Age of med Students

[isomerjohn]

I realize that being an older applicant is considered to be an asset, especially if you have used your time productively. My question is when are you too old / i will be 32 by the time the next class begins and I must say that I feel the pressure that it is "getting late early " as they say in baseball. Any thoughts ? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

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[Ryan]

I really feel that you will be fine, as long as your grades and extracariculars are all in order. Esp. if you are applying to DO schools. I think that these schools really look at the potential for the applicant to become a complete physician, and there is definitely a lot to be said for life experience. You can take this for what it is worth coming from a 22 y/o who will be starting med school in the fall, but I dont think you have anything to worry about. Oh, and if you really want a cut off, my own personal opinion is somewhere in the range of 35-40.

 

[BADunning]

I don't know if the 'cut-off' exists in real life. I've read of people beginning med school who are several years older than I am. I have 2 or 3 classmates that are my age or within a year of my age. I started in August of 2001 at age 39.

You're as old as you wanna be.

 

[Hedwig]

I volunteered at a PCOM healthcare center last summer, and there was a MS-IV there who was 48-years-old. She's my hero--she's really amazing!

 

[Billie]

In my class there was a woman with 6 kids (2 still living at home) that started med school at 48! She is my hero!!

 

[isomerjohn]

Thanks all. Your opinions are very encouraging. My grades are pretty solid I had a 3.4 gpa undergrad 3.35 science) and a 3.5 graduate gpa. I think I would be a competitive applicant if I got in the 24-27 range on the MCAT. Any others who applied/entered school later on ? Please respond.

 

[SunnyOne]

Non-traditional students can definitely compete for medical school admission. Please check out this website: <a href="http://www.northern-town.com/opm" target="_blank">web page</a> It is the OldPreMed site. Good Luck! -LR

 

[ral]

I am 30 and have been accepted to UHS and KCOM and have decided to go to KCOM. So, there is definitely hope for the older student.

 

[se215]

Hey, I'll be 34 this fall as a first year. I got into UNECOM, KCOM and DMUCOM and have chosen UNECOM to go to. I got in with a 29 on my MCATS and only a 3.26 science GPA. You shouldn't have a problem.

 

[Slingblade the Surgeon]

Well let me just put it in a big-picture kind of way. Lets say your career choices are taco bell and doctor. You are going to turn 30, 40, 50, etc whether you are doing what you believe is the best use for your skills or working at taco bell. So just choose what you want to do and do it. there are 32 yr old new docs out there just as there are 32 yr old seasoned ones so forget all that crap about being too old. BTW I'm 31 till June. In fact most patients prefer an older more mature (at least looking) doc anyway...just ask em. With that said...at one of my interviews, the doc broke the ice w/me by saying why do you want to be a doc now, you're practically dead. hehehe
He was like 900 himself!

 

[Luca45]

In the book "getting into medical school" by Sanford Brown, there is a letter from a guy who is 67 and in his second year at UAG in guadalajara! He couldnt get accepted in the US so he and his 65 year old wife went to mexico! great story huh!?

 

[Crazed]

I'm not an "older applicant." However, I just went to my UMDNJ-SOM interview, and while I was there, Dean Wallace said that their last class had a 50 year old woman in it, and this year's class has a few 15 year olds. So, I don't think there is such a thing as a cut-off age. By the way, ISOMERJOHN, I think it's admirable that you're pursuing this new career. If anything, I think admissions committees at DO schools will look favorably upon your application. So, look at your birthdate as an advantageous part of your app., and focus on other things!

 

[isomerjohn]

Thanks guys for all your valuable thoughts. It alwyas means alot to get advice from your peers who are buried in the process with you.
EMPATHY is a beautiful thing !!

 

[Paul K. Wilson]

Don't let your age be a factor. You will grow older regardless of whether or not you attend medical school. Therefore, it does not really matter.

I'll be 33 in August, and still 2 years until I complete my BS. Will be around 41 when I'm done.

 

[isomerjohn]

Good advice. Gee you guys are allowing me to ponder whether or not i should take the MCAT's in April or not ? I know it has its advantages but I want to be very, very prepared. i guess I could go for it and if i shoot in the 8-9 range I could apply and also take it again if I choose.

 

[Bevo]

i know a guy who is about 35 in one of my classes at school who is going to TCOM this fall. And then in my KAPLAN course we have a lady who looks like she's around 50 who is taking the MCAT this april.

 

[isomerjohn]

I do believe that older students must have MCAT scores a litter better than what would be acceptable otherwise

 

[ussdfiant]

Wow, I'm 30 (will be 31 when classes begin) and this thread makes me feel like a pup!

 

[isomerjohn]

With age comes weight my friend... Both literally and figuratively

 

[k's mom]

My hubby will be 32 when he starts this summer. In May he will get his first undergrad degree (he started in 1988!) There is no such thing as too late! He has found age to be a huge asset during his interviews and while writing application essays. He is a father, a husband, he has dealt with death, sickness and personal loss. To put himself through school he has worked in physical therapy, assisted living centers, waited tables and detailed cars....essentially, he knows what he wants to do with his life and is perfectly aware of the sacrifices he (we) will have to make to make it happen. Family practice, especially rural medicine, is his passion. If he were 22 and walked into an interview talking about being a small town community doctor, he would be dismissed as a "pie-in-the-sky" optimist. At 32, with a family in tow, people (ADMISSIONS people), take him seriously.
Besides, where your potential patients are concerned, age is a blessing. I've seen two doctors in the past year who look younger than my high school students. No offense to young doctors, but it does not always instill a lot of confidence!

 

[JThomas88]

It is never too late...but then again with an increase in age there is an increase in dilemmas...and responsibility needed outside of medical school. Consider pursuing another career.

 

[EMDrMoe]

JThomas88: "It is never too late...but then again with an increase in age there is an increase in dilemmas...and responsibility needed outside of medical school. Consider pursuing another career."

"Older" applicants like me HAVE considered other professions. Then, they decide to do what they really want to do, regardless of age.

Yes, life has its dilemmas, at 22 and 32 and 42... Do they increase, no. Do they change? Yes. Does experience equip you to handle the new dilemmas? Hopefully! :wink:

Your remarks are interesting. You seem very unhappy. Don't get me wrong, being realistic is an asset, but I don't see your comments as realistic. They're just plain condescending (and not only on this thread).

 

[marleybfour]

ATC,

I agree completely. His remarks are just plain cruel.

JThomas what drives you to say such things? Are you that superior to others?

 

[Sweaty Paul]

Isomerjohn,

I would ignore jthomas88. I'm 33 and a second year student at KCOM. In my class we have a 53 y.o. student and quite a few of us in the 30's. It is never too late. The class of 2005 had a woman who was accepted who was 57.

Like so many others, if you want to become a doctor, then you are by no means alone, go for it, life is too short to live with regrets.

Sweaty

 

[tealatwo]

It is very encouraging to hear about all the "non-traditional" students applying for med school. I am 32. I get my BS this spring in Dietetics and will be a Registered Dietitian as soon as I sit for my RD exam (Aug?). I will be 34 before I can even think of applying(still need 3 courses and the MCAT). But you guys are making me feel much better. Good luck!!!

 

[Amra]

For more social proof, I'm in the 30-something range. I thought it was one of my better assests in applying (thankfully, the schools thought so too).

 

[drchris33]

I will be 26 this Sept and I am marticulating to UHS in the fall. I am a father of four and have had to work my tail off for the last three years to achieve what I have. However, my MCAT score was below average, but I had a lot of experiences.

Good luck to all

Chris

 

[Cottontop]

Dear John (I haven't written a letter that started like that in 20 years!!!)

Yes, I AM old enough to make that statement, and I am also just finishing my second year of medical school!! I have been in "health care" for 20+ years and am doing quite well, if I may say so. This year especially has been very rewarding. Now my life experience and "wisdom" have been truly beneficial. The first year of medical school, is just a grind (whether you're 22 or 42). But when you get into Path, Micro, Pharm etc. that extra clincal exposure and "comfort" really pay off.

For the one with a personal preference that 35-40 should be the cut off...bunk !!! I still have a good 25-30 years ahead of me and I can assure you that if you or your child or mother ever become gravely ill, and all of medical wisdom and technology fail (and it always does in the end)...then you will want me by your loved one's side. Because when all the "young" cardiologists, pulmonlogists, nephrologists, and surgeon's who are afraid of or uncomfortable with the reality that medicine does not "cure all" and death approaches, they will abaondon your loved one in their final hour of need, but I will be there by their bedside...holding their hand...comforting them...through their next journey...

Peace to you all, and good luck.

Remember; life is not measured in the number of breaths we take, but in the breath-taking moments!

 

[Medic171]

I am now 25. Next year is my senior year of undergrad and my application year. So, assuming I get accepted, I will be 27 when i start, 31 when I finish, and 33-34 when I finish residency(assuming Fp or PSY), and I will be 100 before I pay off my loans since I already have 26000 out

 

[danjou]

A thought about being too old

I always wanted to be a dancer. But when I was 8, I thought I was too old, because all the other little girls had started when they were 4,5,or 6. Then when I was 10, I again thought I was too old to start dancing, and wished I had started when I was 8. When I was 12, again I thought I was too old, and again wished I had started at 10, or even at 8, for looking back I certainly wasn't too old to start dancing then.

I never did end up dancing, and I always wished that I had started, but what stopped me was the belief that I was too old. Even at the age of 8, I thought I was too old.

I didn't start college until I was 21 (at least I was in high school at the right time!). I didn't get my bachelor's degree until I was 26. I'm now one month away from my 30th birthday. I can't even start applying to medical school for another year, and won't matriculate for another two years - if I'm lucky. If all goes according to plan, I won't be a fully trained physician in my chosen specialty until I'm 40!

I already lost one dream at a young age, because I thought I was too old. I am older, sure, but that's not going to stop me anymore. It's a silly, flimsy excuse to put off your dreams, because you're never going to get any younger. If you think you're too old to start now, just wait another 5 years, so you can kick yourself, wishing you had started when you were "young enough."

 

[tomthebomb]

I am 34 and took the MCAT last Aug. I got 10's in BS and VR and an 8 in PS. My previous scores were 27, and 28. My background includes a 3.5 undergraduate g.p.a., a 3.4 graduate gpa-recently completed a master's in physiology, on top of numerous publications from my work as a clinically oriented researcher. I applied to and interviewed at my state alloathic schools and was shot down three times. I finally decided to apply to osteopathic schools as well on my fourth try and was accepted to DMU and recieved interview offers at NCOM, KCOM, Kirksville, WVCOM. I know osteopathic schools look more favorably on non-traditional students than alot of allopathic schools. However, I know that Eastern Virginia and some others are pretty non-discriminatory. I interviewed and was wait listed at EVMS twice. When asked what my plans were if not accepted again during my fourth interview at my state allopathic school, I told them I had been accepted to osteopathic schools and had plans to interview at others. I recieved acceptance to my state allopathic school as soon as my name came up. I think the fact that the admissions committee knew I was accepted to a DO school may have played a role in my acceptance. Maybe they wanted to shrink potential competition. Either that or they got tired of turning me down. Then again maybe I just got a Doc who was more sympathetic to my plight. I know their are certain schools such as Cincinnati (MD) that have a very low number of older students that are ripe for a law suit (see their website). I have been more impressed with the DOs students I have met than the MD students. They seem to be possess greater social skills and seem to be much less arrogant on the whole. I think that evaluation is borne out by reading the posts from the pre-osteopathic, pre-allopathic sections on this site. If it were'nt for the lack of a well established DO school in my state, I might have opted for a DO school despite my acceptance to my state school. Additionally, I think those OMM techniques would be especially cool to know. I'd love to try some on my girlfriend. Additionally, I saw where a study in a well respected medical journal showed they were as effective as pain medications and not just in the short term. Hope to have the chance to work with some DOs in the future. Maybe I can learn some OMM anyway.

 

[EUROdocMOM]

About us "OLDER" students...
I'm a 30 year old mommy of 2 school aged girls starting med school this August (not sure where yet). The biggest factors in DECIDING where to go to school are so much different that the younger, single crowd.
Some things I'm considering:
...School that's close to relatives (support)
...School that is in an affordable area with good public schools & low crime rate!
...School with nice sized population of older/non-trads
...School in an area my spouse can find a good job
...School that has a reputation for turning out good practicing physicians

Think about what is important to you and your family in the short term, as well as where you want to be in the next 10-15 years. I still can't believe that I'm going to be starting med school so soon, after all...
I'M ONLY THIRTY