Has anyone totally re-made their career in their 40s? (e.g., law to medicine)

[Anonymous]

OP I felt similar lately. I’m a SAHM but just have no interest in getting back into finance. It didn’t make sense to me to pay for all of that school to just be ramping up when my partner will be ramping down, so I decided to become an EMT. Maybe something like that could fulfill that desire to help others without undoing all of the time and effort you’ve already put into your career.

[Anonymous]

MY daughter's psychologist used to be a lawyer.

[Anonymous]

Law and medicine are very different education tracks.

You can apply to law school with any pre-recs and it's 3 years.
For medical school you need 2 years of pre-recs. Then it's 4 years plus 3 years minimum for residency. 9 years total if you started tomorrow.

My brother went to medical school in his late 20s and my cousin did it at 30. It's a long road and both had an attorney spouse who supported them financially throughout the process.
My husband went to medical school out of undergrad and we were still in our mid 30's before we paid off the loans. And they were cheap in comparison to what students borrow these days.

[Anonymous]

I am in my late twenties and going to med school this fall. I had post bacc friends who were lawyers. I'd say it's not worth it. The competition is so fierce to get in. You must score amazingly on mcat, which is very difficult to do. The stamina alone to do multiple 8 hour practice mcat exams (and imagine doing this for three licensing exams during med school)... I still have nightmares. You must have near perfect grades in your coursework, all of it. And the worst part is the prerequisites are not enough. You need to volunteer and prove you aren't making a mistake to every interviewer (if you get an interview!). I think you are glamorizing medicine. Try to find something in law, teaching... anything else.

[Anonymous]

I have two friends that successfully went to nursing school then got jobs they love while in their 40s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, plenty of people have. I recommend the book "The Winner's Brain" for some fascinating examples.

a handful of success in an otherwise field of failures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP I felt similar lately. I’m a SAHM but just have no interest in getting back into finance. It didn’t make sense to me to pay for all of that school to just be ramping up when my partner will be ramping down, so I decided to become an EMT. Maybe something like that could fulfill that desire to help others without undoing all of the time and effort you’ve already put into your career.

Humm... new meaning to the phrase ambulance chaser...

[Anonymous]

I know a few. One quit the rat race and bought a farm. Hard work, but loves it. Another started med school in his mid 30s, with a young family. Took a lot of sacrifices on the everyone's part, but he's out of residency now and they all seem happy. Another who started college at 45 (previously just had a high school diploma), got a BS in engineering at 49, got a job and then continued to get his master's part time. His kids were in college at the same time he was. They are all amazing people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, plenty of people have. I recommend the book "The Winner's Brain" for some fascinating examples.

a handful of success in an otherwise field of failures.

Oh, go away.

[Anonymous]

My friend went from an assistant professor at a big state college in her 30s to med student at around 44. She was the main breadwinner. Husband probably earns 30k (not DC area). But same as OP, she could not shake off that feeling that diverting from her premed hopes to a non science PhD to academia was a bad choice when she medicine was her calling. So around 40, with all kinds of adverse factors (age, mom to young kids, husband not earning much, not having taken the requisite classes for MCAT), with the support of her husband, made the leap to prepare to apply for med schools. I don’t know what the financial cost benefit will be long term because she has to take out loans for this schooling, but she will be able to practice medicine for maybe two decades after becoming a doctor. 20 years is a long long time.

[Anonymous]

Rich kids in their mid to late 20s who swung and missed at med school coming out of undergrad get post baccalaureate do-overs as mommy and daddy pay for it and they squeak into some lower ranked med school somewhere. So I say, yes, older person. Chase your dream.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am in my late twenties and going to med school this fall. I had post bacc friends who were lawyers. I'd say it's not worth it. The competition is so fierce to get in. You must score amazingly on mcat, which is very difficult to do. The stamina alone to do multiple 8 hour practice mcat exams (and imagine doing this for three licensing exams during med school)... I still have nightmares. You must have near perfect grades in your coursework, all of it. And the worst part is the prerequisites are not enough. You need to volunteer and prove you aren't making a mistake to every interviewer (if you get an interview!). I think you are glamorizing medicine. Try to find something in law, teaching... anything else.

Translation: you’ve got yours and others who aren’t as smart and special as you shouldn’t even bother trying because they’re not as good as you are. Smug much? Ignore this drivel OP and do what you want OP.

[Anonymous]

I went to nursing school at 44 after practicing law for 20 years.

If I had to do it again, I would get my PA. Same amount of time in school, more freedom to practice than an RN, and less debt/time than an MD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP I felt similar lately. I’m a SAHM but just have no interest in getting back into finance. It didn’t make sense to me to pay for all of that school to just be ramping up when my partner will be ramping down, so I decided to become an EMT. Maybe something like that could fulfill that desire to help others without undoing all of the time and effort you’ve already put into your career.

Humm... new meaning to the phrase ambulance chaser...

EMTs drive the ambulance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am in my late twenties and going to med school this fall. I had post bacc friends who were lawyers. I'd say it's not worth it. The competition is so fierce to get in. You must score amazingly on mcat, which is very difficult to do. The stamina alone to do multiple 8 hour practice mcat exams (and imagine doing this for three licensing exams during med school)... I still have nightmares. You must have near perfect grades in your coursework, all of it. And the worst part is the prerequisites are not enough. You need to volunteer and prove you aren't making a mistake to every interviewer (if you get an interview!). I think you are glamorizing medicine. Try to find something in law, teaching... anything else.

I am sorry that this process was so hard for you. I didn't find it all that difficult.