Time for reflecting...

So now that I have a little time off between work and starting medical school, I have been thinking a lot about my situation. I know I've touched on this before, but I have been thinking how HAPPY I am that I did things in this order. Sure there is part of me that hopes I'm not the oldest one in the class (I did see one person who is 29, close but I'm still older)... but really I am overall ok with it. I was daydreaming and wondering if someone gave me a real choice... to give up my house, my travels, my Master's degree, my previous careers, my epidemiology experience, teaching at an inner city school, my dog, my debt, living in Boston, Phoenix, San Diego, Miami, Washington DC, Italy, learning languages, my friends I've met all over the world... Just to be graduated from med school and done with residency by age 30, I can safely say "Hell no!"

I must admit, when I look at my college friends facebook pages and they are already practically done with residency I certainly feel envious. I have friends in ID, medicine, OB, ER, etc. But then I remember that they didn't do all the things I've done... and frankly I'm looking forward to medical school and residency. All of that is over for them.

I'm not going to say that they did it wrong or right... I'm just saying that this way is right for me. I don't think I realized it until I was accepted into med school. Before then, I was so worried about what the hell I would do if I didn't get in that I couldn't even see the benefits of starting medical school "late" in life. I felt so behind. I guess I've always been behind up until this point. I didn't do the right classes in high school so I had to catch up in college. Since I was catching up in college I wasn't prepared for my pre-med classes... it was a big cycle. For the first time I am suddenly "in" the game.... and assuming I do well in medical school I'll be ahead of the game for residency. I'll have my Masters degree, epi experience, research, papers, etc.

In my opinion one of the greatest gifts you have as an older student is perspective. I think by my age you learn not to be bound by what everyone else thinks, and you actually enjoy being the out of the box thinker. I am able to sort through advice and not take anyone's word as gospel, which I don't think I did when I was younger.