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Original poster

Anyone know an older mum (36 ? ) train to be a dr. ?

13 replies

fakeblonde · 31/10/2007 11:28

I am just interested in the tiny weeny possibillty.
I am a trained nurse and trained midwife.
Have 3 children all at school now.
Would i ever be able to afford to go to med school ?
Would they want me ?
Could i maybe miss some of 9 years out as i have a fair knowledge to start ?
Dont think its really plausable but just wondering if anyonee has any knowledge of similar x

OP posts:

Pennies · 31/10/2007 11:31

My mum did but that was about 35 years ago now and things may have changed. So, I can't be of much more help I'm afraid, but jsut to let you know that it has been done!

Pennies · 31/10/2007 11:31

Oh, and she went from being a magazine Art Editor to medic so had to do her A'levels as well.

crokky · 31/10/2007 11:34

My friend is on a fast track med school course for people who have already done something after school (he has a physics degree) - it takes 4 years. I am not sure who pays for it though.

Original poster

fakeblonde · 31/10/2007 11:36

Right thanks.It might be worth me enquiring then ?
Thank you x

OP posts:

Bluestocking · 31/10/2007 11:39

The only way to find out for sure would be to contact some medical schools to find out. If you have a degree (it's not clear from your OP) you might be eligible to join the four-year graduate entry MBChB. If not, you would have to do the full five years at university, plus two years as what was a house officer (can't remember new terminology). Look at MBChB courses on www.ucas.com for information and contact details for medical schools.

Elfsmummy · 31/10/2007 11:41

Good luck if you do go ahead.

I trained post A-levels in 1998. No kids, no Dh etc - and it was still hard work!!

However, how much research have you done already? You may be able to miss 1 year of the 5 year basic training based upon your previous experience but only certain universities offer this option. I trained at Leicester and we were affiliated with Warwick for a while that did a specialist 4 year course for graduates. Would you be prepared to move your family or are you looking at a university close to you?

In terms of the training, the graduate course is more intence, usually the first 2 years are university based and the final 2 hospital based with some overlap between the 2.

For the vast majority of the training your set hours will be roughly 9-5 with private study on top of that. And hundreds of exams! In fact so many exams that they become second nature so it isn't as sacry as it sounds.

I think the main thing for you to consider is what you want to do post medical school? You're probably aware that the whole system is one big sorry mess at the moment but it won't affect you as in 5-6 years time it should have sorted itself out (fingers crossed!)

In my personal experince certain specialtities are better suited to having children. Sadly my original chosen speciality (surgery) wasn't one of those so I'm probably better discribed as a resting doctor these days until our family is a little older!

I could rabbit on all day. so I'll sign off but happy to answer any more questions for you if you have any.

Oh I should say that in my particular year there were several mature students , 3 of whom had children - but they were all men

NorksDrift · 31/10/2007 11:42

You should watch this episode of Doctors To Be: Twenty Years On, as she trained after having kids.

Original poster

fakeblonde · 31/10/2007 14:37

Thanks elfsmummy-i think i could only manage it without up and moving tbh.The hours cant be any worse then those i do now .dh has supported me through nursing and then midwifery.
I suppose i would love to be a gp-boring i know but where i live we could use an up to date female about the place as i`m sure lots of villages do !
Can i ask you what the drop out rate is roughly during the 2 years at uni ?

OP posts:

Elfsmummy · 31/10/2007 18:21

My DH is a GP and he loves and adores it. If I could face it , it would definately be the sensible option for me to do too but I really don't fancy it. Its a more family friendly option and the training once you've qualified is also more family friendly. (In fact last year in Nottingham it was the only specialty with funding for part time training!)

During our 2 years at uni we started with a class of 170. About half a dozen dropped out in the first few weeks. We lost four who failed at the end of the first year and probably about another 5 dropped out for various reasons over the course of the 2 years.

Out of interest all but 2 of my friends in my year at med school are now training to be GPs - hospital medicine is seriously out of favour!

Hope all this helps
xx

Elfsmummy · 01/11/2007 08:15

Was talking to DH about this last night and he reminded me about the thing that really wound us up at medical school. (How easily you forget!)

The travelling. It was something that no-one told us about during the application process etc. In short during your time in hospitals whilst you're at uni you are sent to blocks at hospitals all over the region. For example from Leicester we could be sent as far west as Coventry and as far east as Boston in Lincolnshire. That was a 2 hour drive so naturally we didn't communte (because they don't pay petrol either!) but they do provide free (very bad) accomodation.

You have very little say in where you are sent. As a person with a family this could be a massive problem to you.

Once you're qualified you would be very very lucky to get all your training in one place without having to move around. I was the only one of my friends who got specialist training in Leicester for example. The nearest, my husband could get was Stoke on Trent, so he commuted.

What I'm trying to say is that you'd be very unusual to manage to train fully in one area from start to finish.

Not trying to put you off, just wish someone had warned us

marialuisa · 01/11/2007 11:22

I have some involvement with med school admissions and there are usually a few applicants in a similar position to you every year (tends to be dads rather than mums though). This might be useful[http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/mhs/GEM/index.html] and they should definitely be able to give you advice on your options.

marialuisa · 01/11/2007 11:23

sorry www.nottingham.ac.uk/mhs/GEM/index.html

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 01/11/2007 12:20

I'm nearly qualified as a m/w and see a lot of med students and junior doctors on the wards. They're fron Nottingham uni but I believe their circuit consists of Nottingham, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Boston and Lincoln. So they can be at one hospital for one placement then at another for the next.

When you qualify you have to rank every single trust in England, scotland and Wales in order of preference for a job. But you could end up at any of them!

Then after your first junior doctor post you could end up somewhere far away for your next post.

It this that puts me off applying.

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