Hi everyone,
I'm new and just wanted to find out if
there are other women out there that
have started this journey (toward medical
school) a little later in life?
I have worked in the medical field for a
long time and at age 30 I put having a family
first (a decision I made after working in
IVF clinics). Now at 41 years old, I'm in
my 2nd year of working on pre-req's for med.
school and my undergrad. degree.
The realities of trying to do this are ---
my memory is not what it used to be, I have
to work to pay my mortgage, and I can't pull
all nighters anymore (though before Chem tests
I still try !)
I have lots of doc. friends that are
encouraging, a great family support, and
taking Ginkgo Biloba is helping with the mental clarity so...it's possible.
I heard this story about someone who wrote in
to Dr. Abby and said that she was considering
medical school and by the time she finished she
would be 50 years old, and the reply was,
"Well, you're going to be 50 years old anyway".
I don't know why, but that story has helped me
to keep on going maybe because that's about how
old I will be when I'm done.
"Plan your work, and work your plan" (as my
Pop always says).
Thanks for listening (reading),
Laurel

You are definitely not alone in this! I'm only 34, but I'm starting med school this year and I have 3 kids. I have met many other people thru this site and oldpremeds.org that are in the similar circumstances.

You only get to live this life once, so live it that way you want it to be! And yes, you'll be 50, or 60 or 70 no matter what you do. Might as well pursue your dreams.

Amen to that, time is going to pass anyway, you may have spend it going for your dreams.

38 (on April 3) and start medical school this fall and planning (as of know) going into surgery or some surgery subspecialty...

Hi--I am also over 40, but just in the planning stages. My daughters are teenagers; my oldest is a pre-med college freshman. However, it's clear that I want to go to med school more than she does; she's thinking along the lines of graduate nursing programs, which will allow her more of a "life". I can't blame her!

As far as my med school madness goes, I have some advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages is that I got halfway through a Masters in Psych/Behavioral Neuroscience in the mid-90s (I completed my BSW in 1992, after 14 years). I only discovered my passion for medical science ten years ago, when my daughters were in elementary school. Now for the disadvantages:

I have autoimmune sacroiliitis (my body falling apart was one of the main reasons I reluctantly left grad school). I have missing cartilage in the midlateral arches of my feet and have to wear foot-and-ankle braces. In short, I'm wouldn't call myself "disabled" in the legal sense, but physically I am definitely not 100%.

Right now I'm in a health claims billing and coding certification program, which doesn't require a lot of "on foot" time and gets me into a medical setting, which is where I want to be. As far as applying to med school goes (probably four of five years from now), I never took any chem beyond what was in a psychopharmacology course, or any advanced math or physics (my daughter has, of course...sigh). I used to think I wasn't capable, but dammit, I think maybe I really am, even if I have to take one prerequisite at a time. Work (as a coder) ASAP is a must right now, but I can't shake this desire to be a doctor.

Am I nuts, dealing with age, motherhood AND a crappy body? Has anyone in my situation attempted this and lived to tell the tale?

I know a doc originally from Argentina who was stricken with polio as a child, he doesnt wear braces but one of his legs are atrophied and doesnt have full range of motion at the knee when walking. Anyway, he came here in his late 30's and started out originally doing a nuerosurgery program in NYC, but switched to neurology. He did fine.

Hi, I am 43 pushing 44 (and a grandmother). When my daughter began high school I decided it was time to go back to school (after 15 years as a surgical technologist) with plans to look toward med. school. Then looking back on years in the O.R. I thought, "why do I want to work my a** off to be a MD when most of the MD's I know are miserable?". So, I finally decided on graduate school. I am in my 3rd year of a Ph.D. program in Micro/Immun. and am now seriously thinking of med school! On one hand I think that I am crazy to even think of several years more of poverty. On the other hand I think that this is what I really want to do and should have done to begin with. Am I crazy???? I have no children at home and no husband to help. Just me. I have about 2-3 more years before I am finished so I would be ~46 before I even applied to med school...50 at graduation! When do I save for retirement??? Maybe I am crazy! There would be no retirement. Anyway, that's my story.

Actually you are in the best position to start medical school without children living with you! Go for it, I know of one physician that started her general surgery residency at 50 and is loving it.