On the fence.......

[Lab Diva]

I definitely know that I want a career in healthcare but I feel that I am running out of time.

Currently I am 40 yrs old. Got laid-off from an engineering job last fall and am back in school. Taking all the pre-req's for a nursing program, getting all A's and will be done in December. Will plan on applying to nursing schools this winter for fall admission.

But........my heart really isn't in nursing, it is in medicine. I will have most of the med pre-req's left to do.

My friends and family said they definitely see me in the practice of medicine vs. the practice of nursing. I have a lot of respect for nurses and the work they do. But I don't think my temperment is a solid fit for nursing.

Honestly, I just feel that in the eyes of medical schools I am at the end of the threshold, whereas I don't feel my age and still have plenty of energy/ambition and a lot of resolve.

Appreciate your input.

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[efex101]

Your age has nothing to do with it if you are competitive and apply to a wide range of schools. There are many non-trads in medical school so age is a non-issue. Do not go into nursing if you want to do medicine this is totally counterproductive and will make your life miserable if your heart is set on something else.

 

[ntmed]

I agree with efex101. I didn't start medical school until I was 41. A friend of mine started at age 49.

If becoming a physician is what you really want, if you have the ability and the energy, if you are willing to make the necessary sacrifices, and if you have the ability to make sure you existing obligations (spouse, children, mortgage, etc.) will be taken care of, then go for it.

 

[murphomatic]

But........my heart really isn't in nursing, it is in medicine. I will have most of the med pre-req's left to do.

Is it just me or does anyone else thinks the nursing field is in medicine. But seriously, if you want to be a doctor don't let your age or anything else stop you.

 

[Celiac Plexus]

I definitely know that I want a career in healthcare but I feel that I am running out of time.

Currently I am 40 yrs old. Got laid-off from an engineering job last fall and am back in school. Taking all the pre-req's for a nursing program, getting all A's and will be done in December. Will plan on applying to nursing schools this winter for fall admission.

But........my heart really isn't in nursing, it is in medicine. I will have most of the med pre-req's left to do.

My friends and family said they definitely see me in the practice of medicine vs. the practice of nursing. I have a lot of respect for nurses and the work they do. But I don't think my temperment is a solid fit for nursing.

Honestly, I just feel that in the eyes of medical schools I am at the end of the threshold, whereas I don't feel my age and still have plenty of energy/ambition and a lot of resolve.

Appreciate your input.

i think you need to examine your motives. you make it sound like you are only now getting interested in medical school because you got laid off. if you had not been laid off, would you have been interested in becoming a doctor? if the answer is no, then find something else to do.

do you have any experience in the healthcare field? nursing is an important component of healthcare delivery. it is a shorter training pathway, and generally offers a more predictable, stable lifestyle.

consider that you are 40 now. likely you will need time to prepare and take the mcat, possibly take some prereq courses. you may be 42, or 43 by the time you apply. that means you will be 47-48 by the time you finish medical school, and 50-54 by the time you finish residency training. basically you are looking at a decade of very hard, at times punishing work, with no to minimal financial compensation, before you can even start to practice on your own... and that's if everything goes smoothly. do you really want to go through that at your age, and to be 50 years old before you even start to practice? if you answer yes to that, then by all means go for it. personally i think that it is harder for older people to get through all of this, so i have big respect for those older folks who do go through the md gauntlet. but be aware of what you're considering... why do you really want to do this?

best of luck.

 

[oldManDO2009]

I am a nurse accepted to med school - start TUCOM in the Fall. I have been a nurse for many years and I burned out about 10 years ago and went into technology (I taught myself how to program) and eventually ended up with a MS in healthcare technology management. I got laid off in 1999 and felt that the prospects for technology were less the bright. I had kept my nursing license and decide to follow a long held dream of becoming a doctor at 35 - at 38 I am finally on my way. The point is- yes I will be older but if you want it then go for it. If you are thinking twice consider PA or even NP but realize that nursing is straight out hard work and it only gets harder as you get older. This whole America is obese - well it is true and many of them are in the hospital and require assistance moving and just getting around. My back can testify to that fact . Anyway, consider other options other than nursing - PA's make great money and a lot of healthcare decisions.

rant over!

 

[Lab Diva]

Congratulations to you! With the type of experience you have behind you..... you will be an amazing doctor!

 

[OrthoFixation]

OP: follow your heart and your dreams. Just be sure that you really want it. I'm an older non-trad too and start in August. This comes after three years of pre-reqs, MCATx2, and two application cycles.

My advice: cast a wide net when you apply. At least twenty schools. I limited myself too much the first cycle and came up empty. Don't think twice about the age issue. Just make sure you are willing to work long enough to make it financially feasible.

Good luck!