Mid-Life Crisis

[Mid Life Crisis]

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As the name states it, I’m in my Mid-Life Crisis and I am about to throw everything away and to go back to school (career, my six figure salary, benefits, 8 years from retirement eligibility). All this to move closer to my kids and to do something I have been contemplating for years.

I’m turning 33 and will be going back to school in Boston to obtain another undergrad this time in Biochemistry and apply to Med School in the Boston Area.

Anyone else here do a huge career change to go into medicine?

I have mixed reviews from my family and friends. My Ex Wife thinks I am crazy, but my medical buddies think it's about time...

 

[NTF]

Mid-life Crisis isn't really an inspiring username, considering it's usually associated with impulsive desires based on transient feelings of inadequacy.

You're giving up a lot, so I'd make doubly sure you know what you're getting into and that it's what you really want.

If you know it's what you want, then go for it. Though, I'm curious why you feel the need to do an entire 2nd BA? Seems excessive unless your GPA is absolutely awful.

 

[Mid Life Crisis]

Mid-life Crisis isn't really an inspiring username, considering it's usually associated with impulsive desires based on transient feelings of inadequacy.

You're giving up a lot, so I'd make doubly sure you know what you're getting into and that it's what you really want.

If you know it's what you want, then go for it. Though, I'm curious why you feel the need to do an entire 2nd BA? Seems excessive unless your GPA is absolutely awful.

Usernames aren’t meant to be attractive, are they?

GPA is fine have a MBA...2nd BA does seem excessive, however it is free so why not take advantage of it...and would give me time to get my feet wet again and be able to spend some good quality time with my kids.

 

[MiCasaMD]

As the name states it, I’m in my Mid-Life Crisis and I am about to throw everything away and to go back to school (career, my six figure salary, benefits, 8 years from retirement eligibility). All this to move closer to my kids and to do something I have been contemplating for years.

I’m turning 33 and will be going back to school in Boston to obtain another undergrad this time in Biochemistry and apply to Med School in the Boston Area.

Anyone else here do a huge career change to go into medicine?

I have mixed reviews from my family and friends. My Ex Wife thinks I am crazy, but my medical buddies think it's about time...

33 is mid life? Really??? LOL

 

[EdLongshanks]

As the name states it, I’m in my Mid-Life Crisis and I am about to throw everything away and to go back to school (career, my six figure salary, benefits, 8 years from retirement eligibility). All this to move closer to my kids and to do something I have been contemplating for years.

I’m turning 33 and will be going back to school in Boston to obtain another undergrad this time in Biochemistry and apply to Med School in the Boston Area.

Anyone else here do a huge career change to go into medicine?

I have mixed reviews from my family and friends. My Ex Wife thinks I am crazy, but my medical buddies think it's about time...

I joke about this being a mid-life crisis, but don't joke too much about it. People will believe it and then you will have to either switch all your friends or justify yourself over, and over, and over again to them. Take it from someone who knows. I have some really close friends that I don't want to lose, but I am sick of their doubts.

 

[AcclratngCharge]

You have to do what you want to do. Years, age, figures really don't matter if you're pursuing a dream. Good luck to you, especially with that MCAT (real pain), I was studying when I made my nickname. Dorky as it is, you have a Med-Life Crisis. SDN will help you sometimes, but sometimes it will make you feel inadequate (at least me, I'm not nearly as qualified as most of what I read, so I'm just hoping only like the top X%ile of applicants are posting on here...)

 

[brdmadgrl82]

Have you thought about doing a post-bac pre-medicine program, or a science masters program in the sciences? It might save you some time and money instead of another Bac degree. Just a thought 🙂

 

[TrimtheChute]

OP, I also walked away from a solid career to go to medical school, and as difficult as it was to give up that career/benefits, I am so excited that I did. It is a little scary at first going back to school and taking the MCAT, but I really enjoyed learning this time around. I also had some coworkers and relatives think I'm nuts, but their doubts helped to motivate me even more. I don't even look back anymore - just forward to starting school this month and becoming a doctor. Good luck, and I wish you the best as you start your journey into medicine.

 

[Mota]

33 is mid life? Really??? LOL

That's what I was thinking. I guess at 43, and entering my first year of medical school in about 3 weeks, I need to start looking into funeral arrangements. 😉

 

[sah]

33 is mid life? Really??? LOL

+1

Way far away from mid-life. You are just starting.

 

[45408]

As the name states it, I’m in my Mid-Life Crisis and I am about to throw everything away and to go back to school (career, my six figure salary, benefits, 8 years from retirement eligibility).

I have mixed reviews from my family and friends. My Ex Wife thinks I am crazy, but my medical buddies think it's about time...

Sounds crazy to me too.

 

[AllanL]

OP, I also walked away from a solid career to go to medical school, and as difficult as it was to give up that career/benefits, I am so excited that I did. It is a little scary at first going back to school and taking the MCAT, but I really enjoyed learning this time around. I also had some coworkers and relatives think I'm nuts, but their doubts helped to motivate me even more. I don't even look back anymore - just forward to starting school this month and becoming a doctor. Good luck, and I wish you the best as you start your journey into medicine.

another testimonial from someone not as far along...

I'm 31, ex-IT professional, and last year decided I want to be a psychiatrist. Didn't even really consider the age component. Last quarter I made honors at OSU (it's a separate curriculum) and things are looking pretty good (I've never actually gone to college). The biggest decision was whether I'd be able to handle being poor for the next 10 years. Oh well, so I take a bus. Didn't take long to adjust.

 

[student1799]

GPA is fine have a MBA...

Just a word of warning: your MBA isn't going to matter much in med school admissions. (I have one too, with honors from a top school, because I used to work on Wall Street.) Strange as it may seem, med schools give almost no weight to graduate and professional GPAs--it's the undergrad GPA that counts, no matter how old the grades are. Take my case as an example: I never took the premed requirements in college, so I did them in a 2-year postbacc program just before I applied to med school. But those postbacc grades were averaged in with my 25-year-old college grades to compute my undergrad GPA for application purposes. Even if you earned a second BA, those grades would not replace your old undergrad record, but would be averaged in with it.

So, before you make this leap, take a look at your undergrad record to see if you have GPA issues. You can still get into med school with them, but it's a lot harder, may take longer (due to need for additional courses to buff your GPA) and you might not be able to go to school in your location of choice.


Regarding the big picture (is this worth doing), I would say yes--provided that medicine is your passion and you can't see yourself doing anything else. Keep in mind that your plans will require huge sacrifices, not only financial but personal, in that you'll be giving up virtually all of your free time and control of your schedule for the next 10 years or so. (In that vein, I am really skeptical that you'll have much time to spend with your kids during your premed studies and med school, even if you live in the same city. I've barely seen my immediate family for the past 4 years, and we live in the same house.)

If you really have a burning desire to be a doctor, those huge sacrifices will be worth it, but otherwise, I would think twice. This is an incredibly difficult and demanding profession that is hard not only to get into, but to stay in, and it's likely to get harder as health care reform kicks in. There's no reason to put yourself through all of that unless it's the only kind of work that could possibly make you happy.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Ordinarily I would say go for it. In your case I would wait the 8 yrs and retire. I can't really think of any jobs that allow you to retire at 40. Whatever job you now have... keep it! It pays well and you are done 8 yrs from now (at 40, which is not even mid-life these days).

I'm with your ex-wife on this one. You are crazy to leave a job where 8 yrs from now to pursue a job where 8 yrs from now you'll be making peanuts as a resident and be far, far away from retirement.

As the name states it, I’m in my Mid-Life Crisis and I am about to throw everything away and to go back to school (career, my six figure salary, benefits, 8 years from retirement eligibility). All this to move closer to my kids and to do something I have been contemplating for years.

 

[EdLongshanks]

Ordinarily I would say go for it. In your case I would wait the 8 yrs and retire. I can't really think of any jobs that allow you to retire at 40. Whatever job you now have... keep it! It pays well and you are done 8 yrs from now (at 40, which is not even mid-life these days).

I'm with your ex-wife on this one. You are crazy to leave a job where 8 yrs from now to pursue a job where 8 yrs from now you'll be making peanuts as a resident and be far, far away from retirement.

Why not spend the next 8 years making yourself an awesome candidate for med-school and then retire just in time to go to school without worrying about money? You can then float through school with money and a nice house and choose a comfortable residency (since you won't need to fight for the most competitive one). At 48 or 49 you are then a new doctor with little or no debt, your life in order, and a dream job.

Why give any of that up for just 8 years?

 

[mspeedwagon]

Brilliant Ed. I probably didn't suggest this because I never envisioned spending my retirement in medical school. Granted, I also have no real option present to allow me to retire at 40.

I just didn't want to be that 70 year old first year medical student that students decided to use as a standardized patient for the geriatrics portion of a course.

Why not spend the next 8 years making yourself an awesome candidate for med-school and then retire just in time to go to school without worrying about money?

 

[student1799]

at 40, which is not even mid-life these days

+1. I didn't even start postbacc until I was 43.

 

[EdLongshanks]

Brilliant Ed. I probably didn't suggest this because I never envisioned spending my retirement in medical school. Granted, I also have no real option present to allow me to retire at 40.

I just didn't want to be that 70 year old first year medical student that students decided to use as a standardized patient for the geriatrics portion of a course.

During the "peace dividend" drawdown in the early 90's I knew guys who went into the military when they were 17 and got their full-retirement after 15 years. So they retired on half-pay for the rest of their lives at 32. And these are guys whose total war experience consisted of lobbing missiles during the first Gulf War. But they get the benefit of being war veterans.

My legs were black and blue from kicking myself.