Too old to go to med school?

[bjjmike69]

Hi guys, I have a pretty lucrative career on Wall Street, however I’m getting kind of tired of it. I used to look up to my buddys dad growing up who was an Anesthesiologist and thought that if I ever became a doctor it would be in Anesthesia. Is 32yo too late to apply to med school? I don’t even really know how it all works. My grades weren’t the best in undergrad, but I feel I could provide a strong application. Thanks for your input

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[deleted1079620]

Hi guys, I have a pretty lucrative career on Wall Street, however I’m getting kind of tired of it. I used to look up to my buddys dad growing up who was an Anesthesiologist and thought that if I ever became a doctor it would be in Anesthesia. Is 32yo too late to apply to med school? I don’t even really know how it all works. My grades weren’t the best in undergrad, but I feel I could provide a strong application. Thanks for your input

I started my bachelor’s degree at 33, now in medical school in my early 40s. It’s a long road but you’re definitely not too old.

 

[Beeftenderloin]

Even if you have a bachelors degree already you would need to take all the pre-recs: 1yr each of biology, gen chem, organic chem and physics, many schools want a semester of biochem, calculus and statistics, some also have behavior science and humanities requirements. Many schools want those to have been completed within 5 years of applying.

Then you have to study for and take the MCAT which takes at minimum a few months of dedicated prep time. Once all that is done you can apply, which takes another year.

Once you start it’s 4 years med school then 4 years of residency. And that’s IF you even get into the specialty of your choice.

You’re looking at 11-12 years at a minimum before you actual realize this career goal. Can it be done? Sure. Whether that’s something that makes sense to you at the age of 32 is up to you.

 

[Gaseous Clay]

You are not too old but grass is rarely greener on the other side. I'd suggest living within or below your means, save save save, and get to FIRE at a youngish age. Going to med school this far out from college will be hard and tedious. You may need to go back to get certain prerequisites, study hard for the MCAT, and then have 8 years of med school and residency with the former possibly putting you $200k or more in debt and then making $50k/year as a resident. Really ask yourself if that is something you really want to do.

I love my career and would not change a thing but residency is rough since we are a 24/7 job and then getting a job that probably pays less than your current gig with long nights and weekends can be draining.

 

[deleted126335]

Hi guys, I have a pretty lucrative career on Wall Street, however I’m getting kind of tired of it. I used to look up to my buddys dad growing up who was an Anesthesiologist and thought that if I ever became a doctor it would be in Anesthesia. Is 32yo too late to apply to med school? I don’t even really know how it all works. My grades weren’t the best in undergrad, but I feel I could provide a strong application. Thanks for your input

Health care is undergoing revolutionary changes. The world that your buddy’s dad experienced is mostly gone. The satisfaction of physicians at all stages of their career in most specialties has been on a downward trajectory.

Not saying that you shouldn’t do it, but if you do, go in with this in mind.

 

[IlDestriero]

We had a few second career people in my medical school class in their late 20s and 30s and even 40s. They brought interesting perspectives. It can be done if you really want a change. One woman was an executive in her late 40s and had no intention of ever practicing. I always thought that was a wasted seat, but she did the work and graduated. She’s probably head of a health system or insurance company by now, or retired! I should look her up. If you’ve never even practiced, does the degree have any value in the C-suite?

 

[dabears505]

Please don't waste 10 years of your life to end up making probably about the same amount of money as you do now. You will thank me in 15 years when you are 50 and not having to poke some 350 lb lady in the back with a large needle screaming at you "is it in yet!" At 2 in the morning.

Please, please don't pursue this idea.

 

[deleted875186]

Looking at 10 years minimum to be out of training, assuming you get into Med school right away and already have all the prerecs, and that you get the specialty you want. If your making good money I think most people would tell you no.

 

[<(^_^)>]

We had some people that started late. One was financially independent after his career (around 30 - and went by choice into FM). It’s hard for some people to grasp, but sometimes it really isn’t about the money, at all. And sometimes it’s also not about the hours at all either (the hours will be way better in medical school and to be honest maybe anesthesiology residency compared to Wall Street).

Logistically what you’d need to do is a masters program which basically has all the pre-reqs built in. They also often improve your odds of getting into medical school at the associated program. They’re around 1 year long.

The only concern I have is you should have more to go off than your friends dad was an anesthesiologist and you looked up to him. You probably do and just didn’t get into it in your post, but make sure you’ve made an effort to get some significant exposure to medicine before going down this path.

Side note: that wealthy older medical student whined way less than everyone else. It’s a lot easier to go through the process when you have no debt, no concerns about reimbursement/future salaries, and can live off things beyond ramen during the training process.

 

[GassYous]

Anyone with 69 in their username is not too old for med school

 

[cchoukal]

Of course, none of us can guess your motivations, or truly put ourselves in your shoes with regard to the risk- benefit analysis of this decision, but one perspective that has not yet been raised os whether you can derive what you’re looking for from this career change in some way that costs less in terms of money, time, and the inevitable change to your personality and life that would come from going to medical school and residency.

Are you married? Kids? Do
You want them? Would it be easier to manage that without the workload this change would entail (possibly projecting, here, as I have 10 month old twins and couldn’t imagine this during training)?

I guess this just sounds like a huge pain in the ass to me, and as much as I love what I do, if I could afford a nice life without the change you propose, I’d work really hard to find some other way to derive fulfillment.

 

[Guillemot]

I would recommend that the OP try to find meaning in their life outside of their career. Starting med school in my mid 30’s sounds like hell.

 

[deleted126335]

Anyone with 69 in their username is not too old for med school

Also username starts with “bj”

Just sayin.

 

[GravelRider]

Bjmike69 will go from getting bjs to giving bjs if he went to med school. Huge mistake. Don’t go to med school. Live frugally and find meaning in other ways.

 

[nimbus]

Methos did it. But he’s immortal.

 

[coroner]

This guy joined over 6 months ago while working on Wall Street and this is his first post...?

 

[Blockit]

To the OP: I can’t imagine why you would even consider such a prospect. And that is coming from someone who has been in private practice anesthesia for 18 years now. Let me tell you about my day yesterday: I went into the hospital at 6 AM, supervised five rooms throughout the day in multiple different sites seeing a total of about 30 patients. Many of them quite difficult patients. And then, when it was time for all the cRNA‘s to go home at 7 PM, I began doing add on nonessential orthopedic cases for a spastic/ADD orthopedic surgeon who goes to his clinic all day and then wants to do add-ons all night. I finished my workday from 6 AM at 2 AM. Now I am in a fog the next day, going back for another call shift tomorrow.

Forget about most of the idealism of your youth, forget about any looking up that you did to this anesthesiologist who probably practiced in the 80s or 90s. This is the reality of anesthesia today in many places. I would take that wall street career and run with it.

I realize that this is the student doctor forum and we are supposed to attract people to our specialty rather than repel them, but there’s nothing worse than spending 11 to 12 years, good years of your life, for some thing that in many ways turns out to be a lie in the end.

 

[Blockit]

Also username starts with “bj”

Just sayin.

Doze, come on man. It doesn’t start with “BJ”, it starts with “BJJ“. I’m guessing that means Brazilian jujitsu. Try to keep up 🤣

 

[IMGASMD]

Of course, none of us can guess your motivations, or truly put ourselves in your shoes with regard to the risk- benefit analysis of this decision, but one perspective that has not yet been raised os whether you can derive what you’re looking for from this career change in some way that costs less in terms of money, time, and the inevitable change to your personality and life that would come from going to medical school and residency.

Would it be easier to manage that without the workload this change would entail (possibly projecting, here, as I have 10 month old twins and couldn’t imagine this during training)?

I guess this just sounds like a huge pain in the ass to me, and as much as I love what I do, if I could afford a nice life without the change you propose, I’d work really hard to find some other way to derive fulfillment.

Are you married? Kids? Do
You like them?

 

[zizzer]

I wouldn't recommend it for the reasons others have mentioned, but of course you can and we all know people who have done it. The important thing is that you understand the full ramifications of that decision. Have you considered becoming a nurse anesthetist or anesthesiology assistant? You would still get to do the exciting things and have a different job setting in the operating room if it's ok with you to not be the one in charge of the plan and major decisions. Although it's not the same, that path would be a lot less school, time, and debt for you.

 

[pgg]

To the OP: I can’t imagine why you would even consider such a prospect. And that is coming from someone who has been in private practice anesthesia for 18 years now. Let me tell you about my day yesterday: I went into the hospital at 6 AM, supervised five rooms throughout the day in multiple different sites seeing a total of about 30 patients. Many of them quite difficult patients. And then, when it was time for all the cRNA‘s to go home at 7 PM, I began doing add on nonessential orthopedic cases for a spastic/ADD orthopedic surgeon who goes to his clinic all day and then wants to do add-ons all night. I finished my workday from 6 AM at 2 AM. Now I am in a fog the next day, going back for another call shift tomorrow.

You need a better job.

Or, you need to kick the gambling and/or cocaine habit if you've been working that job for 18 years and can't retire tomorrow morning.

 

[Justice4all]

OP, don’t do it! Volunteer your time

 

[sevo00]

Seems like a troll post to me. Lucrative career on Wall Street but wants to go to Med school? Makes zero sense. Also says grades weren’t good in undergrad…I know grades aren’t everything but hard to imagine someone with a lucrative Wall Street career doing poor in undergrad

 

[JiPo]

Don’t... Volunteer, donate, go on vacation, do something more “fulfilling” with your time if you have a quarter/mid life crisis.

By “lucrative” career on wallstreet in early 30’s, I am assuming you are making at least 300k with zero education debt. You would be forgoing 300k x 4 years of medical school plus 3-6 years of residency getting paid $60-70k.

At the minimum, you are looking at 2.2million dollar loss for the 4 years of medical school, debt, and 3 years of residency. This doesnt even take into post-bacc for pre-req courses and time taken for mcat studying.

 

[deleted697127]

Seems like a troll post to me. Lucrative career on Wall Street but wants to go to Med school? Makes zero sense. Also says grades weren’t good in undergrad…I know grades aren’t everything but hard to imagine someone with a lucrative Wall Street career doing poor in undergrad

Lol.

 

[GassYous]

Are you married? Kids? Do
You like them?

Having kids and liking kids are two verrry different things

 

[pgg]

Don’t... Volunteer, donate, go on vacation, do something more “fulfilling” with your time if you have a quarter/mid life crisis.

By “lucrative” career on wallstreet in early 30’s, I am assuming you are making at least 300k with zero education debt. You would be forgoing 300k x 4 years of medical school plus 3-6 years of residency getting paid $60-70k.

At the minimum, you are looking at 2.2million dollar loss for the 4 years of medical school, debt, and 3 years of residency. This doesnt even take into post-bacc for pre-req courses and time taken for mcat studying.

I knew a CT surgery fellow a while back who quit his Wall St job after making a truckload of money, but hated his life. He was as happy as any CT fellow I've known since.

You have to remember a lot of these banking gunners are working 70+ hour weeks and getting run every bit as ragged as we are in med school and GME. It's been a while since we've had an I-coulda-been-an-ibanker thread. I totally get why some would want to escape to another field.

And who's making the more rational decision? The 22-yo with undergrad debt who's entering an expensive out-of-state medical school to borrow and let interest accrue on a few hundred $K more, to be paid off well into his 30s? Or the 32-yo with a pile of cash looking for a career change into something less soullessly awful, who could conceivably exit residency in his early 40s with no debt?

 

[Mman]

You have to remember a lot of these banking gunners are working 70+ hour weeks and getting run every bit as ragged as we are in med school and GME. It's been a while since we've had an I-coulda-been-an-ibanker thread. I totally get why some would want to escape to another field.

A colleague of mine has a kid going through that and they are working 80-100 hour weeks quite often.

I had several people in their late 30s and early 40s in my medical school class and they brought an interesting perspective to things. Do what you love. Medicine is a long and strenuous career path, but it can still be rewarding emotionally if you don't get too sucked into the grind of charting and administrators and regulations etc.

 

[nimbus]

To the OP: I can’t imagine why you would even consider such a prospect. And that is coming from someone who has been in private practice anesthesia for 18 years now. Let me tell you about my day yesterday: I went into the hospital at 6 AM, supervised five rooms throughout the day in multiple different sites seeing a total of about 30 patients. Many of them quite difficult patients. And then, when it was time for all the cRNA‘s to go home at 7 PM, I began doing add on nonessential orthopedic cases for a spastic/ADD orthopedic surgeon who goes to his clinic all day and then wants to do add-ons all night. I finished my workday from 6 AM at 2 AM. Now I am in a fog the next day, going back for another call shift tomorrow.

Forget about most of the idealism of your youth, forget about any looking up that you did to this anesthesiologist who probably practiced in the 80s or 90s. This is the reality of anesthesia today in many places. I would take that wall street career and run with it.

I realize that this is the student doctor forum and we are supposed to attract people to our specialty rather than repel them, but there’s nothing worse than spending 11 to 12 years, good years of your life, for some thing that in many ways turns out to be a lie in the end.

I know that orthopod very well and much of what you say is true. But the clinical, technical, and procedural aspects of medicine just get cooler and more exciting every year. If you want to be a part of that, there has never been a better time to enter medicine.


I alluded to Peter Wingfield in an earlier post in this thread. He started out in medicine as a young man and got sidetracked to a long and successful career acting in theater, movies, and TV. Then he applied to medical school, was accepted, and reentered medical school at the age of 49. He recently completed training and is now a 58yo practicing cardiac anesthesiologist in LA. The oldest member of my medical school class was a 38yo professional puppeteer. She retired in 2018 at the age of 64 after a 22yr career practicing psychiatry in LA. The cost benefit analysis is different for everyone. If you’re the “I wanna retire at 50 so I can golf and travel more” type, it’s probably the wrong decision. If you really want to be a doctor and do some doctoring, go to medical school.

 

[ucladoc2b]

Hi guys, I have a pretty lucrative career on Wall Street, however I’m getting kind of tired of it. I used to look up to my buddys dad growing up who was an Anesthesiologist and thought that if I ever became a doctor it would be in Anesthesia. Is 32yo too late to apply to med school? I don’t even really know how it all works. My grades weren’t the best in undergrad, but I feel I could provide a strong application. Thanks for your input

I went to medical school as an older student (graduated at 31). I worked as a management consultant beforehand. My last day of residency, is actually today.

Please really think about it before doing it. The career path is way harder as an older student coming from a lucrative career.

The foregone income and debt are no picnic. I gradually adapted to it. It took a while. It wasn’t easy. The loans can be trapping (I still had to take some. And I came with some savings).

When I went through, years of hard work and tuition came down to a few correct answers on a multiple choice test. The particular form of the exam you got on Step 1 day had huge bearing on your career outcome and location. I never thought this was very fair (this is coming from someone who did fine on it).

But this really isn’t the worst part.
If you have a professional job where people treat you respectfully at work, you are in for a huge shock. Med students and residents are not treated very well. Training is pretty rough. People say and do things to you that no other job will tolerate. Do not underestimate the toll this can take on you. I think having a high pay career first made the toll of the training environment much worse. It’s hard to leave your boss, hospital or specialty.

Sure there are some good/amazing things about this career. And I really am looking forward to (and a bit terrified) to attending life.

I’m not so sure I would have made the same decision.

 

[Mman]

If you have a professional job where people treat you respectfully at work, you are in for a huge shock. Med students and residents are not treated very well. Training is pretty rough. People say and do things to you that no other job will tolerate.

That is a valid point. In most hospitals I have been in the medical students often feel like the lowest rung on the totem pole. It's not just the doctors and nurses that get treated better than you, it's also the nurses aides, the nursing students, even the janitors. I mean you are basically on a rotation for like 2 or 4 weeks and will barely even get to know the names of the people working on those units or in those clinics full time for decades. Difficult to earn respect in that short of a time frame and if you are the kind of person that needs that to feel good about yourself it will not be there.

 

[Skindoc83]

I know three People who went To med school after being quite successful in finance. Two of them dropped out of med school within the first three years. You need to really analyze your motivation before starting down this path

 

[BLADEMDA]

Hi guys, I have a pretty lucrative career on Wall Street, however I’m getting kind of tired of it. I used to look up to my buddys dad growing up who was an Anesthesiologist and thought that if I ever became a doctor it would be in Anesthesia. Is 32yo too late to apply to med school? I don’t even really know how it all works. My grades weren’t the best in undergrad, but I feel I could provide a strong application. Thanks for your input

You are too old for Med School. I recommend a Nursing School bridge program then 1-2 years as an ICU nurse before applying for CRNA school. That is the pathway for you if you choose anesthesia. The pay is excellent and you can likely work some while in the bridge program.

Best-Paying States for Nurse Anesthetists
The states and districts that pay Nurse Anesthetists the highest mean salary are Wyoming ($243,310), Montana ($239,380), Oregon ($234,750), Wisconsin ($233,600), and California ($227,290).

You should be able to earn $275K as a CRNA by working a substantial amount of overtime and you can pretty much pick your location.

 

[repititionition]

My story and timeline are quite similar to yours. Very late entry, very high opportunity cost. Everyone I knew tried to talk my out of it, but I did it. I'm happy. Medicine will suck just as much as the job you're in now, just in different ways. I'm quite satisfied with that trade off. You may not be.

 

[abolt18]

Residency classmate of mine had a very successful career before leaving it for med school. This individual started residency at the age of 40. Doing just fine. Much more goal-oriented and no whining (as opposed to the 26yo counterparts who blazed through school never having worked a job in their lives before).

 

[ryanjmy]

Med school is hard. Med school in your mid 30s will be even harder. Just like the rest of your body your brain is not the same as it was in your early 20s. You’ll be at a significant disadvantage to the kids. Almost all of the older people in my med school class finished bottom third.

Assuming you get in and finish med school your most likely looking at primary care. Nurses that take a few online classes will be competing with you.

Having said that it’s a hell of a journey. Just know what you’re getting yourself into.

 

[Mman]

Med school is hard. Med school in your mid 30s will be even harder. Just like the rest of your body your brain is not the same as it was in your early 20s. You’ll be at a significant disadvantage to the kids. Almost all of the older people in my med school class finished bottom third.

Assuming you get in and finish med school your most likely looking at primary care.

I'm just going to go ahead and laugh at that from the former classmates I had that ended up in insanely competitive specialties that entered med school relatively late in life.

Medical school is the easy part for people going into it late in life. Residency is relatively much tougher.

 

[ryanjmy]

I'm just going to go ahead and laugh at that from the former classmates I had that ended up in insanely competitive specialties that entered med school relatively late in life.

Medical school is the easy part for people going into it late in life. Residency is relatively much tougher.

Of corse there are exceptions but step scores are about 5 points lower for people starting med school after age 25. I'm sure its even worse for people after 35.

 

[repititionition]

Of corse there are exceptions but step scores are about 5 points lower for people starting med school after age 25. I'm sure its even worse for people after 35.

You have a source for this? Genuine interest.

I think you have to consider where the "older" applicant is coming from. Banking, consulting? Horsepower is probably not a problem. TFA, Peace Corps, etc? Could be. IDK.

I did see some of the older students in my med school class struggle academically. Then again, I saw plenty of the "straight through" crew struggle, too. You have to look at both sides of the distribution.

 

[chocomorsel]

Med school is hard. Med school in your mid 30s will be even harder. Just like the rest of your body your brain is not the same as it was in your early 20s. You’ll be at a significant disadvantage to the kids. Almost all of the older people in my med school class finished bottom third.

Assuming you get in and finish med school your most likely looking at primary care. Nurses that take a few online classes will be competing with you.

Having said that it’s a hell of a journey. Just know what you’re getting yourself into.

How do you know people’s class rank? I thought this was confidential information.

 

[ryanjmy]

You have a source for this? Genuine interest.

Relationships of demographic variables to USMLE physician licensing ex | AMEP

Relationships of demographic variables to USMLE physician licensing exam scores: a statistical analysis on five years of medical student data Jacqueline L Gauer,1 J Brooks Jackson2 1Office of Medical Education, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; 2Department of...

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[deleted162650]

Of corse there are exceptions but step scores are about 5 points lower for people starting med school after age 25. I'm sure its even worse for people after 35.

I don’t think it has anything to do with “mental horsepower” but rather the fact that non-trads typically have spouses/kids/other sh** going on in their lives that prevent them from studying the same way/hours that a fresh outta college 22yo can.

 

[caligas]

Hi guys, I have a pretty lucrative career on Wall Street, however I’m getting kind of tired of it. I used to look up to my buddys dad growing up who was an Anesthesiologist and thought that if I ever became a doctor it would be in Anesthesia. Is 32yo too late to apply to med school? I don’t even really know how it all works. My grades weren’t the best in undergrad, but I feel I could provide a strong application. Thanks for your input

What’s does a “lucrative career on Wall Street” amount to?

 

[pgg]

I don’t think it has anything to do with “mental horsepower” but rather the fact that non-trads typically have spouses/kids/other sh** going on in their lives that prevent them from studying the same way/hours that a fresh outta college 22yo can.

There's definitely an element of life perspective that leads some to choose to do "enough" vs "as much as I possibly can because nothing else matters". Some are better than others at divining where the line between enough and not enough is though, and staying on the right side of it.

 

[skypilot]

Of corse there are exceptions but step scores are about 5 points lower for people starting med school after age 25. I'm sure its even worse for people after 35.

35 is nuthin. Wouldn’t even worry about 35.

 

[BLADEMDA]

Let's put some perspective on going to Med School for the person over the age of 35. Realistically, the OP will be 35 when he/she enters Medical school.

1. Money- If this isn't a factor, in the sense money doesn't matter, it makes things a whole lot easier. No debt. No loans. Med School doesn't look so bad.

2. Income- Again, if the total loss of income for 4 years followed by a low paying salary for another 4-6 years doesn't bother the older applicant that again makes the decision much easier.

3. Family- Is the applicant single? Does he/she have a family to worry about including young children? That weighs heavily in the decision.

4. Motivation- Passion. Is the drive to become a Physician or an Anesthesiologist about the respect/future income or because the applicant can't imagine doing anything else with her/his life.

As long as the 1-4 are really taken into consideration then the decision to attend Med School by an older applicant is purely a personal one.

 

[deleted875186]

Let's put some perspective on going to Med School for the person over the age of 35. Realistically, the OP will be 35 when he/she enters Medical school.

1. Money- If this isn't a factor, in the sense money doesn't matter, it makes things a whole lot easier. No debt. No loans. Med School doesn't look so bad.

2. Income- Again, if the total loss of income for 4 years followed by a low paying salary for another 4-6 years doesn't bother the older applicant that again makes the decision much easier.

3. Family- Is the applicant single? Does he/she have a family to worry about including young children? That weighs heavily in the decision.

4. Motivation- Passion. Is the drive to become a Physician or an Anesthesiologist about the respect/future income or because the applicant can't imagine doing anything else with her/his life.

As long as the 1-4 are really taken into consideration then the decision to attend Med School by an older applicant is purely a personal one.

Yes, lost income, need for loans, where this person is in terms of retirement savings, dependents to support, probably the most important.

 

[BLADEMDA]

Yes, lost income, need for loans, where this person is in terms of retirement savings, dependents to support, probably the most important.

For example, a single person who sold $30 million worth of bitcoin at $60,000 per coin can certainly go to Med School at any age.

 

[jwk]

I looked at med school at around age 30 after practicing as an AA for 6 years. A pretty simple cost analysis showed I would have been in my 50s before breaking even financially. Lost income x8 years, cost of medical school, costs of living, etc. From an economic standpoint, it wasn't worth it in the 80s, and the numbers now would be far worse.

 

[pgg]

For example, a single person who sold $30 million worth of bitcoin at $60,000 per coin can certainly go to Med School at any age.

If I'd had $30M when I was a med student I'm not sure I'd have made it through a whole month of internal medicine rounds as a MS3 ...