Wondering if I am too old for Med School

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BabyyD

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Hi guys!

So I am currently 26 and finishing my masters in exercise physiology. I have all the pre recs for med school. However, due to illness and unfortunate circumstances through my undergrad years I do not feel that I am competitive enough to apply for med school.

I am thinking about taking undergrad again, or is it possible to just retake classes I needed to improve in? Am I too old to start all of this? I would love to hear from others as I have such a desire to try, but feel very lost and confused in fully making the decision.

Thank you ahead of time for your responses. They are greatly appreciated and much need.

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Nope. That's all you need to know.
 
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Do you think it should start undergrad again or just take the necessary courses?
Repeating undergrad in its entirety won't look good, and having to take every pre-req one more time around will also ding you (even if you do the "DO grade replacement"). You will get grilled during the interview.

Your best bet may be to apply to another masters program with affiliation at a medical school to prove you have the grit to handle graduate level biomedical coursework. Maybe even a SMP.

Either way you're looking at a long road, but it's not impossible if you really want it and have patience.
 
Undergrad cumulative GPAs for US MD tend to be over 3.6. (Lots of 3.6+ applicants get rejected. Most of lower-GPA applicants get rejected.)

As for "starting over" that's not a thing unless you're in Texas. You're required to submit all transcripts, and you're required to do your own coursework data entry and classification in the app, which then gets verified. Any GPA calc on a transcript is ignored: the app service calculates GPAs by the app service formula.

If your cumulative GPA isn't competitive, there's only so much you can do, because math. Get it up over 3.0 as far as you can, making sure you've shown a long streak of multiple very strong 3.7+ full time mostly science undergrad years. Then, depending on your MCAT, you can think about DO, or you can think about doing additional work to get US MD. Others have commented on the DO grade forgiveness loophole that MDs don't allow.

If it's not mathematically possible to get your GPA up over 3.0, think really hard about walking away. The barriers to entry, and the unlikelihood of success, should scare you silly.

Be fearless in doing GPA math. Gotta be the one making sense of this for yourself.

Best of luck to you.
 
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I've done a lot of research on this subject, and would be glad to fill you in over a few drinks.
 
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I'm 51. Taking MCAT on 7/8. App going in on 6/3.

Today, I met a 57 year old, MD, PGY-2.

Know a 55 year old, MS1 (allo school).

Know of another 57 year old, MD, PGY-1.

Know of MANY DO's that are 55+ when licensed.

Does that help? (we're all over-achievers with 3.85+ post-bacc GPAs... a few of the above had 4.0 from top 5 ugrad institutions; not me, mine was a good university but not that stellar)
 
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You aren't setting any records for age so that shouldn't be a concern. The targeted grade replacement approach for DO might be more useful than repeating a whole bachelors if GPA is the issue, but I'm not sure you've painted us the whole picture. "Unfortunate circumstances" sounds like you aren't taking ownership of the blemishes on your transcript, though, so that kind of throws up warning flags for those of us who like to read between the lines.
 
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I love it when a 20-something thinks they are old. To the rest of the world, they're still kids! I went back to do undergrad in my mid-30s and will be starting my first year of med school at 41. Don't be impatient and rush your application. Get the experience and numbers you need to be competitive. Even if you start a few years later than you'd like, you'll still get there. Enjoy the journey! If you can't decide about redoing undergrad or taking some post-bacc courses, you should contact the pre-med advisor at your school. He/she can give you a better idea of what you need to do.
 
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And if that picture is you? take it down. ASAP
 
I'm 51. Taking MCAT on 7/8. App going in on 6/3.

Today, I met a 57 year old, MD, PGY-2.

Know a 55 year old, MS1 (allo school).

Know of another 57 year old, MD, PGY-1.

Know of MANY DO's that are 55+ when licensed.

Does that help? (we're all over-achievers with 3.85+ post-bacc GPAs... a few of the above had 4.0 from top 5 ugrad institutions; not me, mine was a good university but not that stellar)


haha, Ad2b you're still one of my SDN heroes when I start feeling like I'm going to get rejected solely due to my age.
 
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haha, Ad2b you're still one of my SDN heroes when I start feeling like I'm going to get rejected solely due to my age.

:love: Thank you :) Not sure I'm worthy of that... but thank you.
 
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26 too old? Really?

Some of my all time best student shave been in their 30s and 40s. I graduated one last year at 50.

So spare me.

Hi guys!

So I am currently 26 and finishing my masters in exercise physiology. I have all the pre recs for med school. However, due to illness and unfortunate circumstances through my undergrad years I do not feel that I am competitive enough to apply for med school.

I am thinking about taking undergrad again, or is it possible to just retake classes I needed to improve in? Am I too old to start all of this? I would love to hear from others as I have such a desire to try, but feel very lost and confused in fully making the decision.

Thank you ahead of time for your responses. They are greatly appreciated and much need.
 
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Short answer is that it depends. If it's going to take you 5 years to get all your ducks in a row before you start at age 31, finish at age 35, then you want to do a long training path (6-7 years), you are looking at getting your first job in your earlier 40s, and getting out of debt in your late 40s. Add in goals of having a family and raising kids or something, then yeah, it might be a little late. But if you are not tied down in any way, can get your pre-reqs knocked out in a couple years, and want to do a short training specialty, then you could be out of the pipeline at 35.

At some point, people have to face reality and accept that the time for choosing a professional career was decades ago, but you're far from that point. Whether you're too old at this point depends on your own personal goals. You're not at an age where people are not going to let you into med school or rank you low on residency because you're older than the people training you. There are 25 year olds who look 18 and 25 year olds who look 35, so nobody's going to bat an eye. But there are no 50 year olds who look 25.
 
Hi guys!

So I am currently 26 and finishing my masters in exercise physiology. I have all the pre recs for med school. However, due to illness and unfortunate circumstances through my undergrad years I do not feel that I am competitive enough to apply for med school.

I am thinking about taking undergrad again, or is it possible to just retake classes I needed to improve in? Am I too old to start all of this? I would love to hear from others as I have such a desire to try, but feel very lost and confused in fully making the decision.

Thank you ahead of time for your responses. They are greatly appreciated and much need.
26 that's not old. U have age in your favor.
There are people in their 40s in Med school


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
You're not at an age where people are not going to let you into med school or rank you low on residency because you're older than the people training you. There are 25 year olds who look 18 and 25 year olds who look 35, so nobody's going to bat an eye. But there are no 50 year olds who look 25.

Residency based on looks? lol
 
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I know someone at a very reputable MD school in the Northeast who was 50 years old as an MS1.
 
I started medical school at 29, and it's been fine. Lol, too old. You're too old when you're dead.

Now change your avatar to protect your anonymity. Trust us, it's for your own good.
 
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I'm 51. Taking MCAT on 7/8. App going in on 6/3.

Today, I met a 57 year old, MD, PGY-2.

Know a 55 year old, MS1 (allo school).

Know of another 57 year old, MD, PGY-1.

Know of MANY DO's that are 55+ when licensed.

Does that help? (we're all over-achievers with 3.85+ post-bacc GPAs... a few of the above had 4.0 from top 5 ugrad institutions; not me, mine was a good university but not that stellar)


Best wishes on your MCAT and application Ad2b. :)
 
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As wild as things can get on SDN, why wouldn't anyone do their best to be anonymous? Yes. Change your avatar.
 
Frankly, I think it's irresponsible of a medical school to accept someone who is 50+. But that's off topic.

26 is fine and we need more details of your background to show you the right path for you.
 
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Frankly, I think it's irresponsible of a medical school to accept someone who is 50+.

I'd encourage you to watch the video and before you say, "So what - they can dance or bend or whatever ..." Remember: I toast most of my classmates' grades, run faster, carry more lbs each day, work 16 hours a day ... the ones who go to med school over 45+ are not a waste of time... neither are the youth that are admitted.

 
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when i saw how immature and irresponsible some of my classmates are, and when i discovered that a whole lot of residents and attendings had never done their own laundry nor taken public transportation nor ever had a problem not fixed by their parents, and had absolutely nothing in common with the majority of patients, then i understood why my school wanted me around. it's lord of the flies.
 
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when i saw how immature and irresponsible some of my classmates are, and when i discovered that a whole lot of residents and attendings had never done their own laundry nor taken public transportation nor ever had a problem not fixed by their parents, and had absolutely nothing in common with the majority of patients, then i understood why my school wanted me around. it's lord of the flies.

:claps::claps::claps::claps::bow::bow::bow:
 
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I'd encourage you to watch the video and before you say, "So what - they can dance or bend or whatever ..." Remember: I toast most of my classmates' grades, run faster, carry more lbs each day, work 16 hours a day ... the ones who go to med school over 45+ are not a waste of time... neither are the youth that are admitted.

It has nothing to do with the students themselves. No doubt they are just as capable as anyone else. It's, to me, about a profession that has its volume of practitioners limited by available residency slots. I don't think it's really fair to society to admit students who will be able to practice 30 fewer years than an average student.
 
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there are more SDN threads about how old is too old than there are people over 50 who have attempted med school
 
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Anyone who has ever ran into a "bad" doctor (which is pretty much everyone) will probably agree quality over quantity is actually better for society. Otherwise, you can fill most of those "practitioner" slots with mid level providers.
 
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The AMA has been advocating for increasing residency spots for some time. It's Congress that's the bottleneck.

What's so good about increased residency spots though? I mean, there's enough now for US grads anyway, right? You just might not get your pick of what you want to do.
 
It has nothing to do with the students themselves. No doubt they are just as capable as anyone else. It's, to me, about a profession that has its volume of practitioners limited by available residency slots. I don't think it's really fair to society to admit students who will be able to practice 30 fewer years than an average student.
I'm not anywhere near 50 but I'd like to offer a different point of view. Would you like a so so doctor who would be there for 20 years or an excellent doctor who practices only 10 years but is able to treat patients well and perhaps contributes valuable research to the medical science? I myself would pick quality over quantity - I want great doctors, not just more of them. Ultimately, it's not about the age, it's about intellectual capability.
I think the admission process is mostly fair. I don't think they need to lower standards to accept a lower quality applicant over a more qualified student simply because of age.
 
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What's so good about increased residency spots though? I mean, there's enough now for US grads anyway, right? You just might not get your pick of what you want to do.

From the AMA's perspective, more doctors. Fight midlevel creep, increased bargaining power and lobbying, more dues-paying members, etc. It would allow a dramatic expansion of the number of US medical schools as well.
 
I'm not anywhere near 50 but I'd like to offer a different point of view. Would you like a so so doctor who would be there for 20 years or an excellent doctor who practices only 10 years but is able to treat patients well and perhaps contributes valuable research to the medical science? I myself would pick quality over quantity - I want great doctors, not just more of them. Ultimately, it's not about the age, it's about intellectual capability.
I think the admission process is mostly fair. I don't think they need to lower standards to accept a lower quality applicant over a more qualified student simply because of age.

That's a false dilemma.. and I'd rather have a doctor at year 11 than have no doctor anyway.
 
From the AMA's perspective, more doctors. Fight midlevel creep, increased bargaining power and lobbying, more dues-paying members, etc. It would allow a dramatic expansion of the number of US medical schools as well.

But then won't doctors just get paid the same as midlevels?
 
That's a false dilemma.. and I'd rather have a doctor at year 11 than have no doctor anyway.
Good point. Hope you still remained unharmed by a so so doctor to have the need for a doc at year 11.
 
Anyone who has ever ran into a "bad" doctor (which is pretty much everyone) will probably agree quality over quantity is actually better for society. Otherwise, you can fill most of those "practitioner" slots with mid level providers.

I was literally just logging in to say quality over quantity! Also, just because someone theoretically has more working years left doesn't mean they'll end up using them to practice.
 
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I don't think it's really fair to society to admit students who will be able to practice 30 fewer years than an average student.

Would it help if I said something like, "I know a 25 year old who quit med school to start his own company. @#$er took my spot." ? :)

See, that does happen. Younger people, sometimes pushed by parents to do things they don't enjoy - like med school - grow a pair and drop out. Which population did they serve as a physician? None.

So for every one of those (and there are like 60 a year), there's probably only 20 or so 45+ that apply and matriculate and graduate and do residency. Because those of us over a certain age threshold are doing it for, I'm pretty sure, all the right reasons and not one of them is $$. Therefore, we're more likely to stay in the field until death do us part.

Which could easily be 25 years plus ...

At least, that's the way it will be for me...
 
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Would it help if I said something like, "I know a 25 year old who quit med school to start his own company. @#$er took my spot." ? :)

See, that does happen. Younger people, sometimes pushed by parents to do things they don't enjoy - like med school - grow a pair and drop out. Which population did they serve as a physician? None.

So for every one of those (and there are like 60 a year), there's probably only 20 or so 45+ that apply and matriculate and graduate and do residency. Because those of us over a certain age threshold are doing it for, I'm pretty sure, all the right reasons and not one of them is $$. Therefore, we're more likely to stay in the field until death do us part.

Which could easily be 25 years plus ...

At least, that's the way it will be for me...

Do you have any data showing significantly higher dropout rates among <35 year old students vs >45 year old students? Or are you just making things up?
 
put the shovels down lads.
 
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Are you from a community that perhaps values individual rights somewhat less than is traditional in the west?

Call me a cultural imperialist, but from my vantage "Life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" are totally - and I mean totally - non negotiable.

Not really sure why you brought rights up. I never said anything about anyone's rights. I was talking about responsibility.

And I was also talking about your error regarding the AMA limiting slots.
 
A responsibility to stay in a career field you don't like because the community might benefit from a longer duration of someone having an MD?

Meh...this really makes no sense to me.

Probably because you didn't actually read my post.

"Frankly, I think it's irresponsible of a medical school to accept someone who is 50+."

I said literally not one word about the candidate.
 
Also an absurd position.

So its the medical school's responsibility to discriminate, having the same effect?

The medical schools are actually in a pretty unique position to shape the future of the healthcare industry. They do this with every decision they make. Admissions committees pick and choose their students in order to create a class that is not only scholarly but also diverse in a myriad of ways. Why do you think accepted student stats differ so significantly between socioeconomic groups? It's not like the schools are unaware of the long-term effects of their admissions decisions on the industry.
 
I was literally just logging in to say quality over quantity! Also, just because someone theoretically has more working years left doesn't mean they'll end up using them to practice.
This is totally true. Bet there are a fair number of docs that started out as young, eager, wannabe physicians--20 somethings that have come to feel completely chagrin with their career choice. If you need physicians, you need physicians. If a 50 y.o. can do the work, they should be given opportunity to do so. If not it is similar to the argument against women and years lost in child rearing--jumping to PT, etc. Any number of discriminatory examples from the past or even current could be used, and really, this whole argument has been done over and over. Really no point in it. Disparate treatment and impact are what they are, and there are laws and arguments won b/c of them. So, whatever. It is what it is. What will likely keep some 50 y.o. out is something else that people like jonnythan can point to on the side as he sits on an adcom, and maybe he will get others on the adcom to agree with them. It would be something like numbers and such that don't match the applicants. Finally certainly many physicians do not retire at 50 or 60, and a fair number, depending on field of medicine may proceed into their 70's, like a lot of people are nowadays. Since it is becoming tougher to retire at 70, and there are those in good health and ability to continue working, they do. This is especially good if they are doing what they love, strongly like and are good at, or at the least, like. Will 50 and 60 year old physicians be shooed after in coming years. Based on the way things are going, and the probability that most 50 year olds will opt out of crazy long/demanding residencies and such, eg, surgery, it really isn't a problem. The issue really is getting someone that is a great fit for the work, is interested, curious, capable, and committed. But just remember you will hit that 40+ or so place at some point, and then how might you feel? Established or not, you want to be shown the door when you are still in high flow, capable, interested, and committed?

Anyways, when fully socialized medicine takes completely over here, you may well find a ton of people that won't be making the commitment to this profession; but that is OT too, so...
 
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I'd encourage you to watch the video and before you say, "So what - they can dance or bend or whatever ..." Remember: I toast most of my classmates' grades, run faster, carry more lbs each day, work 16 hours a day ... the ones who go to med school over 45+ are not a waste of time... neither are the youth that are admitted.




"When people start stopping, that's when they start getting old."

Something to consider:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/planning-retiring-early-consider-these-5-health-risks-first-247669
 
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If the system's current limitations necessitate choosing candidates on any criteria other than those that will make the best physicians, then there is a critical flaw that should be addressed. To turn out lesser quality candidates so that they can practice substandard care for 10 years longer is both laughable and simultaneously horrifying when you ponder that you might need critical care one day. There is this little idea being kicked around about tying reimbursement rates for care to patient outcome...just sayin'.
 
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Although I've not seen hard data on it, I'm sure

Who needs evidence when you can just make things up and believe them?

Why would you even think this? Why would a rich black person have a higher chance of admission than a poor black person if they had the same stats?
 
Oh my god you are combative

Because socioeconomic status is almost certainly going to impact stats.

I think you missed my point. I'll be more clear. For a given MCAT and GPA, students of various socioeconomic classes have significantly different acceptance rates. A black student with a 3.5/30 is far more likely to get accepted than a white student with a 3.5/30 (who is in turn more likely than an Asian student with a 3.5/30). This is because medical schools place a high value on diversity of background and socioeconomic factors.
 
If one more perky millennial whines about being too old, I'm gonna stop being helpful.

Congratulations, you beat most of the non-trads in the age race.

Collectively, I'd say most in the nontrads forum win for maturity, so it all balances out, right?

Tomorrow isn't promised, you could die tomorrow, so if you want to go to med school, start NOW.

JK, don't apply. You're too old and too flaky. You obviously don't want it badly enough and you're in it for the wrong reasons. Besides it'll take too long, and who wants that? Now go marry an investment banker and become a breeder before your eggs dry up.

I want your spot.

(PS I'm old as hell. I lost count of my reincarnations.)
 
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You just acknowledged my point while pulling a Ron Burgundy.

And apparently are so inured with politically correct prolespeak that you don't know the difference between race and socioeconomic status.

AMCAS doesn't publish data on acceptance rates stratified by economic status, but anecdotal evidence from adcoms and applicants strongly suggests that poverty, being a first-generation college graduate, etc., correlates positively with acceptance.

I'm not sure what you're attempting to argue. It's an obvious, proven fact that medical schools already use factors besides "the best applicant" to fill their slots in order to create incoming classes that are diverse and interesting. They do this for the benefit of the student body as well as to shape the future of healthcare.

In other words, we know that medical schools are intentionally choosing their incoming classes in order to shape the future of the profession. They are probably already doing so based on age to some degree.
 
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