Applying at a young age and its effect on med admission..

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I think being young is more efficient. As Raryn said, that is two more years practicing and contributing something to society rather than wasting time in high school. I think objections to this notion through arguments of immaturity, inexperience, or unpreparedness are completely irrelevant. If someone young has the motivation, brains, and extracurriculars to get this far, it obviously shows that he or she is quite ready to pursue such a field.
 
I hope you see why I think what I think because of the sound logic inherent to the statement.
 
Bollywood Junkie said:
I think being young is more efficient. As Raryn said, that is two more years practicing and contributing something to society rather than wasting time in high school. I think objections to this notion through arguments of immaturity, inexperience, or unpreparedness are completely irrelevant. If someone young has the motivation, brains, and extracurriculars to get this far, it obviously shows that he or she is quite ready to pursue such a field.
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I don't think anyone's saying it's better to spend the extra time in high school.
 
eek09 said:
Let me guess, you are between the ages of 18-20? If so, I can see why you think what you think.
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According to his MDApps profile, he's 20.
 
Work on your tact. Also, work on presenting proper arguments. An example could be given for virtually any debatable situation and thus precludes its use as a definitive answer. There is probably a great deal of successful, young physicians in the US that came from a foreign country where they began medical training at 17 or 18. They are also the ones that must have the highest scores to be able to get here. Are they unfit, unready, or unprepared because they didn't go to college?
 
eek09 said:
Personally, I would never leave an 18-20 year old into medical school if I ever had the choice of making admission choices.
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What if I were to say "Personally, I would never let anyone over the age of 25 into medical school if I was on an admissions committee." I mean, a few decades ago that was the norm (hence "non-trad"). One can make plenty of justifications for a statement like that...

That would be silly to say though, and I wouldn't. Speaking in absolute stereotypical terms is usually silly, even if many of us do do it. Most 19 year olds are not ready for med school, but some are. At least med school admissions committees seem to think so, and who are any of us to argue?
 
Disclaimer : I'm old (27).

However, I can see a distinct advantage to starting young. Not only would a doctor be able to practice several more years, but the brain is more plastic at a younger age. Some of the older posters have said so themselves : they "changed more from 18-22 than at any other time in their life". That's basically saying "my brain was very plastic during that timespan."

How much less plastic is the brain at the age of 27 or 28, or for someone even older? I don't know, and I'm scared to find out. It's possible the difference is relatively small. I wish I had the opportunity to start medical school at 18, and would do so if I got a "do-over" on my life.
 
GeraldMonroe said:
Disclaimer : I'm old (27).

However, I can see a distinct advantage to starting young. Not only would a doctor be able to practice several more years, but the brain is more plastic at a younger age. Some of the older posters have said so themselves : they "changed more from 18-22 than at any other time in their life". That's basically saying "my brain was very plastic during that timespan."

How much less plastic is the brain at the age of 27 or 28, or for someone even older? I don't know, and I'm scared to find out. It's possible the difference is relatively small. I wish I had the opportunity to start medical school at 18, and would do so if I got a "do-over" on my life.
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You must have missed the 27, beginning of the end thread. :laugh:

But it says abilities based on accumulation of knowledge increase until 60, so in some ways you are superior to us.
 
So far, that's been the case, but I kind of secretly think that as well as I'm doing now, I would be even better had I started at 18 like the posters here. Those 21 year old undergrads you are comparing yourself to may not occupy the same spot on the bell curve.

Had my "formative years" been in the clinic at 21 and in residency at 22, I might not have had much of a life but it sounds like the recipe for a better physician in the end.
 
eek09 said:
I never said it was wrong to have young kids go to medical school. I said personally I would not admit a student at such a age. That is my own perspective...........just like everyone on SDN has their own perspective about the this topic.

I'm glad schools have allowed older applicants to gain admissions to medical school. To prevent a person to go to medical school at the little age of 25 was silly.

Do you know why sterotypes exist? They exist because they are generally proven true generation after generation.
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Do you not see the hypocrisy in your own posts? How is it silly to prevent 25+ from entering but completely acceptable to hold the perspective that young people should not be admitted? I maintain that whatever reasons have been posted advocating that young people should wait to enter are ludicrous. I never said that all young people should. I said that young people shouldn't be objected to because of their age.

And your last statement is preposterous. Apply it to any other stereotype and you have proven yourself a racist, sexist, ageist, whatever other -ist you can think of. I have never heard a more childish statement, especially from an older poster like yourself.
 
eek09 said:
You stated that being mature, etc, was not a concern. Your last few posts show exactly what us older posters are talking about.
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Haha, you say that about your own words. Apparently reason is no longer applicable.
 
eek09 said:
So you must be one of those mature 19 year olds that are ready for medicine and residency.
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Yes, avoiding the content of an argument and rebutting with cheap antics is perfectly acceptable.
 
Bollywood Junkie said:
Do you not see the hypocrisy in your own posts? How is it silly to prevent 25+ from entering but completely acceptable to hold the perspective that young people should not be admitted? I maintain that whatever reasons have been posted advocating that young people should wait to enter are ludicrous. I never said that all young people should. I said that young people shouldn't be objected to because of their age.

And your last statement is preposterous. Apply it to any other stereotype and you have proven yourself a racist, sexist, ageist, whatever other -ist you can think of. I have never heard a more childish statement, especially from an older poster like yourself.
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I couldn't have stated it any better myself. Stereotypes are just that: stereotypes. Saying one of them *always* holds true is like saying all blondes are dumb... Or all hispanics are lazy. Or something equally ridiculous.
 
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eek09 said:
Looks like we have one of those high school, "he did it first" things going on. Just move on. I have my own perspective and you have yours. Just deal with it. That is something you need to work on. You will have times when you are doing your 3rd year rotations and during residency that will make you cry if you can't handle the perspective of others.
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The only thing you forget is that your perspective isn't something valuable, nor something that I need to "handle". I have stated my opinion just as you have, and you have done nothing but walk around the subject and call me immature for actively disagreeing.
 
eek09 said:
Here is the correct way to write that out..... "handle." If I were to have just read your personal statement and you didn't use the period correctly I would have put your application in the trash.
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haha, I think you could use a grammar book right about now.
 
Okay, I don't know if you actually read anything I write, but I will attempt to explain to you what I have been trying to say this whole time.

I never said that you didn't know what you were talking about. I never said you didn't have more years of experience than a younger individual. Nor did I say that you didn't have a clue. However, you seem to think that your ideas and experiences are superior to younger people's for whatever experiences you have met with. Who ever said these same young people weren't mature or lacked relevant experience? If they are mature enough to be accepted than I think the people's whose opinions actually mean something (adcoms) think otherwise.
 
eek09 said:
Nope, you are wrong. Periods go before the "

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks, even inside single quotes.
Examples:The sign changed from "Walk," to "Don't Walk," to "Walk" again within 30 seconds. She said, "Hurry up." She said, "He said, 'Hurry up.'"

Examples:The sign changed from "Walk," to "Don't Walk," to "Walk" again within 30 seconds. She said, "Hurry up." She said, "He said, 'Hurry up.'"
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in conventional usage, not logical.

When type was handset, a period or comma outside of quotation marks at the end of a sentence tended to get knocked out of position, so the printers tucked the little devils inside the quotation marks to keep them safe and out of trouble. But apparently only American printers were more attached to convenience than logic, since British printers continued to risk the misalignment of their periods and commas.

Again, cheap antics and walking around the subject.
 
vickpick said:
I will be 19 in may of the summer when I apply...
Would that affect my chances?
Anyone know somebody who got in at 19 or anyone here on SDn got in at 19?

Any thoughts appreciated!
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yes. I know a girl who got in at 19, she applied early decision but I don't think it would have mattered. She wants to do neurosurgery "to balance out getting in med school so early".

you just have to show maturity I think, and have plenty of EC's.
 
Man, it's like talking to a wall.

You just don't see the short-sightedness of your speech, do you?

A stereotype is used to catergorize a group of people. People don't understand that type of person, so they put them into classifications, thinking that everyone who is that needs to be like that, or anyone who acts like their classifications is one.

For your reading pleasure:
http://www.progressiveu.org/153355-list-of-common-stereotypes
http://beachflute.teachfor.us/2007/10/28/the-list-of-stereotypes/

I hope you learned something today.

And I hope that what you write is for the sake of argument, because I pity you if you actually believe what you just wrote. And I'm not sure if it is rude or not to call you a racist.
 
eek09, some people mature faster than others, some people mature slower than others. Some wanted to be doctors when they were young, while others changed their minds when they were older. We have people on this forums with MBA, JD, PhD, etc, who later decide to pursue a MD or a DO. However, that does not necessarily make them better doctors than the younger students who enter med school early. Just because a person entered med school at 18 does not mean they didn't go through 4 years of colelge, or had a a valueable 2 years of college.
 
eek09 said:
You are the one that has learning to do. For instance:

Fat people tend to die early? Geeeeeee, I wonder if that is true.

Blonds are not as smart as dark haired people.....geee, studies have only shown this to be true as well ( and for Gods sake, yes there are smart blonds around........don't be stupid)

White men can't jump...............ummmm, how many white men do you see dunking the basketball in the NBA

The NFL is mostly a blackmans sport..........geee, once again, is there more white or black people who play in the NFL.

Pre-meds I tell yeah. No wonder why pre-meds have such a bad rep.
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:bang:
 
Lots of interesting (ok maybe not really) dicussion here.

Bottom line, the average age for a med school matriculant at the outset is way above 18, and it's above 22 as well (anyone have this info handy?). It is EXCEEDINGLY rare to have an 18 year old in your class - as Burns said there is currently ONE at Duke, and that takes into account 4 years of classes.

My point? Statistics are seriously working against you here. Adcoms work to create a unified class that coheres very well - having an 18 year old who can't even drink with a group of median age = 25 doesn't accomplish this task. So yes, you have a shot, but it is very, very small.
 
Thank you. That is what I thought I got across in my first two posts.
 
AdmiralChz said:
Who says that medical school is the *only* relevant thing you can do with your life? Just because you take a year or two off doesn't mean it has to be "irrelevant" - it's all in what YOU make it out to be.

And again, I would have serious issues with someone examining me that's not even legally allowed to drink.
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irrelevancy is relative 😛>.

i meant irrelevant to the med field.. not to life
 
Thanks to rarryn and Bollywood Junkie to support the youngsters...

Booo.... to eek09 - racist!!

Here's what I plan to do:

Instead of finishing my undergrad in 3 years, I'll do it in 4.

This will help me get the Biology Honors which I absolutely wanted when I came into college. Also, I'll be taking some more of the higher level Bio classes which doesn't really help towards admissions as that will be the last year, but will hopefully prepare me for med school.

I'll get my chem minor, for sure... doing it in three years would've been accounted to having seriously awesome luck.. because that would've meant taking some classes in the same semester which are usually offered at the same times at my univ. - meaning I would'nt have been able to take them. now that won't be problem because if I miss a class due to offered times overlap.. I can just take it the next semester.

And, yes as many mentioned, I am very motivated towards doing great things in the Medical field. But I'll be young even when I finish the full four years. This way I'll be exactly 21 when I start med school and that will still beat the average age by a couple of years. And, YES!!! I'll be able to go out and drink lol.. not that I plan on being a drinker...
 
I graduated regularly from HS (18 years old) with lots of ECs, etc... I finished my undergraduate (Biomedical Sciences) with plenty of spare time in my life. The most I ever had to take was 23hrs one semester and that was not as much of a challenge as it might sound. I am twenty years old now and was accepted to begin med school this coming fall. My point is that if you show maturity to the interviewer(s) and have an application just as strong as the ~26 year old whom interviewed right after you I find it not to be a problem. I always find it odd to hear people say, "Oh my gosh why didnt you stay in college as long as possible and enjoy the experience?" I have always felt that I got all I wanted out of the udergraduate experience and that the path to being a physician is a long enough one for someone to miss out on any chance to cut out time along the way. If you think that you can apply early go for it 100% imo. 👍
 
AdmiralChz said:
And again, I would have serious issues with someone examining me that's not even legally allowed to drink.
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So you're saying that you would rather have someone who has been drinking examine you?

To those who say that being 21/22 gives you more "life experience:" being 60 would give you even more. Why shouldn't every medical school applicant wait that long? Getting into medical school at 19/20 just gives you that much longer to work.

To those who say that college is the best time of your life: I am not the least bit interested in having a good time. The sooner I finish my formal education the sooner I can do something really useful.
 
EulerianCircuit said:
So you're saying that you would rather have someone who has been drinking examine you?

To those who say that being 21/22 gives you more "life experience:" being 60 would give you even more. Why shouldn't every medical school applicant wait that long? Getting into medical school at 19/20 just gives you that much longer to work.

To those who say that college is the best time of your life: I am not the least bit interested in having a good time. The sooner I finish my formal education the sooner I can do something really useful.
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👍
 
Some people have a hard time believing that others actually enjoy education. After graduating college, I had a chance to be a dive master in Mozambique for a few years. Would it have been cool? Yeah, probably. But I know for me personally, it would have gotten old... fast. And in a few months if not weeks, I would have been bored out of my mind and ripping apart at the seems. God help me, I don't like traveling that much or aimlessly hanging out. I like learning and studying. I was thus plenty happy to jump right into med school.

That being said, medical school isn't all about learning. It quickly becomes a job. An all consuming job. For those considering enrolling at an early age (pre-20 in the US). Realize you are not just going to go to another cool academic program, you are effecively entering the workforce early. Because of the loans necessary, it's very difficult to get off the med school freight train once you get on, another consideration.

Also, because of the time commitments necessary, it becomes very difficult to meet and hang out with people your own age. This might not seem that important, but I always took for granted having a fairly large group of good friends at a similar place in life. In med school, most of your classmates (who will be self-selected for the type who like security) will be in their mid-twenties and looking to settle down. The disconect between that and your life as a teenager may be more significant than you realize at first. I loved my classmates as they were an incredibly good group, but we were just at different places in our lives.

Med school was thus much more socially isolating than I anticipated. I thought it might happen, but didn't think it would be a problem at all before I started. It's hard to appreciate what a period of extended isolation can do to a person until you go through it. Not to be melodramatic, but I think I can now understand why being precocious or a prodigy is associated with being a little weird. Spending too much time alone just gets to you. Not to say you're doomed to a Kaczynski life.

If you have the stats, you'll get into a med school. You'll have a little less "soft" stuff to talk about, but you'll be fine. Do you want to go? Make sure you give it a good long think first.
 
My friend applied at 19 with a high GPA, high MCAT, a research job at Duke, and solid ECs. He is very mature looking though, he looks about 30 (no lie). His father is a professor and his brother is also a MD at Duke and he still got rejected everywhere. I honestly think the main reason he got rejected is because he sounds like he has no 'real world' experience...he lives at home, he works 2 days a week, so I guess they stereotyped him as pampered rich kid. He's really not...and many other applicants have tuition paid by their parents, but since he's young anyway, it just adds to the perception of immaturity. He is doing an MPH now. But I know a girl at USF who got in at 20, her app wasn't as good...so...go ahead and apply but have a backup plan for the next year in case (ex. SMP, travel, research,etc).

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/age0208.htm

1st percentile of matriculants =age 20
 
alex8712 said:
Some people have a hard time believing that others actually enjoy education. After graduating college, I had a chance to be a dive master in Mozambique for a few years. Would it have been cool? Yeah, probably. But I know for me personally, it would have gotten old... fast. And in a few months if not weeks, I would have been bored out of my mind and ripping apart at the seems. God help me, I don't like traveling that much or aimlessly hanging out. I like learning and studying. I was thus plenty happy to jump right into med school.

That being said, medical school isn't all about learning. It quickly becomes a job. An all consuming job. For those considering enrolling at an early age (pre-20 in the US). Realize you are not just going to go to another cool academic program, you are effecively entering the workforce early. Because of the loans necessary, it's very difficult to get off the med school freight train once you get on, another consideration.

Also, because of the time commitments necessary, it becomes very difficult to meet and hang out with people your own age. This might not seem that important, but I always took for granted having a fairly large group of good friends at a similar place in life. In med school, most of your classmates (who will be self-selected for the type who like security) will be in their mid-twenties and looking to settle down. The disconect between that and your life as a teenager may be more significant than you realize at first. I loved my classmates as they were an incredibly good group, but we were just at different places in our lives.

Med school was thus much more socially isolating than I anticipated. I thought it might happen, but didn't think it would be a problem at all before I started. It's hard to appreciate what a period of extended isolation can do to a person until you go through it. Not to be melodramatic, but I think I can now understand why being precocious or a prodigy is associated with being a little weird. Spending too much time alone just gets to you. Not to say you're doomed to a Kaczynski life.

If you have the stats, you'll get into a med school. You'll have a little less "soft" stuff to talk about, but you'll be fine. Do you want to go? Make sure you give it a good long think first.
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free09 said:
My friend applied at 19 with a high GPA, high MCAT, a research job at Duke, and solid ECs. He is very mature looking though, he looks about 30 (no lie). His father is a professor and his brother is also a MD at Duke and he still got rejected everywhere. I honestly think the main reason he got rejected is because he sounds like he has no 'real world' experience...he lives at home, he works 2 days a week, so I guess they stereotyped him as pampered rich kid. He's really not...and many other applicants have tuition paid by their parents, but since he's young anyway, it just adds to the perception of immaturity. He is doing an MPH now. But I know a girl at USF who got in at 20, her app wasn't as good...so...go ahead and apply but have a backup plan for the next year in case (ex. SMP, travel, research,etc).

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/age0208.htm

1st percentile of matriculants =age 20
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I wasn't really trying to offend anyone, sorry if I did.

These two posts pretty much sum up what I was trying to say - in a much more elegant and perhaps not as incendiary fashion 🙂. OP, it's going to be an uphill battle, I agree that you should definitely have a backup plan in case it doesn't pan out during your first application cycle.
 
I like you young people. It's tough to believe that a lot of the other posters are so narrow-minded about your choice to enter medical school at your ages.

And it seems like you've confused them with your logical arguments.
I think you are more mature and competent than those pleading with you to take time off.

So do what you want, and there won't be a problem since you made the choice. 😍😀🙄😕:idea::xf::luck::laugh::meanie:😴😱
 
Stratego said:
Age discrimination is not legal. You will be judged based on your maturity, whether you are 19 or 50. The experiences you list, the responsibilities you've taken, how you've responded to challenges will all help to reflect this. Your behavior, appearance, and bearing at the interview will clinch the impression.
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I have no idea what jurisdiction you're referring to. Age discrimination absolutely is legal, blatantly legal. We have a society that doesn't allow people to drink until they're 21, yet they can enter medical school before they're 21. Obviously if you're mature enough to enter medical school (or the army, for that matter), you're old enough to drink, but that's another thread. Presidents and Congress members must meet certain, relatively high, age criteria. Where is the law that med schools can't discriminate on the basis of age? Maybe they simply realize that while applicants with more experience/maturity are usually over 20, that doesn't mean that all of the best applicants will be over 20.

AdmiralChz said:
And again, I would have serious issues with someone examining me that's not even legally allowed to drink.
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Obviously not all 20 year olds are equally mature/immature, which renders the 21-year-old drinking standard arbitrary, like most age-based laws.

starfishprime said:
I finished high school just before my 16th birthday. Sure, I could have gone straight to college and been literally in your shoes come application time, but I didn't. I spent one year of my life doing something totally random. I ended up with 3 patents and a pulp detective novel before my 17th birthday.

While most people utterly waste their 'gap years,' a boy genius as yourself certainly needn't. There's something to be said for childhood. You know, catch frogs in your back yard, chloroform them, and try your hand at cloning using an $80 second-hand microscope and a micromanipulator cobbled together from scrap transmission parts. It's good fun (and entirely unpatentable ).

[Project update: all the frogs are dead.]
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Ah childhood. I have no idea why people idealize it - being so limited for your own good. Having no purpose or clue of what's going on. Childhood sucks, even if you aren't abused or repressed. The biggest tragedy of young kids dying is that they never got to experience how wonderful it is not to be a child. But it's all a matter of perspective. Some people like being restricted to clear and simple rules and having few responsiblities. I would think most of them would not want to be doctors.

Bollywood Junkie said:
I think being young is more efficient. As Raryn said, that is two more years practicing and contributing something to society rather than wasting time in high school. I think objections to this notion through arguments of immaturity, inexperience, or unpreparedness are completely irrelevant. If someone young has the motivation, brains, and extracurriculars to get this far, it obviously shows that he or she is quite ready to pursue such a field.
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You do have a point, but it's not the whole story. Age in itself shouldn't be a criterion. We probably agree there. But it's important to assess the maturity, experience (and intellectual prowess) of each applicant and I can see why they would look at young applicants more carefully. If somebody goes into medical school and drops out later, they have costed themselves and the school a lot of time and money. Perhaps worse, by being accepted and not following through they represent one more dream deferred or denied for somebody who wants nothing more than to be a doctor. Did age cause them to drop out? No. But if age is correlated with maturity, that would justify extra scrutiny.

LOL, later it looks like you're talking to yourself. Guess his posts got deleted. In fact, it looks like he got deleted from the board.
 
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free09 said:
My friend applied at 19 with a high GPA, high MCAT, a research job at Duke, and solid ECs. He is very mature looking though, he looks about 30 (no lie). His father is a professor and his brother is also a MD at Duke and he still got rejected everywhere. I honestly think the main reason he got rejected is because he sounds like he has no 'real world' experience...he lives at home, he works 2 days a week, so I guess they stereotyped him as pampered rich kid. He's really not...and many other applicants have tuition paid by their parents, but since he's young anyway, it just adds to the perception of immaturity. He is doing an MPH now. But I know a girl at USF who got in at 20, her app wasn't as good...so...go ahead and apply but have a backup plan for the next year in case (ex. SMP, travel, research,etc).

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/age0208.htm

1st percentile of matriculants =age 20
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Same story here. I applied last cycle when I was 19 and got many interviews. But didn't get in anywhere. During the following year,I showed a lot of commitment to not only clinical side but the research side as well. Also, produced a publication. I got in the current application cycle. But, one thing that I cannot manage to wrap my mind around is that I don't think there has been much of a change in who I am. Knowledge-wise yes of course. But, as far as maturity, personality is concerned, I think it's pretty much the same.

I really don't see why many adcoms when looking at application get worried or become cynical when they see a 19 or 20 year old in front of them interviewing to eventually become a physician. I don't think it really matters how much maturity you demonstrate to the interviewer. That age will stick out to them much more than the deep core and accomplishments of the interviewee. But, that's how it is.
 
free09 said:
My friend applied at 19 with a high GPA, high MCAT, a research job at Duke, and solid ECs. He is very mature looking though, he looks about 30 (no lie). His father is a professor and his brother is also a MD at Duke and he still got rejected everywhere. I honestly think the main reason he got rejected is because he sounds like he has no 'real world' experience...he lives at home, he works 2 days a week, so I guess they stereotyped him as pampered rich kid. He's really not...and many other applicants have tuition paid by their parents, but since he's young anyway, it just adds to the perception of immaturity. He is doing an MPH now. But I know a girl at USF who got in at 20, her app wasn't as good...so...go ahead and apply but have a backup plan for the next year in case (ex. SMP, travel, research,etc).

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/age0208.htm

1st percentile of matriculants =age 20
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20 yr olds are 1st percentile is due to the fact that not many 19 yr old apply... here percentile is not applicable... if there were actual number of applicants- ones applied and ones accepted then yes, that wouldve been helpful
 
EulerianCircuit said:
So you're saying that you would rather have someone who has been drinking examine you?

To those who say that being 21/22 gives you more "life experience:" being 60 would give you even more. Why shouldn't every medical school applicant wait that long? Getting into medical school at 19/20 just gives you that much longer to work.

To those who say that college is the best time of your life: I am not the least bit interested in having a good time. The sooner I finish my formal education the sooner I can do something really useful.
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👍
 
lotrmemp said:
👍
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I agree. I think it is important to have these pre-med experiences such as shadowing, volunteering, and the like in order to demonstrate knowledge about the field one is entering, but to say that they shape one's maturity seems far-fetched to me. Sure, someone may have a life-changing experience during these activities, but in my opinion, people have already made the decision to enter medicine having chosen to partake in them. They do them because they are needed for something bigger. And whatever knowledge you gain through them is superficial in the grand scope of becoming a doctor. Sure, research may be slightly different, but as mentioned above, these things do not change the applicant, just his resume.

That is my opinion, please do not start another battle.
 
while this debate about age and its effect on med school admissions rages on, i want to ask a related question--if med adcoms DO discriminate based on age, at what age do they start doing that? would applying at age 20 be too young?
 
thebillsfan said:
while this debate about age and its effect on med school admissions rages on, i want to ask a related question--if med adcoms DO discriminate based on age, at what age do they start doing that? would applying at age 20 be too young?
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I'm just guessing, but I think the cutoff is 21. I think most people applying are right around that age, and any younger is "young". This is based upon my experiences and what other people at my school told me.
 
Bollywood Junkie said:
I'm just guessing, but I think the cutoff is 21. I think most people applying are right around that age, and any younger is "young". This is based upon my experiences and what other people at my school told me.
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I would agree, but I would guess that there are a decent amount of 20 year olds who apply (in some cases, all they would have to do is skip a grade or graduate a year early depending on their bday). But from what I understand, there is a huge drop off from there (to 19), as I have never encountered nor heard of anyone 19 or below this year in the real world.
 
You young people need to realize why adcoms are wishy washy when they see a 19 or 20 year in front of them. If the school were to admitt you at the age of 19, you have basically committed the rest of your life to being a doctor. MOSt 19 year olds have no idea what kind of committent it really is. That is a large reason why you don't see many young people in medical school. Just watch match list videos on YouTube and you will see that most students are well into their later 20's upon graduation. I have never seen one really young looking person in any match list video of any medical school on YouTube.

I also think the young folks on this thread need to watch the biographies on PBS right now to get a taste of what is coming. Most of the doctors being showed on PBS are divorced, addicts, screwed up personal lifes, etc.

And no, young children should not go to medical school at 19 or younger. That's just too young. Even at the age of 20 we are pushing it. The issue is not that these young people are not smart enough to handle everything, but are they emotionally mature enough? I HIGHLY doubt any 19 year old is emotionally mature enough to handle what is going to be coming at them.

Here is the biggest question: What 19 year old KNOWS what committment they are getting into? Shadowing for a few hours here and there is not enough.
 
Yes, I agree that we can't KNOW what we are getting into at any age because these ECs are really just superficial formalities.

However, despite every post in this thread, we still can't agree that, in my opinion, there isn't that much difference between a 19, 20, and 21 year old.

Reading your post, it seems funny to me that you say a 19 or 20 year old isn't ready to make life decisions and know what he or she is getting into. But then I assume you mean that a 21 year old is.

That, to me, is just bogus. :laugh:
 
lala5656 said:
You young people need to realize why adcoms are wishy washy when they see a 19 or 20 year in front of them. If the school were to admitt you at the age of 19, you have basically committed the rest of your life to being a doctor. MOSt 19 year olds have no idea what kind of committent it really is. That is a large reason why you don't see many young people in medical school. Just watch match list videos on YouTube and you will see that most students are well into their later 20's upon graduation. I have never seen one really young looking person in any match list video of any medical school on YouTube.

I also think the young folks on this thread need to watch the biographies on PBS right now to get a taste of what is coming. Most of the doctors being showed on PBS are divorced, addicts, screwed up personal lifes, etc.

And no, young children should not go to medical school at 19 or younger. That's just too young. Even at the age of 20 we are pushing it. The issue is not that these young people are not smart enough to handle everything, but are they emotionally mature enough? I HIGHLY doubt any 19 year old is emotionally mature enough to handle what is going to be coming at them.

Here is the biggest question: What 19 year old KNOWS what committment they are getting into? Shadowing for a few hours here and there is not enough.
Click to expand...

"Most 19 or 20 year olds have no idea about the commitment"

Oh really. You think that all 19/20 yr olds are basically kids who want to act like grown ups. They can't possibly know how the real world works or how to get involved in the real world. This is such an american viewpoint.
Well I know couple of *****s who are 26-27 that wouldn't last a week in other parts of the world because of their stupidity.

People vary not based on age so much but based on their background/culture, the nature of their family, their goals, etc. once you reach the age of 18 or so.

I do hope you know that the entire world does it differently. People start med school at 17 and finish around 23/24. They produce excellent doctors which are lauded in this country. Some of the best physicians in this country (who have graduated from US medical schools) say that foreign grads are just as good and better than US med school grads. Dr. Goljan for example.

It's not the external specs of a person that matter but their internal core, and the crux of their lives.
 
Bollywood Junkie said:
Yes, I agree that we can't KNOW what we are getting into at any age because these ECs are really just superficial formalities.

However, despite every post in this thread, we still can't agree that, in my opinion, there isn't that much difference between a 19, 20, and 21 year old.

Reading your post, it seems funny to me that you say a 19 or 20 year old isn't ready to make life decisions and know what he or she is getting into. But then I assume you mean that a 21 year old is.

That, to me, is just bogus. :laugh:
Click to expand...

Speaking from my experience and that of my friends, I can say there is a HUGE difference in maturity (ON AVERAGE) between 19 and 21. Take it or leave it, that's been what I've seen.
 
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