My name is Lesa and I’m in my last year of nursing school. I’ve always wanted to be a physician, but chickened out. My current GPA is 3.8. I plan to sit for the 2012 MCAT, gotta pass NCLEX-RN and work to rebuild my savings. I’ll take the additional classes post-bacc. I’m 44 and worried that my age will limit my school choices, especially since I have a strong interest in anesthesiology/pain medicine. Any advice?
Hi Lesa! If you poke around the forums a bit you’ll see the stories of several folks who started out in medical school into their later 40’s or beyond. Very inspiring stuff! I haven’t seen anything to indicate that age is a factor with choice of which school to attend. If you’re concerned about age and time frames, have you considered going the CRNA route? Seems right up your alley with your background and interests.
Hi Erica,
I have viewed the forum discussions and I feel much better!!! I’ve heard some discouraging stories from older students regarding the admissions process; many who felt that they were rejected because of their age. I have researched the CRNA program and quite honestly, for the preparation involved, I might as well follow my dream to become a physician. I am keeping an open mind to other specialities. Anesthesiology and pain management just really intrigues me.
The purpose of this board has always been to dispel the ageism myth that older premedical applicants will have a less productive career because they won’t work as long as younger premedical applicants: This can’t be further from the truth when you consider cases like the late Michael Crichton who graduated from Harvard Medical School at 26 but never practice medicine and died at a fairly young age. I know personally five physicians who graduated from medical school at 26 who have left medicine entirely before reaching their late 30s. Like our Mary Renard says, this type of thinking is a groundless canard. When putting the canard to the test, it will probably show that younger medical school graduates are more likely to leave medicine sooner than their older counterparts because younger medical school graduates are less able from lack of life and work experiences to balance the stress, demands, and rigors of medicine than older medical school graduates. Also, I remember a study that showed the younger a medical school graduate was the more likely that physician would become a troubled physician who had succumbed to drugs, alcohol, and/or criminal activity in order to cope with the practice of medicine.
With that said, remember that age discrimination is illegal:
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rights/guid/oc r/ageoverv…
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showpost.php?po…
Too many potentially older premeds mistakenly extrapolate the Age Discrimination Act exemptions that the military and closely-related military-related government departments (like law enforcement and air traffic control) have as being in medical school admissions. Even with its exemption from the Age Discrimination Act, the military has recently shown a change in its ageist thinking and has been waiving its upper age limit for posters on this board.
Poster Presse entered medical school at 52, poster Kate429 (and a CNM) is entering medical school at 53, poster Linda Wilson just finished medical school at 58. Poster sonata_op53 entered medical school at 53. Bill Conway entered medical school well into his 50s:
http://www.une.edu/spotlights/display.cfm?customel…
Here are some postings that can help you overcome ageist thinking:
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showpost.php?po…
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?t…
http://www.oldpremeds.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?t…
I think too many older premeds sabotage themselves by being ashamed of their age. The corollary is also true in that I think many older premeds (especially nurses) sabotage themselves by being too arrogant about their age and experience. With the right attitude, great grades, great MCAT, great recommendations, et cetera, you should be a competitive candidate anywhere you want to apply.
That was one of the best kick in the butt talks that I’ve received. Thanks you so much! Also, thanks for the links, there were very helpful. I am so grateful to God for leading me to this site.