Am I Too Old to Study Medicine in Australia? An Honest Answer

I get asked this a lot, and I understand why. I asked myself the same thing.

After my undergrad I did a Masters overseas, worked for a few years, and only then started thinking seriously about medicine. I started med school at 27 and graduated at 31. I was older than most of my cohort, and when you're surrounded by 22-year-olds it's easy to feel like you've missed the boat.

You haven't, and here's why.

The short answer

No, your age doesn't rule you out. In my cohort the youngest student was 21 and the oldest was 50. People got married during med school. People had babies. Everyone was at a different stage of life and it made no difference to whether they'd make a good doctor.

The time is going to pass either way. You might as well spend it working towards something you want.

The longer answer: think about specialty training, not med school

Where age does start to matter is what comes after med school. Getting from graduation to fully qualified specialist takes a long time, and how long depends a lot on the specialty you choose.

Roughly, it looks like this.

General practice (the shortest path)

• 4 years of medical school
• 2 years as a junior doctor
• 2 years of GP training
• About 8 years in total, at minimum

Most people take longer. You need paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology terms as a junior doctor before you can apply for GP training, so some people add a year to fit them in. Plenty of people also do GP training part time. If everything lines up, though, 8 years is realistic.

Physician specialties, like cardiology, gastroenterology or geriatrics (somewhere in the middle)

• 4 years of medical school
• 2 years as a junior doctor
• 3 years of Basic Physician Training (BPT)
• 2 to 3 years of Advanced Training
• Fellowship years
• Some specialties (cardiology is the obvious one) may also expect a PhD
• 13 to 16 years or more from the start of med school

Fail an exam, take a year off or change direction, and it gets longer.

Neurosurgery (the longest path)

• 4 years of medical school
• 2 years as a junior doctor
• Unaccredited registrar years. This is where it varies the most. Some people get onto the training program after 2 years, some wait 8, and the average is about 6.
• 5 years on the training program
• Fellowship
• Realistically 19 to 25 years or more from the start of med school

What changes how long it takes

No two doctors take the same route. Your timeline can shift a lot depending on:

• which specialty you choose and how competitive it is
• whether you get straight onto a training program or work as an unaccredited registrar first
• whether you change specialty partway through
• whether you pass your exams first time
• whether you work part time or take parental leave
• whether you take a year off to locum or travel

It's a long road, but it helps to put it in context. Going from junior doctor to consultant isn't so different to going from graduate to CEO in any other industry. Once you're a consultant you're more or less running your own career. You choose your hours, build your practice and work on your own terms. The exams are the part other careers don't have, and they are hard. But it's worth it at the end.

I'll also be honest about the junior years. They mean long days, weekends and nights. Night shifts are brutal and they don't get easier as you get older. Keep that in mind, especially if you have a family relying on you.

So does age matter?

Not in the way most people worry about. If you're 40 and you want to do medicine, go for it.

Just be realistic about which specialty you're aiming for.

Say you start at 40, graduate at 44 and then get through neurosurgery as fast as anyone possibly could (which almost never happens). You'd be a consultant neurosurgeon at about 54, and most people take longer than that. Will a hospital choose a newly qualified 54-year-old neurosurgeon over a newly qualified 34-year-old? It's worth thinking about.

That isn't a reason not to do it. It's a reason to go in knowing what you're signing up for.

This is why a lot of mature-age students end up in general practice. Start at 40, graduate at 44, and you could be a fully qualified GP by 48. You'll also bring something younger graduates can't: life experience. As a GP, being able to relate to patients at every stage of life is a big deal, and it's one of the most useful things you can bring into the room.

What about studying while supporting a family?

This one deserves its own section because it's a real, practical worry. You won't be able to work much during med school. I worked roughly part-time hours and it was hard. If you're supporting a family, you're giving up four years of full-time income. With a mortgage on top, that's a lot. (If that's you, have a look at Federation University, which has an online option.)

It doesn't rule you out. Plenty of people with families and mortgages have made it work, but you will need a plan.

The bottom line

You're not too old to study medicine. The students who do well aren't the youngest ones in the room. They're the ones who really want to be there.

Pick a realistic specialty, be honest about your circumstances, and go for it.

If you're seriously thinking about applying, the first step is the GAMSAT. My Section 1 and Section 2 courses are built for people who are short on time and want a clear system to follow.

If you'd like to talk through your situation, just email me at hello@gamsattutorials.org and we can book in a time to chat. No pressure, just honest advice.