I am a mother to three kids (infant to preschoolers). I applied to med school for a 2015 admission but was not accepted. I am planning on reapplying next year. I already have a non-med career, but discovered that human biology was what really captures my imagination . Every time I take an advance Bio course I am fascinated by biological phenomenon. I have shadowed numerous doctors to become familiar with providing direct patient care settings. So there is no reservation when it comes to knowing that medicine is the field for me.
But I have a young family and med school and residency will potentially take excessive time away from them during their critical formative years. And I keep wondering if I should delay applying for a year or two so I can spend that additional few years forming a strong bond with my children and creating memories which will pay off while I am in med school and doing residency and beyond. They will also be a little more independent if I enter med school a few years from now and we would financially be better off.
My current MCAT score is competitive but I took the old MCAT in 2014, so I will have to retake the new MCAT if I delay applying another year. MCAT prep is a big time commitment, time that could be spent in med school taking med school classes if I get in when I apply in 2016.
One of my main concerns is, that if I delay med school application for a couple of years (while continuing my pre-med activities), so I can focus on family more during that time, I will be close to 39 when I start med school. If I go through a three year residency program, I will be 46 minimum when I start practicing. If I retire at 66 or 67 which is considered an average retirement age, I will have practiced for 20 years. Part of me questions if I would have taken a spot from somebody who could have practiced for 35 years by the time they are 66 or 67. Wouldn’t med training resources be better spent on a younger candidate, just based on pure math?
So what is the average age doctor’s retire? Are the additional maturity and skills older students bring with them sufficient to justify giving them a spot over a more traditional applicant? What are your thoughts?
I know I have a lot to offer as an older med student, but I just want to hear other perspectives, especially from people who are in similar situations or mothers who are currently in med school with young families. I am just trying to determine what the more responsible path is, when it comes to my family and becoming a physician.
So to summarize, I have completed my pre-med requirements, have a competitive MCAT score and GPA, have sufficient letters of recommendation, have already applied last year, but just trying to decide the timing of my re-application based on the information above.
But I have a young family and med school and residency will potentially take excessive time away from them during their critical formative years. And I keep wondering if I should delay applying for a year or two so I can spend that additional few years forming a strong bond with my children and creating memories which will pay off while I am in med school and doing residency and beyond. They will also be a little more independent if I enter med school a few years from now and we would financially be better off.
My current MCAT score is competitive but I took the old MCAT in 2014, so I will have to retake the new MCAT if I delay applying another year. MCAT prep is a big time commitment, time that could be spent in med school taking med school classes if I get in when I apply in 2016.
One of my main concerns is, that if I delay med school application for a couple of years (while continuing my pre-med activities), so I can focus on family more during that time, I will be close to 39 when I start med school. If I go through a three year residency program, I will be 46 minimum when I start practicing. If I retire at 66 or 67 which is considered an average retirement age, I will have practiced for 20 years. Part of me questions if I would have taken a spot from somebody who could have practiced for 35 years by the time they are 66 or 67. Wouldn’t med training resources be better spent on a younger candidate, just based on pure math?
So what is the average age doctor’s retire? Are the additional maturity and skills older students bring with them sufficient to justify giving them a spot over a more traditional applicant? What are your thoughts?
I know I have a lot to offer as an older med student, but I just want to hear other perspectives, especially from people who are in similar situations or mothers who are currently in med school with young families. I am just trying to determine what the more responsible path is, when it comes to my family and becoming a physician.
So to summarize, I have completed my pre-med requirements, have a competitive MCAT score and GPA, have sufficient letters of recommendation, have already applied last year, but just trying to decide the timing of my re-application based on the information above.
