12 year old at mstp interviews (for real!)

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Originally posted by Incendiary
There was a story a while ago about a young girl who went to school at some college in the South. She was really young, but her parents let her go by herself. Well, to make a long story short, she ended up getting taken advantage of by the football and basketball teams. Members of the teams got her addicted to illicit drugs like cocaine and used her for sex.

If there really is no other place where these prodigies can receive the intellectual stimulation they crave, it seems like college is where they should be. And if their parents need to accompany them to prevent such abuse from occurring, then what's the big deal? Apparently, from the testimony we've heard from SDNers and from "experts" cited in news articles, these kids will be emotionally different no matter what. So why not let them progress with their lives?


ESPN magazine wrote that this occurred at University of Alabama-birmingham. The girl was social outcase, but start doing football players' reports. In turn they got her drunk and had sex with her. Pretty sad article. I think it is the july or august issue if you want to go out and find the article.
 
Canem-it's the whole feeling of having to "hide" what you are from age 5 that caused a great deal of those other issues. And being socially maladjusted. See the post above and maybe you'll understand why I became a teenage mom, while I'm not going so far as to claim abuse, I just wanted to fit in so bad I did just about anything.

Isid-While I appreciate your words of wisdom, let me remind you that I said I now have a new outlook on life-I wasn't trying to convert to anything for any purpose. It's only been in the last few years that I've been able to get involved in the world around me and live like this, but my life prior to that was hell-and real. And sometimes now I even manage to forget about that, but then I run into someone who reacts like you. You have no clue what goes on in my mind and with my feelings.

Believe me, I would give ANYTHING to be able to just fit in without having to think about it and try. Maybe Sho isn't bothered by this because his parents are so supportive. Like the poster said before, we'll be different no matter what so why can't we live our lives. My original post was just meant to provide a contrast, since so many of you were saying he didn't belong in college, to show you what happens when you try and stick the person in a normal setting. I really didn't mean anything beyond that.
 
OK, chicken noodles, I have to wade in:

First, about his english skills-might he and his parents be english as a second language learners?

Second, about his mom having "issues"-kids don't come with instruction manuals. When you are blessed with a child that is even TWO standard deviations above OR below the mean you are really in uncharted waters. You do the best you can. It is hard to explain to the neighbors that it isn't your idea of fun when your two year old is copying multisyllabic words off of the cereal box.

Third, isn't there a difference between emotional intelligence and emotional maturity?

And here is my last, but really Ma thing to say....
You guys are the smartest, funniest, brightest, most energetic and motivated group I've ever had the pleasure of hanging with. It hurts my soul to see narrow minded, close minded, judgemental, harsh, un-informed and dare I say...bigoted....comments you make to one another.

Seek to understand.

Love,
Ma
 
I am choosing to re-post my earlier post in this thread because the issue of "emotional intelligence" is coming up. I don't know, I just felt like I wanted to repeat what I had said before.

We really should give this kid a break. If I had a child like this someday, I surely would do what this mom is doing. Feeding the imagination and mind is far better than letting A WONDERFUL GIFT GO IN WASTE!!! I would be proud of my son and ask him to break any and every barrier there is set up by the "average man." I would be my son's loudest cheerleader. After reading the articles on him, I have realized t hat he WANTS to do all this. By no means is he coaxed into doing something he doesn't want to do.

I think we all need things like this to see in our lifetimes, so we can realize and appreciate the power of nature/God. In a world where we have artificial limbs and computers that do surgeries and replace humans, we need to see there is a greater omnipotent power before all of us.

Originally posted by Tweetie_bird
being jealous is okay. we are not hurting him by being jealous. But there is something I wanted to say to those that keep claiming that he may not be mature enough.

I have seens tons of shows about child prodigies and seen even more interviews on them. I am simply fascinated by them. There is a lot of credence given to "emotional intelligence." Psychologists know it...and we even refer to it in our daily language. If this child is "intelligent," chances are that he is also "emotionally intelligent." I mean, how is it possible to have a child know and be able to derive newton's laws at 3..yet not know how to behave in situations where their emotional intelligence is required? These kids have been looked at, prodded and spoken about all their lives. They have probably been more out of their comfort zone than we have ever been and probably already have the skills that we attest to having. I know that their maturity level may not be as high as ours, BUT, these are kids learn information at such a fast rate, I am sure they will try to keep up with us (if not already surpass us).

I am happy for the kid, and i am sure whatever intelligent choices he has made, he will learn to live with them just as we all do.
 
Each of us come into this world with our own set of baggage. Some of it brought on by ourselves, and some....just by being the people that God created us. HOW we deal with those "differences" is what makes us successful or failures. For some it's the "social" aspects of life, and for others it's physical limitations, and the list could go on. My son is VERY different from his peers. In my home we call it a "gift" from God. Every week my husband and I make the point to tell him just how special he is and how proud we are that God put in him OUR family. This is the lot that he has been given...he can either choose to see the positive side of life, or choose to dwell on the isolation that being "different" brings. So far at the age of 10 he is a well "adjusted" , if somewhat unusual, child. He enjoys life and knows that he is loved just as he is. THAT is what life is about for all of us. Accepting who we are and choosing to excel in our strengths. Too often we choose to compare our weaknesses with someone elses strengths, rather than focusing on our own strengths and being the best that we can be.
 
I'm all about letting children reach their potentials and all. But I
feel sketchy about letting a 12 year old into an important profession like medicine. I dont understand why this kid had to finish college in 2 years. So what if hes a genius and can handle the workload in that short a time span, but why not let him do the regular 4 years and if he has so much free time cos he finishes his school work in the matter of minutes, have him get involved in OTHER THINGS like sports, clubs, volunteering etc. I dont see the rush, he's not gonna get any stupider by spending the regular 4 years, in fact I think he'd become more well rounded by taking advantage of all a university setting has to offer in his abundance of free time, or he could even write a few research theses if he really wants to in his free time.
 
I too had a similar early childhood like Relative was discussing and apart from the feeling different, I was also consumed with the world's problems. I worried about the starving children in 3rd world countries, war torn areas, and huge social problems that complicate our world.

When I started kindergarten, it wasn't a week until Mom was being called in because I didn't relate to the other kids and wouldn't do the work because why should I do papers writing out numbers and letters when I had been reading and writing for years. I thought school was a total waste of time and I hated every moment of it, but this is where the story drastically differs. The biggest advocate I have ever had in my life is my Mom. She refused to let the school system duck out on their responsibility to educate me, even if I was different and required much harder work to be challenged. This became an every year thing. She would go in and talk to the teacher and they would work out my educational plan, but she also insisted that I complete every assignment, regards of how beneath me it was and she forced me to take part in things with my class.

She recognized that while I was intellectually mature that I was emotionally immature. She refused to allow them to skip me ahead, and this was requested all the time because she graduated from high school at 16 and went on the college and she realized that this plan had a lot of problems. By forcing me to do things this way, I eventually caught up emotionally. At times, I would be so angry at her because I couldn't understand why she was holding me back but now I'm glad.

Who knows whether this Mom is doing the right things or not but hopefully she is doing what she thinks is in the best interest of her child. My Mom has always been my greatest supporter, but she is very well aware of my weaknesses also. She made the right decision for me. It's all about knowing your child. I have my doubts about how being in a MSTP at 12 will effect a child. It doesn't really seems like this kid has had much time grow up, but I sincerely hope that his parents have honestly weighted all the pros and cons of this journey and made the right decision for their child.
 
Hi,

If anyone wants to read more stories like such (including sho's earlier one, and the girl in alabama), you can look here:
http://www.geocities.com/teenagehomeschool/gifted.html
(it's a site i once maintained better).

Anyway, it's kindof nice to know others out their like this. And, I'll give my experience/view point on this. I'm not going to try and bash all your arguments, that there is no way a 12 year old can go to medschool. I vehemently disagree, but i've seriously given up bashing them.

Anyway, i started college when I was nine. But, before then, i was no super genius. I struggled in fourth grade english, and was in 5th/6th grade math.
College was just a supplement to homeschooling (art lab, chem lab, l ot o variety), but once i started, i just continued, and then graduated nine years later.

But, initially I was plain sick of everywhere, all over campus "what are you doing here?" "you're mom goes to school here?" "are you the professor's daughter?" weirded yet... my little league friends MOM was in the same algebra class as me? But, it was, worse then being with the college students, to be with your age matched peers. Because, you're some sortof freak. And, then, they think you're some super genius and, trivia you on weird things (apparently we know everything?). So... are you suprised they socially avoid? I used to be running between classes to avoid others. 🙁

Anyway, first i made a campus club of all the younger kids. we were small, but that was great experience (except we couldn't hold membership up enough). But, soon, i just got people to accept me. The little pre adolescent kid who hangs around the campus.

For a lot of u s, it's not about genius or anything. I was pretty normal in 4th grade. We were just given the opporunity, and not held back by conforming to the society.

Why does he need to slow himself down, though, just because he's younger than everyone else. The ONLY, and I accept ONLY legitimate reason is that a patient will feel weird with a young teen treating him. B ut, even that should not let him affect any of his descisions.

By the article, i get the id ea, his parents have considered how to raise him.
 
Originally posted by Sonya
Hi,

If anyone wants to read more stories like such (including sho's earlier one, and the girl in alabama), you can look here:
http://www.geocities.com/teenagehomeschool/gifted.html
(it's a site i once maintained better).

Anyway, it's kindof nice to know others out their like this. And, I'll give my experience/view point on this. I'm not going to try and bash all your arguments, that there is no way a 12 year old can go to medschool. I vehemently disagree, but i've seriously given up bashing them.

Anyway, i started college when I was nine. But, before then, i was no super genius. I struggled in fourth grade english, and was in 5th/6th grade math.
College was just a supplement to homeschooling (art lab, chem lab, l ot o variety), but once i started, i just continued, and then graduated nine years later.

But, initially I was plain sick of everywhere, all over campus "what are you doing here?" "you're mom goes to school here?" "are you the professor's daughter?" weirded yet... my little league friends MOM was in the same algebra class as me? But, it was, worse then being with the college students, to be with your age matched peers. Because, you're some sortof freak. And, then, they think you're some super genius and, trivia you on weird things (apparently we know everything?). So... are you suprised they socially avoid? I used to be running between classes to avoid others. 🙁

Anyway, first i made a campus club of all the younger kids. we were small, but that was great experience (except we couldn't hold membership up enough). But, soon, i just got people to accept me. The little pre adolescent kid who hangs around the campus.

For a lot of u s, it's not about genius or anything. I was pretty normal in 4th grade. We were just given the opporunity, and not held back by conforming to the society.

Why does he need to slow himself down, though, just because he's younger than everyone else. The ONLY, and I accept ONLY legitimate reason is that a patient will feel weird with a young teen treating him. B ut, even that should not let him affect any of his descisions.

By the article, i get the id ea, his parents have considered how to raise him.

interesting website.
 
Originally posted by DarkChild
please you think his mom lets him browse the web indepedently? with all the bad things there are out there... 🙄
not hating now - ok maybe a little, but the kid really should bone up on his english grammer.
anyone read the CBS article? WTF was he saying???
he should stick to physics and math, and maybe an engineer.
does NASA have any age requirements?
True, lol.
 
Originally posted by Sonya
Hi,

If anyone wants to read more stories like such (including sho's earlier one, and the girl in alabama), you can look here:
http://www.geocities.com/teenagehomeschool/gifted.html
(it's a site i once maintained better).

Anyway, it's kindof nice to know others out their like this. And, I'll give my experience/view point on this. I'm not going to try and bash all your arguments, that there is no way a 12 year old can go to medschool. I vehemently disagree, but i've seriously given up bashing them.

Anyway, i started college when I was nine. But, before then, i was no super genius. I struggled in fourth grade english, and was in 5th/6th grade math.
College was just a supplement to homeschooling (art lab, chem lab, l ot o variety), but once i started, i just continued, and then graduated nine years later.

But, initially I was plain sick of everywhere, all over campus "what are you doing here?" "you're mom goes to school here?" "are you the professor's daughter?" weirded yet... my little league friends MOM was in the same algebra class as me? But, it was, worse then being with the college students, to be with your age matched peers. Because, you're some sortof freak. And, then, they think you're some super genius and, trivia you on weird things (apparently we know everything?). So... are you suprised they socially avoid? I used to be running between classes to avoid others. 🙁

Anyway, first i made a campus club of all the younger kids. we were small, but that was great experience (except we couldn't hold membership up enough). But, soon, i just got people to accept me. The little pre adolescent kid who hangs around the campus.

For a lot of u s, it's not about genius or anything. I was pretty normal in 4th grade. We were just given the opporunity, and not held back by conforming to the society.

Why does he need to slow himself down, though, just because he's younger than everyone else. The ONLY, and I accept ONLY legitimate reason is that a patient will feel weird with a young teen treating him. B ut, even that should not let him affect any of his descisions.

By the article, i get the id ea, his parents have considered how to raise him.

Hey Sonya,
I get where you're coming from. But I still have some problems with him going to medical school.
I go to a very traditional school and we actually started seeing patients in the 3rd week (not 3rd year). We start pelvic exams in 2nd year. Can you imagine yourself doing a pelvic exam when you're just going through puberty? Can you imagine your pelvic exam being done by a 12 or 13 year old boy? I don't think it's healthy, both for the boy and the patients. If he's going MSTP, the best thing will be to do the research part before even starting first year med.
 
Nevermind a pelvic exam. I don't want to talk about ANYTHING private with a 12-year old. I'm sorry, I just don't want to talk about my medical health with a child, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. No matter how brilliant or compassionate they may be. When he's, say, 17, things will be different.
 
Good points, everyone. I know Yale's got a 14 year old and a 44-year-old grandmother, too. (Dean Silverman says the 14-year old is well-adjusted and completely normal. Those middle school years could make all the difference... middle school/puberty just sucks, no matter how you experience it. Unless you were one of the popular kids. And then you suck.) 😉

Question--I agree the kid is too young to really be effective as a clinician, but if he's doing an MD/PhD program, won't he be a little further along once he gets to his clinical years? I thought MD/MSTP is 2 years med school, 4 years research, 2 years clinical?

And if he's doing a research program, isn't there a possibility he won't be seeing patients, just doing research?
 
Don't most medical programs try to start clinical contact in the first year? Not the rotations that you do in third year, but shadowing doctors, learning to do physicals and take histories, etc.
 
yet another good SDN thread. Not really surprised to see so many 'gifted' and accelerated-education types on here. go SDN!

This is the word through our grapevine: Sho interviewed here a few weeks ago (think I told jot about this first- or maybe HE told me about it *shrug*) and subsequently I had a conversation with some MSTP's. The MSTP community is pretty tight @ our school and a couple of them actually interviewed him and said that he was quite normal... for a 12 yr old. Walking alongside the interviewers, who tried to hold conversation, he dragged his hand across the lockers. Acknowledging his youth and the awkwardness patients would find, he is considering doing a total of two or three PhD's along with the MD. In this circumstance, he would start with one and depending on how quick he finishes, would get on the second one or begin MD.

It's sad, but we all just assumed that he hadn't thought this out in anticipation of interviews.
 
Originally posted by USeF
he is considering doing a total of two or three PhD's along with the MD.

Dude that friggin rocks! He's living my dream! 😎
 
I question any MD/PhD program who would accept this kid.

does he have the smarts? absolutely, I'm sure he rocked the MCAT and has a great GPA.

But MD/PhD is not all about that stuff. Part of MD/PhD admissions is having a clear and thorough understanding of why you want to do both MD and PhD degrees simultaneously.

From what I've seen of this kid, he does NOT seem to have a good understanding of this. His reasons that I've seen stated are:

1) Pursuing MD/PhD will take longer so I'll be older when I start treating patients

2) I like learning

3) I like research.

These are all immature reasons and indicate that he doesnt really understand the career path of an MD/PhD or understand the role they play in medicine.

Now, maybe his mommy told him what the "right" things are to say during hte interviews so that he would pass this test. But from what I've seen, I cant imagine him having good, thoughtful mature interviews. I'm sure he can talk about science, but I'm not sure he can talk about relationships and people.

Besides, once he gets into the program, who would be willing to have a 12 year old in their lab? Part of working in a lab is cooperating with other scientists, and I'm not sure he has these skills.

I'm curious to hear about his previous research experience. What are his publications? Whose lab is he working in? Who are his co-authors?
 
Would you feel better if he could BS or dress up his views like adults? He has an intrinsic affinity to research, much like some of us had an affinity towards nintendo at his age. Bottom line, we all are in this game because we enjoy it in one form or another. To imply that his desire is somehow wrong does a grave injustice to the boy.

As far as lab work, any negative behavior would speak volumes about the adults rather then the child. I doubt the kid has developed social verbal skills or knows the rules in social interaction. As the adults, why can't we look past this? After all, lab work is about the science, not about social interaction.

The real question we should ask ourselves is why do we feel so negative towards this kid?
 
Originally posted by Ryo-Ohki

The real question we should ask ourselves is why do we feel so negative towards this kid?

Good question, in all honesty I think we are all somewhat jealous...maybe, probably. I know when I was 12 years old I was worrying about passing pre-algebra class, yet this kid at 12 years old has accomplished more "academically" than I have in 20 years, it's truly amazing and yes im very jealous, but im also happy for him.

I will have to agree that at 12 years old he might not be ready to enter the benevolent atmosphere of a hospital, however, I do not know him or his experiences. However, I can't help be be biased because im spilling over with jelousy. grrrrrr🙄
 
There are several different kinds of intelligence.I know of people who are intrigued by something such as physics or mathematics but couldn't write a poem or article if their lif depended on it.Some people may do both extremely well but be a social disaster.Others may seem completely perfect in all areas...but of course they aren't,just close to it.

I'm no genius but I can kind of relate to what this kid is going through.Any publisher or editor I went to had trouble keeping a straight face if I met with them because I was pretty young.Maybe this kid is a member of SDN,or not.I was usually called a genius by classsmates,(forgive me for bloating my ego) but I eventually fitted in because at the core I was just a normal kid,you know.I was reluctant to raise my hand to answer questions in class.I was slightly introverted in my early years but I gnerally just fell in.Most of you probably have had the same experience,considering most of you are attending medical school.

But I'm willing to bet afew of you are kids.Well,maybe not kids,but perhaps 15 or so.I've talked with several younger friends and cousins and they make up personas online.Heck,for all you people know I could be 15,lol.I wish this kid the best of luck in his studies,and if medicine is truly what he wans to do,I hope he flourishes.But if not,then I hope he finds his calling.
 
You know I just have this remembrance of a 12 year old that was in my second semester organic. His parents put a lot of pressure on him--he thought he could be sneaky and put a copy of the reaction study sheet on the floor under his desk. The Prof caught him like 2 min into the test and kicked him out of the room--he was expelled.
-=Eric
 
Research professors will LOVE to have him. They won't mind about his interaction skills. But, twelve year old could be very different ( i mean, different twelve year olds can vary a lot). But, on the surface, a research professors would be glad to have him.

My PI never minded i started in lab, as a junior, when i was 15. and published a paper when i was 16 (granted the editors didn't know.. lol). But, science professors, on the whole, are impressed by such.

I'm wondering if the last post was made up...

In terms of the descision, i'm sure medschools will really check for that. and, it's very possible he is made up.
But, do you think schools want to interview him, for the hell of it? for curiousity? I mean, do you think he, compared to other applicants is going to get more interview for the given number of acceptances.

Sonya
 
Originally posted by Ryo-Ohki
Would you feel better if he could BS or dress up his views like adults? He has an intrinsic affinity to research, much like some of us had an affinity towards nintendo at his age. Bottom line, we all are in this game because we enjoy it in one form or another. To imply that his desire is somehow wrong does a grave injustice to the boy.

As far as lab work, any negative behavior would speak volumes about the adults rather then the child. I doubt the kid has developed social verbal skills or knows the rules in social interaction. As the adults, why can't we look past this? After all, lab work is about the science, not about social interaction.

The real question we should ask ourselves is why do we feel so negative towards this kid?

Oh my goodness, for the first time I actually agree with an entire Ryo-Ohki post. And I was this close to blocking them...

I know some 12 year olds who act more mature than many 25 year olds. And have the social and communication skills to function just fine in both the adult and pre-teen worlds. It appears from the people who have actually interviewed him that he might not be there yet, but I doubt that's really that critical. Many of us get those skills around 14-15, and people tend to develop them sooner if they are in situations that require them. Yeah, some of the physical exam stuff may be a little awkward at first, but he would hardly be unusual in experiencing that.

If I had a kid like him, and he had choosen to accelerate (not my decision), I probably would encourage him to go for a PhD and wait on an MD until he acted a little more mature (appropriate body language for interviews, for example), but ultimately, I doubt it matters.
 
As someone who attended a college with one of the only early matriculation programs in the country (kids skip high school, go straight to college), I have mixed feelings about this boy. On the one hand, I have always believed that maturity is not dependent solely on age. Many people in my program graduated at 16, 17, 18, etc., and we all had relatively normal childhoods and active social lives. Certainly, as other people have mentioned, a lot of these kids at age 15 were more mature than their 25 year old classmates. Furthermore, had these students actually finished high school, they may have wasted a lot of time intellectually.

On the other hand, where do we draw the line? An 18 or 19 year old in medical school, some may already look upon as being too young or too immature to treat patients. I was 18 when I applied to medical school, and even though I never mentioned this as part of my application (nor did I look 18), I still got questioned about this when interviewers actually noticed my age. I still felt a bit insecure when I started medical school, and I'm sure many of my classmates, had they known my age, would have questioned my maturity level. And that's an 18-year-old! What about a 17 year old? Or a really mature 14, 15, or 16 year old? I don't know.... And honestly, I feel very ambiguous about this too. Where do we draw the line of "too young?"

The only thing I know is that I don't think it's fair to be negative to the boy or tell him continuously that he is missing social development or anything of that sort. After all, what can he do differently now? Now that he is a 12 year old college graduate, what do we expect him to do? Do any of us think that he is so socially stunted that the best thing for him to do is to go back to junior high, then high school, all over again? What CAN he do at this point, if his ultimate goal is to become a physician? I would guess that's why he's applying MD/PhD, because he can't do anything else at this point, at least in terms of education, but go to higher education. Sad, perhaps, but think about it: if you were that boy, or that boy's mother, what would you want him to do now?
 
I've been doing a lot of thinking about things on this thread..it obviously affected me pretty much and I needed to come revisit it. And I want to apologize for sounding so dramatic before-that particular day I had just gotten home from a conference with my son's teacher regarding his inadequate gifted and talented curriculum and was very sensitive on the issue to begin with. Now mind you, I'm not trying to make excuses, and every word I wrote was true, but I'm apologizing because I realize I sounded like a pompous a*s and digressed pretty badly from the point of this thread.

That said, I'm still working on learning a lot of things about life that I should have learned as a child, teenager, young adult, but didn't. Funny thing is, had I worked to my full potential and taken Sho's path, I'd be finished with residency and practicing by now. Instead, I'm barely starting premed classes. But I no longer regret the loss of that like I used to, because the more I learn about life and relating to people, the more I have grave doubts about my ability to have been a good physician in that situation. And, like many of you, I have grave doubts about Sho's ability given his circumstances as well.

I only hope that his parents aren't so concerned about his academic development that they neglect his personal and emotional development-it's really hard to integrate them all once they get out of balance. Believe me, I know! I get too caught up sometimes in emphasizing one facet of myself over others, whether it be the "genius outcast" side or the "normal" side or the "victim of abuse" side and using it to separate myself from others.

But now, after reading some of your posts responding to my original message (and many others), I realize that I don't need or want to separate myself from others unnecessarily anymore, because I can learn something from EVERYONE. Who I am and what I was doesn't matter anymore except for what I have learned from it. What does matter is what I can learn in the future and I don't want to shut off any possible avenues by which I can learn stuff. Which is why I'm posting this apology in hopes that anyone I've offended will accept it. God knows most of you probably know a heck of a lot more than I do about life and dealing with people and I'm hoping to pick up as much as I can along the way-I want to be the best physician that I can be, anything less would be a disservice to myself and to the profession and to all of you who are putting your hearts into it.

Though some of your words were harsh, I thank you for them. I needed to be knocked down a peg and returned to earth.
 
so what happened with this kid? anyone go to pritzker with him know how he did as an ms1??
 
When I interviewed at Pritzker, my student host personally knew the kid. So did many of the other MS1's that I met on my interview day. They said he was down to earth and a nice guy, but pretty quirky, which you'd sort of expect from someone just getting into puberty and all. Apparently he won't be practicing for some time, and there's also talk of him pursuing two PhD degrees. 😱

Maybe other Pritzker students could give some more insight?
 
for someone like that guy...

id say the phd route is the wisest thing to do. hes obviously gifted academically...doing research might be the best thing...and if he wanted to practice after that...thatd be good since hed be old enough not to scare all the patients. 😀
 
Originally posted by docmemi
so what happened with this kid? anyone go to pritzker with him know how he did as an ms1??

i'm just wondering what it means that pritzker took sho but not me 😀
 
what did happen to this kid? i'm really curious now.
 
If anyone wants to read more stories like such (including sho's earlier one, and the girl in alabama), you can look here:
http://www.geocities.com/teenagehomeschool/gifted.html
(it's a site i once maintained better).

did anyone else realize how all these people on this site are pre med? i find that rather intriguing, why not be anything else?
 
I'd hate to have parents like his.
 
I cant believe I went through all of this...Yes, I read the whole thread. I'm sure the kid is doing fine. I cant see how it would be otherwise.

But the question is what happens to kid prodigies on the long run? How many Nobel laureates, Guggenheim fellows, Ford fellows, etc, were child prodigies? I have a feeling that they end up consumed by the accelerated pace at which they are forced to go through life.

Who knows, this one may be different, but it would make for interesting journalism...Time should follow up on that
 
Childe said:
I'd hate to have parents like his.

Beats having a parent who doesn't give a sh1t about you or is never around.
 
This 12 year old kid was on 20/20..He went to Northwestern Med School and the interviewer was like, "So how do you get along with your classmates," and he said something like, "Well they don't notice my age when we are studying." He had a 10 year old sister and they made her out to be sort of the "average" kid, but then they slip in, oh yeah she's going to college or high school next year!
 
I'm sorry, but that is just horrible. At 12 years of age you shouldn't even know what mstp stands for! Your life at 12 should consist of:
video games, junior high dances, getting out of 4th period early to get in the pizza line, becoming more attracted to the other sex, playing practical jokes on your closest friends, and making a contraption that will prevent an egg from breaking when you drop it from the top of a 2 story building.

Not in any particular order.
IMO, what a waste of a childhood.
 
ehd327 said:
I'm sorry, but that is just horrible. At 12 years of age you shouldn't even know what mstp stands for! .

what about what milf stands for? 😀
 
ehd327 said:
I'm sorry, but that is just horrible. At 12 years of age you shouldn't even know what mstp stands for! Your life at 12 should consist of:
video games, junior high dances, getting out of 4th period early to get in the pizza line, becoming more attracted to the other sex, playing practical jokes on your closest friends, and making a contraption that will prevent an egg from breaking when you drop it from the top of a 2 story building.

Not in any particular order.
IMO, what a waste of a childhood.

I don't see why people get so upset when other people aren't having what they consider to be a normal childhood.

Nobody seems upset that Andre Aggassi or Anna Kournikova didn't have a normal childhood and played tennis all the time and turned pro as teenagers. There are tons of figure skaters/gymnasts who devote all their childhood to these pursuits with very little time for other things. I don't see how this is any different since he clearly has the talent and ability to pursue is goals. For somebody of his intellect I highly doubt that he would be amused or interested in things that an average 12 year old would be.
 
why does this thread keep coming back up from the dead?
 
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