PreMed Perspective: Two years down... How long to go?!

“ I am starting this week actually at Mesa College to get my science classes for the prereqs I didn’t take in undergrad, so I can go to med school.”

“Wow. That is cool. When will you actually start med school?”

“Oh, I figure I will apply in about 2 years, and start in about 3.”

… And there it is. The conversation that bore so much weight on my future… and I had no idea.

That conversation took place while my now husband and I were on our first “date”, which involved walking to the beach with my dog and a trip to the hole-in-the-wall taco shop. I guess he was prepping me for the future of low budget dates. 

I thought he was a nice guy, but honestly, he might have well said, “I am going to be dead broke for the foreseeable future, I am going to have to move an undetermined amount of times and cities, I have zero stability, I am years from being in my career and therefore have no intention of anything serious."

I was almost 28, when you are definitely dating to find Mr. Right, so our conversation was not exactly full of things that make you think "This guy is totally ready to settle down and be a husband".

But you can't help who you love, and here we are two years later, and right on the schedule he told me about on that first date. Well, with a 300 guest wedding, 2 moves, and the loss of our main source of income (my morning radio show gig) thrown in there, along with some other life events… but on schedule none the less.

Two weeks ago, he did just what he said he would on that first date and applied to 21 medical schools with a solid GPA and a top 2% MCAT score. I am extremely proud.

I am also extremely scared.

I lost my job that had been my career the past nine years the week before those oh-so-cheap med school apps were sent in. I have been on and producing successful radio shows here in San Diego, but the job market in radio is shrinking by the day, leaving me facing a new career of, well, who knows, but it better be good, cause it’s all on me for the next 8+ years.

I will be 30 in a couple months. 3-0. The clock is ticking, and well, that is scary too. I will be having babies and supporting us through med school. Sure… ya… no problem...

We are both San Diego natives. All of our family is here. All those people that could help us out while trying to have kids and work during med school could be a full day of flying away. Our dogs can watch the kids, right?

Finally, blogs like these. My husband has banned me from looking at a lot of wives’ blogs, because frankly, I get panic attacks reading them. A lot of wives can be seriously depressing to read about. Everyone has their own roads and experiences that they go through, and we all need to remember that. What is terrible to one person, is a walk in the park to the other, and vise versa. All of us have our own walks to take a day at a time, and no one can tell you what it is going to be like for YOU. That is NOT what I want to do here.

Yes, I am scared. However, I am also very hopeful. I hope to share some of our joys and struggles along the way… and hopefully not terrify anyone just starting to date some guy who says he wants to go into medicine away… well for that reason anyway...

Secondaries are on the way, we hope. Stay tuned. 

Anna Myatt