I think med schools want people to understand that process. As the average age of medical school students has risen dramatically in the past few years, Putnam has extended the services of his office to Davidson alumni, and now works with some who graduated as long as ten years ago. Some had no interest in medicine at Davidson, and others have taken additional courses to bolster their academic standing. Putnam recalls one student who opened a business after graduation, then decided ten years later he wanted to go to medical school. He is now enrolled at the University of Virginia Medical School.
Alumni have access to the same services as current students.
Long-term figures on Davidson applicants support the trend toward later application. He noted that 21 of 25 undergraduates in the Class of 1999 who applied to attend medical school the year following graduation were accepted. But with additional applications since then, the figures now stand at 37 of 39 Class of 1999 members accepted. Even more dramatic, the Class of 1995 had just nine of 15 applicants accepted as undergraduates, but now 34 of 40 applicants from that class have been accepted. The current senior class has 14 applicants, ten of whom have been admitted.