When to call it quits and move on?

[Anathema]

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When would everyone call for a time to move on from current goals after a series of setbacks? I know I'm taking a gap year but I'd be willing to go for 2 application cycles but anything past that makes me shaky due to age factors and such.

I've seen alot of people apply in their 40's and 50's which is crazy but I totally respect them but I know I could never do that.

 

[deleted127837]

That's a pretty personal decision - some people can't bring themselves to do anything else without spending the rest of their lives feeling like they failed, while others will fail to get in and deep-down inside be relieved.

How old are you? It's not uncommon for people to take 2-5 years off before heading to medical school. People in their 40s/50s tend to be switching careers, which is very different.

 

[wjs010]

When would everyone call for a time to move on from current goals after a series of setbacks? I know I'm taking a gap year but I'd be willing to go for 2 application cycles but anything past that makes me shaky due to age factors and such.

I've seen alot of people apply in their 40's and 50's which is crazy but I totally respect them but I know I could never do that.

I know that when I apply I'll be 24..im 23 now. Which means, when school starts ( if I even get in) I'll be 25 and 1/2...to think i'll be 29 and still in school is kinda crazy, and I"m not even as old as the entering average age. So, for me, I don't know if I could go to school in my 30s. Luckily I didnt decide to go back to school any later than I did.

 

[Aerus]

First, age is an advantage in the application cycle (to a certain extent). People who are in their mid 20's to late 20's are seen as more mature than these 21 year old applicants you see.

Taking a gap year is definitely to your advantage, as it not only allows you to wind down and relax before medical school, but it also lets you focus on more time consuming EC's that you normally wouldn't want to fit into a full time schedule (such as a full time scribe).

In my eyes, given that you have the drive to go for it (and have people skills), if you really want to be a doctor, there isn't a "time" for you to call it quits. Just keep going.

 

[Anathema]

Yeah I hear the age advantage alot, mostly because those people pack alot of great experiences during that time. By the time I'm actually in a cycle I'll be 22 and if I don't get in I'll be 23 by the next. I'm a weaker person than others because I don't want to be in this 8 year training session when I'm in my 40s or late 30s (I know testing and studying is a lifelong process in medicine). I've got some ideas of backups plans, but medicine is definitely my biggest goal in life so I'm putting my all into my application cycle.

 

[Planes2Doc]

If you quit the path and then feel the need to come back because you keep thinking about it, then it shows you made a mistake by quitting. If you quit the path and are happy with your life, then you made the right decision. To each his own.

 

[cheechootrain]

If you quit the path and then feel the need to come back because you keep thinking about it, then it shows you made a mistake by quitting. If you quit the path and are happy with your life, then you made the right decision. To each his own.

👍

 

[twizzlers713]

When would everyone call for a time to move on from current goals after a series of setbacks? I know I'm taking a gap year but I'd be willing to go for 2 application cycles but anything past that makes me shaky due to age factors and such.

I've seen alot of people apply in their 40's and 50's which is crazy but I totally respect them but I know I could never do that.

when you get a B on a test...

in all seriousness, do what you feel led to do. if this is where your interest lies, go for it! 23 is not "too late" to apply

 

[solitarius]

when you just can't motivate yourself to study for another MCAT attempt.

 

[amad01]

I know a guy who used to be a college advisor... I told him about how discouraging it is to think I won't finish school till I'm almost 30... and he said... "You'll be 30 some day no matter what you do, might as well be 30 and a doctor."

 

[tn4596]

I know a guy who used to be a college advisor... I told him about how discouraging it is to think I won't finish school till I'm almost 30... and he said... "You'll be 30 some day no matter what you do, might as well be 30 and a doctor."

Great quote!

 

[Planes2Doc]

Great quote!

Exactly! I'd rather be a doctor at 30 (or still in school), versus extremely unhappy at 30 feeling like I've hit a dead-end with nothing great to look forward to. Hence why I pursued the non-traditional route.

 

[lobo.solo]

Exactly! I'd rather be a doctor at 30 (or still in school), versus extremely unhappy at 30 feeling like I've hit a dead-end with nothing great to look forward to. Hence why I pursued the non-traditional route.

👍 Yeah, I definitively don't want to have any regrets when I get old. If things don't come up the way I want at least I could look back and say I gave it my best shot. Is better to fight until the end and fail, then to surrender without even trying to put up a good fight.

 

[Sesom]

You are still very young. In fact, you are so young you don't even know how silly this thread is yet. When you're 30 you'd be looking back at your post rolling your eyes. Just keep moving forward, you'll be fine.

 

[Geebeejay]

When would everyone call for a time to move on from current goals after a series of setbacks? I know I'm taking a gap year but I'd be willing to go for 2 application cycles but anything past that makes me shaky due to age factors and such.

I've seen alot of people apply in their 40's and 50's which is crazy but I totally respect them but I know I could never do that.

Believe it or not, 40s and 50s is relatively young now....applying then might seem ridiculous, but finishing residency when you're 40 is not that big of a deal really, and you'll have plenty of time to practice, don't worry.

 

[Life Sucks]

You'll be fine, most doctors practice untill they're are dead.Say this, " I want to be a doctor, untill I accomplish my goals, I will never give up and faulter!"
You're lucky, at least you got your pre-med requirments out of the way.
I'm 18 years old, and I'm behind in my requirements compared to most pre-meds.I haven't started in any science courses, and I'm in remedial math. Am I going to give up. No. I'm going to push my way up to the top, and even when I though of myself as stupid, many have told me they see myseld doing great things and expect great things. I don't blame anyone for my pass failures in high school, but I won't reflect on it, and I have became better in college. And I enjoy every single second of it, from the dull moments, to the fun moments.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Believe it or not, 40s and 50s is relatively young now....applying then might seem ridiculous, but finishing residency when you're 40 is not that big of a deal really, and you'll have plenty of time to practice, don't worry.

I don't think that the duration of practice is really the issue for most people. I think it's kind of hard when you feel life is passing you by. As for me, I just moved back home with my parents while a lot of my friends are already on their own and even married. Do I think the sacrifice is still worth it? Yes I do, since you would still be happier knowing you realized your goal down the road than living a life of regrets during your "best years."

 

[Geebeejay]

I don't think that the duration of practice is really the issue for most people. I think it's kind of hard when you feel life is passing you by. As for me, I just moved back home with my parents while a lot of my friends are already on their own and even married. Do I think the sacrifice is still worth it? Yes I do, since you would still be happier knowing you realized your goal down the road than living a life of regrets during your "best years."

Well if that's the way to think of it....you're gonna spend most of your time in medical school studying, and most of your time in residency and the beginning of your career in the hospital (you're not going to get a good shift without any seniority, and you're going to be "asked" to join countless focus groups, research groups, committees, etc. as a newbie MD. By "asked", I mean you're going to be passive-aggressively told to do these things). So why not spend your "best years" enjoying yourself? Get a job, live in a city, scrape by and then spend whatever you saved (traveling, golfing, cruising, drinking). If you want to stay in school, pursue an advanced degree. If you have the money (I certainly don't), spend a year abroad.

I'm not saying that our perspective is the best, but rather providing a different perspective (which happens to be mine and yours). Between spending your "best years" studying and working hard (medical school) versus traveling, relaxing and working not quite as hard (gap years), both are going to be "wasteful" in different ways. I don't think it's constructive to consider either of these options a "waste", but rather different ways to spend a few years of your life.