Women who started med school after 26 -- tell me your experience!

[Hazelnut3491]

Hi! I'm 27 and soon to be starting my pre reqs. I too have a successful career in another industry but I am not fulfilled. I'm excited to start this journey. I have been dating my SO for 3 years and we want to get married and have kids within the next 5 years. I've been struggling to find advice on if MD/DO school is doable while starting a family, so im glad this thread was started. You all are an inspiration! Can someone send me the link to the Facebook group?

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[Rarygen]

I started medical school at age 33. I'm currently 35 and in my 3rd year. While I'm not married (still single!) nor have any children yet, I know how hard it can be to look at your friends, especially old friends, on facebook with their families and their careers and they life put together. All the while I am barely starting the career I could have started 10 years prior. But I don't regret it one bit. I have a masters in molecular biology and worked in research for a few years before jumping in this med school journey and I would do it again if I had to. I've done well enough, passed all my courses, did well on Step 1. Still a lot left in my path but I'm well on my way. Good luck to everyone who starting on this crazy journey! It's quite a ride.

 

[GenSurgONLY]

I’m starting this summer (still feels weird to say that!) at 37, but my situation is a bit different because I got married young and already had my kids. The youngest is starting school so I don’t need to worry about being pregnant, etc.
Because I’m much older I do worry a little about the specialty and training time, etc. But really, even if I do the longest training specialty and only get ten practicing years, that’s still ten years doing what I love, and maybe I can teach and do research after that, who knows? I say find what you love and do it, and have your kids when you want them. It won’t be perfect but all those things we’re taught to worry about aren’t worth missing big things in your life.

Yes! I will be 33/34 once I matriculate and plan to go into general surgery (I “may” pursue critical care fellowship afterwards). We will see.

I too married young and have my 3 kids. They will be well into middle school as I begin my residency. Planning on being done around 45 which depends on me completing a fellowship afterwards.

 

[mdlocs28]

I completely agree with you. I feel like I am in the same boat. I graduated from college 8 years ago started off college as neuroscience major, didnt feel confidence enough with my GPA. Decided to do a Masters in Epidemiology and Biological Sciences. Finally going to apply to medical school next fall at the age of 29 so wont start until 30. Feel like I wasted my 20s but everything happens for a reason. We have life experiences that are valuable and wont bring a different perspective to medicine. I also worry about kids and marriage because that's something I have always wanted

Hi everyone,

As a quick background, I began college as a pre-med but ended up dropping it and working in consulting. Recently had a change of heart for a variety of different reasons and have started taking my final classes for med school application while working.

The way my timeline works, I won't be able to apply until 2019 -- meaning I would start medical school at age 26. I have so many friends right now who started med school right out of college, and throughout this whole process I have had that doubt in the back of my mind that things would have been so much better for me had I decided on my med school track just a bit earlier.

To be clear, I know that I am still on the young end of the spectrum when it comes to nontrads. But my age/the thought of being in school potentially until I am in my late 30s has still stressed me out sometimes to the point where I feel like it's not worth it. It's kind of a fear that while this career/passion is very important to me now, my priorities may change as I get older and have me regretting my decision.

I am extremely curious to hear from those who have taken a similar path, especially women who have started med school in their late 20s. Some of my questions are -- Did you feel like you had to give up on a more time-consuming specialty due to starting later? How much did starting later affect your personal life -- did you have to put other priorities (settling down, kids, etc.) on hold much longer than you would have liked? Do you have any regrets about your decision?
Curious to hear any and all input!

 

[OIO]

Would love to join the Facebook group if someone will shoot me the link. I’m married, 2 kids taking MCAT in January 2019, first time applicant to Med school next cycle and I’m 38


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[TazoDeli]

Hello, I am 32, single, want to have kids in the future and am currently an MS2. I've done quite a bit of research into this as I get to this weird point where I don't want to forget to have kids. I've talked to many physicians on this topic since I plan on becoming a surgeon, and we all know the reputation that that specialty has. Honestly, what I keep hearing time and time again is that 1: it's never going to be a "good" time to have a baby. It happens and you learn to adapt, and 2: You are the only one that knows what you want your life to be like. It takes hard work and effort to get it to look that way, as long as you're willing to put in the work, you'll make it happen. As of right now, I'm incredibly blessed. I have a very supportive family and a sister who is a single mother willing to move with me wherever I go to residency so that if and when I choose to have a baby I'll survive. (That, and I've promised to take care of her once I get out of residency, so win-win). I don't have a boyfriend right now, if one comes up, great, if not, I'm not going to let that affect my plans. Many of the longer specialities have research years built in, which is when I know women try to time their pregnancies to hit during that time when they're not spending long hours at the hospital, but honestly, I figure that as much as a planner as I am, I'm just going to do it when it feels right, and then deal with whatever comes my way. I have 3 friends right now that are/were pregnant during medical school, and both are working to deal with that. Not one of them regrets getting pregnant. I don't think either of them planned it, but it forced our school to adapt which is also a good thing. So, I guess that it comes down to what support systems do you have in place, and how bad do you want to be whatever kind of doctor you want to be? If you want it bad enough, make it work and don't take no for an answer.

 

[Traumahawk]

THIS! I had a similar statement posed to me, in my early 30's as I was pondering PA or MD... I'm now coming to the end of my 2nd year in medical school and very glad I took the leap.

As for the OP's post... honestly age is just a number at the end of the day. I'm 35 this year, have many friends at school in their late 20's and early 30's... and nothing really separates us except for the few times I am able to lend some life experience to a group-learning scenario, or when I act like a mom and fetch my friends food during long study days (making sure we also have utensils, plates, and of course: napkins!). Most likely, you will be glad you took that side road because it will mostly likely give you some unique perspectives both as a medical student and as a physician. You are not behind - you are bringing a different life perspective to the table. It will be one of your strengths, not weaknesses.

For the specific questions:

Did you feel like you had to give up on a more time-consuming specialty due to starting later - sometimes, but I have fallen in love with family medicine, so at the end of the day it wont be an issue.

How much did starting later affect your personal life - I married my amazing husband before med school started - we've been together over 6 years. As for kids, I know many female doctors who had kids during residency, and if this was something I wanted to do - I believe it would be very possible. I do miss my siblings and seeing their kids grow up more often - but the time we do spend together is of much higher value than it used to be (because my time is so limited at times).

Do you have any regrets about your decision? The only thing I regret is not believing I could do this sooner - and thinking that age is more of an issue than it really is. Yet, due to my age I am able to bring a different perspective to the table, and I believe this will greatly help me as a family doc - and it has helped me as a medical student greatly.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Don't hold yourself back!!

Best of luck to you!!

P.s. read Sheryl Sandberg's "Lean In", it will change your life.

200% this. I am also decidedly non-traditional, and started medical school at age 34 after getting well into a career as an RN. When I started school, I very quickly found myself in the role of "life experience provider," both clinical and life skills; my classmates, meanwhile, were my saving grace for re-learning all the basic sciences I'd forgotten over well over a decade out of school. I would also state that I did not struggle nearly as badly as I thought I would going back to an academic environment, much to the contrary of all the "conventional wisdom" I received from colleagues. OP and all the other prospective non-trads reading this are not behind in the slightest. Your experiences will help you become just that much more of an amazing physician.

How much did starting later affect your personal life? Quite a bit, but not in the way you might anticipate! I went into medical school single, not a lot of social commitment, and not expecting any change in that status. However, I wound up making a group of friends of all ages who rock the world every day, and I also met my partner during the winter of my M1 year (amusingly, as the result of a school required project). We are currently engaged, aiming for a date sometime between graduation and the start of residency, since clinical commitments are decidedly antagonistic to wedding planning. I will say that medical school, especially once you get to the clinical years, takes a rather significant toll on your ability to commit to family events... but that would be true whether you're 23 or 33. However, I am endlessly fortunate to have a family and a partner and future in-laws who are amazingly flexible and supportive of my goals, and I enjoy the time I spend with them all that much more as a result.

Any regrets? None. Not a single one. I can't even say that starting sooner is a regret, because if I'd started any sooner, I would be at a different medical school, and I would not have had the opportunity to work with such an amazing group of people building an incredible educational community.

Wishing you the very best of luck! Feel free to PM me if I can be of any further assistance!

 

[Pmrtf3]

Hello! I am a non trad - 28 and a couple semesters into a post bacc. Before I started classes I can across this thread and was wildly inspired to pursue this path after considering for a while. Would love to be added to the Facebook group if possible! Thank you so much!

 

[PipetteDreams]

Hello! I am a non trad - 28 and a couple semesters into a post bacc. Before I started classes I can across this thread and was wildly inspired to pursue this path after considering for a while. Would love to be added to the Facebook group if possible! Thank you so much!

Sent you a PM

 

[officially_apostate]

I’m 29 just starting post bacc, won’t start med school till I’m 32 if everything goes as planned! Also interested in a FB group if I can??

 

[star.buck]

36 this year, and at the tail end of my residency interview trail... by far the programs see my age and life experience as an asset, and many have noted how it sets me far apart from so many other applicants.

Life experience is a very good thing on the path to becoming a competent and caring physician.

 

[Supermanwife]

What's the facebook group? I'd like to be added to it.
I hope to start medical school next year, at the age of 28. I want my children while in med school/residency.

 

[TSwift27]

Can I also join?

 

[StudentDoGter]

I would love to join the Facebook group if someone would be so kind to send me a link as well! This thread is so inspiring, I love reading each post. I will be turning 29 right when I matriculate. I am not married, but my long time partner and I intend on getting married when we have the money to do so. We also want kids, but not until after graduation. We’ll see how that goes!

 

[doctorsmom5594]

Hi everyone,

As a quick background, I began college as a pre-med but ended up dropping it and working in consulting. Recently had a change of heart for a variety of different reasons and have started taking my final classes for med school application while working.

The way my timeline works, I won't be able to apply until 2019 -- meaning I would start medical school at age 26. I have so many friends right now who started med school right out of college, and throughout this whole process I have had that doubt in the back of my mind that things would have been so much better for me had I decided on my med school track just a bit earlier.

To be clear, I know that I am still on the young end of the spectrum when it comes to nontrads. But my age/the thought of being in school potentially until I am in my late 30s has still stressed me out sometimes to the point where I feel like it's not worth it. It's kind of a fear that while this career/passion is very important to me now, my priorities may change as I get older and have me regretting my decision.

I am extremely curious to hear from those who have taken a similar path, especially women who have started med school in their late 20s. Some of my questions are -- Did you feel like you had to give up on a more time-consuming specialty due to starting later? How much did starting later affect your personal life -- did you have to put other priorities (settling down, kids, etc.) on hold much longer than you would have liked? Do you have any regrets about your decision?
Curious to hear any and all input!

My daughter started on the road at 25, interviewing for residency positions now, has a 3 year old, plans on a 3 year fellowship

 

[Synchronous]

There’s a Facebook group? Please send me a link as well! I started Med school at 30.

 

[PipetteDreams]

Thanks, all, for being so interested! Indeed, we still have a Facebook group of amazing non-trad women!

Those who requested were sent a link - please feel free to DM me, I still check SDN every few days to look for requests

 

[n3xa]

I entered med school at 30 after spending my 20s doing the organic chemistry things (research, teaching). I also spent 5 years in DO school due to the OMM teaching fellowship.

Being older did make me think about life priorities a bit more, but it really played a small role when it came to picking a specialty. I met my husband while I was in medical school (he's not in medicine) and we ended up getting married my intern year. The IUD doesn't come out until I'm more than halfway done with SM fellowship.

So far, no regrets.

 

[hopefullydoc117]

Would love to join the facebook group as well!

 

[curr4410]

Hello all! I’d love to join the Facebook group as a med student who can offer some experience if you’d like. Im a 28 yr old single mother, who switched from being a BSN-RN in psychiatric settings to being a full time medical student. I have my son full time and always have, am a first year, still work on call as an ED and psych nurse, and have an awesome group of friends. I’m not the best student in the world, because, ya know, single parenting and working takes up study time, but I still volunteer and find time to study with friends. I’m happy to discuss with people, especially as non trad women at school in their later 20’s and early 30’s seem to have lots of questions about being a mom in medical school too.

 

[middchild6]

May I be added to the Facebook group? I started medical school this year at 27!

 

[purplayley]

Could you please send me the link? I would love to join!

 

[zamba]

Could you add me to your group, please? Thank you!

 

[zamba]

I entered med school at 30 after spending my 20s doing the organic chemistry things (research, teaching). I also spent 5 years in DO school due to the OMM teaching fellowship.

Being older did make me think about life priorities a bit more, but it really played a small role when it came to picking a specialty. I met my husband while I was in medical school (he's not in medicine) and we ended up getting married my intern year. The IUD doesn't come out until I'm more than halfway done with SM fellowship.

So far, no regrets.

That's awesome! Did you get a DO degree, as well?

 

[katiemaude]

I had to search this thread to see if I responded to it originally but looks like I never did. I almost never come on SDN anymore but it was a great resource for me back in the day. I am a very non-traditional nontraditional. I left a career in arts-related field and did the DIY postbacc thing at a CC and worked low-paying, hands-on, patient-care jobs in a hospital and volunteered while doing so. Long story short I ended up at a DO school 1,000 miles from home at 36 and my boyfriend came with me. I did an OMM fellowship year and graduated at 41. I'm an intern now! Everyone around me is 26-32 years old including some of my attendings, although some of them are my age lol. I don't think of myself as "old" but it manifests itself when we get talked to and treated like children (happens ALOT in residency, and yo, none of us are kids!). My neck twitches when that happens but I've accepted that medicine is hierarchical and I just roll with it. Socially I'm about it in the same place as the other coupled up but childless residents, though some have a lot bigger stamina for drinking than I do. Other than that, it's NBD. Every few years I've checked in with myself about my need for bio kids and always decided I didn't want it that point, and here I am at 42, no kids, probably won't ever have them unless I foster/adopt. And I very well might with a different partner (current one is not on board). For that to happen I will most likely wait until I'm 45-year-old attending with the financial resources to do it on my own. FYI, the partner is what held me up, not medical school. Having kids in med school is definitely a challenge but not impossible.

 

[Neurosa]

I heard something about a facebook group? Can I get in on that

I am 26 (soon to be 27) right now and I am in my third year of undergrad. I will get my first bachelor degree at 29, and I will take two gap years (one to study for the mcat in summer and one for application cycle), which puts me at the age of matriculating at 31 if I get in on the first try. I definitely feel the stress of being older and timeline shifting as I do want kids. Another thing is that I am in CA and are looking to apply to OOS schools as well as in state, but my long term boyfriend (of 6 years) is in the film industry so he will probably not move with me. So I am looking to be long distance for four years, hope and pray to get in residency in CA, and have kids somewhere in my residency (which puts me at 36/37 which is hard) OR break up with my boyfriend if I get into med school OOS (which SUCKS since our relationship is perfect and we are on the same page about everything), find a partner in med school and have a baby earlier or around the same timeline.

My original plan was to go to med school earlier, stay in CA and marry and have kids while in med school or take a year of between med school and residency. But after learning CA is so so hard I am heavily leaning towards OOS school as my gpa right now is around a 3.6 and I am a ORM.

 

[never-too-late]

I'm matriculating into medical school this summer at the tender age of 43. So much of what many of you say resonates with me. I always intended to pursue medicine. I didn't realize my husband was actively keeping me from that (I put him through grad school and he was supposed to reciprocate but there was always a reason why not). One day I woke up, I was 38 years old, I was at a cross roads, and I realized it was now or never if I was going to try for medicine. I knew I would resent the decision not to try for the rest of my life.

I gave up my career, I gave up my freedom (momentarily) to move back in with my husband. And then I gave up my husband when he tried again to throw a wrench in the plan. I can't believe most days that I actually made it, that I'm going to medical school. I'm terrified at the same time. I have 3 kids (teenagers mostly). I'm going to be commuting between school and where they live on weekends.

I have definitely ruled out any surgical specialty (so no OB/GYN for me) because of the age/time factor. That's ok, families are my passion anyway. This has not been an easy road. But if something happened to me tomorrow, I would die happy knowing I achieved what looked to most people like an impossible goal.

For those of you wrestling with partner/family/kid questions, please take a moment to consider my perspective (having lost a 15-year marriage in my journey): The perfect partner is one who shares a determination to see you thrive in your own goals. Careers and living situations are all things that can be worked out. If someone really loves you, they will make it work because it is worth it to see you thrive. My current partner shows me this every day. We probably won't live together full time (we've been together 3+ years) until I graduate from med school. Also, children cannot be planned so precisely. I've known women who accidentally got pregnant between the ages of 39-45. You don't know what your body will do. I also have a good friend who had her last child at age 45, all 3 were conceived by IVF, the odds aren't great, but it can happen. What you shouldn't do is skip out on your life because...And if you have children, remember that you are showing them that your goals matter (which translates to their dreams mattering, or their future wives' dreams mattering). And you're showing them you're never too old to try. Hands down this is the best thing I've done for my daughters because it gave them a mother who wasn't defined by someone else's image of wife/mother.

My fingers are crossed for all of us! (I'm still really scared of what lies ahead, but I got this far so no sense in turning back!)

 

[n3xa]

That's awesome! Did you get a DO degree, as well?

I did end up going the DO route.

 

[ellybirb]

Hi, I would love to join the facebook group! I will be 27 if I get accepted to start in 2024. Reading all of your stories has been really inspiring!

 

[clarafy]

Neat! I made a Closed Facebook Group. If anyone wants to message me, I can give you the link to the Facebook group.

I would like the link please! Email: [email protected]

 

[paradoxic_toxic]

I would like the link please! Email:

Probably not a good idea to put your personal email on a forum like this

 

[caterwaiter]

Reading through this thread has been so inspiring. I admire all of you so much! I would love to join a Facebook group if there's still an active one. Will be matriculating this fall at 28 with a 31 year old partner.

 

[happypuppy]

I am starting a postbac at 29- will be 30 in the fall. This thread is so inspiring. I would love to join a FB group if still active. Please send a link. Thanks for all of you!

 

[Stranger00120]

I'd also love to join the FB group if it's still active. I start school in August at 34.

 

[kraskadva]

For everybody wanting to join, here's the link to the FB group: Facebook 小组
Definitely still active-ish

 

[Goodgal.sasa]

Hello all! I’d love to join the Facebook group as a med student who can offer some experience if you’d like. Im a 28 yr old single mother, who switched from being a BSN-RN in psychiatric settings to being a full time medical student. I have my son full time and always have, am a first year, still work on call as an ED and psych nurse, and have an awesome group of friends. I’m not the best student in the world, because, ya know, single parenting and working takes up study time, but I still volunteer and find time to study with friends. I’m happy to discuss with people, especially as non trad women at school in their later 20’s and early 30’s seem to have lots of questions about being a mom in medical school too.

Hey there! I found your account, and I am also a single mother, though I am only 22. I have yet to really talk with anyone who is a single mom in medical school. I am applying this cycle and am hopeful to get an acceptance, but I am still nervous for what is to come. Would love to chat if you have any time. Thanks!

 

[curr4410]

Hey there! I found your account, and I am also a single mother, though I am only 22. I have yet to really talk with anyone who is a single mom in medical school. I am applying this cycle and am hopeful to get an acceptance, but I am still nervous for what is to come. Would love to chat if you have any time. Thanks!

Sure! I take my boards in a couple of weeks but can definitely chat more after that!

 

[Ouiser]

Hi everyone,

I have been following this thread for awhile, and I am so happy to finally share that I have been accepted to medical school! I will be matriculating into a DO program next fall right after turning 30! Thirty, flirty and thriving (hopefully, haha).

It has been such an inspiration to see you all succeed, and for those of you in the middle of the application process or who are working on prereqs... I am rooting for you so hard!

 

[PipetteDreams]

Congratulations You worked your butt off and you earned this!