Am I Too Old for Medical School?
/Does age matter when you apply to medical school? Learn the truth, plus everything you need to know as an older applicant
Introduction
You’ve decided that medical school might be the right path for you. But, you’re a bit worried because your journey hasn’t been so straightforward and you’re wondering if you’re too old for med school.
In childhood we’re often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And when we’re little, the answer to this question is pretty simple. It’s usually right at the tip of our tongue: “A ballerina!” “A fireman!” “A doctor!”
With time, the question becomes more complicated. In reality, career paths are far less straightforward than they may have seemed when we were younger. We meander, we try different things. Discovery and the nonlinear path are part of life, but they’re complicating this decision for you.
Maybe a family health crisis inspired you to head to medical school to make a difference, or maybe you always wanted to be a physician, but took a few years (or more) off after college to work and save money before pursuing a costly degree.
In any case, you’re interested in pursuing a career in medicine at a time that seems untraditional. And that brings with it a new question: am I too old for medical school?
You may be working under the assumption that most medical students have just graduated college with hours upon hours of shadowing and research under their belts. As a result, you think your age might weaken your application in an already deeply competitive admissions process. It’s understandable to feel this way.
But it may surprise you to know that more and more people take years off before applying to medical school. In fact, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the average age of a first year medical student is 24.
The truth is that you don’t need to be fresh out of undergrad to go to medical school and you’re not alone in taking some time. To succeed in medical school, you need to be diligent, hardworking, and passionate about a career in medicine—and that can be true of anyone, at any age.
In other words, there is no such thing as being “too old for medical school.”
In this article we’ll go over some things you might consider as an older applicant to medical school, then we’ll explain how medical schools think about older prospective students. And, hopefully, after hearing some of your concerns addressed, you’ll feel confident that you have just as good of a chance as anybody to pursue your dream of becoming a physician.
As an older applicant, what should I consider before applying to medical school?
There’s no getting around it: there are unique challenges associated with being what we call a “nontraditional” medical school applicant.
For example, it’s possible that, as an older candidate, you’ve been in the workforce for some time and, as a result, have been earning a sizable salary. Walking away from a career to pursue additional schooling may come at a heavy financial cost, even if it’s to pursue something you love.
The prospect of loans and long years of relatively low pay can be less daunting to candidates in their early twenties. But if you’re a candidate in your thirties or older, or if you have children, it might be difficult to entertain the idea of giving up a sizable paycheck for quite some time.
For instance, you might ask yourself if you’re comfortable having a spouse or partner support you financially during your time in medical school. You might ask yourself how you’ll support your kids, if you’re a single parent. You might consider what it will be like to be far from aging relatives, unable to offer care.
You may also wonder if you’ll be alone in your status as an older med student. Using the AAMC data linked earlier, we can estimate that about 25 percent of matriculants in recent years were 25 or older, and around 5 percent were over 30. Additionally, the AAMC reports that just 1,143—about 0.3 percent—of medical school matriculants between 2000 and 2019 were over the age of 40.
We don’t mention these things to scare you off—in fact, these are serious questions that anybody applying to medical school may have to answer for themselves, not just older candidates. So, know that you won’t be going through these difficulties alone. Many have done this before you. And if you are committed, you can do it too.
A common fear we encounter from nontraditional applicants is the worry that, after several years out of school, they won’t be prepared to excel in medical school. And if you find yourself in that situation or if you did not take premed prerequisite classes as a part of your undergraduate education, that’s okay. You have alternatives.
Post-baccalaureate programs are designed especially for those in these circumstances, and while they can add a year or two of schooling to your pursuit, they can be a great way to ease back into academics while also offering opportunities to prepare for the MCAT.
All this is to say that the only person who can decide if it’s the “right time” for you to apply to medical school is you.
Deciding to pursue medical school later than traditional candidates, despite what it may cost you, speaks a lot about who you are and your commitment to medicine. If you’re in your late twenties, thirties, or older, you’re likely more aware of what is important to you than when you were younger. You have years of real-world experience that younger candidates just don’t have. And that is something that you can absolutely leverage as you prepare your application.
Will being older affect my chances of getting into medical school?
The short answer to this question is: no, being older won’t lower your chances of getting into medical school. The long answer is: no, but knowing that you are an older candidate should influence the way you approach your application.
Because getting into medical school is notoriously difficult, you don’t want anything outside of your control to hold you back.
You may worry that schools might interpret you leaving behind an established career as a sign that you’re not truly committed to any career, let alone medicine. You might worry that a school will see your age and worry that you may not be up to years of training.
These are understandable concerns for you to have! But you can address these concerns in your application and use the valuable skills you’ve developed outside the classroom to create a strong, competitive application.
While your MCAT score and your undergraduate GPA are objectively the most important parts of your application, top medical schools are also looking to admit a diverse cohort who are dedicated to the medical field and who will reflect their values.
As someone who has more life experience than a traditional applicant, you can use your experiences to explain not only why you’re a great fit for medicine, but also why you’re a great fit for a particular program. Medical schools recognize that the maturity and life experience that older applicants bring to the table are significant assets that can’t be taught in a classroom.
For example, if you’ve worked for years as a construction foreman, your ability to manage people, resources, and situations is likely incredibly transferrable to medicine. In medicine, you have to deal with people in tough circumstances, and you will need to make important decisions that will have a substantial impact on people’s lives. The people skills you’ve developed are critical to being an excellent physician, and you can bring that confidence to medical school as well.
With that in mind, take the time to reflect on the skills, values, and life experiences you’ve developed. We’re sure that they are numerous. Brainstorming these skills can be a great way to prepare for writing your personal statement.
It’s not enough to assume that the medical school will just understand how your work and life experience translates into a future career as a physician—it’s your job to weave that story for them in your application.
Being an older candidate comes with other advantages. The life experience and potentially the confidence that you’ve developed over the years might make it easier for you to excel in medical school interviews or in networking with medical school alumni and admissions staff.
Final thoughts
The truth is that every applicant to medical school will face challenges. The application process is deeply competitive, medical school is rigorous and expensive, and internships, residencies, and fellowships offer long, difficult hours. The path to becoming a physician is certainly not an easy one for anybody, at any age.
But it speaks volumes about your dedication if you’re willing to go back to school and take on those challenges, despite the fact that you may be a nontraditional applicant.
You’re not too old for medical school, and you’re not too old to be a competitive applicant. In fact, we’ve created an entire guide for nontraditional medical school applicants. Read it to harness all of the benefits of being wiser—and yes, older—and to craft the strongest possible medical school application.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on medical school admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into medical school using his exclusive approach.
