what defines a non-traditional student?

[MsAnesthesia]

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I'm entertaining the thought of pursuing medical school later on - I'm an anesthetist. I was wondering what defines you as a non-traditional student. Also, what is defined as your GPA when you've got a post-bac degree? Is it the complete total, or your latest degree?

Thank you!
Melissa

 

[patzan]

A traditional student is someone who takes the MCAT their junior (or even senior) year and applies while in college or shortly after. Non-trads are those who have been out of school for a while.

GPA, if I remember right, is calculated using every class you have ever taken, including repeated courses. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[absolutezero]

post deleted

 

[gschl1234]

I'm entertaining the thought of pursuing medical school later on - I'm an anesthetist. I was wondering what defines you as a non-traditional student. Also, what is defined as your GPA when you've got a post-bac degree? Is it the complete total, or your latest degree?

Thank you!
Melissa

Regarding your GPA, even high school classes you took for college credit count toward the final calculation whether they show up on your primary undergraduate transcript or not.

 

[skypilot]

All courses you took at the graduate level are included in a completely separate GPA.

Therefore you must differentiate between post-bacc undergraduate courses which are included in your undergraduate GPA (and can be used to boost your undergraduate GPA) and post-bacc graduate courses which are not included.

 

[Amy B]

I'm entertaining the thought of pursuing medical school later on - I'm an anesthetist. I was wondering what defines you as a non-traditional student. Also, what is defined as your GPA when you've got a post-bac degree? Is it the complete total, or your latest degree?

Thank you!
Melissa

This came up in my interview at a school. The interviewer told me a non-trad is someone who either quit their career to go back to school to get their 4 year degree and then applied to med school OR a person who has been out of school for over 5-6 years and then has decided to go to med school. they are older students, that may or may not have families.

Basically they aren't 24 year olds who who have just graduated from college either that year or the previous year.

Since you have had a previous career that you had to go to school to prepare for, I can only assume you are a bit older so yes, you are a non-trad student by definition.

Do you have to take any classes to meet the requirements of applying to med school? If so those will count as grad credits and you will get an undergrad GPA, a grad GPA and an overall total GPA that will include everything.

Check out http://www.oldpremeds.org