I’m 28 with a good stable job and earn a decent income for my age. I’ve always been interested in medicine but my family has always wished me to pursue business so that is the route I chose. I have some science background from my undergrad days (even took Anatomy and Physiology as a fun elective) but it would take me about 3 semesters to take the rest of the pre-reqs on top of studying for the MCAT. I’m looking at minimum about 9.5 years ahead of me before I would be finished (38 yrs old). I have a stay at home wife and 2 boys under 2. My one month old was in the NICU for 8 days when he was born and just being in that environment gave me the itch to consider going for it one last time or putting it to bed forever. The thought of working in an office setting for the next 30 plus years doesn’t exactly excite me a whole lot. Thoughts? Thanks to all!
If you have the itch to do medicine, you can still do it. If you ignore the itch, you may regret it. That’s what propels me…I don’t want to be 80 kicking myself for not going for my dreams. And at 28, you are still young. I’m 45 and I am still going for it. It will only get harder when you’re older and your mortgage is bigger and your children have more expensive interests. I would love to be in your shoes at age 28 so don’t look at your barriers as anything that cannot be dealt with. In addition, medicine will be a better career for you in your 40s. In my opinion, business is less fun in mid-life when one has to compete with recent college grads who can do your job for less. I was asking a friend of mine, a former Wall Street recruiter, what he thought about the MBA, and he told me it was not worth obtaining, adding that business is a horrible field these days. Another friend, trust officer at JPMorgan Chase, said the same thing.
Hey Chattow
I am 38 just starting. Dude, you start now, you will be done by the time you are my age!
Seriously, though there are a couple of issues to consider;
- You kids are young and that will stress the family out
- The change of situation ant that may stress your significant other
Make sure to talk it out, every bit. Money, time and so on.
Separately, you can take the “non committing steps” like making sure you have the pre-reqs, preping for MCAT, and padding the resume with Extra Curriculars. In the mean time, you can sort things out with your lover.
Believe me when I say it (and I have 2 kids 7 and 4), without my wife, this would not work. So make sure that your partner is up to it. And that takes quite some bargaining, discussions, commitments, promise, support and love (and I am probably forgetting a few things)…
Good luck.
Go for it if that’s what you want!!! I agree with the other posts. I am a PhD (Molecular Biology), 35, and just got my acceptance today. I know it will be an uphill task. I have 2 kids and a supportive spouse (very important like “do-it-all” said) but we will have to work at it to make it work for sure! Having a family will surely put a “cap” to the kind of specialties you might want to go into, but it can be done.
Itrinity,
On Eagles Wings