Too old for rads?

[geodad]

I've been accepted for this fall at my state MD school with a 37 MCAT and PhD in electrical engineering (research in medical imaging reconstruction algorithms). But my PhD was in 1985 and I'm 53 now.

Am I too old to have a realistic shot at a rads residency? Thanks for your honest opinions/answers...

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[fizzle]

If anything, radiology is probably a better fit than most for an older applicant. It's less physically demanding than almost all other specialties, allowing radiologists to practice well into their 60's and 70's and beyond while their colleagues in other specialties are retiring.

Granted, starting medical school at 53 is pretty late, and some programs might have some reservations about accepting someone who won't finish training until his 60's, but assuming that you build a strong application with good grades, board scores, letters, etc, it is not a difficult task to get into radiology. Be prepared for interview questions regarding your late start, though; you may possibly want to address parts of this in your personal statement. But you've just started medical school, so that's something you don't need to worry about now.

 

[colbgw02]

You've already been "accepted" by the medical profession, inasmuch as medical school acceptance is the toughest door through which to pass, assuming you remain in good standing. You'll face challenges in all specialties because of your age, so it's difficult to answer your question without also expressing a value judgment on which specialties are more important than others.

The good news for you is that radiologists tend to be able to work to an older age than, for example, surgeons, who require both physical and mental endurance. The bad news is that, as long as the radiology job market remains down, practices will be disproportionately unlikely to consider you as compared to specialties in demand.

Overall, my advice is not appreciably different than what I would say to the 25 year-old MS4 - do what you love. If radiology is what you love, then you'll be happy doing random locums jobs than you would be doing a hospitalist's work, for example. If you feel you'd be happy in several specialties, then the water gets significantly murkier for you.

 

[shark2000]

I've been accepted for this fall at my state MD school with a 37 MCAT and PhD in electrical engineering (research in medical imaging reconstruction algorithms). But my PhD was in 1985 and I'm 53 now.

Am I too old to have a realistic shot at a rads residency? Thanks for your honest opinions/answers...

You may think I am unkind or harsh. People may start to disagree.

IMO, starting medical school though appears very heroic and many may admire you for that, is the biggest mistake.

You are well educated, try to find something in your field.

Though you may think it is easy, going through MS and then residency, you will be 63 if you do radiology. The first 4-5 years of every job is considered junior position where you are doing all the scut work. If you are lucky, you can stablize at the age of 68. This is very unreasonable.

I don't want to discourage you, but do yourself a great service and quit medical school. It will only cost you 300K. It is much harder than you think for a person at your age. Consider that 50s is the age of decline. You will lose half of your brain in 10 years.

There are radiologists working at age of 60. But none of them started fresh. Many have done it for 20 years. Most of these guys are not doing very new modalities. If you do it from the age of 30, you can do it at the age of 60, but you can not start de novo at 60.
The same for every field.

Buttom line: in order to become a competent radiologist you need 4 + 6 years of training and the first 5 years of your practice is developing confidence and scut work. You will be 68 with 300K loans. If you want to do IM, still it will be age 65.

 

[xrevision]

My stepfather's practice has a mandatory retirement age of 70.

 

[Sheldor]

I've been accepted for this fall at my state MD school with a 37 MCAT and PhD in electrical engineering (research in medical imaging reconstruction algorithms). But my PhD was in 1985 and I'm 53 now.

Am I too old to have a realistic shot at a rads residency? Thanks for your honest opinions/answers...

Just wanted to say that I know many people who started in Radiation Oncology at a slightly older age, and at least a couple people just matched this year who were career changers. I'm sure radiology would be an option as well!

 

[konRAD 1]

I agree with some of what has been said. Rads is probably the best field for your age, but again, starting this late may not be the easiest choice. Good luck if you decide to stick with it! I admire people with that kind of fortitude and passion.

 

[GMDMD]

Former software engineer here...

at your age, I would seriously, seriously, seriously reconsider accepting that position in medical school.

 

[Taurus]

I wouldn't go to medical school at that age.

If you do a 3 year residency like FM, you'll be 60. 63 if you do radiology with a fellowship.

You will have a very hard time finding a job b/c of age discrimination. Plus you'll lose 200k in tuition + lost wages. Too high of a cost.

My wife had a coresident who was 63. After finishing residency, she found a job, but he didn't. Last I heard, he's taking care of the grandkids.

 

[radman123]

53? That has got to be the oldest I have personally heard of. I am an attending about 7 years out and am planning for retirement/semi-retirement by that age.

Radiology is no longer a lifestyle field especially in private practice. This is a 24/7 type of field. You do a lot of volume at most places, often feeling like you are underwater. There are many negative trends right now in radiology and the job market is very poor. The pay is declining every year. Not sure how receptive groups would be to someone your age. Academics would probably be your best choice but you would be 63-64 by the time you finish. Could not imagine working when I am that old let alone starting radiology!

If you want to be a doctor, than become an FP. They have pretty good outpatient lifestyles, relatively benign residency, slowly rising incomes, job flexibility and you would be out in 3 years. But in general, not sure why you would choose to go into medicine at your age. Is is the lack of job opportunities in your field? Perceived prestige of medicine? Money in medicine? Lifelong dream? Wow it was tough in my 20s, now in 50s-60s?! Now that I am out, it is tougher sometimes than when I was a resident.

 

[Biffer]

kjb

 

[geodad]

Many thanks to those who replied publicly and by PM. Thank you for trying to educate me regarding the risks of such a move at this point in my life.

From what I can tell, residency slots are at least as big a bottleneck as medical school seats in determining supply of US physicians. Are there any data tabulated regarding age of residents who have matched into various specialties, particularly rads?

I have not quit my day job yet and was wait-listed last week at a second out-of-state MD school. While there appears to be a wide range of opinion on the viability of 50 year old medical students among admission committees, most seem to be on the "not a good idea" side of the spectrum (at least among the schools to which I applied).