A determined 72-year-old woman named Dawn Zuidgeest-Craft has made history after graduating from medical school in the United States, becoming one of the oldest people ever to earn a medical degree and begin residency training.
Her journey reflects resilience, determination, and proof that it is never too late to pursue a dream. Dawn’s journey into the healthcare system did not just start with a medical degree.
Dawn's Story and How She Did It
Before becoming a medical doctor, Dawn had already spent decades working in healthcare.
She served for years as a nurse practitioner in neonatal intensive care units across West Michigan and helped build nurse practitioner programs at hospitals in the region after beginning her career at Blodgett Hospital in Grand Rapids in 1982.
“I had an understanding of both sides: both the nurses’ responsibilities and the providers’ responsibilities,” she said.
Although she built a successful career in medicine, Dawn always dreamed of attending medical school. Life, however, repeatedly delayed that goal. At the age 35, she married her second husband, and together they hoped to have children before she returned to school.
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But their journey into parenthood proved difficult. “We could not make a baby to save our lives,” Dawn recalled.
After years of fertility struggles, she eventually became a mother at 42 and later welcomed another child at 49. Because of family responsibilities, medical school once again had to wait.
But her jurney took a different turn in 2020 after her husband suffered a life-threatening cranial injury. The experience forced them both to reflect on life and unfinished dreams. “I sat him down and said, ‘Life is really short. What’s on your bucket list?’” Dawn explained.
While her husband wanted to travel more, Dawn finally admitted she still wanted to attend medical school.
At age 69, she enrolled in medical school in the Caribbean on the island of Anguilla, fulfilling a lifelong dream many thought was impossible at her age.
Despite being decades older than most students, Dawn completed the same academic requirements and passed the same United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) boards as every other medical student.
“We had to pass the same USMLE boards. We had to have the same number of hours and do the same amount of research,” she said.
After completing her studies, she carried out clinical rotations in Chicago, West Virginia, New York, and South Texas before officially graduating from medical school.
Now, Dawn is preparing to begin her residency training in West Michigan at 73 years old. “I am totally setting records,” she said. “I will be the oldest ever graduating medical student in the world, as far as we could tell.”
Despite people questioning her decision, Dawn believes her age and life experience will make her a more compassionate doctor.
“Many of my patients will be my age or older. I’ve already lived. If I have a mother come in with a sickly child, I’ve been there, done that, and know the stresses of it,” she explained.
She also hopes to use her experience to advocate for improvements in medical education and patient care. ”There’s some people that aren’t meant to retire. That’s probably me,” Dawn said.
Her daughter, Ginger Zee, who became the first female chief meteorologist at a major U.S. television network, praised her mother’s determination and described her as a lifelong inspiration.
“The thing you taught me is that you really can’t say ‘can’t,’” Ginger said. “Don’t let anybody tell you it’s not possible, because it is.”
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