About Me
Hi, I’m Lorien Menhennett. Welcome to Doc with Pen. This site exists for me to chronicle my journey from pre-med to medical school and beyond. January of of 2018 marks the midpoint of my third year at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. At age 36, with an initial degree in journalism (2003) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, even on paper I’m not your typical medical student. My personal experiences set me apart too — married, then divorced; homeowner, then foreclosed upon; with jobs ranging from copy editing to cutting open mice. That said, my classmates and I share many of the same joys, fears, and frustrations.
My life when I wrote my first blog post in 2010 was very different than it is now. Part of my philosophy though, is that nothing is wasted. That goes for abandoned careers as well as unexpected life events. Everything in the last year, five years, 10 years … it’s all contributed to who I am now: a medical student finally fulfilling her dream, and happily sharing the nitty gritty of it all with anyone who will read the tale.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy the ride.
doc w/ Pen 
Thank you for sharing your journey. I too am a older student of 45 studying medicine in the Caribbean. It is rare that I meet other older students so it is refreshing to see that there are others out there like me who are not only surviving but thriving as well! 🙂
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There are actually more of us than you might think! I have friends in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s who are doing this — you’re definitely not alone.
I’m not sure where you are in your journey, but feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions that I might be able to answer. I always welcome any other comments or feedback on my blog, too.
Best wishes to you!
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Thank you kindly. 🙂 On Monday, we start final exams and if all goes well, I will be able to say that I am making the transition from a first term medical student to a second term student. As I have questions, I will most certainly send them your way!
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Wow, congratulations on your progress so far! I hope all goes well. I also have an exam on Monday, though not as high-stakes. Good luck studying this weekend!
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