So here I am. I went to college, I never finished because I got tied up into sales. I was trying to do pre-med and I got distracted. Do I regret it? Well, I guess I possibly have done things differently but then again, I would not have had my daughter if I had gone to med school. So I don’t really regret my path.
A little background…I stayed in sales, I went into the mortgage industry, I founded 2 companies and made money. It did not fulfill me. I ended up, at 33 years old w/ an 8 year old daughter, a $600K house…losing everything. Having to start over again. Do I stay in the mtg biz which I have no passion for anymore or do I move on to do what I dream about almost daily?
I ALWAYS have dreamed of being a doctor but NOT for the money…it’s just one of those perfect careers in which you get to help people as well as be respected in the community. Helping people and solving problems, it gets no better.
Kind of rambling here because I have to, ironically enough, get to work.
So I’m 33, no college degree, would most likely have to start from scratch. I know it’s possible and I know I can do it. Just…where do I start? Is there student loans for people my age? Is there a certain path I should begin to follow?
I don’t really care about the age thing…I’m a young 33 and I still look/act/feel like I’m in my early 20’s but I have the experience and mentality of someone a LITTLE older than 20 (not much, lol).
Again, sorry for disjointed post, I’m just excited to finally come to this realization today. Is there a summary post I could read?
THANK YOU,
Zach
yes - you can start again - though it involves risk and a big commitment. I don’t know a single place that will act as a summary. But browse around and you will get a sense of the experiences of those who did it and those still on the path.
In response to your one specific question - oddly no one ever asked how old I was on the student loan applications. maybe that is why I have loans I would not pay off until I’m 80 if I stick to the prescribed payment plan.
welcome to the party -
You can almost certainly do this. Almost everyone who comes here can eventually get into med school somewhere and become some kind of doctor. The question is, what will your life look like, and will you really enjoy it? The costs in terms of money and time are very high.
The way to start: get information, then make a decision.
- read here and on studentdoctor.net. I find this is a more supportive and even-tempered community, in general, but there is a wide spectrum of experiences on SDN.
- start figuring out what it would take in course work and money to apply to med school, and how you would support yourself while doing the prep work
- find out more about medicine. Shadow, volunteer, work, whatever. See what the life looks like.
- find out what life would look like during the residency training after school and before practice (it does not look like Scrubs or Grey’s)
- share and plan with your family. This is a huge investment and sacrifice for everyone; you need buy-in and support.
- if you have a state med school close by, find out if you can meet and shadow a med student or two. Meet with an admissions staff member. Get more information.
- medicine is not a perfect career. It is physically and emotionally draining. People ignore your advice and come back sicker than when they left. Lots of them think they know better than you do and act accordingly. You get no automatic respect. That era is long-gone. Lots of the people you work with don’t really want your help, and you can’t solve their problems because they are the result of too much alcohol, too much tobacco, and too little money and social support.