MD schools like non-traditional?

[macpappy]

Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.

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[MsEvolution]

Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.

I sure hope they like non-trads. I'm 34 now... I would be 35 when I started school if I get accepted... cross your fingers for me! Osteo schools definitely seem more accepting, from what I've heard.

 

[IndyZX]

I don't know about "liking" older applicants, but they will still get consideration.

However, it does work against you somewhat, as per the AAMC admission figures (by age).

 

[efex101]

If you are competitive among your peers you should be fine. I applied last year at the young age of 37 and I am now an MS1 at Mayo.

 

[pushkin]

Well, I'm applying this year, and I'm 31. I'll keep the world posted on what happens...

If you are competitive among your peers you should be fine. I applied last year at the young age of 37 and I am now an MS1 at Mayo.

Efex101 is an inspiration to us all!

 

[Long Dong]

If you are competitive among your peers you should be fine. I applied last year at the young age of 37 and I am now an MS1 at Mayo.

Agreed, I think this is what is important. I think half of my class has a masters, about 5 have PhDs, and there are a handful of RNs and former school teachers as well (some have taught 3-10 years). More then half of the class is non-traditional, but we have some real young ones too, that bring the average age down. We had an 18 y.o. and there is this UCLA/UCR 7 year bs/md program that brings the average student age down.

 

[sfbear]

There's definitely schools that make it clear they're non-trad friendly, like Case Western and Pitt. Some schools make it more difficult by doing things like requiring 3 LORs from professors that taught you, but for the most part they seem to be pretty open.

 

[Truce57]

28 here. I've heard that some schools (e.g., UCLA) like 'em young so they can mould them into their ideal. But maybe that's only speculation. It certainly wouldn't keep me from trying to get into a school that would give me a good education and where I know I'd be comfortable.

Anyone do a graph and/or chart of mean age of entering class? Is that in the MSAR? (mine is at home right now)

 

[Senor.Frog]

Introducing myself, I am 28 yo with a PhD.

Here is what I think. The only comprehensible reason why an adcom would like a "non-traditional" applicant is because he/she would bring something unique to the class. That could be anything from work experience, research or post-graduate experience.

If you are a "non-trad" that has been out for more than 4 years from undergraduate school and all you have been doing is reapplying year after year to get in without any productive work or accomplishment, then my friends, age would not matter at all. In this case it would hurt.

All that being said, if you have great EC's but your academic records are not competitive, then being a "non-trad" would not help either.

Think of it like this, to become a "non-trad" that matriculates you should possess similar or greater stats then the average applicant and be able to bring some unique aspects of your life into the class.

Lastly, it is true that DO schools' do give slight "lee-way" to the non-traditional student when it comes to academic records. And DO's practice medicine just like MD's, so if you are a non-trad with below average stats I would apply to both Allopathic and Osteopathic schools.

 

[skypilot]

Don't worry young pups. You'll get in if you are a competitive applicant. Age is not a factor in admissions till you are over 35.

 

[DocCarpenter]

I don't know about "liking" older applicants, but they will still get consideration.

However, it does work against you somewhat, as per the AAMC admission figures (by age).

It does not work against the older applicants. There are just fewer older applicants with good grades, etc applying. If the applicant is older but has the same level of competitiveness with MCAT, grades, and LOR's then the maturity will actually be a benefit.

Also, 30's is barely considered older anyway because it is more common. Many schools lump 20's and 30's into basically traditional status. 40+ is more non-traditional nowadays.

 

[skhichi]

My only concern applying as an older applicant would be my age when finally done with residency. If you are 40 as an MS1, you could easily be 50 before you're on your own and practicing. That's not exactly young.

50 assuming you do a specialization.

 

[Termwean]

I'm 33 on the 5th of Oct., I have an interview on Wed. From what I hear they like the experience and maturity of older students. They like having a class that is well represented and mixed.

 

[DrMom]

Your idea of what is a young or old age changes as you age...trust me.

 

[LoveDoc]

lately i have heard some of the worse advice in the world on here.
statements that are just untrue. i have sat in front of some adcoms and
been told they prefer non-trads. professionalism is a big topic in
med schools today. also whoever said case doesn't prefer nontrads.... ok whatever


just remember u r asking advice from, in many cases, people who were teenagers 1-2 years ago.

 

[tllajd]

lately i have heard some of the worse advice in the world on here.
statements that are just untrue. i have sat in front of some adcoms and
been told they prefer non-trads. professionalism is a big topic in
med schools today. also whoever said case doesn't prefer nontrads.... ok whatever


just remember u r asking advice from, in many cases, people who were teenagers 1-2 years ago.

I agree. And I don't think you have to have astronomical stats either. Or some kind of experience that will change the entire class philosophy. Sometimes they just don't want to put up with this.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=151009

Also, I could pass as a 27 year old, but with have the maturity of a 37 year old. And by the way, it doesn't matter how long someone can practice medicine, it's how good they can practice medicine. There will always be doctors in this world, never a shortened supply because they let a few "older" students into med school.

Also I think the stats are skewed because not many older people apply. It takes someone with guts and desire to do it after the age of 30. Most people don't even bother with it.

 

[DrMom]

I'm going to move this to the non-trad forum

 

[Wahoowa]

Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.

Depends on which medical schools you apply to and what you plan on doing with your medical degree.

 

[Howard Roark]

Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.

I applied and was accepted when I was 30. Im in my third year of medical school right now. good luck





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[Wahoowa]

Introducing myself, I am 28 yo with a PhD.

Here is what I think. The only comprehensible reason why an adcom would like a "non-traditional" applicant is because he/she would bring something unique to the class. That could be anything from work experience, research or post-graduate experience.

If you are a "non-trad" that has been out for more than 4 years from undergraduate school and all you have been doing is reapplying year after year to get in without any productive work or accomplishment, then my friends, age would not matter at all. In this case it would hurt.

All that being said, if you have great EC's but your academic records are not competitive, then being a "non-trad" would not help either.

Think of it like this, to become a "non-trad" that matriculates you should possess similar or greater stats then the average applicant and be able to bring some unique aspects of your life into the class.

Lastly, it is true that DO schools' do give slight "lee-way" to the non-traditional student when it comes to academic records. And DO's practice medicine just like MD's, so if you are a non-trad with below average stats I would apply to both Allopathic and Osteopathic schools.

I have to agree with you. I was 35 when I started med school. Now I am an anesthesiology resident. I have heard many stories about older people getting into medical school. In my class, there were at least thirty students older than me. One lady was 58 and fulfilling her dream of becoming a physician. Medical school application is not about age, it is about what experiences and strengths you bring to the table and how you can apply them to medicine. Age should not be a restriction in deciding to apply. Remember that the numbers are averages and not cut-offs.

There was a story out of NYC a few years ago about a gentleman that graduated from one of the New York medical schools that was accepted into an internal medicine internship/residency in the City. When asked what he expected to do with such "limited" time to practice, he responded that he expected "to make his patients' lives better through applying his medical knowledge." He was 68 years old starting his residency and now he is a practicing board-certified physician. Hats off to him.

 

[njbmd]

Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.

Hi there,
Being a non-traditional applicant does not confer any particular advantage that would not otherwise be present in your application. If you are a strong candidate, you are a strong candidate.

From the standpoint of being a non-traditional applicant, I do not think that age was a factor in any of my acceptances (six out of six) nor have I heard any discussions of an applicant's age in my experience with service on an admissions committee as being a factor in the decision to admit or not admit an applicant. Medical schools want the best candidates for their classes that they can find. Medical schools are looking for applicants who show the following:

Evidence that they are able to master a demanding medical school curriculum.

Evidence that that are able to work within the healthcare team.

Evidence of past academic achievement and ability.

Things that show evidence of the above:

A good solid undergraduate GPA with good performance in the pre-medical core subjects. You do not have to be a science major but you do have to be able to show evidence of good performance in the pre-medical core subjects and the required subjects for the school (for example calculus, genetics).

A competitive MCAT score. (Read greater than 30 with no score less than 8 on any one section).

Evidence of community service and interest in humanity. (Read: Meaningful volunteer experiences and physician shadowing.)

Good letters of recommendation from people who know you well. This is usually fulfilled by your premedical committee letter if your undergraduate institution has this service.

A positive evaluation from your interview. You can be invited for an interview and blow it. Learn how to make the most of your interview and how not to make stupid mistakes.

Admissions committees review each application and applicant very carefully. You need to be sure that your application is filled out accurately, truthfully, and completely. You need to meet all deadlines and it is your responsibility to know the deadlines.

In every admissions meeting, age was NOT a factor in the decision to admit or not admit a student. The main factors were found in the application in relation to the overall pool of applicants or the impression of the committee member that interviewed the applicant. Read: Maturity, academic achievement and professionalism are not age related.

The bottom line of my advice: Your age is not going to be a factor in gaining admission to medical school on way or the other. You need to have a solid undergraduate performance and good grades (no grade less than B+) in the pre-medical core subjects along with a competitive MCAT performance. In addition, make sure that you have solid letters of recommendation from professors who know you well and can elaborate on your good qualities. Follow and be aware of all deadlines that apply to your institution's pre-medical committee (if you institution has this service). Be aware that if you do not go through your institution's pre-med committee, many medical schools will not accept your LORs.

Good luck
njbmd

 

[Khenon]

There seems to be alot of confusion between being "non-traditional" and being "old." I don't think age matters AT ALL when you're applying to med school, however there can be certain advantages to applying as a nontrad. (FYI I'll be 30 in a couple of weeks.) As stated before, all applicants have to have the GPA, MCAT score, volunteer experience, etc. But a nontrad should also have additional work experience, research experience, publications, other health care related experience, etc. The fact that you have more years under your belt should mean more relevant experience. So the possible advantages are unique work experience, unique life experience, unique perspectives on medical school/career. As many people have already said, adcoms are looking for diversity and people who can add something unique to their class. The fact that you have had more time in between undergrad and applying to med school should correlated with unique qualities you can offer to your classmates and profession. Otherwise you're actually at a disadvantage. The adcoms are not going to look positively at someone who's had the time to do something with their "non-traditional" life but hasn't. So I guess to reiterate what others have been saying . . . your age has nothing to do with you getting into medical school. It's going to be your experiences and maturity. Best of luck everyone. I hope we all achieve our goals!