~NonTraditionals~: Ages

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dream of Jeanne said:
I'm 36, with a husband, teenage daughter and 2 cats. I think successful focusing and rentention of info comes from understanding how you learn, and has nothing to do with age. Do you learn better by seeing pictures, reading words, touching models, listening to lectures, or a combination? I had a great post-bac prof who gave us all a test to determine how we best learn. I found out I am a visual verbal and visual picture learner. So I read, and look at pictures, and don't waste time in lectures... Plus I'd say repetition helps. I always have flashcards with me wherever I go, and squeeze in minutes here and there to really allow the new info to sink in. What works for you?
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I know the post I'm quoting is very old but -- does Jeanne or anyone else know what that test the post-bac Prof gave you was, that determined what kind of learner you are? Thanks.
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i am going to be 27 this year still have 2 yrs of college left hopefully less and i will be having my second child next spring.
 
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32, just finished undergrad (2012).

Definitely make a plan...
My plan:
Focus on undergrad before MCAT and application
Was able to keep my GPA up (3.9 + double minor), and focus on some extracurricular activies (EMT cert, pre-med radio show, and shadowing surgeon).

Taking MCAT in Feb 2013 to apply for 2014 class early. Gives me 7+ months to study for the test. Non-trads have a few things going for them timewise. We know that waiting an extra year to apply isn't the end of the world. If a school asks why we waited on an interview, we can say that we had to work full time to pay bills since we live on our own...

Non-trads should also use our life experiences to our advantage. In my case 5 years in the USMC (leadership), etc.

Good luck to you all.
P.S. Regardless of what people say, I am seeing the MCAT being the single deciding factor for interviews in more and more of my cohorts, since I waited to apply...
 
I'm currently deciding whether I'm well enough to return to full time study with a view to eventually do medicine Post Grad. If I start next year, I'll be at least 42 when I'm going into medicine. I don't know why, but that doesn't feel too old to me. :)
 
Age 30....married/18 month old baby girl....submitted my application last month....took mcat this past saturday and still recovering. Have been working as a licensed engineer in texas for the past 7 years. Have to get back on track with my design projects tomorrow....got distracted studing for mcat....:-s
 
jldub said:
Married 25 yr old no kids. Will be 26 when I apply and 27 when I start med school. 3.74 overall GPA, 4.0 sGPA taking post-bac classes and MCAT this year.
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Yay, I'm not the only one! Married, 25 years old (turning 26 soon), no kids (yet). 3.9/3.9 and MCAT this coming Saturday; I hold a Master's degree and have been working in research for a few years. Really excited about the possibility of being a student again.
 
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25 yo with no marriage and no kids. studying for a February MCAT exam date all while applying to SMPs for matriculation this upcoming fall. I've been in research the past 3 years with a few research studies under my belt. Hoping to get apply the next application cycle and get in for class of 2018, which means hopefully, i'll be 27 when i get into school. The way med school admissions are going with the nontraditional students displaying maturity and experience, im kind of excited.
 
40 and I'm more focused than ever. I've finally learned how I learn best. That makes a huge difference with time spent effectively studying and retaining information.
 
Well, I'm not trying to get into Med school, but into a Public Health program. I get so much inspiration from the NonTrads and I feel much better about being old and "still" going to school. :eek: I'm 46 and didn't complete undergrad until 2008. Thank y'all for not giving up:biglove:
 
26 currently, and will be 27 when taking the MCAT and applying. I also second Oldenuff2nobetr in his stance on the MCAT importance. It alone won't get you into medical school, but with it (being decent) one cannot pass go.
 
44 and reapplying this year. Messed up my chances by applying late last year, secondaries submitted November/December, to only 11 schools. At least, I hope that's what messed up my chances. 5 interviews, 4 waitlists. I think I would still have gotten in if I was in my 20's. Am I being paranoid, or do you think schools might have a unofficial quota (Iike 1 or 0) for very old students?
 
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columbiapostbac said:
44 and reapplying this year. Messed up my chances by applying late last year, secondaries submitted November/December, to only 11 schools. At least, I hope that's what messed up my chances. 5 interviews, 4 waitlists. I think I would still have gotten in if I was in my 20's. Am I being paranoid, or do you think schools might have a unofficial quota (Iike 1 or 0) for very old students?
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You had 5 interviews? You may need to look at how those interviews went by getting some feedback from these schools. If you went that far in the process all other factors are irrelevant. It obviously has nothing to do with your age, lateness of apps, etc.
 
HoltMD said:
You had 5 interviews? You may need to look at how those interviews went by getting some feedback from these schools. If you went that far in the process all other factors are irrelevant. It obviously has nothing to do with your age, lateness of apps, etc.
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I don't know, I'm a pretty normal guy, except for my age, and I thought the interviews went ok. 4/5 of the schools were rolling, and I heard that they had their classes pretty much selected by Thanksgiving. I had 2 interviews in December and 3 in February. For the non-rolling school I had literally the last interview there.

I would love to get interview feedback, but no school I asked has replied. My dean told me schools never give feedback because they are inundated with requests from all the people they reject.

Given all that, I do have a major attitude adjustment this cycle. Besides applying on time, I am writing my essays with a much humbler tone. I hope the combination works.
 
I guess I'm a bit of a baby in the non-trad group - 23 over here! Not married, zero kids. Took a year right after undergrad to do a grad program in Bioethics, and now I am working for 2 years as a research assistant at a major hospital. Will be applying in June, 2013 and hopefully matriculating in 2014 when I'm 25! It's feels crazy though... By the time I finish medical school, I will be 29, then if I continue on my pursuit for a neurosurgery residency, I'll be 36 by the time I finish. Being single and thinking about meeting someone, staying with that person long enough to get married and then possibly having kids throughout that whole spiel (and having the lifestyle of neurosurgeon no less) seems DAUNTING. :eek: Oh well! Medicine is worth it :rolleyes:
 
I am 24. I got interested in medicine during senior year, however I full-filled most of requirements luckily due to major/minors I have declared or withdraw from. Never focused on gpa. Took 1.5 years and finished a master. Volunteered. And now is playing the waiting game. Hopefully I will be somewhere sunny and nice next summer. :D
 
I am also one of the young non-traditional students at 23. I enrolled in a biomedical sciences PhD program right out of college, and am now deciding that I want to stop at a masters degree and apply to med school this fall (applying to both MD and MD/PhD programs). I am SO hoping that my research will help my application stand out. Not married and zero kids, and (ha) two cats I have to push off my books/computer/whatever I happen to be doing from time to time. Since everyone is mentioning their animals...
 
im 24 and will hopefully be 27 / 28ish when I start my first year

focus is pretty rough right now. (brand new daddy with a 3 month old at home :rolleyes:)

and just started back to school to pursue the dream...
 
I'm 25 'n' a half. Need all the science, so I think I'll be applying when I'm 27 or 28. Happily divorced and free of children and animals, though sometimes the neighborhood stray cats decide they own me.
 
Can't remember if I posted here a loooong time ago! I got accepted at the age of 33, married with one child. Taught high school for ten years prior to medical school. I am currently 36 and an MS IV and applying to Emergency Medicine residency. I was a pretty avg applicant. 3.55 GPA, 30 MCAT. I hope you all have good luck because it is all worth it. I love it and have no regrets at all. PM me if you have any questions at all. Best of luck to you all!
 
yeyo1121 said:
I am 25 right now. I still have roughly two years left for my pre-reqs/bachelors and I am hoping to be applying in 2012.
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Update: Almost 27 now, married with a 3 year old, currently applying this cycle, impatiently awaiting my MCAT score :xf: It should be like the NCLEX, where you can pay extra $75 to have it graded faster ;)
 
24 years old, single, just pursuing my dream of med school after a rough time during undergrad and a great 1st year of post-bacc coursework. :) Glad to see there are many others here in the same boat as I am! Y'all are an inspiration to me.
 
I'm not going for a med degree, but I'm 38 (will be 39 when I undergrad). One thing I've learned -- screw the ppl who say you are too old. You are the one who is miserable in your current job. Find something you love to do and go for it! We neeeeeeed more ppl like that in Med school. I'm so sick of all the Dr.'s who are in it solely for the money and have a $()&$@)$) bedside manner.

I'm debating between a psych terminal masters or a PhD. After all the research work I've done this summer -- leaning towards the terminal masters lol.
 
23 currently, will be 24 if I get into med school this cycle. I felt old before in terms of med school because I have many friends who were accepted into med school after 2 years of undergrad (possible for some schools in Canada) and thus are already finished med school and starting residency. Also have some friends who finished engineering with me and finished 1st year med this year so I will sort of be the last to go through the whole process. Just decided to pursue medical school a few months ago after vehemently opposing it for ages.
 
33 and doing pre-reqs while continuing a storied career in technology. In previous life (earlier years. feels like previous life!) studied classical percussion and conducting.

Excitement is high
 
I'm 39. Will apply to med school in 2013 so hopefully enter when I'm just turning 41. Graduate at 45 and finish residency at 49! Professor at a university, already have Ph.D. and couple of Master's, and taking prerequisites now. Nervous but very excited!
 
I'm 29 years old. I haven't actually applied to med school, but I've been thinking a lot about it and I might submit my application next year (when I turn 30).
 
Turning 34 tomorrow, been working full-time in allied health field while taking classes full-time for last 2-3 years, re-applicant this year (MCAT too low last year, no interviews), and I'm married with one teenager and one more due in 3 months. If I can find balance and success in the chaos of my last 3 years, then I know I can survive med school.
 
24 years old, no wife no kids. Graduated with a BA in 2011, will start my pre-reqs in a few weeks. The pre-reqs will take 2 years, then MCAT and the applying in 2014 with hopes of matriculating in 2015, which would put me on par to graduate med school at the age of 31.
 
I am 39 and getting ready to start 2nd year in a couple of weeks!!! I am so excited1!!! :)
 
I'm 24; working full time, taking my first prereq this Fall. Assuming I follow my schedule, I'll be done with prereqs summer 2014... Looks like a long, hard journey ahead...
 
I am 26 and will be 28 when I start.

Anyone else hoping the next year flies by? I am ready to GET STARTED.
 
Turned 32 this year and just started working on my Science prereqs this year. Coming from IT and Education degrees I skipped them all! :prof:

Hoping to apply during the 2014 cycle.
 
God willing, I will be between 28-29 when applying to medical school.
 
Im 24 years old, i have a 11month old daughter and a son due in september. I am a first gen college student. I always wanted to be a doctor since the age of 9. However, once i went through cancer at the age of 20, i was a little hesitant to become a physician due to anticipatory nausea from the IV machines. But after much encouragement, getting married etc. I decided to pursue medicine with a new passion, people should not get cancer, and if they do, then we should be able to provide them with top notch treatment options. So hopefully that is my aim.:)

Current ogpa is 3.21 and hoping to get into medical school for class of 2018 Godwilling, trying really hard to raise my GPA and definitely showing an upward trend.
 
Im 26...turning 27 in October.....married....no kids :(

Applying for ey 2013 and if it doesnt work out, I cant waste more time and will have to go to Carrib....will be away from hubby for at least 2 years. :((
 
I'm 35 and applying next year... assuming I get in first try I'll be 40 when I finish med school... and start residency! so depressing when you actually write it out or hear yourself say it out loud.

but I think of something my dad said to me a while back... he was in his 50s at the time and was considering going back to school for a grad degree. he said he had thought about doing it, going back for an MBA when he was about 35, but he thought he was too old. looking back at that almost 20 years later he said man how stupid was I to think 35 was too old.
 
24-- will be 25 when I start hopefully fall 2013, no kids not married
Intl relations degree, had to make my own post-bac bc I already had many of the required classes
Hoping to stay around NYC area for school!

Good luck everyone!
 
29. Will be 32 when I hopefully start. Married. Husband in the military. 2 kids. Working on second bachelors degree.
 
I'm currently 38 and starting my 3rd year of undergrad, Single father of two teenagers (14/15, high school freshman/sophomore). 3.92 overall so far with O-chem and Physics coming this year. Doing some research volunteering at OHSU and scribing in the ED.

Trying to decide if I should plan on applying this spring or just prep for and take MCAT over the summer and apply in spring of 2014. could be a crunch to finish my undergrad in time for 2014 matriculation and the last thing I want is to overload and have my GPA or MCAT suffer because of it.
 
31, starting premed post bac program in Jan 2013 if I decide to take the plunge! Will enter med school in fall 2015 at the age of 34 if everything pans out... Scary!
 
23, currently in last year of undergrad but I'll be taking a year to prep for the MCAT and retake some core sci courses. Shooting for 2014 cycle.. So I'll be 25-26 when I start. Just started working as an ER scribe and loving it so hopefully time will fly until M1!
 
26 and will be 29 when I apply the first time Fall 2015.
 
I'm 33 and applying to post-bacs. Currently military and looking to go back in as a doc.
 
I'm 25. BS in Psych will be finished at 26 (6-8 weeks shy of 27) and, if all goes well, I'll be starting Med/PA school just as I turn 28.

No family, no pets.

Most of the time I enjoy what I'm studying. When I don't, I push the textbooks away and think about why the stuff I'm studying is important/matters. I think about why this information is incredible. After some reflection I'm usually able to re-engage studying with interest and motivation. If that fails, I just do problems / re-read notes over and over and over and over and over and. . .

Seriously, though, if you weren't working toward improving yourself, what would you do with your time? Read fantasy novels? Movies? Video games? Bars/clubs? That stuff all gets old - science, though, captures the innovation of our entire species. All the phenomena that occurs on a daily basis (usually without our even knowing) can be found (most of the time) in a textbook or class somewhere. These mysteries help shape understanding of the world and life.

I can't think of a nobler way to spend one's time than trying to make sense of the world around you and life, and then (after achieving a certain level of understanding) dedicating that understanding to helping others. What a joyous way to live.
 
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