What makes you nontrad?

[emedCleo]

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There is more diversity among students than we think & I wanna hear about it. What makes you a nontraditional med student.

IOW what makes you different?

I'll start. I'm...

older (in my 30's),
a shiksa with a Jewish dad,
& was once a serious cigarette smoker (2 packs/day, 15 years)

Not exactly anything that will help me as an MD, but I like to use Yiddish during exams, "Oy gevalt" & I can speak with real empathy about how hard it is to quit smoking.

What makes you nontrad? 😀

Cleo

 

[OrthoFixation]

Most would consider non-trad as: a lengthy hiatus after ugrad (like 10 yrs, not 3), over 30, significant career a/o life experience, and possibly spouse a/o kid(s).

If you think you know it all, then get married and have a child. Then you will really become educated.


Edit 10/6/03:
It is a good thing this wasnt a VR question b/c I flopped.
Me:
36, will be 37 by TX match day
Mechanical Engineer B.S.
Masters work in Environmental Engr
14 yrs career experience, 10 of those in sales & mgmt.
Married, 1 teen son

 

[deleted6669]

AGE> 30
>16 YRS SIGNIFICANT MEDICAL EXPERIENCE( EMT-P AND PA)
HAVE FAMILY, OWN HOME
UNDERGRAD DEGREE NON-SCIENCE( ANTHROPOLOGY)
HAVE TAUGHT AT RESIDENCY PROGRAM WHICH I MAY SOMEDAY ATTEND

 

[gwenn5]

Over 30
Married, mother of 5
No high school education (started w/community college)

Probably any of the above would qualify, but figure I'd cover all the bases! Fortunately, there are many non-trad's in my class, or I'd be feeling really out of place about now... med school really wasn't designed for people with families.

 

[Halcyon440]

Am not even sure if I'll ever apply but if I do I will be nontraditional.

Will be over 30 (probably close to 35).
Will be married with maybe 1 child.
Will probably own a home.
Will have spent close to 10 years as a Systems Analyst and part-time musician.
I am also an URM who grew up in a "bad" neighborhood in NYC.

 

[bjolly]

I'm 36
worked for 12 years as a social worker
gay
and will be adopting kids within the first couple years of med school.

🙂

 

[donnyfire]

I'm 28, and have been a professional firefighter/paramedic for six years, with two years as an EMT before that.
I've spent the past five working a 56 hour week, and finishing my b.s. in bio.

 

[lyragrl]

I am over 30 and have worked as a writer and editor for nearly 7 years. I have a BA and an MA both in nonmedical fields. (I got my MA shortly after I finished college.) My primary hobbies have been in the performing arts. I'm married, own a home. No kids yet.

I figure med schools will either say "This woman is nuts" or "She's quirky!" I'm hoping it will be the latter most places...

 

[skypilot]

Seems to be working out ok.

 

[lata]

bachelor's degree, worked as programmer/analyst and now in med school

-- guess i'm a nontrad 😉 😀

 

[beanbean]

35 years old
Mother of three - ages 7, 5 and 1 month
Worked as a biomedical Engineer in my previous life (before kids)
Volunteer EMT-I for 18 years

 

[Skialta]

33, gulf war 1 vet, physical therapist for 7 years, married, MS1. You just make it happen, 10 years down the road you will still be ten years older reguardless.

 

[HouseHead]

Will be 30 next week; took time off before, during, and after undergrad; danced semi-professionally after h.s.; long, sordid thing called real life interrupted my educational pursuits several times (ad comms only heard about ~1/10 of it); engaged.

Btw- hey everyone! Long time no see.
I'm goofing off from studying for Public Health right now. Must get back to that... 😛