How did you make that first jump...

Hi Guys - i’ll try to not rant so much,therefore, i’ll keep it short and sweet. Loved technology (computers) all my life so went into IT without ‘truly’ researching careers.


Now I have a successfull career, however, it is not what i thought it would be, i did consulting at first and then went into the industry…still feel nothing. Started thinking about Med school a little…then more and more until i couldn’t sleep at night. Long story short i’m at the stage where i will go crazy if i don’t try to pursue my dream.


So my question is how do I start? give up a salary, etc. and to throw in a twist…getting married in 5 months. how did you guys or would you guys handle this. I’ve been reading posts here for a while and this is a great source in my opinion.


Recently my father was diagnosed with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) and stayed with him at the hospital and I kept learning more and more about the disease that i couldn’t stop researching about all other types of leukemias and what else could it lead to, etc. In addition, i have been volunteering at a local hospital to get an idea of what its really about. I know a few docs but wanted to shadow who i didn’t know so he could tell me the good, bad and the ugly of being a physician.

How is your father doing now?


Welcome, btw. How does your fiance feel about you trying to get into med school? Supportive? Anxious? Make sure s/he is on board as family is critical. I can speak from experience on that one - if the individuals who surround you are not with you, it’s much more difficult.


Have you looked at the pre-reqs you’d need to take? Maybe map them out strategically to see how they would fit into your life? I think each of us has taken a different, yet same, path toward getting to med school.

Told my family to hold on we are about to take one wild ride. We all held our breath and jumped!



I do so feel for you in this. My dad had Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. I’m a critical care RN, and have seen a lot of things. This one is beyond tough.


Has your dad gone through induction followed by consolidation?


I knew my dad, once through the induction, probably was not going to go back for the consolidation.


It’s a whole other world of chemo–unbelievable wipe-out–continuous chemo. VERY hard stuff.


My dad was just under the cut-off for BMT. He was mentally, emotionally, and even in many ways physicially younger than his age–and he was my best mentor/teacher/friend–an d just an awesome human being. (One heck of a Marine too. Semper fidelis father!) At any rate, they cut him off by way of strict protocol.


Took him to a center that was doing clinical trials for mini-allogenic, but after that kind of chemo first time around, he just wasn’t going to do it again–he ended up being in the hospital for over three months with the induction–playing that back and forth game of bleeding versus infection, etc.


I so hate cancer, but particularly these kind of leukemias.


I say, yes, get some shadowing or volunteering–and consider maybe only one pre-req for now–b/c these kinds of leukemias are very bumpy rides–and your dad will need you.





Start slow and take it one day at a time–especially in light of the fact that your are also planning a wedding.


All of that is really a LOT.


So get some books on med school and start looking into, as the person above suggested, mapping out prereqs. It’s a long, hard road, and you have a massive amount on your plate right now.


God bless, and truly, though it’s cliche’, really, take it one day at time for now.