too old to be a surgeon?

[surfingphd]

Hi,

I am currently a phd student in bioengineering and I will be finishing up by the end of summer of 2008. I hope to start medical school in fall 2010.

By the time that I start medical school, I will be thirty years old. If I go into surgery (which really interests me, especially since I love working with my hands), I will not be done with my training until I am 40.

I am interested that I will be too old to be surgeon and that I will have a very short career, especially since manual dexterity decreases with age.

Am I dreaming or should I go for it? I'm having a really hard time right now since most of my college friends are finishing up medical school right now. What makes it harder for me is that I had far better numbers and resumes than all of them during college...my friends have alway asked me why I did not go into medicine. At the time when I started grad school, I was set on starting a biotech company...now all I want to do is interact with people and make their lives just a little better...plus in grad school I realized that I love physiology.

It feels hopeless sometimes.

Any advice would be appreciated.

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[DrMidlife]

Paging njbmd, Dr. njbmd to the white courtesy phone please.

 

[gida]

I wouldn't worry about this early in the game. You won't even be a student until 2010? And if you become a surgeon at 40....you probably have 20 good years yet.

 

[Law2Doc]

Hi,

I am currently a phd student in bioengineering and I will be finishing up by the end of summer of 2008. I hope to start medical school in fall 2010.

By the time that I start medical school, I will be thirty years old. If I go into surgery (which really interests me, especially since I love working with my hands), I will not be done with my training until I am 40.

I am interested that I will be too old to be surgeon and that I will have a very short career, especially since manual dexterity decreases with age.

Am I dreaming or should I go for it? I'm having a really hard time right now since most of my college friends are finishing up medical school right now. What makes it harder for me is that I had far better numbers and resumes than all of them during college...my friends have alway asked me why I did not go into medicine. At the time when I started grad school, I was set on starting a biotech company...now all I want to do is interact with people and make their lives just a little better...plus in grad school I realized that I love physiology.

It feels hopeless sometimes.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I'm not sure it's as much an issue of manual dexterity but an issue of endurance -- you'll see what I mean when you are standing on your feet for a 10 hour session. Many folks practice surgery well into their 60s and 70s without signs of deterioration, and many 20 year old surgeons never attain some of the skill level of some of their older mentors and yet still have passable careers. If you want it, and are in good shape, you can probably do it. That being said, some surgeons tend to be a very gung ho "old boy" breed, and might be more apt to select someone who "fits the mold" a bit more than some other specialties, so it might be harder to find a good fit program than if you were 20 years younger. But not impossible.

But it is moot. Most people change their minds at least once in med school, and there is an awfully good chance you won't be as interested in surgery when you actually get to that decision point. Go into med school with an open mind, because you might love what you thought you'd hate, and might hate what you thought you'd love.

 

[vicksx44]

Woah, I will actually be 40 y/o when I start PGY1, and I'm planning on doing surgery. This sounds discouraging...

 

[njbmd]

Started general surgery residency at age 50 and now done with residency and finishing vascular fellowship. Age isn't going to be your problem, getting into and through medical school with excellent grades is your first hurdle. There are loads of budding surgeons who find that six hours into their third-year surgery clerkship, they don't want anything to do with surgery and that's fine by me. Get into medical school first and then figure out what you want to do.

 

[vicksx44]

Started general surgery residency at age 50 and now done with residency and finishing vascular fellowship. Age isn't going to be your problem, getting into and through medical school with excellent grades is your first hurdle. There are loads of budding surgeons who find that six hours into their third-year surgery clerkship, they don't want anything to do with surgery and that's fine by me. Get into medical school first and then figure out what you want to do.

Thanks, I needed that.

 

[RisingSun]

Started general surgery residency at age 50 and now done with residency and finishing vascular fellowship. Age isn't going to be your problem, getting into and through medical school with excellent grades is your first hurdle. There are loads of budding surgeons who find that six hours into their third-year surgery clerkship, they don't want anything to do with surgery and that's fine by me. Get into medical school first and then figure out what you want to do.

I totally agree with the above. Getting into school should be your first priority, the rest will come in time.

 

[MJB]

Well, I was 31 when I started this fall, and I'm still "thinkin" about surgery because of the same reasons you stated, plus anatomy is by FAR my favorite class thus far...

Now, I have an EVERY DAY reminder of what I would face if I went that route living right next door. The guy is 6 years my junior and is in his first year of a Urology residency...so he's doing general surg. right now. We hardly ever see him...ever. I'm not so sure I want that for myself or my family...we'll have to see.

What up Rising!

 

[RisingSun]

Well, I was 31 when I started this fall, and I'm still "thinkin" about surgery because of the same reasons you stated, plus anatomy is by FAR my favorite class thus far...

Now, I have an EVERY DAY reminder of what I would face if I went that route living right next door. The guy is 6 years my junior and is in his first year of a Urology residency...so he's doing general surg. right now. We hardly ever see him...ever. I'm not so sure I want that for myself or my family...we'll have to see.

What up Rising!

I think that many non-trads have life commitments that make it more difficult to pursue a demanding specialty (both during and after residency). I for one think that surgery is too violent - blood and bone and saline shooting everywhere - for my tastes, but I really liked anatomy, too. I know that there will be a perfect specialty out there for me. You never know what you'll like (or dislike) until you are actually in medical school and having to do it yourself.

MJB - just finished our second major final (we have a human behavior final left to go). School's going well so far, but it is real hard to balance schoolwork and family life. For the most part it seems that my classmates have much more time to study than I, and I fear that I'll fall behind in the upcoming, much more rigorous quarters. How's everything in Tennessee?

 

[MJB]

I think that many non-trads have life commitments that make it more difficult to pursue a demanding specialty (both during and after residency). I for one think that surgery is too violent - blood and bone and saline shooting everywhere - for my tastes, but I really liked anatomy, too. I know that there will be a perfect specialty out there for me. You never know what you'll like (or dislike) until you are actually in medical school and having to do it yourself.

MJB - just finished our second major final (we have a human behavior final left to go). School's going well so far, but it is real hard to balance schoolwork and family life. For the most part it seems that my classmates have much more time to study than I, and I fear that I'll fall behind in the upcoming, much more rigorous quarters. How's everything in Tennessee?

So far, so good...it's been a rough adjustment as my wife hated her first job, but started a new one about a month ago that seems to be MUCH better....and I too have the disadvantage of reduced study time partially due to the fact that I am married..partially because I'm a homeowner, and partially because I'm commuting...but I'm surviving. I'm only really having trouble with one "class", but that class is our Molecular Fundamentals conglomerate.

We're starting to move to a more systems based approach next semester, so we'll see how that goes...though I know MFM II is going to be a bear the first 6 weeks of next semester. Only have a few days left of anatomy, but I'm going to miss it dearly even though it will help to not have that time committment involved any more.

 

[MSTPbound]

I'm 27 years old right now. I'm holding two offers of admission to MSTPs ... so nice to finally be on this side of the application cycle.

I'll be 28 in my first year of med school. An average 8-year MSTP puts me at 36 y.o. when I hopefully start a neurosurgery residency, which is a roughly 8-year road itself... so I'll be 44 when I start a couple of years of fellowship training and 46 when I really start practicing. I'm really hoping to be blessed with healthy life into at least my 70s... that's 20-30 years of practice, which I think is a respectable career by any standards. I see no issues with it if you know it's what you're after.

Best of to you!

-Mbound

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I'll turn 31 a few months into med school, and I am considering being a surgeon.

Who makes real money before they're 40 anyway?

 

[Blade28]

By the time that I start medical school, I will be thirty years old. If I go into surgery (which really interests me, especially since I love working with my hands), I will not be done with my training until I am 40.

That's not old at all! If surgery is your dream, you gotta go for it!

During my MS-I year, I had classmates in their mid- to upper 30s. Other schools around the country certainly had older students.

BTW, if it makes you feel any better, even though you're a pre-med now and I'm a PGY-3, when you're an intern I'll still be in training.

 

[Skialta]

You are not too old, I am 37 and a surgical intern. It is no big deal, you should do what interests you.

Skialta