My schooling?

Question

I am 26 years old. I want to do something in the health industry. What I really want is to be a doctor. I just feel like it's out of my league. Can someone like me who didn't do well in school do something that extreme?

Answer 1

It all depends on why you didn't do well at school.

Was it because you didn't study?

What were the circumstances that contributed to your lack lustre grades?

Are those same conditions applicable now?

Do you feel that your present level of motivation will be sufficient to see you through the slog of really serious study?

Being a doctor carries other peoples' lives in your hands.Do you accept this responsibility?

You are of mature age,will you be able to support yourself throughout your studies?

Have you considered nursing?

Medical studies require a reasonable intelligence.I don't believe you have to be super brainy but the amount of work required increases as your intelligence drops. However,if you have sufficient ambition,normal intelligence and honest hard work then I see no reason why you can't be curing the sick if that is what your heart is set upon. Good luck in working in such a noble field.

Answer 2

you're kinda of old.  You can try going to a CC or JC and getting great greats and transerring to a 4 year state.

You might also want to consider an AS nursing program.

Answer 3

It would be possible, but you'd have to work very hard.  Also, it would almost impossible to get any kind of scholarship, so you would have to foot the bill yourself.

If you are 26 and you start now, here is the minimum time it would take.

4 years University

4 years Medical school

Plus depending on your field of choice, up to 2 years of internship.

So you'd be 36 when you finished, and you would be in huge debt that even with doctors pay could take 10 or more years to climb out of, that puts you at 46 before you can really sit back and relax financially.

You might have to do up to 2 years of Junior college before starting the scenario I described above, just to get into the University.  So that would mean 38 before finishing and probably at least 48 before being debt free, and only if you are very strict with paying it off.

So really, its up to you.  You could do it, but if you start down the road you should be aware its a long one.

Answer 4

Of course you can, if you stick with your committment even when the going gets rough! You'll be surprised at what you're really capable of doing if you don't let others discourage you. I was once the shyest kid in school who made mostly C's and D's until in my early 20's I decided to do everything I wanted to do (I had so many interests that I learned a little about everything). At one point I got a job as the front desk receptionist at a well-known massage school.  After hearing all the terminology and seeing how hard the students there were constantly studying, I kept commenting that I didn't know how anyone could remember those long, difficult-to-pronounce words, let alone remember what they meant! I just KNEW I could never do it!

Well, I did end up becoming a student there myself because I knew how much massage relieved my chronic pains from numerous car accidents, and I decided that I wanted to help other people get that same relief from pain.  It was a struggle, but I DID remember the terminology and understood what they meant.  I became a massage therapist and was able to help many people.  It was such a great feeling to know that I could make such a difference in people's lives by helping them this way.  I hope you'll understand what I mean if you become a doctor.  If you do, be the best doctor you can be!

Answer 5

Yes, you can become a doctor in your 20s. Don't know if you've ever seen a book called "Bent, not broken". It tells the story of a NZ doc (called Lauren Roche) who grew up in an abusive family, ended up on the streets as a prostitute and an alcoholic and drug addict...and still, despite also being a single mum to two kids at the time she went back to school (one of whom was severely disabled), succeeded in turning her life around in her 20s and becoming a doctor.

Now, if she could do it, can you really think of anything in your life that'd stop you from managing it?!?

Answer 6

Yes, you can do it.  Don't let the comments about age scare you.  There have been people who have made that decision a lot later in life and succeeded!  Its a commitment and it entails hard work.  Know your limitations and go for it.