What do med schools think of nontraditional applicants?

[sinfin]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I was wondering whate medical schools thought of nontraditional applicants. Does this make us disadvantaged in the eyes of the admissions committee?

 

[scriznik]

nope, as long as whatever you've been doing "has contributed to your personal growth."

 

[fava]

it seems to me that many non-trads are at an advantage, since they tend to have done many more interesting things than kids interviewing while still in school.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

Originally posted by fava
it seems to me that many non-trads are at an advantage, since they tend to have done many more interesting things than kids interviewing while still in school.

I completely agree with this.

 

[UCSBMed1]

At UCSF, non-trads are actually encouraged to attend.

Maybe that's why it's such an awesome school...

*sigh*

 

[Laura JC]

I was a non-traditional applicant, and I was never made to feel at a disadvantage in any interview or in any step of the process. I did bring up the age issue myself, because I knew they weren't really supposed to bring it up, and figured they were probably thinking about it.

 

[sinfin]

Originally posted by UCSBPre-Med1
At UCSF, non-trads are actually encouraged to attend.

Maybe that's why it's such an awesome school...

*sigh*

too bad i'm not a california resident

 

[VienneseWaltz]

Originally posted by sinfin
too bad i'm not a california resident

I used to think that--CA has awesome state schools--but there are many, many more CA pre-meds than spots at UC schools, so it's no picnic applying from CA. Most of the students I met at interviews who had applied to 20+ schools were from CA, b/c you can't really consider a UC a "safety" school.

Anyway, I think non-trads have an advantage, for the other reasons stated here--we've had more time to be interesting. Good luck!

 

[gramcracker]

I think "non-traditionals" (as defined by spending at least a year out after undergrad) are becoming more the rule than the exception to it. It seems like almost half of the people in my class next year have taken at least one year off, several many more.