Australian healthcare is in crisis. We have neither enough doctors nor nurses, and our recruitment efforts have not been a resounding success. So if someone older than the typical medical school student wants to study medicine, who would say no?
Future doctors who train alongside students up to seven years their junior bring much-needed skills to our hospitals and clinics. But they face substantial challenges as they embark on their course of study.
Who are these students and why do they start their medical studies so late? Let's explore those topics.
Who Are Mature Age Students?
The standard pathway into medical studies in Australia calls for high school students to sit biology and/or chemistry Australian Territory Assessment Rankings (ATAR) exams. Their rating should qualify them for undergraduate entry into a medical study program. These students may spend up to 10 years studying the medical specialty of their choice. They may even choose to finish their graduate studies abroad, as international students.
For those not sure that a career in medicine is for them, ATAR and undergraduate study are still the norm. Such students may change their major during their first year of undergraduate study and transfer into a medical study program. The rest of their training happens along the standard medical education formula.
Should an undecided student settle on a career in medicine in their last year or two of undergraduate study, they must first complete their Bachelor studies. They may then apply for entry into a graduate medical studies program. They must sit and pass the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) to qualify for their place.
All but the last of these pathways into medicine exclude the mature student. Should a mature student already have a GAMSAT result, it cannot be more than four years out of date.
If they plan to apply to the University of Sydney's medical studies program, their results cannot be more than two years old. If that much time has passed, they must retake the GAMSAT.
Who would pass the GAMSAT and not pursue their medical studies immediately? Mature-age students of medicine often have to put their study plans on hold because of something more pressing.
They or someone in their family may have had a serious health condition to deal with. Their finances might not have been such that they could spend their time and money on graduate medical studies.
Sometimes, life gets in the way. Things happen that are out of our control and we have to drop our dreams to handle them. But then, when things are back on an even keel, we can afford to pick up where we left off. The mature age medical student never gave up on their career goals; they just had to delay achieving them for a while.
The Benefits Mature Age Students in Medicine Bring
Mature age medical students may be as much as five years older than the average graduate student. They may have children to care for, or maybe an elderly relative. They probably have a job and bills to pay. They likely feel a bit off-kilter at sitting in classes alongside students five or more years their junior.
Unlike students in their carefree early university days, mature-age students know what it's like to operate under pressure. They can split their focus and still manage two or three tasks well. They code-switch easily, transitioning from worker to carer and to student. They tend to manage stress and study pressures better than their younger counterparts.
Medical students are typically a serious bunch but they're just starting their lives as adults. They have many boundaries to push and many firsts to rack up. Drinking, dancing and exploring new freedom - why should they deny themselves those delights? Now is the time to do so, while they still have the chance to enjoy them.
The mature-age students among us give us a good example of balance. We might be tempted to ditch an early class but the mature-age student will do everything they can to be there. We might groan at our gruelling clinical schedule; the mature-age doctor-in-training will complete rounds without complaint.
Mature students might wish they could take courses in medicine online to better balance their studies with their other responsibilities. But clinical medicine is where their passion lies so they'll work hard at the task they set for themselves. Younger medical students can learn from their patience and stamina. These unwitting mentors bring to life all the platitudes about working hard.
We could learn other skills from our older cohorts. Patience and empathy are essential personal skills no doctor's toolkit should be without. They've faced more challenges than we have, and have learned those qualities because of their trials.
Communication skills, particularly effective listening make mature students strong patient advocates.
Studying Medicine at 30
It's not impossible to start studying medicine at 30 but it is more challenging. These students may have to update their academic credentials before they can begin their medical studies. Hospital rotations and clinical work can be exhausting. Reverting to full-time student status can be disorienting, especially for those with bills to pay and kids to tend to.
A lot depends on which area of medicine older students wish to enter. For instance, if such a student aims for a Bachelor of Dentistry, they will spend only five years in school. That's still a good chunk of time but it's less than a full Bachelor of Medicine, Master of Surgery (MBBS).
A Bachelor of Medical Science degree is perhaps the most flexible medical degree older students could strive for. These courses typically last three years and may offer a part-time option (depending on the university). Students learn human anatomy and aspects of microbiology; they will also develop research and laboratory skills. Such a degree could lead to a career as a pathologist or to a graduate medical studies program.
A Doctor of Optometry degree is even quicker. Students spend three to four years in school, depending on their chosen course and university. They will learn eye anatomy and function, and how to detect and treat eye diseases.
These courses include instruction for managing an optical practice. Curriculum elements include office management, hiring and employee development strategies and financial management.
A Bachelor of Nursing offers another entry into a career in medicine. The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) course catalogue boasts a three-year degree plan that covers nursing fundamentals and explores healthcare in Australia. Student nurses will rotate through specialised areas of practice, including mental health clinics, paediatric nursing and medical-surgical nursing.
RMIT's nursing curriculum is standard in nursing schools across Australia, in public and private universities. It's ideal for students aspiring to a career in medicine who have neither the time nor money to dedicate up to a decade in school. Medicine-related courses like these make it practical to study medicine in Australia.
Mature Age Entry Medicine
Requirements to enter the medicine-related areas listed in the previous segment are lower than those needed to enter graduate medical programs. In most cases, ATAR requirements range between 70-85. The courses may be full- or part-time. Some are hybrid, a blend of online and on-campus learning.
But these medical areas of study are no less vital than MBBS courses. Indeed, without medical professionals with medical science credentials, nurses and dentists, clinicians' work would be much harder. And Australia needs doctors who can treat eye diseases, dental problems and do medical research.
Starting medical studies a few years later than the norm does not mean you'll have that much more catching up to do. Quite the contrary, in fact. What you 'lost' in academic years, you've gained in transferable skills and personal growth. You've already mastered time management and found the best ways to reduce your stress levels.
Best of all, you have all your wild experimental days behind you. You no longer feel as though you have to choose between studying for your future life and living your best life today. You may still enjoy a fun night out but, unlike your younger cohorts, you're wise enough to wait till the weekend.
You're no stranger to responsibility. You probably didn't idle around, those years between earning your Bachelor's degree and applying to medical school. Whatever situation kept you out of medical school has likely honed your sense of duty. Your return to school after that break is proof of that.
People decide on a career in medicine for any number of reasons. For some, it's a family tradition and for others, it's a stable career with high income potential. A fair number of medical school applicants want to find a cure for a disease someone they love suffers from.
Australian medical schools welcome all qualified applicants, those who follow the traditional route and those who come from abroad. Nothing says you can't return to university after a few years away. If you meet the medical school entry requirements, your medical education awaits!
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