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ctu_max
Regular Member
I know a man in his 40's that was a nurse/paramedic with lots of emergency med experience in the armed forces and he got into JCUand actually won a lot of the prizes and stuff in the course. Sure for places like JCU where there is a limited number of places for non school leavers its hard but i dont think its impossible. If you have the motivation and the resources i say go for it.
It might be difficult financially etc, but don't be fooled: it happens! Most graduate courses have 'older' students, however few in number. It's definitely nothing to be scared about.
Yeah, it's really very easy to throw anecdotes at you. One of the best students in my year (former paramedic, former fiery, former something else) is 41 this year.... there are other students around his age as well, and I go to an undergrad course.
There will be definitely be others like you in graduate courses. As to whether medicine is the right decision for you. There are a couple of considerations - can you afford to be studying, is your family ok with it, do you think you can handle intensive study, how do you feel about the GAMSAT etc.
You can most definitely do it though. Actually, over at https://www.pagingdr.proboards61.com/ there will be some active members who've done just what you're proposing so you might be interested in checking that site out.
And, being a nurse? Yes, that does help
Good luck!
There will be definitely be others like you in graduate courses. As to whether medicine is the right decision for you. There are a couple of considerations - can you afford to be studying, is your family ok with it, do you think you can handle intensive study, how do you feel about the GAMSAT etc.
You can most definitely do it though. Actually, over at https://www.pagingdr.proboards61.com/ there will be some active members who've done just what you're proposing so you might be interested in checking that site out.
And, being a nurse? Yes, that does help
Good luck!
Thanks for replies folks, much appreciated.
I don't think you're too old at all!!! In a way, the interview panel may take you more seriously than they do 17/18 year olds because you have had more life experiences and doing medicine is clearly something you have thought carefully about. The fact that you are a nurse and have already been exposed to a clinical setting is also a major plus. I reckon you should go for it!
JulesofSyd
Lurker
Hello to all - OK this is my very first post to MSO, do as usual I'll just jump in the deep end and ASK ALL THE REALLY DUMB Questions. . . . . . :huh:
Please read below to discover the really truly dumb and dumbest questions.
I'm a mature-age grad (youthful 47yrs) of B.Com (Econ) / B.Teach. Recently I was working out the GPA requirements for another person who wanted to study medicine. I then wondered what my own GPA was as I'd never actually calculated this score for myself (dummy me- yes?), and I was amazed to discover that on a 7 point scale my GPA was 6+. And this was sufficient to apply for med school. yikkes . . . . .
Well I can tell you that there are many medical people in my family (surgeons, GP's, dentist, allied health etc.) but I'd never acutally thought that "I" could or might apply for medicine. Since disovering this newfound pearl of wisdom, I can't get it out of my head, and have discussed it with my spouse. And I feel that I'd absolutley love to take on medicine!
But from reading the MSO web blog there are two major impediments I can see currently.
1) My major degree is in Business and Economics (little science background - but I'm a willing learner)
2) Mature age of 47 years young.
Some advantages:
1) Most of lifes' major hurdles have been crossed, eg. marriage, mortgage, child raising. Permitting uninterupted focus for study and work.
2) Maturity and life experience, corporate background, lots and lots of life and people skills, administration, management, etc.
What attributes and characteristics are the med schools looking for in choosing their students? Is 47 years too old to be selected?
Please be brutally honest with me.
Regards, J
There are no dumb questions. only dumb people... and clearly you're not dumb with a GPA of 6+.
Like has been said earlier, while 47 is not the average age of application, it is not too old to be selected. The attributes the med schools are looking for in their students... tend to be the ones that they are looking for in their doctors. There are entire threads on this forum elsewhere on that topic, I'm sure.
If you really want it, then, by all means, go for it.
Like has been said earlier, while 47 is not the average age of application, it is not too old to be selected. The attributes the med schools are looking for in their students... tend to be the ones that they are looking for in their doctors. There are entire threads on this forum elsewhere on that topic, I'm sure.
If you really want it, then, by all means, go for it.
blindspot
Regular Member
Hi JulesofSyd
Just to reiterate what Mana said, GPA of 6+ puts you in the smart group
You probably have already done this, but just in case you haven't , do make sure you talk to the doctors you know (such as the ones in your family) about the commitment required.
Starting medicine at 47 is definitely possible, but you will encounter some very real challenges. By the time you finish med school, you will be about 51; 52 after you finish your internship, and 56~60 if you decide to specialise (NB you cannot become a GP straight after your internship).
The most obvious problem with age is, of course, retirement. But also consider some of the less obvious problems. For example, hospitals are notoriously hierarchical places. As a 50yr old 3rd year student going around the medical wards, do you think you could put up with 21 year old nurses bossing you around?
Most doctors will agree that the hardest part isn't medical school, but the post-graduate training. Of course, you don't have to undertake post-grad training, but there are many potential frustrations associated with being a Career Medical Officer (?? is that what they are called in Australia??).
Just do plenty, plenty of research. This path is expensive, time consuming, and seems never-ending (from my perspective as a medical student anyway).
If you still decide to go ahead, then all the best of luck
Just to reiterate what Mana said, GPA of 6+ puts you in the smart group
You probably have already done this, but just in case you haven't , do make sure you talk to the doctors you know (such as the ones in your family) about the commitment required.
Starting medicine at 47 is definitely possible, but you will encounter some very real challenges. By the time you finish med school, you will be about 51; 52 after you finish your internship, and 56~60 if you decide to specialise (NB you cannot become a GP straight after your internship).
The most obvious problem with age is, of course, retirement. But also consider some of the less obvious problems. For example, hospitals are notoriously hierarchical places. As a 50yr old 3rd year student going around the medical wards, do you think you could put up with 21 year old nurses bossing you around?
Most doctors will agree that the hardest part isn't medical school, but the post-graduate training. Of course, you don't have to undertake post-grad training, but there are many potential frustrations associated with being a Career Medical Officer (?? is that what they are called in Australia??).
Just do plenty, plenty of research. This path is expensive, time consuming, and seems never-ending (from my perspective as a medical student anyway
).If you still decide to go ahead, then all the best of luck
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Wow, I have total respect for you. I would love to be able to have that financial security and life experience and throw myself completely into pursuing medicine without worrying whether I'll have enough time to get married and have kids one day.
Well...I think a big factor in deciding this is: why do you want to study medicine? (you can treat it as a rhetorical question, I'm not actually expecting you to answer this if you don't want to!)
Well...I think a big factor in deciding this is: why do you want to study medicine? (you can treat it as a rhetorical question, I'm not actually expecting you to answer this if you don't want to!)
Too old?
I am 44 and have just got a letter of offer for interview at Notre Dame Syd. I had B.Sc. Then Masters of Nursing. Will let you know how it goes, fingers crossed.
I am 44 and have just got a letter of offer for interview at Notre Dame Syd. I had B.Sc. Then Masters of Nursing. Will let you know how it goes, fingers crossed.
nottellingu
Regular Member
forevafrensbear
Regular Member
Ask yourself why you really want to study medicine.
At your age, you must really decide whether the rewards and need to start at the bottom of the ladder again are worth your while. Unless you head towards GP training (4 years post-graduate to complete) or a locum/career medico, your consultant career where most people spend their lives will be quite short compared to most.
But I've seen someone else in the same position who is working very hard to pursue a surgical career. He's not quite there yet but he's a good mate and I respect his dedication.
At your age, you must really decide whether the rewards and need to start at the bottom of the ladder again are worth your while. Unless you head towards GP training (4 years post-graduate to complete) or a locum/career medico, your consultant career where most people spend their lives will be quite short compared to most.
But I've seen someone else in the same position who is working very hard to pursue a surgical career. He's not quite there yet but he's a good mate and I respect his dedication.
believe
Member
hey you can do whatever you want as long as you want it (y)
forevafrensbear
Regular Member
If you're an experienced nurse, you already know what type of crap the junior medical staff have to go through.
But I know a more than a few ex-nurses who are now RMO's and they're all fantastic people to work with and know exactly what they want with their medical career ... and being a nurse practitioner wasn't it.
If medicine is really what you want to do - all the best
But I know a more than a few ex-nurses who are now RMO's and they're all fantastic people to work with and know exactly what they want with their medical career ... and being a nurse practitioner wasn't it.
If medicine is really what you want to do - all the best
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chloeduygu
Member
As the person who picked nursing for undergrad with the prospect of grad. medicine, just out of curiosity, I am asking all the nurses who want to study medicine or studying medicine now;
what made you change your mind? why do you not want to be a nurse anymore?
what made you change your mind? why do you not want to be a nurse anymore?
sayanythingsayyes
Member
Not me, but I have an interest in people.
Q1) Challenge, nature of work, salary, control, knowledge, 'power', self-perception.
Q2) Some are born leaders.
Seriously? Some nurses resent the fact that there's a 'boundary' of, or created by, rank, communication, responsibilities and expectations, and perceptions. For example, some hostility stems from nurses being perceived as assistants to doctors, despite medical students' and interns' reliance on senior nurses early on.
Frankly, I reckon nurse-turned-doctors are among the best doctors there are.1 IMO, most of them seem relatively more affable than their medicine-only colleagues,2 and their path taken has surely been fraught with hardship and tests (and so, kudos to them).
If it all counts, my aunt studied nursing in Australia, and had to 'study' medicine (for the AMC MCQ, and then had to do RANZCOG) to get to where she is now. Why? She was a skilled OB/GYN in the northern America and country not Canada or the U.S. before that, and became jaded by the monotony of nursing and 'taking crap'.
A couple years ago, there was a nonagenarian studying medicine; she has since passed on, however. It just goes to show that no one is too old to study, or do, anything.
1 But with every sample, you'll have exceptions - for better or worse.
2 I've no idea whether that's not simply a moot point, or an assumption as to their prior education has anything to do with their character.
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Hopefully not too old - me too
Hey, I hope you're not too old, cause I'm a 41 year old female who has an interview with Griffith on 12 October.
I have four kids (incl 3 teen girls), husband, mortgage, two cars to support. I am also a clinical nurse in Brisbane.
I am a late bloomer (so I have been told). I only finished my nursing 2 1/2 yrs ago. There were a good 10% of the GAMSAT sitters who were my age or older. I guess that ratio fits into those getting into uni as well. Don't sweat the age thing. It's what I really want to do, and it is all about what you want and how much you want it - not how many wrinkles you have compared to those young, brilliant, good looking..... oh well.
Think about the hours of study we will need to do, the lesser amount of income, the hours as intern, SHO etc. and can YOU and your family handle that.
Good luck.
Hello to all - OK this is my very first post to MSO, do as usual I'll just jump in the deep end and ASK ALL THE REALLY DUMB Questions. . . . . . :huh:
Please read below to discover the really truly dumb and dumbest questions.
I'm a mature-age grad (youthful 47yrs) of B.Com (Econ) / B.Teach. Recently I was working out the GPA requirements for another person who wanted to study medicine. I then wondered what my own GPA was as I'd never actually calculated this score for myself (dummy me- yes?), and I was amazed to discover that on a 7 point scale my GPA was 6+. And this was sufficient to apply for med school. yikkes . . . . .
Well I can tell you that there are many medical people in my family (surgeons, GP's, dentist, allied health etc.) but I'd never acutally thought that "I" could or might apply for medicine. Since disovering this newfound pearl of wisdom, I can't get it out of my head, and have discussed it with my spouse. And I feel that I'd absolutley love to take on medicine!
But from reading the MSO web blog there are two major impediments I can see currently.
1) My major degree is in Business and Economics (little science background - but I'm a willing learner)
2) Mature age of 47 years young.
Some advantages:
1) Most of lifes' major hurdles have been crossed, eg. marriage, mortgage, child raising. Permitting uninterupted focus for study and work.
2) Maturity and life experience, corporate background, lots and lots of life and people skills, administration, management, etc.
What attributes and characteristics are the med schools looking for in choosing their students? Is 47 years too old to be selected?
Please be brutally honest with me.
Regards, J
Hey, I hope you're not too old, cause I'm a 41 year old female who has an interview with Griffith on 12 October.
I have four kids (incl 3 teen girls), husband, mortgage, two cars to support. I am also a clinical nurse in Brisbane.
I am a late bloomer (so I have been told). I only finished my nursing 2 1/2 yrs ago. There were a good 10% of the GAMSAT sitters who were my age or older. I guess that ratio fits into those getting into uni as well. Don't sweat the age thing. It's what I really want to do, and it is all about what you want and how much you want it - not how many wrinkles you have compared to those young, brilliant, good looking..... oh well.
Think about the hours of study we will need to do, the lesser amount of income, the hours as intern, SHO etc. and can YOU and your family handle that.
Good luck.
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