Age

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In most cases, no. Though, I'm not sure why you are asking, so I'll leave a little flexibility in my answer.

If your age is a concern to adcoms, they will bring it up.
 
Barcu said:
In most cases, no. Though, I'm not sure why you are asking, so I'll leave a little flexibility in my answer.

If your age is a concern to adcoms, they will bring it up.
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Not really a issue but I'm not a typical applicant who applied in junior year. Took time off after graduation and I'm applying now. So I'm not 21 but I'm not 30 either. Unsure how admissions will look at this
 
Bomikepa said:
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Not really a issue but I'm not a typical applicant who applied in junior year. Took time off after graduation and I'm applying now. So I'm not 21 but I'm not 30 either. Unsure how admissions will look at this
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Oh. You have no problems then. It's becoming the norm to take some time off between graduation and starting med school. The extra experience outside of school will be a positive thing.
 
Write bomikapa age 26 on your name tag. Throw a Dr. on there to so too, so they will see that they can picture a Dr. Bomikapa at their medical school.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling
 
I can hardly believe most of the people I interview with are 21, they usually look quite aged (thinning hair, glasses, etc) I guess it's the stress of premed lol
 
If I'm not mistaken, I believe it is technically illegal to ask someone their age during an interview (although this is a rule that is often broken)
 
Chill out. Everything will be fine. Some schools even like people who have scents a few years working - it means you figured out how to go to a job, show up on time, etc. Shoot, one of my classmates has three kids - she's freaking super mom and a stellar student.

Also, it may be illegal to ask about age (but I think you have your birthday on amcas....), but almost all of those questions will end up being benign and simply trying to get to know you better.

Good luck.
 
Don't worry about your age. It matters less than you think. And there is no need to mention your age in the application.
 
Barcu said:
Oh. You have no problems then. It's becoming the norm to take some time off between graduation and starting med school. The extra experience outside of school will be a positive thing.
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even if you were 30 it wouldn't be a problem
 
At most schools I've interviewed at, 21 yr olds are the exception. Most of my fellow interviewees have been "non-traditional" i.e. 22+ and have already finished undergrad for a year or more.
 
Geebeejay said:
At most schools I've interviewed at, 21 yr olds are the exception. Most of my fellow interviewees have been "non-traditional" i.e. 22+ and have already finished undergrad for a year or more.
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Same. I normally have a few 22 year old students and then a few 28+. I had one interview with someone who was 19, and that person stood out because he/she looked really young compared to everyone else. In his/her case, coming off as very mature is a must!
 
You're definitely not going to be the only one there who isn't 21 or 22. I wouldn't mention your age directly. Use the years you took off to convey your sense of maturity, and how they contributed to your experiences that shaped you as a person (and led you to this path). Confidence in your own skin goes a long way, especially on interviews I've realized.
 
Twinnering said:
You're definitely not going to be the only one there who isn't 21 or 22. I wouldn't mention your age directly. Use the years you took off to convey your sense of maturity, and how they contributed to your experiences that shaped you as a person (and led you to this path). Confidence in your own skin goes a long way, especially on interviews I've realized.
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this is mostly why i was thinking about mentioning it. i have learned a lot by actually working rather than sitting in class learning about pathways and jazz. There is a different level of growth and maturity that comes into play when you are the one who makes the decisions and you are the one who is responsible for the outcome.

i understand the need to excel in academics, to demonstrate your capability to show that you will handle medical school but there is a whole another side to this science. Practicing it is a different story. I never knew about this side until i got involved.

i want to say im this old i have taken time off since graduation and have had some wonderful unique experiences that have given my experiences that i would have never had. But at the same time, i bet there are many others who have taken time off and done the same so am i really making a point by saying it?
 
Bomikepa said:
this is mostly why i was thinking about mentioning it. i have learned a lot by actually working rather than sitting in class learning about pathways and jazz. There is a different level of growth and maturity that comes into play when you are the one who makes the decisions and you are the one who is responsible for the outcome.

i understand the need to excel in academics, to demonstrate your capability to show that you will handle medical school but there is a whole another side to this science. Practicing it is a different story. I never knew about this side until i got involved.

i want to say im this old i have taken time off since graduation and have had some wonderful unique experiences that have given my experiences that i would have never had. But at the same time, i bet there are many others who have taken time off and done the same so am i really making a point by saying it?
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All of this information will be present in your application: your age, your experiences, your reflection on those experiences, etc. Directly stating that you think your age alone makes you more mature, or directly stating that you think you are more mature than other applicants will sound self-absorbed and closed minded.

Make your interviewers infer that you are more mature than other applicants simply by acting like it and conveying maturity and wisdom through your application and your conversations.
 
Corriefangirl said:
I can hardly believe most of the people I interview with are 21, they usually look quite aged (thinning hair, glasses, etc) I guess it's the stress of premed lol
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I would have totally thought this was a myth/exaggeration until I started finding a few grey hairs during my app cycle.
 
Geebeejay said:
All of this information will be present in your application: your age, your experiences, your reflection on those experiences, etc. Directly stating that you think your age alone makes you more mature, or directly stating that you think you are more mature than other applicants will sound self-absorbed and closed minded.

Make your interviewers infer that you are more mature than other applicants simply by acting like it and conveying maturity and wisdom through your application and your conversations.
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yea thats when the personal examples/ stories come in!
 
My interviewer asked me my age explicitly.

She first asked about my timeline for taking / retaking the MCAT. I was also home schooled and finished high school a year early to start at a community college, so she was having a hard time keeping track of it all. Then she asked what I was doing during my gap year, and I told her about my job (which is usually filled by someone 30+ years old.) She paused, looked even more confused, and finally asked: "OK, how old are you?" :laugh:
 
Bomikepa said:
this is mostly why i was thinking about mentioning it. i have learned a lot by actually working rather than sitting in class learning about pathways and jazz. There is a different level of growth and maturity that comes into play when you are the one who makes the decisions and you are the one who is responsible for the outcome.

i understand the need to excel in academics, to demonstrate your capability to show that you will handle medical school but there is a whole another side to this science. Practicing it is a different story. I never knew about this side until i got involved.

i want to say im this old i have taken time off since graduation and have had some wonderful unique experiences that have given my experiences that i would have never had. But at the same time, i bet there are many others who have taken time off and done the same so am i really making a point by saying it?
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I think there are multiple ways to work this in an interview, and don't think that there aren't ways you can't address this without mentioning your age. In fact I think your description of what your time off gave you was great actually. I mentioned several times during my interviews about how making decisions for patients, being responsible for their care, etc really helped me develop and grow as a person and they really respected that.

Your interviewers want to see that you can take medicine beyond just the books, that you aren't just a sack of scientific facts with no way of applying them. It's why they called you in person, to see how well you can function so I think it's always an asset when you can show them you can move beyond mastering just the classroom aspect of it.

Yes, you are making a point because you're telling them how you got to where you are and why your experiences will make you a great physician. I think LizzyM has mentioned before how she's seen just about everything on med school apps, in terms of ECs. It doesn't mean they aren't worth talking about, just that you need to sincerely tell them how your experiences shaped the life you have lived. Unique doesn't always mean the most "out of this world" experience you can conjure up, sometimes it's just your own perspective and the things you've gone through. I think you have good things to talk about, that can make you stand out if you can confidently talk about them.
 
Bomikepa said:
who is "LizzyM" ? i have seen the name referenced a lot.
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She posts on here regularly. She's in med school admissions.

There's also a "LizzyM" score that includes a combination of mcat and GPA to assess competitiveness for particular med schools.
 
Geebeejay said:
Make your interviewers infer that you are more mature than other applicants simply by acting like it and conveying maturity and wisdom through your application and your conversations.
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This. Letting your interviewers come to their own conclusions about your level of maturity will leave a stronger impression than you saying "I'm ___ years old, I've seen things and done things and know a lot more than the average traditional student." I'm sure you would have said it more eloquently, but focusing on what you've learned and how you've grown is better than explicitly giving them your age and timeline (unless they ask for it).
 
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