Am I a non-traditional applicant?

[Wildestdreams25]

I graduated last May in 2022. Throughout undergrad, I was the typical premed. I got a research assistant position in for this past year and will be doing another research (both in healthcare) for this coming year. I am 25 (took a gap year after high school for personal reasons, so a bit late to the game). Am I non-traditional on TMDSAS?

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[Sea Of The Leaf]

I kind of had a similar experience. I thought I was a traditional applicant. I was pre-med in undergrad. Graduated on time. I was asked to stick around and do research for a couple more years by my advisor and the money was good so I decided to go for it. All I did extra was that research and then I applied. Other than the couple gap years where I did no official schooling, I was a classic pre-med.

At my first medical school second look I kept getting referred to as non-trad by the admission team and faculty. I was so confused! I felt so out of place when they formed a specific non-trad group workshop and I was surrounded by parents, nurses, internationals, and military.

 

[LizzyM]

Twenty years ago there were two groups of applicants: those who were college seniors during the application year and those who had had a career before choosing to do a post-bac and go to medical school. I've met lawyers, a Naval officer, and an opera singer over the years, plus many other career changers. There were a few Peace Corps volunteers but little else record enhancement by typical pre-meds.

More recently, it has become popular to take one or more gap years, work, do research with the NIH, do Teach for America or Americorps, work as a scribe or in some other way burnish one's application for medical school. IMHO, those are not "non-trad" they are long-time pre-meds who have never worked at any other profession.

Schools may approach it differently depending on how they define "traditional".

 

[Wildestdreams25]

Twenty years ago there were two groups of applicants: those who were college seniors during the application year and those who had had a career before choosing to do a post-bac and go to medical school. I've met lawyers, a Naval officer, and an opera singer over the years, plus many other career changers. There were a few Peace Corps volunteers but little else record enhancement by typical pre-meds.

More recently, it has become popular to take one or more gap years, work, do research with the NIH, do Teach for America or Americorps, work as a scribe or in some other way burnish one's application for medical school. IMHO, those are not "non-trad" they are long-time pre-meds who have never worked at any other profession.

Schools may approach it differently depending on how they define "traditional".

Will I be at a disadvantage if I put myself "traditional" on my application (Texas schools only) but let's say one of the schools considers me non-traditional? Or is it understandable if I decide to put myself as traditional?

 

[Goro]

Will I be at a disadvantage if I put myself "traditional" on my application (Texas schools only) but let's say one of the schools considers me non-traditional? Or is it understandable if I decide to put myself as traditional?

1) No
2) Yes

 

[Wildestdreams25]

1) No
2) Yes

Sometimes short answers like this are actually helpful