I came to the conclusion that ‘only you know if you’re too old’. My logic was that, assuming I worked till 65, I’d still be able to practice as a doctor for more than 20 years which is not insignificant and more if I worked till 70 – which looks likely considering what the UK government are doing to the NHS. However, being twice the age of the usual applicant and with medicine being so competitive, I also worried what admissions tutors and interviewers would think. Although there’s no upper age limit ‘officially’, I thought there might be hidden or unofficial discrimination. I felt that the odds were stacked against me. In the end I worried needlessly. If age related discrimination exists in selecting candidates for medical school then I seem to have bypassed it. I hope the offers I received can reassure other mature grads and “oldies” who are thinking of applying. Age shouldn’t stop you applying. Finances, family commitments, what stage of life you consider yourself at or perhaps a loss of job status maybe, but not age. At one medical school interview I was asked a question indirectly related to age:“How do you feel about studying alongside people who might be much younger than you?” but that was it. In fact it was only the admissions tutors at some Access to Medicine courses who were less positive and who thought I was too old whilst no eyebrows were raised or eyelids batted at any of the medical schools. In short, if you can show that you’re: 1) committed & motivated 2) realistic about the consequences involved and are not going through a “mid-life crisis” and obviously that 3) you have the potential to make a good doctor, then you’ll have a good chance of getting in. Age just won’t be an issue. How I thought medical school admissions would see that points 1 – 3 were met: Long term voluntary work and/or healthcare experience and/or shadowing in a caring environment. I think this is important as the experience will; show you’re committed, help you to write a better personal statement, help you construct convincing answers in interviews as well as giving you access to members of the healthcare profession so that you can ask all the questions that you really should have. It will also show that this isn’t a career change made spontaneously and that you made the effort to place yourself in a healthcare environment to experience it for yourself. It takes time to build up experiences with patients and even to arrange volunteering so start early. Think about how you’ll finance the course, loss of earnings, what it means to immediate family, partner & children. You may currently hold a position of seniority, how would it feel to give that up and start right at the very bottom? It’s pretty scary you know! Consider how you feel about working notoriously long hours, that not all patients get better and how you might deal with making mistakes. Ensure you know the career pathway well and all the steps involved in becoming a doctor. Why not become a nurse? How would you answer this question in a medical school interview? Craft an original but honest personal statement, communicate well, be shiny and charming at interview Obviously there is the academic side plus you need a good score in entrance exams but otherwise don’t waste time worrying about age. If you’re thinking of applying but haven’t – what’s stopping you? If you’re a current medical student who is older than average I’d love to hear about your experiences! Source
Hi, thanks for sharing your experience. I live in Georgia, medicine is the most important thing in my life and the biggest problem too, because i'm 21 years old and finishing my Bachelors Degree in Economics. I choose wrong profession when I was 18, I never wanted to study Economics but my family insisted and I went soft. Now I want to apply to med school (DTMU) here in Georgia, university I want to go to is considered to be the best in region, giving international full education, preparing students for USMLE and residency. But my family can't afford it, it costs only 4500 Gel. per year, but it's still not cheap for me. Also everyone thinks I'm crazy people who should cheer me up are bringing me down, I'm not giving up, but it's really difficult to get through everything without any real background moral or financial, i try to learn some Biology on my self, revive my English (sorry for mistakes by the way :d ), Chemistry seems to be a bit difficult for self-education for me, I do really need help, and finding your article was so joyful knowing that I'm not alone. My point is that it's okay to change profession and be different from others, but it's quite difficult too. This difficulties made me stronger, my will is much more stronger than before, I'm not soft anymore, I am working hard to achieve my goal. I have no idea how but I'll find finances to cover my study because it's the only thing i've ever wanted. family and friends will make up their minds when i'm able to become the doctor. I have a lot of reasons why i shouldn't apply but I have important reasons why i should. thanks a lot for sharing it means a lot.
