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Original poster

Medicine as a mature student, is 45 too old?

69 replies

Sirranon · 20/02/2021 17:54

I'm 45. Been a sahm for 8 years amd was a Registered Childminder before that. Before that I had a short period of career drifting after a failed doctorate. I do have a good degree in a life science subject.

For many, many years, I've wanted to be a doctor. I almost took that path as a student, then decided on a science degree and an academic career instead. That didn't work out, and life took different turns, but I never lost a wistful yearning for medicine, even though I thought that ship had long sailed.

Now my husband is encouraging me to apply as a mature student. I didn't even think this was a thing - I'd assumed medical schools were looking for twentysomethings and tried to put it out of my mind.

I think I could handle the training and that I could do, and love, the job. Where I'm struggling is imagining medical schools would look twice at a 45 year old sahm. Is this an utterly unrealistic idea? If there's a slim chance I'll be taking it like a shot.

OP posts:

31RooCambon · 20/02/2021 17:58

I think it's one of those courses where you're earning something before you're properly trained isn't it?

LIke so as a part of your training towards the end, you are earning.

If you've been determined to do medicine for a long time and talked yourself out of it but now you are listening to yourself and you have the support of your husband I would do it!

You know what age you are. If the others are 23, 24, you'll cope.

Don't do it if you're doubting yourself.

Stop doubting yourself and do it.

I'm 50 by the way.

I wish I knew with certainty what I should be doing!

needadvice54321 · 20/02/2021 18:00

Not quite the same as they were looking to train as midwifes or nurses, but I did my access to nursing course years ago with lots of women hoping to go to university. The vast majority were aged 45-50 and doing it having finished bringing up children! So definitely don’t think you’d be alone!

I’m really jealous, I never made use of my access course in the end (now expired) and would love to go on and train

31RooCambon · 20/02/2021 18:00

Ps, I would go in OWNING your age from day one. Like I know I want to be here, I know I'm doing the right thing!
How many years will it take you to train?

superram · 20/02/2021 18:01

I’d imagine you will have to do an access course but apply, what have you got to lose?

31RooCambon · 20/02/2021 18:03

I know it's not the same because it's not practical and people don't stand there looking at you assessing how long you'll live and work after you graduate but I want to do a philosophy degree. I'm still thinking about it. I'm only 50

MyGorramShip · 20/02/2021 18:05

Medicine degrees don’t accept Access Courses.

OP, contact your local Universities Medical School and ask. Mine does an extended (or accelerated) 5 year (3 year) Medicine degree for Mature Students with STEM degrees (depending on how long ago the degree was), however a decent GAMSAT score is still required along with interviews etc.

littlemisslozza · 20/02/2021 18:06

Go for it! The only think I'm wondering is whether you will need evidence of recent study. It depends how long ago your degree was. They may want something recent, open university credits or similar. I looked into midwifery a few years ago ( I should also have chosen something medical but we have a family business now and i can't see it happening), but even though I have a degree in a science, a PGCE and three science A-levels the advice was that they wanted evidence of recent study. This was about 10 years after I'd left uni.

QueenOfPain · 20/02/2021 18:06

Graduate entry medicine is a thing, you have to sit a test before hand to get on called the GAMSAT. I believe the entrance to a GEM course has much more emphasis on life experience and transferable skills, but of course there are still academic requirements - but a good first degree in a health sciences subject tends to be the main one, rather than excellent a-levels like it would be for those doing the traditional route.

You have nothing to lose by applying.

littlemisslozza · 20/02/2021 18:07

thing not think!

helpmum2003 · 20/02/2021 18:08

I'm a Dr and I'm afraid I would say no.

It sounds like you could be qualified by 50 with your previous degrees but then you have the hardest part to go - working as a junior doctor and continuing to take exams.

Even once you become a GP (late 50s) you'd be at the age where most are looking to cut back on work commitments because you just can't physically do it for ever. I don't think you'd likely ever make a Consultant as that takes longer.

Sorry to be negative but as a 50yo Doctor that is the reality!!

RunnerDown · 20/02/2021 18:08

I think the thing to consider is not doing a medical degree, but coping with the first few years working as a doctor. It will be shift work, often very busy . You may not be able to get a job where you live , and holidays will be difficult.
You will graduate and then have 2 years as a foundation doctor. It would take at least 3 years after that to train to be a GP, at least 6 years to become a hospital specialist.
If you do an access course , then you will be at least 51 at the start of your working life.
I am a retired doc. I could not have coped with the work the juniors were doing in my fifties. On a physical not an intellectual level.

QueenOfPain · 20/02/2021 18:10

It’s not medicine, but might also be worth looking into a Physicians Associate course, a relatively new profession to the Uk, but very much up and coming and working at a similar level to Advanced Nurse Practitioners/Advanced Clinical Practitioners and Advanced Paramedics in both acute and primary care settings.

helpmum2003 · 20/02/2021 18:10

And i didn't mention working around kids and having to move around to where the jobs are.

WannaCapybara · 20/02/2021 18:20

Why not look at other medical type degrees? Radiology, speech therapy, for example?

Butterfly44 · 20/02/2021 18:27

It's not just the medical degree course though. After graduating you have years of being a junior doctor and doing all the foundation exams; then you specialise and have more training for a few more years. Only after this you then you become a fully qualified doctor. Apart from years of exams; expense and loss of income; you are working all hours and there is a lot of being on nights and being on call. There will be different rotations and you may have to move around the country a fair bit until you officially qualify.

2chooze · 20/02/2021 18:33

I am a 46 year old Dr, and I am afraid I totally echo helpmum2003’s comments. It was tough enough being a junior doctor and doing the shifts and post-graduate exams in my 20s and 30s. No way I could do that all now at my age.

TicTac80 · 20/02/2021 18:39

It is definitely a thing...but I do think it depends on several factors. A consultant that I'm friends with/work with, went to med school in her early 40's (her kids were in secondary school). She said it was a bloody hard slog (physically) in the early years, but she aced it. She did have to move about quite a bit in foundation/core training but her kids were more independent and her husband was able to step up and really help keep things going whilst she was working away. :)

You'd need a really solid support network as I know the shifts and hours that the doctors put in and it's pretty relentless. FWIW, I did a science degree age 18-21 and then went into nursing as a single mum at 29yrs old. I wouldn't have been able to do it if I didn't have the support of my family....and finding childcare that fits in with my shifts has been a real headache!! (luckily my kids are getting older now!)

Original poster

Sirranon · 20/02/2021 18:40

Thank you for all the replies, both encouraging and realistic. Lots to think about.

I'd be looking to become a GP, not a consultant. I must admit I hadn't thought of how I would cope with the junior doctor stage in my fifties. I consider myself fit and up for hard work but obviously don't want to be unrealistic either. Women of all ages do shiftwork in healthcare, but if that's comparable I don't know.

The having to move for jobs issue could apply to whatever profession I retrained for so I'm not too worried about that. My husband can work anywhere.

Lack of recent study could be a sticking point. It's been a long time.

I will be looking at other medical related options too, I'd never heard of physician associates, thanks.

OP posts:

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 20/02/2021 18:43

I do agree with the other doctors, I’m afraid. And I think you would feel very isolated, being so much older than the rest of the junior doctors.

But I also think that there are many ways in which you could realise your dream of being involved in healthcare. As a PP mentioned, nursing has many more late starters. And there are lots of allied professions, both clinical and non-clinical. What about being a GP Practice Manager, for example? It’s a crucial role for delivering good patient care, and you will have plenty of contact with patients.

Think about what it is about being a doctor that attracts you, and then look at options that could provide those elements you crave. And good luck

piglet81 · 20/02/2021 18:43

A friend of my dad’s did this and he had to go right back to A level stage as he had no science background at all. Everyone thought he was mad but it all seemed to work out OK! Good luck with whatever you decide to do - I think it’s really brave to change tack.

MrDarcysMa · 20/02/2021 18:47

I think you'd only start being a junior doctor ages 50 and from what I've heard from my doctor friend that's more full on/ demanding than the training. I'm depends on how much energy you have and responsibilities outside of work because there won't be much time for anything else in your 50s if you go down the medical route x

helpmum2003 · 20/02/2021 18:55

Your jobs can move as often as 6 monthly so often you may need to get a house centrally and be prepared to travel yourself as your husband couldn't change jobs that often. Are your children still in school? That's another reason why you may need to do the travelling.

I agree with a PP suggestion that another clinical career with a shorter training and fewer postgraduate exams and less working hours would be worth considering. You may get more satisfaction because the physical exhaustion on top of age may cancel it all out with medicine.

MrsAvocet · 20/02/2021 18:55

I'm sure it is possible, but to be brutally honest I'm not sure it's something many people would want to start in their mid 40s.
You missed applying for this year so let's suppose you apply and are accepted for 2022 and do a 5 year standard course. (As others have said it might be more or less depending on your particular circumstances but you won't know that til you explore things further.) But if you started a 5 year course in 2022, you're going to be around 51 when you graduate. Then there's 2 years as a Foundation Doctor, making you 53 by the time you start specialty training. If you want to be a GP there's another 3 years so that makes you 56 when you're looking for your first permanent practice. If you want to be a hospital consultant most specialty training takes around 6 or 7 years so you'd be about 60 when you completed your training scheme, assuming that you work full time throughout and pass all your post grad exams etc on schedule.
I know lots of doctors in their mid 50s to early 60s in both general practice and hospital specialties and quite a lot of them are starting to formulate their exit strategies now, reducing their hours, trying to get off on call rotas etc. Admittedly in the future people are simply not going to be able to retire as early, but you'd still be looking to start your first substantive post at around the same age as a lot of people are starting to dream of retirement.
And how would you fund it? Generally speaking if you have one Bachelor's degree you're not eligible for student finance, but exceptions are made for some healthcare related second degrees so hopefully you'd get loans if you need them. But 5 years worth of student loans is a lot of debt to be taking on in middle age.
Have you looked at other health related careers? There's quite a few new careers related to medicine but which don't take quite so long to get there, such as Physician Associates. You can definitely go into that kind of training from a scientific background and the role involves working very closely with doctors and doing quite a few of the same things. I've got a friend who is part way through PA training and she's nearly 50.
www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/medical-associate-professions-maps
Good luck whatever you decide.

Ethelfromnumber73 · 20/02/2021 18:57

@helpmum2003

I'm a Dr and I'm afraid I would say no.

It sounds like you could be qualified by 50 with your previous degrees but then you have the hardest part to go - working as a junior doctor and continuing to take exams.

Sorry to be negative but as a 50yo Doctor that is the reality!!

Exactly this. Sorry OP, it's not a realistic thing to do

adailymale34 · 20/02/2021 19:00

Think carefully about your childcare. In your junior doc years you have fixed annual leave, often not allowed to request dates or swap them, so you'd likely never be off in the school holidays. On working days you'd never be able to do the school run. So you need full time wraparound for your child. You'll be working at least 1 in 4 weekends, no days off in the week to compensate.
It's doable in your 20s but I definitely wouldn't do it in my 50s with a young child.

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