Ep 38: How Sue Got Into Medical School Aged 72

Dr Tom (00:19)
All right, welcome back everyone to the podcast. We’re joined today by—well, I’m joined today by two incredible people. We’ve got Mare here from the team, and we also have Sue, Sue Fraser Adams, who just got an offer for medical school. We’re going to be talking about her experience and how she got into medical school.

Mare (00:45)
What I’m trying to say is her extraordinary, amazing journey into medical school, because it’s not the path most people take. I’m so excited to have you both here, of course—Tom and Sue—being able to share this experience. I just think…

Dr Tom (01:04)
I think it’s an incredible story, a great inspiration, and a fantastic mindset lesson as well—persistence, tenacity, and all sorts of cool things. So we’ll get into that. But Mare, do you want to kick us off?

Mare (01:18)
Sure. Hi Sue! Maybe you can let us know where you got in and what the next steps are?

Sue (01:35)
Okay, well, I know this sounds like an amazing miracle, but it actually happened. I’ve had to double-check the paperwork several times this week. I’m enrolled in CDU. Just for background, for those who don’t know, CDU has never had a medical program. They tried last year. I applied, but it all got shut down because they needed $26 million to operate, and they didn’t get it from the federal government. So the whole idea collapsed.

It’s funny how things happen. A friend of mine, who knew one of the lecturers very well, said, “CDU is starting up this medical school again—have you applied?” I said, “Oh no, I didn’t know anything about it.” Anyway, within five minutes, I did know about it, and I applied. But I forgot about it because I had exams and was doing another GAMSAT. I didn’t give it much thought. Then, out of the blue, an email came saying, “You’ve been selected for an interview.”

Dr Tom (02:49)
Let’s go back a couple of steps because this isn’t something you just fell into. You’ve been at this. When did you decide to become a doctor, and how did that come about?

Sue (03:03)
I think it’s something I’ve always known in the back of my mind—I’ve always wanted to do it. But life doesn’t always give you the cards you need. I had to work after my first degree. The university I went to didn’t have a medical school, so I did economics because it was accessible, and I knew I could get a job and support myself financially after school.

My parents were hardworking, country people, living on the land through droughts, fires, and floods. I wanted a financially secure future because I saw what living on the land did to them. Medicine was always of interest because my mother was a nurse. Living remotely, accidents happened all the time—people breaking arms, cutting hands off with machinery. My mother dealt with everything calmly, knowledgeably, and in a way that calmed the person down. I remember a guy who had all his fingers cut off with a machine. My mother just dealt with it—it was incredible.

But life goes on. I met someone, got married, had kids, went through all of that. By the time I was 70, I thought, I really don’t want to work on hot tin roofs anymore. I’d been a builder for 30 years.

Dr Tom (04:31)
Okay.

Sue (04:54)
My doctor was saying, “Get off ladders; you’re going to fall.” She was probably right. So at 70, I thought, well, I’m going to live another 30 years because my mother died at 102. Why don’t I do what I really want? I want to do medicine. So I thought, how do I do this? Oh, I’ve got to do the GAMSAT. Holy…

Dr Tom (05:14)
Yeah.

Sue (05:21)
So I did the GAMSAT and came out thinking, I’ll never get through this. I also realised I had to start university again. I enrolled in a Bachelor of Health Science and did it slowly—one subject at a time. I got a distinction in the first subject, thought, okay, that’s fine. Did a couple more, got HDs, and built on that over the next two years.

I actually completed one year of the Bachelor of Health Science successfully. That got me the interview because CDU considered 50% academic and 50% interview. I did the GAMSAT five times, eventually passing all three sections. You have to learn what the GAMSAT is about—it’s a game. Once you get your head around it and aren’t intimidated, and with the support from you both and your wonderful team, I got there.

Paradoxically, I didn’t actually need my GAMSAT to get into CDU, but I’d advise anyone to do it. The GAMSAT trains you to think critically from a scientific perspective. Even if you don’t need it, it’s valuable. I found my university subjects easier because I’d done the GAMSAT—it’s so damn hard.

Dr Tom (07:20)
By comparison…

Sue (07:23)
…doing my university subjects was easier, and that’s why I’m up with the marks.

Dr Tom (07:27)
That’s an incredible story. A couple of things stand out. You came to us for GAMSAT help but ultimately didn’t need it. What’s interesting is your ability to find a way. You didn’t just think, “I’ll try this and hope it works.” You went, “I’m going to find a way. I’m going back to uni. I’m going to fix my degree. I’m going to apply to CDU. I’m going to talk to this person.” Eventually, you got there. It was only a matter of time with that approach.

Sue (08:14)
Tom, really wasn’t, because I don’t think I’m that smart. I don’t know how I did this. I’m just a bit awestruck.

Dr Tom (08:30)
Most people feel that way when they get in. Honestly. “Holy crap, I’ve got to get through medical school now.”

Mare (08:38)
Everyone I’ve ever interviewed has a moment thinking, “Is someone going to tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘There’s been an admin error’?”

Dr Tom (08:50)
Although…

Sue (08:55)
Exactly. I got an email from Flinders University that said, “You’ve been granted an interview.” I said it to Tom, and he said, “Oh, it looks like an interview.” Then when I rang up, they said, “Oh, sorry, we sent it to everyone by mistake.” I went, all right.

Dr Tom (09:24)
And when the actual offer came through, Sue was like, “Tom, is this real?”

Sue (09:31)
I sent it to you for verification. I thought, Tom knows his stuff. Is it real? Am I being scammed?

Mare (09:39)
Everyone has that moment of disbelief. And the longer you’ve been at it—now you’re 72, correct?—the more you put into it. You go at it from every angle: post-grad, undergrad, redo your undergrad… When you’re doing all of that, sometimes it just hits you, “I got in. My God, it worked.” Persistence and diligence pay off.

Dr Tom (11:00)
Sue, what would you say to someone who tried once, didn’t get in, and is going back to their usual life?

Sue (11:11)
Do that. You might have to continue your usual life—everyone doesn’t have the luxury I had, where I retired and could focus solely on this. I had no young children waking me up at 2 a.m. or 4 a.m., no elderly parents to care for. My health was excellent, so I could study effortlessly.

For people who get their first knockback, don’t be disheartened. Stay flexible. There are more ways to skin a cat than you’d believe. Can’t get into one uni? Try another, maybe a rural uni. Persistence is key. I did the GAMSAT five times. Each time I learned something. It trained me to think critically, read medical articles quickly, and understand them. I subscribed to journals like the New England Journal of Medicine, Medscape, Springer… I love them. I’m right up to date across fields. It’s like eating chocolate every day—medicine is fascinating. I still can’t believe it sometimes.

Dr Tom (13:50)
I want to hear about your first week once you start. When do you begin?

Sue (13:55)
In a week. I’ve got 33 references to complete in 16 weeks. The course is longer than a normal uni course. It’s going to floor us to death—33 references!

Dr Tom (14:33)
With your tenacity and work ethic, you’ll get there. I was speaking to someone worried about GAMSAT at 29.

Sue (15:03)
Honey, no!

Dr Tom (15:04)
We laugh, but seriously, it shows that age is not a barrier. Sue, you’re the inspirational leader here. What would you say to that young whippersnapper?

Sue (15:29)
Live as long as you can, keep mentally and physically healthy, and when the right time comes, go for it. It’s not always the time when you think it is. Financial security matters—you don’t want to stress about bills while studying. Keep flexible, persist, and don’t give up.

Dr Tom (23:12)
Yeah.

Sue (23:36)
Exactly.

Dr Tom (23:39)
We’ve seen people with mortgages, families, and jobs manage it. You just have to be strategic with time. Accept life as it is, work around it, chip away at it.

Sue (25:45)
I remember Mare interviewed me early on. I could tell she was thinking, “I’ll just humour this person.”

Mare (26:03)
I’m blunt. I’d say if it’s not going to happen, I’ll tell you.

Sue (26:10)
She was blunt. I think she thought, “I’ll just humour her a bit, she’ll go away.” Sorry Mare, I’m still here!

Dr Tom (26:22)
Yeah.

Mare (26:23)
I said, you’ll have a better chance with us than on your own, so come with us.

Sue (26:31)
I remember your attitude—patting someone on the head, “There you go, have a go.”

Dr Tom (27:41)
If you put in the work, commitment, effort, and care, we’re behind you. We’ve been behind you the whole time.

Mare (27:49)
I don’t know if any bootcamp member has ever had more fans than you. Everyone’s rooting for you.

Sue (28:44)
Your mindful sessions were more valuable than I realised at the time. Initially, I thought, “Why do we have to do this touchy-feely stuff?” But looking back, it had a huge psychological effect. They helped me cope with the stress and maintain my mental health.

Dr Tom (29:21)

Sue (29:39)
I started looking forward to them. Trying to get HDs in subjects is hard. I didn’t get all HDs, but I didn’t get below a distinction. Your guidance made this possible.

Mare (30:26)
We work on a triangle: skill set, mindset, and work ethic. You had work ethic and skill set, and your mindset was a superpower. You didn’t let negative self-talk stop you—you just problem-solved and kept going.

Dr Tom (32:33)
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Hone your strengths and fix your weaknesses. Use challenges as motivation.

Mare (33:53)
Absolutely.

Sue (33:55)
I know I’m an outlier. Older doctors are becoming a thing as the population ages. By the time I’ve finished training, I’ll be in my late seventies or 80s. People are accepting older doctors. There’s even an older doctors association in Australia that I’ll join.

Dr Tom (35:03)
Will you go drinking with the med students?

Sue (35:08)
I could drink all of them under the table, but I’ve become a two-time learner, so I’ll sit there with lemonade. I’ll go out with them—it’s a collegiate profession.

Dr Tom (35:30)
In medical school, you become like war buddies—going through the tough times together. The first six months are the hardest, then you can manage the rest.

Mare (35:57)
Tom’s dad had a mother-daughter team in a practice—one was 75, the other 90, job sharing.

Sue (36:14)
It’s wonderful—we can do so much if we stay healthy. I plan to practice well into my 90s. In Darwin, there’s a 94-year-old ENT specialist still practising. A psychologist worked until 100, turning up to court. The oldest practising doctor is apparently Howard Tucker, 98, in the US.

Mare (37:05)
Sue, the challenge will be patients thinking you’re the consultant on your first day.

Dr Tom (37:21)

Sue (37:30)
I’ll just have uniforms that say “student.”

Dr Tom (37:33)

Mare (37:33)
Tom had that problem on his first surgical rotation.

Dr Tom (37:52)
Yes, I’d walk in and they thought I was the consultant. I’m like, “No, I’m the intern. I know nothing.”

Sue (38:05)
Keeping my mouth shut might help.

Mare (38:29)
We really appreciate your time, Sue. Anything else the listeners should know?

Sue (38:39)
Going down this path is exciting and worthwhile. Don’t be put off if you don’t have a science degree. The journey itself is rewarding. Out of 1,600 applicants, 40 were selected—I won my place fair and square. Age, looks, wealth, it doesn’t matter.

Dr Tom (40:00)
You were better. You qualified.

Mare (40:47)
I’d be delighted if you were my doctor—tenacious, empathetic, a problem solver. Those are the skills you need.

Sue (41:34)
Look after yourself physically and mentally. The road is long and hard. Burnout and mental health are real challenges. You don’t have to live like a monk—enjoy life while staying healthy.

Dr Tom (42:42)
I hope you’ve learned from the bootcamp and mindset classes.

Sue (42:48)
I have. They’re vital for a long-term career. I feel privileged and grateful every day.

Dr Tom (43:08)
We’re excited for you—congratulations again.

Mare (43:13)
Thank you. We’ll definitely check in again around the six-month or one-year mark. Listeners, send Sue well wishes in the Nurses Doing GAMSAT Facebook group.

Dr Tom (43:48)
Thank you.

Sue (43:50)
Anyone can do this. Thank you very much for your time. Have a great day. Bye, Tom.

Dr Tom (44:05)
Bye.