It's official: My medical school home will be...

It's official. I will be an OMS I at A.T. Still University - School of Osteopathic Medicine, Arizona in the fall of 2021! :-) It was a tough decision. There is a LOT that I like about Rocky Vista University School of Osteopathic Medicine and I felt so at home during the interview; however, the final major determining factor for me was the cost of living in the Denver Metropolitan area. While rents and home prices are rapidly rising in the Phoenix Valley, they are still substantially lower than in Denver. Plus, Arizona was home for 16 years (2004 - 2020) so it will be comforting to go back to something that feels comfortable. The other thing that swayed me to ATSU is the 1 + 3 curricular model. I had the chance to attend a 'DO for A Day" event at SOMA about 10 years ago and the way that lectures are delivered fits me and the way that I like to recieve information. I also tend to be a more independent learner and the online learning modality in the OMS II year doesn't bother me. There was a lot that I liked about RVUCOMs curriculum as well but in the end, I just felt that being in a more structured, lecture-based curriculum was not best for me. One of my mentors and friends who taught me physical biochemistry some years ago also agreed as she knows how I like to learn.

So, I was given my first choice of Community Health Center (CHC), El Rio in Tucson, so it's also nice to know exactly where I will be for my OMS II through IV year. All in all, I could not be happier with the decision.

Medical school interviews for older and non-traditional applicants

As a non-traditional applicant, my three interviews were a bit different than what some of my younger compatriots may have experienced. I did not get many of the ‘typical’ medical school interview questions and in fact, the only questions that I got from Rocky Vista and ATSU-SOMA that were expected were the 1) Why osteopathic medicine and 2) Why RVUCOM/ATSU-SOMA?

My interviews really focused more on:

1) At your age, do you think that you will have the energy to keep up with your studies and compete with your younger classmates?

2) Given that you have a solid, stable career that would allow you to effect social change, why are you seeking to give that up to pursue four years of medical school and three or more years of residency?

3) Are you really sure that you want to do this at your age?

4) You are finishing a PhD and are fairly accomplished in your field. You’ve also been teaching for 12 years. Wouldn’t a tenured faculty role be easier and more attractive than the rigors of medical school?

I got each of these four questions from each of the three schools that I have interviewed at. RVUCOM asked the additional, “How do you define professionalism” question and a question regarding something about lessons learned from a time that I failed at something.

If you are a non-traditional applicant, particularly if you have had a long career doing something else, be prepared to justify “Why medicine.” If you are older, be prepared to answer questions about your age in relation to keeping up with the work load and your classmates. These questions should not be asked and most savvy interviewers will disguise their language when asking these questions; however, when I interviewed at Rocky Vista, my interviewer specifically started the question by saying, “At your age…”

If you are an older student who had some challenges in your academics, this is a great way to show growth. In my case, I was able to discuss how I wasn’t a mature student in my youth and if I had applied to medical school in my 20s, it likely would have been a failing venture. I tied my graduate education to my growth and discussed how completing two master’s degrees and being a PhD student has allowed me to hone my study skills and grow as a student.

Last thing, if you have had a career, it will be good to be able to really discuss why you are changing careers. I’ve heard the interviewers at ATSU – SOMA really dig into students who are coming from nursing, pharmacy, and PA careers regarding their reasons for pursuing medicine. When you are describing your transition, it’s important to NOT throw your previous career under the bus and you don’t want to say something about wanting to be a physician because you want to be the head of the healthcare team (healthcare is rapidly moving away from this model of care). I discussed how much I love teaching and research and while I’ve derived a great deal of joy from both, neither brings me the kind of satisfaction that direct patient care would bring. To test whether or not I still had that same love, I described the excitement that I gained from my Paramedic clinical rotations and how it took me back to that same excitement that I felt as an Army medic. I discussed how working as a scribe gave me an intimate look at some of the more business aspects of medicine. I was able to tie my training in pharmacology, research, and teaching to what I would do on a day-to-day basis as a physician and finally, I described how my PhD wouldn’t be a waste because the skills that I have learned in clinical & translational research would serve me as a physician because we are entering a time where more and more, a physician will rely on evidence-based approaches to treat patients and work with insurance carriers to get treatments approved. One of my interviewers from SOMA ate that up.

The last thing that I think is important for the non-traditional applicant, particularly if you are older, is appearance. I don’t mean in how you dress but your overall affect. Whether right or wrong, interviewers may well question your energy and motivation so it will help you to show up to your interviews well-rested, energetic, and highly motivated. Stress that no matter how old you may be, you don’t feel your age (And I really don’t look or feel 49!) The committees are judging you on everything so don’t overlook this part.