Too old to study medicine?

[josephdc]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hello,

I'm a newbie here. Great forum!

I'm from Cebu, Philippines. I'm a registered nurse here.

I'm thinking of pursuing medicine. But I'm almost 30. Am I too old to become a physician? It will probably take me a total of 10 years before I'll become a doctor, right? Four years med school, 1 year intership, several months reviewing for the board, and then 3-4 years of residency training... So I'll be 40 when I become a physician!

It saddens me a bit that I did not take medicine earlier, but it's actually only recently that I realized I am interested in medicine. Being nearly 30 changes my perspective about things in my life a bit. I love nursing, but it's not really a good idea to practice as a nurse here in the country because the pay is very, very low. I also have no plans of going abroad because I want to stay with my family. We have a business here and I don't think they want to leave the country. They are not getting any younger (my parents are in their late 50s) so I want to spend as much of my time being near them as possible. I like working in a hospital, helping people, and using my physical and intellectual capabilities to their fullest. I love human anatomy and physiology, and in nursing school, I enjoyed doing the pathophysiology report most in our case conferences. So I can really picture myself working in the hospital as a doctor.

So, is age really a factor in medicine? I have this friend who is already a doctor and she told me age doesn't really matter. She had a classmate who was a pilot who entered med school at 34 or 35! What do you think? 🙂

 

[phlipsquad]

Hi.you are not too old to start. I had a classmate who was in his forties when he started. I'm 30. Nevertheless, I just graduated this year from ust med.good luck....
🙂

 

[josephdc]

Hi.you are not too old to start. I had a classmate who was in his forties when he started. I'm 30. Nevertheless, I just graduated this year from ust med.good luck....
🙂

Thanks, phlipsquad! Wow, in his 40s huh? That's very encouraging for me. 😀

How old were you when you started med school?

 

[josephdc]

Hi.you are not too old to start. I had a classmate who was in his forties when he started. I'm 30. Nevertheless, I just graduated this year from ust med.good luck....
🙂

Good luck on your internship!

 

[bidiboom]

As the conditions of life improved, the longevity and quality of life increased as well.. today in any developed city we dont see todays men and women look old in 40s or 50s.. I remember we have had a janitor with a family, they were actually peasants.. after a couple of years of city life (in Istanbul/Turkey), they turned back to their village back and when I have seen his wife a couple of years later, a young woman in her early 30s, I have been shocked with her look 😱 With heavy work all day long in the fields under the sun for years, she has turned to an old woman.. she had such deep wrinkles! her skin was totally gone 🙁

And look at the Scandinavian women: in a really healthy life style with a good diet, sport and productive state of mind (they work until they become unable to work), they dont age for a long time..

Also in Western world I see more and more non-traditional doctors like you 🙂 whats more, the med schools (at least in US) develop an inclination towards them: the non-trads once seen as losers, now look more sophisticated, intellectually more developed and well determined.. they dont move with young and volatile desires and they bring the quality of life and work experience.. thats an asset.. you have what the teenagers dont 😉

As for me, I always say this : We, the 40ers (I am 45), sip the coffee of life and we live our most productive, most delicious time of our lives.. so as a late 20er, you still need to wait to live the best part yet 😉

 

[josephdc]

Thanks, bidiboom. Are you a physician? 🙂

 

[bidiboom]

Thanks, bidiboom. Are you a physician? 🙂

No not yet.. and I cant see future as well.. but I know that "nearly 30" means young 😉

By the way the greatest population of medicine graduates who are working in western hemisphere is Philippines after India and China.. India and China both are the most crowded countries with over 1 billion populations, each.. so its normal to be at top, but Philippines is about 100 million and its still the 3rd country which is sending the greatest population of doctors.. so its another asset for you to be a member of such a country 🙂

By the way, some of my relatives are living in Saudi Arabia (I am in Istanbul/Turkey) .. the other day one of them said "God created Philiippinos to be doctors and nurses!.. 90% percent of nurses in Saudi Arabia are Philippinos and they are like velvet.. such a light hand they have in medical procedures".. To hear this was interesting for me 🙂