Going to medical school is tough, but imagine doing it with children or after years away from school! Today on the Osmosis blog, we’re discussing non-traditional healthcare students, the unique values they bring to the classroom, and how faculty can help them excel.
Non-traditional healthcare students diversify the medical field, benefiting healthcare professionals and the communities they serve. They add an array of educational, professional, cultural, and socioeconomic experiences to the field and can benefit from tailored support efforts throughout their education to succeed.
Let’s take a look at who non-traditional healthcare students are, witness the value they bring to education, discuss possible challenges these students face, and determine how to enhance healthcare education overall concerning non-traditional student experiences.
Defining a non-traditional healthcare student
Non-traditional healthcare students typically have at least a two-year gap between completing an undergraduate degree and their first year in medical school.
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, 2020 All Schools Summary Report, the median age of first-year medical students is 23. The report found that 10-11% of students are ages 26 through 28, and 5-6% are over 28.
Often, these students are “lane-changers” or “career-changers.” Lane-changers are students in the middle of an undergraduate degree who choose to switch majors or students right out of college with an undergraduate degree outside the traditional science disciplines. Career-changers have typically worked in a field for at least two years that may or may not be related to medicine.
Student age isn’t always the defining factor of non-traditional healthcare students. The following list offers possible reasons why students may self-identify as non-traditional:
- From a foreign country
- First-generation medical students
- Earned a lower GPA or MCAT score
- From low socioeconomic background
Research shows gap years have become increasingly favored, and as a result, non-traditional students are bringing different values to medical education programs when compared to traditional students.
Values non-traditional students bring to medical education
Medical school requires incredible dedication, no matter the student’s age. Oftentimes non-traditional students bring valuable life experiences into the classroom that all can learn from, such as broader experiences, differing reasons for entering the medical field, and strong professional commitments.
Broader experiences
Medical school entrance exams and mastery of difficult courses are based on certain metrics, such as test scores, GPA, and overall academic performance. Among these metrics for non-traditional students is the unmeasurable wealth of knowledge that life experiences bring to medical education.
For example, a student whose previous profession was a certified nursing assistant would bring direct healthcare experience working with patients to the learning environment. Additionally, a veteran who witnessed combat might be better prepared to see wounds that other healthcare students may not be ready to handle.
Reasons for entering the medical profession
Non-traditional students usually have strong reasons for entering the medical profession, which can come from either positive or negative life experiences.
A mother of two who decides to finally pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a medical professional to show her children anything is possible has a deeply personal reason for pursuing medicine.
On the other hand, an older medical student who knows firsthand the devastating effects that a lack of quality healthcare has upon a low-income family from previous experiences and careers will offer a more humanitarian reason for pursuing medical education. They’ll be more driven to change the healthcare system positively.
Readily committed to the field
Non-traditional medical students are equally successful when compared to students who are fresh out of college because they are often more mature and take responsibility for what they do.
For instance, those who choose to enter the medical field at an older age are driven by their desire to become a medical professional, as opposed to possible familial pressures some younger students may feel.
Additionally, a person who has put in the time into developing a career, raising a family, and is compelled to seek out the study of medicine for reasons of compassion and to help out their fellow man, shows resilience in the form of maturity, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and empathy with colleagues and patients.
Challenges non-traditional healthcare students face
Although they bring much value to medical education, non-traditional healthcare students are not exempt from the challenges that all students face throughout the school experience. Non-traditional healthcare students face challenges ranging from academic success to balancing new routines with everyday life.
According to this study, career-changers specifically “show a small, persistent academic lag in the first two years of medical school and on USMLE Step 1 scores”.
Non-traditional students have important commitments outside the classroom, such as family and previous community responsibilities. As a result, they may face challenges balancing the rigorous academics and hours of medical school with daily life.
Additional personal challenges may include getting used to the loss of their pre-healthcare school careers and income, combating feelings of isolation, or struggling to acclimate to a new routine. The more you understand the challenges of non-traditional healthcare students, the better you can support them inside and outside the classroom.
How to leverage the experience of non-traditional students to enhance healthcare education
Non-traditional students are an asset to all healthcare education programs. Their life experiences add depth to their educational experiences and make people aware of the different learning, community, and support opportunities necessary for academic success.
The following are ways non-traditional students can be supported best:
- Provide on-demand resource options students can access outside of traditional work or class hours.
- Ask about how their backgrounds or past careers could contribute to their understanding of the curriculum.
- Share evening or weekend shadowing and volunteering opportunities for those with additional responsibilities outside of student life.
- Identify new ways to involve already-established support systems. Invite spouses, children, friends, and students’ families to group gatherings, meetings, and events.
- Help non-traditional students get back in the swing of things by sharing methods for enhancing their learning and study efforts. Osmosis How to Succeed videos educate students about learning science, so they can build healthy habits and implement them throughout their education and career. This helps them maximize time through efficient learning.
Supporting non-traditional healthcare students increases the odds that they’ll remain enrolled in school and achieve their academic goals, ultimately moving us closer to improving medical education and embracing diversity in all its forms. Interested in learning how Osmosis can support self-directed learning in your program?Schedule a call today.
Leave a Reply