So I’ve been away from home, Miami, since I joined the Navy in 1990. I got out in 2000 and have been living and studying in Maryland since 2000. Dear ole mom has offered to allow me and my wife to come home to live with her and just go to school. Our only obligation would be helping out around the house and a utility bill or two.
I called Barry University for their post-bacc program, which is waaaaaaay overpriced, to the tune of $36k. I will start next Fall as we’re still selling our house here in Maryland and tying up loose ends and such.
Anyhow, when I’m all alone and have time to think some things bother me, excite me and just plain terrify me. First is I just turned the ripe age of 32 this past Sunday and at 32 am moving back home with mom. Even though I know the circumstances it bothers me. Latin machismo and all that. Then there’s the “Full Time Student” status…holy frijoles Batman!!! The biggest “holy crap” factor is the reality that this is IT. This is where the rubber meets the road. The schedule doesn’t seem too complicated…
Fall----Bio 1, Chem 1, Phy1
Spring–Bio2, Chem2, Phy2
Summer–Orgo 1 & 2
Basically, Mon, Wed & Fri from 9am-5pm. I guess it’s just the fact that medical school isn’t some far off place…3-4 years away or 8-10 classes away. It’s merely one full school year! I’ve never been a fulltime student and this is what scares me. I received my undergrad in 4 years from evening and weekend classes but they were easy.
I’m a pile of nerves but I’m putting up a front so as not to worry my wife. She’s sacrificed for me and continues to do so and I don’t want to let her down. Anyway, ANYONE ELSE HAVE THE “OH MY GOD, I’M A FULLTIME STUDENT AND…” jitters or I’m just being a big punk about this???
Crooz -
I turned 33 this year. I quit my job and went back to school full time to fulfill medical school pre-reqs. I didn’t go back home to live with my mother, but I am being supported pretty much by my fiance. Although not quite the same, it was a tough adjustment to go from being self-supporting to dependent.
Bio, Chem, and Physics can be a tough load, but doable. The worst part about it is the amount of time chewed up by labs and lab reports. I found many of the concepts in these courses to be tied together.
Since you haven’t been in school for awhile, I would encourage you to get your books early and try and get a jump on things. My first quarter back took some adjustment - not only to being a full time student, but to taking classes of such a difficulty level. Don’t be surprised if you feel very overwhelmed with the amount of material you’re going to be hit with. Sometimes, I feel like my brain just won’t hold any more information.
As far as the expensive post-bacc - is it your only option? I enrolled as a continuing ed student at a local university and have been fortunate enough to schedule all my classes. My tuition cost for a year and a quarter will be considerably less than $36k. Not being in a post-bacc, I can’t speak as to what advantages these programs hold over attending regular classes.
No, you are not alone in your jitters. You (and your wife) are giving up a lot and taking a huge risk in order to pursue your dreams. I was terrified!
Good luck!
Amy
I’m doing it in a few months so I’ll be right there with you! It’s starting to hit me now. My classes at University of North Carolina - Greensboro (UNCG) start on 8/16 and I hope to move to Greensboro at the end of July! I’m also quitting my job to go to school full-time. I’m scared but excited.
It’s also nice to hear from a fellow Miamian! I was born and raised there. Went to Killian High School. Graduated from HS in '93. I also applied to Barry U. and figured I could live at home with my parents, but UNCG accepted me right away and I liked the campus and felt comfortable there. It’s not a formal post-bac program; I’ll be taking the classes on my own but I think I can handle it. 
Now comes the real challenge–finding housing and a mover…
Love,
Stacy
crooz,
Being in Maryland, did you look at Towson University’s Post-bacc program? It’s a really good program and much more reasonably priced. I’ve written some posts about it and they should be easy to find if you do a search under “Towson”. I’d write more about it now, but my 5 min study break for the boards is just about up 
Tara
Your definatly not alone and that is really cool and supportive of your mom to let you and your wife live with her I think! We had to live with my parents for a while so I know how that is, we also had babies at that time.
You will VERY quickly get adjusted to being a full time student…LOL I quit working as well and am going to school full time and my husband works full time and he is also a student so it can definatly be done and you will really enjoy the process 
I truly enjoy school.
If you can get your books early and kinda start reviewing through them since you have been out of school for awhile, that will help take some of the anxiety off of you and maybe get you ahead a bit or at least well prepared for the first few weeks of classes.
Anyways good luck!!
MamaMD
Thanks for the replies. A few things. I have been in school since 99. I have been taking at least 1 course every semester. I just finished an “intro” to organic type of class. I was thinking of PA school when I registered and in the middle of the class decided that medical school would be so worth it and I would be settling for PA simply because it would be a quicker route. Nothing against PA’s but I don’t want to be "what if…"
TOWSON! Yes, it’s there but the support isn’t. My wife would have to work and support us. The other thing is this places my mom out of the equation of having helped yet again in my dreams. I learned from a friend to include as many people in this as possible because in the end we all win. By going to Florida my mom, sis, brother-in-law, nieces, cousins and aunts are included. Even though they will all not directly assist, they are there to give support and it gives them the “bragging rights” of having a son, brother, cousin, uncle, nephew be THE doctor in the family. My sister was the first to go to college and I the second. Now I become a doctor giving my mom the satisfaction that she did do something right… 
BARRY! My heart is NOT set on Barry. We’re going down beginning of next year and I will take the Spring to visit the schools and see which I prefer. I read it hear, I think it was Mary, but since I’m the one paying they have to be offering something more than just classes. The public university is Florida International University (FIU) and I’m more inclined to go there with a la carte classes.
Regardless the ideal situation would be for my wife to be able to get the transfer she wants and that way we’ll have fundage…and she’ll be out of the house giving her and my mom breaks. It’s going to be uncomfortable to be living with “Mami” but in 6 years I will be Dr. Croooz which makes it all worth it. The ability to provide care to family is also important to me…
I’m not inclined to go Family Practise but am thinking about the USPHS scholarship but that’s 2 years from now… 