She’s starting residency at 72—and physicians have a lot to say about it
Industry Buzz
Oof pulling 24s and surviving all the grueling work of residency at 73+? ... Good luck to her. Every doctor is needed and the truly … best ones are the ones who do it because they love it.
—@Ren_Lu, MD, via Reddit
As someone her age, I admire her achievement, but believe this to be a waste of resources. Arguably, the residency slot she is filling could go to someone able to practice and help people for decades, not years if ever.
—@AlternativeLayer3909, PA, MPH, via Reddit
At a time when many physicians are counting down to retirement, Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft is just getting started.[]
The 72-year-old former neonatal nurse practitioner—and mother of ABC News meteorologist Ginger Zee—is graduating from medical school and beginning a family medicine residency in Michigan in July. By the time residency starts, she’ll be 73.[][]
And yes, physicians online have thoughts.
Starting residency in her 70s?
Zuidgeest-Craft’s story has resonated not only because of her age but also because it taps into deeper conversations around burnout, identity, lifelong learning, and what draws people to medicine in the first place.
She originally planned to attend medical school decades ago but delayed that dream while raising children and working as a nurse practitioner. After her husband survived a brain hemorrhage about 6 years ago, she revisited her “bucket list” and enrolled in medical school at age 69.[]
She completed coursework through a Caribbean medical school and did clinical rotations at hospitals in Chicago, New York, Texas, and West Virginia.[]
Zuidgeest-Craft describes herself as a lifelong learner who spent years immersed in medical literature and anatomy coursework before finally applying to medical school. “Why did I wait so long? Well, life!” she wrote for STAT.[]
Docs sound off
In a thread on r/medicine, physicians responded with a mix of awe, humor, and disbelief.
Many commenters applauded the stamina required to survive modern medical training in one’s 70s. Several noted that residency is physically punishing even for trainees decades younger, especially with overnight call, EMR fatigue, and the cognitive load of constantly changing protocols.
“Can’t imagine those long call nights get any easier in your 70s than they were in my 30s. Good luck to her,” wrote @RocketRyne, an ENT specialist.
“Oof pulling 24s and surviving all the grueling work of residency at 73+? ... Good luck to her. Every doctor is needed and the truly … best ones are the ones who do it because they love it,” wrote @Ren_Lu, a family medicine physician.
“Please stop criticizing this woman for pursuing her dream. I’m in my 50s and still genuinely love practicing medicine. I don’t plan to retire unless my health forces me to. Medicine is more than a paycheck for many of us. If she’s capable, motivated, and willing to serve patients, her age alone shouldn’t disqualify or diminish her accomplishment,” wrote @ZenMasterPDX, a critical care pulmonologist.
But there was skepticism, too. A few questioned the financial and practical realities of beginning residency so late in life, while others debated whether medical training pathways should evolve for highly experienced clinicians transitioning from advanced practice roles.
“She paid her own way at a Caribbean school so she didn’t take a medical school seat in the US for her vanity project. I’m surprised she was offered a residency spot though. There are physical requirements that are pretty demanding,” wrote @am_i_wrong_dude, an oncologist.
“As someone her age, I admire her achievement, but believe this to be a waste of resources. Arguably, the residency slot she is filling could go to someone able to practice and help people for decades, not years if ever,” writes @AlternativeLayer3909, a physician’s assistant.
Key takeaway: Interest in nontraditional and late-career medical pathways has grown as healthcare workforce shortages worsen and clinicians increasingly seek second careers or expanded scopes of practice.