To think I could study medicine aged 48?

[Nooname01]

Just that really.

I've long wanted to be a doctor but thought I couldn't for various reasons.

I am academic enough (v high achiever, 1st class degree in a different discipline) and we could afford it financially.

Dc would be 16, 14, 12 and 8.

Would I just be too old on graduating though?

I think the first thing you need to do is phone some med schools and check what qualifications you'd need to be considered. You might find that your 1st mean's very little now and they still want A* equivalent A levels and GCSE's. They might also expect you to have worked in a related field since graduating.

I've worked in medical admissions and seen Iraq/Afghanistan vets with 4/8 year front line experience as combat medical technicians turned away as they could not meet the minimum academic qualifications.

Having said that you could look into an Access to Medicine course but first check with your preferred med schools if they would accept this qualification.

I think you are too old. And why wait 8 years? I wouldn't support my husband in this I'm afraid. Would your family Be happy?

Sorry OP but I think you would be too old.

I'm 47 and I've been a GP for nearly 19 years, having gone to med school at age 18.

Even as young, energetic and carefree 20-somethings we all found it extremely hard work. The studying required is relentless, exams all the time, full-time lectures and ward placements, and far shorter holidays than other degree courses.
After graduating the junior Dr posts are exhausting, and it is expected that people simply adapt to the rota they're given, no questions asked.

I'm now a parent of 2 children and I can't imagine working like that and trying to look after my kids at the same time. It's hard enough working the hours I do, but least as a GP there is a degree of predictability to my hours, and I know I won't have to move to the other end of the country in 6 months.
I know it's very unfashionable these days to say that age should be a barrier to anything, but sadly in some situations it's impossible to ignore. And this is one of them.

I think that, very sadly, the logistics of it make it unfeasible at your age. You may need to sit additional A levels and the GAMSAT before you can apply. Then medical school, then all the years of training as has been outlined above.

Which area of medicine interests you? Is there another way into this field that would satisfy you? For example, would a role in research be appealing to you? You may find that a different, shorter degree (and perhaps one that builds on the academic qualifications you already have?) would give you a way in to clinical research that would be intellectually rewarding, and more accessible. Alternatively, would a different healthcare profession interest you? Again, a shorter degree and a shorter period of training might enable to achieve your goal.

OP - what is your degree in?

Someone much higher up the thread suggested biochemistry as an alternative. I am in a closely related field to biochemistry and would like to add that to have a decent career with prospects, you would also be expected to have a PhD in biochemistry (or similar) - this would take 4 years (usually) on top of a first degree. And competitive applicants would likely have work experience and a decent publication record.
Having said that, the degree would certainly be interesting :)

whois - agreed re the knowledge.

I disagree though that it wouldn't be helpful to have life experience. Having worked in a front line hospital role, I saw some people who had very good technical skills but extremely poor interpersonal skills.

What about any of the medical sciences?

I just looked up the Physician Associate info at St George's (London). It sounds fascinating, and it looks like genuine study of medicine to me. Presumably at your stage in life you'd not be going into medicine for the money, so could be an ideal solution and maybe you could start before you are 48...

Also interested to know what stopped you up till now. iI am a lawyer but if I had my time again I'd choose medicine. I didn't do it because I convinced myself as a teenager that I was not bright enough for the course but my science and maths marks were just as good as my arts ones, it was just I had to put in more effort to get them. Then I was too sucked into lawyering to give up the money.

Actually having had to learn a lot about infertility due to my own issues, I would love to be an IVF/fertility doctor.

Sorry really busy day so apologies for not replying to many posts.

Jessie, similar to you I was a high achiever in all subjects but there was a strong emphasis on being either arts or sciences and I identified more with the former so never considered sciences post school.

The very many posts reiterating how hard it would be are hitting home though...

For some reason I really enjoy the hospital environment so perhaps I should just think wider and consider something medical related

How about applying to train to become a public health consultant?

Don't do it. Being a junior doctor at that age will be a complete and utter nightmare. It's a shit job however old you are, if you are over 50 it will probably break you.

You could definitely look at hospital-based health professions (e.g. Radiographer, nursing/midwifery etc)

But as I said above, people have done medicine at older than you, my mum has taught them. It depends massively on your circumstances etc, but it can be done

If OP wanted to go to college to do statistics everyone would be saying "Good for you, Go for it!" despite the fact it would cost the taxpayers money for her to be in college and she wouldn't have thirty years of work ahead of her. Even if she said she wanted to do stats but never intended to work as a statistician she just wanted the mental stimulation we'd probably still say "go for it!" Yes medical training is much longer and much more expensive, but maybe you are all forgetting that she is already working and bringing value to the system as a junior doctor.

Now whether she will survive it and come out unscathed the other end is a different matter.

If you have a burning desire to do it, don't be that 85 year old lady on her deathbed saying "I wish I had done it, I spent my whole life wondering."

Now whether she will survive it and come out unscathed the other end is a different matter.

I'd say that matters most of all to the op and her family.

If she wanted to do a stats degree I'd probably be saying go for it. But with experience of working in the nhs and just how crap the life of a doctor can be it is fair enough to discourage the op from leaping in solely on a follow the dream basis.

If she wants to do it knowing exactly how difficult it will be, fair enough but from her most recent post it sounds like she didn't.

Also, it doesn't cost £250,000 to train a statistician.

What about speech and language therapy?

What about something like this - link

I am a doctor. I would very seriously consider doing a physicians assistant training course instead. It's a very interesting job and much more achievable for the reasons already stated.

Good luck x

I think the overwhelming consensus is it is not worth the cost to yourself and your family and by cost I mean emotional but there are of course financial considerations. As I said before I've always wanted to do veterinary medicine- I missed my grades and it has followed me round like a milestone for 20 yrs. I could probably fund my way through it now- realise my dream but I realised I'm not 18 anymore and I certainly don't want to be moving around the country. I never ever thought I would come to this decision but I'm realistic- I like my life now; I like the stability of coming home to my house. The stability of having my friends- it takes ages to re establish yourself if you move around. I didn't even have the complication of having children to consider. In order to be fair I will tell you I did graduate entry medicine- it nearly ruined my life.

Oh god my SIL tried to do this at 45, she dropped out in the 6th year (or whatever the first year your in hospitals doing training is) at 50ish. It was just completely incompatible with raising a family and her age. Please reconsider this, it isn't nice to know you have to put a dream aside, but seriously...come on now, it's time to put this one to rest.

If you're interested in hands on helping people, what about something like patient advocacy?

Gah, I'm 44 and just want to sleep. I cannot imagine training to be a doctor.

I can't believe how negative people are being. 48 is old but you're only 40 now - people do it with a family at that age. Why wait until 48? And if you don't need the money - which sounds to be the case - you can work part time.

But I sense I am a lone voice!