Reality check for an old Mom

[PharmD or nursing]

I am 40 years old mom with 2 kids (9 and 4). Did my BS from Asia. A master in chemistry from US. Then another master in Canada (was in phd program but transfer to master)

After being a stay home mom for 4 years, I decide to change my career . I don’t want to apply the chemist jobs anymore.

Now I am Accepted to a second Bachelor program in nursing starting next January. I want to boost my GPA and then apply to medical schools in Canada and US schools which accept Canadian students.

Any suggest?

I was thinking about applying for pharmD, but I see many negative points regarding pharmd future. I should avoid pharmD.

I also think about applying PA schools in Canada.

I still have the dream to be a doctor. If it is not realistic, I will go back to find a chemistry job OR finishing nursing school and be a RN.

Long time ago, I was accepted to several medical schools in my home country when I was 18, but I didn’t choose it, as Medical Doctor is not a great profession in my home country. Instead I went to pharmacy school for a science bachelor degree. My feeling is so complex that after 20 years I regret my choice so much…this is the life…..

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[negasi]

What was your B.S in? If you want to go to medical school, then majoring in nursing won't really help you get those pre reqs.

I wish you the best of luck

 

[Ole_Toe]

Lots to read on these forums to help you decide. It’s a long path. You’d likely be starting from scratch, so a few years of prerequisite classes while getting the rest of your application together (e.g., research, clinical exposure, shadowing) and then study for the mcat and then a year or two of applications. It could easily take 3-5 years before you matriculate. Then 4 years of med school working/studying 60 hours a week, then at least 3 years of residency working 60-80 hrs a week. Only you can decide how that sounds but it’s intense and time consuming and expensive and you might not really be practicing until you’re 50.

Nursing or PA school will give you that same reward of caring for patients, maybe less intellectual rigor and responsibility, but more time for yourself and family.

One of the biggest things as an older applicant is having a strong narrative and reason for doing this path. What’s yours?

 

[PharmD or nursing]

What was your B.S in? If you want to go to medical school, then majoring in nursing won't really help you get those pre reqs.

I wish you the best of luck

BS in pharmacy, with lots of chemistry courses. I do need to take a couple of pre reqs.

Thanks

 

[PharmD or nursing]

Lots to read on these forums to help you decide. It’s a long path. You’d likely be starting from scratch, so a few years of prerequisite classes while getting the rest of your application together (e.g., research, clinical exposure, shadowing) and then study for the mcat and then a year or two of applications. It could easily take 3-5 years before you matriculate. Then 4 years of med school working/studying 60 hours a week, then at least 3 years of residency working 60-80 hrs a week. Only you can decide how that sounds but it’s intense and time consuming and expensive and you might not really be practicing until you’re 50.

Nursing or PA school will give you that same reward of caring for patients, maybe less intellectual rigor and responsibility, but more time for yourself and family.

One of the biggest things as an older applicant is having a strong narrative and reason for doing this path. What’s yours?

Thank you very much.
The school I want to apply is 3 years program with no pre reqs. I know it is a long path, I just decide to have a try. starting from MCAT prep.
At the same time I am applying PA school too.
My family is very supportive, I don't have a financial problem for the next 5 years at least. I will turn 50 anyway. everyone will getting old, at least I can have a try. If I can not get in, its totally fine. I can still work as chemist at least....

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

The school I want to apply is 3 years program with no pre reqs.

I don't know if this is a Canadian school and how competitive that 3 year program is, but in the US med school, in general, is just hard to get into, so getting into one specific program is very, very hard and I wouldn't bank on that one program. Best of luck! It's not an easy journey at all, but if you come in with the right expectations and are willing to put in the work, I've seen it done before.

 

[PhD_to_DO]

I will tell you that its absolutely possible to reinvent yourself and enter a new career as an older student. I’m 50 and in my first year of medical school at a DO program in Texas. Had a successful career in research and teaching at the university level before applying to medical school. Before making the leap to a PharmD, or MD/DO, ask yourself if you are ready to sacrifice the time. Medical school is very rigorous, in some ways more so than my PhD was. I spend most of my time studying and/or engaged in other required school activities (my program requires that we all be EMT certified, including required ride alongs with local EMS agencies. We also have to accumulate xxx hours of volunteer/community service hours before graduation); I missed my grandmothers 96th birthday, a planned fishing trip with my dad (would have been our first fishing trip together since ‘91), and couldn’t be with my wife when she flew home to tend to an ill family member. You miss out on a lot and when you consider that medical school and residency will approach a decade, that is a lot of missed life…

The other issue to consider is age discrimination in attaining a residency. Residency programs are not allowed to discriminate, legally, but you do see stories pop up in the media from time-to-time. Its very possible that I could finish medical school and not get a residency. Luckily, I have a full ride VA-HPSP scholarship to cover med school so I’m not going to have the debt when I finish and worst case scenario is that I take my DO and existing PhD and go back to research, perhaps as an MSL, or back into academia. My point is that this is a very real possibility for folks our age and you should consider what you would do if you don’t get a residency.

Outside of that, I LOVE what I am doing and would have regretted it for a lifetime had I not at least tried to apply to medical school. If you are willing to deal with the good, bad, and the ugly of being an older med student (or pharmacy student), by all means, apply! I wish you all the best as you navigate the process.

 

[esob]

I will tell you that its absolutely possible to reinvent yourself and enter a new career as an older student. I’m 50 and in my first year of medical school at a DO program in Texas. Had a successful career in research and teaching at the university level before applying to medical school. Before making the leap to a PharmD, or MD/DO, ask yourself if you are ready to sacrifice the time. Medical school is very rigorous, in some ways more so than my PhD was. I spend most of my time studying and/or engaged in other required school activities (my program requires that we all be EMT certified, including required ride alongs with local EMS agencies. We also have to accumulate xxx hours of volunteer/community service hours before graduation); I missed my grandmothers 96th birthday, a planned fishing trip with my dad (would have been our first fishing trip together since ‘91), and couldn’t be with my wife when she flew home to tend to an ill family member. You miss out on a lot and when you consider that medical school and residency will approach a decade, that is a lot of missed life…

The other issue to consider is age discrimination in attaining a residency. Residency programs are not allowed to discriminate, legally, but you do see stories pop up in the media from time-to-time. Its very possible that I could finish medical school and not get a residency. Luckily, I have a full ride VA-HPSP scholarship to cover med school so I’m not going to have the debt when I finish and worst case scenario is that I take my DO and existing PhD and go back to research, perhaps as an MSL, or back into academia. My point is that this is a very real possibility for folks our age and you should consider what you would do if you don’t get a residency.

Outside of that, I LOVE what I am doing and would have regretted it for a lifetime had I not at least tried to apply to medical school. If you are willing to deal with the good, bad, and the ugly of being an older med student (or pharmacy student), by all means, apply! I wish you all the best as you navigate the process.

The age bias is real, but I'm in the same boat, where I won't have any debt from medical school, otherwise, I would be a little worried.

 

[nontradcns]

I am 40 years old mom with 2 kids (9 and 4). Did my BS from Asia. A master in chemistry from US. Then another master in Canada (was in phd program but transfer to master)

After being a stay home mom for 4 years, I decide to change my career . I don’t want to apply the chemist jobs anymore.

Now I am Accepted to a second Bachelor program in nursing starting next January. I want to boost my GPA and then apply to medical schools in Canada and US schools which accept Canadian students.

Any suggest?

I was thinking about applying for pharmD, but I see many negative points regarding pharmd future. I should avoid pharmD.

I also think about applying PA schools in Canada.

I still have the dream to be a doctor. If it is not realistic, I will go back to find a chemistry job OR finishing nursing school and be a RN.

Long time ago, I was accepted to several medical schools in my home country when I was 18, but I didn’t choose it, as Medical Doctor is not a great profession in my home country. Instead I went to pharmacy school for a science bachelor degree. My feeling is so complex that after 20 years I regret my choice so much…this is the life…..

I started medical school (MD) at age 43 and am now a fourth year planning to become a general surgeon. I won't start practicing independently until I'm about 52, but I don't care because I love it, and I am very healthy physically. But it took me about four years of work to get accepted to medical school (completing pre-reqs, studying/taking MCAT twice, trained as an EMT, did research, and completed a Master's program). I was accepted to medical school on my second round of applications, three years apart. It is a marathon to get into medical school, a marathon to get through medical school, and then residency. I'm so grateful and happy that I am doing what I'm doing!!, but it does take a hell of a lot of commitment to go through this.

I agree with one of the other responses to your post: you have to show that you have a good reason for wanting to change careers. So far in my residency interview season, I have gotten great feedback and interest in my past careers and questions about what drew me to medicine and now surgery, so being a non-traditional student isn't a bad thing! If you apply to medical school, I recommend that you do have to offer a genuine reason to pursue medicine, and I would recommend you focus on that instead focusing on regret that you did something else, when you write your personal statement.