r/emergencymedicine • u/OptimalCredit3272 • Jul 14 '25
Advice 40 year old emergency nurse planning to enter med school. I guess the question would be is am I too old to enter med school?
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u/DocEmily Med Student Jul 14 '25
I’m 47 and starting my second year of med school. You’re not too old, but it’s getting late. So if you want to do this, start now.
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u/Oryx_y_Cake Jul 15 '25
As someone who just turned 40 and debating a big life change...what were you doing before and why now?
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u/DocEmily Med Student Jul 15 '25
I ran my own business that got wiped out due to COVID restrictions. I used stimulus and unemployment money to do a post bacc
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u/ItsOfficiallyME Jul 15 '25
here i am at 32 thinking it’s over
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u/Hypno-phile ED Attending Jul 15 '25
Heh, we had someone in my medical school class who had applied to nursing school and was told she was too old. So she went to medical school in her 40s instead.
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u/MsSpastica Nurse Practitioner Jul 15 '25
I thought I was too old at 27, and I regret it so, so much. I would go back and do it in a second, if I could
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u/miserablepiggy Jul 15 '25
Was your age the only reason you decided not to pursue MD/DO? I’m in a similar boat sharing the same sentiment
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u/said_quiet_part_loud ED Attending Jul 15 '25
I was 27 when I started med school. Have zero regrets as far as age goes.
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u/miserablepiggy Jul 15 '25
Any regrets in general?
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u/said_quiet_part_loud ED Attending Jul 15 '25
Maybe a different specialty. EM has its pros and cons.
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u/miserablepiggy Jul 15 '25
What are they if you don’t mind me asking? Open to dm so I can hear your perspective more!
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u/said_quiet_part_loud ED Attending Jul 15 '25
They’re all hashed out pretty frequently on this sub. Don’t know if I have a lot of new insight on the topic.
The pay is decent, I like the time off my schedule provides me, I like my skill set, sometimes I can make a connection or make a badass catch that saves a life, I see lots of interesting and entertaining things/people, work with some cool people.
On the other hand, the medical system is crumbling and devolving into a corporate hellscape that weighs heavily on the ER, midlevel creep, poor staffing, boarding, constant medmal concerns, never ending exhausting patient interactions, etc etc etc.
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u/MsSpastica Nurse Practitioner Jul 15 '25
Yup, it was my age (this was 25 years ago, and there weren't a lot of non-trad premeds at my school). This was also when I was vacillating between psychiatry, and neuropsych. I didn't really have strong guidance, and then life happened and I stopped pursuing it altogether until I made the mistake of getting into nursing, lol.
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u/OhHowIWannaGoHome Med Student Jul 14 '25
There are about 100+ of these post over the last decade on r/medschool, however, to summarize: not necessarily. There’s no age cutoff for admission, but you need to really, REALLY weigh the costs and benefits of going to med school. If you entered right now you would be an attending physician by 47 y/o at the absolute earliest. But I’m going to assume you have pre-reqs you need to complete because nursing school does not meet all of the med school requirements, so that adds time. Gap years add time. Surgical specialties and subspecialty trainings add time. Not to mention that medical school requires giving up a lot of your time and life to study. And you have to ask yourself (and every medical school interviewer will likely ask) why not go NP?
I’d sit down with your friends/family, or whoever is you major social support and have a long chat about why you want to do it and what that would look like.
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u/because_idk365 Jul 15 '25
This.
Because everything isn't about money.
Pay it off in 3 yrs and do your thing
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u/monsieurkaizer ED Attending Jul 14 '25
Definitely not. The most important part to learn and figure out early on is how you remember stuff. I never took notes, or attended non mandatory lectures because I had checked that my retention of material was way greater if I spent that time studying at home and taking down any questions for the next time I had a mandatory class.
People will swear to all sorts of methods on how to study, and some of them will be a waste of time for you, depending on how you learn. If you're an ER nurse with a touch of ADHD like us ER folk often have, maybe the "tomato method" or "pomodoro technique" will work for you as well as it did for me. Some of my fellow students spent 10 hours studying. I set a minimum of 6 hours a day and at least 5 days a week during the semesters. Only ever had to retake one exam.
Best of luck!
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u/MeinTraum Jul 20 '25
Good to hear this learning style exists among others. I always feel I’m not learning as much compared to those who take meticulous notes, create spreadsheets and note cards. I sit, listen, read, and drill the shit out of practice problems and scenarios. I find it very difficult to change that learning pattern.
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u/edgefull Jul 15 '25
nope. do it. i thought about it at 50, decided not to do it, but if i were your age, I would totally do it.
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u/Fabulous-Airport-273 Jul 14 '25
Absolutely not too old. Mean age for my class at matriculation was 27yo (this was in 2002). Our class having a diversity in student lived experience was a huge asset to our collective experience and (I’d argue) to the patient populations we serve.
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u/snotboogie Nurse Practitioner Jul 14 '25
I think financially it's a wash. You won't start practicing until 50 . Lot of loans. Probably makes better financial sense to go to NP school. You can do a similar job in less time . Lose less income. Far less loans.
I mean the education isn't comparable. Med school would be an awesome experience, but idk if its worth it past early 30s
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u/erinkca Jul 15 '25
Not too old, but ask yourself why you really want to do this. It had better be worth the strain on your life.
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u/Boarder_Hoarder Jul 15 '25
Not too old but why? Medical school is barely worth it at any age let alone 40. NP school or CRNA is the obvious choice.
Med school pays off when you’re able to practice medicine for a long time (typically >20 years). Not saying you can’t work in the ER at 60 but you’ll be 47 when you’re an attending
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u/jvttlus Jul 14 '25
probably I’d just do np or PA if I were you. we’re the same age. I could do med school at 40, sure. residency at 44? yeeesh. I mean, people have done it…I don’t think I could
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u/Snow_Cabbage Jul 15 '25
Not too old at all. Do it. You are too good to be anything other than what you’ve already dreamed up for yourself!!
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u/Single_Oven_819 Jul 15 '25
Never too old, but it is a big financial commitment. You will be a minimum of 47 or 48 when you start practicing. If you do it, try to get through med school with minimal to no loans. Good luck.
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u/W0OllyMammoth ED Attending Jul 15 '25
You’re looking to break even 10-15 years later financially. That’s not even accounting for lost income.
So you take a year or two off for prerequisites and mcat prep, then 4 years med school, then 3-5 residency. So at the age of 52 you’re in 350k debt and lost 10 years of nursing income. So maybe by the time you’re 60 you’ve caught up to where you would have been working as a nurse. Except instead of nursing hours you put in 100 hour weeks in med school and 80 hour weeks in residency and have made your family and hobbies take a back seat.
You do you but in my opinion, don’t bother.
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u/Muted-Berry9225 Jul 15 '25
financially, i wouldn't. you'll be in debt, and won't be earning the top bucks for 7-8 years while debt grows. By that time, you'll be almost 50, and might not have the zeal left for medicine any more. It's a tough field with high burnout in all specialties at this point. Quicker route might be PA/NP/CRNA route--I'd look into that if I were you.
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u/esophagusintubater Jul 15 '25
I would be a doctor all over again. But if I had to start at 47-50 tbh, not worth it
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u/Numerous_Umpire2705 Jul 15 '25
10/10 would not recommend. There is so much sacrifice. 2nd year resident, 32 yo. Would give anything to not be in debt and walk away from this.
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u/krustydidthedub ED Resident Jul 15 '25
For real man, I can never understand the people on these threads who are all optimistic about shit like this. The idea of being a resident at 45 years old sounds fucking awful. The financial stress, the time stress, constantly missing out on important life events, pulling 24-28 hour shifts in the ICU/trauma.
I started med school at 26 and looking back I would never start this journey after 30. All the power to OP if they go through with it but I would 100% say just get your NP if you’re already an experienced nurse
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u/dajoemanED Jul 14 '25
I would do the NP route. After only 2-3 years depending on program length, you hit the workforce earning twice what a resident does, with the flexibility to change disciplines if what you’re working in does not suit you. I am an emergency physician, but if I get tired of EM, I can’t just go start practicing oncology. I mean, legally I can, but no one in their right mind would hire me or use me as their oncologist without residency/fellowship/boarding. You hate EM, you can go get a job in gastroenterology.
Yes, you will ultimately earn less than a physician, but the 6-10 year earnings head start and lower program costs you get over an MD/DO, at your age, plus career flexibility, will be much to your benefit.
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u/Dry-Feedback1009 Jul 15 '25
Not too old but with the student loan structures changing unless you’re financially well off- you’re probably going to want to retire before you would qualify for loan forgiveness. You may need to take out more private loans given the new federal loan caps and you’re likely going to be incomeless for 4 yrs of med school and income poor during residency. Reimbursement rates for docs are dropping - still good don’t get me wrong but not what it was. If you have other obligations - a house, kids, prior debts, retirement plans, aging parents, geographical restrictions (due to the aforementioned) - I would really consider this to be the main barrier. Mentally emotionally experientially you’re probably the best person to go to med school. But it’s a massive lifestyle change for the next 8-10 years and can ruin any financial/life plans you may already have.
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u/shamdog6 Jul 15 '25
Purely based on age, no, not too old. Things to consider though are amount of loans you’re taking on (don’t want to be in educational debt into your 60s) and duration of training after. At 40 I’d be hesitant to take on a specialty that requires 5+ years of residency and potentially fellowship on top of that because you’re not paying off any loans as a resident.
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u/Necessary_Cobbler257 Jul 18 '25
40 is not too old. I'm graduating from my medical school next year, at age 66. Longevity genes made me ask, "what difference can I make over the next 30 years"? "Dad" retired from active practice at age 91 because he couldn't get malpractice insurance any longer - despite never having a case brought against him.
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u/ObiDumKenobi ED Attending Jul 15 '25
I had a classmate who was 41 when she started. Then went on to do gen surgery residency which is definitely a choice
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u/Special-Box-1400 Jul 14 '25
1 year applying / 4 years med / 4 years resident / just starting at 50 vs, 1 year NP degree doing the same thing. 9 years vs, 1, you can find an NP job with as much independence as you want.
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u/9MillimeterPeter Jul 14 '25
“Doing the same thing” is arguable but I think the rest of the statement stands.
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u/aliceinEMSland Jul 14 '25
You can’t do NP school in 1 year. Typical time is 3 years. Anything less is a questionable education.
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u/HappilySisyphus_ ED Attending Jul 15 '25
I am going to go against the grain and say you’re too old. You might be 48 by the time you become an attending. And you’ll have possibly 300-400k in debt that youll pay off by the time you’re 55 if you go fast. Many people are looking at retirement near that age.
If it were me, I wouldn’t do it. I’d do NP.
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u/krustydidthedub ED Resident Jul 15 '25
Only realistic answer here imo. Maybe 20 years ago this was feasible but the finances of this simply do not work out anymore. The idea of being newly 500K in debt in my mid 40s is horrific lol
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u/Sad_Sash Nurse Practitioner Jul 15 '25
Not too old, but consider the time it takes to remunerate student loans etc, lost income vs earnings/pension alternative tracks
Go in eyes open. Have a blast, cure the sick and all that 💪
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u/hqbyrc Jul 15 '25
Close but not quite. But I am sure you wont and cannot be a neurosurgeon. Psych sounds perfect
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u/MoreThanMD Jul 16 '25 edited Jul 16 '25
Knew a guy that started in his 40s. Had a wife and kids. They were a huge support for him. He got crushed with loans but he worked like a dog and he loved every single moment of it. He went on to cards fellowship and is now an attending. The kids were elementary school age when he started and they loved seeing their dad become a physician. His wife was a nurse I believe and she held that the ship together. I can only imagine having to support a husband that made a sacrifice at that stage. Surely they had their problems but they remain happily married and the kids are headed off to college. Find your tribe and you'll be able to keep your head above water.
I was older when I started. It was hell for me because I had un-treated ADHD and I never got the meds that I would have 100% benefitted from. I say that now because I take meds and I see the difference now as an attending.
The young kids in their mid-20s will gloat about 10-12h days but do not try to be like them. You need your sleep and rest. When you get there, remember that you cannot cram the material. Figure out the best way to dedicate yourself to reading 5-6h/day reading text or watching videos consistently (take a lunch and snack break prn) for 5-6 days of the week--ramp up during exam week obviously. You'll be surprised how little you get from in-person lecture but go to class at first to find your favorite professors. Seek them out via email--maintaining some relationship helps with societies if that's your thing.
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u/RNing_0ut_0f_Pt5 ED Tech Jul 17 '25
Never too old. Your prior experience can be more helpful than you’d ever imagine.
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u/wherearewegoingnext Jul 24 '25
I’m 44 and a NP. Planning to apply next year🤷♀️. I’ll be 54 when I finish residency. Financially, it definitely won’t be worth it, but I’ve gone back and forth about medical school for years.
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u/StLorazepam RN Jul 14 '25
General consensus you’ll find with these threads is: No, you’re not too old, but be mindful of the strain and sacrifice it puts your relationships and children through