Most unexpected classmates in med school?

[lily_pad]

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I’m in the middle of considering a big career change into medicine from a totally different field, and I’m curious about what others have seen.

• Who was the oldest person in your class?
• What was the most nontraditional background someone came from before med school?

Would love to hear some stories from people who took the long way around — it helps me imagine what’s possible.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

I’m in the middle of considering a big career change into medicine from a totally different field, and I’m curious about what others have seen.

• Who was the oldest person in your class?
• What was the most nontraditional background someone came from before med school?

Would love to hear some stories from people who took the long way around — it helps me imagine what’s possible.

-Late 40s
-Nun

(not the same person)

 

[karaya]

Most of my class fit the profile. I might be the outlier. I'm 30s and had a master's degree in a humanities field before switching to med. I think weirdos are valuable--just as long as you have great metrics.

 

[DarkHorizon]

We had 3 PhDs in our class, in their late 30s and 40s. All in hard sciences. For some reason they all really struggled with one of them failing out and the other two repeating a year.

 

[Taddy Mason]

Mid to late thirties with a masters in hospitality management. He/she did not do well and eventually failed out.

 

[Goro]

Early 50s.
We've had former medics in the Navy, OR army. Stock brokers, teachers, a chiropractor or two, a few Olympic athletes,

 

[Smurfette]

Farmer
Former Miss America

 

[Mr.Smile12]

• What was the most nontraditional background someone came from before med school?

Would love to hear some stories from people who took the long way around — it helps me imagine what’s possible.

Watch

 

[Dral]

I was 33 when I started. I was oldest in my class by a year. I had done a PhD first. Did fine and ended up where I wanted to be.

 

[Goro]

One of our wise SDN contributors was an opera singer.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I was a software engineer and instructor in that discipline. Now a turning-32 M2.

 

[HuskyMD Emeritus]

- Engineer at Boeing (I think there were several other engineers, not too sure)
- Dental hygienist
- Logging truck driver
- Starting fullback at the local NFL team (didn't attend class during the season)

- One of my colleagues drove a farm tractor.

 

[lily_pad]

-Late 40s
-Nun

(not the same person)

Must know what specialty the nun went into!

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Must know what specialty the nun went into!

Internal medicine…. I think. Last I knew, she was in some rural free clinic.

Which frankly… seems 100% on the mark.

 

[lily_pad]

Watch

Inspiring! Thanks so much for sharing.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

We also have a former veterinarian, a few PhDs, someone who was a chef in Michelin star places, and someone who owns a small fairy farm with her husband in my class.

 

[wysdoc]

We also have a former veterinarian, a few PhDs, someone who was a chef in Michelin star places, and someone who owns a small fairy farm with her husband in my class.

a small fairy farm?

 

[operaman]

In my class:

Early 40s was the oldest, went into FM I believe. She waited for her kids to leave home before going but had always wanted to be a physician.

We had a few odd backgrounds:

Opera singer (me) now ENT

NFL running back - also now ENT (his former UG roommate was an ENT resident at our med school)

Pharmacist turned Attorney - super sharp guy, dropped out MS1 when he realized just how much time med school would take away from his two young girls. Went back to law practice.

Wall St finance bro - dropped out somewhere around M2, not sure what happened to him.

Travel nurse - super smart, she would take travel gigs during preclinical blocks then show up right before the exam, cram, and still score above the class average. Dropped out in M3/4.

Now that I reflect, the completion rate for non trads in my entering class wasn’t so hot! A handful of traditional students fell by the wayside as well I’m sure, but it does seem that people who have options may be more likely to pull the rip cord when the going gets tough. Maybe that’s why folks like me and the NFL guy stuck it out, because it wouldn’t have been easy for either of us to go back to our old jobs. Truth is though, I absolutely loved med school and training and still say it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in an academic setting. I would be a fellow forever if I could make an attending salary doing it.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

I’m in the middle of considering a big career change into medicine from a totally different field, and I’m curious about what others have seen.

• Who was the oldest person in your class?
• What was the most nontraditional background someone came from before med school?

Would love to hear some stories from people who took the long way around — it helps me imagine what’s possible.

We had someone in their 40s and a few in their mid to late 30's. I was pretty good friends with the guy in his mid 30's. He was an engineer for many years before medical school. It's definitely not strange, actually quite common, to have a few older non-traditional students in each medical school class.

 

[ontiquicuo]

- Not sure of the oldest. Probably mid 30s
- Coolest backgrounds?
- Olympic fencer
- Guy who did Deadiest Catch type crab fishing (not on the show, but did the work)
- Guy who dropped out of professional wrestling school when he got hurt. Here's the shocker: He's ortho now.

 

[karaya]

- Olympic fencer

No way, was it Lee Kiefer?? I know she dropped out recently, and honestly, who wouldn't with 3 olympic golds

 

[ontiquicuo]

No way, was it Lee Kiefer?? I know she dropped out recently, and honestly, who wouldn't with 3 olympic golds

No. She was an international student and much more in the "happy to just qualify for the Olympics" crowd.