Yet another lawyer - any advice/tips?

[Lawtomedicine]

Hi everyone, I've been lurking on this site for a while. I've been through many threads and I'm not sure where to begin, but here we go.

I'm a mid-level lawyer practicing in a technical (non-corporate) area of law in 'Big Law'. I had med school on my radar during high school but for various (misguided with hindsight) reasons, I ended up becoming a lawyer.

Massive opportunity costs aside, I live frugally and do not have debt, and I have enough to cover medical school costs. I am in my early thirties, married to someone around my age, with no children, and we are not planning on having children in the near future/if ever. My partner is on board (with moments of doubt, but someone playing the devil's advocate is always helpful) although my family and family friends are unfortunately totally unsupportive and unwilling to discuss. I am planning to apply to medical school in 2017 or 2018 (including European ones as I have the nationality/language skills due to family) after completing some requisites.

While this may seem a bit silly, I'm interested in hearing tips and insights and experiences from nontrads, in particular (but not limited to) those who switched from "Big Law" or other high-paying careers, who have helpful advice/tips based on experience to share before I start launching applications and start the long journey.

I am not so much concerned about finances or prerequisites or grades (not meaning that these are not an issue for me, but rather I have worked through any potential issues in these areas and have already addressed them or am in the process of doing so).

For example, was the switch from law to medicine hard and did any skills cross over into medicine?
Was the switch from a desk-bound job to being on your feet for much of the day difficult?
Where did you seek support outside of medical school?
Did your relationship with your partner change and how?
How did you keep your partner on board?
Were you able to use your legal skills/skills acquired in a previous career to do some part time/vacation work during medical school?
Was it difficult as a couple to adjust to a more frugal lifestyle or not really?
Exercise and fitness- did you find time to fit in regular/daily exercise?
Did you have time to maintain/continue learning foreign languages via language lessons during medical school and as a practising doctor?
Did you find that you were treated differently because you were nontrad/ex lawyer/ex whatever/'older', not only at medical school but also at hospital?
How did your average day change?
What was an average week for you in terms of hours spent in school/studying/extra curricular/with family/social?
Did you ever miss the money you were earning in your previous career?
What were the most difficult aspects of starting again from the bottom in your thirties/forties/etc?
Did you find other doctors generally helpful and supportive of your career change or dismissive?
Tiredness/exhaustion-how much of an issue was it?

Thanks so much in advance for any tips and advice you might have!

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[esob]

You probably need to actually drop this is in medical students forum, as the majority of poster in the non-trad are not actually med students yet (though there are some med students and docs that stop by to offer insight). There does seems to be two groups however: those wanting to switch because of $$ and those wanting to switch because they have a genuine desire to help people. The latter seems to do well in the journey and the former mostly fails. A recurring theme you will see is that it can't be about the money, it has to be about the service.

 

[Lawtomedicine]

You probably need to actually drop this is in medical students forum, as the majority of poster in the non-trad are not actually med students yet (though there are some med students and docs that stop by to offer insight). There does seems to be two groups however: those wanting to switch because of $$ and those wanting to switch because they have a genuine desire to help people. The latter seems to do well in the journey and the former mostly fails. A recurring theme you will see is that it can't be about the money, it has to be about the service.

Thanks for the pointers, appreciated. I fully agree with what you have said about $$$ - in my case it makes zero financial sense to switch from law to medicine and my heart has already chosen, but still looking to bounce off ideas and hear the 'logical' ideas.

 

[eteshoe]

@Law2Doc - had to call him since I don't remember all the other former lawyers on the non-trad forum.

 

[esob]

Thanks for the pointers, appreciated. I fully agree with what you have said about $$$ - in my case it makes zero financial sense to switch from law to medicine and my heart has already chosen, but still looking to bounce off ideas and hear the 'logical' ideas.

Yeah, I'm pretty confident my salary as an attending (10 years from now) will be less than I'm making now, lol.

I can give you a tip about the exercise and fitness / time management though. Though I'm still an undergrad, I took 5 classes this semester while working 50 hrs per week and raising three kids, so I dare say my schedule was packed. One way I maximize my timed and still maintained fitness was by hiring a voice actor/sound engineer and sending him to him copies of all my books to record for me. That way, when I was driving/working out/walking the dog, I was able to still be productive with my school work. While the cost might not be feasible for everyone (I paid $20 an hour), I imagine as a mid level lawyer it should be within your budget to do the same. I probably could have not hired someone cheaper but I'm a bit of an audiophile and I wanted someone whose voice wouldn't irritate me after listening to it for 30 or 40 hrs of audio, LoL.

 

[Law2Doc]

Hi everyone, I've been lurking on this site for a while. I've been through many threads and I'm not sure where to begin, but here we go.

I'm a mid-level lawyer practicing in a technical (non-corporate) area of law in 'Big Law'. I had med school on my radar during high school but for various (misguided with hindsight) reasons, I ended up becoming a lawyer.

Massive opportunity costs aside, I live frugally and do not have debt, and I have enough to cover medical school costs. I am in my early thirties, married to someone around my age, with no children, and we are not planning on having children in the near future/if ever. My partner is on board (with moments of doubt, but someone playing the devil's advocate is always helpful) although my family and family friends are unfortunately totally unsupportive and unwilling to discuss. I am planning to apply to medical school in 2017 or 2018 (including European ones as I have the nationality/language skills due to family) after completing some requisites.

While this may seem a bit silly, I'm interested in hearing tips and insights and experiences from nontrads, in particular (but not limited to) those who switched from "Big Law" or other high-paying careers, who have helpful advice/tips based on experience to share before I start launching applications and start the long journey.

I am not so much concerned about finances or prerequisites or grades (not meaning that these are not an issue for me, but rather I have worked through any potential issues in these areas and have already addressed them or am in the process of doing so).

For example, was the switch from law to medicine hard and did any skills cross over into medicine?
Was the switch from a desk-bound job to being on your feet for much of the day difficult?
Where did you seek support outside of medical school?
Did your relationship with your partner change and how?
How did you keep your partner on board?
Were you able to use your legal skills/skills acquired in a previous career to do some part time/vacation work during medical school?
Was it difficult as a couple to adjust to a more frugal lifestyle or not really?
Exercise and fitness- did you find time to fit in regular/daily exercise?
Did you have time to maintain/continue learning foreign languages via language lessons during medical school and as a practising doctor?
Did you find that you were treated differently because you were nontrad/ex lawyer/ex whatever/'older', not only at medical school but also at hospital?
How did your average day change?
What was an average week for you in terms of hours spent in school/studying/extra curricular/with family/social?
Did you ever miss the money you were earning in your previous career?
What were the most difficult aspects of starting again from the bottom in your thirties/forties/etc?
Did you find other doctors generally helpful and supportive of your career change or dismissive?
Tiredness/exhaustion-how much of an issue was it?

Thanks so much in advance for any tips and advice you might have!

Too many questions in too big a post. Nonetheless, I will get the ball rolling.
Yes it was hard. Yes there are some transferable skills. No you will neither have the time or inclination to do any law on the side. Yes of course you will miss the income.

 

[Lawtomedicine]

Yeah, I'm pretty confident my salary as an attending (10 years from now) will be less than I'm making now, lol.

I can give you a tip about the exercise and fitness / time management though. Though I'm still an undergrad, I took 5 classes this semester while working 50 hrs per week and raising three kids, so I dare say my schedule was packed. One way I maximize my timed and still maintained fitness was by hiring a voice actor/sound engineer and sending him to him copies of all my books to record for me. That way, when I was driving/working out/walking the dog, I was able to still be productive with my school work. While the cost might not be feasible for everyone (I paid $20 an hour), I imagine as a mid level lawyer it should be within your budget to do the same. I probably could have not hired someone cheaper but I'm a bit of an audiophile and I wanted someone whose voice wouldn't irritate me after listening to it for 30 or 40 hrs of audio, LoL.

That's impressive! Wow thanks for the idea

 

[Law2Doc]

Yeah, I'm pretty confident my salary as an attending (10 years from now) will be less than I'm making now, lol.

I can give you a tip about the exercise and fitness / time management though. Though I'm still an undergrad, I took 5 classes this semester while working 50 hrs per week and raising three kids, so I dare say my schedule was packed. One way I maximize my timed and still maintained fitness was by hiring a voice actor/sound engineer and sending him to him copies of all my books to record for me. That way, when I was driving/working out/walking the dog, I was able to still be productive with my school work. While the cost might not be feasible for everyone (I paid $20 an hour), I imagine as a mid level lawyer it should be within your budget to do the same. I probably could have not hired someone cheaper but I'm a bit of an audiophile and I wanted someone whose voice wouldn't irritate me after listening to it for 30 or 40 hrs of audio, LoL.

If you recorded it yourself you would have had the added benefit of an additional time through the material... Most computers let you do that these days without any fancy add ons. The snag would be anything with pictures or calculations.

But I would caution that while some people are auditory learners, many, maybe most, are not. Meaning you'll learn things much quicker and better reading it in print once rather than listening to it several times. A lot of us learned this the hard way in med school, where lectures are often recorded.

 

[bumblebee611]

Hi everyone, I've been lurking on this site for a while. I've been through many threads and I'm not sure where to begin, but here we go.

I'm a mid-level lawyer practicing in a technical (non-corporate) area of law in 'Big Law'. I had med school on my radar during high school but for various (misguided with hindsight) reasons, I ended up becoming a lawyer.

Massive opportunity costs aside, I live frugally and do not have debt, and I have enough to cover medical school costs. I am in my early thirties, married to someone around my age, with no children, and we are not planning on having children in the near future/if ever. My partner is on board (with moments of doubt, but someone playing the devil's advocate is always helpful) although my family and family friends are unfortunately totally unsupportive and unwilling to discuss. I am planning to apply to medical school in 2017 or 2018 (including European ones as I have the nationality/language skills due to family) after completing some requisites.
***
While this may seem a bit silly, I'm interested in hearing tips and insights and experiences from nontrads, in particular (but not limited to) those who switched from "Big Law" or other high-paying careers, who have helpful advice/tips based on experience to share before I start launching applications and start the long journey.
Thanks so much in advance for any tips and advice you might have!

I'll take a stab - I'm about 10 years older than you, practiced law for a number of years in a variety of settings including "Big Law" before people called it that, have two children (tweens), and will be starting as an M1 in August.

For example, was the switch from law to medicine hard and did any skills cross over into medicine? Um, don't know yet. I was a science major in college and did quite well on my MCAT and in my post bacc classes. I'm also scribing part time. If I have any cross over skills I anticipate that they will be time management/study skills (I've always been a strong student and have learned to manage a lot what with having two kids and a fairly demanding career).

Was the switch from a desk-bound job to being on your feet for much of the day difficult? I sort of do this with my scribing days, and I have also spent a few years as a stay at home mom and I'm in excellent health for my age, so I much prefer not sitting at a desk.

Where did you seek support outside of medical school? I have a number of family and friends who are doctors and they have been immensely supportive of me, and I have no doubt they will continue to be. I will also be attending school in the same city where I have lived for 10 years, and have a lot of community and friendships here, especially with other lawyer moms.

Did your relationship with your partner change and how? First time I've mentioned it on these forums, but my husband passed away during the application cycle. (Goodbye anonymity!) If my husband were still around, I'm sure we would have had to find ways to make time for ourselves what with all the other demands on my time, but we had managed it through some very challenging times already, and I think we would have succeeded.

How did you keep your partner on board? He believed I would be able to make a real contribution as a physician, and wanted me to be able to use my abilities to do the most good I could do.

Were you able to use your legal skills/skills acquired in a previous career to do some part time/vacation work during medical school? I probably could because I have been doing very part time contract work for a while now, but I'm not going to do that once I start school because I'm going to need every free moment for the kids and my own health.

Was it difficult as a couple to adjust to a more frugal lifestyle or not really? This question goes for anyone who has to adjust to a more frugal lifestyle - I have been doing so gradually, especially since losing my husband. So far it's not so bad because I try not to go berserk about things like the price of groceries and my expenses have gone down in other ways--I no longer have drycleaning or feel the need to wear nicer and thus more expensive clothes, and I know I won't have time to do things like eat out, which is another money pit. I guess if you have to pull another adult along with you it may be more difficult--the kids don't notice stuff like this. But again, I think it's all about your sense of adventure and ability to meet challenges together as a team--if your partner is truly on board, these sorts of adjustments shouldn't breed resentment or the like.

Exercise and fitness- did you find time to fit in regular/daily exercise? I don't manage it daily, but I do work out quite a bit. I try to keep in mind that a little is better than none. I try to ride a bike or walk whenever I can, or just do some quick body weight exercises at home if I don't have time for anything else.

More later, maybe.

 

[esob]

If you recorded it yourself you would have had the added benefit of an additional time through the material... Most computers let you do that these days without any fancy add ons. The snag would be anything with pictures or calculations.

But I would caution that while some people are auditory learners, many, maybe most, are not. Meaning you'll learn things much quicker and better reading it in print once rather than listening to it several times. A lot of us learned this the hard way in med school, where lectures are often recorded.

Yeah, ofc, if I would have had the time to read and record it myself that would have been great. As far as computer software that does, well, we are not there yet (nothing that even remotely comes close to what a well versed voice actor can do, and computers, specifically AI is what I do for a living). As far as audio vs visual, well personally that may still need to be scientifically tested I guess if I ever have time to, but considering the class avg for the toughest course (bio) was a 57 that he had to curve to a C while I got a 100% without any curve, (and every other course I finished with > 100%) I think the audio definitely is a viable option for me

 

[Lawtomedicine]

If you recorded it yourself you would have had the added benefit of an additional time through the material... Most computers let you do that these days without any fancy add ons. The snag would be anything with pictures or calculations.

But I would caution that while some people are auditory learners, many, maybe most, are not. Meaning you'll learn things much quicker and better reading it in print once rather than listening to it several times. A lot of us learned this the hard way in med school, where lectures are often recorded.

That's also a good point. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Lawtomedicine]

I'll take a stab - I'm about 10 years older than you, practiced law for a number of years in a variety of settings including "Big Law" before people called it that, have two children (tweens), and will be starting as an M1 in August.

For example, was the switch from law to medicine hard and did any skills cross over into medicine? Um, don't know yet. I was a science major in college and did quite well on my MCAT and in my post bacc classes. I'm also scribing part time. If I have any cross over skills I anticipate that they will be time management/study skills (I've always been a strong student and have learned to manage a lot what with having two kids and a fairly demanding career).

Was the switch from a desk-bound job to being on your feet for much of the day difficult? I sort of do this with my scribing days, and I have also spent a few years as a stay at home mom and I'm in excellent health for my age, so I much prefer not sitting at a desk.

Where did you seek support outside of medical school? I have a number of family and friends who are doctors and they have been immensely supportive of me, and I have no doubt they will continue to be. I will also be attending school in the same city where I have lived for 10 years, and have a lot of community and friendships here, especially with other lawyer moms.

Did your relationship with your partner change and how? First time I've mentioned it on these forums, but my husband passed away during the application cycle. (Goodbye anonymity!) If my husband were still around, I'm sure we would have had to find ways to make time for ourselves what with all the other demands on my time, but we had managed it through some very challenging times already, and I think we would have succeeded.

How did you keep your partner on board? He believed I would be able to make a real contribution as a physician, and wanted me to be able to use my abilities to do the most good I could do.

Were you able to use your legal skills/skills acquired in a previous career to do some part time/vacation work during medical school? I probably could because I have been doing very part time contract work for a while now, but I'm not going to do that once I start school because I'm going to need every free moment for the kids and my own health.

Was it difficult as a couple to adjust to a more frugal lifestyle or not really? This question goes for anyone who has to adjust to a more frugal lifestyle - I have been doing so gradually, especially since losing my husband. So far it's not so bad because I try not to go berserk about things like the price of groceries and my expenses have gone down in other ways--I no longer have drycleaning or feel the need to wear nicer and thus more expensive clothes, and I know I won't have time to do things like eat out, which is another money pit. I guess if you have to pull another adult along with you it may be more difficult--the kids don't notice stuff like this. But again, I think it's all about your sense of adventure and ability to meet challenges together as a team--if your partner is truly on board, these sorts of adjustments shouldn't breed resentment or the like.

Exercise and fitness- did you find time to fit in regular/daily exercise? I don't manage it daily, but I do work out quite a bit. I try to keep in mind that a little is better than none. I try to ride a bike or walk whenever I can, or just do some quick body weight exercises at home if I don't have time for anything else.

More later, maybe.

Thank you - that's really helpful. Sorry to hear about your husband and all the best with your exciting new adventure. Are you doing anything in particular to prepare before you start or just enjoying a summer without any medical school/med student related activities/thoughts?

 

[bumblebee611]

Thank you - that's really helpful. Sorry to hear about your husband and all the best with your exciting new adventure. Are you doing anything in particular to prepare before you start or just enjoying a summer without any medical school/med student related activities/thoughts?

Thank you for your condolences. I'm purporting to review biochem, since I've always been weak at that, but more fundamentally, I'm just trying to spend a lot of time with friends and family before I get too busy!