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I don't think you are, esp if you have most or all of your undergrad done.
If it were me, I'd choose my specialty wisely knowing that I am not getting any younger. True, with good diet and exercise you can stay fit and strong, but you can't stop time.
If you have to do all of your college then med school, then residency, you're looking at roughly 9 years. So you would be about 44 assuming you got into a program this fall. Do you plan on specializing? I hear general practitioners barely make enough to cover overhead.
Going to be a nurse or a PA may be worth considering. You can accomplish that quicker with less expenses, and have more control over your schedule too.
If being a doctor is your passion, go for it. If you are just doing it to make a lot of money, then don't go for it. If you are in good shape and your health is good, then you are not too old.
Only do this if you have an unmitigated passion and love for what you are going to be doing.
I started medical school at 31 (granted, I already had a Ph.D.) and this was a long time ago, but I was the oldest one in my class. You'll feel your age after long shifts. And then some.
In my day we were, even as students, up all night on call and then working the entire next day. It was worse as an intern/resident when we did that every third night (which meant we staff had one Sunday off every three weeks). Thankfully, that's a thing of the past. Nevertheless, the responsibility is overwhelming, the knowledge base only increases, meaning you always have to learn MORE (which I actually enjoyed) and the oversight, regulation and paperwork expands at an enormously frightening rate.
Having said that, there are rewards. Making people better, patients who say, 'Thank you for saving my life' (yes, that actually DID happen to me!), friends with whom you have a bond like no other, the satisfaction of learning incredible volumes of information faster and more in depth than you ever though possible are among these.
You will have to have STELLAR MCAT scores. You will have to be a STAR in your pre-medical chemistry, biology, physics and math. You will need GLOWING letters of recommendation. STUDY for your MCATs. You can do this if you're determined enough.
I agree with the above posters. I have a fridge magnet that states "it's never too late to be what you might have been". One of my profs in college had a buddy that graduated in his late 40's and didn't start his practice until his 50's! That's pretty cool.
It's never too late but expect to have no life for several years. Assuming your undergrad is done, you're looking at 4 years in college followed by an internship and a residency.
It's never too late but expect to have no life for several years. Assuming your undergrad is done, you're looking at 4 years in college followed by an internship and a residency.
SEVERAL years? It's more like a decade or more. After residency it's highly likely that a fellowship (2 or 3 years) will be necessary. And you will be working weekends, holidays and nights for the rest of your life. Unless you decide to be a dermatologist or a psychiatrist.
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