Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.
macpappy said:Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.
efex101 said:If you are competitive among your peers you should be fine. I applied last year at the young age of 37 and I am now an MS1 at Mayo.
Agreed, I think this is what is important. I think half of my class has a masters, about 5 have PhDs, and there are a handful of RNs and former school teachers as well (some have taught 3-10 years). More then half of the class is non-traditional, but we have some real young ones too, that bring the average age down. We had an 18 y.o. and there is this UCLA/UCR 7 year bs/md program that brings the average student age down.efex101 said:If you are competitive among your peers you should be fine. I applied last year at the young age of 37 and I am now an MS1 at Mayo.
IndyZX said:I don't know about "liking" older applicants, but they will still get consideration.
However, it does work against you somewhat, as per the AAMC admission figures (by age).
LoveDoc said:lately i have heard some of the worse advice in the world on here.
statements that are just untrue. i have sat in front of some adcoms and
been told they prefer non-trads. professionalism is a big topic in
med schools today. also whoever said case doesn't prefer nontrads.... ok whatever
just remember u r asking advice from, in many cases, people who were teenagers 1-2 years ago.
macpappy said:Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.
macpappy said:Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.
Senor.Frog said:Introducing myself, I am 28 yo with a PhD.
Here is what I think. The only comprehensible reason why an adcom would like a "non-traditional" applicant is because he/she would bring something unique to the class. That could be anything from work experience, research or post-graduate experience.
If you are a "non-trad" that has been out for more than 4 years from undergraduate school and all you have been doing is reapplying year after year to get in without any productive work or accomplishment, then my friends, age would not matter at all. In this case it would hurt.
All that being said, if you have great EC's but your academic records are not competitive, then being a "non-trad" would not help either.
Think of it like this, to become a "non-trad" that matriculates you should possess similar or greater stats then the average applicant and be able to bring some unique aspects of your life into the class.
Lastly, it is true that DO schools' do give slight "lee-way" to the non-traditional student when it comes to academic records. And DO's practice medicine just like MD's, so if you are a non-trad with below average stats I would apply to both Allopathic and Osteopathic schools.
macpappy said:Has anybody had any experience with MD schools if they like non-traditional applicants or do they traditionally not accept older students. I will be 35 when I apply and want to know what MD schools will think of my age. Any input is appreciated.