Hello everyone!

Hi!



I’m new here and thought I would introduce myself to the group. Based on a basic search of forums, I might also have a unique situation that I’d love some guidance with as I proceed.



I am a rare bird: a prior matriculant. I attended medical school from 2001-2004, and having finished ~2.4 years of study, I went on leave after experiencing anxiety attacks and depression. It was devastating. I had performed extremely well in class, rocked the Step 1 boards, and was doing great on rotations, so the sudden attacks really surprised me. I sought help, and in the process revealed a long history of abuse by a trusted teacher that lasted for years. I got symptomatic treatment and stabilized, but the diagnosis of C-PTSD was both a blessing and curse. Having a label for what happened gave form to the issue, but it also set me up to believe that the condition was chronic, severe, and essentially insurmountable. It hasn’t been easy to convince myself I just didn’t have the constitution to be a doctor. I returned to teaching high school science where I have remained for years. Last year, as I became closer to my future wife, I realized that my condition was going to impact my relationship and marriage. I decided to fight back. I sought out a trauma expert doctor and dug in. It’s a wildly different experience being treated at the core mechanisms of the problem rather than being treated symptomatically. I revisited the idea of med school in the spring. I studied for and retook the MCAT in July (first time since 1998!), gathered new recommendations, and wrote a personal statement that served as both my entrance essay and a great exercise in therapy. Though my energy was spooled up after all of that to apply right then and there, I’m putting it on hold until June 2016 to be first in line and maximize my chances of getting readmitted to my old school (which is also where my wife works)…it probably represents both my best chance and my worst.



Anyway, that’s my background. Glad to join a community of like-minded, stubborn, all-in types who don’t think age is a factor in being a good doctor. Reading here, I know that my chances of matching in fields I’m most interested in (Urology, Orthopedics…) are diminished since 2004 when I was on track. Still, I don’t know if I could forgive myself if I didn’t try. Message me if you want to know more details. Glad to know you all!



nd4044

Looks like I just got activated today as well. Instead of creating a new thread, I’ll just piggyback off of this one.

So hello everyone!



I have a background in IT for the past ~10 years, not exactly by choice, but I do believe everything happens for a reason. My undergraduate was actually in bioengineering, but I did not see myself stay in academia at the time and pursue research (MS and/or PhD). The IT job fell into my lap; it came with training (paid), paid well, was at a desirable location, and gave me opportunities to have more immediate and tangible impact.



Now I think I am finally ready to go back to school and return to the bio root. This year, I started taking/refreshing some pre-req courses at the local college while working full-time. I guess when I go to school on my own desire and terms, I actually look forward to going to classes and learning. I am taking my time exploring this as I definitely have much to learn before fully committing to this path. Looking to apply next cycle at the earliest.



It is encouraging to see other older, non-traditional premeds taking on the challenge, so I am definitely not alone on this track. :slight_smile:

nd4044, I’m relatively new here myself, so welcome from one newbie to another! You have overcome a lot to get here and I doubt that anything will get in your way as your crush those “what ifs.” Your candor will no doubt make you an admirable physician. I admit that I don’t have much advice in the way of sharing similar experiences - I received my B.A. in English over 10 years ago and have been pursuing additional knowledge since, but with no additional degrees to show for it. It is only within the last few years that I had the courage to recognize that I wanted to pursue medicine.



You’ve found a wonderful resource in the members here. They are supportive, from all different walks of life, and constructively inquisitive. Another great resource are the podcasts on medicalschoolhq.net. It is through them that I found out about this forum. If it weren’t for these two communities I would feel even more lost in the process that I sometimes do now. Keep getting after it, don’t quit, and yes, go all in or go home :wink: