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Is It Time To Move On?


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Hi all, 

 

I am writing today to get some feedback, I feel as though I have hit a crossroad with regards to my future in medicine and I want to hear about what everyone else thinks about my situation. It’s difficult to talk to my friends and family, because all their opinions are biased - of course :) 

 

I am 26 years old: 

  • I graduated in 2010 from UBC with BKIN with the following GPAs:

1st yr - 3.24
2nd yr - 2.97
3rd yr - 3.19
4th yr - 3.59

 

  • I realized I needed a second UG degree and began one in 2012 at UBC - for that year I received a GPA of 3.9 
  • I moved back to Ontario in 2013, and had to transfer my courses to TRU in order to obtain my second UG from home/online. I am almost complete and thus far I have a GPA of 3.94. I expect to finish on the same level. 
  • My MCAT BLOWS and I would 100% need to re-write...for the third time :| 

I am unsure if it’s the female hormones kicking in, or the fact that I am feeling quite deflated but I am having second thoughts about pursuing medicine. I can’t imagine re-writing the MCAT at this point in my life (with school, work, volunteering etc) and essentially screwed myself out of any chance at Ottawa because of online degree. NOSM won’t look at my 2nd UG degree until all my courses are complete (Dec 2014) and even my high GPA at UBC won’t be counted because it’s transferred. 

 

I also want a family, and to start paying off my debt and putting money away. 

 

I look daily at becoming an NP and have a hard time swallowing the pill. I am unsure if it’s because my ego won’t allow it, I feel as though I have given up after 15 years of wanting MD. At this point I don’t know if I should apply for NP and see how that route goes, always knowing attending Medschool is an option even in my later life. 

 

I cannot go to the Caribbean due to financial issues. 

 

Or take another year after finishing my courses of simply working and volunteering, writing the MCAT - putting me at 28 years old starting medical school, maybe.. it’s just all so unknown and it’s getting to the point now where my family is starting to suggest that I look at different avenues. Has anyone had this experience, what did you do? Or know of any stories of people that did. 

 

I suppose I am just wanting to hear from you that have had or are having similar thought patterns and what your plans are. 

 

Kind regards everyone! Thanks so much for your input.

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I'm a bit rushed at the moment, but I promise I'll give a more thoughtful and committed response later. Just wanted to get something up really quick so you know we're here to help you in this.

 

To begin, starting at 28 isn't a problem, however if you're feeling the "biological clock ticking" so to speak, that's a huge commitment. It's not impossible to balance a family and medical school, but given you're already having some trouble balancing you need to give this a lot of careful thought. Perhaps even asking on premed101 is inappropriate at this point.

Nothing is impossible, it's all about where you decide to spend your time. If you do want a family much more than an MD at this point, maybe you should listen to that, or at least take it in as feedback. If there are other players involved (such as a significant other, or your existing family) then you should take a moment to consider their needs as well. Conversely, if you wouldn't mind starting a family in your early 30s (assuming the worst) then maybe you can give this another shot.

 

Your 2nd degree GPA is fantastic. The problem is that sometimes we mess up our chances by doing things like getting a low GPA or a bad MCAT. All we can do is begin to fix these things one at a time, and you're already on your way. (:

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jdr44,

 

I can relate to how you feel because I am also female, 26 years old and still trying to get in to med school. I struggle with the same issue because I also don't want to wake up and be 32, alone, and just finished my residency! yikes... 

 

BUT, I would encourage you to think of it this way: would you rather wake up and be 55, and disappointed that you gave up on your dream, or wake up at 55 and be glad that you worked your butt off?

 

My guess is that you would prefer the latter, especially because you seem very committed to your dream (you went to the great effort to get the second undergrad degree). So, I would encourage you to finish up your degree, kill your MCAT (I've written it 3 times too), apply next fall and make it happen. If you're still not in after that, then see how you feel. But, I think you deserve to try it one last time so that you can know for sure. If it doesn't work out, its totally ok and your life will be very fulfilling I am sure, and this way you will know that you gave it your best! You're so close to getting there. But I have a feeling it will happen for you... people who try as hard as you tend to get what they deserve :) 

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Sounds to me like you're likely in the stages of a so-called "quarter life crisis" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter-life_crisis). While this is quite difficult to cope with (I know from first hand experience), it may be helpful to recognize that you're placing a lot of pressure on yourself. I'm going through an almost identical situation. My father passed away when I started my undergrad and it hit me very hard, so my grades are "acceptable" but quite low (so low that if I can snag that sweet sweet interview, it'd be a small miracle in and of itself). I can't help but feel like I'm climbing out of this hole I've made for myself, and you must feel something at least somewhat similar. However, you're starting to fill in that hole with your very respectable GPA. I took the opportunity to boost my MCAT score this past year, in hopes that I can pull off one of those small miracles!

Not to mention, I've tried to put the med school dream away for many years...I've been through two careers, and I just can't seem to let it go. That's definitely some common ground between us.

Taking a year off to write the MCAT, maybe padding up your ABS with some hospital setting volunteering (or other volunteering, if you already have some in a clinical setting) may be rather ideal, and I think that once you increase the MCAT to a competitive score, you'll be in ok territory. During your first two sittings, could you identify any areas of growth? Were you a bit lax on the studying (either due to a motivation issue, or due to other time obligations)? Did you not use your resources to their full extent (ie. writing every single AAMC practice exam)?

If there's anything major that sticks out in your mind, then that's a potential area of improvement. Rewrite, give it your all and if you ever lose sight of the prize just remind yourself that the MCAT is no picnic. Whatever you put into it, you get out of it!
 

One other thing that may help is to stop thinking of the MCAT as "that darned test I have to ace to get in." The MCAT is, and always will be, a chance to demonstrate why you deserve to be in med school (and I don't doubt that you do). It's not like a final exam for a course, as you can simply retake it as needed until you're getting the score you need.

 

 

I look daily at becoming an NP and have a hard time swallowing the pill. I am unsure if it’s because my ego won’t allow it, I feel as though I have given up after 15 years of wanting MD. At this point I don’t know if I should apply for NP and see how that route goes, always knowing attending Medschool is an option even in my later life.

 

NP is an option, and a very respectable one at that. However if you're not ready to let it go (and it sounds as if you're not) then don't let it go! If fulfilling the NP requirements will (in your opinion) boost your chances at acceptance while providing a reasonable alternative, then that's fine. But don't convince yourself that Med school is one of those things that "might always happen" because unfortunately it won't happen without conscious, rigorous effort (which you have to put in now! It's not out of reach). The longer you're out of school, the tougher it is to go back. There are several premeds on this site in their late 30s who are trying their best to make it work, but it won't be easy for them due to other commitments. Life gets more complex, not simpler!

The time to try is now, give it everything you've got and improve yourself for next year. (:

-------------

So let's get down to it:

 

1) I highly recommend cranking out another MCAT score.
2) Do you have IP status for UBC Med?
3) If you can get an MCAT score in the range of 11/11/11 (+- 1 in each section) then I would highly recommend applying to UofT and Queens, as well as UBC if you have IP status. Let that be your goal!

4) McMaster might be a bit of an outside chance given they calculate your cGPA using everything they have available. Would averaging everything together, course-by-course, produce a 3.6 or higher for you? (It's unlikely given your raw data, but you have to do this on an individual course basis). If so, I'd recommend applying there if you get at least 11 in Verbal (or I guess CARS as they're calling it in 2015).

5) What is your second UG degree in?

 

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Hi all, 

 

I am writing today to get some feedback, I feel as though I have hit a crossroad with regards to my future in medicine and I want to hear about what everyone else thinks about my situation. It’s difficult to talk to my friends and family, because all their opinions are biased - of course :)

 

I am 26 years old: 

  • I graduated in 2010 from UBC with BKIN with the following GPAs:

1st yr - 3.24

2nd yr - 2.97

3rd yr - 3.19

4th yr - 3.59

 

  • I realized I needed a second UG degree and began one in 2012 at UBC - for that year I received a GPA of 3.9 
  • I moved back to Ontario in 2013, and had to transfer my courses to TRU in order to obtain my second UG from home/online. I am almost complete and thus far I have a GPA of 3.94. I expect to finish on the same level. 
  • My MCAT BLOWS and I would 100% need to re-write...for the third time :| 

I am unsure if it’s the female hormones kicking in, or the fact that I am feeling quite deflated but I am having second thoughts about pursuing medicine. I can’t imagine re-writing the MCAT at this point in my life (with school, work, volunteering etc) and essentially screwed myself out of any chance at Ottawa because of online degree. NOSM won’t look at my 2nd UG degree until all my courses are complete (Dec 2014) and even my high GPA at UBC won’t be counted because it’s transferred. 

 

I also want a family, and to start paying off my debt and putting money away. 

 

I look daily at becoming an NP and have a hard time swallowing the pill. I am unsure if it’s because my ego won’t allow it, I feel as though I have given up after 15 years of wanting MD. At this point I don’t know if I should apply for NP and see how that route goes, always knowing attending Medschool is an option even in my later life. 

 

I cannot go to the Caribbean due to financial issues. 

 

Or take another year after finishing my courses of simply working and volunteering, writing the MCAT - putting me at 28 years old starting medical school, maybe.. it’s just all so unknown and it’s getting to the point now where my family is starting to suggest that I look at different avenues. Has anyone had this experience, what did you do? Or know of any stories of people that did. 

 

I suppose I am just wanting to hear from you that have had or are having similar thought patterns and what your plans are. 

 

Kind regards everyone! Thanks so much for your input.

 

How bad is your MCAT? You will need to retake to have fair shot.

 

Your best two years give you a fair shot at Queens and UWO. Are you able to move back to BC to get your IP status? It might be a shot, what is your overall % GPA with your worst year dropped for UBC?:

 

We need more info to better adivse.

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It seems hard but please don't give up if this is your dream

The average age of my med school class was about 24-25

I finished residency at age 35

Despite "late maternal age" I became a mom post residency.

You are still young and you can do this.

There is lots of time to start a family and pay off debt.

I share my life despite a busy specialty practice with a very energetic and inquisitive 4 yr old and I wouldn't have changed a thing !!!

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We've got someone in our first year class turning 40 this year, so your age is probably fine.  That said, I understand how terrible and worthless having to keep applying and getting rejected feels.  Honestly, it's up to you.  If you feel like you can make it through 1 more MCAT and one more cycle, then go all in, 100% and do it.  Maybe take an MMI prep course, apply everywhere and do a hail mary.  If you think you can't, then don't.  Don't think of it as failing, think of it as doing what is best for you; if it's a family and a different career, than that best for you.  But it's up to you, and your own judgement.  

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You're so not in a position where you should give up. I know the feeling of being old. I'm older than you, but as you age your perception of age changes. 21 year olds think I'm pretty old to be applying to medicine. People my age think 40 year olds are pretty old to be applying to medicine. 40 year olds think 50 year olds are pretty old to be applying to medicine. If you need some inspiration with regards to overcoming the old lady feeling, go here: http://www.oldpremeds.org

 

You are not the only premed who hears her biological clock ticking loud and clear. Motherhood and medicine are not, by any stretch of the imagination, mutually exclusive. You also need to consider that there is not always a perfect time to have a baby. Do you currently have a partner who is interested in parenting with you in the near future? Consider starting your family prior to starting medical school. Obviously motherhood and medicine are both yelling at you. Follow the one who is yelling the loudest, but don't silence the other. Is continuing your premed activities (studying for the MCAT, finishing your second UG, ECs, etc.) going to be more difficult while pregnant? Maybe. But it has been done. Is going to medical school with a child going to be more difficult? Definitely. But it has also been done, and done very well. Everything about the idea of starting a family before going to medical school is hard, but the constant distraction of needing a family may be worse, and may subconsciously cause you to fail. You need to be really honest with yourself about what you need to do first. Women have children before medical school, during medical school, during residency, and when they are done which is sometimes in their late 30s. As mentioned above, it will take balance skills, and a lot of them. But it may also be incredibly difficult to mentally balance being in medical school and the desire to become a mother. Consider this very seriously in your decision. Need more inspiration? http://www.mothersinmedicine.com & http://premedpostmom.blogspot.ca (this is Birdy's blog).

 

I too have thought long and hard about going th NP route, and it is just a concession I cannot make. Everytime I would come across a scope limitation would be a bitter reminder than I gave up on medicine. I think I would be so bitter about this that I would not succeed on this career path. And if you're worried about money, becoming an NP then an MD I not particularly fiscally efficient. Yes, loans accrue interest and can feel like a horrible burdon, but you need to look at the big picture. Doing your MD and getting into the workforce as a physician is going to be much more lucrative than avoiding interest. I'd love to pay down my mortgage and what's left of my BN, but right now I'm working part time so I can focus on my premedical studies and those debts are basically sitting there. Med school is simply a higher priority for me than paying down debt and squirrelling away money.

 

What you have to do sounds simple, but is in reality incredibly complex: confidently define your priorities then commit, which as much strenth as you can muster, to making all decisions in congruence with these priorities. You will not fail, so do not fear it. Failure only occurs when you make decisions that are not congruent with your priorities. If you do this and decide you need to go full on for medicine right now, wrapping your head around the MCAT rewrite is going to come much more naturally. And writing the MCAT 3 times is not unusual. My plan actually includes 3 attempts.

 

Sorry of this post sounds sanctimonious, but I can relate in so many ways to your situation. Maybe my experience is not applicable to you, but maybe it is. So I figured I'd at least share my thoughts and perhaps they would be of some help. If not, I'm just another bossy know-it-all on an anonymous Internet forum telling you how to live your life. In the end, it's all up to you.

 

 

 

Hi all, 

 

I am writing today to get some feedback, I feel as though I have hit a crossroad with regards to my future in medicine and I want to hear about what everyone else thinks about my situation. It’s difficult to talk to my friends and family, because all their opinions are biased - of course :) 

 

I am 26 years old: 

 

  • I graduated in 2010 from UBC with BKIN with the following GPAs:
1st yr - 3.24

2nd yr - 2.97

3rd yr - 3.19

4th yr - 3.59

 

  • I realized I needed a second UG degree and began one in 2012 at UBC - for that year I received a GPA of 3.9 
  • I moved back to Ontario in 2013, and had to transfer my courses to TRU in order to obtain my second UG from home/online. I am almost complete and thus far I have a GPA of 3.94. I expect to finish on the same level. 
  • My MCAT BLOWS and I would 100% need to re-write...for the third time :| 
I am unsure if it’s the female hormones kicking in, or the fact that I am feeling quite deflated but I am having second thoughts about pursuing medicine. I can’t imagine re-writing the MCAT at this point in my life (with school, work, volunteering etc) and essentially screwed myself out of any chance at Ottawa because of online degree. NOSM won’t look at my 2nd UG degree until all my courses are complete (Dec 2014) and even my high GPA at UBC won’t be counted because it’s transferred. 

 

I also want a family, and to start paying off my debt and putting money away. 

 

I look daily at becoming an NP and have a hard time swallowing the pill. I am unsure if it’s because my ego won’t allow it, I feel as though I have given up after 15 years of wanting MD. At this point I don’t know if I should apply for NP and see how that route goes, always knowing attending Medschool is an option even in my later life. 

 

I cannot go to the Caribbean due to financial issues. 

 

Or take another year after finishing my courses of simply working and volunteering, writing the MCAT - putting me at 28 years old starting medical school, maybe.. it’s just all so unknown and it’s getting to the point now where my family is starting to suggest that I look at different avenues. Has anyone had this experience, what did you do? Or know of any stories of people that did. 

 

I suppose I am just wanting to hear from you that have had or are having similar thought patterns and what your plans are. 

 

Kind regards everyone! Thanks so much for your input.

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We've seen a few medical students in their 40's. Being 28 is not old at all. Honestly, age and life experience bring you so much wisdom. You are able to better collaborate with your colleagues and deliver better care to your patients because you understand life more (think about how to say this in the interview). Being a mature applicant gives you a better shot at residency application, too (so you save yourself some stress down the road).

 

If you dream is to pursue medicine, definitely do not give up and do whatever it takes within your capacity (finish your course, retake MCAT, etc).

 

Hi all, 

 

I am writing today to get some feedback, I feel as though I have hit a crossroad with regards to my future in medicine and I want to hear about what everyone else thinks about my situation. It’s difficult to talk to my friends and family, because all their opinions are biased - of course :) 

 

I am 26 years old: 

  • I graduated in 2010 from UBC with BKIN with the following GPAs:

1st yr - 3.24
2nd yr - 2.97
3rd yr - 3.19
4th yr - 3.59

 

  • I realized I needed a second UG degree and began one in 2012 at UBC - for that year I received a GPA of 3.9 
  • I moved back to Ontario in 2013, and had to transfer my courses to TRU in order to obtain my second UG from home/online. I am almost complete and thus far I have a GPA of 3.94. I expect to finish on the same level. 
  • My MCAT BLOWS and I would 100% need to re-write...for the third time :| 

I am unsure if it’s the female hormones kicking in, or the fact that I am feeling quite deflated but I am having second thoughts about pursuing medicine. I can’t imagine re-writing the MCAT at this point in my life (with school, work, volunteering etc) and essentially screwed myself out of any chance at Ottawa because of online degree. NOSM won’t look at my 2nd UG degree until all my courses are complete (Dec 2014) and even my high GPA at UBC won’t be counted because it’s transferred. 

 

I also want a family, and to start paying off my debt and putting money away. 

 

I look daily at becoming an NP and have a hard time swallowing the pill. I am unsure if it’s because my ego won’t allow it, I feel as though I have given up after 15 years of wanting MD. At this point I don’t know if I should apply for NP and see how that route goes, always knowing attending Medschool is an option even in my later life. 

 

I cannot go to the Caribbean due to financial issues. 

 

Or take another year after finishing my courses of simply working and volunteering, writing the MCAT - putting me at 28 years old starting medical school, maybe.. it’s just all so unknown and it’s getting to the point now where my family is starting to suggest that I look at different avenues. Has anyone had this experience, what did you do? Or know of any stories of people that did. 

 

I suppose I am just wanting to hear from you that have had or are having similar thought patterns and what your plans are. 

 

Kind regards everyone! Thanks so much for your input.

 

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I really don't think you should move on from medicine. You have shown the ability to prove yourself. All you really have to do is take 6 months to a year to write the mcat, maybe while doing ecs or working part time. Once you write the mcat, and maybe get IP somewhere, you have spectacular chances.

 

 

Hi all, 

 

I am writing today to get some feedback, I feel as though I have hit a crossroad with regards to my future in medicine and I want to hear about what everyone else thinks about my situation. It’s difficult to talk to my friends and family, because all their opinions are biased - of course :) 

 

I am 26 years old: 

 

  • I graduated in 2010 from UBC with BKIN with the following GPAs:
1st yr - 3.24

2nd yr - 2.97

3rd yr - 3.19

4th yr - 3.59

 

  • I realized I needed a second UG degree and began one in 2012 at UBC - for that year I received a GPA of 3.9 
  • I moved back to Ontario in 2013, and had to transfer my courses to TRU in order to obtain my second UG from home/online. I am almost complete and thus far I have a GPA of 3.94. I expect to finish on the same level. 
  • My MCAT BLOWS and I would 100% need to re-write...for the third time :| 
I am unsure if it’s the female hormones kicking in, or the fact that I am feeling quite deflated but I am having second thoughts about pursuing medicine. I can’t imagine re-writing the MCAT at this point in my life (with school, work, volunteering etc) and essentially screwed myself out of any chance at Ottawa because of online degree. NOSM won’t look at my 2nd UG degree until all my courses are complete (Dec 2014) and even my high GPA at UBC won’t be counted because it’s transferred. 

 

I also want a family, and to start paying off my debt and putting money away. 

 

I look daily at becoming an NP and have a hard time swallowing the pill. I am unsure if it’s because my ego won’t allow it, I feel as though I have given up after 15 years of wanting MD. At this point I don’t know if I should apply for NP and see how that route goes, always knowing attending Medschool is an option even in my later life. 

 

I cannot go to the Caribbean due to financial issues. 

 

Or take another year after finishing my courses of simply working and volunteering, writing the MCAT - putting me at 28 years old starting medical school, maybe.. it’s just all so unknown and it’s getting to the point now where my family is starting to suggest that I look at different avenues. Has anyone had this experience, what did you do? Or know of any stories of people that did. 

 

I suppose I am just wanting to hear from you that have had or are having similar thought patterns and what your plans are. 

 

Kind regards everyone! Thanks so much for your input.

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I really like BizMarie's response above regarding starting a family.

Regarding money, I think you really need to sit down and compare your different options. I doubt that taking the NP route would be better financially in the short or long term than becoming a doctor. Sure, it's nice to start paying off debts sooner, but if you only have a small amount per month to put towards your debt after all of that education, you could be paying for your NP training for decades, whereas it may take more time to become a doctor, but once you are, you could pay off your debt in 1-3 years. Even taking into account the delayed start to repayment, you will be paying less (less interest) and out of debt sooner.

I'm not saying don't go the NP route if you decide it is best for you, I am just saying that you seem to be assuming that it will be the financially easier one and I'm not sure if you have done the math. It would be a good idea to calculate how quickly you could be out of debt with either option. It's not an easy task for sure, you need to take into account years not working, tuition and living costs during school, interest on your loans, what your after tax income will be on graduation and your estimated living expenses at that time. You might find though that aiming for medicine really is worth waiting and not getting to those debts sooner, and that will help you stay motivated to stay on this path that it seems like you are right for.

Also, how bad is your MCAT? U of T has a cut off of 9/9/9, so that could be a place to look at?

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I'm in my late 30s and will be applying for the second time. If I don't get in, then I'll apply for a third time. There are times when I think I'm a bit old to be doing this, but I'd rather not look back on my life when I'm even older and have regrets. 

 

It's true that there are always financial risks. I know that it's actually financially stupid for me to be doing this when I look at the income that I'll be losing while in school (Gail vaz-Oxlade would probably be horrified... not sure if anyone knows who she is. :) ), but I know that I'd rather go into some debt and believe that I'm making a difference every day (I'm not feeling it in my current career).

 

I know that this sounds like a "sunshine and rainbows" way of looking at it, but when a person is on their death bed, he or she won't usually think "Gee, I wish I would have made more money." Most people tend to reflect on things that made them happy. If a career in medicine is what will do that for you, then go for it. As for motherhood, other people have done both and although there may be times where you're feeling overwhelmed, it's definitely do-able. 

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A few random thoughts on the thread...

 

- there are many days that I wish I was 28 again...  ;)   Age is just a number, so don't let it define you

 

- OP unless I'm reading your undergraduate history incorrectly I don't know if the NP path is what you think it is.  You realize you'll need to first become an RN, then work for some length of time and then apply to NP school, right?  Unless I'm reading incorrectly you don't have a nursing degree yet, and aren't enrolled in one.

 

- GVO is a muppet.

 

- that said, "delayed gratification" gets really, really old after a while, and even carrying "good debt" can be a burden.  I have a spreadsheet titled "Medicine - Breakeven" with a bunch of scenarios in it.  By my best estimate, going to med school will break even for me some time in 2020.  This for a process that started in 2002 -- 18 years is a long time. 

 

Even though I'm almost past the nadir of my indebtedness and there is light at the end of the tunnel, the financial implications of going back to school have never been far from my mind for over a decade already.  That starts to wear on a person after a while. 

 

Was it worth it?  Ask me sometime around 2025 ;)

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A good friend of mine got into UofC at 28 y.o. But he was married already. I think you should try to carry on with your life as usual while you try to get into medical school. Most (like probably 50-60%) people in my class have worked for a bit or did a masters after undergrad. 26 is not old. But if your biological clock is ticking, you might want to step back and consider what you're missing out on and whether its realistic to expect those things. Is it a stable relationship? Is it a house? Is it to have a stable well paying job? The last two are particularly hard to come by nowadays (the first one even more so Q.Q).

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  • 2 weeks later...

I feel like I am going through the exact same quarter life crisis right now and it is really, really stressful.

 

I have written the MCAT three times, and my score unfortunately has not improved. I have worked so hard, have taken the prep course and do well on practice exams and then I clearly get anxious or have just had bad luck because my score has been much lower than my practice tests. 

 

It is so frustrating. I spent a year on and off studying, and I have maxed out my times for writing in 2014, and the exam as we all know changes in 2015. I feel like I am capable, and have gotten good scores when I practice. There is something about this stupid exam, that clearly isn't clicking. I don't know if that means I shouldn't be a doctor or what. 

 

I don't know what to do. I have an undergrad, and a master's degree with a good GPA and I think really good extracurriculars. But I am starting to now doubt it. I have been looking at physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs, but it totally feels like I am giving up, and I would never be considering these programs if my score was higher. Yet, I am also 28 years old as well, and it may be time to move on. It seems scary and super disappointing. I have been thinking about medical school for ten years.

 

Any advice?

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Irrelevant to the rep it usually gets on these forums, if you really wanted it as bad as you say you want it, you would've applied to Carib MD by now. If getting an MD was your #1 priority in life. 

 

OP never said it was their number 1 priority, just their number 1 career aspiration. See as you get older, you start to have conflicting areas of need (in this case the main message I'm getting is starting a family vs. relentlessly pursuing medicine), and the OP is expressing a lack of certainty regarding how to appease this conflict. That's what the non-trad forum is all about!

 

Now I'm not 100% sure how you intended your post. If you're trying to say that the OP "must not want it that badly since they're not willing to make x and y sacrifices," then you may just know very little about what it's like to be in their shoes. For me, the Caribbean is an impossibility for financial reasons (not going to go into details) and it's reasonable for me to anticipate how that could be true for the OP too. If you can't see how that may be the case, then you may have to think harder. As I mentioned, life gets more complicated as time goes on, not simpler.

 

In a sense (assuming I've interpreted your comment correctly), it's like telling a quadriplegic "You must not want medicine badly enough, because you haven't regenerated the use of your arms and legs." An impossibility is an impossibility, and is not a reasonable criterion by which to assess someone's dedication.

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I feel like I am going through the exact same quarter life crisis right now and it is really, really stressful.

 

I have written the MCAT three times, and my score unfortunately has not improved. I have worked so hard, have taken the prep course and do well on practice exams and then I clearly get anxious or have just had bad luck because my score has been much lower than my practice tests. 

 

It is so frustrating. I spent a year on and off studying, and I have maxed out my times for writing in 2014, and the exam as we all know changes in 2015. I feel like I am capable, and have gotten good scores when I practice. There is something about this stupid exam, that clearly isn't clicking. I don't know if that means I shouldn't be a doctor or what. 

 

I don't know what to do. I have an undergrad, and a master's degree with a good GPA and I think really good extracurriculars. But I am starting to now doubt it. I have been looking at physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs, but it totally feels like I am giving up, and I would never be considering these programs if my score was higher. Yet, I am also 28 years old as well, and it may be time to move on. It seems scary and super disappointing. I have been thinking about medical school for ten years.

 

Any advice?

 

28 isn't too old (at least I hope not). From the sounds of it, all you have to do is get through this one exam and you'll be competitive...that's lucky in a sense, the MCAT is the most changeable feature of your application (besides the essays, if applicable)! Not that it's easy, but you can re-write and persevere until you get the score you deserve. It's easier said than done, but try not to think of the MCAT as an obstacle - think of it as an opportunity to prove yourself, and to demonstrate why you deserve to be in med school, to adcoms.

 

The 2015 MCAT may seem like a bad thing, but in the end it may be your silver lining. Bear in mind that during the first year, it's going to be a big cesspool of uncertainty and failure as there are very few practice materials and no one really knows what a competitive score will be. 

 

My advice would be to begin studying for MCAT 2015 with as much gusto as you can muster up, and try to write the exam as early as possible. This will be when the grading curve will be the most lenient, and when schools will have no clue how to assess the materials. I got a reasonable MCAT score (for the schools I'm applying to) during my rewrite, but this was going to be my backup plan if I didn't.

 

----------------

 

Also consider applying to schools that don't require the MCAT. If you're a french speaker, Quebecois schools operating in french don't require the MCAT, and Ottawa is a good one to consider as well.

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  • 3 weeks later...

You talk as if being an NP is some sort of consolidation prize. I hope you realize that this route will be another long journey as you need to complete a BScN (2-4yrs), gain years of experience in intensive/critical care with multiple certs (2-3yrs) and complete a masters degree (2yrs). You're looking at 6-9 years total.

 

For what it's worth I'm completely satisfied with my scope of practice.

 

it is kind of important not to make that out to be a major step down. When you think about it NP are arguably the third most educated health care professions out there (and I am including both medicine and dentistry in that list) and of course have a huge impact. Considering what else is one that list that isn't exactly going for low hanging fruit.

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As a 30 year old in second year MD at UBC I can tell you 27 isn't so bad, that's when I went back to finish my undergrad! :)

 

A colleague and I are organizing an event for UBC MD applicants who consider themselves non-traditional. The event will run November 16 in Vancouver, Prince George, Victoria and Kelowna.

 

Contact us to register or if you have any questions.

 

Pre-med Poster 2014 - web.pdf

 

NOTE: The Kelowna site has changed to Reichwald Health Sciences Center at the UBCO (1088 Discovery Ave), Room 148

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I don't know what to do. I have an undergrad, and a master's degree with a good GPA and I think really good extracurriculars. But I am starting to now doubt it. I have been looking at physician assistant and nurse practitioner programs, but it totally feels like I am giving up, and I would never be considering these programs if my score was higher. Yet, I am also 28 years old as well, and it may be time to move on. It seems scary and super disappointing. I have been thinking about medical school for ten years.

 

Any advice?

 

 

Lab 2185, I was responding to your comment with my earlier post. Not sure if you're even looking at applying to BC, but I want to say that it's a long and expensive journey but don't let your age discourage you.

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