Well, it's a question of how badly you want this. Like others have mentioned, why do you actually want to go to medical school? Is it because you would love to work in healthcare and just can't see yourself working in any capacity other than as a physician? Or can you see yourself being satisfied in other ways, such as being a PA, or going into nursing? (Or even through other means, such as volunteering in your spare time, while staying home and raising kids.)
The "working part-time" idea probably is doable if you go into the right specialty (and work really really hard to get to that point). But personally... that's just a damn lot of work you're committing to to get to that point- and I really don't think it's worth it to work so hard, just to get to that point and yet only work part-time. That's a personal decision, though, but part of what drives me is the knowledge that, I can give this process my all, but there will be a great pay-off at the end of that... and I intend to pursue that career full throttle and go as far as my abilities will allow me to go.
It would just be so not worth it to me to work so hard to get through medical school, do well, etc., and then end up not using that knowledge half the time... or worse, not using it at all. Again, while I realize that's an entirely personal decision, it just seems like such a waste for women to obtain graduate education, and later on, choose to not use it at all by being stay at home moms. Not only a waste in terms of their own time/energy/$, but a waste in terms of the educational institution's space/time/$. Not to mention the fact that such choices add to the stigma against women... "why should we admit/employ this person if they're just going to bail out later?" It's just unfortunate all around.
But in the end, as unfortunate as that scenario is, it's entirely possible to do just that- get yourself a medical education, get into a lifestyle specialty, and work part-time, while raising a family. If that's what you want to do, be heartened that many before you have taken exactly that path. Actually, my ex-bf's parents are both doctors (mom's an oncologist, dad's in IM)- and he has three other siblings. Clearly, her medical career has not gotten in the way of having a family. Anyway, oncology is not even really a lifestyle specialty and she's doing fine.
As for the age/gender thing... I'll be around that same age if/when I enter medical school. While I have family members that voice their concerns about the whole "having a family" issue, that really isn't a concern of mine. I figure, I'll meet a guy (or I won't)... so much of it is chance. Anyway, medical school will probably be a good place to meet interesting, intelligent people, in much the same way college provided a lot of opportunities to form enduring relationships (both romantic and non).
There are plenty of single guys entering into medical school at about that age too... I doubt many of them really have the same concerns about "oh no, will I have time for marriage/kids if I'm in medical school?" No, if anything, they probably assume that becoming a doctor ensures success in that arena. As long as the guy in the relationship pulls his own weight, I think it's entirely possible for a woman to "have it all"... Sometimes I think the real problem is women who *expect* to do most of the work domestically, and feel guilty if they aren't doing most of the work.
Anyway, that's getting a bit off-topic and I suppose a lot of women don't share my feminist expectations
😉 And ultimately, maybe that's irrelevant. I guess what's really crucial here is drive.
How much do you really want this if, as you said, "a career can only be so fulfilling to me"? Maybe that sounds a bit harsh... but at some point during the application process, you're going to get confronted by this in very ugly ways.
To get through all that, I would think you would need to be quite driven. And that drive doesn't necessarily have to come from the idealistic desire to become the best surgeon possible, or to delve into research and save lives. That drive could be that you want to do something you like that also provides financial security and a better life for your future family.
Whatever you have in mind, as long as you're willing to work hard enough to achieve it... that vision can become reality. Of course, if what you have in mind is more of the latter, you might want to keep that vision to yourself during the application process
Just trying to be honest here... If your number one priority is getting married and having a family, perhaps the whole process of medical school isn't going to be worth it for you.
Would you be happy if you were in a happy marriage, had lovely kids, and stayed at home taking care of them? If the answer is yes, why put yourself through 7+ years of schooling that doesn't contribute to what would make you most happy?
I would think if there isn't a real strong answer to that question, it would be hard to find the motivation to go for medical school, much less do the work once in it.