introduction of a struggling actor with dreams of medicine...

Hello There.


I wanted to introduce myself. I have been grappling with my own insecurities, thinking that medicine is an unachievable, distant dream, but reading your stories and hearing your perseverance and determination has given me hope!


A little background, I am a whopping 26, and have a BA in Acting from a top acting school in London and a very rocky acting career which has consisted of off west-end, regional theater, commercials, and industrial work. As well as day jobs as a theater administrator, yoga teacher, personal assistant, acting coach, acting teacher and yoga studio manager.


Medicine was always a dream of mine. I was an overachiever in high school, ranked 3rd in my class, great test scores, even volunteered in the ER at age 15. I had full scholarships to top universities and then on a trip to London I somehow “lost my mind”. I was involved in theater in high school and while in London I saw tons of it, I decided that it would be a wonderful career and auditioned for one of the top programs in London, thinking I would never get in, I did. I turned my back on academics and those wonderful schools to live out my romantic dream on a life on stage.


My early dreams of becoming a doctor have been constantly on my mind. I have struggled as an actor, really I realized that it was not so much even acting or the business that I was interested in it was an exercise in compassion. I found myself volunteering at a hospital again and the reality of that this is what I want to be when I grow up hit.


So, I started researching and talking to med schools and a premed adviser that looked at my transcript (that had almost no general ed classes) and was advised to pursue an entire new bachelors degree. So that is what I am doing. I have gained acceptance into a state school and I am waiting to hear back from a couple of private schools and in the fall I will be a 27 year old freshman! Yikes! I am nervous because of I feel so old, I already feel that I won’t be taken serious by adcoms because I don’t really have a concrete career that I am leaving for medicine but I really is my dream. I feel I have wasted so much time following something that was not right for me and that if I don’t do this know I will kicking myself even harder when I am older.


I am blessed to have an amazing, caring supportive long term boyfriend whom I have lived with and who is virtually the sole bread winner, successful in his chosen field and encouraging of my dream. I plan on working part time at a yoga studio while in school as well as pursuing further volunteering and clinical work.


I am sorry for rambling but I am a mix of total anxiety and excitement as I attempt to embark on this long long process…

Where are you going for the second bachelor’s? Britain or the US?

In the US, I’m in California now.

Don’t sweat the age thing. You’ll soon discover you’re not the oldest student on campus and definitely not the oldest student in this forum. Best of luck!

Welcome to OPM! Best of luck as you begin this journey. Keep us posted on your progress!

To echo the others, Welcome! Hopefully you will find the forum helpful.


P.S. I went to medical school with a former Broadway actress who is finishing up med school this year and undoubtedly will be a fantastic physician. I imagine skills she learned as an actor will serve her quite well in patient care!

Thanks so much for the welcome guys!


I just got a letter of acceptance to a great private school and nearly a full scholarship! I am so pleased to have a second chance at doing this!


I am going to spend some serious time refreshing my math skills as the last class i took was high school calculus 9 years ago!


Yay for being a 27 year old freshman!



CONGRATS!!!