Old Man On Campus: A middle-aged engineer blunders into medicine, goes back to college at 58, and becomes a physician assistant

by Barry Brownstein

At some point, many of us consider doing something radically different with our lives. This book is a sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, first person account of what happens when you are 58 years old, quit your job, move away from home, and go back to college as a physician assistant student with strangers less than half your age.

The book details the twisted path from being a frequent childhood medical casualty to finally leaving home for school at a time when others might be thinking of retiring to play golf. Told as it happens, the story describes medical training and what it feels like to be going through it. New experiences evoke old memories, while new friends, preceptors, and patients teach important new lessons. The book comes full circle with a view of what it is like to be a PA, one of U.S. News & World Report’s “50 hottest careers.”

The story is told from a perspective that hopefully will help others follow their own twisted paths, whatever they might be.

Genres: Medical, Medicine

204 pages, Paperback

First published February 18, 2013

About the author

Barry Brownstein has taken an interesting ride through life. Born in central New York State, his family later moved to Maryland where he graduated as an engineer and, more importantly, met and married Lindalee. Two masters degrees and 15 years later, he was a manager with a research and development firm in Columbus the day he and Lindalee blundered into a open house for the new hospital in town. How he got from there to becoming a 60-year-old physician assistant in a cardiology practice is the subject of this book.

While many other aspects of life have changed around them, Barry and Lindalee continue to live happily in Columbus. Barry can be reached at old.man.on.campus.book@gmail.com.

Reviews

[Daniel Hassell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy read and even more so inspirational.

Whether you plan to pursue a first, second, third career in medicine or another field you will find the overarching message of this book shine through as "it's not too late!"

Barry outlines through funny stories, hijinks, and at times, a monotonous recap of a daily meal what it's like to be an older student-often older than his classmates parents. His family support system was strong and the reader could tell through his words that he relied on them as a sense of security and sanity. I was happy to see he was included into the group by his fellow classmates, despite the obvious, and admittedly over mentioned age gap.

[Johnathon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could've been half as long. There aren't really any stand-out stories from this guy other than he's old, he entered college old, and then became a P.A. No cadaver antics, no great college shenanigans, not even a lot of good medical trauma tales shared.

[Eddie Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMoC is a very quick and entertaining read. In full disclosure Barry is my uncle and if this were not the case I may have missed out on this excellent read. His decision to leave a very successful business that he built from scratch, to enter rarely charted waters, showed tremendous courage.

Anyone that has asked themselves "What do I want to be when I grow up?" after they have "grown up" would do well to read Old Man on Campus.

[Barry Brownstein]

Can't comment on a book it took me 6 years to write! I hope you enjoy it.