Study Medicine

[cengsubsea]

Hello, this is my first post so please bare with me if it doesn't conform to usual post style.

I am wondering if any doctors (from all specialities and ages) could offer me some advice. I am 24 and currently working as a Subsea design engineer. I have an honours degree in mechanical engineering and eventually would do a masters if I stayed in engineering. I have been thinking for years about studying medicine. Would you recommend the profession as a career? I would be 25 when I start and fear this is too old as I would be at least 31 by the time i start speciality training.

I have read numerous forums and articles on the subject and spoke to doctors but want to get more opinions. In terms of remuneration and working hours I don't have a clue what its like now since the new contracts have been introduced.

Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Not a doctor but I qualified as a solicitor when I was almost 32. I know someone who is in her early 40s doing medicine. Bearing in mind how long we will have to work it's never too late!

I have lots of friends who are medics and there are usual gripes about overwork etc but similar to my teacher friends and lawyer friends. Good luck

I had a colleague who started at 35+, a happy doctor today, secretary before that. Should you give up your dream job just because you're 24 and not 20 now? That doesn't make much sense to me.

I'm a medicine admissions tutor. It's not at all uncommon for people to start medical school in their mid-twenties. Most years we have one or two starting in their forties.
What you have to consider before starting such a long education/training pathway at a later age is what you will be giving up in terms of loss of earnings while studying, hiatus in pension contributions, etc., as well as whether your study skills and ability to learn/concentrate will be strong enough (medical students in their late thirties who I've spoken to tend to find their memory isn't as effective as that of their younger colleagues). I can say pretty confidently that you won't be the oldest student in your cohort.