Ivy League at 46?

Hello everyone:


I’m reading all of the inspiring stories here and am wondering - has anyone accepted into the Ivy’s at the 45-47 year mark?


I’m starting to really want the combined MD/MBA at Tufts University, and the other opportunities provided there, but maybe I’m setting myself up for a rude awakening. Would also love Columbia, UPenn, and dare I say it, YALE!!! My scores will be very high, 3.8 from UC Berkeley, maybe higher, and MCAT doesn’t really worry me since I am a science major and can do the math in my sleep.


Thanks.

Yes it can be done IF you are competitive and bring something to the table they desire. Apply and see what happens.

Go for it! Though, math isn’t really “the issue” on the MCAT. Don’t underestimate the test. It’s hard. If your practice exam scores are really high then that’s great – all the more reason to aim high.

Thanks!!! Your positive comments made me feel so much better. I love this board!! I think the hardest part of all of this is going to be the mental aspect of believing that my age won’t matter, if like you said, I bring something to the table, and staying positive.


Happy Thanksgiving to all.

It’s my undestanding that none of the schools you listed have ever admitted anyone in 45-47 age range and I’d LOVE to be wrong about this!

I’m quite sure that those schools HAVE admitted people in their late forties, though I can’t give concrete evidence. I’m not sure how you would find out. Call the school? This topic has definitely come up before. I think it’s not dissimilar from other med schools; as long as you can compete with the other applicants in terms of numbers and capability, you have a chance. Why not aim high? And it’s quite possible that they admit less nontrads, because the scores aren’t up to their standards. It’s hard to start the sciences from scratch, or be out of school for many years, and end up with an MCAT in the high 30s. Even if it’s not common, don’t take that as a sign that the school is not for you. I say go for it.

PS Have you called Tufts? As far as I know, they are VERY nontrad friendly. They’re not as hard to get into as the Ivies, either. Great school.

Thanks, Overthemoon. I have scanned their web site. The mission statement is interesting in that they are starting financial aid, 50%, which is great for a school with $50k annual tuition, for students who qualify but may otherwise not be able to attend. It stated a lot of interesting things, not the least of which was the general direction they want to take for the graduating classes of the future. When I apply, which won’t be for 2 years, or more, who knows what the acceptance range will be.


We all live so much longer than we used to, I think the “Act 2” generation is going to be knocking on a lot of doors that used to be closed. And I bet a lot more of them are going to be opened. If my numbers, research and other stats are as good (or better) as someone 24 I should think they would like the life experience, excellent communication skills, patience and empathy an older student would bring to class. We’ll see!

  • overthemoon Said:
I'm quite sure that those schools HAVE admitted people in their late forties, though I can't give concrete evidence. I'm not sure how you would find out.



It's very easy to find this info as it's published in the AMCAS guide to medical schools.

I understand perfectly the appeal of a top name school because I've graduated from and attend a few. But when I turned 40 and looked at the data, I decided that a MD form any accredited school would do. Residency? THAT's another issue, I'll be looking for the best name I can get on ol' CV.
  • pathdr2b Said:


I understand perfectly the appeal of a top name school because I've graduated from and attend a few. But when I turned 40 and looked at the data, I decided that a MD form any accredited school would do. Residency? THAT's another issue, I'll be looking for the best name I can get on ol' CV.



That's how I'm starting to see it too. But just as much of an issue if not more is the debt burden. Private schools are damn expensive, even with tuition discounts (which Harvard is now offering). The best thing to do with your grades and background, is to get into somewhere FREE, like the tuition free program at Cleveland clinic. Brand name+no tuition? Now, that's the ticket.

However, top residency programs, for the vast majority, only take people from top med schools, like it is a private club. Therefore if your goal is to pad the CV with a top name residency, then it needs to be preceded by a top name med school. That is just the reality of the game.

  • tec Said:
However, top residency programs, for the vast majority, only take people from top med schools, like it is a private club. Therefore if your goal is to pad the CV with a top name residency, then it needs to be preceded by a top name med school. That is just the reality of the game.



I am a bit skeptical of that, because I know two foreign med school grads who got into residency programs at Johns Hopkins, and are making $$$$ now.
  • tec Said:
However, top residency programs, for the vast majority, only take people from top med schools, like it is a private club. Therefore if your goal is to pad the CV with a top name residency, then it needs to be preceded by a top name med school. That is just the reality of the game.



From where did you get this information? I've not heard this before and I'm interested in the validity of the statement. I can imagine, like anything else, that performance at a prestigious and rigorous medical school would advantage you for acceptance into a top tier residency but I'm curious about the "private club" and where the "reality of it" comes from. Was this personal experience?
  • tec Said:
However, top residency programs, for the vast majority, only take people from top med schools, like it is a private club. Therefore if your goal is to pad the CV with a top name residency, then it needs to be preceded by a top name med school. That is just the reality of the game.



Having observed this myself many times over the last 20 or so years, I believe this phenomenom is called life, LOL!!!

TEC is right on, sure there FMG/IMG that get into top residencies but trust me these folks are phenomenal with tons of research or prior medical practice.


Top residency programs usually fill their ranks with folks from top schools it just happens this way and they are familiar with those grads and keep accepting folks from those TOP schools. This does not mean that if you go to not ranked school that you cannot get into a top residency but you have to just have a LOT (research/LOR/grades/step scores) to offer.

EFEX hit it on the head-- top schools go with people from programs they know and those who are from the outside have loaded CVs. The personal experience here is just from going to specialty conventions and meetings, reading CVs, looking at various programs, and being around medicine for the past ten years. Knowing I was going to be a community-level general neurologist, I looked at programs that would prepare me best for that goal, which in most cases are not the big “top name” places because they are more research oriented. When it comes to residency training, your ultimate practice goal will form the type of program you look for.

1st: TEC & others are spot on - it is a rare exception for elite programs to not fill themselves with graduates of top med schools. But, that does not relegate the preponderance of us to the garbage heap. Top names will open doors for you, but to not come from an elite program, med school or residency, does not make you unemployable. I was very fortunate to come from what is considered by many to be the elite DO school and was offered a spot outside the match by an elite anesthesia program - Dartmouth. I consider myself very “lucky”, but I also define “luck” as a product of working your ass off to position yourself such that “luck” can find you.


Regarding the Ivy programs taking older & other non-trad applicants - yes, they do and, having trained at Dartmouth, know for a fact that they have taken older & international applicants. When an institution has put the phenomenal effort into crafting & substantiating an “elite” reputation they do everything possible to keep the quality of students they accept at the top. To do that, they cast a wide net and skim the cream off of the top. Folks, “cream” is not exclusively defined as a US-born possessor of a 4.0 and a 40 MCAT. There is ‘cream’ in many places and that is what they seek. So, those international and aged students had incredible histories and had worked damned hard to acheive them.