Am I too old?

[Learningbyspeaking]

Am I too old to go back to university and study medicine at 35? I've always wanted to study medicine but never had the chance, please help me decide

Another point a lot of people are saying do it but have really no idea! I do as a medic- it’s actuallu quite expensive but your job will mostly pay for it, there are huge sacrifices and if you already have family and kids you need to bare in mind all of that stuff gets left at the door the minute you enter the hospital.

People expect 150% from or else it’s the GMC you need to say hello to!

Hi LearningbySpeach.
....GO FOR IT. You will never forgive yourself if you don't go and study what you want. I did an access course 3 years ago and am now a third year Criminal Justice student. Its nowhere near medicine level but vigorous in it's own ways. I do feel I am the only adult on the course bar two other woman. I am 30, I know people will hit out with i'm young anyway but, not really! I have been grafting hard all my life to get by with two kids and two step kids working two jobs and a mortgage. I am very worldly and decided to pursue a steady career for myself before my best years fade away and the grandchildren come pouring in. Go for it, no one is ever too old to learn and you do not have to retire at 65 if you do not want to! The only obstacle for age when studying is funds. If your over a certain age Student Loan wont pay. Good luck on your adventure.

If you can sort any childcare and finances, then do it without a doubt.

I'm halfway through a 3 year retraining o a graduate scheme after a breakdown which has meant I was unable and unwilling to continue my previous career, and it's brilliant. The study is hard, but I have a lot more motivation to succeed in that (and the practical aspects of work) than some of the more youthful grads. It's a slight shock to the system (still!) to be around some very fresh into adulthood people, and I've found it trickier to have close relationships with immediate colleagues as I'm over a decade older than them, but overall we get on really well and are a super supportive bunch.

Ps
The point of my ranting was to say that I would never look back. I love being a student and probably will stay at uni until they force me out lol

@bluelady that’s a bit of a generalised statement I’m 24 and not necessarily worse than older newly qualified, thanks

Not too old but things to consider are no salary while you train, tuition fees , student loans, childcare costs , long hours, long placements and a few years after qualifying before you will earn a decent salary .
If you can take the hit then go for it.

Just says just Go 4 It!..

I did it. Started medical school at 38.

It's very, very hard work, and there have been times I've wondered if I'd actually make it all the way through, but I have no regrets and love my new career!

My sister is a nurse and one of the surgeons at her hospital used to be a plumber! I kid you not :) He was 28 when he went to university.

I know someone who did that at your age. I don't see why not so long as you are aware that working for the NHS will be difficult and won't afford a reasonable wage in return for the cost of a graduate degree. Many people who I know doing medicine in the UK have decided to leave and go to America for decent pay and working conditions. I gave up on medicine when I moved here. I really wanted to do it but not for tuppence.

You will find there’s lots of mature students heading back to school
Some your age and some older! don’t write yourself off..

Have a look at Henry Marsh brain surgeon that wrote Do No Harm. He studied PPE then quit uni and worked as a hospital porter before studying medicine. He also thinks older medics are better because the hardest bit is the decision making. He did a talk last night. If you're after some inspiration!

Your age isn't the issue but as a PP pointed out; once you've factored in the costs, demands, hours and other sacrifices required to pursue a medical degree and you're still up for it then crack on!

I started my degree at 41, currently in my second year. I figure when i qualify i will be 44 with at least 20 years of work ahead of me in my chosen career.

I think you really need to consider the effects on your current situation. Family, finances etc. Do you have a good support system? My friend is a junior doctor training to be a GP, she works at the hospital nights long days etc. so you need to be flexible in the hours you work.

I can only speak to the point of age as I have no experience of medicine. I work in retail with lots of people who wish they were doing something else. I signed up to a degree with the ou a few years ago. I finish this may (aged 28) and have to start at the bottom (but have just got my first job that I start next week!). So many people at work say they won't go and study for what they want to do because it takes a long time BUT the time passes anyway!!! Would you rather be at the end of your studies in 5 years and starting a career you want to be in slightly above the normal age of starters; or still doing what you're doing now and wondering?

I say go for it 😁

From a 40yr old hospital doc...

AFAIK there isn't an age limit for applying to medical school. IF all goes well you will be a 40-41 yr old F1/2 ('house officer' equivalent) doing nightshifts, weekends, long-days. From my own personal experience (am an anaesthetics & ICU doctor) nights & long days are getting tough at this age.

If GP is where you're heading, then you'll have another couple of years of hospital specialties (like A&E, Obs & Gynae, Paeds, Medicine) and GP training. So you will be in your mid-late 40s before becoming a 'just cooked' GP.

If hospital specialties are what you're thinking of then it'll at least another 7 years before you're a new consultant (for most specialties...longer for some, shorter for some) so you'll be in your late 40s-50. Many hospital consultants are looking at trying to come off on-call rotas in their mid-fifties because the out-of-hours work at that age is too much (recognising that we're not at our best in the middle of the night, having been on-call for 70ish hours).

There are certainly a lot of mature students doing medicine & qualifying, but it is a massive decision. With the benefit of some more life experience you will find some elements easier than the fresh-out-of-school students/junior docs. But there are other things that will be more difficult (including the pay - which is pretty crap as a junior doc!).

You may also need to think about family (do you have a partner/children). Would you be self-funding/eligible for support? Allocation to jobs as a junior doc is deanery based and it's not unusual to be sent to opposite ends of the country to your family, putting massive strain on you all. Studying for post-graduate exams is all done in your own time so even once your qualified the job intrudes on family time. A lot of people are leaving medicine at the moment & burnout is increasingly being recognised as a problem.

Medicine is brilliant, but I wouldn't want to be starting all over now though. So, my advice is that - yes of course you can go to medical school, but really think hard about where you'll be in 15-20 years. Hope that's not too depressing a post... Good luck with the decision making.

The two doctor friends of mine on FB Messenger right this minute say you're definitely not.

No. If you’ve got the brains and can work harder than you imagine....go for it!

don't know about the age limits but do you really want to do it? You're 35 now, so will be prob 37 by the time you actually start a course, assuming no A levels etc to repeat. 5 years at med school (4 if you can get onto the insanely competitive graduate courses).

So at 42 you're doing foundation jobs, being moved around the place every four months, zero notice of when you're doing nights/weekends, doing a job that is so unpopular that 50% leave the NHS after the first two years. then more of the same in specialty training. all for money that isn't that fantastic and an NHS that is crumbling around your ears.

If you're interested in this area I'd do nursing and aim to be a nurse specialist which would give you an interesting job, quicker to get there, more money certainly per hour and more autonomy.

Certainly not too old! I went at 34 and it was fantastic! Hard work, and difficult financially (I was single and lived alone, had to start sharing, and ended up with 5 pt jobs to get me through). Worth it! Without a doubt worth it.

do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it do it

no you are absolutely not too old.
I am 34 and was in a similar position, I decided 'fuck it' its now or never. Ive just applied to law school. The more people tell me I 'cant' the more determined I am to do it.
YOU can do this! TOTALLY.

Of course you can! You are 35! Still young in the great scheme of things. You'll be a GP in your mid 40s which is younger than most I've seen in my life.

There were lots of mid to late 30s people in DH's cohort at medical school (he did a 4 year postgrad entry course) so no, you're not too old! There are several specialities with reduced length training pathways compared to the standard hospital consultant too, so there are ways to progress up the ladder faster.

Medicine is pretty gruelling, but so are many other jobs. You need to weigh up how feasible it is for you - do you have children? If so do you have someone who can look after them when you're doing mad shifts or running late?
Are you able to move city for a university place?
Will you need to take out a loan?
Do you meet the entry requirements? You'll need to take an exam (either UKCAT or GAMSAT depending on University) regardless of your current qualifications. If you already have a degree, you can do a graduate entry course at some universities which is shorter - some even accept a non-science degree provided your GAMSAT score is sufficient.

Have a serious think about it, but don't worry about your age being a barrier!

I'm just coming to the end of 3 years studying to retrain in a new profession. It has been hard, very hard at times; and life throwing in some curve balls has left me close to giving up at times. However, it will be so worth it once I'm home dry.

Go for it!