So, I am a 30 year old male, and I really would like to start the long road of becoming a Doctor.
I have had this interest since I was 15 but I should have applied myself when I was finishing high school and started school right away. I had potential to be 4.0 student, I was in early years, but last two years I was immature, caring only for my social life, not applying myself and got mediocre grades to finish. I convinced myself I wanted independence and college was a waste of my time. So I continued my not so glamorous life of Restaurant Management until now. But I’ve often regretted my choice.
I had dismissed it as it was too late for me to start this journey. A few friends I’ve told tell me I’m crazy, which is why I’m deciding for now I’ll keep it to myself until I’m further along I don’t Care about people’s negative opinions.
I don’t even know where to begin at this point. For my
Undergraduate, I live near Seattle I could try for UW or I could move back to my home town to where family
Is to try to get in to WWU. But I haven’t been to school since HS. I’ve never even taken the SAT. I’m guessing that I need to start with a community college to get some of the refresh to my education? I’m still learning about financial aid and all of that as well. I really want this more than anything, I just feel uncertainty about my starting point, if I should work part time or devote myself to it completely…
I currently am single with no kids so atleast I don’t have to factor that it to my decision.
I just am pleased to finally be talking about this.
My college roommate got a degree in nursing and worked for several years in a Houston OR with some of the top cardiologists in the world. She got tired of the doctors’ attitude towards nurses and decided to go back to med school, at 30! I was worried for her, because I really thinks she has dyslexia (she was always getting letters and numbers mixed up when she would leave messages for me). Sure enough, she flunked her first year. They let her take it again and she passed. She has worked as an ob/gyn for about 15 years now, some of that time on a native American reservation in Oklahoma.
My kids’ psychiatrist is another person who went back to med school at around age 30. He led a pretty carefree life before that, surfing in Hawaii and sailing the South Pacific. He decided he wanted to help kids and became a child/adolescent psychiatrist. I can honestly say he has been a miracle worker when it comes to my oldest. Even though DS is 27, this doctor is still seeing him!
So I say go for it. You never know what a huge impact you may have on other people’s lives.
No, you are not too old. A friend and neighbor of mine went back to school to become a doctor at age 50. She has. now been practicing medicine for the last 10 years. She started by taking the courses she could as fillers and absolutely necessary at the local CC and then what she could at a local state university . It took her a while. It helped that she had an excellent undergrad transcript from her college years ago.
My oldest child got his college degree in his 30s after a 14 year hiatus from college. His classmate from middle school went back and got his Degree and got into medical school. He’ll be in his 40s when he finally gets his MD
The question is how to do this. What does your undergrad college transcript have? What grades? All college courses and grades will be taken into account. You may have to retake key courses or should. Can you afford to take these courses now both in terms of time and money? My local state U actually offers Premed packages where those with degrees in other areas can get their premed courses in a program. Some do this along with their college courses elsewhere. Check if any such programs are available to you.
Well for me will be literal square one. I have to go through Undergrad first. So I’m looking at 38-40 potentially to be starting Residency. I mean that still gives me a many many years to practice medicine in theory. I just know it’s gonna be a rough road for many years. But I love learning and I’m like a sponge when it comes to topics that I’m interested in, so I have high hopes. I just need to get the ball rolling finally and I know once I’m in it I can be very focused.
Can you go to school full time? How are you paying for this? It’s a marathon, but there are other opportunities on the route if Med school is too long of a distance. Health care prep courses can prep a person for all kinds professions, not necessarily MD. Just remember, grades are going to be ultra important
If it’s logistically possible
For me I would prefer to go to school
Full time. I’m gonna be relying on financial aid and whatever else I can qualify for to pay for it. Its going to have to be a full complete commitment from me if I want this to work, I know.
I have a family member who became a doctor in his 40s! He found ways to get his schooling paid for (I don’t know how) and had a great career as a physician. He was able to work with a lot of underserved populations which was a goal of his.
30 is so young - don’t even think about it. Do it!
You can totally do this. It will take years, but if you really want to try, why not? Do you have a good community college near where you currently live? You could start by taking a couple courses. Go and see if there is anyone at this community college who can advise you with regard to pre-medicine course recommendations to start with, maybe biology and a math. If those first couple classes prove to be doable after your long time since being in school, then take a few more.
Years ago, someone wrote to Dear Abby (or maybe Ann Landers) and said that they were almost 30 and wanted to go to medical school, but if they did that, they would be 37 when they finished. Ann/Abby wrote back and said, essentially: Sure, you’ll be 37 when you finish if you go to medical school, but if you don’t go, you’ll still be 37 at that period of time.
Not quite the same, but now that we have an empty nest, my wife is going to complete her Physician Assistant training at the young age of 51 (she’s an RN at a prestigious university hospital). If you have the financial wherewithal and discipline, I say go for it!
My mom started nursing school at 48 and got her RN at 50 (two years at community college, no BSN). It was hard but worth it! Also wanted to mention that if you decide doctor is too long or expensive of a road, I have heard the prospects for male nurses are good.
Definitely start at cc if that fits you and your budget best. My classmate who is a D.O. did his first two years at cc.
Go for it! See if you can complete your undergrad in three years. Maybe you can start in January 2020 instead of waiting for the beginning of next school year. If you can complete your undergrad in three years, you are in nearly the same position as people who already have a BA/BS but who need to return for post-bac premed courses, which can take two years.
Some anecdotes from my life: My cousin who is a concert pianist decided at age 30 that he wanted to be a doctor. Did the post-bac and med school, and is now a PGY-1.
Another cousin who already had her MBA decided in her early 30s that she’d rather be a doctor than work in business. Again, did post-bac, med school (actually DO school), residency, fellowship, and has been practicing now for about 10 years.
PA or NP might be a bit shorter path (in both years and dollars) to a similar place. Figure out if it’s close enough to your goals to be worth the detour.
My doctor was a postwoman delivering mail at 40 y/o, then decided to be a doctor. She eventually got accepted to UCSF medical school which is very difficult to get in & now has her own private practice at 2 locations. So you’re already 10 years ahead of my doctor.
First Step - Research the medical schools you want to get into to find out which courses are required in your undergrad for you to be admitted. Then take those courses at your Community College, then transfer to a 4-year undergrad that has a pathway to the medical schools you’re wanting.
Get this plan in place before you start community college so you’re not taking classes you don’t need. The great thing about community college is that you can start in Spring, Summer, and Fall instead of the usual fall.
Even though you’re not a student, 4-year colleges allow anyone to drop-in for academic counseling & will tell you the exact courses you’re required to take.
