Age

[braddmcc]

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Hey guys (and ladies),
I will be 28 when i begin applying to medical schools. In the overall scheme of things, how much will my age affect their decision. Will it be considered a negative that i am older?🙁 Thanks for your help.

Brad

 

[ZagDoc]

The oldest person in my class is 39. At 28 you're only two years older than my class' median age.

You got nothing to worry about. You'll probably get asked incessantly about why you chose to switch careers to medicine, but if anything, age is generally appropriated by ADCOMs to more maturity, more meaningful life perspectives, etc.

 

[samenewme]

You'll be fine. If you're changing careers, you need to be prepared to explain why and show how you researched your decision with clinical experience and/or shadowing of physicians, but really, you're quite young. If you want to FEEL young, pop on over to the forums at oldpremeds.org. I started med school at the age of 42, and I'm not the oldest med student I know.

 

[njbmd]

Moving to Non-Traditional Forum as this is a pre-med issue. Allopathic medical students can follow and reply if desired.

 

[dancinRN1022]

hiya... i am only applying now so I am not an expert by any means...but everyone that i spoke to including my pre-health advisor thinks its look upon favorably... i am 25 now...but i will be 27 upon matriculation (hopefully🙂)...i think it shows that we must really really want it... in order to give up a career and salary that we have now...

good luck to you!!!!

Mel🙂

 

[peabos]

I am a 27 year old RN with critical care background contemplating whether I should go forward with my plan to apply to med school (already finished prereqs) or apply to CRNA school. It is truly my dream to become a physician. Aspects of CRNA are also appealing to me at this point in my life. I just wanted to hear what are the frustrations of being in the CRNA role. I think I would be very satisfied with the CRNA salay. Do you feel others acknowledge you as competent and capable? Would I be well-respected in the hospital environment?

 

[Hausdaddy24]

Hey guys (and ladies),
I will be 28 when i begin applying to medical schools. In the overall scheme of things, how much will my age affect their decision. Will it be considered a negative that i am older?🙁 Thanks for your help.

Brad

I really think it depends on what you've been doing during the past ~5 years since undergrad. More information please. Older applicants can definitely have an advantage over younger ones if their life experiences show that they have a genuine interest in medicine/ the ability to handle the medical school curriculum.

 

[Law2Doc]

Hey guys (and ladies),
I will be 28 when i begin applying to medical schools. In the overall scheme of things, how much will my age affect their decision. Will it be considered a negative that i am older?🙁 Thanks for your help.

Brad

In the eyes of the 50+ year old adcom members, everybody under 30 is pretty much the same age. As others have said, your experiences can be a positive that can more than offset any age issues. But you absolutely need to have a good story outlining your career path and why medicine, why now, etc.

 

[RxnMan]

No. You are 2 years older than I was when I entered med school, and our mean age was 25-26. We have a 39 y/o classmate, and a number in their early- to mid-thirties. Don't worry about it at all.

 

[Empi]

My daughter is 28.

I just spewed my coffee at the notion of someone her age regarding himself as old.

 

[MeowMix]

I am a 27 year old RN with critical care background contemplating whether I should go forward with my plan to apply to med school (already finished prereqs) or apply to CRNA school. It is truly my dream to become a physician. Aspects of CRNA are also appealing to me at this point in my life. I just wanted to hear what are the frustrations of being in the CRNA role. I think I would be very satisfied with the CRNA salay. Do you feel others acknowledge you as competent and capable? Would I be well-respected in the hospital environment?

You should probably post over on the anesthesiology forum. Many people posting here are premeds or junior med students who aren't very familiar with CRNAs. From my limited and probably naive perspective, CRNAs have the same challenges as other highly qualified nurses compared to physicians' work; you always have a more limited scope of practice and work more within a defined series of protocols for your work, although certainly in rural hospitals you may be running the service. I have worked with many excellent CRNAs and respect them. Becoming a physician requires considerably more time and effort, and will require much more responsibility in the long run. The question to ask is whether you really want that responsibility, in return for greater intellectual challenge.

 

[datsa]

Brad, you are not that old. I'll be 45-46 when I apply to med school (MD-PhD) assuming I can overcome my problems with test-taking. Age is just a relative thing. Just get your courses out of the way, do well in them, do your extracurriculars and apply. Worrying about your age is fruitless. My friend applied to med school at age 46 and no one questioned her desires or motives.

 

[J ROD]

I'm your age in three weeks and I thought I was too old a couple of years ago and decided I would try other things like dentistry, pharmacy before med school to save me some time. I mean they are close and I could have settled.

Then, along the way, I meet a guy that was 39 and 40 when he started med school. Changed my perspective. I really wanted to do and be a MD/PharmD Anes. So, I decided what the hell and I am going for both. I am in my second year of pharm school and just took the MCAT. Probably gonna need to take it again though. Got the really hard one on Aug 20th.

Someone on here once told me. You can be 40 and a MD or just 40. The choice is yours.

BTW, with my maturity and experience, I have found the education process alot easier after coming back. I see it as a plus and many schools do as well. Older folks just take it more seriously than the young ones in most cases.

Do not let your dreams slip away because one day that may be all they ever become.

 

[Law2Doc]

Someone on here once told me. You can be 40 and a MD or just 40. The choice is yours.

I think that's the right attitude. You only get one ride on this roller coaster (depending on your religious beliefs), so make it an adventure.

 

[Beau Geste]

I'm 30 and will be 31 at matriculation time (almost 32). There are tons more on SDN that are either in med school or applying/pre-med that are 28+.

I think we've given you enough examples of being "old enough". Go get 'em!