AIBU to want to go to medical school?

[tummytickler]

Hello
Well, am i being unreasonable to want to go to medical school?
I have four kids and i am currently a sahm, which i mostly enjoy, but we have used all of our savings to enable me to do this.
Dh job comes to an end in June and is having trouble finding another, so we are not very well off at all at the moment.
BUT - I have always had a yearning to go to medical school, wanted it desperately when i was at college but ended up doing something completely unrelated.
I havent done my research yet, as i have been mulling it over for a couple of weeks, but seem to be talking myself into it more than anything! So i thought some opinions of strangers might be in order before i unleash mad thoughts to my family.
My degree is in Anthropolgy so think i may have to do some A - levels first.

So am i too old?
Am i just mad?
Is it the most rediculous thing you ever heard?
Is it really unfair to do it with young children (although surely i cant leave it much longer as i will be too old?)

Thanks ladies - talk some sense into me!

I don't know where you live but one thing to consider is what "circuit" you would be on both as a student and as an SHO. If you're in London then the distances you may have to commute may be OK but elsewhere are likely to be worse.

Like the Nottingham circuit is Nottingham, Derby, Mansfield, Chesterfield, Lincoln and Boston. You generally get no choice where you go and can spend 6 months in one place, then 6 months in another.

I would love to go to med school but with DD being at primary school I know I can't do it. When she's about 16/17 then yes. I'll be 42 by then and think thats young enough!

I don't know where you live but one thing to consider is what "circuit" you would be on both as a student and as an SHO. If you're in London then the distances you may have to commute may be OK but elsewhere are likely to be worse.

Like the Nottingham circuit is Nottingham, Derby, Mansfield, Chesterfield, Lincoln and Boston. You generally get no choice where you go and can spend 6 months in one place, then 6 months in another.

I would love to go to med school but with DD being at primary school I know I can't do it. When she's about 16/17 then yes. I'll be 42 by then and think thats young enough!

I decided to do a second degree and am half the way through it.

I'm doing it part-time (full time is a commitment of about 40 hours a week). Planning to go full time in the last year.

When I started DSS was 12, Ds1 2 and DS1 three months.

I am currently in the middle of exams and it is very stressful. I have to revise with the little ones running around,

I'm studying acupuncture, so though as not full on as a medical degree there is a hell of lot of information to take on.

It has been the best decision I have ever made. I feel as if I have found my vocation. I am so looking forward to practicing and feel for the first time in my life that I am doing something I love (bar travelling and having my babies!).

I say go for it. But start studying before you go. Get very organised and be prepared to be stressed at exam time!

I admire your ambition but having just done an Open University degree (six years, part-time, v flexible as no need to attend tutorials etc) I think you need to be absolutely SURE you want to do this rather than just have a "yearning".

Agree with what Loobylu said - apart from the hard work, length of time studying and the cost you will need a huge amount of help and understanding from your DH, DCs and rest of the family!

Sorry to put a damper on things, but it is a huge commitment - I wish you every success if you do decide to go for it

Thanks everyone!
You are not doing a very good job of putting me off i must say .
DH is working late tomorrow night so i think i am going to put a night of research in tomorrow (so if you see me on here shout at me to go away!).
I live near Brighton, and they have a fairly new medical school there, so i am going to look into that in a bit more detail tonight.
I must say you are all being very supportive and encouraging - thanks ever so much!

Yes, Brighton is a new med school- I think the first batch only graduated a couple of years ago. I have met (and could contact) one girl who is still a student there and she seems to be enjoying the course. Oh, if you are ttc no.5, I think you would need to put it off at present!!

Looks like i would need to do an Access to medicine course anyway, as there was no science in my Anthroplogy degree!
Loobylu - I know the hours are very different on a medical degree, but i was doing very odd hours on my degree as i had kids when i did it so lots of nights where i would start work at 11pm!

Going to have an 'in theory . . ' chat with dh tonight when he gets back from work!

I don't want to put you off but be aware that after medical school you have to put in ALOT of hours as a junior drs and its very competitive for jobs. My bf dp has been his class president for the last year spent his elective placement in india goes there regularly with his dad who is a dr to do voluntary work and is very charming and hard working, he didn't get any of his first choice jobs for after he graduates but instead got one along way away.

I'm a nurse and would also like to go to medical school but i know i could not commit to it and be the mum i want to be, it will be my biggest regret .

YANBU. I have 3 dcs and I'm starting medical school in September. I'll let you know how I get on.....

I am starting a dip he in Operating Dept Practice in Sept (after ba, ma and phd in Latin American Studies) as I'd really like to work in that area and may consider moving in to medicine when my boys are older.

It is nhs funded and you get a bursary of around £7000pa, (plus 45 wks mat leave should you need it) might that be a stepping stone or compromise?

BTW, I found this site helpful.

IIRC, Nottingham is the only uni to offer the GEM to non-science graduates. The course is partly based in lovely Derby. We have cheaper houses here!

wolfnipplechips - Hours are now restricted by EWTD.

FluffyBunnyGoneBad - Swansea also accept non-science grads.

Ohhh. I could move. Hmmm.

roomfor3 I know that but i work in A&E so I know that our drs rarely finish on time have horrible working hours. Whilst rotating through the department the f2s have a really difficult time. I probably see the worst of it but i'm know i couldn't sustain family life whilst working those hours.

Roomfor3 - how exciting!!!! How old are your dc's? Did you have to take any extra qualifications before you got your place? I dont know if access course or more A levels would be better.

I did medicine as an undergraduate at 18. It was fantastic.

The one thing that no-one had told me before I started the course was the distances placements would be away from your university, and as others have mentioned, this will continue into your professional career.

For example, at Leicester university, we could be placed as far east as Boston (2 hours drive) as far west as coventry, as far south as northampton etc etc. As an 18 year old this didn't have too much of an impact as we lived on site for the 8 week placement - with children it would be so much harder.

Have you had much thought as to what sort of doctor you would aim to be? Obviously some fields of medicine are better suited to family life than others. DH is a GP which can be perfect, my chosen speciality of surgery was less so - although it can still be done. I've now left medicine to be a SAHM and currently have no plans to return

Is your DH in a job where your family would be able to allow you to move to follow your job? I say this because there is very little guarentee that once you get to specialist training you'll find anything close by geographically.

For example a friend is on the west midlands surgical rotation which covers from Hereford up to just south of stoke. He changes hospitals every 6 - 8 months. Far from ideal

Sorry if this is all a little negative - can you tell I'm happy to have left!?!

FluffyBunnyGoneBad - Very cheap housing here too, and great beaches.

wolfnipplechips - I suspected that the reality would be somewhat different to the policy!

I'm a doctor and most of the time I love my job but it is very stressful at times although I'd imagine being a mum of 4 isn't exactly a walk in the park.

I'd think hard about how long you want to study for and what kind of lifestyle you want.

Your are looking at at least 4 years at university (?woulsd you get any funding?) then, realistically, a further 2-3 years of fulltime work (can be done part-time but at 60% of 52 hours you're looking at a min 30hour week) and entry exams to the Royal college of your specialty (exams are expensive at 300-1000 pounds with most Royal colleges having 3 sections to entry exams and you pay each time you take them). Then a further 5 years or so of fulltime work and an exit exam to say that you are competent to be a consultant. Training timescales would be a bit shorter if you were a GP.

I would add to that that a lot of hospital specialties are moving towards resident consultant on-calls so you might be in hospital on-call overnight even up to retirement .

However, it is very satisfying if you pick the specialty that's right for you, it's well paid (I think) and has pretty good job security once you secure a training place to work in your specialty. Mobility (aroundthe country) can be an issue and I have deliberately compromised in my career so that I need to be less mobile.

What is it that makes you want to do medicine?

Really think through the childcare aspect and how you will feel about missing out on their stuff.

A friend of mine is doing GP training, she has failed the MRCGP twice and is taking it again, she has two dds and her MIL does everything - shopping, cooking, cleaning ALL the childcare - school runs, uniform shopping, activities, outings. Friend just concentrates on studying and working and she is really caving under the pressure, her health is suffering and I think she has low level depression. It may be that her personality is not suited and you will be different but the ideal thing would be to do all the tough stuff before kids. IMO age is not the main factor in a decision like this but consider the stress.

tummytickler - My dc will be 7, 2 & 1. So all very young, but I have fantastic support.

I sat a-levels, as there was no suitable access course locally, and I am not a graduate.

I am very much looking forward to beginning the course, but sorting out the childcare & financial details is a headache at the moment.

Good luck with your decision.

You really really need your DH on side, I am the wife of a doctor and he was quite unusually in marrying outside the profession. Your DH has to understand:
that you will be working weekends and nights and during that time he will be responible for childcare even if he has been working FT during the week.
Your holidays maybe rota'd in - yes you will be told when you can have holiday.
There will be times when you will be working FT AND studying for exams.

If you want my very honest opinion I think doing a medical degree and then doing F1&2 whilst having 4 children it will be your children who suffer, you will just not have enough time for everything. Unless your DH is willing to be a SAHD.

Hey, I saw your post and it resonated with me as I have spent the morning looking at Speech and Language therapy courses... am considering it as postgrad option - but realistically not til kids are at school I think... Could you try to get some part-time work which gives you some experience?

Good luck with whatever you choose.

There may be some mature med students on this website who would be able to give you further insight.