Non traditional friendly med schools

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DSM

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Can anyone out there tell me which schools are more friendly to non traditional students? I have years of medical experience (11 as a paramedic and 15 total in EMS). Presently I am finishing my prereqs. ( Degree in hand already) I plan to take the MCAT in April 04. I would like a heads up on schools that actually like or at least don't discriminate non traditionals.
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OHSU. The average matriculant age is around 24, and from what I've been told (by both a current student and former school official), they seem to especially like those who have gained some valuable work/life experiences after graduation.
 
Originally posted by deepsouthmedic
Can anyone out there tell me which schools are more friendly to non traditional students? I have years of medical experience (11 as a paramedic and 15 total in EMS). Presently I am finishing my prereqs. ( Degree in hand already) I plan to take the MCAT in April 04. I would like a heads up on schools that actually like or at least don't discriminate non traditionals.
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a lot of schools like non-traditional med students, it adds diversity to a class as much as people with different religious, ethnic, or LGBT backgrounds add to the class...you can bring valuable insight to the field that your peers cant!

as such, being from cali, all the UC schools look at you as a favorable candidate, but most classes have 3 or 4 non trads at most (that is because the applicant pool is far less)

having said that, you need to be a cali resident before you can get accepted to any of these schools :)

best of luck to you!
 
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Drexel is one school that's definitely nontrad-friendly. I think they explicitly state in their mission statement that they welcome non-traditional students.

Penn State has a student group made up of non-traditionals (the Silver Lions).
 
Ask efex. She made it into so many great schools and she is non trad.

I believe that most schools don't care about age. The only school that *I KNOW* doesn't like non trad is NYU and that's about it.

Good luck!
 
Apparently the average non-trad over 30 scores less than 30 on the MCAT; that's why we as a group have more trouble getting in.

I paid good money to a professional advisor, who discouraged me from applying to top schools that are now sending me secondaries (we'll see how I do for interviews). Don't fall into others' preconceived notions about the barriers to non-trad students. Ace the MCAT, and you can go very far. Like efex.
 
Originally posted by Alleria

1) Either non-trad applicants as a pool tend to be more poorly qualified overall (e.g. very poor grades and thus didn't apply straight out of college, haven't made amends, pooer MCAT performance as a pool, etc etc.) and thus accepted less
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According to several adcoms that I've talked to, and also according to my personal experience with applicants, this is the big reason. There are a whole lot of people who decide to go to med school when they're 30 or 35, but have forgotten that they were really, really crappy students. They generally think that, in light of their achievements after college, their former academic performance shouldn't be held against them. The problem is that med schools are more interested in your academic achievement than in your life experience.
 
Originally posted by HollyJ
There are a whole lot of people who decide to go to med school when they're 30 or 35, but have forgotten that they were really, really crappy students.
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Brilliant!
 
deepsouthmedic

My background is similar to yours. I was accepted this year to the Medical College of Wisconsin (applied EDP). Talking to the students at the school, it seems to be a pretty non-trad friendly place. There is a good support network in place for students with families as well.
 
I also have been accepted to the Medical College of WI and am non-traditional (26, Bachelor of Fine Arts). In my opinion, I think most schools don't really care if you are "non-traditional". They just look at your attributes the same way as they look at traditional students attributes. The same criteria will apply, such as academic ability (grades and MCAT), maturity, etc. That's just my opinion from the 5 interviews I've attended so far.
 
As a 37 year old non-trad, I can tell you I have gotten more positive responses from DO schools than I have from MD schools. At one of my MD interviews, I was asked a number of illegal questions concerning my age. At the DO interviews, there was nothing but postive responses about my age. They view it as a plus.

Now, my MCAT is slightly lower, so that may be the difference, but it is low enough not to be considered my MD schools. So I guess if your MCAT is way above the average, maybe it will be enough to offset your age.

Just my 2 cents:cool:

MD schools:
secondaries, 2 interviews, no acceptances

DO schools:
secondaries to all but 1, 3 interview offers, 1 acceptance
 
Stanford supposedly has one of the oldest classes (in terms of average age) in the nation, or so I have heard.
 
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I went on an interview at VCU and one of the students giving the tour was about 28 years old with wife and three kids. He said that they are awesome about his family situation. He loves VCU for that.

Heb
 
Hey guys, I really appreciate the input. I do have a really good shot (I hope!) at my state college due to some outstanding LOR's. I think my work experience will be a huge asset provided that I do stellar or at least pretty darn good on my mcat (Same boat as everyone else!). At least that is what I am shooting for to go to my state college but you never know......so I just wanted a few more options.:)
 
I am 37 and I submitted 28 secondaries received 22 interviews went to 11 of them and withdrew from the rest. I was accepted at 9 schools (starting Oct 15) and waiting to hear from 2 more (Yale which is non-rolling and Wash U). Being non-traditional did not come up anywhere in a negative way at all, if it came up at all it was in a positive light about what a non-trad can bring to the table. Apply to the schools that you want to apply regardless of what people think about non-trad acceptances there, heck you may be the one non-trad that they do accept. I applied to schools that I would go to although people would say "oh they like trads better", and so far I have been very very fortunate.
 
That is great! Thanks for the positive attitude. I do intend to apply to many different schools. Your response is encouraging. efex 101, what are your stats if you don't mind my asking. I have yet to take my MCAT and at this time my GPA is 3.44
 
I agree with Efex. Of the 6 schools I applied to in-state, I got 6 interviews. (That includes UT Southwestern and Baylor!) Out-of-state I have received 3 secondaries from the 4 schools I applied to and am hoping for more interviews. While I can't match Efex's stellar acceptance record ;) (TX has a match system, Feb 1), I can say that nearly all of my interviewers have been very positive about nontrads.

I'm 33 and have 3 kids, BTW. My GPA is average(3.5) and I have decent MCAT.

It can be done, and done well!! Oh yeah, just 'cus someone else mentioned DO schools; my only negatvie experience with regards to my age and family was with the our DO school in TX. They were the only ones who expressed concern about it and asked if my husband supported me. :mad: That did not endear them to me!

Good luck!
Theresa
 
I am also a nontrad with an unusual background in that my degree is in fine arts. But all the schools I have spoken to have been very encouraging about applications (I just took the August MCAT, so I'm late in the process this year). They seem much more interested in what I've done as a post-bacc than what I did as an undergrad (no ax murders on my record, though).

I have a 4.0 post-bacc and very good MCAT scores, so that may be helping. I'm curious why NYU is singled out as non-trad-friendly? Not only did the office seem very open to non-trad, but when I toured the school it seemed like half the students I met were older students.

Of course, I find it hard to consider 23-year-olds as "non-traditional"...;)
 
Yes, 23 hardly seems non traditional to a 40 year old;) .Everyone thinks I am just shy of crazy for doing this...If I was going to have a mid life crisis, I could have chosen something a little less complicated to occupy myself! (and cheaper too!) But this is something I have always wanted to do and the last 15 years in EMS have just intensified my desire. I have been waiting for my kids to get just a little bit older..... which they are. So, now I am ready for anything!!! :eek:
 
efex101, what are your stats (MCAT, degrees, GPA, experiences)?

I'm 33 years old. My undergrad GPA was around 3.3 but I have improved it since then. I majored in psychology in college. I have a Master's in psychology and a Ph.D. in neuroscience. I took the MCAT in August 2003 and got a 41 (after intense test preparation taking a Kaplan course and using Examkrackers). I have gotten interviews at:

New Jersey Med School
Ohio State
SUNY Upstate
U Nebraska (pending)
Vanderbilt
 
Greggth WOW 41! Congrats!!! So you recommend the Kaplan course and Examkrackers??? I am only taking physics II in the spring (plus working full time at night) and I am planning to start studying for the MCAT in January. Any advice???
 
I would suggest Tulane. . .I met a first year student there that whom had been a teacher for 10 years I believe. He was in his mid 30's. I also heard of a student there that never received a B.S. He was photographer who compiled brilliant pictures and paintings of the human body while observing surgeries and came away from the experience amazed by what the surgeons were doing and decided to try and apply. I was able to see his work while I was there for my interview and it was incredible. So I would say his case is the most non-traditional I have ever heard.
 
Originally posted by deepsouthmedic
Greggth WOW 41! Congrats!!! So you recommend the Kaplan course and Examkrackers??? I am only taking physics II in the spring (plus working full time at night) and I am planning to start studying for the MCAT in January. Any advice???
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First of all, I have heard that some people can get a good score without much effort. My advice is based on what worked for me.

Here is my advice.
1. Take all the AAMC practice exams.
Take them repeatedly. Analyze each question until you understand it completely. When you come across a difficult question, take the opportunity to look at all your books, including college textbooks, and read everything they have to say that relates to that question.
2. The verbal section is frustrating. Be patient with it.
3. Read the MCAT section of the StudentDoctorNet message boards.
4. Take a classroom course from one of the major companies (Kaplan, Princeton, EK). A classroom course with real live people helps to motivate you.
The Kaplan simulated exams are good (mock exams where you sit down in a testing environment with other students like the real MCATs).
5. Get ALL the Examkrackers books (except their Verbal 101, which I didn't find helpful), and if you can afford it, get book(s) from one other company, like Kaplan, as well. This allows you to get two different perspectives on what is important.
6. Get Examkrackers Audio Osmosis.
7. Get the AAMC study guide, located at http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/studentmanual/start.htm
Buried in this document is a complete outline of all the topics and subtopics tested on the MCAT, which is extremely helpful.
8. Start studying now.
9. All this studying is going to take a lot of time. Make it your top priority. Take time off from your job to study, if you can.
10. Figure out what to eat for breakfast and lunch and how much caffeine you need, in order to be alert during the entire exam. Be sure to eat enough.
 
Greg with your profile you should be able to get in anywhere you want.

Simply amazing.

Good luck (although you won't need it :p)
 
Hi. I am also a post-bac/non-trad student.

I understand that Case, Drexel and Thomas Jefferson look very favorably on non-trads and that Case even has a term for us "bent-arrows".

Good luck!!!
 
i've found mayo to be very diverse in terms of age/life experience. I have also been told that ucsf is terrific for a nice range of ages/experience, although i haven't been out there yet.

i've been out of school a number of years and have found most interviewers to be quite interested in what I've done since graduating college. although my beloved alma mater has yet to show me any love. :) good luck...you guys sound like an amazing bunch!

Originally posted by vtucci
Hi. I am also a post-bac/non-trad student.

I understand that Case, Drexel and Thomas Jefferson look very favorably on non-trads and that Case even has a term for us "bent-arrows".

Good luck!!!
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I was pleasantly surpised at the non-traditional friendliness at all the schools where I interviewed. Nobody asked inappropriate questions, and I felt like I fit in. I didn't get into really highly ranked schools, which I didn't expect anyway since my stats were fairly average, but I did get into 4 out of the 5 schools I interviewed at, and I was 38 at the time. They were: Wayne State, Drexel, George Washington and VCU. I had a horrible interview at EVMS and didn't get in, but I don't THINK it was an age issue. I just totally clashed with the guy interviewing me, they had a good cop/bad cop scenario going on, and I didn't take well to it.
 
I am really pleased to hear that Tulane looks favorably on non traditionals since it is close to my state, Mississippi. Of course, I will apply for my state college but I was never one to count my chickens before they hatch. (Nice southern term). I do appreciate the advice on preparing for the MCAT since that is foremost in my mind at the moment. I will look into all of the colleges and universities mentioned as well as others. I do like options!!!:)
 
Yes, 23 hardly seems non traditional to a 40 year old .
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:laugh:

No telling THEM that, though.

When I toured UMDNJ, I specifically asked about non-trads that I might talk to. I was directed to a young lady who proudly told me she had taken a WHOLE YEAR off after undergraduate and worked in a clinic. I was like, honey, get back to me when you've actually had to work for a living.

:eek:

Seriously, I think most schools really do recognize what we older students bring to the process--the maturity, the perspective, and the understanding of ourselves that tells us this is really something we *have* to do. I think it's fabulous if you really know when you're 20 that this is what you want to do for the rest of your life, but if I were in Admissions I would have a much harder time differentiating between all those young'uns.

Anyway, good luck! I'm a few years behind you age-wise :D but I don't have kids yet...I'm deeply in awe.

I'm sure you'll be a great doctor. EMS rules!
 
My class at UCSF has around 10% of the students in their 30s, and a considerable chunk in mid and late 20s.

And 20% out of state are accepted on average each year.
 
Paen

just curious, how do the 30 year olds do in med school? Are non-trads typically the ones that get the higher grades? Or do they bring up the rear of the class.

cheers
Kender
 
just curious, how do the 30 year olds do in med school?
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We kick your a$$es. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

:mad: :mad: :mad:

:cool:
 
Originally posted by vtucci
Hi. I am also a post-bac/non-trad student.

I understand that Case, Drexel and Thomas Jefferson look very favorably on non-trads and that Case even has a term for us "bent-arrows".
Click to expand...

Albany really encourages non trads. Pitt also adds points for non trads.

Jefferson apparently does like non trads as well since they just sent me an acceptance at the age of 40. Only 7 more years and I'll be finished with my residency. ;)

Good luck.
 
Congrats Skypilot. I'm 40 now and start applying in 2004.... good to hear.

PS. When I finally matriculate... I do NOT fear my young classemates!
 
Good luck Seacatch. I was nervous so I applied to about 20 schools based on which schools accepted the most out of state residents.
 
Bump.

Can someone make a simple list for us "non-traditional" students? I would like to see which schools I could apply to and have a better chance of gaining acceptance. :p
 
Just curious....what does the adcoms consider 'nontraditional'? Is it the major? that you had a job? your age?

I ask b/c I got my bachelor's in 2001 and my master's end of the year 2002 and have worked since. I am 25 now and will be applying this summer. I work in IT and was a CS major....

Am I a 'nontraditional' in the traditional sense? ;) Or am I considred a nontraditional nontraditional student? Just curious. :D

In case anyone is wondering....I did all my premed classes as an undergrad.
 
All schools IMHO are looking for good students regardless of age as long as you have the hard evidence to back this up (grades and mcat) and are not just relying on your non-trad status of experience etc...that does help but the first cutoff is "usually" numbers. Here are the schools that offered me interviews I went to 11 interviews withdrew from the rest.

Chicago Pritzker accepted
Kentucky accepted
Mayo accepted
Vandy accepted
ETSU accepted
St. Louis U accepted
Jefferson accepted
Temple accepted
Yale waiting
Wash U waiting
Meharry accepted
Indiana declined interview
U of Iowa declined interview
Louisville declined interview
U of Michigan declined interview
Nebraska declined interview
MCW declined interview
Drexel declined interview
U of Penn declined interview
U of TN declined interview
Creighton declined interview
U of Wisconsin declined interview
North Carolina UNC declined interview
Illinois UIC declined interview
Kansas declined interview
Duke rejected post-secondary
Harvard no interview offered so rejection post-secondary?
Loyola no interview offered so rejection post sencondary?
Rush no interview offered so rejection post-secondary?
 
Congrats! that's a very impressive list. Have you decided where you are going yet?
 
efex101:

Very impressive list indeed. Would you mind sharing your GPA and MCAT scores as well? That would give me (and I'm sure others, as well) some more insight into how easy/difficult it is to gain acceptance into these schools.

:D
 
Originally posted by efex101
All schools IMHO are looking for good students regardless of age as long as you have the hard evidence to back this up (grades and mcat) and are not just relying on your non-trad status of experience etc...that does help but the first cutoff is "usually" numbers. Here are the schools that offered me interviews I went to 11 interviews withdrew from the rest.

Chicago Pritzker accepted
Kentucky accepted
Mayo accepted
Vandy accepted
ETSU accepted
St. Louis U accepted
Jefferson accepted
Temple accepted
Yale waiting
Wash U waiting
Meharry accepted
Indiana declined interview
U of Iowa declined interview
Louisville declined interview
U of Michigan declined interview
Nebraska declined interview
MCW declined interview
Drexel declined interview
U of Penn declined interview
U of TN declined interview
Creighton declined interview
U of Wisconsin declined interview
North Carolina UNC declined interview
Illinois UIC declined interview
Kansas declined interview
Duke rejected post-secondary
Harvard no interview offered so rejection post-secondary?
Loyola no interview offered so rejection post sencondary?
Rush no interview offered so rejection post-secondary?
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You declined interviews at Michigan and Penn, but you went to the one at Meharry?! :wow:
 
Meharry is right in my neighborhood and I did research there for one summer so I really liked it. Once I was accepted on October 15 with some great deals from various schools there really was no point in flying to more interviews. Although I would have like to visit U of Michigan and U of Penn once I discussed it with my family there was no point in wasting their time and mine. I am still not sure which school I will be attending, it is between Mayo and Vandy both offered me great scholarships and it is truly a hard choice.
 
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