Med school after midwifery - questions

[EnbyCactus]

Hello, I'm a midwife and have practiced for a few years now but want to go to med school in a few years (once my youngest is no longer a baby). I have a master's degree and also a 4.0 GPA from midwifery school, lots of volunteer experience, and experience also working in a primary healthcare field. A few questions though:

-If I start med school around the time I'm 40, is that too late?

-I am thinking of UOttawa but they need pre-reqs in Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Organic Chemistry. I've taken courses in Life Sciences (biochem), Reproductive Physiology, and Pharmacology -- do you suppose any of those will count? If not, where do folks take prereq courses online?

-Would it be possible to still practice part time while I'm in med school?

-Has anyone else moved from midwifery to med school?

Thank you!

[bearded frog]

First you're going to have to see if your midwifery grades count towards your undergraduate GPA, many schools don't consider a master's GPA in their calculations (although it obviously helps for extracurriculars and/or research if you did research during it. Otherwise your application will be based on your undergrad GPA which you didn't specify if it was compeditive. UOttawa does not require the MCAT but it's a compeditive school and you would have much better chances with an MCAT, however you'd probably have to re-study all the content which would be another barrier. You'll have to look at UOttawa's application site and criteria directly on what qualifies for their extracurriculars - ie a 100 level biology course vs an explicit course. However, generally the requirements for biochem and organic chemistry are pretty strict that it must be an actual biochemistry and organic chemistry course, and couldn't be replaced with pharm, which means you might run into a snag there. Again you'll have to see if online courses qualify, as historically organic chem at least had a lab component (although in the age of covid that might be waved).

In terms of age, applying at 40 is a personal choice. I'm not 40 and I personally wouldn't start medical school now. You're basically committing to 6 years of training at the very least (assuming you don't write the MCAT to qualify for the 3 year medical schools, and apply to family medicine. You didn't specify in your post but if you're thinking obgyn as a follow-on to your midwifery, that's 9 years at the minimum, and also obgyn is very compeditive so there's a chance you wouldn't be able to get in at all. In theory you can work during medical school but being a midwife may be difficult (you won't be able to commit to being on-call/available to your clients with commitments to school) but practically you probably won't in clerkship/residency as you will be too busy anyway.

I'm sure people have moved from midwifery to medicine before.

[EnbyCactus]

Thanks for your reply. My midwifery degree is a bachelor's of health sciences so my 4.0 GPA would count; my master's is in English lit. I'd want to go into family medicine and definitely not OB.

[MissionUBC]

22 hours ago, EnbyCactus said:

Thanks for your reply. My midwifery degree is a bachelor's of health sciences so my 4.0 GPA would count; my master's is in English lit. I'd want to go into family medicine and definitely not OB.

It is never too late...... It is never too late to follow your dreams and passion! I have been in healthcare for over a decade and in my 40's now. I am also applying to various med schools this cycle. A few year ago, during my professional duties, I met an individual in his 60s and doing FM residency training. That really motivated and encouraged me that it's never too late. In fact, based on your accumulated life and professional experience, in my opinion, you would make a great family doctor!

All the best

[bearded frog]

On 12/27/2021 at 3:14 PM, EnbyCactus said:

Thanks for your reply. My midwifery degree is a bachelor's of health sciences so my 4.0 GPA would count; my master's is in English lit. I'd want to go into family medicine and definitely not OB.

Well, those are both points in favor of it being possible. If you're limited to UOttawa you should look to see what their exact pre-req requirements are and get the ball rolling on any you need. While you obviously have a good GPA and good ECs, UOttawa is still very competitive so it might be the case you have to apply a couple of cycles while still working before success, although entirely possible you get in on your first attempt.

[kaacmp]

Good luck! I am also a midwife looking to make the leap I am hoping to become a rural GP. We can connect if you'd like.