Guest Regina063 Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 Hi, I have applied to McMaster in the last two years, and have not been invited for an interview in either year. I just received my "thanks, but no thanks" letter today, so I'm feeling discouraged. I'm 42, a mother of 3 children, married, and have been employed as a medical secretary, and now a clinical research associate at a local cancer centre for about 22 years. I am in my fourth year of a B.Sc. in psychology at McMaster. I've been doing this part-time since 1993. I am feeling discouraged and wondering if I should pack in my quest to be a physician, which I have been pursuing since '89. In 1989 I had the good fortune to apply to nursing and be accepted at Mohawk, but I decided I really was more interested in medicine. I got into science at McMaster with the hopes that I would eventually be able to get into the medical program there. I know in the last few years the GPA needed to get an interview (at McMaster) has gone up significantly. And the numbers applying to McMaster has skyrocketed. Is the double cohort driving up the GPA as well as the numbers applying to this program? I'm also wondering about med school in the states. I was under the impression that one had to be a resident of the U.S. for a year or something like that in order to attend med school there. Anyhow, if anyone can shed some light on the above issues, I would really appreciate your input. Signed, Should I Just Give Up??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sixster Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 Hi, I wouldn't quit if this is something you truly want. Not everything in life is going to be easy, so if you really want to get into medicine do whatever it takes to get in, as long as you don't hurt anyone or do anything illegal Have you completed your undergrad as a part-time student? Do you have any years as a full-time student? From what I remember you need to have at least two years as a full-time student. So this could be one reason you didn't get an interview. Have you tried Ottawa - they don't require the MCAT. Also, have you considered writing the MCAT? This would allow you to qualify to apply to several other schools. Also, have you considered completing a graduate degree? Since you are already doing research why not try get a degree for it. I have heard of several people doing grad degrees through companies - try Waterloo??? I am not completely sure of the details, but it is worth investigating. This would allow you to keep your current job. Also, as a grad student you would still be earning a small stipend, so you wouldn't be completely broke. Remember that as a grad student you need to be productive (publications) so pick the best project/lab for you to complete this:D Hope this helps. Best of Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kellyl20 Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 Close to 50 when you are done. What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ssc427 Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 No. You should not give up. You will make an excellent doctor. Who cares about age. You'll still have ~20 years as an MD and these will likely be the best, in terms of vocational happiness, of your life. If you want this go for it, but forget about Mac. They used to be the school where people like you could turn, but they have evolved into GPA hounds of the worst kind. I would sign up for the online Kaplan MCAT course (it’s all you need). Meticulously go through it then write the MCAT ASAP and do well. Then carpet bomb north America with applications. No – you do not need to be a US citizen to apply there and someone with your life experience would easily be accepted. But see the many forums/threads out there for the pros/cons of a US MD. Obviously this is ignoring your family obligations and so there are huge issues for you which most applicants cannot even begin to appreciate. I can in some way relate – I will be starting my MD with two children. Good luck and do not ever let anyone tell you that you should rethink this because of your age. This is 2006 people. Career changes in your 40’s are common place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McCutch Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 I would keep trying! Don't give up! I know people who have done it and been in a similar situation....my own mother!! She also took 10 years doing a psych degree and applied to McMaster 3 times before getting accepted. You just have to keep trying! If my mom could do it as a mature student and with 3 kids (I was a teenager when she was in med school) then you can too! Keep your chin up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 Hi there, There are some folks in my class who are currently in their forties and thus, will be closer to the age of 50 when they begin billing for their clinical services. So clearly, at some schools, your age would not be a factor. At those schools, the only factors of influence would be your credentials and your determination. If those are in check, then there's little other reason to stop you from applying to medical school. In terms of the US, there are a number of schools that will consider Canadian applications as they do US applications, i.e., as domestic as opposed to international applicants. There are a number of threads within the US forums that provide comprehensive lists of these schools--and there are quite a few. (I applied to a number of these schools a few years ago and received an interview from Finch (Chicago), so that's at least one school that will view non-US applicants favourably.) Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ploughboy Posted February 10, 2006 Report Share Posted February 10, 2006 -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Haven't you heard? 30 is the new 20, and 50 is the new 40... Seriously, if this is something that you really want, then go after it. If you're going to do it, do it right...Your family situation complicates things, but if I were you I would set my sights on more than just one school (especially if that school is Mac) and put together a plan to get you to where you want to be (included in the plan: decision points where you do a gut-check about whether this is really the path for you). This forum is a great resource, but I would also encourage you to check out the websites of the various Canadian and American schools, and try and figure out where your best chances are. If everything goes according to plan I'll be 38 at the end of my CCFP-EM fellowship and will have spent most of my 30s working toward that goal (if I go that route...Interventional Radiology is looking really sweet these days, and if I do that I'll still be a student in my mid 40's) Good luck! pb -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.0 (FreeBSD) iD8DBQFD7Rmh/HNgbK3bC2wRAgWZAJ9rk8D0SSnGxs/X6sPV6fsNQhNREgCfTj0T 8VEDMr21B19kqyqUtq+DXxg= =dCb9 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest potential md Posted February 11, 2006 Report Share Posted February 11, 2006 I have to say, I love this forum. I'm 33 with a "successful" career and many of my friends think I'm crazy to be making a major career change at this point (well, trying to anyway). It's so nice to hear of people in a similar boat and the encouragement and determination of all of the mature students out there to keep on plugging away at the application process again and again is very impressive. Persistence & tenacity are certainly traits that I would want in my doctor. I hope we all get in - sooner rather than later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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