\I'm from a really small town big on things like farming and people just didn't go to medical school so some didn't even think of it until they had more exposure years later. Plus money was tight for a lot of the community so it didn't seem like a viable option to those of us who were interested. But a few of us are heading that direction now quite a few years later.
Interesting - I grew up in a farming community too (pop 1400), and I'm the second in my graduating class to decide late in my 20s to go to med school. The small town had a second effect on me besides financial concerns - my high school didn't have a lot of extra-curriculars in sciences but had a ton in the arts/liberal arts. Also, the teachers that were inspirational/motivational in my high school were in the liberal arts, and that led me to an English/Poly Sci degree in college. I was my class valedictorian, so I could have gone in any direction after high school and been successful, but without a teacher motivating me to pursue sciences (and in a small town, there's still that mentality that science is a field for guys, not girls), I didn't feel that I had enough aptitude or natural ability for the sciences, even though when I was younger I wanted to be a doctor.
I think this is vital; yes age is a factor for most non-trads.
But things that come from age such as: being married, having had a 'real' job (not a student job), kids, experience paying bills & making life decisions, etc.
Life experience is huge!!! For those of you who are non-trad and haven't interviewed yet, talk up your life experience. It really does set you apart. My story: graduated college intending to be an English professor, started a master's program in English with a teaching assistantship, after one semester discovered I hated teaching, so left, got a job in marketing for a toy company, hated that too and always felt like I should be doing more, but it was an income, so kept at it until I was laid off in 2009. Nothing interested me job-wise at that point. I was sick of feeling like my intelligence was being wasted at a job where the only goal was to make the company more money - and when my husband asked what I would want to do if I could do anything, I said I'd go back to school to be a doctor. You want to talk about making an adult, life-altering decision - not only had I temporarily lost my job, but my husband and I were looking at going from two very comfortable incomes to one income, and making the choice to do so for 10+ years (3 years undergrad pre-med courses, 4 years med school, + residency). And from what I read from other non-trads, this is a pretty common decision that shows major dedication and determination. You better believe doctors/admissions committees understand the comfort of a paycheck, and understand what it means to give that up to pursue a new career.
No kidding! I swear I've aged a good decade just owning my house....
LOL - owning a house has been an education in itself!!!
All of that said, I wouldn't have done this any other way. If I had attempted to go to med school right out of college, I'm convinced I would have burned myself out by the end of year 1 - I was a super over-achiever and had ridiculous expectations for myself. With age comes a better understanding of what's important and how to balance priorities. You're gonna have to learn how to do it as a doctor anyway - you may as well have the understanding *before* you start med school. I think with age also comes a better understanding that even though this is what I feel called to do, that doesn't mean I'm going to love every minute of doing it. For me, being a non-trad brings a whole level of maturity and experience and self-awareness that will make me a better med student and a better doctor, and will make my classmates better doctors by sharing my experience with them.
