Never Too Late

Merrill, who got married and gave birth to a daughter during her undergrad years at Dartmouth, always wanted to go to medical school. Having a total of nine kids in 12 years delayed her plans, but this spring she graduated from the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. "Waiting so long to do this, I think, made me appreciate it more and made me enjoy it more," Merrill told Good Morning America. "And once I got into my clinical rotations, I noticed that I had a lot of life experience that helped me connect with a lot of patients, especially on my pediatrics and OBGYN rotations."

Merrill and her family are moving to Indiana, where she will begin residency in neurosurgery at Indiana University.