Is it still worth it or has my time passed?

[InNeedofAdvice538]

Thank you all for your responses.

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[95ragtop]

First thing that concerns me is where you are mentally? Are you receiving any mental health treatment? It's good you have a desire to succeed, but you'll need to look in the mirror and ask yourself how bad you want it. If this is the path you want then backwards plan on how to get here. I started school last year at the age of 33, I have a wife and 2 kids I try to see every night. My age didn't stop me, if this is what you want you'll find a way to get it.

As far as loans I can't really give you any advice, but to let your future self worry about those. He'll be the one making 200k+.

 

[InNeedofAdvice538]

First thing that concerns me is where you are mentally? Are you receiving any mental health treatment? It's good you have a desire to succeed, but you'll need to look in the mirror and ask yourself how bad you want it. If this is the path you want then backwards plan on how to get here. I started school last year at the age of 33, I have a wife and 2 kids I try to see every night. My age didn't stop me, if this is what you want you'll find a way to get it.

As far as loans I can't really give you any advice, but to let your future self worry about those. He'll be the one making 200k+.

Thanks so much for your reply. Yeah I’m finally getting some help. Started seeing a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist a couple of months ago. How bad I want it is a good question...especially when I’ve had opportunities in the past. I don’t know how to answer that. I want it but at times it’s disappointing to think how much older I’ll be when I get a job. But like you said I need to start backwards planning...hopefully a concrete plan can help me get in door and get this finally started.

 

[Gurby]

Given your current financial situation - living at home and working at a warehouse - I think medical school absolutely still makes sense. It's disappointing to think you'll be much older as a student/resident/attending... but it seems like right now your options are 1) be an attending at age 40, 2) get a late start in a different career and have an uncertain amount of success, 3) keep working at the warehouse.

Note that you will be an MD, will have a job as a doctor, and be making $60k/year when you start residency. People date, get married and have kids during medical school. You don't have to wait until you're an attending to "get a start at life".

Start school at 32 -> start residency at 36 -> start as an attending at 40 -> pay off loans by 45 -> invest $100k/yr and have >$1mil in the bank by age 55. Even with a late start and going into a lower paying field, option 1 seems better than 2 or 3 to me. You may not be able to support a non-working spouse and send kids to private schools in NYC, but you can still live a great life.

This plan does not account for possible cataclysmic changes in healthcare reimbursement that might slash doctor salaries and make it harder for you to pay off those loans / retire ever. If you have a crystal ball and can see if that will happen, going the PA/BSN/NP/CRNA route makes a lot more sense IMO. But even if this does happen, I think doctors will still be respected and relatively well-compensated in comparison to most professions.

 

[InNeedofAdvice538]

Given your current financial situation - living at home and working at a warehouse - I think medical school absolutely still makes sense. It's disappointing to think you'll be much older as a student/resident/attending... but it seems like right now your options are 1) be an attending at age 40, 2) get a late start in a different career and have an uncertain amount of success, 3) keep working at the warehouse.

Note that you will be an MD, will have a job as a doctor, and be making $60k/year when you start residency. People date, get married and have kids during medical school. You don't have to wait until you're an attending to "get a start at life".

Start school at 32 -> start residency at 36 -> start as an attending at 40 -> pay off loans by 45 -> invest $100k/yr and have >$1mil in the bank by age 55. Even with a late start and going into a lower paying field, option 1 seems better than 2 or 3 to me. You may not be able to support a non-working spouse and send kids to private schools in NYC, but you can still live a great life.

This plan does not account for possible cataclysmic changes in healthcare reimbursement that might slash doctor salaries and make it harder for you to pay off those loans / retire ever. If you have a crystal ball and can see if that will happen, going the PA/BSN/NP/CRNA route makes a lot more sense IMO. But even if this does happen, I think doctors will still be respected and relatively well-compensated in comparison to most professions.

You know what I think you’re right. It is the better option. I’ll keep this in mind, thank you .

 

[theITcrowd]

I’m finishing my prerequisites part-time while working and having a family. If all goes smoothly I’ll be 32 when I matriculate, and that honestly doesn’t bother me one bit. Stay healthy, enjoy the journey, and keep your eye on the prize. Becoming a doctor at 40-ish isn’t that bad if you think about it; you still have at least 25 good years in a job you’ll enjoy a lot more than the one you have now.

Keep this quote in mind (it’s helped me out a lot):
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” ― Earl Nightingale

 

[Dr. Let 'er Buck]

I don't think your time has passed...... but the clock is ticking.

For reference, I'm 35 and was just accepted this cycle to start in August. I'll be turning 36 soon and will graduate medical school at 40. Then there is of course residency, so add a few more years there.

I was similar to you in that I had kinda stagnated career wise. Though I could have gone forward making a little money and potentially retiring when I was 80, that wasn't what I wanted. A couple things play into my reasoning however,

1. I was accepted into a state M.D. program which writes off a GIGANTIC amount of debt for physicians who return to our state for a few years. Since I was born here, want to live here, and plan on dying here, it was a no-brainer.

2. I will be able to work for two or three decades still. Coupled with the loan forgiveness, I can get my children through college and eventually retire. That was most likely not going to happen at my old career.

3. We (my wife and I) had very little debt going into this. We made money when we sold our home and vehicles, and don't have to worry about those things for the time being.

Since you are living without too much debt (I assume anyway), the transition will be easier. Just get a move-on and don't wait.

 

[InNeedofAdvice538]

I’m finishing my prerequisites part-time while working and having a family. If all goes smoothly I’ll be 32 when I matriculate, and that honestly doesn’t bother me one bit. Stay healthy, enjoy the journey, and keep your eye on the prize. Becoming a doctor at 40-ish isn’t that bad if you think about it; you still have at least 25 good years in a job you’ll enjoy a lot more than the one you have now.

Keep this quote in mind (it’s helped me out a lot):
“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” ― Earl Nightingale

I don't think your time has passed...... but the clock is ticking.

For reference, I'm 35 and was just accepted this cycle to start in August. I'll be turning 36 soon and will graduate medical school at 40. Then there is of course residency, so add a few more years there.

I was similar to you in that I had kinda stagnated career wise. Though I could have gone forward making a little money and potentially retiring when I was 80, that wasn't what I wanted. A couple things play into my reasoning however,

1. I was accepted into a state M.D. program which writes off a GIGANTIC amount of debt for physicians who return to our state for a few years. Since I was born here, want to live here, and plan on dying here, it was a no-brainer.

2. I will be able to work for two or three decades still. Coupled with the loan forgiveness, I can get my children through college and eventually retire. That was most likely not going to happen at my old career.

3. We (my wife and I) had very little debt going into this. We made money when we sold our home and vehicles, and don't have to worry about those things for the time being.

Since you are living without too much debt (I assume anyway), the transition will be easier. Just get a move-on and don't wait.

Thank you both for your input. Appreciate it very much. Maybe things aren't as gloomy as I thought. Obviously it would've been better to have gotten started sooner but I see many others are also starting this journey later in life. Thanks again.

 

[deleted967981]

I’ll be 39 next week, I’m matriculating this fall. I’ll finish at 43, and be an attending at 46. I’m applying for the NHSC scholarship because I want to work in primary care with underserved/marginalized populations. 30 isn’t too old. I didn’t decide I wanted to go back to school until I was 33. Good luck, OP...plenty of us non-trads out here rooting for ya!

 

[Calston]

I am 38 just entering premed school. It is never too late to follow your purpose and dream.

 

[InNeedofAdvice538]

I’ll be 39 next week, I’m matriculating this fall. I’ll finish at 43, and be an attending at 46. I’m applying for the NHSC scholarship because I want to work in primary care with underserved/marginalized populations. 30 isn’t too old. I didn’t decide I wanted to go back to school until I was 33. Good luck, OP...plenty of us non-trade out here rooting for ya!

Appreciate the encouraging words. It means a lot. Really like to see things going well for others. Best of luck to you also!

 

[InNeedofAdvice538]

I am 38 just entering premed school. It is never too late to follow your purpose and dream.

I like that attitude. Best of luck on your journey.

 

[BC_89]

Nontrad myself (30) going down a different healthcare path but have many friends my age starting the path of med school. In my mind, if you get the title of an MD / DO and thankful to be working as a primary care physician to any other specialty, do it.

If your picky on a specialty selection and won’t be satisfied with just “anything”, look elsewhere. Also, Family doesn’t have to wait til your career is settled... that’s on you (I still remember bringing in my toddler to quantum physics lecture in undergrad...No regrets).

 

[InNeedofAdvice538]

Nontrad myself (30) going down a different healthcare path but have many friends my age starting the path of med school. In my mind, if you get the title of an MD / DO and thankful to be working as a primary care physician to any other specialty, do it.

If your picky on a specialty selection and won’t be satisfied with just “anything”, look elsewhere. Also, Family doesn’t have to wait til your career is settled... that’s on you (I still remember bringing in my toddler to quantum physics lecture in undergrad...No regrets).

Thanks for the reply. That’s some dedication bringing the kid to lecture. Honestly don’t want to go down the primary care route. I do have some specialities in mind, may I ask why you say to look elsewhere if picky? Thanks.

 

[BC_89]

Thanks for the reply. That’s some dedication bringing the kid to lecture. Honestly don’t want to go down the primary care route. I do have some specialities in mind, may I ask why you say to look elsewhere if picky? Thanks.

The idea of me saying picky falls closer to the line of "I wanna be a cardio thoracic surgeon and nothing else!" vs you shooting for specialty goals with a larger range of ideal target paths in mind. I mention primary physician to simply bring things in perspective in that if you don't get what you want will you still be happy as a doctor...

Most non-trads are driven with an open mind and don't fall into the "this-specialty-or-quit" category.

 

[InNeedofAdvice538]

The idea of me saying picky falls closer to the line of "I wanna be a cardio thoracic surgeon and nothing else!" vs you shooting for specialty goals with a larger range of ideal target paths in mind. I mention primary physician to simply bring things in perspective in that if you don't get what you want will you still be happy as a doctor...

Most non-trads are driven with an open mind and don't fall into the "this-specialty-or-quit" category.

Understood. Makes sense. Thanks for that.

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone, I am going to be as transparent as possible and hopefully I can get some honest responses. Apologize if this turns out to be a rather lengthy post but I need help and any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am turning 30 next month and feel like I am going through a midlife crisis. Hear me out...

Straight out of high school I was accepted into an accelerated BS/MD program. I was motivated when I started off and things were going well. I was keeping up with my studies and after being obese through most of adolescence I lost 50 pounds and I was starting to regain confidence in myself. Things were looking up until I was diagnosed with cancer. I was 19 at the time and had to take months off from the program to go through a couple of surgeries. Thankfully I physically recovered and I didn't need to go through chemotherapy or any additional procedures afterwards. However, the experience changed me psychologically and unfortunately not for the better. Of course I was grateful to have survived because it could've been worse but I just lost that spark I had when I started college. I didn't care about my grades or for my health. I made it through 4 years at that program before I had to resign because the workload caught up with me and to make things worse I regained the 50 pounds I lost and more.

Upon leaving the program I transferred over to a public college, majored in biology, and got my Bachelor's at 26 years of age. Deep down I still wanted to become a doctor but the motivation just wasn't there. I was just going along with the wind and I remember those years as just merely existing. It's quiet sad now that I think of it because my twenties were spent depressed and I'm not proud to have spent so much time being pathetic. I left school and starting working doing little jobs here and there with my father and for the past year I have been working at a warehouse job. Not a good move, as I wasted a few years, with little personal growth...maybe because I let myself become discouraged by so many people saying I couldn't become a doctor anymore.

However I don't want to live my current lifestyle anymore. I feel like I care again and motivation is coming back to me. For the first time in my life I have a desire to have a successful career, to have my own place, to have a strong social circle, a girlfriend, and maybe a family of my own. Pretty sick of being a loser if you tell me. I lost 35 pounds in the past year and now looking into what I need to do to get into medical school. I have a overall GPA of 3.45 and have not yet taken the MCAT. I have all my pre-reqs for med school but I would probably need to join a post-bac program since I haven't been in school for a couple of years.

So I can't apply for this cycle...which would mean optimistically speaking the soonest I can start med school is at 32. Looking ahead that would translate as finishing residency in my early 40s. Honestly when looking at it that way, it seems rather depressing to really get a start at life in your early 40s. Not to mention having to payoff hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. I now regret not doing things differently in my younger years. I could pick a different career path but I am not ready to let go because I don't want to live the rest thinking what if.

What should I do? I want to have it all...career, family, etc. I know none of that is guaranteed but because of my age I feel like I now need to rush to get all those things done.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and to those that offered advice

I didn't read the novella, but some of my all time best students have been in their 30s and 40s.

So follow your heart