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I'm asking because, I'm 29 and going back to school in the fall, I never finished undergrad (between partying and other deviousness I only have 30 credits), anyhow...I've always had an interest in medicine, and wanted to be a physician for much of my childhood...and not because the job pays well and it's cliche (no offense to anyone). Certainly in this day and age there are jobs that pay as well or better with fewer educational demands...but it would be an amazing personal challenge, accomplishment, and a true profession. Also, I feel the profession is extremely portable - I could practice it in NYC or at McMurdo Station. I don't think I'd be opening my own practice.
I understand a few of the concerns in the realm of modern medicine - the future of medicine is largely up in the air (at least that's how this layman sees it), ever-increasing malpractice insurance, defensive medicine, everyone becomes a doctor, etc.
Anyhow, my question really is - am I realistically too old to pursue this? Now, I'm not being ageist here, and I'm not questioning its possibility, or my intellectual capability, but I'm pretty sure going to med school at age 32/33 would make me well above the ages of most of my med school peers...and I'd probably have to work harder because my brain wouldn't be quite as spry as it would be if I were 23 and going to med school...although I would hope that 90+ credits of undergrad would have done a good job of waking my brain up by the time MCAT rolls around.
Would there be issues with on-the-ground acceptance in the "fraternity" of physicians? Is this undertaking realistic for someone who has to wholly support himself during this whole process? Working full time during undergrad for sure, and then - who knows after...I'm not sure what the financial prospects are for a prospective med student with a life sciences/bio BS, but I imagine I'd be working until paid residencies kick in. Of course I will explore this in more appropriate forums, and also with my own physicians (as much advice as they'd be willing to give me, I'm not afraid to ask)...but I like to get a broad range of advice.
To bring this thread around to be slightly related to FICO...I would need student loans. Lots of them. School is expensive. I'm gardening forever. No, I wouldn't put med school on a CC.
Thanks. Sorry for being largely off-topic, but it is Smorgasboard!
Have you ever spent a substantial amount of time with doctors? Really, not the kind of people who I would associate with voluntarily. The whole profession is really pretty scummy.
@rvhome wrote:Have you ever spent a substantial amount of time with doctors? Really, not the kind of people who I would associate with voluntarily. The whole profession is really pretty scummy.
I am betting there are a few people on this forum that may take offense to that. Basically, anyone in the medical field.
OP, there is nothing wrong with starting out late. I would suggest you network via friends and family to meet with someone in the field. From there, they should be able to recommend you to other physicians so you can get opinions from more than one person. Just keep in mind, the process takes awhile between undergrad, med school, intern, fellow, resident, etc. As long as you are prepared, well informed, and have the drive, I think you can do it. Hopefully you will be able to score some decent student loans.
@rvhome wrote:Have you ever spent a substantial amount of time with doctors? Really, not the kind of people who I would associate with voluntarily. The whole profession is really pretty scummy.
My best friend, 3 of my neighbors, my hunting buddies, my sister........... Yup... scummy people.
@Shogun wrote:
@rvhome wrote:Have you ever spent a substantial amount of time with doctors? Really, not the kind of people who I would associate with voluntarily. The whole profession is really pretty scummy.
My best friend, 3 of my neighbors, my hunting buddies, my sister........... Yup... scummy people.
Damn elitist hunt clubs.... Lol.
Yeah, I think there is a broad spectrum of people in most professions and certainly there are bad physicians. I think for sure, the industrial and financial aspects of medicine turn some people off to healthcare in general, as well as poor quality healthcare in some places...but I think a lot of problems with healthcare are just symptoms of a much more systemic problem with the practice of healthcare in the western world. Healthcare needs to be revolutionized, and I don't mean going to single-payer.
As I said, I will certainly seek consultation outside of the digital world, and I'm well aware that a FICO forum is not a particularly appropriate venue for seeking such advice, but this site does see a lot of traffic and it is not outside the realm of possibilities that a physician could have credit problems or have an interest in credit.
Your zeal for medicine is the reason you state to pursue it since childhood, but during your 20's it did not manifest in completing your undergrad as a pre-med major. Other priorities took over. But since you still have this passion for medicine, if its something you really really really want, do it. Know there are financial consequences whether you fail or succeed, either wai you'd still be in debt and approaching middle age, unless you specialize and not merely a gen practitioner, you will be hard pressed to pay off al the loans into your 40's and onwards. This will severely cripple your quality of life. Though if you are talented and specialize in surgerey or thoraxic surgery etc, you will likely not make a whole lot of money relative to your debt. There are other medical fields, such as physician assistant that have a quicker rate of return, and you can start living life making $90,000 to start or so and start a family, go on vacations, etc. Do you want to start life or study in the library into your 40's.
@rvhome wrote:Have you ever spent a substantial amount of time with doctors? Really, not the kind of people who I would associate with voluntarily. The whole profession is really pretty scummy.
Not very nice. I know a great many physicians who would cry if something bad would happen to their patients. :-/ Just my experience, though.
@youdontkillmoney wrote:Your zeal for medicine is the reason you state to pursue it since childhood, but during your 20's it did not manifest in completing your undergrad as a pre-med major. Other priorities took over. But since you still have this passion for medicine, if its something you really really really want, do it. Know there are financial consequences whether you fail or succeed, either wai you'd still be in debt and approaching middle age, unless you specialize and not merely a gen practitioner, you will be hard pressed to pay off al the loans into your 40's and onwards. This will severely cripple your quality of life. Though if you are talented and specialize in surgerey or thoraxic surgery etc, you will likely not make a whole lot of money relative to your debt. There are other medical fields, such as physician assistant that have a quicker rate of return, and you can start living life making $90,000 to start or so and start a family, go on vacations, etc. Do you want to start life or study in the library into your 40's.
I realize that this path would require a lot of indebtedness. I recently spoke with a physician I know, and she said that many med students have to take out loans for their living, and we aren't even talking about financing the 150-200k medical education itself. I will continue to reflect upon all of this, but at this time it is really the only profession I can think of that I really want to do. That said, I'm well aware of the fact that I'd basically have to put having any kind of personal life on the back burner until at least my mid to later thirties - and this is something I am considering quite a bit. As far as family...I will never have one.
I'm not sure that my interest in medicine went away - during my younger 20s, I was battling alcoholism and drugs (as befalls many youths), in addition to dealing with the suicide of my father and the death of my brother during my teens. After I got sober in 2007, I kind of wrote that dream off as being too much for someone with my history to handle. I thought I should just work a job to make a decent living and strive to live my life in peace - not ask too much of myself. I've been sober seven years now, and during this time my thinking on what I should do with my life has slowly changed...and now believe I am in a place to begin the process of enthusiastically moving toward siezing my true potential. I figure if I can maintain legitimate sobriety for most of my twenties, I can do anything .
Given you were battling drug / alcohol abuse, any profession that goves you access to drugs should be seriously considered; you may become a doctor, but if you take that path you may fall into temptation and abuse drugs and end up in jail and then tell yourself "I never should've become a doctor"; to get licensed you have to answer certain questions about your fitness to practice this include past drug abuse, so beofe becoming a doctor, see if you can get licensed once you past boards. It's sort of like someone wanting to grow up and become a cop or join the CIA, but dabbled in drugs, well, that person may have locked themselves out of that dream career.