Applying to Medical School for the Non-Traditional Student

 (7 customer reviews)

I bought this book, as a non-traditional student, with great hopes of hearing stories of people who have had the same anxieties as myself. Unforunately, what I found was a poorly put together group of people who almost all came from some kind of health-care background or medical legacy. The only thing that made these people non-traditional was the fact that they were older. I was hoping for a book full of artists and business people who decided to switch paths, but all I found were stories of phamaceutical reps and EMTs. Aside from subject matter, there isn't a wide range of questions or answers. Basically, if you read one interview, you've read them all. There are so many other books that give an eclectic view of the non-traditional student. Save your money. You'll need it in med-school.

This is not a book that tells you how to gain acceptance into medical school, or what kind of MCAT score or GPA you should have. It is a collection of interviews with different people who all decided to go to medical school after they had completed their undergraduate degree. As a nontraditional prospective medical applicant, I enjoyed reading how other people came to the decision to go to medical school and how they went about it. It would have been nice if the author had interviewed people at different schools. The majority of the people in the book went to Northwestern Medical School and did their post-bac premed work at Loyola. However, the author does interview an interesting mix of people, and each one of their stories is unique. Again, this book is only for those who want to read interviews about people who have already gone through the application process and been accepted to medical school. There is scant information on how to get admitted yourself.

After reading the five star review that is on this site, I couldn't wait to read this book. As an already accomplished professional contemplating a return to medical school, I thought that this book would give me the information I needed in order to start off on the right foot. Unfortunately, this was not the case. This book is nothing more than a series of interviews with non-traditional students who have matriculated at Northwestern. I found the information included to be confusing and quite often contradictory. To be honest, I have found more useful information in the general information guides which are written for your standard college student.