My Unique Situation... Should I push on?

[tether]

Hello everyone. My name is Ed and I am excited that there is such a place for folks interested and pursuing a career in the medical field. I have an unusual (like most folks) situation and I want to pass it by everyone who might have some advice for me.
I am 23 years old, I was an average (mostly unmotivated) student in high school who would excel in the particular subjects I appreciated (Econ, Physics, Debate.) For the most part I was a slacker with an unbalanced high school transcript. I still got into college (CSU Sacramento) and spent a year and a half studying for a Psychology degree. While in school my dad came down with Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus (probably one of the worst cancers to be diagnosed with.) I dropped my second semester classes and effectively joined the workforce in my talent (Computer Programming) while my father processed through a rigorous treatment and then passed away in August of 1999. Even thinking about going back to school was tough. I am just now starting my academic career backup while working demanding 50-hour weeks. I am positioned for a Managerial Economics degree from UC Davis and I have realistically set myself a graduation date of 2005 for that. While the Econ degree is a realistic degree for graduation, I have always been interested in medicine. My father was a D.D.S/PhD., uncle an Orthopedic Surgeon, and an aunt who is a O.B.GYN. It's not just the family lineage of the profession but I ultimately am interested in the courses of med school and subsequent reward of helping people. I have a couple years of volunteering with terminally ill patients with Hospice as well as indigent farm workers who need medical treatment with the Concerned Coalition of Medical Professionals.
My goal is to become a regular ole' Family Practitioner and the school I will be attending for my undergrad degree has one of the best programs, UC Davis. I would love to be able to just apply and get in there but I know that is not realistic.
My question is, does anyone else have similar circumstances? I will be completing all my Med School pre req's after I finish the B.S. in Managerial Economics so its obvious I am not to concerned about time. My goal, if I am able to achieve admission is to be done with med school; on with a practice by the time I am 35. Does this sound reasonable?

Much Thanks!

Ed

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[racergirl]

It in fact sounds VERY reasonable, and your past volunteer experiences will show you have had an interest in medicine for a long time! There's nothing wrong with being a bit older. even with your time table, you'll beat me into practice! Make sure you do well in your post-bac pre-reqs and the MCAT, and keep up the excellent volunteer work. Enjoy the journey you have set out for yourself. Good luck, and welcome to SDN!

 

[maddoc]

Hey Ed welcome to SDN.I am somewhat new here too. I think what you are doing shows alot of courage and determination. I say you should go for it and not let go of dream of becoming a physician. Do not let your age or the time factor discourage you. I am 28 with a family of 3 and with over 10 years experience in the medical field and still plugging away at my bachelors. It is sometimes disheartening to think that when I start my practice, my collegues will be half my age (I hope to be atleast in my early 40's). Nevertheless the experience I will have with patients and with people in general will far surpass anything they would hope to have achevied. 35 years old is not old by any stretch of imagination to start a practice and I believe your life experience would put you in more favorable postion. I believe schools, hospitals and especially our future patients are looking at quality not at our age.

 

[MiamiMarmot]

Not to oversimplify, but all you need to do is rack up some great grades, do well on your MCAT, and you are on your way. Your "life story" is extremely moving, to me at least, and I think your essays could do a number on an admissions committee. If you want to be a doctor, go follow your dreams, buddy!!!

 

[tether]

Thanks everyone for the insight. I know it's going to be a struggle and at times, tumbling through my MCAT review book I wonder if I will be able to push through it. Not only that, but if I put my heart into this and end up not being able to get over the hurdle of admission, how I might handle that emotionally. Best of luck to all of you as well, I wish you the best.

Ed

 

[SnudgeMuffin]

Dear Ed,

Just to let you know, I am using my fiancee's user name because I have not yet logged into this network. I am in a very similar situation. I am twenty one years old and having graduated from a competitive prep school with mediocre grades, I managed to get myself admitted to Cornell University. I spent three semesters working full-time toward my BS in human development before my father decided to leave his law practice of 20 years and pursue his dream of being a teacher, along with my mother. When the tuition checks started bouncing, I decided to withdraw and have been working full-time while taking one or two classes at a time. I hope to transfer to a full-time program in or around NYC when "snudgemuffin" gets into medical school there (w/in the next two years). I hope to complete my BS by 2006 and enter medical school immediately after. Who knows, though? It seems a long way off! Meanwhile, I spend much of my time dreaming about and planning for the future. My feeling is, though, that you can never be too old, especially with the way medical schools look at "mature" students in such a positive light. Good luck!

 

[Ciardeme]

Tether, it sounds to me as if this really isn't a decision. This is what you are meant to do. Think of it this way, if you don't go pursue your dream now, you have a very long life ahead of you to regret it. Don't let anyone set limits for you. Keep plugging away and you will reach your goal.

 

[CardiacGuy]

Ed,

Congrats on the move and the decision. I am going through the same thing with my father- Non-Small Cell Lung Ca with mets to the brain. Not a great prognosis.

Anyway, I've just recently completed my masters in exercise physiology and am currently putting together an oncology rehab program for people who have Cancer Related Fatigue (CRF). I had been looking into PA programs when the great majority of the docs and residents that I work with steered me into going for med school. I should be finished with the rest of my pre-reqs within two years (I'm 32) with a goal of being in practice in my early 40's. Someone of divine wisdom passed this message on to me- "You're going to be 40 regardless of what you do- so you might as well do what you want". Seemed appropriate for me at the time and I haven't forgotten it.

Good Luck,

 

[FLY]

WOW.... So many fascinating people hang around here at SDN and I feel soo-not-significant or unimportant or never-been-tried when I come here and read this fabulous stories....

 

[rajneel1]

hey Ed,
GO DAVIS! i graduated this year. heheheh i think your background is wonderful and should be very interesting to medical schools. and UCD Med is known for taking non tradional students so don't worry about that. just get decent MCATs, keep up with ECs, and do well on your science courses. write a good personal statement on your father (if that is not too terrible of an idea) and talk to pre med advisors. and it is all worth it...so who cares how old you are!
hey i was going to ask you more about "Concerned Coalition of Medical Professionals"...do you have contact info for that? catch you later!

 

[Dr. Donkey]

Not exactly going private, but UVA is vying for "charter status" and has become the first public university in the country to get more money from private funds rather than state funds. So they're kindof in the process if that helps.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Should you push on?

YES.

 

[GuyLaroche]

Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome
Fremde, etranger, stranger
Glucklich zu sehen
Je suis enchante
Happy to see you
Bleibe, reste, stay
Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome
Im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret!

 

[tacrum43]

I don't understand why someone brought this thread back. The OP's post is from 2001. I'm sure he's made his decision by now.

 

[drguy22]

I don't understand why someone brought this thread back. The OP's post is from 2001. I'm sure he's made his decision by now.

LOL that is hilarious!

 

[Kazema]

Well if he gave up in '01, maybe now he'll push on.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Now I just feel stupid!!! I should have read the date...

 

[icebrat001]

2001! Wow old post.

I graduated HS in 2001

 

[Ambs]

I'm glad I read it though. I found it moving. Lately, such heartfelt posts have been rare.

 

[Amorphisgirl]

Tether: You write very well. Good luck to you.

 

[davyjone96431]

I saw a crow fly across the road......so obviously, I will be expecting my rejection soon.


Right now, I'm trying to sign up for real estate courses and the good news is that they are hiring at Subway.

 

[PeripateticMD]

Thanks everyone for the insight. I know it's going to be a struggle and at times, tumbling through my MCAT review book I wonder if I will be able to push through it. Not only that, but if I put my heart into this and end up not being able to get over the hurdle of admission, how I might handle that emotionally. Best of luck to all of you as well, I wish you the best.

Ed

Hey Ed, one more thing, Davis has one of the highest average ages at matriculation - 26 the past couple of years. So I think they'd be very likely to like your application, as long as you pull some good numbers. I had a very low undergrad GPA, and my interviewer guessed it (my interviewer - assoc. dean of admissions). He saw everything that had been going on in my life, and all the work i was doing outside of school, and he just asked, 'you had a low GPA didn't you?" and he was totally understanding, if not supportive (he didn't have a good undergrad GPA either ). So I say don't be too nervous.

 

[Gut Shot]

Hey Ed, one more thing, Davis has one of the highest average ages at matriculation - 26 the past couple of years. So I think they'd be very likely to like your application, as long as you pull some good numbers. I had a very low undergrad GPA, and my interviewer guessed it (my interviewer - assoc. dean of admissions). He saw everything that had been going on in my life, and all the work i was doing outside of school, and he just asked, 'you had a low GPA didn't you?" and he was totally understanding, if not supportive (he didn't have a good undergrad GPA either ). So I say don't be too nervous.

Nothing like replying to a 52 month-old post like it was yesterday...

 

[ReachingTruth]

I wonder if Ed is still on SDN and is reading this. If you are, what happened? How does the application story end? Does Will Smith find Happyness? Seriously though, where are you and what are you doing now?

 

[Green Pirate]

I was a middle school asshat when this topic was created.

how the heck did someone excavate this thread anyway? SDN should purge the topics after a while...

 

[xxbruinxx]

Nothing like replying to a 52 month-old post like it was yesterday...

ahahahaha
i cracked up at that one....

 

[sunnyjohn]

Tether-
Last Activity: 09-09-2002 12:11 PM

 

[sirus_virus]

Ed is actually my older brother and he said to tell you guys that after taking a few Managerial economics classes, he realized it was financialy ridiculous to go down this path, so he decided to pursue a law degree. He is however still interested in medicine, but only the malpractice part of it, and hopes to see you guys in court. Cheers.

 

[Kfire326]

Actually, an old roommate's girlfriend was gonna get a PharmD, so she got an internship at a pharmaceutical company...She saw all the crap that goes on at the company (like the higher ups sweeping unfavorable lab results under the rug!) and decided to go to law school instead, to specialize in pharmaceutical law.

--> owned

 

[Gut Shot]

Ed is actually my older brother and he said to tell you guys that after taking a few Managerial economics classes, he realized it was financialy ridiculous to go down this path, so he decided to pursue a law degree. He is however still interested in medicine, but only the malpractice part of it, and hopes to see you guys in court. Cheers.

Ghey.

 

[MedPR]

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[appleman123]

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frickin trolll

 

[MedPR]

Thanks everyone for the insight. I know it's going to be a struggle and at times, tumbling through my MCAT review book I wonder if I will be able to push through it. Not only that, but if I put my heart into this and end up not being able to get over the hurdle of admission, how I might handle that emotionally. Best of luck to all of you as well, I wish you the best.

Ed

Oh. Did not know.

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[sector9]

Closing thread as it is 12 years old.