainly be done at this stage of your life but I hope you have the full support of your wife. You both need to be aware of what you'll be getting into - not just the financial aspect but the time you would have to dedicate studying, which means less time to spend with her. And this would be for 6 years minimum, not counting post-graduate training.
I wish you all the best with whatever you decide.

 

[1uhbedoc]

On a more positive note, I've worked with many physicians who chose medicine as a second career, one of which didn't make the switch until she was 44 (had a husband, kids, etc). It's completely possible (assuming you absolutely kill your courses and MCAT) but I wouldn't go down this road unless you are certain. I had a wise resident tell me one time "medicine is only for those who can't imagine doing anything else," which I believe to be utterly true. If the risk of uncertainty is holding you back, it will always be there. That's one reason I originally chose nursing school over medical school, the fear of failure. However after completing my nursing degree and working for a few years, I've realized this isn't enough for me. It doesn't give me that "sense of purpose" and that alone helps drive my pursuit for medicine, despite all of the negativity associated with it. If you don't have a genuine passion for this burning at your core, it will be a long, long road.

 

[Goro]

Hello,

I became a member of SDN around 2016 but had been lurking in the forums browsing for far longer.

Basically, I have a drive to begin my pre-med journey but am struggling for years on the reality of my situation...

I am married, 36 and have a daughter that is almost 3. Going back to school would be difficult for me but could manage because the current career i've chosen is unfulfilling and mostly burnt out. I have school loans from my bachelor's that has not yet been completely paid off and because of some financial issues in my past, bankruptcy, I am unable to get new ones at the moment.

Thinking of going back to school to get a science or technology Bachelor's with the pre-med courses largely included as I have no taken any pre-reqs or the MCAT.
My UGPA however is very low (2.4 ish?) so I would need to do fairly well before applying to any schools. And am thinking of volunteering in some clinical aspect to get an idea of the inner workings of healthcare that the average patient doesn't see.

I write this because the will is there but i over-analyze, second guess and talk myself out of a lot in life and am afraid to put forth the effort for something that is absolutely unrealistic. Would love some feedback but mostly just venting frustration at the realm of possibility. And am totally not sure where to go career-wise. Eventually soon, I will be considering a Master's Degree if I don't move forward with medicine but still unsure of the academic area it will be in.

Thank you all for listening!!

Are you embarking upon this pathway because you don't like your current job? That's not a good reason to turn to Medicine.

But read this anyway:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

Med School Rx: Getting In, Getting Through, and Getting On with Doctoring Original Edition by Walter Hartwig
ISBN-13: 978-1607140627
ISBN-10: 1607140624

 

[pathologicalnerd]

Hello,

I became a member of SDN around 2016 but had been lurking in the forums browsing for far longer.

Basically, I have a drive to begin my pre-med journey but am struggling for years on the reality of my situation...

I am married, 36 and have a daughter that is almost 3. Going back to school would be difficult for me but could manage because the current career i've chosen is unfulfilling and mostly burnt out. I have school loans from my bachelor's that has not yet been completely paid off and because of some financial issues in my past, bankruptcy, I am unable to get new ones at the moment.

Thinking of going back to school to get a science or technology Bachelor's with the pre-med courses largely included as I have no taken any pre-reqs or the MCAT.
My UGPA however is very low (2.4 ish?) so I would need to do fairly well before applying to any schools. And am thinking of volunteering in some clinical aspect to get an idea of the inner workings of healthcare that the average patient doesn't see.

I write this because the will is there but i over-analyze, second guess and talk myself out of a lot in life and am afraid to put forth the effort for something that is absolutely unrealistic. Would love some feedback but mostly just venting frustration at the realm of possibility. And am totally not sure where to go career-wise. Eventually soon, I will be considering a Master's Degree if I don't move forward with medicine but still unsure of the academic area it will be in.

Thank you all for listening!!

None of us really know if you should set this in stone and push forward. Only you can make the decision. Lets also face it that the hardest part is to stick to the plan and follow it through.

It is possible for you to go for it, but it will come with a price. You will accrue more debt and depending on how long it will take you, it will take a toll on everyone in this process. I guess you have to weigh the risk-benefit ratio. It may not even be what you wanted after all. I am facing the same grueling process myself and I dislike not having all the answers.

Is it possible to shadow a physician these days? I am a RN by trade so I have shadowed them as part of my vocation.

It is a long way to go for all of us, whatever you do, godspeed and best of luck.

 

[Belle Melodie]

First, you would have to pay for each course out of pocket, Second dont let your age dictate what you want to do. There are lawyers in their 50's taking the MCAT & applying to medical school. If you really want this and can see yourself retiring from a career in medicine then take a day and plan it out. Take a notepad and write out your finances, what your schedule might look like, the pros and cons. No sense in wondering what if....

I think you can do this especially if you have the support from your wife. Remember you don't have to take 3 science courses all at once.

Look up the closest most affordable school available to you, calculate the cost and apply. Take one class the first semester. Find out if your local hospital has volunteer options and going forward take it one day at a time, While still fulfilling the requirements for medical school.

Goodluck

 

[twospadz]

Don't do medical school. You will surely regret it if your having doubts now. Its seems you don't like your job and you have financial issues. Become physician assistant. Less debt, its only 2 1/2 years and you still do medicine.

 

[Hippocrates II]

As an older student myself, I'm going to have to strongly disagree with those saying your age/situation shouldn't deter you from medical school. I would look for an alternative career in medicine if I were in your shoes. I'm an older student in my class and it's tough. I don't have the freedoms my peers have to study to the same extent, and the pressures of having a family while balancing that with school are very tough. I'm sometimes envious of my classmates when they're able to cram extra studying in while I have to do various things for my family, but that's the trade-off I've accepted. I say all of these things as someone who entered medical school probably a ~decade earlier than you will and with no debt over my head.

Additionally, for you, you'll likely be near 40 by the time you could apply. Mid-40s by the time you graduate. Nearing 50 (or older) by the time you are really working. Even by that point, you will still have undergrad debt + interest hanging over your head, and now with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical school debt on top of it. Do you really really to be just starting to dig yourself out of a massive hole of debt and providing for your family at 50?

My 2 cents - If you really want to work in medicine specifically (not liking your career is not the best reason IMO), look into the PA route, or even AA route if you can accept their geographical limitations and find the work interesting. I often find myself wishing I had considered these routes more seriously, but ego got the best of me and I had to be a doctor. PA school will be easier to get into, you'll be working in ~1/4 the time, and you'll be well on your way to earning a good living and providing for your family well before your 50's rather than just starting to dig yourself out of a massive hole.

Good luck

 

[1uhbedoc]

As an older student myself, I'm going to have to strongly disagree with those saying your age/situation shouldn't deter you from medical school. I would look for an alternative career in medicine if I were in your shoes. I'm an older student in my class and it's tough. I don't have the freedoms my peers have to study to the same extent, and the pressures of having a family while balancing that with school are very tough. I'm sometimes envious of my classmates when they're able to cram extra studying in while I have to do various things for my family, but that's the trade-off I've accepted. I say all of these things as someone who entered medical school probably a ~decade earlier than you will and with no debt over my head.

Additionally, for you, you'll likely be near 40 by the time you could apply. Mid-40s by the time you graduate. Nearing 50 (or older) by the time you are really working. Even by that point, you will still have undergrad debt + interest hanging over your head, and now with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical school debt on top of it. Do you really really to be just starting to dig yourself out of a massive hole of debt and providing for your family at 50?

My 2 cents - If you really want to work in medicine specifically (not liking your career is not the best reason IMO), look into the PA route, or even AA route if you can accept their geographical limitations and find the work interesting. I often find myself wishing I had considered these routes more seriously, but ego got the best of me and I had to be a doctor. PA school will be easier to get into, you'll be working in ~1/4 the time, and you'll be well on your way to earning a good living and providing for your family well before your 50's rather than just starting to dig yourself out of a massive hole.

Good luck

Has little to do with OP but out of curiosity, what role does the ego play in making a decision to pursue the field of medicine? I figure it plays at least some role for most people, myself included. Based upon your writing, I presume you're still in medical school? Do you think 10+ years from now you will regret this decision to pursue medicine because you think other healthcare jobs would have given you more free time/less stress, etc, or do you think it's the rigors of medical school just wearing you down?

Only asking because I've very momentarily considered PA, NP, AA, etc mid level care type jobs due to the less debt, less school, most likely less stress, etc but I just seem to have this ingrained idea that I won't be fulfilled doing anything else but medicine. That said, I'd hate to go down this road to have medicine strip me from my sense of self.

 

[pathologicalnerd]

It would not surprise me if it did play a huge part for most of us. Being outside US, we do not have a NP/PA, but just registered nurses who may be educated further if it's paid by the city and they may make slightly more money than just the "average" nurse. Nonetheless, even if I had the opportunity, I would not pursue it. The reason is simple: it is not good enough for me.

I have tried different avenues of nursing from ICU to a lab techy job, slowly growing dissatisfied with each one. I have had more free time and less stress, but it just keeps picking my brain and I think I can't ignore it. I know what I want to do and will not settle for less.

 

[el_duderino]

I'm not gonna lie, ego played a significant part. I didn't get into this field to spend my career taking orders or handing things off when things got hairy. I would not have been able to deal with being a mid-level or CRNA, and would have just stayed in my old career.

 

[futuremdforme]

So before you go into anything, I'm going to ask why you got a 2.4 GPA. What were your grades like in high school? Do you think you have the potential for a stellar post-grad GPA and MCAT? Because school's been a struggle, it could be a huge amount of effort to never get in or not graduate if you do.

Personally in your situation, I wouldn't do it -- I was about 10 years younger than you would be when you would matriculate, and I still feel pressure about my age. Honestly I'm really happy I switched into medicine but I can't imagine doing it all 10 years older. I think it's worth exploring further, but also looking into other careers that might not require accumulating so much debt or such a physically taxing demand on your body when you will be middle-aged.

 

[Hippocrates II]

Has little to do with OP but out of curiosity, what role does the ego play in making a decision to pursue the field of medicine? I figure it plays at least some role for most people, myself included. Based upon your writing, I presume you're still in medical school? Do you think 10+ years from now you will regret this decision to pursue medicine because you think other healthcare jobs would have given you more free time/less stress, etc, or do you think it's the rigors of medical school just wearing you down?

Only asking because I've very momentarily considered PA, NP, AA, etc mid level care type jobs due to the less debt, less school, most likely less stress, etc but I just seem to have this ingrained idea that I won't be fulfilled doing anything else but medicine. That said, I'd hate to go down this road to have medicine strip me from my sense of self.

I don't mean to make it sound like ego is the only thing at play here, but when it comes down to becoming a doctor vs. going to PA/NP school, certainly for some of us (myself included) our egos prevent us from taking the perceived lesser of the two roles. I have nothing against the PA profession and genuinely wish I had considered it more seriously, but at the time my ego felt I was too smart/capable/what have you from working under a doctor instead of being the doctor.

 

[esob]

Your position in life will dictate your ability to pursue medical school more than your age. It doesn't sound like it is a good time to undertake the challenge at this point in your life. Get the rest of your life in order and then reevaluate if you really still want to do medicine.