Guest crazygirl2009 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hello Everyone... I just recently discovered this message board and find myself addicted to it!! I am petrified in some ways at starting school...although in an excited sort of way! I am wondering what everyone's background is....is there any "older" students? I am in my early 30s and leaving behind my career as a physio, my life and my boy to pursue this. Is there anyone else in this boat? Drop me a line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AliatUofT Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hi there well welcome to the forum.. i am a bit younger, i am 28 and turning 29 in Dec. (which from what i know is getting up there in age but i always believe in the saying "you are only as old as u feel") i too feel a bit like you, very anxious yet exteremly excited.. and i cant wait to get the show on the road, i am sure it will be great. i have been doing research for the last 4 years, i wouldnt call that a career but i was really enjoying my time as a researcher, but i am glad at least that i am going into a career that will let me continue that as well. cant wait to meet everyone , boy these months seem to pass by so slowly take care cheers Ali Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest satsumargirl Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hey Crazygirl Yep...I am leaving my life as a speech pathologist. But I am relieved to be doing so, I never really loved it. While I am happy about the career change, I am nervous/anxious about the lifestyle change. No income :eek and I'm worried that I won't learn as fast as I used to. (I found as school went on I became less motivated to memorize things, just wanted to learn concepts and I think there is alot of memorizing in meds...and I've never been motivated to memorize just for tests and that attitude of mine will just be worse now I'm sure!). I met a dietician turned med student on my interview day and he said that the first couple of weeks are a bit of an adjustment but then you get into it and it's fine. Anyway, the next 2 months are going to just drag on for me. I've made my decision to move on and I just want to go and get started! My last day at work is Aug 19th and I am taking a bit of vacation between now and then. Feels like forever til the 19th though. Hope to meet you in the fall!! (I am in the francophone program) Sats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazygirl2009 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hey Thanks for replying guys. I feel a little reassured! I also have similar worries as you Sats. I wonder if I will be able to learn as fast, retain and how I will ever function on such little sleep. Also when you have been your own boss for a few years it's hard to get used to the concept of having to kiss ass etc for the next 4. I also worry about loss of income and no more shoe shopping sprees!! And then there's my boyfriend...I can feel the clock ticking and I am wondering when I am going to fit in having kids etc.... It's very easy to get myself all worked up about this and think I am crazy for even wanting to try this. I guess these 2 months are the hard part...the waiting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest anony27 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Ladies, Sats and I have already been in touch about this, but let me add myself to the list... I am 27 (turning 28 in Dec)., and am 'leaving' a career with the federal government as a policy analyst (I don't so much see it as leaving as I do enhancing my credentials, and building a life-long career instead of just having a job, but I digress...) I am from Ottawa so luckily, I am not having to move (and nor is my partner). I too have spent lots of time thinking / agonizing over the med school / starting a family dilemma. I found the school very helpful on the front, and I have had a chance to talk to a couple of former students who are living proof that it can work (very inspiring). I look forward to meeting you all in the fall. Let me know if you need any Ottawa-specific tips. Hilary PS. My partner keeps making jokes about how I'm going to have to give up my sleep-habit (I like lots of sleep)... I think that's going to be the hardest, but at least it won't hit us for another couple of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazygirl2009 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Cheers to us!! Maybe we can start a little club when we get to Ottawa!! I am looking forward to meeting you guys too. Hopefully we will be in some of the same PBL's etc together. It's nice to know that I am not the only one changing my life. Some people think I am crazy for doing so!! Maybe they are jealous or maybe they know something I don't! Hilary, I am envious that you are already in Ottawa and that your partner will be there for you. Leaving my partner behind will be very difficult for me. I haven't found a place to live yet...I am looking around the buildings on Riverside but I haven't had a chance to come up yet. Is that walking distance to campus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest anony27 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Crazygirl, Where are you moving from? My sympathies on the leaving-the-boy thing - that must be hard. The plethora of apartments in the Riverside area are technically within walking distance although it depends on which one, and the walk would still be around 15minutes, I expect. The meds campus is unfortunately located, so it's not really convenient to anything (there is one new development and one older neighbourhood that is right there, but they are "suburban", and there isn't much in the way of rentals). It really depends on what you're looking for... as Sats discovered (and I happen to agree), if you are looking for a neighbourhood feel with amenities nearby (coffee shops, grocery stoers, street-front-life), then the Riverside area is not for you. Neighbourhoods like that include: the Glebe, Old Ottawa South (my area), new Edinburgh, etc. They are reasonable distance to campus, but are not an easy walk (the closest is old ottawa south, and while I haven't yet timed the walk, I expect it's at least 1/2 an hour). The thing with the apartments that are nearby the school is that, in order to get to any of the amenities, you'll need to drive or take a cab. Ottawa is a good city to have a car in - you can choose not to use it to get to school every day, but still find it handy for getting around during your leisure time. All this to say, it depends on what you prioritize - you'll pay a bit more for the neighbourhoods I listed above, and you'll be further from school, but they'll have a better "quality of life" (in my opinion). But if your first priority is being near the hospital / school (which is understandable), then they are the closest bet. I would definitely advise coming to Ottawa to visit and see for yourself because, while it's a very pretty city, it is confusingly laid out and can be hard to describe where the areas are relative to one another. I'm happy to answer any other questions - fire away. Hilary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazygirl2009 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Hilary... Thanks for the input. I think for the first year I will probably opt to be closer to campus. The rents at Riverside are $730 all inclusive plus parking. I hope I survive though as I really love coffee shops, cool restaurants and neighbourhoods that are vibrant. It will be hard not to have them around. I do have a car though so that is helpful as I rather drive it for my fun times rather than drive it every day to school. I am hoping this will encourage me to go and explore as there is nothing in my hood to explore. What is the parking situation like in Ottawa? In Toronto it's crazy and expensive!! I will pick your brains about cool places/neighbourhoods to explore when my boyfriend comes up. And I am still hoping that he will move up with me after first year so I am going to keep a list of those cool places that you have sent me. He's from Montreal orginally and it will KILL him to live at Riverside. I guess we will see. Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest satsumargirl Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Crazygirl, If you want to be close to school there are some apartments on Playfair (Playfair apartments?) that is my opinion after my apt hunting would be a better place to live than Riverside. If you look at a map you will see there is a train that goes by those apartments and there are some busy roads and not much around. (I like quiet) Playfair also has not many interesting things nearby but it is quieter with a park/green space nearby and you can easily walk/bike to school. Worth checking out anyway. If I had chosen to be close to school I probably would have gone with that. But for QOL I chose to live elsewhere. I agree with Hilary that it's best to check out the city and get a feel for the areas. Alot of apartments can look nice online but they turned into drive-bys when I was actually there...wasn't even worth going in! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FrenchyMed Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Welcome to Ottawa guys! I started last September and was considered one of the "oldies" at 28... The average age of med students is closer to 23 so I did feel a little over the hill at times. I also left a "career" as a Policy Analyst in the federal gov. 8o Best decision I ever made! About the memorization problems.. I completed an Engineering degree where most exams were open-book so I never had to memorize anything. I did not find that 1st year required that much memorizing (maybe my expectations were off). As for 2nd year... it remains to be seen. As for sleep: 1st year allows for plenty of free time so you can spend it as you please! Good luck finding apartments. If you are not familiar with Ottawa, I strongly suggest you stay either near the Med campus or near the main campus. Enjoy your summer and have fun during frosh! FrenchyMed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazygirl2009 Posted July 12, 2005 Report Share Posted July 12, 2005 Frenchy Med Thanks for your words! Was there other older people in your class as well? 23 seems so young to me now!! How will I ever relate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FrenchyMed Posted July 13, 2005 Report Share Posted July 13, 2005 On the French side (i.e 40 students) there were approx 6-7 students over 25 with the oldest student being 30. The youngest students (two of them I think) were 19. On the English side, I think there were a few students over 30 and maybe one or two over 40. I would say that the majority of 1st year students were admitted after 3 or 4 years of undergrad. Many of them seem to have limited experiences outside of their parent's home. The age difference is not that bad (most of the time). But sometimes I feel like I'm back in high school! Some students act really "clicky" and are pretty immature... I guess I got over bragging about how much I drank last night a while back... When you get to hands-on stuff, "older" students tend to better interact with patients (real or mock) because they have more life experience. At least, that's my experience. Don't worry about relating. The age difference is not that big!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tuna Salad Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 I will be 34 in December... :\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FamilyMeds Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 I gather from some of the previous postings on this topic that, though the average age is quite low, there are still a few outliers in the statistics. It is becoming more and more common to see older people being accepted to medical school (and excelling!) FamilyMeds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crazygirl2009 Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 Hey Everyone... thanks for replying and sharing. It's kind of strange to think of myself as an outlier!!! It can be quite nervewracking when I think of what I am starting at the age of 30. I just have to keep in focus that my age and work experience may be helpful in some ways and not just detrimental. And kids will happen when they happen....although hopefully by 35! I am looking forward to meeting you in person now that I know that you do exist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jmh2005 Posted July 14, 2005 Report Share Posted July 14, 2005 I started meds when I was 27. Not all that old, but when you looked at the demographics of my class, I was definately an outlier. I too was a therapist, an OT, worked for 3 years before going back...having this background was the best thing ever. I would constantly watch my much younger classmates struggle with even talking with patients in the early stages, even in 2nd year (and I was at Mac, in a 3 year program!). Having both practical and clinical work experience is such an advantage, you'll see soon enough...interdisciplinary team skills, just knowing how things 'run' in a hospital, outpatient clinics, etc will put you far ahead. The material is not rocket science, there's a lot of it, but if you put the time in (but not too much so that you neglect your social and personal life) you will be fine... Congrats, this will be the best decision you've ever made (it has been for me). You'll be surprised at how fast it really goes! All the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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