Most people, upon hitting their late sixties, might consider a nice, long cruise. Maybe some competitive pickleball. Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft, however, decided that was the perfect time to start medical school.
Because apparently, that's where we are now: proving that age is just a number, even when that number is 72 and you're about to embark on a medical residency. Craft, a mother of four and grandmother of five, just graduated from medical school in the Caribbean, fulfilling a lifelong dream that had been patiently waiting in the wings.
Life, as it often does, had other plans for a while. After earning an undergrad degree, Dawn became a neonatal nurse practitioner, helping tiny humans get a fighting chance. She even applied to med school at 35, post-divorce, but was rejected. Then came remarriage, two more children (the youngest born when she was 49), and a thriving career. But the doctor dream? It just… lingered.
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Start Your News DetoxThen, a medical emergency involving her husband served as a wake-up call. In her late 60s, she decided it was now or never. She dipped into her retirement savings, packed her bags for the Caribbean, and hit the books. Let that sink in: most people are using their retirement savings to retire. Dawn used hers to become a doctor.
Her biggest cheerleader? None other than her daughter, meteorologist Ginger Zee, who told Entertainment Tonight that her mom's sheer determination makes her incredibly proud. Zee also pointed out that her mom's 45 years of hospital experience as a nurse practitioner are going to be an invaluable asset. Which, if you think about it, is both impressive and slightly terrifying for anyone else in her residency class.
This July, Dr. Zuidgeest-Craft will begin her residency at a Michigan hospital. Her motivation? Pure passion. As she told the Washington Post, she's doing it because she genuinely enjoys the work, not to pay the bills. Which is probably a good thing, considering the average medical student debt. But then again, she’s Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft. She probably just sees it as another challenge to conquer.
