Am I crazy to want to become a doctor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reviving this year old thread as I embark on my own path to becoming a doctor...I'm 45! I'm divorced with kids, although they aren't super young. I'm starting a DIY post bacc this fall and hoping to app by 47. If I complete med school and residency by 55 even I'll be happy (overjoyed really) spending 10-20 years practicing.

As for cost, I enrolled as a second degree seeking student, which opened federal student loans (there is a cap for undergrad students that I didn't reach with my first degree). Then I will likely apply for NHSC loan forgiveness as a primary care doc in a rural area. I've also considered the military option where they pay for school AND give you a stipend in exchange for a commitment of X years.

I've been fortunate to spend lots of time with my kids not working too much outside the home. I've volunteered, went on more field trips than I can count, helped with homework, cooked fresh, healthy meals, listened to and counseled on friend dramas and had many cool experiences with them....all things that are important to me as a parent. Now they are older and more academically independent I feel as though I can get back to me a little.

I'm not adding to this old thread for any sort of encouragement, but instead to offer some to anyone who asks themselves this very question. There is lots of support and advice at oldpremed.org. Good luck!

Not to be a downer, but you do know that getting into a residency program is not guaranteed, right? It's basically the med school interview/admission process all over again (flights, hotels, application fees) but even more competitive because spots are much more limited than med school. The "we'll pay you back" rural programs only happen if you get into residency. Hours can be grueling as a med student and more so as an intern/resident.
signed,
-someone who has worked in medical education for 10+ years

m
What happens to Med school graduates who don't get a residency?

I'm the pp who works in medical education.
Those who don't get into residency on their first try generally apply again the following year (more $ for interviews, flights, hotels, applications). They often use that year "off" to do research and/or gain clinical experience. However, the odds are against them statistically in terms of obtaining a spot that second time. Program directors can be hesitant to seriously consider someone who didn't match the previous year. There are legitimate reasons for taking a year off (serious illness in family, having a kid (although most plan for summers or times when they can take off)), but it's a big gamble for a program to take someone who went unmatched the previous year.

Doctor here. I don't know of anyone in my medical school class who didn't get into residency. A few didn't match on match day, but then they scrambled for the open spots and all in my class went somewhere. Unless you are tied to an area, if you are willing to travel, some place will take you, especially if you passed parts 1 and 2 of your boards, us med school grad, decent recs, no disciplinary issues etc.

Should consider being a PA or NP, you get to treat patients, but less school and stress. In some places, you can make more than primary care doc.

Just curious - when did you graduate med school? Competition, even among what used to be the "safety" programs (family medicine and internal medicine), is pretty fierce. You have US grads competing with DO grads (for those DO students that take USMLE Step 1, Step 2-CK and Step 2-CS) and IMGs IMG = International medical graduates, some of whom are US citizens who chose to study abroad - not all go to Caribbean Med schools. Some attend excellent programs in Canada, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, etc.
It's no longer enough to just get "decent recs" and pass your boards with decent scores. Even mid-tier programs look for excellent recommendations (and reading letters it's easy to tell how they really feel about the candidate), above average scores, high pass - honors in acting internships (especially for the rotation associated with their chosen field), and usually some kind of community service and/research.
Sure, some might go unmatched because they picked a specialty out of their reach (scores not high enough), didn't apply to appropriate programs (again, top-tier programs with mid to low-tier scores), didn't rank enough places, etc. If they go through SOAP (supplemental offer and acceptance program - it hasn't been "the scramble" for several years ) they might find a position - but you're right in that it might be in a location that they hate.
2017 - record number of applicants for The Match (2016 was also a record breaking year): http://www.nrmp.org/press-release-2017-nrmp-main-residency-match-the-largest-match-on-record/

What happens to those who never get accepted to a residency program?: research, pharmaceutical company, go back for another degree...

[Anonymous]

I completely understand wanting to be a doctor. Many years ago, when I had just finished my PhD and gotten a very prestigious job, I was reconsidering my career as well - and decided against it after discussing with my partner (even though I had no kids and was still in my late 20s). I'd still looooove to start over in many ways - though I have a flexible job with tons of money (well, by DCUM standards, just sufficient for a middle class life at 300k+). But in one's mid 40's, it is crazy to embark on an education that takes 10 years, which would leave perhaps 10 years of practicing medicine (assuming all goes well, health wise, which in your late 50's and early 60's is not a given). I would also hope that medical schools, and especially residencies, would take this into account when accepting candidates - it makes no sense to spend so much effort on someone who will barely have time to use those skills!! This is entirely apart from the fact (!) that an older person's brain and body is going to be challenged to keep up with absorbing all that new information and keep those crazy hours as an intern and resident. It screams mid life crisis. If you want to help in the medical field, there are many ways of doing that are much more reasonable (nursing, volunteering, hospital or charity administration - depending on your current career, etc.). Starting in one's mid 30's - perhaps, if you don't care for your kids. Mid 40's? Crazy.

[Anonymous]

Wondering if I could slip my doctor question in here.

My daughter is premed in college. Some of the residency posts here are discouraging.

Her dream is to become a medical examiner. We've heard that in applying to med school this is not an interest that should be expressed as many doctors look askance at this specialty. She can make it through that with her volunteer work/shadowing in other areas.

When it comes it comes to residency, though, how competitive is this specialty? She has looked into pathologist assistant training as a fallback, but it would seem in this field if you want to be a medical examiner, the PA role would not be nearly as satisfying unlike in, say, family medicine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You'll want to do one of the post bacc programs that does all of the classes in one year and also helps you place into med school - goucher has one in Baltimore. I have thought about it too - I'm 39 - went into business instead and regret it - I have thought being a speech language pathologist might scratch the itch with less schooling

9:10, I'm a Speech-language Patholgist (in the field for 20 years) and I've often thought of the "what ifs" if I'd gone to med school. OP, ultimately, I decided against it. WAY too much time away from my family, and I'm a "healer" of a different sort. I'm 42.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I completely understand wanting to be a doctor. Many years ago, when I had just finished my PhD and gotten a very prestigious job, I was reconsidering my career as well - and decided against it after discussing with my partner (even though I had no kids and was still in my late 20s). I'd still looooove to start over in many ways - though I have a flexible job with tons of money (well, by DCUM standards, just sufficient for a middle class life at 300k+). But in one's mid 40's, it is crazy to embark on an education that takes 10 years, which would leave perhaps 10 years of practicing medicine (assuming all goes well, health wise, which in your late 50's and early 60's is not a given). I would also hope that medical schools, and especially residencies, would take this into account when accepting candidates - it makes no sense to spend so much effort on someone who will barely have time to use those skills!! This is entirely apart from the fact (!) that an older person's brain and body is going to be challenged to keep up with absorbing all that new information and keep those crazy hours as an intern and resident. It screams mid life crisis. If you want to help in the medical field, there are many ways of doing that are much more reasonable (nursing, volunteering, hospital or charity administration - depending on your current career, etc.). Starting in one's mid 30's - perhaps, if you don't care for your kids. Mid 40's? Crazy.

You sound like a judgmental b!tch. Still bitter about not going to med school and you have come here to crap on someone else's dreams, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend recently became a nurse anesthesiologist. She was 30 and unmarried when she decided to go that route. Now she is 36, married with a baby and makes almost 200k per year as a nurse anesthesiologist. She works long shifts but seems to be able to switch off with her husband to spend time with her baby. She works a lot of weekends and then gets lke 3 weekday off I think.

I do not understand this. All over the world an anesthesiologist has to be an MD and residency is 3 years just like surgeons. How can a nurse do the same thing with far less experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend recently became a nurse anesthesiologist. She was 30 and unmarried when she decided to go that route. Now she is 36, married with a baby and makes almost 200k per year as a nurse anesthesiologist. She works long shifts but seems to be able to switch off with her husband to spend time with her baby. She works a lot of weekends and then gets lke 3 weekday off I think.

I do not understand this. All over the world an anesthesiologist has to be an MD and residency is 3 years just like surgeons. How can a nurse do the same thing with far less experience?

Because they are VERY expesnive and health insurance is happy to gamble with the patients life to save a few bucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend recently became a nurse anesthesiologist. She was 30 and unmarried when she decided to go that route. Now she is 36, married with a baby and makes almost 200k per year as a nurse anesthesiologist. She works long shifts but seems to be able to switch off with her husband to spend time with her baby. She works a lot of weekends and then gets lke 3 weekday off I think.

I do not understand this. All over the world an anesthesiologist has to be an MD and residency is 3 years just like surgeons. How can a nurse do the same thing with far less experience?

Because they are VERY expesnive and health insurance is happy to gamble with the patients life to save a few bucks.

They don't. The pp misspoke. They meant "nurse anesthetist". It is different, though the role can be similar to an anesthesiologist for many less complicated cases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wondering if I could slip my doctor question in here.

My daughter is premed in college. Some of the residency posts here are discouraging.

Her dream is to become a medical examiner. We've heard that in applying to med school this is not an interest that should be expressed as many doctors look askance at this specialty. She can make it through that with her volunteer work/shadowing in other areas.

When it comes it comes to residency, though, how competitive is this specialty? She has looked into pathologist assistant training as a fallback, but it would seem in this field if you want to be a medical examiner, the PA role would not be nearly as satisfying unlike in, say, family medicine.

Pathology is generally not very competitive. She should not have to much trouble if she can get into and then through med school. ME is also not so competitive after path, but you are at the mercy of government funding and a lot of jurisdictions do not want to spend for this. As for trouble with expressing this as an interest, I don't think that is much of a problem. In my experience, most MDs respect pathologists quite a bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wondering if I could slip my doctor question in here.

My daughter is premed in college. Some of the residency posts here are discouraging.

Her dream is to become a medical examiner. We've heard that in applying to med school this is not an interest that should be expressed as many doctors look askance at this specialty. She can make it through that with her volunteer work/shadowing in other areas.

When it comes it comes to residency, though, how competitive is this specialty? She has looked into pathologist assistant training as a fallback, but it would seem in this field if you want to be a medical examiner, the PA role would not be nearly as satisfying unlike in, say, family medicine.

yep, this is not a competitive residency or job.
The ME jobs don't pay well and very few people can afford (or choose) to make $100K after spending $300-350K in medical school tuition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yes. just stop this line of thinking. If you are truly passionate about medicine, you can find a career that is related and relevant - but in which you don't need to invest so many years and so much time.

I sense that you have struggled with your purpose in life/career, etc. - I was the same. At 43 I was willing to go back to school for a career/job when someone in the field helped me understand at that point I needed to focus on experience, not more education. I know have my dream job and I didn't have to go back to school for another graduate degree.

That's your thinking and your experience, it may not apply to someone else. Everyone needs to do what is right for them.