AIBU to apply for medicine at 39 after qualifying as a teacher?

[DrRedT]

AIBU to consider applying for medicine at 39 after just qualifying as a teacher?

I’m 39 and have just qualified as a secondary science teacher. I have a permanent teaching job and genuinely enjoy it, so this isn’t about wanting to escape teaching.
But medicine was what I originally wanted to do, and lately I’ve found myself seriously considering applying again.
My route into education wasn’t traditional. I missed the usual qualifications when I was younger due to ill health, returned to education as an adult and eventually completed an undergraduate science degree, a Master’s and a PhD. I applied for medicine years ago but didn’t get through the initial screening stage and ended up taking a different path.
Alongside academia and teaching, I’ve worked for the ambulance service for several years taking 999 calls, so I do have experience of healthcare, dealing with people in crisis and communicating calmly when someone is frightened or distressed.
Oddly, qualifying as a teacher has made me think about medicine more, not less. I’ve realised that the part of teaching I love most is working with people — explaining complicated things clearly, building trust, adapting my communication and helping someone who is struggling.
I know medicine would mean starting again at around 40, years of training and a significant financial commitment. But equally, I’m going to be 45 one day regardless, and I don’t want to reach that age wondering whether I should have at least tried.
I wouldn’t give up teaching just to apply. I’d carry on working and apply for medicine alongside it. If I didn’t get in, I already have a career I enjoy.

So, AIBU to seriously consider applying for medicine at this stage of my life, immediately after qualifying for another profession?
And particularly interested in hearing from doctors/medical students, mature students, teachers who’ve changed careers, or anyone who went into medicine later in life. Would you think I’d lost the plot — or would you apply and at least find out

I would advise a friend not to do this. I am a GP having qualified the traditional straight from school way, now been a GP for 6 years. It is completely exhausting and I already feel the difference from the 23 year old newly qualified junior I was. Running about the wards, jumping from task to task, no 'lunch' until 4am on a night shift and once not at all because every time I put my food in the microwave the crash bleep went off, and by the third it was morning!
Life as a GP is utterly all consuming. Officially I work 3 days, 8.30-5.30. In reality I'm there 8am-7.30pm, and I often do 3-4 hours at the weekend. I dread meetings, not because it means lunch is eaten over the meeting ie no actual break, but because it means less time to get admin done. The clinical and non clinical work volume continually goes up. Being childfree would help, I suppose, because literally all of my non-work time is spent caring for my children. Maybe it wouldn't feel so bad if I had free time outside of work.
Seriously think about whether that lifestyle is what you want. I'm not sure it's what I want but I have no headspace or time to consider doing anything else than just keep going.

I think your dream is somewhat unrealistic. Assuming you got a place I don't imagine you'd find getting a medical degree hugely difficult as you have got a proven academic track record and medicine isn't that difficult, but what people often forget is that your bachelor's degree isn't the end, it's the start of the hard work. Medical school is the easy bit of a medical career. Studying for professional exams whilst working full time as a junior doctor is the hardest thing I have ever done by a country mile. And it's physically exhausting as well as mentally challenging. It is a hard thing to do when you are in your late 20s/early 30s, never mind 20 years older.
Even you look at the best case scenario and imagine that you get into medical school in the next couple of years, get through your foundation years and straight onto a training scheme in the specialty of your choice, which is far from guaranteed these days, you're likely to be about 50 by the time you're a qualified GP and nearer 55 before you'd be a hospital Consultant. That's the age that most Consultants I know are planning their exit strategy, not just starting out!
And that really is the best case. Look at what is happening to recent medical graduates in this country now. So many are unable to get onto the programmes they want and are either leaving the country or getting stuck with short term contracts not leading in the direction they want. It could take you a lot longer than you expect to reach your goal, and realistically you might not ever get there - it's hugely competitive and nobody is guaranteed anything.
Of course it is not impossible and on these threads there are always a few people who have been successful with retraining later in life or who know someone who has been, and it is also true that you certainly won't succeed if you don't try. But I would hazard a guess that for every one who "makes it" in your position there are very many who don't. I'd advise you to look into what comes after medical school and think very hard about whether that is what you really want. To be honest, being a Consultant is not really all it's cracked up to be either, so life doesn't magically get easy at that point. It's different for sure, but it brings new problems. I had a good, successful career and on the whole enjoyed it until the last few years before I retired but I don't think I'd do it if I was young now and I sure as hell wouldn't start in my 40s.

@DrRedT
I think it's a brilliant idea to re-train at your age. Why not? You've got nearly 3 decades of work left ahead of you after all.
But medicine? I wouldn't recommend it. It's a shit job. I'm a senior lead nurse and I have worked for 30 years with trainee doctors, house officers, senior house officers, registrars, medical consultants, GPs.......all of them stressed and unhappy, all feel underpaid and undervalued, all work inhumane hours, all feel the mental and emotional pressure of too much responsibility, and I've seen too many of them deal with the stress and anguish of formal complaints and litigation from patients. So many medical negligence claims come as a result of the doctor in question being overworked in under-resourced working conditions. The NHS is financially crippled and it's a terrible employer.
Sure, re-train in something. But I wouldn't recommend that you step on to the Titanic.

Get your medicine fix watching Dr House. Less time consuming! And cheaper 🤣

Think of the shift work you would need to do as a student. Nights! No thanks.

Started a Law Degree at age 47 last year. 3 years possibly 4 to go. Always wanted to practice Law yes I will be early 50’s before I finish but I am not phased and I have children and youngest 8 . They are busy every night and weekend but I make it work. I am sure you can too. At least try or you will never know

Did you get a bursary to train as a Science teacher? If so I think you should teach for at least a few years tbh, on principal.

At 39 you may already be on the fringes of perimenopause. I think medicine would be hugely stressful and tiring physically and mentally as it is, but with peri/menopause on top...

If you can handle sleep deprivation and trying to think on your feet and not make mistakes that mean someone might die when your brain is refusing to run at the correct speed then you may be ok. I say this as a former computer programmer whose brain used to run at lightning speed but who became unable to quickly context shift/jump back into things after interruptions at around age 45. I was also unable to sleep properly for several years. Of course you might sail through the whole thing, it isn't a given but you can't really know in advance.

Others have touched on this: would you get into med school vs someone younger? The NHS would potentially get more working years out of the youngster if they don't emigrate although they might value someone with more life experience.