31, with 3 kids and wife, considering an MD

[xiphosm3]

Hey all,

After a string of events in my life, I am now considering pursuing an MD as it was something I always wanted to do but in my immaturity when I was younger, I never wanted to apply myself that much.

I graduated in '07 with a BA in Business Management, went onto owning a few businesses but they dried up as well as my motivation to continue that lifestyle. I am looking for something with far more job stability and income stability.

I have begun researching courses I'd need to take so that I could take the MCAT.

I am wondering for those in a situation like mine, with a stay at home mom and kids aged 6, 4 and 2 how you guys did it?

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?
2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?
3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?
4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?
5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

Thanks all~

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[AnotherLawyer]

My circumstances are similar to yours.

1. I did one class per semester because I wasn't willing to not spend a decent amount of my free time with my family. The downside is that this has taken a long time. I started in January of 2014. I'm taking the MCAT this weekend and if all goes well I will start medical school in late summer of 2018, four and half years after starting this process. The plus side is that the impact on work and family has been minimal.

2. I did all my coursework at community colleges, with one exception, so the expense was minimal.

3. This was a big fear. But ultimately unfounded. I was a good student when I was a traditional undergrad and I am still a good student today. If anything, my anxiety about this led me to massively over-study, which is a good thing.

4. I cannot weigh in on this yet from personal experience. It seems like qualified non-trads do well. But no school is going to overlook bad stats or weak ECs just because you're older.

As many have said, this is a marathon so pace yourself.

 

[NoTownPreMed]

Haven't been through the process of applying yet, but will give you some insight as to how some of us nontrads thus far.

1. I have two little ones (3 year old and 2 year old). Initially I was taking 1-2 classes per semester, then upped it to 3 a semester. My classes are early in the morning and in the evening (8am-915am, 5pm-615pm). I spend most of my time with the family when I'm not at work and school. I squeeze in most of my studying during my 12 hour night shift at work when I finish my work early.

2. I work as an RN, so we get the (time and a half pay) anything after 8 hours, so that definitely helps us a lot. I work 5-6 days a pay period, wife is also a nurse who is "per-diem" but is practically a stay home mom being that she doesn't work more than 2 days a month. Our mortgage including other bills sums up to around $3,000 a month, but with our combined income, we have some left over to save.

3. Initially it was for me. I practically had cobwebs in the brain department and I was surrounded by a bunch of fresh young bloods who I wouldn't say smarter, but they catch things on more quickly, so I pitied my lab partners who would have to deal with my slow pace.

4. Can't tell you yet as I have not yet matriculated, but I do challenge anyone who thinks traditional students who take 5-6 courses a semester have a much harder time than a nontraditional student who is practically juggling with a full-time job, being a full-time parent and squeezing in a couple of courses a semester.

5. Research? What is that???? As for volunteer work, are given many opportunity to do some sort of volunteer work at my work place. I've done a few so far.

 

[deleted480308]

Money with kids and a stay at home spouse is very hard if you have any expectation of a middle class life.

 

[vm26]

Hey all,

After a string of events in my life, I am now considering pursuing an MD as it was something I always wanted to do but in my immaturity when I was younger, I never wanted to apply myself that much.

I graduated in '07 with a BA in Business Management, went onto owning a few businesses but they dried up as well as my motivation to continue that lifestyle. I am looking for something with far more job stability and income stability.

I have begun researching courses I'd need to take so that I could take the MCAT.

I am wondering for those in a situation like mine, with a stay at home mom and kids aged 6, 4 and 2 how you guys did it?

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?
2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?
3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?
4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?
5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

Thanks all~

I was a non-trad, started med school at age 30. However I was single and formerly had worked as a PT (so had all prereq's except orgo and the mcats)...
1. Like I said I did not have a family but my social life/dating took a back seat to school. The pacing and volume of information was very intense (even though I had been exposed to courses such as anatomy in PT school). I would say that I had average intelligence of a med school student but was gunning for a competitive specialty so I may have lead a less balanced life between coursework and social life. Regardless, there were many beautiful fall/spring days spent cramming indoors rather than enjoying life...there was a former PA a year ahead of me that was married and had at least 3 kids, he kicked a** and somehow balanced a home life, though his PA work experience overlapped med school curriculum and he had stronger clinical skills that some of the interns/residents he rotated under as a med student.
2. Basically took out loans, loan budget includes living expenses, I was lucky in that cost of my state school + living expenses was only around 38K/year so all my loans were govt subsidized with low rates. However you may have to take out private loans on top of that.
3. PT school was intense, which prepped me for med school. Also you will have to do very well in your pre-reqs (orgo being the hardest) and mcats...with that said, med school was freakin hard!
4. My work experience included working as waiter, bartender, and PT which I know helped my admissions (my school liked diversity and non-trads). Also I know that my past work experience impressed my future program director which helped me match.
5. Did not do research/volunteer work due to my clinical experience as a PT.

So to sum it up, you're facing many challenges and sacrifices (time, energy, and money). It is however doable. Have you thought about other fields such as PA, nursing (NP/CRNA)?

 

[xiphosm3]

Have you thought about other fields such as PA, nursing (NP/CRNA)?

I have looked into PA. Its definitely something that would interest me. I have a few family friends who own derm practices in my town. However, in reading quite a bit about PA vs MDs, it seems like most people wish they would have become an MD simply ebcause of the vast increase in knowledge. PAs earn good middle class income but for me, its 2.5 years to get enough credits for the post-bacc program and another 2 to finish the PA program. Not to mention most programs require between 1000-2000 hours of clinical experience to even get into school. So that would add another year. In total, becoming a PA for me would be 5.5 years. I could become an MD in 9-10 depending on which residency I went into and there is a significant increase in income. I also enjoy being an expert and I dont feel I would if I was a PA.

Its definitely something I am still considering. I haven't considered a NP/CRNA.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

It is definitely doable, but I would seriously advise anyone against it. The commitment it takes before entering med school, going through med school and then residency is strenuous.

The truth is you made a decision about your life by getting married and having 3 kids. The money that you'll have available from loans will likely not be enough to cover a stay-at-home wife and 3 children. I think it's really selfish to choose this life given your current circumstances. If the medical field is your calling, I would recommend looking into respiratory therapy (60k/yr salary) or doing an accelerated 1 year RN followed by an NP degree that's largely online.

 

[vm26]

I have looked into PA. Its definitely something that would interest me. I have a few family friends who own derm practices in my town. However, in reading quite a bit about PA vs MDs, it seems like most people wish they would have become an MD simply ebcause of the vast increase in knowledge. PAs earn good middle class income but for me, its 2.5 years to get enough credits for the post-bacc program and another 2 to finish the PA program. Not to mention most programs require between 1000-2000 hours of clinical experience to even get into school. So that would add another year. In total, becoming a PA for me would be 5.5 years. I could become an MD in 9-10 depending on which residency I went into and there is a significant increase in income. I also enjoy being an expert and I dont feel I would if I was a PA.

Its definitely something I am still considering. I haven't considered a NP/CRNA.

I would have guessed 2-3 years for prereqs + mcats (assuming that you are still working FT), then 4 years med school, then at least 4-7 years residency/fellowship (I'm assuming that you don't want to primary care, think a surgical PA can make close to primary care)...regardless it seems like you have a realistic understanding of the time demands...if you go RN, you could eventually become a CRNA, who apparently do pretty well

 

[esob]

I don't really have the financial issues but with four kids I do find my time with them is much more limited than I would like (especially the two youngest). I'm still working full time atm running a company and taking 12+ hrs. Some weeks I don't even really see them but it was a decision I knew I would have to make to pursue this.

 

[DrCaffeinated]

Plan to go when your kids are in school and your wife is back to work.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Hey all,

After a string of events in my life, I am now considering pursuing an MD as it was something I always wanted to do but in my immaturity when I was younger, I never wanted to apply myself that much.

I graduated in '07 with a BA in Business Management, went onto owning a few businesses but they dried up as well as my motivation to continue that lifestyle. I am looking for something with far more job stability and income stability.

I have begun researching courses I'd need to take so that I could take the MCAT.

I am wondering for those in a situation like mine, with a stay at home mom and kids aged 6, 4 and 2 how you guys did it?

Gonna throw my $0.02 in because I think you should have as much advice from people who are actually married with kids (+/- financial issues) as possible so that you can ignore the judgemental posts from people who have no experience trying to improve you life with a family.

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?

I worked full time while finishing my degree and raising two under two. I work an average of 70 hours per week, sometimes much more, but not usually much less. I would go to work, come home and hang out with the wife and girls until they went to bed. All three of them were usually in bed by 2130. Then I'd stay up until 2330-0000 doing homework or studying. That was when she was stay-at-home.

When she was working, I'd try to get at least some of my homework done before she got home from work so that I could get some more sleep.

I also work a 24-hour day once or twice a week on top of my M-F schedule, so if I had down time on those duty days, I'd do homework.

Honestly, the family life during those couple of years was hard. I purposely got less sleep so that I could be there for my family when I wasn't underway or on deployment, which made me more tired in general. My wife also was not a fan of going to sleep alone almost every night. But we made it work. Just know that something has to give. Time studying, with your family, or sleep.

2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?

Fortunately, most of the time she was stay-at-home, we were in Hawaii where the special pays I get are off the hook, so it wasn't a huge issue. Now that we live in Cali again, she has to work even with me working. If I were just a student with no income, it wouldn't work.

3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?

Not for me. I love to learn and missed being in school.

4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?

Not in med school yet.

5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

Thanks all~

I will have about 600 hours of non-clinical volunteering through my Church and Meals on Wheels. I worked out the Meals on Wheels thing with my command, so we actually volunteer during working hours, and the hours done with my Church I did with my wife before we had our kids.

For research, I will have probably 500 hours. I just made time. Fortunately, my research is in applied mathematics (with a side project in law), so I can do almost all of it from home.

It was definitely more difficult to fit everything in as a non-trad, but you can do it if you put in the work. And you can be a present parent/spouse if you sacrifice your time in other areas rather than with family.

That said, I would still recommend not going to med school unless your wife can work. You don not want to have to be worrying that much about finances.

 

[holdthemayo]

I'll add my experience as my age/family is similar to yours.

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?

I worked and did classes. I would say try to make time for your family that is their time and honor that time (no school, no work). Unfortunately there are only so many hours in a day, so the time will has to come from somewhere. I would try to study as much as possible at school and after the kids went to bed and to be more efficient when studying. It's hard to have a Sunday off and tell your family you will see them in 6 hours so you can go take a practice MCAT again. I had to cut hours at work to have enough time to study for the MCAT.

2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?

I can't offer any advice for a stay at home spouse. My wife worked full time. I don't think we would have been able to do it otherwise. She is the main breadwinner in a career that she enjoys so she would have worked the same job regardless of me taking classes or not. I avoided taking any student loans for my postbac because there was no guarantee that I would get in anywhere and I didn't want to have loans for something that didn't lead anywhere.

3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?

I eased back into school by taking a summer class before my first Fall semester, but I don't think it was necessary. You will adapt quickly. I ended up finding school much easier as a non-trad. I had zero interest in the social scene and was used to putting in the hours to get work done from my previous career.

4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?

It's hard to say what AdComs truly liked/didn't like about an application. There are so many factors that go into an application it's tough to say if age played a factor in any of my rejections. I do think that my life experience played a role in my acceptances - particularly in interviews and the personal statement.

I can't give any insight into residency.

5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

I picked one meaningful volunteer activity and continued it throughout my post-bac. A few hours a week adds up quickly over a long period of time. I also talked about it in my personal statement and was asked about it in several interviews. Research is probably the one area you can cut if you need to. I had previous research with a publication which I included on my application, but I did not add any research during my post-bac.

 

[mommy2three]

I would write a longer reply but third year family med resident and former nontrad briefly checking in
I stepped into my first day of medical school at 35 and my first day of residency at 39

Please feel free to PM me for my email address and phone number
I am happy to answer any and all questions you may have

And fwiw the kids are now all bigger and more independent and I have a senior going thru the college application process which may be aging me more than medical school


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Nontrad Dad]

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?

I work 50 hrs/wk so I took just 2 courses per semester. Like AnotherLawyer, it's taken me years (started post-bacc in Fall 2013) to complete and I'll be applying this coming cycle. So how does one manage? Figure out your priorities, then stick to them knowing that you can't have it all. For me, my stats aren't stellar and I've been passed over for promotion so many times. But I'm happy knowing that my pursuit of med school has minimally affected my relationship/time with my wife and 5 yr old.

2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?

Are you referring to once you're in med school? Not sure, but that's a problem I hope to have soon..

3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?

Yes. But I took it one class at a time. Each semester I'd pass my classes and then say to myself "looks like I won't be quitting this time..." and then repeated this process every semester for the last 3.5 yrs.

4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?

Life experience that differentiates you from the cookie-cutter straight-out-of-undergrad candidate almost always helps rather than hinders. Not only have you experienced the "real world" and know how to solve "real problems" it should be easier to connect with your interviewers and instructors.

5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

I've heard that for non-trads (as long as you're explicit about your other responsibilities in your PS) research and hospital volunteering is less important. There are other ways to genuinely express your interest in medicine and your ability to handle a med school education.

Most importantly, talk about it honestly with your wife (and kids!), make the decision, and keep pushing forward without looking back. Like me, one day you'll look up and realize it's time to apply!

 

[Marrowist]

DO IT

 

[surfguy84]

Hey all,

After a string of events in my life, I am now considering pursuing an MD as it was something I always wanted to do but in my immaturity when I was younger, I never wanted to apply myself that much.

I graduated in '07 with a BA in Business Management, went onto owning a few businesses but they dried up as well as my motivation to continue that lifestyle. I am looking for something with far more job stability and income stability.

I have begun researching courses I'd need to take so that I could take the MCAT.

I am wondering for those in a situation like mine, with a stay at home mom and kids aged 6, 4 and 2 how you guys did it?

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?
2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?
3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?
4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?
5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

Thanks all~

We sound similar in a lot of ways. No kids, but I do have a wife. I started at 30, but had the business/entrepreneur background, and the early immaturity which delayed my goals. I'm a second year student now, so you'll be a few years behind me when you start, but there are many students who would be your age (with kids).

My business experience came up in every interview. It was absolutely an asset. Two years in, I can absolutely see the difference between non-trads with real life experience and everyone else. I think people with kids are also much better suited to the tasks we face. I did no research and fair bit of volunteer work.

Going back to school was so much easier than it would have been had I started at 23 or 24. The delay in getting to act on a life goal has made me that much more motivated. I know what real work is having started a business from the ground up (and lets face it, most coming out of undergrad knows what real work is). I'm in the top 25% of the class, feeling good about board prep, etc because of the amount of time I'm putting in. I could have NEVER done this 8 years ago.

I can't speak to the money aspects of kids, wife at home, etc... but I can say there are loans to cover things. The 4 years go by so quickly and I would imagine once your two year old is in school your wife could go back to work. Anyhow, hope that helps.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

I decided to apply to medical school when I was a young father and married. When I started medical school, I had been married for quite some time and had 3 children. By the the time that I had completed medical school, I had 4 kids, all girls. Now I am done with medical school, residency, fellowship and my marriage is still intact, and stronger than ever, and my girls are just fine. I will let you know what I had done, but this worked for me. You are going to need to find out what will work for you.

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?

When I was in graduate school, since my GPA was in the pooper and my company was paying for it anyway, I took 1 class at a time. when I came home from work, we ate dinner and I went to class. Since I commuted by bus (I worked in NYC and lived in NJ), I would do all of my reading on the bus and then in the evening when I was home. During medical school, I treated it like work and it was a regular work day. However, my wife insisted that I come home for dinner. After dinner, I went to the public library until it closed and then came home and studied some more. This was Monday through Thursday. Friday to Sunday morning was family time. Sunday, I would head to campus at 1pm, since this was when the library opened and I would be there for at least 10-12 hours. When I had exams, I was on campus all the time.

since I had a small class, I asked several of my classmates if they would babysit on saturday nights so that my wife and I would go out. I gave them access to my internet. With my girls, I created a "Daddy and me" date. We would go to the local diner, starbucks or what ever once a week for each girl. They would have 100% of my time and attention. Either they would talk or do nothing but color and show me what they did, I had a coffee and they had some milk. To this day, they still ask for this and my oldest is going to be 16.

You need to find the right balance for you.

2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?

So this is a tough one. My wife was a stay at home home, however, she also worked from home as a freelance editor. The student loans are meant to support the student and not the family. They do expect that the spouse work. However, that being said, since my girls needed child care, we added that to the cost of attendance. This increased the amount of loan money that we received. The big question was insurance. Since I was covered through school, the issue was my family. Well, while working you paid into the system. So I signed them up for medicaid knowing that this was going to be temporary. In addition, since we had young children (especially when she became pregnant with #4), we signed up for the WIC which helped reduce the food bill. We applied to the electric company for assistance with our bill and were accepted which reduced it to $25/month. We looked for activities through the library which are free. In addition, the township summer camp was much cheaper than the others.
There are some non trads, that will go on welfare during medical school knowing that this is temporary. My wife hated it but we wound up saving about $30,000 per year with the largest savings being health insurance (free vs. $1000/month).

3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?

You will be surprised how much more disciplined you are now than you were when you did it the first time. Remember, you have your youth out of your system and are not obsessed with going to the bar all the time. You have no one to impress since you are married and the people you have to impress are at home.

4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?

Yes. Especially since you are well familiar with how to handle office politics and are more mature about handling difficult situations. You don't react with emotion but rather you have emotional intelligence. In addition, you know how to negotiate well to get things done.

5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

My job was in research so this was no big deal. I used to be an EMT so that was also taken care of. But you can find things through your church/synagogue/mosque or even through your town that you can volunteer. Even if you spend a little bit of time per month helping in a food bank etc. Make it a family affair and you knock two things out. Spending time with your family and volunteering.

PM me if you have personal questions or if your wife wants to talk to my wife. You need to remember that this is a long marathon and not a spring. To give you an idea, from the time I decided I wanted to go to medical school to completing fellowship was 13 long years. But I find it worth it and I wake up enjoying my career and what I do. I enjoy going to work, Sometimes very tired, but I enjoy it.

 

[xiphosm3]

I decided to apply to medical school when I was a young father and married. When I started medical school, I had been married for quite some time and had 3 children. By the the time that I had completed medical school, I had 4 kids, all girls. Now I am done with medical school, residency, fellowship and my marriage is still intact, and stronger than ever, and my girls are just fine. I will let you know what I had done, but this worked for me. You are going to need to find out what will work for you.

Our situations definitely sound similar! Man this is a big decision for my family and I. On one hand I know I would love being a Dr. I love diagnosis, don't mind paperwork, love the challenge, and the human body fascinates me more every year I'm alive. I can't say I much cared for learning about it when I was in college though.

For me, my biggest hindrance to pursuing it full time vs something like a PA is the total time commitment and sacrifice I'd have to make that would mainly affect my family. My wife would have to go back to work, even though she doesn't have a degree. I don't mind being on gov't assistance for a temporary amount of time considering the amount of taxes I'll pay into the broken system once I graduate.

I'm just wondering how I will juggle everything before med school. I still need to keep my job so I can support the family until I hit my senior level classes. Right now I'm planning on attending a local community college to get alot of the bio/chem/psych classes out of the way. I can still work FT through all of those classes but once I hit senior level classes I'll have to be a full-time student. Not to mention also having to find places to volunteer and get PCE.

Do med schools look more heavily on volunteer-based PCE or do they want you to have more paid-based PCE? I dont know how I would juggle volunteering and paid-based PCE at the same time as I currently have a whoppin' 0 hours.

 

[NonTrad16]

I think healthcare (clinical) experience is necessary, but paid or unpaid doesn't matter. Unpaid service to those in need is apparently very important though. I had zero (but hundred plus of clinical volunteering) and got zero invites. Basically same app one year later with~100 hours non clinical volunteering to those in need: 10 IIs. So... if you don't have any of that (soup kitchen, homeless shelters, etc) is highly recommend that over unpaid clinical (if you already have paid clinical experience).

 

[NSOLOGIST]

I'm not one who's gone through med school (I just can't bring myself to commit to the path at this point), but I do want to say that you can volunteer at a hospital for a few hours a week, for instance. That's what I'm doing now. I do four hours helping out (mostly stocking supplies) in the Emergency Department every Saturday. I am single as hell though. Lol. I suppose the commitment to volunteer like this would be tough when not a bachelor. But I would say that as far as looking good for med school goes, this volunteering is better than volunteering at a soup kitchen, for instance.

 

[meerkat111]

"I am wondering for those in a situation like mine, with a stay at home mom and kids aged 6, 4 and 2 how you guys did it? "
Don't do this. Many people end up getting divorced, financially ruining themselves, not living with their families during the training. Attendings will not socialize with you and your classmates will have nothing to do with you because you are in a different phase of life, they care more about grades. You family will suffer. Not worth it IMHO.

 

[groodles]

Here is my experience. I'm a current MS1 (wrapping up first year and stoked for year 2) have two kids, in my thirties and my wife and I went from double income to her not working and me being a full-time student. The biggest stress has been financial, but I'll address that below. If I had the choice to do it again, I would in a heartbeat.

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?
I wake up at 430am, workout, then study for 2 hrs. Many of our classes are podcasted, so depending on the required class-load for the day, I will eat breakfast with my family and then head into school and podcast or lecture. I treat school like a job (not hard being non-trad) and study/research/clinic until 5pm most days (some later). I come home, have dinner with my family and spend time with my kids until they go to bed at ~730. I focus 100% on them. No phone, no facebook, no studying. Once they are in bed, I do flashcards for an hour, then spend an hour with my wife before bed. It makes for short nights during the week (~6-7hrs sleep/night) but weekends are catch-up on sleep.

On weekends I always spend either a) two half days studying/half-days with family, or i dedicate one full day to studying and one full day to hanging out with them. We discuss this as a family ahead of time.

2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?

We have had to change our lifestyle significantly dropping from double income, to no income. We live off loans, but we paid off our cars before beginning, so no car payment which matters. We have subsidized state insurance, which helps especially with kids doc visits. We don't do anything flashy, but hey, not a big deal. We are frugal and budget wisely with food and limit entertainment. I've sold a lot of my "side hobbies" equipment and chose only one hobby to maintain. I don't think we're missing out on life and we've gained a better appreciation for doing things on the cheap. Not to mention, my wife is bad-ass when it comes to bargain shopping for just about everything.

3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?

Nah, I was anxious to get back.

4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?

I'm not sure if it helped or hurt getting in, but I promise it has helped me be successful as a medical student. For many of the students coming straight from undergrad, this is the most difficult thing they have done in their life. For many of us non-trads, that's not the case. We've worked full-time. I've had stressful deadlines for my jobs, had to balance family life, and realized that the reality is in every step of life, the saying "You think you're busy now? you have no f***ing clue" tends to hold true because there are always going to be more obligations.

Because I've learned to manage time, I am doing well in my classes, I am involved in a research lab, and I still feel I have adequate time with my family. Are there stressful periods? Absolutely! This isn't a fairy tale! But I feel very lucky and I wouldn't change my decision ever.

5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

Volunteer = zero. Research = a lot. That was my background/prior career, so I don't think it's fair for me to answer this question.

 

[meerkat111]

groodles,
meerkat was a new mom when she went through med school at a ripe age of 41. Married to a spouse who has never quit his busy job. Still married to the same guy. You have more questions?

 

[groodles]

groodles,
meerkat was a new mom when she went through med school at a ripe age of 41. Married to a spouse who has never quit his busy job. Still married to the same guy. You have more questions?

Nope. looks like you answered all of them. Sorry to hear you had a much different experience. I bit my tongue, edited above, and am sorry I made an assumption.

 

[premeddad29]

I myself am on that journey. I am taking the MCAT this weekend to apply for the up coming cycle. I am 26 years old with three kids and a wife. Not going to lie, but it is a little rough, but with the right support and complete motivation, anything is possible. I have maintained a 3.7 GPA as a chemistry major while working full-time during my four years of college. Student loans and state benefits are a big help. Bottom line, if you want it, you will do anything to make sure you get it.

 

[austintr]

I don't have much to add here but it's good to see people chiming in with how they managed to do it. I'm an incoming OMS-I and we only have one kid, but it's still a bit stressful selling and buying a new house and moving a few hours away just to know I will be contributing negative income for the next four years, then making significantly less than I do now for at least a few years after. My wife is a bit more of a doom and gloom type person than I, but I'm confident we can make it through. She's still able to make an income working 3/4 time that is higher than what a lot of people scrape by on. I can't imagine doing it with a stay at home spouse and multiple kids, but I know there are plenty of single parents that get through med school, which must be exponentially harder.

 

[meerkat111]

Nope. looks like you answered all of them. Sorry to hear you had a much different experience. I bit my tongue, edited above, and am sorry I made an assumption.

Just want to add- I am an attending, you are a MS I or II. My perspective is a lot deeper than yours. Just saying.

 

[reaction mechanisms]

Just want to add- I am an attending, you are a MS I or II. My perspective is a lot deeper than yours. Just saying.

Be humble.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[CLight]

My circumstances are similar to yours.

1. I did one class per semester because I wasn't willing to not spend a decent amount of my free time with my family. The downside is that this has taken a long time. I started in January of 2014. I'm taking the MCAT this weekend and if all goes well I will start medical school in late summer of 2018, four and half years after starting this process. The plus side is that the impact on work and family has been minimal.

2. I did all my coursework at community colleges, with one exception, so the expense was minimal.

3. This was a big fear. But ultimately unfounded. I was a good student when I was a traditional undergrad and I am still a good student today. If anything, my anxiety about this led me to massively over-study, which is a good thing.

4. I cannot weigh in on this yet from personal experience. It seems like qualified non-trads do well. But no school is going to overlook bad stats or weak ECs just because you're older.

As many have said, this is a marathon so pace yourself.

I like how you took your classes. I am on this path too. Taking one class per semester. Do you think Med schools will care about community college credits (I did a few credits at a community college too) , or if they care about online credits? I am considering enrolling through Harvard Extension school for an online class this next semester.

 

[KnowledgeBot4000]

Have you considered non-MD/DO options?

I think if I were in your situation I'd heavily consider being a podiatrist, physician's assistant, nurse anesthesiologist, etc. I think it's easy to think there are only doctors and nurses before you spend a lot of time in the hospital, but there are a ton of different jobs out there. You may be able to find one that both gives you a comfortable lifestyle, rewarding work, and lets you spend a more adequate amount of time with your wife and kids during your training years.

 

[AnotherLawyer]

I like how you took your classes. I am on this path too. Taking one class per semester. Do you think Med schools will care about community college credits (I did a few credits at a community college too) , or if they care about online credits? I am considering enrolling through Harvard Extension school for an online class this next semester.

I do think there is a bias against online courses (some med schools outright refuse to recognize them) and to a lesser extent against CC courses. But not everyone has the luxury of being able to attend a four year school in person and having no prereqs is even worse. So do the best you can, realizing that some doors may close and you may get cut less slack elsewhere (e.g. your MCAT score).

I was not worried about CCs because (1) I have a high uGPA from when I was a trad student at a four year university, (2) my current career isn't very flexible in terms of location or scheduling (so schools wouldn't think I was just dodging more challenging courses), and (3) I suspected from past standardized test taking that I would do okay on the MCAT (which, thank God, I did).

With all that said, I am just starting my app cycle so it may turn out schools don't like how I did things and I get roundly rejected.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Hey all,

After a string of events in my life, I am now considering pursuing an MD as it was something I always wanted to do but in my immaturity when I was younger, I never wanted to apply myself that much.

I graduated in '07 with a BA in Business Management, went onto owning a few businesses but they dried up as well as my motivation to continue that lifestyle. I am looking for something with far more job stability and income stability.

I have begun researching courses I'd need to take so that I could take the MCAT.

I am wondering for those in a situation like mine, with a stay at home mom and kids aged 6, 4 and 2 how you guys did it?

1. How did you manage your time between coursework and family?
2. How did you afford it when your wife was a stay at home?
3. Was it hard going back to school after being out for so long?
4. Did you find it easier to get into med school and residency because you had previous experience that improved your resume or was it more of a hindrance?
5. How much research and volunteer work did you do pre-med? I know for a lot of us nontrads, we have many more responsibilities than the traditional student.

Thanks all~

I went to medical school at age 32, I was the mom. My kids were 2 & 5 when I started.

1. I planned family time every week since my husband worked. I did not do med school stuff Friday nights or all day Saturday and spent time with them. My study group met Sundays from Noon-8pm or longer since exams were on Monday. Weekly study group was from 6-10pm M-Th to cover all the material from that day.
2. My husband worked 3 days a week. My youngest was in daycare those days. We would not have made it without his income. When my loan check came I paid my rent, daycare for 6 months. I stocked the house from Sam's club and cheap stores to make the food stretch.
3. Yes it was very hard. Confidence is the key. Felt very old (10 yrs older than most) but not the oldest in my class. Hard when everyone else there with you is type A over achievers too.
4. My work experience helped me. My low income coming from Alaska experience helped me. They are looking for diversity of the class and interesting people.
5. I did zero research. I did not do much volunteering since I worked in the hospital for 7 years and had good experience there.

 

[groodles]

Just want to add- I am an attending, you are a MS I or II. My perspective is a lot deeper than yours. Just saying.

... you still were commenting on your experience as a medical student. Mine has been exponentially different. Just because your experience is "deeper" doesn't mean it's better, or applicable to my circumstance, just like my experience may not be applicable to you (clearly) or the OP. We have both had life experience outside of the traditional undergraduate student, which is why we both chose to post in the thread. I mispoke initially by suggesting you didn't have experience. That was my bad. However, so far I've had a great experience and wouldn't change it for a minute. You hated your experience, I've loved mine.

Just saying.

 

[P0ke]

To all the people taking one or two classes per semester, just know that you can't sustain that pace in med school. You'll definitely have to have everything sorted out so that you can study full-time (no job, have enough money to take care of family, etc.). There's no part-time med students.