Going to med school later in life – some unexpected advantages

Like most pre-meds, I wanted to get into med school straight out of undergrad. But that didn’t happen. Now, after completing my first year of med school, I’ve realized my gap years were quite useful. And that there are some unexpected advantages of going to med school later in life.

1. When you start med school later in life, you have more time to form strong habits

If you’re going to med school later in life, you have the advantage of having more time to form strong habits – for studying and otherwise.

Study habits

One of the best things that came out of my gap years was that I learned how to learn. I watched YouTube videos about effective studying tips and listened to TEDx Talks about how our brain learns.

Then I used that information to prep for med school by forming study habits that work well for me. And that investment has paid dividends.

If you didn’t do as well as you wanted in undergrad, the gap years before med school are a great time to reflect. To assess why you didn’t get the grades you wanted.

Is it because you didn’t know how to study effectively? Or you did know how to study but you were distracted/unfocused and didn’t manage your time well?

Once you know what went wrong, then you can take action to improve and avoid those mistakes again. Mistakes have much heavier costs, literally and figuratively, in med school.

Healthy living habits

If you’re going to med school later in life, you’ve also had more time to form healthy living habits.

Like a daily exercise routine. Or a meal prep and cooking schedule. Or a good sleep routine.

These routines have been so important for helping me disconnect, take a break and then get back to studying more efficiently. Especially because it’s easy to lose yourself in endless hours of studying.

And if you’ve developed these habits over a couple of years, they’re more likely to endure despite the chaos of med school.

In the short-term, healthy living habits can help you study more efficiently. In the long-term, they help you stay healthy and avoid burnout.

And down the road, it’ll be easier to educate patients about healthy habits if we’re living by them too.

2. If you’re going to med school later in life, you (probably) have the wisdom to avoid distractions

Another big advantage of going to med school later in life is that you’re probably not getting caught up with all the distractions around you.

Partying

If you were into partying, you probably got that out of your system already. Or at least know when’s the right time and when’s the wrong time.

This is a big challenge for a lot of students here. Even for those students who know they’re struggling or are behind and could benefit from staying in some nights. However, the maturity or self-control hasn’t quite developed to set those boundaries.

Relationships

Another big distraction are relationships. Or rather, the pursuit of relationships. If you’re starting med school later in life, you might be in a committed relationship and can avoid this pitfall.

To be clear – there’s nothing wrong with dating in med school. Med school is hectic and often doesn’t leave much time for a personal life. So it can be easier to be with someone who’s going through the same things and understands the lifestyle.

But I’ve seen enough people suffer in the process that I don’t know if it’s really worth it during med school.

I’ve seen students spend precious time and energy on petty games in pursuing others and have their grades decline. And after all that, the relationship doesn’t work out. So they move on to the next person. Because the class sizes are so large here, it’s easy for people to get caught up in multiple cycles like this.

The happiest and most stable relationships I’ve seen so far are of those students who are a little bit older and are engaged/married to someone outside of medicine. Or there are some couples who were already together before they started med school.

Of course, these relationships have their own set of challenges. While some students are fortunate to move to the island with their partner, most are unable to (like me). So it becomes really hard being in a long distance relationship and not seeing your partner for months.

And it can also be distracting worrying about things going on back home, especially for those students who have children.

But overall, it seems that students already in a committed relationship fare better than students who come into med school looking for a relationship.

Friendships

On the topic of relationships, it’s worth mentioning that some friendships can be a big distraction.

Some friends might take you out when you need to focus and study. Other friends might create toxic environments because of their gossiping or tendency to judge and compare. I’ve seen students get drained because they’re caught in these toxic groups and don’t know how to distance themselves.

If you’re going to med school later in life, your experience and exposure to diverse personalities can help you make friends more wisely.

I feel really lucky to have met my friends in term 1. Their support made the transition to the island in term 2 more manageable. We’ve been through some big challenges in Grenada in just one term. From adjusting to the intense heat and rain, to getting used to the cramped buses, and to managing when groceries run out. I can’t imagine going through it all on my own.

Having friends to laugh at the craziness with has made things a little easier and a lot more memorable.

I’m also grateful to have spotted and avoided the wrong people. They would have sucked the life out of me.

Having the experience to spot the right friends for you and avoid the wrong ones is a big advantage. Especially in med school when things are hard enough as is.

You want a friend circle with good energy that fuels you to do your best academically and also grow personally.

3. It’s easier to live on your own when going to med school later in life

Finally, if you’re going to med school later in life, you’ve probably lived on your own at some point. Which makes it easier to manage when you’re on the island.

Whether you’re living off-campus or on campus, you’ll be doing certain basic chores yourself. Like cooking and laundry.

Some students can afford to eat out for every meal. Or exclusively rely on a laundry service. Bust most students will typically do it themselves, at least for the majority of the time.

If you’ve lived on your own before, you probably have tips and tricks for doing these chores efficiently.

I’m really glad I had the experience of living on my own before the island. I’ve been able to live independently and manage all my chores routinely without feeling overwhelmed.

Final thoughts

Getting through my first year has made me realize that there are certain advantages to going to med school later in life.

That’s not to say this is the right way or it’s better than getting to med school right after undergrad.

Rather, it’s to encourage anyone who’s considering going to med school but is hesitant because with each passing year, they think it’s getting too late.

Trust me, it’s not.

Non-traditional med students bring a unique set of skills because of their experiences. And if used correctly, these skills and experiences can get them ahead and set them apart from classmates.

What’s one thing you’ve learned that could only come with time or experience?

-M

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