Joanna Cannon left school at 15, with just one O-level, and spent years working in a series of jobs - including delivering pizzas - before making the bold decision in her mid-30s to follow her dream of becoming a doctor. Now, 57, she reflects on what it took to change direction in midlife and why she believes it's never too late to start again.
"As a teenager, the pressure of deciding what I wanted to do with my life was so overwhelming that I opted out of education, aged 15, with just one French O-level. I carried on reading textbooks while taking on all sorts of jobs, from kennel maid to waitress, but never got round to heading back to school.
"I was 35 and delivering pizzas for a living when a paramedic on a first-aid course changed everything. I’d always been interested in medicine, but felt I’d left it too late. The paramedic disagreed, and the next day, I applied to do three science A levels at college in Derby.
"I loved those two years studying alongside loads of energetic teenagers during the day, and delivering pizzas in the evening and at weekends. With good grades predicted, I excitedly went along to an interview to read medicine at Leicester University, but was mortified when the professor seemed fixated on my date of birth. ‘Why does my age matter? If you want to reject me, at least give me a good reason,’ I suggested to him. Receiving my offer letter two weeks later was, therefore, quite a shock!
"Medical school was hard. I wanted to stay living in my house in the Peak District, so it was a five-hour round trip to Leicester every day. But I was determined and financed it all myself, continuing to deliver pizzas and taking out student loans. While I didn’t go out much after lectures, I made so many close friends who I’m still in touch with. The intensity of medical school creates a strong bonding experience. It requires huge dedication – I even spent my 40th birthday in an anatomy lecture!"
"Seeing the name 'Dr Cannon' was a pinch-me moment"
"It was a pinch-me moment seeing my name as ‘Dr Cannon’ on my first shift rota, aged 42 – I couldn’t believe I’d done it. My age did mean that both patients and doctors always seemed to assume I was more senior than I was, and often asked for me, as they wanted someone with more experience! I went on to specialise in psychiatry, which was both fascinating and rewarding.
"I’d started writing fiction for fun in the hospital car park during my breaks. In 2014, I entered a competition at the York Literature Festival, which led to the publication of my first novel, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep. I took time out of medicine for a few years, while volunteering to support local mental health services. I’m now working with the Staffordshire NHS Trust, bringing psychiatry and storytelling together in a creative development programme to help those with mental illness.
"Society’s preconceptions about what you should do at what age are utter nonsense. I’ve seen so many lives cut short, and I encourage anyone considering changing course in life to go for it. Our days should be filled with things that make us happy."
This article first appeared in the July 2025 issue of woman&home magazine. Subscribe to the magazine for £6 for 6 issues.
