‘GMA’s Ginger Zee Celebrates Her Mom Graduating Medical School at Age 72

Ginger Zee is feeling proud of her mother, Dawn E. Zuidgeest-Craft, as she celebrates a major achievement at age 72.

“I want to take a moment to brag on my mom,” the Good Morning America host began a Wednesday, March 25, Instagram video. “So, she has been in medical school. She’s going to graduate medical school in May. She’s taken all the tests. It’s done. She’s a doctor. But, obviously, the next step for most people that get an MD is to do a residency.”

Zee admitted that she and her family were initially hesitant about Zuidgeest-Craft doing a residency, which can last for several years. “We were all like, ‘Listen, lady. You’re in your early 70s. I don’t know if it’s gonna happen. Should it happen?’ But that’s all she has ever wanted,” Zee explained. “She was a neonatal nurse practitioner for 45 years. She’s highly educated. But in her retirement, all she wanted to do was complete the goal that she had always wanted, and that was to become a doc.”

Zee went on to announce that Zuidgeest-Craft “matched” with a family medicine officer for her residency. “I can’t believe it in the best way. She’s elated. She will start her residency this summer, and it’s just a lesson for everyone that you really can do anything you put your mind to,” the meteorologist gushed. “Also, she’s, like, Guiness Book, oldest woman, person, to become an MD. This is pretty cool. Very proud of you, Mama. Love you.”

 

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Fans sent Zuidgeest-Craft their congratulations in the post’s comments. “That. Is awesome. Congratulations mom! Or, Dr Mom?” one person wrote. Another added, “Congratulations, Mama Zee!!!! That’s amazing…seriously. So proud of you!!!! 👏👏👏.”

Someone else shared, “Incredible and congratulations to your mom, Ginger!!” A different person posted, “So amazing & incredibly inspiring!! 🤩💫.” A separator user commented, “What a PROUD daughter moment! Love this so much. Thank you for sharing your mama’s wonderful news with us and your emotion… I’ve got all the feels too 🫶.” Another said, “Congratulations so proud of her! How awesome is that? She had a wonderful family to back her up.”

Zuidgeest-Craft and her husband, Carl Craft, visited Zee backstage at GMA back in November 2025. “Not every day I get to have my parents with me at work!” she captioned an Instagram pic with them on the GMA set. “Mom is finishing up a clinical rotation at Sloan Kettering and kids have enjoyed having grandpa around. She graduates with her MD in the spring – still pretty wild and we are all so proud.” (Zuidgeest-Craft and Zee’s father, Robert Zuidgeest, divorced during Zee’s childhood.)

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Zuidgeest-Craft opened up about her medical school journey in a September 2024 interview with ABC News, revealing she was inspired to apply after Craft experienced a “very serious injury.” She shared, “I really always wanted to go, but honestly, I had my family as priority. And I didn’t do what I really wanted to do, but now I am. And it’s really been an amazing experience.”

Zuidgeest-Craft noted her age and past experience in the medical field have made her “more capable of enjoying every bit of it.”

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