Age starting medical school

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

MzzMisty

Member
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
Joined
May 30, 2003
Messages
71
Reaction score
2
Do you think that 35-40 is too late to start medical school? I was just curious about the ages of the non-trads that are starting medical school. Thanks :)

Members don't see this ad.
 
I am 32 and still haven't started!!!!! Hopefully it'll be 2007 or 2008 at the latest. Good luck:D
 
I'm 25 now and will begin the full pre-req (bio, chem, o-chem, physics) work this spring. If all goes to plan, I will start med-school at 28. 32 certainly isn't too old, especially when you consider how long life will be if you are doing something, as I am, that provides zero in the way of professional satisfaction.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
27 and just started med school. I'm not considered an oldie by any means at my med school, there's quite a few that are over the age of 30 starting out.
 
I started med school last month. I'm currently 39. No, I'm not the oldest in my class. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
My applications are in this year, and I am 35. This means I will turn 36 next August as I am beginning my first med school classes (I hope!). Sure, I wish I were younger. Sure, I'll be a little out of place. But, I could be 36 as a med student or I could be 36 as a non-medical student. I'll take being a med student.
 
I attend a school with a relatively young student body. There is a 36-year-old mother of two here, a few more people in their 30s, and a good number in their late 20s. Don't worry about your age.
 
In this New World economy, the older medical school applicants
seem more numerous than ever. Up where I live, lots of former
hardware/software engineers are in my prereq classes.
I just hope the majority are pursuing medicine for the right reasons.
 
My applications are in this year, and I am 35. This means I will turn 36 next August as I am beginning my first med school classes (I hope!). Sure, I wish I were younger. Sure, I'll be a little out of place. But, I could be 36 as a med student or I could be 36 as a non-medical student. I'll take being a med student.

There are a bunch of threads like this from the past and many people are older than me, but I started at 42.
 
27 and just starting premed requirements (calc, chem, ochem, physics, bio, biochem, etc). In theory I'll get admitted somewhere when I'm between 29 and 30. Premed/med/residency is roughly a year period. You'll eventually be ten years older, the question is will you be a doctor or not. That's up to you ;-)
 
I am 31 and started this year. Never thought of my age being an issue. I think it is a good time to start when you are in mid-late 20's or early 30's. You are heck of a alot more mature and you tend to be more sure about medicine for the right reasons.
 
I am 31 and started this year. Never thought of my age being an issue. I think it is a good time to start when you are in mid-late 20's or early 30's. You are heck of a alot more mature and you tend to be more sure about medicine for the right reasons.
I completely concur with your assessment of the proportional amount of maturity gained in older students. Those who began their careers in a different field have gained valuable experience about the workings of industry, politics, economics, taxes, and the ability to sustain a life and a career simultaneously. The ante to changing changing careers isn't small, and those who opt to do it, likely, do so for the right reasons.

Congratulations on beginning this year. :)
 
Members don't see this ad :)
You guys are awesome! I am 27 and plan on starting school next August. I keep thinking about how old I'll be when I start practice, but maybe that is just because of my first child just started kindergarten. :)
 
i am turning 32 next month myself :)
if i get in this year i will be 32 when i start otherwise i will be 33
 
Meh.
 
Last edited:
I'll be 26 in 7 days, there's two thirty-five year olds in my class, and I just saw a presentation given by a guy who started here at 36 with a wife and three kids. And he got AOA.

- Q - That pun is terrible!
 
I'll be 32 next month, and plan to finish my prereqs this year, take the MCAT in April, and hopefully start med school at age 33. I don't think entering med school in your 30s is as big of a deal as I initially thought when I first decided on this path a little over a year ago. Perhaps I've just been reading this board too much, but it seems much less significant in the scheme of things. In fact, I know that I'm much more focused and prepared mentally than I would have been straight out of college, and much more certain of what my goals are and why.
 
Im 35 now and taking the prereqs and finishing by August 2007 and taking the MCAT then. Shooting to be ready for the 2008 application cycle and hoping to be class of 2012 :) Age only really matters depending on what other future plans you have besides being a doctor, say starting a future family and watching your kids grow.
 
I started at 33 and there was a 45 y.o. mother of 5 in my class. I would say 10% of my class was 30 or older when we started. It turned out to be a great group of friends--all with some life experience and a slightly different perspective on the whole experience. I wouldn't change the way I went about attending medical school--as circuitous as it was!
 
In theory, I will start when I am 27. In reality, it will probably me closer to 28-29.
 
I just turned 37 and am in my first year. No... I am not the oldest in my class either.
 
I turn 30 next month, and hopefully will be starting next academic year (right before I turn 31).
 
Should be 39 when I start.... if Im accepted as planned. I'm finishing up a PhD in the meantime. I havent encountered any real issues to my 'advanced' age as of yet.... Although I do find it difficult finding a great deal in common conversationally with the 22 year olds.
 
This is so wonderful to hear.........I'm 34 now and will not start medical school until i'm 36. Good luck to you....How many schools did you apply to?
 
I am a bit late to hop onto the non-trad thread. I am currently 29 (30 in February) and this actually my second time around in this process. I first applied in 2003 but I got back on my feet, bolstered my application and had some fun along the way. I am very ready for medical school.
 
Good job you guys! Sometimes I feel like I am taking a big jump (Starting my (*#!#?&#b undergrad part time while working at 23.5 yoa) and sometimes it seems like too much, but it's really encouraging to see people my age and older fearlessly jumping into the fray. If I work hard and all through summers I should graduate spring of 2010 (please God!) and then maybe make it into med school when I am 27/28/29. It seems really far away but I know time flies when you're having o-chem.
 
ill be 26 in october this year and applying during the summer...someone just asked me the other day if i finished high school.
 
I'm 24 and just starting my undergrad work this Spring. If all goes as planned I'll start med school in 2009 at the age of 27. I know that's not old, but I sure wish I had started sooner. Then again, there are definitely benefits to starting a little later.
 
Hello everyone,
Congratulations to all for choosing such a wonderful career, full of opportunity and rewarding experiences, and personal satisfaction.

I'm probably going to be taking the M.C.A.T. within the next year, any tips on how to be successful on it would be greatly appreciated!
 
I'm a 41-year-old MS IV due to graduate 5/10, and a father of 1.5 kids. One of my best friends in med school, another non-traditional student, calls our traditional classmates "PYT"s, Pretty Young Things. 2S4MS
 
I'm 25 now and will begin the full pre-req (bio, chem, o-chem, physics) work this spring. If all goes to plan, I will start med-school at 28. 32 certainly isn't too old, especially when you consider how long life will be if you are doing something, as I am, that provides zero in the way of professional satisfaction.

I agree! I started pre-req courses at 25 and now at 27 I am applying for the fall of 2011; I will be 28 my first year of med school if all goes as planned. I feel that life is too short to be working in a job that doesn't make you happy, give you a challenge, make you feel alive as well as know that you are making a huge contribution to society while on the planet. That being said, if it makes you happy then who cares how old you are!! Age is just a number and 32 is not old! Haven't you heard that 30 is the new 20? Lol Age has nothing to do with character, strength, will power, intelligence, heart, etc. Go for it!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I am 25 now and applying this year to start in 2011. I will turn 27 next September and I'll be 30 when I graduate if I get in this year.
 
I was 28 when I realized I wanted to go into the medical field and 29 when I started classes. At the time I thought I would just go into Surgical Technology, but the more I grasp the more confident and ambitious I become. I'm 31 now and about to enter the last year of my Surgical Tech program and I'm already looking at the next step: schools and majors that will help me get into med school.

Surprisingly enough, I didn't realize that I could actually do all this until I stopped thinking about age. How sad is it that at 23, 24, and 25 I thought I was too old to go back to school, and now I'm looking at being in school until I'm 40 and loving the idea?
 
Last edited:
I'll be 40 when I apply, just about to turn 41. If I get in, I'll be just turned 42 when I start. I don't retire for another 20+ years, even taking out 8 years for school, I still have a long time before the rocking chair!:laugh:
 
I know I'm a lot younger then most but because of my circumstances I consider myself untraditional. I'll be 27 when I start medical school IF I get accepted my first attempt. You're never too old to achieve your dream and like everyone else says I think it's a benefit to starting later (thank to this forum)
 
if all goes according to plan, which it never does, i'll be 28 entering medical school
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I'm seriously thinking about whether optometry or medical school with a speciality in ophthalmology would be a better route for me. Has anyone considered the benefits/drawbacks of these two different paths/professions?

I'm especially interested in how to balance a change in career into one of these professions with wanting to have children while still in my early to mid 30s. Currently I'm 30 and have to still take Chm 2 (enrolled this summer), O-chm 1 (enrolled for fall) & o-chm 2 for Med school prereqs. Surprisingly Optometry school actually has a few more prereqs than med school, so I'd be looking at maybe 1-2 more semesters to complete the optometry school prereqs above and beyond the prereqs I still need for med school. That's assuming the schools will accept my physics courses from about 10-11 yrs ago, if they don't, then I guess I will have add to that my list.
 
Anyone still active and can update us on their quest to go to med school in their late twenties or thirties? Those who posted they were starting and have completed or are matriculated in med school, a follow up would surely help future readers. :thumbup:
 
I'm about to turn 30 and will be 31 when I start medical school if I get in on the next cycle.
 
I'm 39 and will be 40 in a couple of months. Accepted at Tulane for this August 2011.
 
I'm starting Oklahoma State University at age 48 in August.
 
Top