Is it a dream or is it over for me?

[bfwdesigns]

Hello Everyone!

I am 34 years and I am in a job that I really can't stand. I have always wanted to have a career in the medical field, but I feel that I have really screwed up! I have my AA degree and went into college right out of high school and did not take my classes seriously. I guess I partied too much!

I got some bad grades that I will be retaking and my GPA is low. I know what I need to do, but sometimes I feel that there is no hope for me. I would like to become a nurse or a MD. I have taken biology I and got an A and biology II a B. I took A & P I and got a C+ and A & P II and got an F... what the ?!!!! I don't know what the hell I was doing but obviously it was not studying and I know that I could do so much better... that was over 12 years ago and I am so ready to make a difference. I enrolled in school this summer and I am very excited to be back. I know that I have such a long road ahead of me and school is my ticket out of my current position.

Is it possible for someone like me to make a turn around and actually become a nurse or a doctor, or am I dreaming?

I am taking a refresher A& P class this fall before I retake my A & P II.

Thank you in advance!

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[flip26]

It depends on how "low" your GPA is, and how many credits you already have...if you have 4 years of credits and a low 2 point GPA, you are facing a very steep uphill climb...if your AA degree is only 2 years, then that is helpful...

How low?

 

[bfwdesigns]

Hello,

Thank you for replying. I am very embarrass to say my current GPA is like 2.4.. I know bad. If only I knew what I know now and yes it is a 2 year degree. I know I am capable of so much more..

 

[kitten8]

Hello Everyone!

I am 34 years and I am in a job that I really can't stand. I have always wanted to have a career in the medical field, but I feel that I have really screwed up! I have my AA degree and went into college right out of high school and did not take my classes seriously. I guess I partied too much!

I got some bad grades that I will be retaking and my GPA is low. I know what I need to do, but sometimes I feel that there is no hope for me. I would like to become a nurse or a MD. I have taken biology I and got an A and biology II a B. I took A & P I and got a C+ and A & P II and got an F... what the ?!!!! I don't know what the hell I was doing but obviously it was not studying and I know that I could do so much better... that was over 12 years ago and I am so ready to make a difference. I enrolled in school this summer and I am very excited to be back. I know that I have such a long road ahead of me and school is my ticket out of my current position.

Is it possible for someone like me to make a turn around and actually become a nurse or a doctor, or am I dreaming?

I am taking a refresher A& P class this fall before I retake my A & P II.

Thank you in advance!

Well, you could probably get into a caribbean school like St. James fairly soon. Not sure what else, though. There seems to be a huge wait list for nursing and rad tech programs right now........

 

[kitten8]

I meant to post this as well:

http://www.sjsm.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=44

If you go to a school like this, you probably won't be able to get a super competitive residency, but if you really want to be a doctor no matter what, this will get you there and you can start right away.

 

[metalmd06]

no way is it over. I know time is not a luxury that you have, but take a year or two and take post bacc classes. Work your ***** off. If you can get the GPA to 3.00 and ace the MCAT you might have a shot at some osteopathic schools, or even overseas. If it's really what you want, go for it.

 

[flip26]

Hello,

Thank you for replying. I am very embarrass to say my current GPA is like 2.4.. I know bad. If only I knew what I know now and yes it is a 2 year degree. I know I am capable of so much more..

Well, theoretically if you completed the last 2 years of a 4 year degree with straight As, you could get that GPA into the 3.2 area...so, not great, but not impossible...not real likely, but not altogether impossible...

There will be others who will chime in here, many with nothing but merry sunshine...it takes a ton of drive and determination to do this, and while I would not discourage you directly, I would say you really need to do some soul searching before diving headlong into this, and you need to be as objective as possible (like projecting a GPA as I did above)...there is a literal ceiling as to how high you can raise that GPA, and that ceiling is well below the desired range for med school applicants...so you may face multiple steps, like first getting the BS, then doing a post bacc to raise the UG GPA even more, then possibly doing an SMP...if you can't do all of this full time (if you have to do it part time while working), you could be facing 6+ years of classes just to get yourself to the point of applying to med school...do the math, and know what you are getting yourself into, with a realistic timeframe...

Does the idea of not entering med school until say age 42 deter you?

By your join date and post count, you are new here. There are tons of threads on this very subject...spend lots of time reading through them...

 

[bfwdesigns]

Again, I appreciate all your responses. I know its a long, long road ahead of me, but I have to weigh it.... school for a couple years, working my butt off or working at a job I don't like for the rest of my life and feel like I did not accomplish anything... I rather be in school and yes, I know I will be in my 40's....

 

[Krisss17]

My answer to you bfwdesigns is that it is not over. Will it be easy, no...but it's not going to be easy for anyone...going towards a medical education is tough. The first thing that I would do is to get a copy of your transcript and look at everything you took. DO schools are much more nontrad friendly and allow you to take over a class and using that grade towards your GPA. Take the A&P 2 over again and any other grade less than a C. You will be amazed at how that can change your GPA.

Finish your prereqs (chemistry and physics) and get a major you are interested in. Don't just go for bio as a premed, do something you enjoy. A bio premed is a dime a dozen. Have you worked in the medical field? If not, definitely do some shadowing and volunteering. You'll need to have a good reason why you've decided to pursue medicine as a premed.

Best of luck,
Kris

 

[bradt9881]

You don't need a 3.5 GPA for nursing school. There are plenty of ADN/LPN programs at the community college level, and that can give you the experience you need to apply to a MD/DO program if you do get a BSN/BA/BS with the grades to support it.

 

[Krisss17]

You don't need a 3.5 GPA for nursing school. There are plenty of ADN/LPN programs at the community college level, and that can give you the experience you need to apply to a MD/DO program if you do get a BSN/BA/BS with the grades to support it.

True to a point. Because of the nursing faculty shortage, nursing schools are starting to make entrance requirments higher. So, the better your grades, the better chance for you to get a spot. Many times there are still waiting lists. Also, attending a community college for the ADN doesn't mean that within two years (start to finish) you'll have your nursing degree. In many cases it will take at least 3 years as you will need to have a year of prereqs done first.

 

[DrMona]

This is my first time on this Nontraditional Student section, since most of my time has been focused on the Residency and USMLE sections. However, after reading many of these posts about whether to pursue "the dream of medicine," I knew I had to respond, if for no other reason than to give back something to others wrestling with this question.

I am living proof that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, if you really want to go into medicine with all of your heart and soul. My pre-med "career" spanned over 20 yrs., because I let others (including immediate family members and "friends") make me doubt my own capacity to achieve the goal of being a physician. I already had a BA in psychology from a fine university, and became "pre-med" for the first time after I had graduated and returned home.

Although I was taking post-bacc. science courses in biology, chemistry, and physics, I would panic at the last minute before tests (trying to cram the night before), resulting in dropped classes, incompletes and mediocre grades. It became the self-fulfilling prophecy, as I would sign up for too
many difficult courses for one semester, thus failing to produce an exemplary set of grades (which is why I was taking all of these courses to begin with).

I was treating the MCAT the same way: signing up for prep courses and then never going to the classes or taking any of the practice tests. I would study only the last few days before the MCAT, then either not show up for the test or do terrible on it. Then, I would use these results as justification that I didn't have what was necessary to become a doctor. Of course, deep down I knew that I was "safe" since I could always attribute my failures to not studying and not applying myself to this task.

Moreover, I thought that I could get over this disappointment by starting a PhD program in psychology, with the idea that I would still be a "doctor" of something. I tried to stay as close to medical field as possible, by taking graduate biology courses and specializing in health psychology.

Yet, the nagging thought about having given up on my dream of being a medical doctor kept haunting me. It started interfering with my graduate work as well, with less than stellar results there. I started getting behind and not meeting schedules for completion of any of my graduate school requirements.

This continued for several years until these thoughts basically "crashed into the brick wall of reality." At that point I had to ask myself if I still had the dream of going into medicine -- and the answer was a resounding "YES." In continuing to be honest with myself I realized that I would never be able to live with myself, if I never even tried with the best of my intelligence and abilities. If I really tried and failed, then I could go on with my life with the knowledge that the dream of medicine was never meant to be.

In officially becoming pre-med again, I knew several things to be true. One was I had to be fully committed to this goal, and remember that the only one I had to have approval from was myself. Secondly, I knew that I was still going to be faced with the "nay-sayers", the people who would become very critical of my goal, taunting me with "You are too old to go to medical school!" But lastly, I knew that to be successful I was going to have to find my own support group (supportive teachers, colleagues, friends, professors, etc), and surround myself with these people. I had to do all of the things that the successful pre-meds did -- pour into the books and prepare scrupulously for tests, continue with volunteer work, get myself elected to the pre-med honorary and become active officer there, and study the right way for the MCAT (not just reading but taking practice tests under timed conditions, asking for help from the right sources when needed).

Nevertheless, I knew that I could not run away from the negative people, including some of my own family members. But rather than let a negative person intimate me, I responded with humor. To those who would say, "You know that you are going to be ___ yrs old in 5 years by the time you finish medical school, I would say, " I am going to be ___ yrs old in 5 years, no matter what I do! "

My own family members tried to gang up on me at my mother's house, to dissuade me from continuing to pursue this crazy dream. My mother even tells me that one of her doctors (a family friend) had said that I was "never going to get into med school." During this whole time I just covered my ears with my hands and said, " All of you are wasting your breath, because I am not listening to any of you."

This story has a wonderful ending. Ten days after the disastrous event mentioned above, I received an acceptance letter from one of the state medical schools. I cannot describe that beautiful feeling of fulfillment that I experienced in reading that letter -- I kept it with me for several weeks because I was afraid that it would disappear in the mist, and I would awaken to find that this was only a dream.

Here is the end result: I got accepted to a state medical school at age 44, in spite of the overwhelming odds that it would happen. But the surprising thing was that I was not the oldest member of my med school class -- there were several older med students, one of whom was 2 months away from her 50th birthday!

Take-home message: The only one who can prevent you from realizing your dreams is YOU. The journey will be far from easy and will be both the most frustrating, as well as the most rewarding experience of your life. Just remember that there is no "dress rehearsal" for life -- THIS IS IT. So make the most of each day doing the things that are going to make you happy.

P.S. I also was able to complete my PhD degree, too!

Good luck to all of you in your quest.

 

[rockmed]

EXCELLENT STORY!! Thanks for sharing.

 

[rockmed]

sorry did not mean to post here

 

[MacBook]

Bah who cares about age. It's that bad come on now. As long as you have the will to do it, you can do it. Going to be tough, but you have to look at how much happier you are going to be.
Cheers

 

[student1799]

I got accepted to a state medical school at age 44, in spite of the overwhelming odds that it would happen. But the surprising thing was that I was not the oldest member of my med school class -- there were several older med students, one of whom was 2 months away from her 50th birthday!

Dr. Mona, I take particular inspiration from your story, because I'm 45 and have just applied to med school. I worked really hard in postbacc and got earned a good GPA, but due to the baggage from my past, I'm still worried about my chances. And due to a bad case of nerves, I blew the MCAT when I took it in July (but I took it again this morning--hopefully it went better).

I'm just trying to keep the faith and pray that I get in somewhere. (But unlike you, I haven't applied to any schools 500 miles away.)

Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[teddybear]

Is it possible for someone like me to make a turn around and actually become a nurse or a doctor, or am I dreaming?

Short answer, I believe it is absolutley possible. You need to start doing a lot of research, though, and asking people a lot of questions to decide which way you want to go. Because the paths of nurse and doctor share few similarities.

 

[DrMona]

Dr. Mona, I take particular inspiration from your story, because I'm 45 and have just applied to med school. I worked really hard in postbacc and got earned a good GPA, but due to the baggage from my past, I'm still worried about my chances. And due to a bad case of nerves, I blew the MCAT when I took it in July (but I took it again this morning--hopefully it went better).

Student1799: I had my own share of baggage to deal with, including multiple dropped courses, withdrawals, incompletes that had turned to Fs (because I was too embarrassed to talk to the instructor), some mediocre science grades (at the beginning), and a terrible MCAT score. In fact, I took the MCAT so many times that it went through three revisions during this time.

I was told to re-take chem and bio courses to re-tool and to give me a better foundation for the MCAT. I made better grades now because I was serious about doing well -- no more excuses or procrastinations. That meant that I had to put in the time to study organic. No one (no matter how intelligent they are) can absorb it through osmosis. That also meant going to every class and taking excellent notes, making flashcards and being ready for each exam.

Incidentally, I was able to get five incompletes changed to As or Bs, by approaching the respective instructors and working out a plan to take care of them. One of the incompletes had been on my record for 18 years before it got changed! I changed the grades that I could; and forgot about the ones that I couldn't change.

You have to be prepared to tell them about what happened early on. You don't have to apologize, but to confidently tell them of your journey through the early struggles, your enlightenment or epiphany, and what you want to do now. There will probably be that jerk at the interview who will try to bait you and put you on the defensive. Just stick to your story of your transformation -- that your early difficulties helped to make you a stronger person, and that this will make you an even better doctor.

Believe it or not, the role model who inspired me was George Foreman (before he came out with the grills). He was the heavyweight champion boxer in the 70s, who re-gained the heavyweight title in the 90s at age 44 -- despite all of the ridicule and laughter that he was simply a joke who would never regain the title. I decided that if Big George could accomplish that feat at his age, then maybe it wasn't so impossible for me to accomplish mine.

I found out that the real enemy that was holding me back was my own fear. Once I gathered the courage to walk through the fear, the other obstacles did not appear as daunting.

Conquer your fears and you can accomplish anything.

 

[jlittlej]

Lots of good advice above. If you can, retake A&P I and get another science course in this fall, probably General Chem. You probably need to share whether you're planning on keeping your job and if your life is flexible enough to move around for school. Also, start volunteering in a hospital so you can see what different health care providers do.

Admissions to many nursing schools is competitive and formulaic, with GPA generally weighing heavily in the formula, which means you're in trouble. However, if you can pull off As in a few semesters of school, I'm sure there's a program somewhere in America that will take you, you just have to be willing to move anywhere and pay private school or out-of-state tuition.

For med school, you would have to spend a few years getting almost all As in courses that are likely significantly more difficult than the ones you did poorly in previously. The difficulty in sustaining such an effort on exam after exam cannot be overstated.

 

[Druggernaut]

If you do well with your classes that are left until your bachelor's degree, I'd imagine you'd have a solid shot at getting in somewhere. If the rest of your classes are at a GPA higher than the average for matriculating medical students and you cumulative GPA is reasonably close to average, I don't think it would be too difficult to explain that your early grades were from a less responsible time in your life and you're now ready to buckle down and take care of business.

Before jumping a plane to the Caribbean, be sure to check out DO schools. They'll forgive your initial grades and only use the retakes toward your GPA, they tend to be more accepting of non-traditional students, and entry GPA and MCAT scores are lower.

Figure out if you want to be a doctor or a nurse, though. They've got similarities, but they're certainly not the same thing, and to waste your time with one when you want to do the other would be a shame.