I’m curious… Have any of you joined the medical field at a later age due to what is going on in the world now? 
I guess its my time -
I am first generation emigrant from eastern Europe . came at the age of 23 . I was live - in caregiver, CNA, medical assistant and Nurse . I was homeless for over 6 months while going to nursing school , i went through bankruptcy, foreclosure, divorce but then life was good. I met my wife while in nursing school and we worked and travel and I did my premed classes at community college . finished bachelor and got into med school .
Started med school at age 32 , during first year wife got pregnant with second child ( yeay lots of joy ) only that 4 months later she got dx with stage 4 cancer . so I somehow finished first year and took leave of absence . meantime I thought I will not be able to return to med school so I started master entry into nursing and did well first trimester , meantime wife delivered baby and few months later passed away.
I went for clinicals as nursing student, and saw med student, and this incident made me so heart broken - i realized at that moment, I spent several years working and going to school, sacrificing to become med student and I can not give up now. So I called my mom who lived in other country and asked her is she is willing to help ( she offered help before but i said no ) she said of course. I packed all children staff and shipped it to my old country . I flew with my 3 year old and 8 month old and after two months came back and started school again. I was flying back and forth during my second and third year. during my fourth year i brought my children back to US. graduated at the age of 37 , did IM residency and now doing ID fellowship . will be done ( hopefully ) at age of 43 .
and as Les Brown keep saying - "if You fall , make sure You lend on your back because if You can look up , you can get up !! "
my only advice - listen to motivational speeches and do not listen to naysayers. there will be people criticizing you , who cares - its not their dream , its your dream. Just keep going forward!
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