Hmmmm... As someone who is facing this exact same decision at age 32, I'll tell you what I've decided.
Is 32 too old to start trying to get into med school? Yep! Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, "You're never too old to follow your dream." and all those trite expressions, but you have to look at the reality of the situation as well. My best friend keeps telling me to go for med school and to quit even thinking about nursing school as an alternative. She's telling me I always wanted to go to med school but would not admit it even to myself. Is she right? Yep. We've been best friends since we were about 10 and she knows me better than even I know myself sometime.
Why won't I consider med school now that I'm this age?
#1 Med school is EXTREMELY tough to get into. I'm sure I could have done it when I was in my early 20's, but now I'm not so sure.
#2 I would have to go back and get a bachelor's in biology or another related are. (my poli sci major won't do me much good for medical school) At the very least, I would have to take 1-2 years of hard science classes. Unless you have a degree in biology already, you'll probably have a bunch of undergrad classes you'll have to take, and depending on how old a biology or pre-med degree is, you may have to repeat the classes anyway.
#3 MCAT. This just scares me.
#4 Med school. Add on another 4 years of going full time and studying day and night.
#5 Residency. You'll work an average of 80-90 hours per week, and you could work 100+ hours each week for very little pay. Plus, tack on another 4 years for an OB-Gyn residency or 3 years for pediatrics (those happen to be the 2 I'm interested in)
So, in my case, it would take me about 10 years to actually become an MD. By then, my kids would be 16 and 18, and I would have been completely absent from their lives that entire time. Is that worth it to follow my dream? No way! My kids will always come first, and I'm not going to miss them growing up for anything. I'm telling you this because I think you have to be realistic and really look long and hard at what medical school would involve and the sacrifices not just you, but your family would also have to make.
Now, is nursing school a reality? Absolutely!!! You're definitely not too old to do that. Depending on whether you want to get your LVN, RN, or BSN, you can do this from start to finish in as little as one year going full time. Be warned, though. The curriculum for nursing school is very tough as well. It's not a walk in the park, but if you're willing to work hard and study lots, it's definitely doable at age 32.
