First I wanted to say thanks to those of you who post, keeping this forum active, especially you residents & attendings - what a great gift to those who are following to take some of your, what must be limited, time and share with others. Your example is partially why I finally registered today after several years of “on and off again” lurking.
I am older than many of the those who consider themselves “old pre meds”, (I’m 44.5 years young), though less old than the remarkable members who are closer to being centarians than I!
I have 5 semesters, more or less, before pre-req’s are finished, so no matter how I search for the mythical matriculation shortcut, the fact is that I would need to enter medical school at 46/47, residency at 50+.
I know it can be done. My question is how often is it done? Does someone have a matriculation by age stat they can share. I have seen many breakdowns of the 18K+ applicants and matriculants, but haven’t seen one solely oriented to age.
Surely on a site named Old Pre Meds, someone has this info at their digital fingertips!
Thank much and with best regards,
Crepitus
Link AAMC age data
AAMC releases general age distribution stats (see bottom of table in link). I did a brief analysis using overall numbers of applicants and matriculants and found approximately 180 students per year begin matriculation at age 38 and older (top 1% of age distribution) into the approximately 130 allopathic schools. I also found that the ratio of applicants to matriculants in this age group was the same as other age groups. However, matriculants skewed to lower end of range within age group.
Link to Osteopathic Age Data
The Osteopathic Schools report 41 students over age of 41 (coincidental numbers) who matriculated in 2010, which was 0.8% of all matriculants, with 4 of those 51 or older. making 0.1% of all matriculants.
Speculating that age distribution between allopathic and osteopathic are similar, there would be expected to be 18 first year MD students age 51 and older. figure 10-20 year would be best guess. But then again only 25-50 people over 50 apply
But remember there are lies, damn lies, and then there are statistics.
If you are going to let probabilities dictate your choice, then no one would apply. as odds are against everyone, no matter there age of being successfully accepted to medical school.
Thanks, gonnif.
I didn’t know the stats. And I agree with not letting statistics determine your fate. If that’s the number of med students who apply each year that are over 50, looks like they might actually be getting accepted at a higher rate!
And speaking as one of the small percentage of matriculants who got accepted after age 50, if you are the one, for you it’s 100%.
Kate
In 2010 the oldest newly matriculated student to Osteopathic School was 56 years of age and new member reported that he is starting LECOM this term at age 60!
Link 60 year old OPM member
BTW, I just across an article on a 53 year old graduating from UW/Madison. The article cited AAMC :
“According to American Association of Medical Colleges statistics,… ince 1991, an average of only 12 students age 50 or older have graduated from U.S. medical schools each year.”
Link to 53 year old medical graduate
With 12 MD students, maybe 6 DO students, and a couple of caribbean students, we can conclude under 20 people over 50 years of age, graduate as physicians.
Gee, thanks Richard!! 
Pushing the envelope, that’s me!!!
There is a student a year ahead of me ( i go to an allopathic school in the US) who turned 50 over the summer between first and second year (she will be almost 54 when she graduates)!
Richard,
Thanks for the reply. I had seen the AAMC data sheet with the mean ages, but not the AACOM which is what I was looking for. And thanks for the comment about not allowing statistics to deter an applicant.
My personal sitation is similar to many of the lurkers here I imagine. I’m mid 40’s, family of 6, established income/career. I know what I want, but I have to be reasonable and fair when I consider the best interests of all who would be involved by my choices.
I’ve been trying to ease into the idea of a large academic change. I began thinking I would apply to a PA program, but am having serious doubts about that route for me. I quit my second career after only two years and took a scut job in an ER, where I have been for the last year and a half, so that I could see that type of medicine up close. I have twenty years of paramedic experience under my belt, about 3/4 of that in a busy, 911 only system.
I’ve been carrying 12 to 16 hours of pre-req work a semester for two years now. I enjoyed a very fun college experience 25 years ago and fully earned a 1.89 GPA before leaving school. Using grade forgiveness and retakes I now have a 4.0 cummulative GPA, my sciences are all 4.0 straightup.
Every semester has been the semester when I’ve said “NEXT semester I’m quitting one of the jobs and just doing school” but I always back down when I look at my family and what I hope to provide for them. I can’t find it in myself to say that they shouldn’t have sattelite TV because I want more study time! 
I can do the economic tipping point analysis easily enough . . . I’m there. Not matriculating in 2013 is probably it for my situation. And that’s going to be made harder by the geographic limitations that I will probably place on my application schools.
Finally, throw into the mix that I have some personal disclosures that I will have to make to adcoms, that are not necessarily deal killers, but certainly work against me.
I mention all these items (past grades, geographic limits and personal history) as a context of why I am now examining the issue of age.
I knew before I asked the question that it has been done by others older than I. I was curious though how often and with what backgrounds.
Thanks for the info you’ve given me so far!
Regards,
Crepitus
Crepitus -
Most of the other “older” students at my school spent a large number of those years in something medically related, as you have. I think this inherently gives you more credibility when coming in with more years under your belt.
More years…of medical experience - means you are starting with more.
kate
Welcome Crepitus…love the moniker! As Richard has pointed out, there’s not much statistical age-related information for either allopathic or osteopathic programs. What little is out there is open to interpretation and not worth taking into account when deciding whether or not you can go the distance. It sounds like you are competitive; as long as you do well on the MCAT you have a good shot. Go for what you want and don’t be deterred by statistics.
As for disclosures, that’s going to depend on who’s looking at the application…hopefully someone with some age-acquired perspective. I do see this on applications from time to time (reviewing both applications to med school and to residency) and take any problems in context, especially if the applicant is older. We all make glaring mistakes and we all have regrets. Madonna once said no one should be held responsible for what they said or did in their twenties. Not that I think she is any kind of sage for our generation (I’m 52) but I like her point. Welcome again and keep posting!
I have personally known two women in their fifties who went to medical schools (both allopathic), graduated, and are practicing (family medicine and pediatrics, respectively). In both their cases, they had to justify the “why medicine (and why not PA/nursing?), why now (and why not earlier?)” question that sits in the back of the minds of medical admission committee members.
Given your long-term paramedic experience, I don’t think this should be too-much of a problem. Your GPA is excellent (I wish mine were that good!). Nevertheless, I am sure you will face barriers because of your situation. If you do not get into a U.S. medical school, you can always look off-shore, especially to the private Caribbean and other foreign medical schools. Many of these schools are geared toward U.S. premeds who were not able to get into American schools and they tend to be less picky about age; some have very good rotations and residency linkages, and their costs are actually competitive with many out-of-state tuitions. But other foreign medical schools are very “sketchy” fly-by-night degree mills and should be avoided. If you have doubts, check with your state medical board on approved foreign medical schools.
As an older applicant to medical school myself (I’ll be 48 when I apply next Spring), I can fully understand the issues that that face us much older applicants versus our younger colleagues. But I think it can be done if you study hard, get competitive grades, show your uniqueness, and play your options correctly.
The second best advice that I have received on applying to medical school was, “Don’t worry about your age, just do it.”
Thanks Kate, en0920, jmd and datsa for your comments as well.
I’m with all of you . . . I’m not a take no for an answer guy - never have been. Tried farming right after high school during the farm crisis of the 80’s, went into public safety after being told I would never be able to get a gig, owned a business that did well for awhile, but eventually had to be closed. I’m all about “the get up, dust yourself off, get moving” way of living.
But I’m seasoned enough with life to also know that there will be limits that are not surmountable at some point in our lives. In a more perfect world I would overcome disease and disaster in my own life for perpetuity! But I will settle for the opportunity to mitigate those conditions on behalf of others as much as the universe allows. . . 
Datsa, just to be clear and so I don’t overstate myself. I’m a 4.0 with grade forgiveness. I went to each of my three schools from 25 years ago and had grades changed to O from F’s and D’s. I think that will work for DO schools, but not sure AMCAS or CASPA (PA application) will be as friendly. Still investigating all of this. . .
I also have not finished some of the upper end pre-reqs. No BioChem, Orgo II or Genetics yet, so I may yet give up the ghost. (By finals week this summer I was wishing that I had already blown my 4.0 - the pressure was very distracting).
Anyway, I’m glad I broke the forum ice here with this subject. I’ll have to start a new thread with an EC question soon.
Crepitus