Is college experience important as a non-traditional applicant?

[jdspring]

From my post on the general forum, realized this was a better place for it:

I've been thinking about this for a while. I will ideally enter med school when I'm 26. I graduated when I was 22. While at college, I was very involved in leadership roles on campus (team captain, interviewer in admissions, self-directed research). However, that was then. Since that time, I've gotten my masters and am holding down a full time research position, trying to pay off loans. I am active on multiple teams, and am involved in the hospital community in a volunteer capacity. How do admissions committees consider collegiate experiences and roles for applicants who are several years out? Does a top 20 school expect me to go out and start a non profit, captain a club team, or start a volunteer program to demonstrate that I'm still a leader? Either way, what are some ways to demonstrate you are a "leader" outside of your 9-5 work hours?

Thoughts?

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[DrHoffy]

Since your experiences are still rather "new" as in the last few years, I think it will help your application. More importantly is that you got your masters, con't doing research, and volunteering.

I volunteered in a ER, a local clinic for underserved, and did Big Brothers Big Sisters. However my college experience was at least 7-8 years from when I started making my applicaiton competitive.

Marcia