Starting Medicine at 31!!

finty

Hi All,

looking for some advice. I've been working since leaving college back in 2001 but have always had it in the back of my mind that I'd like to study medicine and pursue a career as a doctor.

Just from peoples experience, would there be any major drawbacks in starting as an intern at the ripe old age of 36? I know about the long times waiting to qualify in a specialist area but is there anything i'm missing?

Just got my gamsat result yesterday and should get an offer for a place this year.

Ihaveanopinion

It depends what you think you want to do - which you wont know until you are finishing or even in your intern year.

Medical School - 4-6yrs (depending on how you are going about it)
Intern year - 1yr (at the moment - 2 if you go to the UK)
SHO - 2yrs (typically, though it can be more)

Then, how long it takes depends on what you want to do.
GP - 4-5 yrs. You can get this out of intern year but not everyone does
Medical Specialities - 4-6 yrs after SHO, depending on research and can be longer
Surgical Specialities - 6yrs plus research plus waiting to get on a Higher surgical training programme.

If you want to become a Surgeon - you are looking at minimum 13 yrs before you are finished and probably more.

How does it sound now

MicraBoy

I'm in the same boat finty. Turning 31 in a couple of weeks and looking at doing GradMed starting in Sept 2010. I had some real doubts about my sanity on even considering it, but I am told that there are lots of people our age and older doing this. I think it is very positive if this has been a dream of yours all along.

I think you have to look at the other side of the coin. I have 34 years left till normal retirement age. I guess doctors don't retire at 65 either so it could be 40 years till you retire if I do medicine.

I don't think 13 years out of 35/40 years sounds all that bad, especially considering the prospect of doing my current job for the the next 35!

To answer your specific question I'd say it depends on the area you work in, but you will have to put up with younger people being farther along than you and perhaps some ageism. I don't know if this is perceived as a disadvantage in the medical field or not.

finty

Thanks Guys,

don't mind the continuous study, in fact always wanted a job where i'd be developing continuously. Realise its a long road but it still seems very attractive...


Maybe there may be a bit of ageism, but if you are good enough I'm sure you can get past that.

Looks like myself and Micraboy are in a similar position.

BTW I'll be doing Graduate Entry Medicine in Ireland if things work out. got a good gamsat so should be fine to get in my first choice:)

MicraBoy

Sorry forgot to say congrats on the gamsat. Best of luck getting a place.

It's all ahead of me yet! :eek:

finty

it's a tough exam i have to say, but well doable with a couple of months prep.


Don't believe all the hype and hysteria you see on internet forums though.

good luck

haemfire

ask youself this, are you not going to do medicine because your 31?

Dr Galen

finty and Micraboy, fair play to you both.

it's actually something I've considered myself in a pretty similar age group to you both too. I think I'd be more concerned with financing myself through it all really. If any rich uncles wanna die anythime soon, then TBH I'd prob go for it.

Vorsprung

Fair play. Important to keep in mind the jobs situation that's going to arise in years to come; job security is going to be an issue for some people. Plenty of posts on the issue if you do a search.

Amnesiac_ie

A friend of mine did the GAMSAT in his early thirties (despite my trying to talk him out of medicine as much as possible) and he's just completed the first year of his graduate course and he's really happy with his choice. My boyfriend has now decided to sit the GAMSAT at the age of 27; aiming to start a graduate program at 28.

I don't think age in itself should be a determining factor. I applied for medicine at the age of 16 and I often feel I would have benefitted from a few more years life experience before I began. The oldest person in my class in med school was 38 in First Med, 42 at graduation and is now training in Canada and really happy.

If you really want it and you've researched it, go for it.

drzhivago

MicraBoy wrote: »

I'm in the same boat finty. Turning 31 in a couple of weeks and looking at doing GradMed starting in Sept 2010. I had some real doubts about my sanity on even considering it, but I am told that there are lots of people our age and older doing this. I think it is very positive if this has been a dream of yours all along.

I think you have to look at the other side of the coin. I have 34 years left till normal retirement age. I guess doctors don't retire at 65 either so it could be 40 years till you retire if I do medicine.

I don't think 13 years out of 35/40 years sounds all that bad, especially considering the prospect of doing my current job for the the next 35!

To answer your specific question I'd say it depends on the area you work in, but you will have to put up with younger people being farther along than you and perhaps some ageism. I don't know if this is perceived as a disadvantage in the medical field or not.

This is a very good reply to your question

To add a few more thoughts in to the mix

when you graduate you will be working shiftwork, an inevitable consequence of reduced working hours

That physically gets very taxing as you get older

working as a registrar in your 40's will be tiring and trying, mentally and physically as you will still be studying then and having to pass postgrad examinations

The plus side is that there are so many careers open to you you may find a niche that doesnt require the 10-15 years postgrad study

If you want to do it you probably will but dont close your mind to medicine just being about what you see on TV like GPs in soaps or Surgeons, there are a lot more medical disciplines which never see the light of day on TV shows and yet have good work life balance and extremely rewarding career structures

cill5

finty wrote: »

Thanks Guys,

don't mind the continuous study, in fact always wanted a job where i'd be developing continuously. Realise its a long road but it still seems very attractive...


Maybe there may be a bit of ageism, but if you are good enough I'm sure you can get past that.

Looks like myself and Micraboy are in a similar position.

BTW I'll be doing Graduate Entry Medicine in Ireland if things work out. got a good gamsat so should be fine to get in my first choice:)

I think that's absolutely brilliant!! Fair play to you!! Who cares about your age, if you want to do it, you should do it. We've got one life so you might aswell make the most of it and do what you want!

I've always wanted to do medicine, was smart in school, but kind of got lost along the way. Now after completing a 6 month intership as part of my 3rd year in college, I realized that the corporate life is certainly not the life for me, which in turn reignited my interest in a medical career.

I'm in final year atm, got 54 in the GAMSAT and the lowest last year was 55. I only had 4 weeks prep, no science background and was completing a rigorous final year project at the time, so all in all i'm pretty happy! I know now that they are within my reach. I'm going to sit them again this Sept in London, unless in the mean time, by some divine intervention the score drops to 54(which is doubtful). But if people don't get their 2.1s and given todays economic climate you never know.....here's hoping!!