~NonTraditionals~: Ages

[TheTao]

Dream schools at are UT Southwestern and UNT HSC (TCOM) so I don't have to move

UTSW now has quite a few folks in their 30's and 40's and that hasn't always been the case.

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[TheTao]

You are right. But the cool thing about digging old posts is that you get the opinions of current and past members. also, you see what some of our current nontrads who are med students and doctors now said when they were in our shoes. Sometimes they chime in with new perspective other than the one they had when they were pre-meds (sometimes completely opposite to what they said when they were premeds ). They are older and wiser now.

The new MCAT alone is reason enough for a new thread.

 

[Dral]

33, accepted a couple weeks ago, feel rudderless without something to obsessively worry about so I think I chose the right life path. Otherwise, just doopdeedooing along.

Don't worry, you will have an even bigger rudder numerous times over the next several years of your life. But more importantly, congrats!

I started at 33, now 42. Currently a fellow...I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! Seems it was just yesterday I was making the first cut into our cadaver during first year.

 

[doctorold]

Middle age and living in Texas because I finally decided to take the advice I've been given premeds for YEARS. Move to a state that: 1) Has "cheap" in state tuition" and 2) Has a LOT of medical schools. In fact, two more have opened up since I moved here!

The other option was Florida but I'm so glad I chose Texas!

Yeeeee-haaaaaaawwwwww!!!

What are their requirements to become in-state?
@esob got me really thinking about moving to Texas

 

[doctorold]

https://www.tmdsas.com/medical/texasAcFrshStrt.html

TLDR;

Basically Texas passed a law that says you can choose a "fresh start." If you attend a public university, you can choose to throw out all grades > 10 years old. By law, state schools are prohibited from using those old grades to calculate your GPA. Since all medical schools in Texas are public except Baylor, it means Texas residents really can get a fresh start toward a high GPA for med school.

Most of mine are less than 10 years old. No hope?

 

[pageantry]

Don't worry, you will have an even bigger rudder numerous times over the next several years of your life. But more importantly, congrats!

I started at 33, now 42. Currently a fellow...I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! Seems it was just yesterday I was making the first cut into our cadaver during first year.

That's really nice to hear! Especially the part about you being a fellow now. I'd like to do that too (I think!)

 

[KaBoom'd]

28, married, no kids but have a step-poodle. Separated from the Army in May and now in what I'm calling the "12 step program" off active duty as a platoon sergeant in the National Guard (it's different). Now full-time student/honey-do-list doer, MCAT in Jan and applying next summer for 2017. Already ready to be over that MCAT hump.

 

[DoctorDrewOutsidetheLines]

32, no kids, no other half, no plans for either. About to pass the national NREMT exam and luckily I already have a job at a private ambulance company. Pushed back post-bacc programs I was accepted into for two years now, about to start a formal program in the summer, taking this Spring semester at community college. Dream schools are UChicago Pritzker, NYU's 3 year with guaranteed residency, OHSU, or anywhere in SoCal. Assuming all goes well, I will matriculate somewhere at age 34-35.

 

[Ad2b]

UTSW now has quite a few folks in their 30's and 40's and that hasn't always been the case.

They need a 50 year old now

 

[TheTao]

What are their requirements to become in-state?
@esob got me really thinking about moving to Texas

I think you have to live here a year, register a vehicle, get a drivers license, work full-time in the state, ect., the typical things one needs to do to become a resident of a state.

The lack of state income tax and reasonable cost of living made Texas a no brainer for me! The heat is another issue, but that's mitigated by the mild winters IMHO.

 

[TheTao]

Most of mine are less than 10 years old. No hope?

How many years to go until they are 10 years old? Given your family situation, I'd think working for a few years (in Texas, of course ) would give you time to get things in order family wise, put away a little money, while still staying on track for your ultimate goal of med school.

 

[BeMD13]

I'm 34, single, and I work two part time jobs. I just finished a DIY post bacc. I planned to apply last year but I was in a car accident a week before my MCAT date. Now I am in PT several times a week and getting ready to try again.

 

[esob]

Most of mine are less than 10 years old. No hope?

Well, you could do a calculation of what your GPA would be by throwing out the one's that were eligible and if it wasn't enough, you could wait until the others were eligible as well (depending on how long that would be and if you are OK with waiting). TBH, Texas is a really great state for prospective medical students since as I previously noted, all but one school is public and the public schools are mandated to enroll 90% Texas residents.

Additionally, I just found out that in January of this year, a Houston law student was successful in suing UH over the entry-state provision of the Hazelwood act. This act provides 150 hrs of free tuition at any state school (including med school) for Texas veterans. It has however always included an exclusion that the veteran needed to have entered into active duty while a resident of Texas. A judge however ruled that the exclusion violated the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment and it seems likely that judgement will withstand the state's appeal. If it does, any resident of Texas who is also a veteran will be eligible for the 150 hrs of tuition free schooling. On a personal note, I've always found the Hazelwood exemption appalling. I've been a TX resident for > 16 years, served most of my active duty time in the state and, as a business owner and resident, contributed over a million dollars in the Texas economy and created jobs for Texas residents.

 

[wholeheartedly]

@doctorold I found it!!

Any objections to merging the two? All of the new posts go to the end of the thread.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nontraditionals-ages.351126/page-25

Not to get off track but every time someone says this I wonder about it. Isn't it nice to just have a fresh thread once in a while? It just freshens the conversation up. Besides, it can be time consuming searching for an appropriate thread to post in every time someone wants to discuss something that is not in the first two pages. The forums would die off if we only kept old threads going. Just my two cents

Anyway, I am 29, one kid, full time employed, married, not sure about my app date yet. Dream schools would be an in-state school (or a nearby state) so I don't have to relocate.

Well, I think it depends on the situation. I don't expect to someone to spend an hour sifting through the searches to see if there's another similar post. At the same time, it really clogs up the forums and isn't helpful to have 5 threads on the first two pages asking if there's "anyone else making the transition from RN--> MD?" A search would show there are lots of them and would put them all in contact with each other in one place and sharing experiences with each other seemed to be the goal. It's easier to get your questions effectively answered by having one or two threads with 50 replies each, than having 8 threads with 4 replies each and not even knowing 6 of those threads exist. Duplicate topics also make it harder to find other topics because they push those threads back further. It also prevents burnout from people answering questions.

But I'm not one of those people who goes crazy about it. My reasoning in this particular case was knowing that the older "nontrads: Ages" thread was pretty awesome for several reasons: it's been around for years and it's got 27 some pages of replies. This is cool because you can see from people's statuses how many nontrads were successful and now have "med student" "resident" "fellow" and "attending" status now. I just think that's fun and encouraging to look at.

 

[BluMist]

adding to the thread before @wholeheartedly merges the two

30, single, engineering background
currently in DIY post bacc, taking two classes this quarter
also working full time (40+ hour/week), grateful for the flexible work schedule

current plan: MCAT early 2016, apply in 2016 cycle, matriculate by 2017 (will be 32 by then)
dream school: Stanford

EDIT: while browsing through that old thread, happy belated birthday, @wholeheartedly!

 

[doctorold]

How many years to go until they are 10 years old? Given your family situation, I'd think working for a few years (in Texas, of course ) would give you time to get things in order family wise, put away a little money, while still staying on track for your ultimate goal of med school.

Well, you could do a calculation of what your GPA would be by throwing out the one's that were eligible and if it wasn't enough, you could wait until the others were eligible as well (depending on how long that would be and if you are OK with waiting). TBH, Texas is a really great state for prospective medical students since as I previously noted, all but one school is public and the public schools are mandated to enroll 90% Texas residents.

Additionally, I just found out that in January of this year, a Houston law student was successful in suing UH over the entry-state provision of the Hazelwood act. This act provides 150 hrs of free tuition at any state school (including med school) for Texas veterans. It has however always included an exclusion that the veteran needed to have entered into active duty while a resident of Texas. A judge however ruled that the exclusion violated the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment and it seems likely that judgement will withstand the state's appeal. If it does, any resident of Texas who is also a veteran will be eligible for the 150 hrs of tuition free schooling. On a personal note, I've always found the Hazelwood exemption appalling. I've been a TX resident for > 16 years, served most of my active duty time in the state and, as a business owner and resident, contributed over a million dollars in the Texas economy and created jobs for Texas residents.

Most of them are from like 3 and 4 years ago. I cannot wait that long. Gotta apply asap. I'ma stick it out here in NC. We have CUSOM

 

[doctorold]

@doctorold I found it!!

Any objections to merging the two? All of the new posts go to the end of the thread.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/nontraditionals-ages.351126/page-25

Good job @wholeheartedly. No objections at all. Merge us, please! It will be fun

 

[TheTao]

Most of them are from like 3 and 4 years ago. I cannot wait that long. Gotta apply asap. I'ma stick it out here in NC. We have CUSOM

Cool, just make sure you have numerous "A" grades since then to "displace" (not replace), the bad ones. Just keep in mind that 3/4 years ago isn't much "distance" from poor grades.

 

[deleted520847]

Well, I think it depends on the situation. I don't expect to someone to spend an hour sifting through the searches to see if there's another similar post. At the same time, it really clogs up the forums and isn't helpful to have 5 posts on the first two pages asking if there's "anyone else making the transition from RN--> MD?" A search would show there are lots of them and would put them all in contact with each other in one place and sharing experiences with each other seemed to be the goal. It's easier to get your questions effectively answered by having one or two threads with 50 replies each, than having 8 threads with 4 replies each and not even knowing 6 of those threads exist. Duplicate topics also make it harder to find other topics because they push those threads back further. It also prevents burnout from people answering questions.

^^^ That makes sense

 

[CaffeinatedForLife]

Ok, kids, here we go. 42, partnered, two dogs, no kids. Entered adulthood in the 90's, when nobody worried about money. So I lived in my truck and traveled the country making just enough to get by but mostly not worrying about it. Never in my wildest fantasies did I ever dream of being a doctor. Until the tail end of my 3rd career when I realized that everything I had done and experienced thus far was really preparing me for a career as an osteopathic physician.

All of my UG coursework was 20 years old so I did a DIY postbacc at the community college down the street from where I live. I juggled 10 credits per semester with full-time work and MCAT studying. I was old enough to have given birth to most of my classmates. My partner went from shock, to denial, to anger, and finally to acceptance when she realized that our life that we'd built together was going to be upended for this crazy dream. Honestly, that has been the hardest part of the journey thus far.

I'm sitting on one acceptance with more interviews to go, so it's really happening. I will still be paying off student loans when I qualify for Medicare. But whatever. I'll be a doctor so I'm not worrying about it.

 

[wholeheartedly]

EDIT: while browsing through that old thread, happy belated birthday, @wholeheartedly!

Nice catch @BluMist !! Lol.

It was a nice one spent back home with the family.

 

[doctorold]

Nice work @wholeheartedly. I really like it.

 

[doctorold]

Cool, just make sure you have numerous "A" grades since then to "displace" (not replace), the bad ones. Just keep in mind that 3/4 years ago isn't much "distance" from poor grades.

I know. I'ma try the best I can.

 

[68PGunner]

lol. As if Texans needed anymore help with the med school admissions process with their in state schools.

Im about to move to Texas. lol

I told my wife that if I do a residency in San Antonio which is a high possibility, I would buy a house and establish residency for tax reasons and educational benefits for our kids.

 

[68PGunner]

Just turned 30!!! I will matriculate to medical school before my next birthday. I definite meet one career goal of going to med school by 30 at the latest. I'm married and have two boys right now. We're thinking of making a third, hopefully a girl this time. Decision is on stand-by status right now. Hopefully, I will finish a residency before 40. If not, I'm hoping it is because I fortunately match into something like neurosurgery.

3.7 years in the army so far with a jacked up back. I will probably have back surgery 6 months before med school. I'm hoping for the best and live life with no regrets by living every day like it is my last.

 

[sprint4]

38, just married, no kids (yet). Prior matriculant who left an MD program when age 26 due to illness and now fighting my way back! Planning to apply AMCAS 2017...I guess I'll be 40 when I start. Here's to hoping that the first two years of information comes back quickly. Grades and MCAT's look good, but prior matriculants getting back in are pretty rare. I'll be looking to this forum for lots of support this spring, summer, and fall!

 

[Labrat07]

@Ad2b
Haha, I don't feel too bad now being 36

 

[Labrat07]

Just turned 30!!! I will matriculate to medical school before my next birthday. I definite meet one career goal of going to med school by 30 at the latest. I'm married and have two boys right now. We're thinking of making a third, hopefully a girl this time. Decision is on stand-by status right now. Hopefully, I will finish a residency before 40. If not, I'm hoping it is because I fortunately match into something like neurosurgery.

3.7 years in the army so far with a jacked up back. I will probably have back surgery 6 months before med school. I'm hoping for the best and live life with no regrets by living every day like it is my last.

68PGunner,
Suck to hear that you have back problem. IMO, can you do the surgery further than 6 months before med school?? it'd be safer just in case. You don't want to be in med school and recuperating at the same time.

 

[Recca135]

I'm 23, about to be 24. I went to a technical program my senior year of high school to receive my LPN. I've been working full time as a LPN since I was 18. Happily married, 2 dogs, and no kids yet. I'm just starting my pre-med coursework so I have awhile to go before I can apply. Taking everything step by step. My dream school is Case Western Reserve.

 

[ZPakEffect]

I do not believe people who are below 25 should really consider themselves non-traditional. I do not believe medical school admissions committees consider these people non-traditional.

 

[MrsNonTraditionalMD]

I'm 29, married, working full-time, no kids. Will be 30 when applying to post bacc with linkage -it's a 2 year program and in that two years we plan to have 1 kid.

So God-willing, I'll be 32, married, with one kid, entering medical school.

 

[CaffeinatedForLife]

I do not believe people who are below 25 should really consider themselves non-traditional. I do not believe medical school admissions committees consider these people non-traditional.

In a case such as ZPakEffect, if they do not have a bachelors yet and are just starting pre-med studies, they certainly will be over 25 by the time they are ready to apply. I'm guessing, though, that non-trad status is more about deviation from the "norm" of UG-->(gap year)-->med school than it is about age.

 

[68PGunner]

68PGunner,
Suck to hear that you have back problem. IMO, can you do the surgery further than 6 months before med school?? it'd be safer just in case. You don't want to be in med school and recuperating at the same time.

Don't have a choice here boss. Just found out I had a herniated disc last week. I'm scheduled to see a neurosurgeon in 4 weeks. In the best case scenario, I will be able to get the surgery done in January.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I do not believe people who are below 25 should really consider themselves non-traditional. I do not believe medical school admissions committees consider these people non-traditional.

Nontraditional isn't strictly based on age, it's more a function of life path taken getting to med school or professional school. So we let anyone post here who defines themselves as nontradition. They could be the average age for students but have two kids. We've also had a sixteen year old on here too, that's definitely nontraditional.

Also, i don't think there's definition for admissions committees.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I've already posted in this thread at one point, but for a refresher

33 years old, working fulltime, grad student, two rescue mutts, with adventures in homeownership. Finally on the homestretch, just finishing up school and have the mcat remaining before app time. I also enjoy long walks on the beach and playing with fire (in the form of forges, anvils, and welding torches)

 

[Labrat07]

Don't have a choice here boss. Just found out I had a herniated disc last week. I'm scheduled to see a neurosurgeon in 4 weeks. In the best case scenario, I will be able to get the surgery done in January.

That's unfortunate. I wish you the best sensei. I'll pray for your speedy recovery.

 

[68PGunner]

That's unfortunate. I wish you the best sensei. I'll pray for your speedy recovery.

Thank you. Let me know if you have any questions regarding your investment study.

I'm closing this year with another bang, outperforming the general market by 60-70% and banking another six figure profit with 50% of that in two of my roth accounts. Beside my back injury, it's been an awesome year.

 

[TallPreMed]

I do not believe people who are below 25 should really consider themselves non-traditional. I do not believe medical school admissions committees consider these people non-traditional.

Going to have to disagree with you. I graduated with a comm degree, no real science background apart from a few courses, and am working full time while taking classes. Not only that, but age is not the only indicator of "nontraditional".

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

28, working full-time in clinical research and applying for the first time this cycle. I wasn't premed as an undergrad (social science major) so I've spent the last couple of years working full-time and doing a post-bacc part-time. SO happy to finally be applying!! Even though this process has me tearing my hair out at times.

 

[it'sabeautifullife]

55, married to best friend for 27 years, four children--three living; invested past three decades helping everyone around me achieve their goals...one day hubby looked at me and said, "It's your turn!"

Now MS-1, Attending my dream school, MUSOM. Hardly a day goes by when one of my twenty-something classmates doesn't say, "What I would not give to have your energy!" I drag several of them to Zumba every week and make a few of them hang out extra hours with me in the cadaver lab

Icing on the cake happened for me today when my most esteemed professor told me I was going to be a very good doctor. Such a small thing, but everything to me.

It's more about your energy than it is about your age. (You will need lots of it .)

Would be very dishonest to insinuate that this is an easily duplicated path, but one thing is certain, advanced age alone will not keep you out of med school. The naysayers know not whereof they speak. One other thing for certain: the more time you spend studying and less time on SDN, the more likely you are to get into and stay in med school lol.

 

[CaffeinatedForLife]

55, married to best friend for 27 years, four children--three living; invested past three decades helping everyone around me achieve their goals...one day hubby looked at me and said, "It's your turn!"

Now MS-1, Attending my dream school, MUSOM. Hardly a day goes by when one of my twenty-something classmates doesn't say, "What I would not give to have your energy!" I drag several of them to Zumba every week and make a few of them hang out extra hours with me in the cadaver lab

Icing on the cake happened for me today when my most esteemed professor told me I was going to be a very good doctor. Such a small thing, but everything to me.

It's more about your energy than it is about your age. (You will need lots of it .)

Would be very dishonest to insinuate that this is an easily duplicated path, but one thing is certain, advanced age alone will not keep you out of med school. The naysayers know not whereof they speak. One other thing for certain: the more time you spend studying and less time on SDN, the more likely you are to get into and stay in med school lol.

Where's the quadruple-Like button? Thank you so much for sharing your story!

 

[it'sabeautifullife]

Where's the quadruple-Like button? Thank you so much for sharing your story!

Pleasure! I have a funny post-story to add that just happened:

Two classmates and I were hanging out after lab picking up helpful hints and little anatomy gems from a very wise and skilled professor. When everyone had gone, it was just us last three students and the cadavers. We were just standing at the sinks washing the instruments, and it struck me what an awesome privilege we were enjoying. I spontaneously yelled out, "Dudes, WE'RE IN MED SCHOOL!!!!" They yelled back, "WE'RE FREAKIN' IN MED SCHOOL!" You will really enjoy the young people, and your perspective will inspire them. [I would not have presumed this--they have told me this repeatedly lol.]

 

[BluMist]

If I ever find myself in the same situation (hopefully), I'll remember to do the same, though more premeditated than spontaneous

Pleasure! I have a funny post-story to add that just happened:

Two classmates and I were hanging out after lab picking up helpful hints and little anatomy gems from a very wise and skilled professor. When everyone had gone, it was just us last three students and the cadavers. We were just standing at the sinks washing the instruments, and it struck me what an awesome privilege we were enjoying. I spontaneously yelled out, "Dudes, WE'RE IN MED SCHOOL!!!!" They yelled back, "WE'RE FREAKIN' IN MED SCHOOL!" You will really enjoy the young people, and your perspective will inspire them. [I would not have presumed this--they have told me this repeatedly lol.]

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I'll be turning 39 in a few weeks. I'm on a second marriage with a child from the first (he's 14 and also wants to be a doctor).

I did horrible in college in my teens and drifted through life until I met my wife, it's thanks to her that I was able to pull myself together and get into college and then into med school (current MS1).

 

[bunchesonothing]

36

 

[semiautomatically]

24. Will be 29 when I enter.

 

[drea561]

25 now and just starting on the long journey to becoming a doctor.

 

[DrESQ]

26 next month, will be at least 28-29 if/when I start

 

[DrMikeP]

I'll be 50 when I start this coming year (2016)! I feel like I'm in my 30's and have no problem with a 24 hr shift or being on call. I read an article about a doc practicing when he was over 100, so if I can work until 70 to 80 I will consider it worth it. I've never liked the idea of retiring anyway.

Best of luck to all!

 

[it'sabeautifullife]

I'll be 50 when I start this coming year (2016)! I feel like I'm in my 30's and have no problem with a 24 hr shift or being on call. I read an article about a doc practicing when he was over 100, so if I can work until 70 to 80 I will consider it worth it. I've never liked the idea of retiring anyway.

Best of luck to all!

On the same page with you, DrMikeP! I feel absolutely fantastic in body, mind, and heart. Not one bit embarrassed or apologetic about my age.

Most of the things people want to do when they retire, I have already done. If I died today, I have had a truly incredible life; but at 55, it seems like I have decades of high caliber service left in me!
Retirement does not sound appealing to me either. I want to take my last breath, absolutely spent, with not one ounce of energy left to give to this world.

Best of luck on your journey! Four months in now, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE MED SCHOOL!! Headed over to the hospital right now to dissect a brachial plexus!! No place I'd rather be!