Going to study medicine as an older student can be very daunting. However, finding the best medical school for older medical students is much more difficult.
Bearing in mind that there is so much competition due to the large number of the younger population who are also trying to get into a medical school, many older students often get discouraged by this competition. A good number also give up completely in their pursuit of a medical degree.
However, if you feel like you have come of age, and are looking for a medical school for older students, then it should interest you to know that admission policies clearly state that there is no discrimination. But the fact still remains that we cannot know for sure.
This blog post looks at the medical school programs for older students, the best medical schools for older students, and answers to some of the frequently asked questions by older medical school aspirants.
Table of Contents
- Can You Apply To Medical School As A Senior?
- What is the oldest you can be to go to Medical School?
- Medical school programs for older students
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Medical Schools that accept older students
- The University of Toledo Medical Center
- John Hopkins School of Medicine
- Miller School of Medicine – University of Miami
- George Washington University School of Medicine
- Albany Medical College
- Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Harvard Medical School
- Ashland University Faculty of Medical Sciences
- Medical School Scholarships for Older Students
-
Medical Schools that accept older students
- Do Medical Schools Prefer Older Applicants?
- Do Medical Schools Discriminate Against Older Applicants?
- Final Words!
Can You Apply To Medical School As A Senior?
Yes! You can apply to medical school as an older student. There are no strict regulations that checkmate the age of eligibility to enter medical school. But from the records, it has been shown that older medical students generally have a tough time passing the Medical College Admission Test® (MCAT®) exam due to their long absence from college.
However, admission officers have admitted to the fact that they tend to favor many older medical school applicants because they are believed to bring to life skills that may not reflect their test scores. Having juggled career and family responsibilities and built strength by working through different challenges in life.
Being able to balance all these life challenges and still have the courage to be in medical school is a clear sign of strength and resilience.
Nevertheless, older students tend to face special stressors while in school. Some include but are not limited to the loss of income they have saved from their previous careers, less family time, and added pressure from their family; children, and spouse.
The much greater challenge is the years they have spent outside the school environment. They will have a hard time recalling and re-integrating the principles they have left behind for ages.
What is the oldest you can be to go to Medical School?
There is no strict age limit to when one can go to medical school. Anyone can become a doctor by ages 30, 40, 50, 60, and even 70 in extreme of cases. The most important thing is that you become a harmless doctor who preserves lives.
I have a colleague who is somewhere around her late 20s and early 30’s currently in her final years in medical school. She entered her first year of medical school with 2 kids, she currently has about 7 children. But the most inspiring thing about her story is that she is still among one of our bests in class with Distinctions in Anatomy and Pathology.
For her age is nothing but numbers. She organizes tutorials and discussions for younger medical students and still manages her family well. Her story is an inspiration for people looking for medical school programs for older students.
If you apply to a medical school for older students, it is advisable to include that in your application. It could help you gain any special favor that could be useful in making your stay worthwhile in medical school.
However, you must also bear in mind that cognition diminishes with age. So you may have to put in additional effort compared to whatever your younger colleagues are putting in.
Medical school programs for older students
To be honest, not all medical schools in the US will be favorable to older students. If you are looking for medical school programs for older medical students, you should bear in mind that no medical school can lower its standards to fit anyone.
You must have to be up and doing and work as hard as anyone else to get accepted.
The requirements of the medical school programs for older students are pretty much the same for every other student.
Medical School Requirements for Older Students Include:
- Good A level results
- A good CGPA from your first degree (3.5 and above).
- A good MCAT score
- Evidence of research experiences
- Evidence of volunteer experiences
- A compelling Medical School Personal Statement
- A reference letter from your place of work if any.
If the medical school has any other special requirements, you should as well do good to present them in a neat and compelling way. This way, you will have better chances of being accepted into any of the medical school programs for older medical students.
You will also benefit from: Kaplan MCAT Prep Course Reviews
Medical Schools that accept older students
Now let us take a look at the best medical schools for older students. We compiled this list based on the percentage of medical students in these schools that are above the age of 25 years.
Meanwhile, it is good to note that many medical schools will never openly state that they do not have favorable medical school programs for older students. But at least all the medical schools below have indicated that they welcome all categories of students.
The list below was arranged in no particular order. They are just as we found them.
List of the best medical schools for older students
- The University of Toledo Medical Center
- John Hopkins School of Medicine
- Miller School of Medicine – University of Miami
- George Washington University School of Medicine
- Albany Medical College
- Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine
- Harvard Medical School
- Ashland University
The University of Toledo Medical Center
The University of Toledo Medical Center based in Ohio is the first in our list of the best medical schools for older students.
However, all medical students looking for admission in this school must be citizens of the United States or at least have permanent resident status (Permanent residency green card).
The mission of the school is to improve health in the communities and regions around them by educating excellent clinicians and scientists.
To learn more about them, visit their website.
John Hopkins School of Medicine
John Hopkin’s School of Medicine consistently ranks among the best in education in the nation. This school has produced many popular medical professionals you hear of today including Dr. Benjamin Carson and is on our list of the best medical schools for older students.
Being among the best, medical schools in the US, John Hopkins School of Medicine has a very tough admission requirement with an admit rate of just 7%. However, a whopping 17% of these students are mostly older students with an undergrad science background.
To learn more about this school, visit their website.
Miller School of Medicine – University of Miami
The Miller School of Medicine is also among the best medical schools for older students. They have been setting good standards since their inception, climbing to No. 44 in the 2017 edition of Best Graduate Schools published by U.S News. Similarly, they were ranked 40 out of 147 schools ranked by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research.
The school itself stated clearly on its admission page that it has been their long-standing policy to admit students with diverse backgrounds. Therefore, qualified non-traditional medical students, women, socio-economically disadvantaged students, and minorities underrepresented in medicine are encouraged to apply.
According to a survey carried out among the non-traditional medical students in the school, one of them stated that she entered medical school at 34 years of age and that there are many others just like her.
To learn more about this school, visit their website.
George Washington University School of Medicine
This is one of the best medical schools for older students. George Washington University School of Medicine was founded in1824 and is the 11th oldest medical school in the United States, and the first in the Nation’s Capital; Washington DC.
Being based in the nation’s capital, it attracts a good number of older medical students and non-traditional applicants.
Since its establishment, they have been at the top of medical education and have grown to include highly ranked programs in the health and biomedical sciences.
To learn more about this medical school, Visit their website.
Albany Medical College
Based in New York City, Albany Medical College is among the best medical schools for older students. It was founded in 1893 and prides itself among the very first medical schools in the country.
Since their inception, they have been known to accept students of all ages and educational backgrounds.
To learn more about this medical school, visit their website.
Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
It should be obvious why Kirksville should be one of the best medical schools for older students. Just like many Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine schools, they have built a good reputation for accepting applicants from every background.
They also have a scholarship program called Still Scholars. They also give medical school aspirants a chance to matriculate into their medicine program without having to take the dreaded MCAT which is dreaded by older medical aspirants.
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
This is by far one of the best medical schools for older students. Evidence for this could be seen on many online forums like Reddit and Quora. Another plus for them is that they don’t require math for admission, a subject many older medical students have gotten rusty on.
This medical school was established in 1843 and is one of the oldest medical schools in the US.
To learn more about this medical school, visit their website.
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine has a strong reputation for taking students from diverse backgrounds including students from an art background.
Einstein’s College of Medicine has been in existence for over 60 years now and since then have been setting the standard for excellence in medical and graduate education, and patient-centered clinical care.
It is undoubtedly a good medical school for older students.
To learn more about his school, visit their website.
Harvard Medical School
Havard’s ivy league might be a great turn-off for many older students. However, it is still a good medical school for older students.
Also, Havard will definitely work out fine for anyone especially if they already have an established career before medical school.
To learn more about Havard Medical School, visit their website.
Ashland University Faculty of Medical Sciences
According to recent surveys for the best schools for older students in the US, Ashland was among the top in the list where over 50% of students are 25 years of age and above.
If you are able to meet their medical school requirements, it will be a good fit for you if you are an older medical school aspirant.
To learn more about Ashland, visit their website.
Medical School Scholarships for Older Students
There are no special medical school scholarships for older students. All the scholarships available are for all categories of medical students as long as you meet the specific requirements.
Some of the medical schools we listed above have medical school scholarships available for indigent citizens. But aside from them, there are also other recognized scholarships that older medical students can apply for.
List of available medical School Scholarships for older students:
- AAMC Herbert W. Nickens Medical Student Scholarships
- American Medical Women’s Association Scholarships
- The Brown Medical and Educational Society Healthcare Scholarships
- Chinese American Medical Society Scholarships
- Chinese American Physicians Society Scholarships
- Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund
- The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
- Japanese Medical Society of America
- Joseph Collins Foundation Fellowships
- Leopold Schepp Foundation Scholarship
- MPOWER Global Citizenship Scholarship
- The National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program
- National Medical Fellowships
- The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
- Physicians of Tomorrow Awards
- Pisacano Scholars Leadership Program
- Point Foundation Scholarships
- Tylenol Future Care Scholarship
- United Health Foundation/NMF Diverse Medical Scholars Program
- Wellesley College M.A. Cartland Shackford Medical Fellowship
- The White Coat Investor Scholarship
To learn more about each of these scholarships visit this website.
Do Medical Schools Prefer Older Applicants?
We cannot categorically state that medical schools prefer older applicants. However, most administrators believe that older medical students can excel in medical school and surely bring forth a new perspective in the practice of medicine.
However, medical schools fully understand the struggle older students pass through, and are often concerned if they would be able to cope with the rigorous requirements of medical school.
If you are an older applicant, you must be sure to be up and doing so that you can be able to compete with the younger ones in your class. You should not also expect any special treatment just because of your age.
Also, Read; the 10 best countries for medical education
Do Medical Schools Discriminate Against Older Applicants?
No! Medical schools do not discriminate against older applicants. Once you are able to meet up their requirements, you will certainly get admitted into medical school.
Most medical schools openly declare their non-bias towards people of different ages, gender, and nationality. However, some cannot give you admission if you are not a permanent resident in that State for obvious reasons.
However, as an older medical student who would like to pursue a career in some of the residency programs after medical school, you should know that some residency programs like Neurosurgery will never accept people who are distracted by family time and other responsibilities. in other words, you must be willing to give it all or none.
Also, Read; How Long Is Medical School?
Final Words!
Going to medical school at an older age is not so rosy. However, age is but a number when you are passionate about a career. Most people who attend medical school at an old age do so to feed the hunger they have always had for the medical profession from childhood.
We have outlined the 10 best medical schools for older students in the US, you can visit each of their websites to obtain more information about their admission process. Also, we have outlined some of the available medical school scholarships for older students which you can apply for today.
We wish you a successful journey through your MD career.
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