How old is too old?

[Law2Doc]

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i would be very upset to se someone in their 60's get accepted to a school.
A person will practice for 10 years maybe. That is a waste of taxpayer money.

Once you have paid as much money in taxes as the typical 60 year old has already paid, then you have a right to be upset...
There are plenty of 21 year olds who end up "wasting" their medical degrees, and who's to say the 10 or so years (probably more like 15) the truly devoted 60 year old might practice will not provide more "taxpayer" benefit than the numerous folks in their 20s who get into med school but then never finish, or those who get MDs and then go into totally non-clinical fields (consulting etc).

 

[1Path]

Once you have paid as much money in taxes as the typical 60 year old has already paid, then you have a right to be upset...

Word. 👍

 

[LizzyM]

If a physician dies tragically at 40, was his education a waste of taxpayer money? And don't forget that taxpayers are actually getting patient care (care of hospitalized Medicare patients in resident staffed hospitals) for those tax dollars. We cannot guarantee that any applicant of any age is going to work for a certain period of years.

Two of my colleagues are older physicians. One is 86 and still doing NIH funded research, another is 90 and is the editor of a well-regarded textbook. The 90 year old was a biochemist who went to med school at 40-something because there was a push, at that time, to train scientists to be physicians. I think that they got their money's worth in his case. Even docs who stop doing pt care can keep working.

 

[bonjuju]

If a physician dies tragically at 40, was his education a waste of taxpayer money? And don't forget that taxpayers are actually getting patient care (care of hospitalized Medicare patients in resident staffed hospitals) for those tax dollars. We cannot guarantee that any applicant of any age is going to work for a certain period of years.

Sorry if I messed up adding the last post, I don't post often.
I like this post. I am already hearing of docs who plan on retiring in their 50's. That's fine, but it is only 25 years of service, the minimum that I hope to practice by starting med school in my 40's. Does that make their education a waste? As a former teacher, I had a few 70 year olds who wiped the floor (both mentally and physically) with the younger folks in the class. I realize that this isn't the norm, neccessarily, but it does exist, and education should be open to those willing to pursue it.

 

[medworm]

For women, IMO start med school before early 30s and finish before 40.

 

[medhacker]

Got a 51yr old starting with me nest week. I'm 30

What school is this thackl?

 

[Unch]

Just jumping in with my 2 cents. I'm just starting at University College Cork in Ireland and I turned 40 on the third day of classes. (That way I can always say I started med school when I turned 40). I left an 8-year career as a high school teacher and had to totally uproot to get here (sell my ranch and animals and 90% of what we own) and disrupt my cozy family life. My wife and toddler are moving over in a couple of weeks and we're having our second child here in Ireland in January.

For me/us it's about complacency. Besides reaching a lifelong goal, we understand our own natures and temperaments at our "advanced age". We get to shake things up, let go of possessions, live in Europe for five years, introduce our children to other culture(s) (and have them get compulsory irish language in school!). This decision would clearly not suit everyone and while many say they wouldn't choose our path, virtually all seem to find it inspiring in some way. I have no regrets and I'm really excited (pinch, pinch) to be making it happen. (And the Irish schools seem to be excellent BTW). It's about individuals and individual decisions/context, not about what everyone else is doing or stereotypes et al. And I'm also feeling good about the 20-25 years I could easily practice (versus my teaching "career" of 8 years)....for what it's worth.

 

[Mr. Darcy]

I am in my first year of medical school and am 39. I got into well over a dozen schools, and choose the one that I liked the most (rank is not as important as how you feel here). I have a varied past, but think most schools wanted to see someone who displays a life long interest in learning, people and a desire to make the world better.

Steps to get in
1. Enter a post bac program (I did harvard extension in cambridge). Find tutors, buy books, and take some loans to take the required classes for 2 years.
2. Study and take MCATs
3. Volunteer at a health related place (homeless shelters are your best best). Do not get paid, that is not volunteering (regardless of what you do).
4. Read lots about medical (all the fun books), and some ethics for interviews
5. If you don't have a "strong" highlight point in your life, take a month or two and work in Africa or Asia and do some health related work. This will be the foundation for "why" in your essay to medical school.

Good Luck 😍

 

[Monitor]

Taxpayers support Private Schools' Tuition Too? I don't think so.

 

[Law2Doc]

Taxpayers support Private Schools' Tuition Too? I don't think so.

Private schools tend to still be affiliated with hospitals (i.e. where you will do your rotations and residencies) which use taxpayer money. While I disagree with the prior post about "wasting taxpayer money" on nontrads, there is taxpayer money involved.

 

[dasta]

As a former teacher, I had a few 70 year olds who wiped the floor (both mentally and physically) with the younger folks in the class. I realize that this isn't the norm, neccessarily, but it does exist, and education should be open to those willing to pursue it.

Amen. While I'm not 70 (I'm 41), I find that I am able to competently hold my own with the younger folks in my undergrad premed classes, even acing an occasional test or two.

 

[toothless rufus]

About the volunteer thing: Why is it bad to get paid? I have worked at a Psychiatric facility for three years while in school, and have had many great (and some really lousy) experiences. Are they deemed less important if I am getting paid while having them? The only volunteer work I have done is teach BLS.

 

[Law2Doc]

About the volunteer thing: Why is it bad to get paid? I have worked at a Psychiatric facility for three years while in school, and have had many great (and some really lousy) experiences. Are they deemed less important if I am getting paid while having them? The only volunteer work I have done is teach BLS.

For clinical experience, getting paid is totally fine. I would tend to disagree with the prior poster who indicated that your health experiences must be volunteer, but perhaps he/she was suggesting that the free positions are easier to get.
For the couple of schools I have seen that also like to see their applicants have been involved in some charitable/civic/community service (non-health) type stuff, like habitat for humanity, soup kitchens etc., the pay job obviously wouldn't count.

 

[1Path]

I would tend to disagree with the prior poster who indicated that your health experiences must be volunteer, but perhaps he/she was suggesting that the free positions are easier to get.

I was recently grilled for not having any recent health related volunteer experiences.

 

[Beau Geste]

I don't think it's bad to get paid. I do enough "pro bono" work that I count that as volunteer as well (free screenings, etc.).

 

[toothless rufus]

Heh. For what I get paid, I consider it pro bono. 😀

 

[PhDtoDO]

Whoever said its a waste of taxpayers money doesn't know how to do math.

I work at a med school and I know more than most HOW taxpayer money goes around a med school. And we pay back to society 100 fold...the 60yr old doc at least breaks even.

I know of a woman in her late 50s who went to Tulane...and never went to college! I also know of some 40 somethings that re-careered and went to U of Chicago.

I'm 30 and even I looked at the average age of admittants in the med school description book I bought. Some of the average ages suggest that some schools actually favor older students.

38 is nothing...trust me.

You're a practically a spring chicken and not ironically so...may be able to deal with the long hours of residency better than those who went right from college to med school...trust me. You probably know what you want more than someone 10 years your junior and you don't resent working hard for it. You are actually less likely to burn out.

I've seen it happen and the ones that I've known to take a year off or have serious life problems (some were friends) were those that went right out of college.

See you in med school!

Sarah;-)

 

[Beau Geste]

Yeah, I find it hard to believe that someone would get upset that a 60-year-old would get accepted to med school *solely* for the tax excuse. Sounds more like jealousy to me.

Even if someone only practiced for 10 years, and made a salary of 150K, they could theoretically pay $450K in taxes over 10 years (at a 30% tax bracket - maybe a little high 🙂). A teacher making 50K would pay about 250K over a 20 year period (at a 25% tax bracket). (quickie math)

So even practicing for a short time and *only* looking at monetary contributions to society, a physician does make a difference.

Regardless of money, all things being equal, I think a nontrad student brings much more to the table than a student fresh from college. I have seen so many students fresh from college who seem to know it all and feel invincible. The non-trad has been through that stage and experienced the real world of ups and downs that life brings, and could probably deal with the more complicated situations because they themselves have experienced them. ESPECIALLY for those who had an allied health career track.

Now, of course there are mature 21-year-olds and immature 40-year-olds, but for the most part, experience is an incredible teacher, and that's something that a 21-year-old will never have over a 40-year-old.

So age should NOT be an issue to a certain extent. But seriously, how often does a 60-year-old apply to med school?

A physician in his/her 40's and 50's is just as good as a physician in his/her 20's and 30's so why shouldn't a student in his/her 40's and 50's be just as good (or better!) than a student in his/her 20's and 30's?

Anyway, since adcoms *are* accepting older students now, just go for it! You can shut the naysayers up with your acceptance letter!

 

[Beautifulchild]

Dead is too old. Anytime before that, why not?

I love it 😀

 

[Beautifulchild]

Actually my Mom and I thought about starting together I am 34 and she is 56 but she decided she wouldn't be able to practice for enough years to make the $200,000 price tag worthwile so I am going in alone and she is watching my kids and helping from the sidelines.

How beautiful it that! Hey, my family doctor practiced until he was 82 years old! Tell your mom to think about that 🙂 I think it's wonderful that you both support each other like that. Maybe your mom could do something else in medicine even if she doesn't decide to be a doctor?

 

[1Path]

A physician in his/her 40's and 50's is just as good as a physician in his/her 20's and 30's so why shouldn't a student in his/her 40's and 50's be just as good (or better!) than a student in his/her 20's and 30's?

I don't care what ANYONE says, older people tend to make better decisions than younger people. So by definition, older physicians are better than younger ones simply because most have learned the hard way to THINK things through.
Oh yeah, dead is DEFINITELY too old!

 

[Beau Geste]

I don't care what ANYONE says, older people tend to make better decisions than younger people. So by definition, older physicians are better than younger ones simply because most have learned the hard way to THINK things through.
Oh yeah, dead is DEFINITELY too old!

That's what I'm talkin' about 😀

 

[wook]

Just curious...but how old do you think is too old to apply to/get accepted to med school?

You are too old when you are 6' under. As far as some other posting about a certain age being too old, I disagree. People now work into their 70's and 80's and beyond, so I don't think any age is too old.

I plan to work until I've got flowers growing above me, otherwise I'd get bored.

Wook

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
Age is not so much of a factor in medical school as doing well. I can say from experience, that as an older student, I was not treated any differently than my non-traditional colleagues. The material presented in medical school does not know the age of the student and any person who is not dead, is capable of learning. If you make it through the pre-med stuff and MCAT intact, you can make it through medical school.

Medical school and residency takes common sense and a good work ethic. I had non-traditional classmates who believed that they could rely on previous health care experience to get them through. Wrong! I had traditional classmates who believed that they could get through because they had done well as an undergrad. Wrong! The truth is, you either get it done or you do not. You put in the hours every day and get the material mastered and the job done. This has nothing to do with age or maturity.

In terms of years of practice, there are plenty of traditional-aged medical students who plan on not practicing medicine and there are plenty of non-traditional medical students who went for the long hours and high performance specialties (like myself) who are thriving after four years of residency and contemplating more. I am no more tired at the end of the day than my traditional-aged colleagues and we are more alike than different.

Medical schools in this country are not going to take any student regardless of age, race, ethnicity if said student does not show evidence of being able to handle a challenging curriculum. Either you get it done or you don't and this is more a function of work ethic than anything else. When a patient is trying to die, they do not care about your age, color, your grades or who your father was. They want you to know what to do to help them.

Medical school is not a reward or a right. It is a professional school that prepares one for residency and little else. I am nothing special but I was a very good medical student with a very strong work ethic. When I applied to medical school, I never cared what anyone thought of my decision or age as attending medical school was the right decision for me and I earned the right by my undergradute and graduate school performance to attend medical school.

njbmd 🙂