Any thoughts on being a non-traditional student?

[Kev]

First I would like to say thanks in advance for any replies.

I am considering going to medical school, but I am a non-traditional student. I'm 28 right
now and would be 29 when I started. I have taken all the science courses, but it has been
over 5 years ago and I definitely need to brush up before I take the MCAT. I haven't done
any volunteer work either, but this is another thing I could fix before applying.

First of all I would like to say thanks in advance for any replies.

I was wondering if there are any non-traditional students out there and if any of you had
any advice or thoughts.

Right now I'm considering going to medical school. I'm 28 right now and have not taken the
MCAT or done any volunteer work. I have had all the science courses, but it has been over 5
years ago and I would definitely need to brush up before taking the MCAT. As for the
volunteer work, I could fix that before applying but how heavily is the volunteer work
weighed in the admissions process? Because of my age, is it too late to start? I have heard
of a lot of people getting all the way through, but when they got to their residency they
didn't want to do it anymore. I just don't want that to be me at 33. Any thoughts and/or
advice about being a non-traditional student would be greatly appreciated.

On a side note could someone give me some real figures for malpractice insurance. You always
hear about how high it is, but I've never actually seen any real figures for physician
salary vs. what they pay for malpractice insurance. I know that it depends on specialty,
state, etc. but I have never seen any figures at all.

Thanks again for any responses.

Kev.

[Doctor J]

FIRST, you are not alone. There are tons of people out here in medicine, going to school and have
been non-trads. Second, as former VP of the organization, I suggest you try www. oldpremeds.org and
get a handle on what you need to do and how from people who are doing it. Its a whole new ball game
from the kiddies (no offence) and you need to look sharper and more driven in some respects, BUT you
work outside is a major plus. Third, Good luck. Register for OPM and ask away. There are tons of
boards and quite a few MedStudents and Docs who can guide you.

In article <0n5dtv0ak6am2djiqgu8r0ksbmastmfchm@4ax.com>, Kev <kn6ald9@yahoo.com> wrote:

> First I would like to say thanks in advance for any replies.
>
> I am considering going to medical school, but I am a non-traditional student. I'm 28 right now
> and would be 29 when I started. I have taken all the science courses, but it has been over 5
> years ago and I definitely need to brush up before I take the MCAT. I haven't done any volunteer
> work either, but this is another thing I could fix before applying.
>
> First of all I would like to say thanks in advance for any replies.
>
> I was wondering if there are any non-traditional students out there and if any of you had any
> advice or thoughts.
>
> Right now I'm considering going to medical school. I'm 28 right now and have not taken the MCAT
> or done any volunteer work. I have had all the science courses, but it has been over 5 years ago
> and I would definitely need to brush up before taking the MCAT. As for the volunteer work, I
> could fix that before applying but how heavily is the volunteer work weighed in the admissions
> process? Because of my age, is it too late to start? I have heard of a lot of people getting all
> the way through, but when they got to their residency they didn't want to do it anymore. I just
> don't want that to be me at 33. Any thoughts and/or advice about being a non-traditional student
> would be greatly appreciated.
>
> On a side note could someone give me some real figures for malpractice insurance. You always hear
> about how high it is, but I've never actually seen any real figures for physician salary vs. what
> they pay for malpractice insurance. I know that it depends on specialty, state, etc. but I have
> never seen any figures at all.
>
>
> Thanks again for any responses.
>
> Kev.

[Mike]

I'm a nontraditional student, and didn't apply to medical school until I was
38. I talk about my experiences at http://www.NontraditionalMedicalStudent.com (http://www.nontraditionalmedicalstudent.com/), and offer some tips.
Let me try to address some of the points you raise in your posting.

39. Most schools require coursework within the past 5 years, so you'll probably need to take a
couple science courses.

40. If your GPA isn't competitive (3.6 or better), then you might want to take several courses
before taking the MCAT or applying to medical school. I talk about this in detail on my site
under the topic "Second Chance".

41. It sounds like you're not totally convinced that medicine is the right choice for you. It might
help if you decide if you start volunteering now, in order to get a feel for what the medical
field is like. I'd also read some books on the what it's like going through medical school or
what it's like being a physician. My favorite book along these lines is "Learning to Plan God"
by Marion, but there are several other good ones.

Best of luck

--
Mike
George Washington University School of Medicine
http://www.NontraditionalMedicalStudent.com (http://www.nontraditionalmedicalstudent.com/)

"Kev" <kn6ald9@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:0n5dtv0ak6am2djiqgu8r0ksbmastmfchm@4ax.com...
>
> First I would like to say thanks in advance for any replies.
>
> I am considering going to medical school, but I am a
> non-traditional student. I'm 28 right now and would be 29 when I
> started. I have taken all the science courses, but it has been over 5
> years ago and I definitely need to brush up before I take the MCAT. I
> haven't done any volunteer work either, but this is another thing I
> could fix before applying.
>
> First of all I would like to say thanks in advance for any
> replies.
>
> I was wondering if there are any non-traditional students out
> there and if any of you had any advice or thoughts.
>
> Right now I'm considering going to medical school. I'm 28
> right now and have not taken the MCAT or done any volunteer work. I
> have had all the science courses, but it has been over 5 years ago and
> I would definitely need to brush up before taking the MCAT. As for
> the volunteer work, I could fix that before applying but how heavily
> is the volunteer work weighed in the admissions process? Because of
> my age, is it too late to start? I have heard of a lot of people
> getting all the way through, but when they got to their residency they
> didn't want to do it anymore. I just don't want that to be me at 33.
> Any thoughts and/or advice about being a non-traditional student would
> be greatly appreciated.
>
> On a side note could someone give me some real figures for
> malpractice insurance. You always hear about how high it is, but I've
> never actually seen any real figures for physician salary vs. what
> they pay for malpractice insurance. I know that it depends on
> specialty, state, etc. but I have never seen any figures at all.
>
>
> Thanks again for any responses.
>
> Kev.

[Judy McElhiney]

I have to agree with the above poster. OPM is a great site and I have learned a ton from them since
the beginning. I am non-trad and will be starting medical school this year but there are hoops to
jump...but it will be worth it. I did not face any type of issues due to my age, on the contrary it
seemed to me that it was perceived as an asset. Regardless of age, you still have to do well on the
MCAT, get some volunteering experience so you can discuss why you think medicine would be a good fit
for you, and just be driven...