Hello all. I've been reading this forum (specifically the non-trad sub) for a few months and am very grateful that so many people have taken so much time to post their expert opinions.
From what I gather, my situation isn't much different than a lot of other "older" or non-traditional students. The confusing part for me has been trying to determine just how unrealistic it is to pursue this path. For that reason, I decided to register and post my details to receive feedback.
I do apologize for all the details. I've read thousands of posts at this point and have always found it hard to read those posts with so many details. I suppose once we put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) we feel like every point is important to best guide (or influence) the advice we will receive on this important decision.
Financial Background: I'm 40, married, no children, no debt, substantial savings. Regarding finances, I have enough saved that I could go to school full-time and, if necessary, pay for medical school out of pocket.
Professional background: I work as a government contractor in Washington, DC. I've already 'peaked' in my field and do not enjoy it. The career itself is not sustainable and so I will be making a switch this year regardless of whether medical school is an option.
Education:
Undergraduate. I completed my undergrad in 2003 when I was 26. I come from a poor family and worked full-time throughout the latter part of high school and all of college. I attended community college and then commuted to a state university while working. My undergrad degree is Management of Information Systems and my final GPA is 2.78. The only science courses I took were Biology I and II and I received a B in both.
Graduate. Last year I completed a graduate degree in International Relations from Northeastern University and achieved a GPA of 4.0. While the degree can be helpful for my career, I pursued it more out of interest.
Family Background: Not interesting but it's an important part of my narrative. I mentioned I come from a poor background. My parents did what they could, but they did not know how to encourage me academically. I never knew my academic potential in high school and undergrad - to me, life was more about brute force working 10-12 hours in a restaurant to help the family and finish school. I didn't have the money for a junky car let alone the money to live on campus to study full-time and explore different potential careers. As unrealistic (to most) as it sounds, living on campus was a "rich thing" that some of my wealthy friends from school did but was not an option for someone from my background. I was the first in my family to attend college and studied MIS which was a hot degree (at the time) that would help me get a job so I could make money and have a chance of staying out of poverty.
Why medical school: The million dollar question. I suspect my answer won't resonate with most and might get me tarred and feathered! I've never been too interested in most science topics. I loved human physiology in high school and biology in undergrad but never took chemistry or physics. Those courses weren't required and I wasn't interested enough to pursue them as electives. To be honest, I'm still not excited about chemistry or physics, but I'm not so averse to the topics that I couldn't study hard and get an A in each. I do, however, love physiology. I love the human body and medical science. My father in law is a doctor and since getting married I have been surrounded by doctors. I have been exposed enough to the field to understand the challenges and rewards that come along with being a doctor today. Most of the doctors I know are 50+ and took the traditional path, so they can't offer much advice for my situation like you all can. However, everyone I've talked with says "absolutely do it" if it's possible because they believe I would be successful in the field.
An important note regarding career objectives: My ultimate desire is to work for a missionary or aid organization. I'm fortunate to have a financial nest egg to allow me to pursue what truly matters in my heart - helping under privileged people in the U.S. and overseas. That would be my career path, understanding it's not much of a career because I would not be paid much (if at all).
Path Forward: The way I see it, to determine how realistic this option is for me I need to take some classes and really spend time immersed in the sciences. I have the means and drive to pursue this full-time at a university for the next two years and lay the groundwork with pre-reqs and an above average score on the MCAT. My desire would be to attend a DO program and I'm leaning toward Liberty University for two reasons: first, I want to be realistic that I am unlikely to get into an MD school. Second, as a second career, I have the flexibility to pursue this the way I want to do it. Throughout my career I checked boxes (certifications, degrees, etc.) to help my upward mobility. I'm no longer interested in helping my career. I want to focus on helping people and Liberty aligns with my values and may give me the best (perhaps only) shot at pursuing this option. I know Liberty's program is not too popular on this forum. I'm ok with that.
Sorry for the long essay. One final point I'd like to make: I don't want to be flippant about my interest and passion for this field. I want to be realistic. I understand from the thousands of posts that I've read that 1) pre-req courses are where med school dreams go to die, 2) there's someone better, stronger, more capable competing against me at any moment, and 3) for every non traditional student who overcame the odds, ten others have failed. If I did not have a substantial savings and the drive to commit to this full-time, I would never consider it based on the many posts I've read. If I have anything to bring to this fight, it's tenacity. Once I start the process, I will not give up and will do everything in my power to succeed. One thing I can say about my life is that I've fought for every victory. Hard work is the norm.
Thanks for reading and thank you very much for any advice.
From what I gather, my situation isn't much different than a lot of other "older" or non-traditional students. The confusing part for me has been trying to determine just how unrealistic it is to pursue this path. For that reason, I decided to register and post my details to receive feedback.
I do apologize for all the details. I've read thousands of posts at this point and have always found it hard to read those posts with so many details. I suppose once we put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) we feel like every point is important to best guide (or influence) the advice we will receive on this important decision.
Financial Background: I'm 40, married, no children, no debt, substantial savings. Regarding finances, I have enough saved that I could go to school full-time and, if necessary, pay for medical school out of pocket.
Professional background: I work as a government contractor in Washington, DC. I've already 'peaked' in my field and do not enjoy it. The career itself is not sustainable and so I will be making a switch this year regardless of whether medical school is an option.
Education:
Undergraduate. I completed my undergrad in 2003 when I was 26. I come from a poor family and worked full-time throughout the latter part of high school and all of college. I attended community college and then commuted to a state university while working. My undergrad degree is Management of Information Systems and my final GPA is 2.78. The only science courses I took were Biology I and II and I received a B in both.
Graduate. Last year I completed a graduate degree in International Relations from Northeastern University and achieved a GPA of 4.0. While the degree can be helpful for my career, I pursued it more out of interest.
Family Background: Not interesting but it's an important part of my narrative. I mentioned I come from a poor background. My parents did what they could, but they did not know how to encourage me academically. I never knew my academic potential in high school and undergrad - to me, life was more about brute force working 10-12 hours in a restaurant to help the family and finish school. I didn't have the money for a junky car let alone the money to live on campus to study full-time and explore different potential careers. As unrealistic (to most) as it sounds, living on campus was a "rich thing" that some of my wealthy friends from school did but was not an option for someone from my background. I was the first in my family to attend college and studied MIS which was a hot degree (at the time) that would help me get a job so I could make money and have a chance of staying out of poverty.
Why medical school: The million dollar question. I suspect my answer won't resonate with most and might get me tarred and feathered! I've never been too interested in most science topics. I loved human physiology in high school and biology in undergrad but never took chemistry or physics. Those courses weren't required and I wasn't interested enough to pursue them as electives. To be honest, I'm still not excited about chemistry or physics, but I'm not so averse to the topics that I couldn't study hard and get an A in each. I do, however, love physiology. I love the human body and medical science. My father in law is a doctor and since getting married I have been surrounded by doctors. I have been exposed enough to the field to understand the challenges and rewards that come along with being a doctor today. Most of the doctors I know are 50+ and took the traditional path, so they can't offer much advice for my situation like you all can. However, everyone I've talked with says "absolutely do it" if it's possible because they believe I would be successful in the field.
An important note regarding career objectives: My ultimate desire is to work for a missionary or aid organization. I'm fortunate to have a financial nest egg to allow me to pursue what truly matters in my heart - helping under privileged people in the U.S. and overseas. That would be my career path, understanding it's not much of a career because I would not be paid much (if at all).
Path Forward: The way I see it, to determine how realistic this option is for me I need to take some classes and really spend time immersed in the sciences. I have the means and drive to pursue this full-time at a university for the next two years and lay the groundwork with pre-reqs and an above average score on the MCAT. My desire would be to attend a DO program and I'm leaning toward Liberty University for two reasons: first, I want to be realistic that I am unlikely to get into an MD school. Second, as a second career, I have the flexibility to pursue this the way I want to do it. Throughout my career I checked boxes (certifications, degrees, etc.) to help my upward mobility. I'm no longer interested in helping my career. I want to focus on helping people and Liberty aligns with my values and may give me the best (perhaps only) shot at pursuing this option. I know Liberty's program is not too popular on this forum. I'm ok with that.
Sorry for the long essay. One final point I'd like to make: I don't want to be flippant about my interest and passion for this field. I want to be realistic. I understand from the thousands of posts that I've read that 1) pre-req courses are where med school dreams go to die, 2) there's someone better, stronger, more capable competing against me at any moment, and 3) for every non traditional student who overcame the odds, ten others have failed. If I did not have a substantial savings and the drive to commit to this full-time, I would never consider it based on the many posts I've read. If I have anything to bring to this fight, it's tenacity. Once I start the process, I will not give up and will do everything in my power to succeed. One thing I can say about my life is that I've fought for every victory. Hard work is the norm.
Thanks for reading and thank you very much for any advice.
