[Jason8676]

Hello,
I am 31 years of age and pondering a return to college. I have about 90 hours of college credit thus far. I began college in the Fall of 1995, majoring in Pre-Med. Over 12 years and a lot of stupid decisions later(let's just say I went through The University of Life and experienced plenty of failure and humiliation), this is where I stand. I attempted a return several years ago, but that flopped horribly. To add insult to injury, I only took one class, which was Calculus I. I aced the first exam but after that it was downhill. Trying to balance my work schedule of over 40 hours and this one course was either just too demanding or I was just lazy and retarded. Some money issues also contributed to my loss of motivation. I applied for financial aid too late and agreed to pay for the expenses incurred for the semester. The college I attended was private, so for one course I am now stuck with a bill of over $3,000. I could not receive any aid until that was paid off, nor could I enroll in anything else period. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Now things have calmed down considerably and all of the tulmult that I endured from about 2001-early 2007 is behind me. I am living comfortably now, but there is still a void. I need to continue working but I want to finish school. I am a perfectionist and that attribute has certainly not worked to my advantage in the past. Not being able to get my grades where I want them, working to pay the bills, and other extenuating circumstances led me to quit in the past. In sum, would it be wise to return and complete my Pre-Med studies and pursue a career in medicine? I know this sounds silly at my age, but I'm not about to give up on my dream. I have other passions and interests, but I just feel this calling to be a doctor. I certainly don't plan on retiring at 65-I've heard of many doctors working into their 80's and 90's because that is what they love. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Jason

[ISneezeFunny]

I wouldn't kick yourself too hard. The avg age for med school entrance is mid to late 20s now. So you're not too far behind. First, I would suggest getting your bachelor's. Then I suggest taking a semester or about a year of post bac's. Then take mcats. You should be fine. Best of luck.

[kp2171]

As far as income goes, pharmacy is an impressive option. Most, if not all, are 6 year programs now... but with some premed classes you might be able to track into a different level, or at least skip some prereqs...

When you are done with pharmacy you have completed 6 years, you have a doctorate, you are able to teach (though usually you need some "real life" experience), and you are probably going to pull down 70K immediately.

Just an option you might not have thought about.

I tought a number of "untraditional" students in the pharmacy program, and they were always happy with how they were received, and I know for certain the income is a big, big plus.

[oneguyinohio]

As far as your age goes, relax. In 10-15 years from now, how old will you be if you go back to school? Now, how old will you be if you don't go back to school?

Going back to school isn't going to change your age.

I wish you lots of good experiences.

Sometimes, life teaches us lessons along the way that we never anticipate.

[Jason8676]

Hey!
Thanks for the quick replies. I really love this site-I'm always full of questions and there is always a wealth of information from everbody here.
As for school, I feel a bit more relieved about my age and what it is that I would love to pursue. I've heard time and again that medicine is a competitive field and schools are ultra-selective with MCATs and GPA being among the main factors for acceptance. My transcript took a blow when I went through a destructive cycle of entering for a semester, quitting about 3/4 of the way because I was dissatisfied with my grades(thus the coursework attempted just shows as W-no credit), and then returning. The college I attended finally made me sit out for a semester and admitted me again, only for me to repeat the same garbage-enter, quit, and return. Finally one semester(in Fall, 2000), I totally flunked out on purpose-just quit attending. Basically, there were other things at the time that seemed more important. In hindsight, that decision was among the most foolish that I've ever made. Same thing happened in Fall, 2006 with only one class-4 credit hours of work. My GPA went from over 3.0 to about 2.7. I fear that if anybody were to look at my transcript down the line if I apply to a post-graduate program, they'll automatically dismiss me from consideration due to my track record in comparison to other applicants. The transcript doesn't tell the real story of who I am and what I stand for. It may look like I've given up on some battles in the past, but I haven't given up the fight. My family advised me not to return, saying that earning a degree in biochemistry is pointless and a waste of money if I don't know what career to pursue. Everybody except me has pretty much given up. I think everything happens for a purpose and the experiences I've had in life(being made fun of as a child due to scoliosis, losing a parent, going through a personal bankruptcy, losing my only daughter at 11 months to a heart defect, and other trying times) give me the edge that I've been there and now it is my turn to help others. Money is not an issue-if I'm able to help others and change lives, that in itself will be rewarding.
Again, thank you all for the quick replies and take care.
Jason

[kp2171]

Well, I'm here to give only my honest opinion.

If you intend to pursue med school, you face a battle of time and money. The time it might take to set yourself up to get in, not to mention the time for school itself, and the cost it might take to clean your record as well as the cost for med school.

Again, I may not be on an admissions board for a med school, but I'm pretty aware of what things you need to do to set yourself up for a better chance at getting in. and you know you haven't set yourself up well for this.

So... you've done poorly in many classes? Are you elegible to retake some of those classes? Find out from the school what their policy is on retakes... and specifically for your position, where its been some time since the classes were taken. Don't assume anything. Talk to them. In some places the retake grade replaces the original, making an F, for ex, disappear... but they might asterisk the grade... telling a prospective school that you retook the class for some reason, and knowing its likely due to an unsatisfactory grade. You should talk to your school about this... call the registrar.

MCAT and gpa are certainly important. Good intentions don't help school wade through the thousands of applications, number do. It helps them make the first cuts, fair or not.

Understand the MCAT is primarily based off the first years of schooling... gen chem, organic chem, bio, physics, some biochem. In my opinion all the upper level classes, like physiology or anatomy, only help you understand the primary classes on a deeper lever. I guess what I'm saying is don't neglect the core classes of the first two years. You need to know the info very well for the MCAT. Upper level classes help prime you for advanced education.

Consider applying to DO schools as well as MD. The DO schools are still competetive, but generally accept lower scores, and in my experience, offer many students in your position a second chance. The kicker is you still need to set yourself up well (meaning id retake bad classes as much as I could) and the cost is higher for DO schools. Last I saw, it was something like 30K a year... times four.

But DO programs offer an option.

Along with that, there are other medical programs to look at if you want to work in a hospital. Don't let pride make your decision. Going the md/do route will take you likely 3+ years of college if all goes well and assuming you have some grades you can salvage and assuming you can go full time to school, then four med, then all the training after...

I don't think its unreasonable to start a new career at 40 something, but also understand your body. The physical toll at internship/residency is real and its tough.

I mentioned pharmacy. There are lots of ways you can go with this, and as I mentioned, the income is surprisingly high. Again 6 year program... and its competitive at the college level.

Other routes, physician assistant (4 years college, 2 med program), podiatrist (4,4), nursing... yes there could be a stigma in your mind as a guy, but its one of the most versatile health fields, allowing lots of movement through various aspects of the health care field...

If you go premed bio or chem and don't get in, you're mostly stuck at lower level positions in business, working in a lab for ex. Without a masters or PhD you won't be calling the shots or making more money, unless you grab an MBA and advance on the business side. But you haven't expressed interest in business...

So... can you do it? I think so, if you are committed and willing to take the time to fix some things... and also if you are of the aptitude needed for med school... again, it is about ability, not just intentions.

So its possible, just make sure you are making a decision that also weighs out the financial side. You'll be taking yourself out of the marketplace (not investing or saving) taking out school loans for a long time, and you won't have a long horizen of time to pay them off.

And then be realistic about the physical toll med school takes. I've had good friends go through and it is rough there for a spell.

And you need a backup plan. People who don't get into med school the first time around often have to do some work and reapply again for another year, sometimes two to get a break. Obviously the stronger your current work and scores, the better chance you have.

Understand I don't say this to discourage you... I simply expect you to be comfortable with the reality. Doing a job you love can be worth it.

[oneguyinohio]

Nuclear medicine technicians along with x-ray techs... seem to be other areas of high need in the medical field. Those positions seem to pay quite well, and I know people who have chosen that route rather than accept a full ride scholarship to medical school.