Thirty Something Premed Diary

[Thirty Something Premed]

I just turned 34 and I am scared ****less. Scared of more debt incurred. Scared of never finding the time to find true love. Scared of losing friends. Scared of losing family members. Scared of not finishing med school before it even begins. I have these chronic neuroses that I grapple with on a daily basis to manage. Today I would like to declare that I will take the MCAT December 2015. Precisely I have 1000 hours to cram science courses I learned 10 years ago. I didn't do so hot in undergrad science though biology was my major . Currently I'm in a MPH program with a 3.75 GPA and currently working full-time. Why even attempt to be a doctor? I don't know. I have been flirting with that idea for so long. I keep thinking about it. I dream about it asleep or awake. After my MPH, I know that the primary care route is what I want to take. I deal with a lot of policies. I support grassroots efforts of rural hospital policy development and I just know there's a lot to be improved in managing our care. It will always be messy. We need both strategic policy makers and clinicians to voice out what needs to happen on the actual, everyday level of care.

I thought I should share my thoughts in hopes that it helps someone in the same boat as me. I will be 36 or 37 when I begin.

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[Snakes]

Welcome

 

[New2medicine]

Thank you so much I have been in the same boat and have quit pursuing the dream but with reading this, my hope is some how renewed and I would forge on even if only to say that I never gave up
Thanks

 

[Flippinski]

I look at it, as it is NEVER too late. I don't know how these 22 and 23 yr olds go straight into med school. I feel so blessed to discover I wanted to go to medical school later in life. I have really lived up my 20's with travel, responsibilities, freedom to do what I want when I want, and invaluable job experience. Coming with the idea at 29 to go to medical school and realize I will be 32 or 33 when i start and about 40 when I get out....f' it, it's worth it. Id rather be older at starting, then never starting and be in my current job for the next 30 years...kill me know if that was the prospect. It is never to late to do something you are passionate about. Forget all the nay sayers, put your heart, sleepless nights, and any spare time you have into your prerequisites, EC's, essay, and MCAT and you'll get there. Hardwork, a little bit of brains, and passion is what it takes.

 

[GameOfBones]

Hi!!

I'm 35. Had my oh-hell-yeah-I'm-going-for-it moment a little over a year ago.
Ordered MCAT books in October and took the MCAT in May.
Did well.
Have an MSPH. Still paying for it.
Work full time.
Applying this cycle.
I had 1 interview and have 2 more on the calendar.
I'll be 36 when (if?)...when I start next year.
Scared.
Doing it anyway.

Don't be the one that tells you no, friend. If you want it, go get it.

 

[GameOfBones]

Be sure to get some shadowing in this year.
Adcoms are serious about it.

 

[stewjds]

I'm in a similar boat. I will be 31-32 when I start medical school. Difference being that I have a wife and two small children already. My wife has a great job and can support us all the way through medical school if we don't move, so I won't have to worry about money. Unfortunately, the only medical school near me that wouldn't require a move is Emory, and from what I hear, that is a hard one to get into. Scare to death about getting accepted, but not being able to make it till the end financially. That would be the worst to almost be there, but have to quit just to keep food on the table. I take it day by day. I am not focused on the money afterwards, however, knowing that pay will be the best of my life helps me through it. Simply knowing that with this great sacrifice that myself and family will be making will be worth it. That I will be able to give them the life they deserve. Keep your head up. Stay focused. It is very easy to commit to a dream. Staying committed can prove difficult. Best of luck with everything.

 

[deleted648172]

I will be 32 when I start. It sounds old, so I like to think of it as 2^5. No but really, I am excited to be learning how to Doctor in my 30's. I am much more mature, and the experiences will be that much more meaningful. All my other 30-something friends have settled into their daily work lives. They go to work, they come home, they deal with responsibilities. I get to spend the next 6 years in school, learning about interesting topics. I have freedom, and choice, and control over my life. I also feel like being older, we've had our share of failures and life lessons - this is something the kids will never have.

Why worry about debt? You're already going to be paying interest on it, so don't pay it attention too.

Why worry about friends? Med school will be incredibly bonding.

Why worry about finding love? I actually have no advice to give here on that, a bit out of scope.

 

[EMDO2018]

Ummm... is there a reason of the poll? Non trad or Non trad?

 

[Thirty Something Premed]

Congratulations to those who are about to begin and congratulations to those who made up their minds to start this journey. I can't tell you how much it means to me to read all your life stories most specially the strong father of two. I worry about my mother. What happens if she gets sick? I will not be able to support her financially while in med school. I feel that this is a dream I can't fully divulge to anyone. It has only been lately that I have talked to a few friends about it.

I have been more focused recently. Reading about the MCAT 2015 revision. Any books any one can suggest about the behavioral, psychology, biological section?

Yikes! I am not SDN savvy so I honestly don't know why SDN required me to set up a poll.

Also, while we are sharing here are the schools with the new primary care accelerated MD programs:

NYU-- You can choose any specialty with this program.
UC Davis
LECOM-- Lake Erie, PA (this is a DO).
Texas Tech
Duke University-- Can anyone verify this info?
Mercer in Savannah, GA

THANK YOU FOR FUELING THE FIRE WITHIN!

 

[Thirty Something Premed]

Thank you so much I have been in the same boat and have quit pursuing the dream but with reading this, my hope is some how renewed and I would forge on even if only to say that I never gave up
Thanks

I would like to see this happen! I hope I'll be bumping into you in the MD/DO world. My best wishes!

 

[Thirty Something Premed]

Hi!!

I'm 35. Had my oh-hell-yeah-I'm-going-for-it moment a little over a year ago.
Ordered MCAT books in October and took the MCAT in May.
Did well.
Have an MSPH. Still paying for it.
Work full time.
Applying this cycle.
I had 1 interview and have 2 more on the calendar.
I'll be 36 when (if?)...when I start next year.
Scared.
Doing it anyway.

Don't be the one that tells you no, friend. If you want it, go get it.

Thank you for this inspiration!

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I'm 38 and I'm a 3rd year. Started when I was 35, 2 weeks before my 36th birthday. I don't have kids, I want them, but I don't have time right now. I will adopt if I have to... I have had several opportunities to 'meet people' who are single, and honestly, I have a friend who is a doc and she met her husband on match.com... **** or get off the pot, and don't make excuses about it. Either go, or do not go, but don't make excuses about why you shouldn't... If you want to go GO. Period. End of story. Like Yoda says... "do or do not, there is no try..."

 

[Thirty Something Premed]

I'm 38 and I'm a 3rd year. Started when I was 35, 2 weeks before my 36th birthday. I don't have kids, I want them, but I don't have time right now. I will adopt if I have to... I have had several opportunities to 'meet people' who are single, and honestly, I have a friend who is a doc and she met her husband on match.com... **** or get off the pot, and don't make excuses about it. Either go, or do not go, but don't make excuses about why you shouldn't... If you want to go GO. Period. End of story. Like Yoda says... "do or do not, there is no try..."

Many, many thanks for your brave story. I had a hard time reading and recollecting MCAT contents that I learned 10 years ago so today I am poor as I decided to pay for MCAT sessions.

 

[dorothyntoto]

I just told a woman this weekend who is 37 that if she wants to go, she needs to go... There was only one time I questioned my decision, and I made it to 3rd year and haven't looked back. I love what I do, and I can't wait to graduate and keep going. Also currently 38. It is hard, but it is SO worth it.

 

[Gfliptastic]

Awww. Welcome to our sometimes sad club!

I'm an intern in my mid-30's. And now that I'm finally where I wanted to be career-wise, I'm mostly NOT where I wanted to be elsewhere. Like you said OP, I gave up a lot to get here.

~ To attenuate your listed fears, I have in fact lost friends. However, I made newer better friends, in med school!

~ You WON'T lose family members. At least the ones who really matter because they'll support you, and often are the ones who you will truly turn to at your lows along the journey - because there WILL BE LOWS, no ways about it. There's no Pollyanna skipping and jumping through this journey!

~ You will lose time to find true love, but you will also learn how to improvise and make due w/ what you can. Usually you end up dating your fellow med students or people you meet in the hospital. But it's not super lonely. I report that I haven't found true love either tho, but at least I know she's out there, knowing I'm exactly where I want to be w/ myself now that I'm a doctor. Which I couldn't really say I was in my previous career. In the end, I think it's better to be where I want to be as a person and looking, then to be married and NOT comfortable where I am (as in my previous career), ya know? Still now that I'm a doctor, my mom has gotten on the "get a GF kick" LOL

That whole being comfortable and happy w/ yourself as a person should help calm your "neuroses" since it's tough when you see all of your friends are married and on their 2nd or 3rd kid. Knowing how much I luv being an uncle to all those kids, and wanting to be a dad myself, it really sux!!! But again, I might not have been such a good father had I made those children before I got here.

~ The debt sux!! It grows larger everyday too. But if you want to do primary care, you can really trim it down quickly w/ loan forgiveness. A lot of places in less-than-desirable locales will offer loan forgiveness, and not necessarily via NHSC. So don't worry about the debt too much, especially if you want to connect to rural hospitals!

Finally, I post this often here in the Non-trad forum, but if you won a billion dollars, and you would still lie in bed at night (as you state you do) and want to be a doctor, you have to try. Being a doctor is probably one of the dumbest ways to acquire wealth, but if it's truly what you want to do, you are on your way so keep going!