Is it possible to become a doctor later in life?

[wonderinghmm]

I had a place to study medicine at university after school but switched to science and have always regretted it. is it possible to switch career and become a doctor later in life (mid-late thirties) or is this an insane idea? Any doctors out there with any advice?

Check out St George's medical school in London. They have a 4 year course for mature students or those with a different pathway till there. Are you prepared for the costs of being a student for so long?

There was a tv programme on (probably 15 years ago now, now I think about it... eeep) following medical students through university, and they reckoned mature students were actually better, because they were much clearer about really wanting to do it.

If you still regret not doing it now, I'd say go for it!

Thank you - just investigating possibilities really. Money would obv be a consideration but am working pt at the moment anyway so may be doable in the next few years depending on how things go. I was wondering about feasability with having young children more - would you still be required to do massive shifts like undergrads did in my day? Is it possible to have a decent career afterwards or will you always be playing catch up?

Inquisitive just seen your post - yes I think you're right - as a thirty something with children I really do know what I want these days wheras when I was 18 I didn't. And I had far less determination and focus. Just wondering if it is a pipe dream really.

There used to be a more or less blanket ban on taking students over 35, due to your perceived ability to "pay back" the investment made in you, but that was 20+ years ago.
I suspect mature students would probably mostly make (on average) better doctors for all sorts of reasons but there will be an element of catch up, even if you do a 4 yr course, plus 1 yr pre reg, that takes you to mid forties, then 6 +yrs to consultant status so you will be around 50 by the time you first become a consultant, however the good news is that the stupidly long shifts of yesterday are not permitted under the european working time directive any longer

Not at all a pipe dream - the 4 year course is offered by more than just St George's these days - Cambridge definitely offer it too.

Go for it - I've met a few people who've done it and they loved it.

It is possible but very hard work. A friend of mine did it at 35 at SGHMS and the shifts were particularly dificult to manage with her two (her DH worked too). Also the studying took up huge amounts of her spare time and she used to feel v. guilty about the amount of time she spent away from the kids. However she looked at it as an investment for her kids future. Have you got lots of support from a partner/friends/family ? If so go for it !!

If you really want to do it, go for it. I trained with someone who was 40 when they graduated - came from a background of media PR or something, didn't have a science degree - and he was a fantastic doctor.

George's is the best place to be, tbh - but then that's where I went so I would say that. They have been the mature student specialists for years, way before they introduced the GEP - I think it was 10% in my year.

The GEP course is 4 years, but they'll still take graduates on the full 5-year course - talk to the admissions tutor and see if you can go in for a chat. The faculty are very approachable and keen to get loads of different types of people onto the course.

Cons - bloody hard work, especially the GEP, and you do have to do evenings/weekends to get the most out of it and give yourself the best chance of passing finals. In the latter years, it really is more of a job - 9-5 or 8-6 Monday to Friday, and you're in seminars/lectures/labs when you're not in clinic/theatre/the wards.

Wrt careers, you have to realise that some avenues are going to be less accessible than others. What did you want to do?

www.sgul.ac.uk/students/undergraduate/medicine/mbbs-gep.cfm

Good case study on this page.

I know someone who did the St George's compressed course - started around age 35, I think. He's qualified now and a very happy bunny.

not sure it would bother me being 50 odd before becoming a consultant. Does it matter? Is it just a financial consideration?What are most people who take to conventional undergrad route? late thirties, early forties?

What about GP route, would that maybe be another option for me?

I must say I am pleasantly surprised at the positive response - I think I will look into it further and maybe go to St Georges open day (fairly local too, hmmm, hmmm)

What do you think they mean by "demonstrate relevant work experience" - would i need to do some sort of voluntary work at a hospital? (or does giving bitth to 2 children count - it shoud do - I'm certainly not at all squeamish anymore!!!!)

Charitygirl what are the people you knew doing now?

Oh yeah - forgot about that, thank you LBIE - the GAMSAT is pretty fierce. I had a look at the papers when a physio friend was applying, and all I can say is that I'm bloody glad I did the right A-levels and got in that way.

Go for it.

My friend's husband is on the 4 yr course at St George's - best move he ever made he says.

Have science A levels and Bsc in a Biological Science and Msc in IT so hopefully that would be considered relevant qualifications.

Not really sure about what want to so - but while we are dreaming harbour fantasies about being a paediatrician. I too am thinking of the future for when have completed family. I guess really I am looking for more meaning in life and more fullfillment / self-worth from what I do. I currently work in IT for an investmnet bank which is quite well rewarded but pretty soul destroying and, apart from my lovely children, I really don't feel i have achieved anything worthwhile in life (yet!)

Thanks for listening!

Work experience - ward based, HCA or similar, hospice volunteering, perhaps nursing home? You need to get poo on you, and your own kids don't count. They need to see evidence of determination to get on the course, and they need to weed out those who think it's all wafting round the wards never getting vomited on.

Most people will now (with recent changes to training *spits) become consultants at about 31-33, depending on specialty.

You would be unlikely to get a training post in a competitive craft specialty if you were to come out of it at 50, simply because they won't get as much value for money from you - most consultants retire at 60, so you're getting 10 years of service rather than 30.

GP would be perfect, others less so but still very do-able.

Paediatrics is ferociously competitive, and the training's long and very shift based. Many hospitals now have the consultants resident on-call.

Cons!

Pros - wonderful job if it suits you, all career paeds I kow adore it.

Careful when/if you do apply not to make it not too airy-fairy - the classic line which interviewers start licking their lips at is "I just want to, you know, help people..."

I know that's not your motivation, but you need to make you determination concrete as well as philosophical.

Nb your academic background and current career are very helpful factors.

thanks that is very helpful. Again, not being 18 I don't have so much to prove and am not necessarily interested in becoming the most important brain surgeon or whatever. Just wondering whether the time has passed to have some sort of career in medicine but it seems maybe not.

You sound very sensible about the whole thing.

Look into it more, try and get onto the wards/into a GP surgery as much as you can - do you have any doctor friends? They'll be well placed to get you some observer time with a firm.

There is a brilliant story in our local paper today about a mother (aged 46) and her daughter (aged 23) who are both graduating in medicine from the same uni today. Go for it!

Thanks all - will get in contact with St Georges and start investigating I think. Again, very pleasantly surprised at the positive messages.

Hiya

My best mate finished the 4 yr course at Nottingham last year. She is 32 now, and her whole course intake was 'mature'.

It was bloody hard work at times, but as other have said that's more the studying as they're not allowed to make you do long shifts any more.

She, like you, had a place at 18 but didn't take it (thought she wasn't clever enough, bless her) but as she got older and more confident regretted not doing it.

I've never had to ask her if feels she made the right choice by dropping everything and doing the course because it oozes through every pore that she loves what she is doing!

She did 2 separate weeks shadowing GPs before she decided, but not really to tick 'experience' boxes at the interview - more to see if the job was what she imagined and if it was what she really wanted.

Oh and I'm pretty sure she got some kind of grant whilst studying.

Sorry it is 2nd hand, but hope it might help!

They're both still finishing up training (they're in early 30s) - one specialising in psychiatry, the other in general practice.

My mum is a GP in Putney, and supervises (is this right word) some St George's students who want to be GPs - she says they are very positive about their training.

Southampton have a ceiling if I recall correctly of 41 for some students starting - check them out too!