Hello everyone!! 
I have been a lurker for quite a while and have been reading many of the posts by fellow members. I have been greatly encouraged by what many of you have said about the journey to becoming a physician. It is great that this forum exists for all of us to stay in contact with each other.
So, to get down to it, I am looking for some advice and/or feedback. I am a 29 year old (seems like there are a lot of us here!) who currently works for a large manufacturing company. I recently completed my MBA (undergrad is Healthcare Administration) and have been working for this company for approximately 6 months. Prior to this, I had been a paramedic for 8 years in a variety of settings. I have been out in the streets, worked in an urban trauma center, and an orthopedic surgery practice. Needless to say, I am fairly familiar with the medical world!
My quandary is this, for as long as I can remember, I have had this idea in the back of my head that I want to be a physician. Now that I am so seperated from healthcare, I realize I can no longer ignore that desire. I have pushed it away for many reasons but I realize now I should not have. I truly miss that feeling of being able to touch a person’s life in such a positive manner. I am registering for pre-med classes at a local university and will be meeting with an advisor to develop a game plan to fulfill them and take the MCAT as soon as possible.
I guess what I am looking for is an affirmation that this goal is achievable. Am I truly crazy? Will the debt be so humongous I will never be able to pay it? If anyone has some helpful hints or ideas, I would love to hear them. I have already spoken to an admissions representative at a top 10 med school who said that I would have a good chance at being accepted. I would like to hear comments, ideas, or suggestions from any of you who have had similar dilemmas.
Thanks for your help and I wish you all the best of luck in pursuing your dreams!!
in general, the debt will be doable - just like a mortgage (or a 2nd) would be doable for you - who knows, you might get into your state school or get a scholarship.
we have many ex-EMT or ex-Paramedic or ex-Paramedic Instructors here - as well as ex-nursing and ex-allied health people. We also have ex-(or hope to be ex-) lawyers, programmers, filmmakers, musicians, engineers, retail salespeople, PR people, etc. All of whom have decided that they cannot really do anything OTHER than become a physician.
welcome.
Welcome! Trust me you’re not crazy, although you will certainly feel like it at times. If you really want to be a doctor tho (and it sounds like you do) then go for it. Don’t think about the debt, it’ll be there, but with the salaries of doctors you’ll be able to take care of regardless of what specialty you go into (lower paying ones will probably take longer than higher paying ones, but higher paying ones usually have higher malpractice premiums so I imagine it tends to balance out). Signing up for premed classes and talking to a premed advisor is definitely a good start! And with all your paid experiences you’ll have a great set of ECs to talk about. Get good grades, do well on the MCAT, and never look back. You will make it
–Jessica, UCCS
Thank you to both of you! It is great to hear the positive comments and I appreciate the help. I still can't believe I want to do this…seems crazy yet I feel it is defintely something I want to pursue.
I have bought an MCAT reviw book (Kaplan) that is rather extensive andis giving me a good idea of what I am getting into from an education standpoint. Even that small thing is making me excited for the adventure ahead. The only other hard point will be the waiting game until I am finally accepted! Oh well, I guess life truly is a journey.
Is there anyone with a similar background that has comments on how they have been able to succeed?