S03.E12: Your Beans Are Flatlining

[jewel21]

Quote

Bob is surprised when Abishola's medical school plans include going to Baltimore - with or without him.

Airdate: 01/24/2022

[AnimeMania]

[greekmom]

Sorry I don't get it.

According to google: "Anything above the score of 517 is considered as outstanding. "

So with a score of 519 she got in the 98% percentile.  So what is the problem except for plot?

Abishola's dreams were funny though.

Glad Dottie's secret about walking it out.

[DanaK]

1 hour ago, greekmom said:

Sorry I don't get it.

According to google: "Anything above the score of 517 is considered as outstanding. "

So with a score of 519 she got in the 98% percentile.  So what is the problem except for plot?

Abishola's dreams were funny though.

Glad Dottie's secret about walking it out.

Her mom expects better

[Kiddvideo]

I Googled “Johns Hopkins MCAT scores” and found anywhere from 519-521 as the average score for admission. The top tier other med schools were within a point or so. GPA’s were 3.8-3.9 avg. She’d qualify if her grades were good enough, now if they’d give her a spot, who knows.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Kiddvideo

[possibilities]

Dele's voice has deepened a lot.

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, greekmom said:

Sorry I don't get it.

According to google: "Anything above the score of 517 is considered as outstanding. "

So with a score of 519 she got in the 98% percentile.  So what is the problem except for plot?

It just goes to show how high Abishola's mother's expectations are of her.  It's not just a thing with her, but probably a cultural thing as well.  I grew up in a culture like that.  Although my parents weren't as bad, there was a lot of peer and teacher pressure to ace every test.  They acted like B+ was barely passing.  Everyone was being pushed by their parents to become either a doctor or a lawyer.  I went to one of the most academically advanced high schools in New York City and even the country but I thought I flunked because I graduated with a B+ average. 

I liked this episode.  I loved the dream sequences and seeing Bob and Abishola in bed, a rare thing for this show.  And I LOVED it when Tunde and Olu were talking about their mall walk and ending it with a Cinnabon, LOL.  My husband and I took a mall walk today and toward the end of it when we passed a Cinnabon I thought, "I could just wreck this whole walk up by having one of those", LOL.

[LittleIggy]

The dream sequences were hilarious. I loved Dottie and Ebon bonding in the hot tub. 
Is Johns Hopkins considered the best med school in the country?

[Harvey]

Ebun's reaction to Abishola making Bob wait for dinner was amazing 🤣

[bad things are bad]

The med school plot was kind of irksome.  How do you think going away to school is going to work when you have a family? And it's not like there isn't a highly ranked med school within easy driving distance of Detroit 

[Keywestclubkid]

Meh.  I mean not every episode can be a winner… 

[Rootbeer]

9 hours ago, LittleIggy said:

The dream sequences were hilarious. I loved Dottie and Ebon bonding in the hot tub. 
Is Johns Hopkins considered the best med school in the country?

It is certainly top tier, I don't think there's any one med school that would be considered head and shoulders above any other top school.  There are good medical schools in Michigan, too.  Not Johns Hopkins elite, but very good. Wayne State, a very good school, is right in Detroit where they live.  Oakland University's Beaumont School of Medicine is maybe half an hour away.  The University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor is about an hour away.

Even the very top students, the really elite ones with great MCAT's and near 4.0 in college classes, don't get into every school to which they apply.  There are more people applying than there are slots available.  Usually the really big time students apply at Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia and a few other of the best schools and they're lucky to get accepted into one or two of them.  Abishola putting all her eggs in Johns Hopkins' basket is a really dumb idea and not something that even the highest ranking medical school applicant would ever consider doing. Definitely the sort of thing only a TV character would do.

Edited January 25, 2022 by Rootbeer

[HurricaneVal]

I liked that Dele felt he could show his amusement at his grandmother treating his mother as his mother treats him to Bob.  I also like that Bob recognized that Dele was amused by the continuity of parenting, not by his mother being belittled and reprimanded by his grandmother in front of others.

That said, Ebun's scolding of Abishola in front of her husband and son made me cringe.  Maybe it is a cultural thing, and such behavior is common in Nigeria or in Nigerian families, but it made me very uncomfortable.  I know Bob tries to tread lightly in that cultural minefield, and he's always on Abishola's side no matter what, but I can't help wonder if he's as uncomfortable as I am.  During these scenes Billy Gardell always sits there, not stone-faced, but with a hapless neutral expression on his face.  I interpret that as uncomfortable, but that may be projecting.  I fanwank this by assuming Bob and Abishola have had a talk about this, and he's agreed to butt out.  I would have a very hard time if my loved one were being treated like that in front of me, cultural differences or not.

[AnimeMania]

Abishola's berating by her mother has given her a little more empathy with Dele.

[tennisgurl]

I like that Abishola having to deal with her mom's high expectation so much is giving her more empathy towards Dele, seeing more of how he must feel having to live up to her high expectations. 

Abishola's dream was really funny, especially dream Dottie yelling "I'm the worst aren't I?" at the end. I feel really bad for her, her test score was actually really good, but its still not good enough for her mom and her massive expectations. I also feel bad for Bob, he tends to tread lightly when it comes to Abishola's family and her culture, but he wants to support her when she is clearly upset by her moms lectures. 

[Kiddvideo]

I want Bob to stand up for himself more. What he did “wrong” this episode was be surprised his wife didn’t talk to him about moving a flight away. Walking on eggshells around someone who’s demanding, unempathetic, and unbending isn’t much of a life. I’m getting undertones of a cycle of abuse (couched in “laughs.”) She might not yell or hit him, but she gets mad and then he begs forgiveness for causing her to feel slight, and then she apologizes. She doesn’t get to be mad at his reaction to her behavior.

[floridamom]

I'm not too happy with the direction I believe this show is going lately. I agree that it is Bob who seems to apologize, make adjustments for Abishola. How about SHE make some adjustments for HIM? Her family is becoming a bit overpowering on the show and his seems to be taking a back seat. The assumption of attending medical school in another state was just too much for me. A spouse would discuss this OR even not ever consider an out of state school when married. This shows her to be a bit selfish and self-focused. Bob's company is his life, his family's bread and butter also...she assumed he would give it up? Doesn't make any sense to me. It makes Abishola look like she married Bob for his money and opportunity it would bring her to pursue medicine. If she didn't rely on Bob's tuition checks, she would have been pursuing medical school before meeting him if this was such a big ambition of hers.  Someone really needs to tell her mother off. 

[Yeah No]

1 hour ago, floridamom said:

I'm not too happy with the direction I believe this show is going lately. I agree that it is Bob who seems to apologize, make adjustments for Abishola. How about SHE make some adjustments for HIM? Her family is becoming a bit overpowering on the show and his seems to be taking a back seat. The assumption of attending medical school in another state was just too much for me. A spouse would discuss this OR even not ever consider an out of state school when married. This shows her to be a bit selfish and self-focused. Bob's company is his life, his family's bread and butter also...she assumed he would give it up? Doesn't make any sense to me. It makes Abishola look like she married Bob for his money and opportunity it would bring her to pursue medicine. If she didn't rely on Bob's tuition checks, she would have been pursuing medical school before meeting him if this was such a big ambition of hers.  Someone really needs to tell her mother off. 

This is an interesting issue for me.  My 36 year old nephew by marriage has been in a long term relationship with a woman that is perpetually in college.  They live in NYC where he finally got a good job at a marketing firm and suddenly she decided that her master's in hospital administration wasn't enough for her and she wanted instead to become a nurse.  She was already heavily in student loan debt when she accepted admission to Johns Hopkins for nursing.  Now that would be all well and good, but she just expected my nephew to accept this and commute back and forth to see her.  After a semester of that the pandemic happened and she came back to NYC and did classes online.  Last I heard she has been back down there off and on.  He revolves around her like a little puppy dog and accepts all of this just like Bob seems to be doing with Abishola.  No one in the family thinks it's fair to him but we keep our mouths shut about it.  She puts him last all the time and he just keeps coming back for more.  He even had to take in a roommate because she basically moved out.  And yet he insists their relationship is A-OK.  🤷‍♂️

So you can just imagine how I feel about this plot with Abishola and Johns Hopkins.  I understand that Johns Hopkins is top notch but both of these men have good careers that they worked hard for where they are and can't just pick up and leave them.  And there are plenty of great nursing schools near NYC.  I think it's the height of self-centeredness not to compromise on that.  I feel like it's Abishola's world and Bob is just living in it.  To me that is not fair and not a healthy relationship but I guess I have to keep my mouth shut because if they're happy who am I to judge, right?  I just sometimes doubt that such a situation can make anyone happy.  And I definitely feel that my nephew (and Bob) deserve much better!

[SmithW6079]

I really do like the show, but the "Abishola wants to be a doctor" storyline is just too far-fetched. She's too old to go through all those years of schooling, then internship and residency (or vice versa). She's also doing it for the wrong reasons. Pleasing her mother is not a valid reason to incur all that debt and additional years of schooling. If she really wanted to be a doctor, then why didn't she do it instead of becoming a nurse?

I love when the ladies have lunch at the hospital, especially Kemi's response to Gloria talking about holding life or death in your hands: "You sound like a serial killer."

If Abishola's mother is so traditional, wouldn't she be telling her daughter to put her husband first and forget all that doctor nonsense?

I liked the two mothers bonding evilly in the hot tub.

 

[possibilities]

Women are expected to give up everything and follow their husbands all the time. I wouldn't want to be in a relationship like that, but it's not uncommon. Likewise, until now, Bob's family had been a major, driver of the show, and Abishola's wasn't around. It's kind of swinging the other way right now, but I don't think it's as unbalanced as it seems if you only look at the recent episodes.

I do think it's strange that the show gives next to zero attention to Bob and Abishola as a couple. It's always about their families and their jobs. It's almost never about each other-- even at their wedding!

Edited January 29, 2022 by possibilities

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, Yeah No said:

This is an interesting issue for me.  My 36 year old nephew by marriage has been in a long term relationship with a woman that is perpetually in college.  They live in NYC where he finally got a good job at a marketing firm and suddenly she decided that her master's in hospital administration wasn't enough for her and she wanted instead to become a nurse.  She was already heavily in student loan debt when she accepted admission to Johns Hopkins for nursing....

Wow. "Life imitates art." Or is it the other way around? LOL
Does your nephew watch the show?

 

[Yeah No]

2 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

Wow. "Life imitates art." Or is it the other way around? LOL
Does your nephew watch the show?

Hah, that's something I would say!  I don't know if he watches the show.  Since the pandemic I haven't had much contact with him.  I only hear about what's going on with him from my SIL.  Actually I think she might like the show and relate to that plot line.  I might mention it to her!

[floridamom]

The core issue I have with the Johns Hopkins attendance is that Abishola didn't even discuss it/or ask Bob about it. She presented it to him as if she were giving him his orders...she would attend there for so long of a time, then he would give up his business and etc... She TOLD him; didn't discuss the process or possible options with him. This is awful of her IMO. Bob was quite kind to her about it. 

I agree that the cultural styles aren't lining up here. Is  Abishola supposed to be a dutiful-traditional wife and cook Bob his meals, etc AND prepare for such a great career as a doctor at the same time? Which is it with them?  If a career is so important to the families, why wasn't this a focus in her younger life? A dutiful wife also would have traveled back to Nigeria with her first husband since HE wanted to go back there. She didn't. She stayed in the US. I'm a bit confused here. If there are any Nigerians here on this board, please clarify what the truth is. I think the show is taking a lot of poetic license and creating over the top, not real subject matter.

I also must have missed something here...about Douglas and the bus driver. Did we see some type of relationship/attraction develop with them? Did they meet a lot on the bus or was all this happening 'off camera'? I like the bus driver and I hope the show has Douglas grow a bit and realize what a good relationship it all about. I would like to see more of this story line...and not rush it like the marriage between the title characters. What do you all think?

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, floridamom said:

The core issue I have with the Johns Hopkins attendance is that Abishola didn't even discuss it/or ask Bob about it. She presented it to him as if she were giving him his orders...she would attend there for so long of a time, then he would give up his business and etc... She TOLD him; didn't discuss the process or possible options with him. This is awful of her IMO. Bob was quite kind to her about it.

I assumed Abishola took Bob's earlier encouragement for her to pursue a medical degree as a kind of "whatever it takes" approval. 
What might sound like giving orders, is to Abishola her way of explaining what is necessary for her to reach the goal they had agreed upon.
Plus, her previous experience with marriage included long times of separation. Going to Johns Hopkins is small potatoes in comparison to going to another continent.

We did get to see Bob expressing a bit of shock, followed by explaining how he felt. Any more than that from him would have been out of character.

[Rootbeer]

21 hours ago, shapeshifter said:

I assumed Abishola took Bob's earlier encouragement for her to pursue a medical degree as a kind of "whatever it takes" approval. 
What might sound like giving orders, is to Abishola her way of explaining what is necessary for her to reach the goal they had agreed upon.
Plus, her previous experience with marriage included long times of separation. Going to Johns Hopkins is small potatoes in comparison to going to another continent.

We did get to see Bob expressing a bit of shock, followed by explaining how he felt. Any more than that from him would have been out of character.

This might be true, but, even Abishola must know that there are other medical schools in the US, some within an easy commute of their home.  For her to think that Bob would support her moving hundreds of miles away for 4 years to pursue a medical degree when she could obtain the same degree in Detroit, is a very big leap.  I find it hard to believe that she would be so very focused on one medical school and only one, and not mention that to Bob.  Then again, as someone who has actually applied to, attended and graduated from medical school, it is unbelievable to me that anyone, no matter how brilliant and motivated, would set their sights on a single elite school and not spend a single moment considering other options.  Only 5% of those who apply to Johns Hopkins med school are accepted and, generally, only the very top notch candidates even apply.  The school is also highly research oriented and many of those who apply already have a PhD in a science and have done extensive research and published in major journals.  Abishola seemingly wants to do direct patient care as she has done as a nurse, there are multiple other medical schools that would be a better fit for her. They ain't playin' around over there.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, Rootbeer said:

This might be true, but, even Abishola must know that there are other medical schools in the US, some within an easy commute of their home.  For her to think that Bob would support her moving hundreds of miles away for 4 years to pursue a medical degree when she could obtain the same degree in Detroit, is a very big leap.  I find it hard to believe that she would be so very focused on one medical school and only one, and not mention that to Bob.  Then again, as someone who has actually applied to, attended and graduated from medical school, it is unbelievable to me that anyone, no matter how brilliant and motivated, would set their sights on a single elite school and not spend a single moment considering other options.  Only 5% of those who apply to Johns Hopkins med school are accepted and, generally, only the very top notch candidates even apply.  The school is also highly research oriented and many of those who apply already have a PhD in a science and have done extensive research and published in major journals.  Abishola seemingly wants to do direct patient care as she has done as a nurse, there are multiple other medical schools that would be a better fit for her. They ain't playin' around over there.

I wonder if anyone on the writing team had the benefit of the information you have just posted, @Rootbeer.
I doubt it. 
But if they did, I suppose there could yet be a throwaway line in an upcoming episode from Abishola about how Johns Hopkins was the dream goal, but not necessarily the ultimate goal.

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, shapeshifter said:

I wonder if anyone on the writing team had the benefit of the information you have just posted, @Rootbeer.
I doubt it. 
But if they did, I suppose there could yet be a throwaway line in an upcoming episode from Abishola about how Johns Hopkins was the dream goal, but not necessarily the ultimate goal.

None of this stuff is a state secret, there's no reason the writers couldn't have asked a couple questions.  For that matter, one can google Johns Hopkins Medical School and find out about the acceptance rates, the composition of the classes, etc.  Also, the show presented it as the only school Abishola would want to attend; that she had no other schools in mind.  Nobody does that, not for college and certainly not for med school.  It would be one thing for Abishola to tell Bob that Johns Hopkins is her dream school and she wonders if they would be able to work it out if she would get accepted there; but the show presented it as though she had no other choices.

I was not an elite undergrad.  I went to a state school and had a very good GPA in a science major and decent MCAT scores, but I knew I wasn't Johns Hopkins material, nor did I want to be.  The big time med schools are for people who want to do research, write papers, have a full academic medical career.  I knew I always wanted to be a regular old practitioner in the community and that is why I applied to schools that were known for training good clinicians.  I did have a friend who wanted one of the elites.  He went to the same state school as I did, but had a perfect GPA in a chemistry major, worked in research for his summer job and generally was beyond a genius.  He applied to Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Stanford and others and didn't get into most of them.  He didn't get into his top choice as I recall.  He went to Columbia, one of the 2 big time schools where he was accepted,  and is now a topnotch researcher/academic leader in his field.  BTW, he also applied to the same state school med school where I attended as his safety school.  Got in there, too.

Edited January 31, 2022 by Rootbeer

[possibilities]

I think you are a very high information student, but a lot of people don't operate on that degree of insight into a situation, and are just going off reputation in the vaguest sense. Yes, Abishola's determination to go to the one place she's identified as "the best" is unrealistic and uninformed. I hope that the show either makes that a plot point or that it can just be chalked up to the usual shortcuts tv makes. Note that every music student on TV wants to go to Juilliard, and most of them get in. LAUGHABLE! Harvard is also the only place "smart kids" go, according to TV. This show clearly wants to highlight the conflict between how Bob and Abishola handle (1) relationships, and (2) ambitions. This current story does that, as well as showing how stressed Abishola really is, despite her determination not to crack under the insane and unrealistic pressures she's been taking on.

[threebluestars]

I am really sick and tired of the trope that every nurse wants to be a doctor. I'm seeing it here, on GH (where Vernee Watson also guest stars) and it played out on ER more than once. It just keeps this gross "nursing isn't good enough" vibe going, which I hate, especially during a damn global pandemic that has relied on nurses so heavily.

[HurricaneVal]

Amen to that, @threebluestars.

I wonder if maybe the presence of Abishola's judgy mother is the source of this sudden "Johns Hopkins or bust" attitude from Abishola.  Only the best will do for her, so Abishola must comply.  She might have been satisfied with a more local med school, but she can't admit that to her mother, or to herself while in her mother's influence.

[SnarkySheep]

I know this is TV, but it bugs me when someone is planning something as major as med school in another state and there is NO mention of money! Is Bob just expected to pay for all this? Is Abishola taking out huge loans? Either way, it affects them both and certainly merits discussion. 

[Rootbeer]

10 hours ago, threebluestars said:

I am really sick and tired of the trope that every nurse wants to be a doctor. I'm seeing it here, on GH (where Vernee Watson also guest stars) and it played out on ER more than once. It just keeps this gross "nursing isn't good enough" vibe going, which I hate, especially during a damn global pandemic that has relied on nurses so heavily.

I'm with you.  Nursing is a completely different profession with a focus and purpose of its own.  In my almost 40 years in medicine, I have met maybe 5 nurses who went to medical school; all of them many years ago when women who considered being a doc for their career were discouraged by others and mainly went to nursing school instead of doing what they really wanted.

Nowadays, there are so many wonderful, diverse, opportunities within the field of nursing that there really is no reason for any nurse to decide to go to medical school.  Amongst other things, nurse practitioners now play a major role in virtually all sorts of medical fields of practice and a nurse with a particular interest in caring for patients who are pregnant or diabetic or undergoing surgery can get advanced training as a nurse in those areas and follow their interests without going to med school.  

I'd find the storyline much more believable if Abishola told Bob she wanted to go back to school and become a nurse practitioner.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Rootbeer

[Sassyone]

On 1/29/2022 at 7:52 AM, floridamom said:

I'm not too happy with the direction I believe this show is going lately. I agree that it is Bob who seems to apologize, make adjustments for Abishola. How about SHE make some adjustments for HIM? Her family is becoming a bit overpowering on the show and his seems to be taking a back seat. The assumption of attending medical school in another state was just too much for me. A spouse would discuss this OR even not ever consider an out of state school when married. This shows her to be a bit selfish and self-focused. Bob's company is his life, his family's bread and butter also...she assumed he would give it up? Doesn't make any sense to me. It makes Abishola look like she married Bob for his money and opportunity it would bring her to pursue medicine. If she didn't rely on Bob's tuition checks, she would have been pursuing medical school before meeting him if this was such a big ambition of hers.  Someone really needs to tell her mother off. 

 

Well said. Not really interested in this current plotline at all.

[greekmom]

On 1/29/2022 at 12:33 PM, SmithW6079 said:

I really do like the show, but the "Abishola wants to be a doctor" storyline is just too far-fetched. She's too old to go through all those years of schooling, then internship and residency (or vice versa). She's also doing it for the wrong reasons. Pleasing her mother is not a valid reason to incur all that debt and additional years of schooling. If she really wanted to be a doctor, then why didn't she do it instead of becoming a nurse?

I love when the ladies have lunch at the hospital, especially Kemi's response to Gloria talking about holding life or death in your hands: "You sound like a serial killer."

If Abishola's mother is so traditional, wouldn't she be telling her daughter to put her husband first and forget all that doctor nonsense?

I liked the two mothers bonding evilly in the hot tub.

 

I agree.  If she wants to help people, why doesnt she become a nurse practitioner? 

[Kiddvideo]

17 hours ago, SnarkySheep said:

I know this is TV, but it bugs me when someone is planning something as major as med school in another state and there is NO mention of money! Is Bob just expected to pay for all this? Is Abishola taking out huge loans? Either way, it affects them both and certainly merits discussion. 

IIRC, Bob decided to pay back when Abishola first mentioned returning to school. It led to discussions here about how much money the family has since Maxdot is everyone’s source of income, they all have nice lifestyles, and Bob offered up $250k like he was offering to buy her soup and a half sandwich. (I guess now they have Abishola’s earnings, too.)

Did the sister leave the show entirely?

[JenLily]

I have a feeling all of this discussion is going to end up being moot. She won't get into Johns Hopkins and the storyline is going to turn to her feeling like a failure and a disappointment (especially to her mother) and Bob being the supportive, encouraging husband. I wouldn't be surprised if she does end up deciding to becoming a nurse practitioner as a result, as that suits both her personality and her ambitions quite well.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 2/1/2022 at 7:38 PM, greekmom said:

I agree.  If she wants to help people, why doesnt she become a nurse practitioner? 

Because her mother would consider her a failure.

[Driad]

1 hour ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Because her mother would consider her a failure.

Her mother would probably consider her a failure any day she works only 24 hours instead of 36.

[shapeshifter]

On 2/1/2022 at 7:38 PM, greekmom said:

If she wants to help people, why doesnt she become a nurse practitioner? 

Did I miss a line from Abishola saying she wanted to become a doctor because she "wants to help people"???

[possibilities]

She wants to be in charge and she wants the prestige. I know people will dislike her for this, but I think it's very common in real life and that a lot of people become doctors for that reason.

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

She wants to be in charge and she wants the prestige.

Exactly. I hope she goes for an MBA and goes into hospital administration. She'd be good at it and have all the control and prestige she craves.

[SmithW6079]

On 2/1/2022 at 7:38 PM, greekmom said:

I agree.  If she wants to help people, why doesnt she become a nurse practitioner? 

 

19 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Because her mother would consider her a failure.

This is part of what bothers me about the whole "Abishola wants to be a doctor" story. Abishola is, at the very least, in her mid-30s (Folake Olowofoyeku is 38). They haven't given an indication that Abishola was a teenage bride, so she was probably in her 20s when she had Dele, who is 13 or 14. Abishola's mother has had plenty of time to consider her a failure for not becoming a doctor instead of a nurse for many years, so why now? 

We learned the story of why Gloria became a nurse instead of a doctor; I think Abishola's story follows much of the same trajectory. She's going to be too old by the time she's finished (and yes, even excluding that horrible Patricia Heaton sitcom where she was a "50"-year-old first-time doctor). I have a friend who would have made a fantastic pediatrician and who even thought about it as a career change, but realized that by the time she finished med school and internship and residency, she would be thousands of dollars in debt and would never pay it off.

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, SmithW6079 said:

 

This is part of what bothers me about the whole "Abishola wants to be a doctor" story. Abishola is, at the very least, in her mid-30s (Folake Olowofoyeku is 38). They haven't given an indication that Abishola was a teenage bride, so she was probably in her 20s when she had Dele, who is 13 or 14. Abishola's mother has had plenty of time to consider her a failure for not becoming a doctor instead of a nurse for many years, so why now? 

We learned the story of why Gloria became a nurse instead of a doctor; I think Abishola's story follows much of the same trajectory. She's going to be too old by the time she's finished (and yes, even excluding that horrible Patricia Heaton sitcom where she was a "50"-year-old first-time doctor). I have a friend who would have made a fantastic pediatrician and who even thought about it as a career change, but realized that by the time she finished med school and internship and residency, she would be thousands of dollars in debt and would never pay it off.

Well, Abishola is married to a guy with money, so maybe she's not worried about the cost.  You're right though, the average medical school graduate is over $200,000 in debt these days.  So, presuming she needs a year or two of undergrad classes to catch up, followed by 4 years of medical school, she would then do a residency.  Non-surgical residencies in specialties like Family Practice, Internal Medicine or Pediatrics last 3 years, those are also the lowest paying specialties, too. If she wants to be a surgeon, it is 5 years minimum. If Abishola is the same age as the actress, she isn't going to be started med school until she is 40 and won't be finished with training until she is almost 50.  Meantime, she has a son who needs to go to college (granted her husband and Dele's father have means to pay for Dele's schooling).  But this means Abishola is going to practice maybe around 20 years altogether.  Seems like a lot of effort for a small payoff.

As someone who went to med school and has now been practicing 36 years, I don't think I would have done it in her shoes.  There was one student in my class who was 41 when we started.  He already had a law degree, he also had 4 kids in gradeschool/middle school.  His wife worked full time.  He went into internal medicine but this was in the days when medical school was much cheaper and the average graduate owed less than $20,000.  I got out owing $15,000 and I thought that was a fortune.

Edited February 15, 2022 by Rootbeer