My Advice to a 49-Year-Old Premed Considering Med School

Session 265

It’s (almost) never too late to become a physician, but what do you need to know about the journey as an older premed? Listen and find out!

Questions answered here on the podcast are taken directly from the Nontrad Premed Forum over at premedforums.com. Please go ahead and register for an account, ask your question, and have fun with the community. If you need help with your MCAT prep, check out Blueprint MCAT.

Also, please be sure to check out all our other podcasts on Meded Media as we try to bring you as many resources as you need on this journey.

Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.

[01:14] OldPreMeds Question of the Week

“I just turned 49. I’ve had a wide-ranging, big, bawdy, experience-led journey through life that started out rough and is now filled with love and joy. I want to go to medical school and spend the rest of my days working as a community GP in a rural environment. I have the grades, and I am working on postbac coursework. Currently a birth doula and was heading toward nurse-midwifery. But medicine is what I want, and I can be so much more impactful as an MD. I don’t have years left to come up with more reasons why I’m too old to do this. But I do need someone, anyone to tell me that I can do this. Can I ask for your counsel?”

[02:06] Realize Your Dream

Whether you’re 22, 42, or 62, the goal of going to medical school is to realize your dream of wanting to serve others as a physician. So no matter what age you are, that dream of serving others as a physician will never go away.

“No matter what age you are, there's nothing stopping you from going to medical school to realize this dream of becoming a physician. If this is what you want, then you should do it.”Click To Tweet

You should take the many remaining years of your life doing what you want. And if that means going to medical school and serving your community, then do it.

Now that being said, make sure it’s a true desire, and it’s not just some random thought you’ve had. Go explore and get clinical experience to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s a long and expensive journey to be a physician. But at the end of that exploration, if being a physician is what you want to do, then you should start down that path today.

As they say, the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the second-best time is today. And so, today, plant that tree that you will be a physician. You may be older than everyone else in your class, but that’s okay. Because it’s what you want to do.

[05:31] Check Out Blueprint Prep

As you’re on your premed journey, the MCAT is a big obstacle. Good thing, our friends at Blueprint MCAT will help you on your journey.

Formerly known as Next Step Test Prep, Blueprint has the best online course out there. And they just made it even better with their new live online feature added on to the best online course that has been out there before.

With their live online course, you get classes on top of office hours. These classes cover different topics with two amazing blueprint instructors. So you can be assured that they will help you best prepare come MCAT day.

With their amazing video content, they can help you remember everything about the MCAT, especially that foundational content is a common struggle among nontrad students.