Anyone else look young?

[PluckyDuk8]

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Well, in the spirit of the Sho thread...I have a question. Does anyone else look young? I am turning 22 soon, will be starting school in the fall, and am working as an EMT this year. At work I constantly am told that I look young- one 80 something old lady walking around with a walker asked me "shouldn't you be in school?" A psych patient we took who was obviously still psychotic upon transfer to a nursing home (she only wanted to go home) looked at my partner and I and said "you're 14, you're 16, I don't want to go with you." Some Haldol helped that. But anyway...I am worried that people will be hesitant with me or will not respect me as much. But who knows how I will look in 2 years before rotations start? Any thoughts?

 

[Natalie03]

Three things...

1. Med school will age you.

2. (as I'm sure everyone will tell you...) You'll be loving the 'you look young' trait in just a few years from now.

3. Since you probably shouldn't change the physical aspect of your looking young, perhaps a change in how you carry yourself will help. I'm not saying you act immature (I don't even know you). But, whenever I hear people talk and they litter every sentence with 'like' 'um' 'u'know' 'i mean' 'u'know what i mean' (the list goes on), I just think of them as 13-yr-olds. So, throw off any of the old high school mannerisms, if you still have them.

 

[Sophie]

Originally posted by PluckyDuk8
Well, in the spirit of the Sho thread...I have a question. Does anyone else look young?

I do!

I just turned 23 two weeks ago, and I still have people thinking I'm 18. When I was 20 some people thought I was 15, so I guess I'm progressing at a steady pace. I've always loved it, because I've never really felt my age; it'd be a drag to feel 18 and be treated like I was 23.

 

[tBw]

well, the look didn't do much for Doogie Howser but....just donning shirt tie and the famed white coat tends to lend you some extra credence. I think if anything you will be surprised by how much people trust you given your limited ability to help than the other way round. Other than that you will have to rely on the good old fashioned approach of winning trust in your patients, which will only come over time.

For the few remainders who still won't let you treat them - I doubt there will be many - but this can happen for any number of reasons - the patient who wants a male/female/black/white/older/younger/whatever doctor. In those cases, probably you just get them the person they want; after all they'll probably communicate better and thus get the best treatment from someone they are comfortable with....

 

[UCLAstudent]

I look young. I'm 20, but I could probably pass for 15 or 16. I figure I will appreciate it later on.

 

[PluckyDuk8]

Hehe, I get the "you'll appreciate it when you are older" line all the time...

 

[abw]

Hey!
I'm 23 and people tell me I look 16 all the time - especially when I go buy alcohol 'cause I still have my Jersey license. I signed up to volunteer at the hospital at the beginning of the year, and they wouldn't let me do anything even though I kept asking - they told me to just bring a book in and read. When I complained they asked why - and said most people filling their high school requirement didn't want to do anything.

 

[lotanna]

When i volunteered at the hospital last yr, I was 22 and this doc asked if i was a junior in high schl, I was like yeah in aug 95-june 96 😛

 

[irlandesa]

25 y/o female and could definitely still pass as a college student of about 20-22, still get carded when I'm not out with parents or older friends. I have aged somewhat during med school, but the year before I started med school and went to a conference that my dad was presenting at, one of his colleagues told me that it was really nice for a high schooler to show interest in a scientific/medical career. I was 23 at the time and I'm about 5'8 and don't exactly look like I'm in the middle of a vertical growth spurt😀 I definitely appreciate looking young, makes me feel much less awkward about dating someone a few years younger. and so far I haven't run into any problems with patients or doctors; I think they are used to seeing young-looking students since most of the people in my class look less than their age.

 

[2ndave]

I've had the "young" thing going my whole life, it seems like. It gets weirder as the years go by. Just last week at the hospital where I volunteer, a bunch of EMT's were trying to guess my age. Well, since I'm 30, and none of them are over 25, if they had any idea I was as old as I am, I'm sure they wouldn't have been playing the guessing game. First they guessed 21, then when I said no, "way off" they tried 18! Finally I admitted my real age and no one believed me until I produced ID. That was awful--believe me, no one who has just turned 30 feels happy when it causes people's jaws to drop!

It's embarrassing, sometimes. I'm taking premed classes as a postbacc, so I spend a lot of time around 19 and 20 year olds--no doubt I've regressed a bit in my own mannerisms. But really, I have a college degree, I own a car, pay my own rent, and all that other boring adulthood crap. Yet when people ask if I'm old enough to order a beer (even coffee, once!), I can't help but start to doubt it somewhat myself...

 

[png-girl]

yup i definitely look young, but the problem is i've just looked the same since i was about 13 years old. when i was 13 people though i was 18, now i'm 22 people think i'm in high school.

i am a substitute teacher and almost every day a kid walks in and just assumes i'm a new student or something, and then they say, oh, you're the sub? heh.

i don't really mind that much, and i'm sure it'll be cool when i'm "old"

 

[X]

Originally posted by Natalie03
Three things...

3. Since you probably shouldn't change the physical aspect of your looking young, perhaps a change in how you carry yourself will help. I'm not saying you act immature (I don't even know you). But, whenever I hear people talk and they litter every sentence with 'like' 'um' 'u'know' 'i mean' 'u'know what i mean' (the list goes on), I just think of them as 13-yr-olds. So, throw off any of the old high school mannerisms, if you still have them.

Um so like are you saying that if like I used words like "um" and "u know" then people will think like I am really younger than I really am, you know what i mean. 🙂

X

 

[anxiousmed]

hey plucky, I'm with you on that boat. I am 22 and will be turning 23 this summer before school starts. When I was doing my MPH, I was by far the youngest guy in my class and I used to get it all the time, "He's so young, we better watch out for him, he'll set the curve, etc." (actually, I was youngest guy to graduate UIC School of Public Health since I was only 21). Even worse, I wasn't even 21 after attending four years of college (so it was a pain in the ass when all my buds used to go out and stuff). My best advice is, ENJOY IT because as some one already said, med school, the BOARDS, will age you just like some fine wine!!! 😛

 

[Natalie03]

Originally posted by X
Um so like are you saying that if like I used words like "um" and "u know" then people will think like I am really younger than I really am, you know what i mean. 🙂

X

Um totally, like yeah! 😛



Now that I think about it though, maybe just looking young has something to do with that not-as-much-respect factor. It's happened to me several times when I've been among a group of people and no one took me seriously until they realized I'm beyond my teens and in college. But hey you can use it to your advantage and have fun with it. Make people think you're some ultra-precocious super-smart 15-yr old. I wonder... what would be the perfect age to seem? I can't wait 'til I start looking 22-25, and then I hope to stay there.

 

[abw]

Originally posted by Natalie03
Since you probably shouldn't change the physical aspect of your looking young, perhaps a change in how you carry yourself will help. I'm not saying you act immature (I don't even know you). But, whenever I hear people talk and they litter every sentence with 'like' 'um' 'u'know' 'i mean' 'u'know what i mean' (the list goes on), I just think of them as 13-yr-olds. So, throw off any of the old high school mannerisms, if you still have them.

Since so many people had commented about my age at that time, I asked my health administration professor about this exactly (she specializes in communication) before I started my med school interviews . I was really hoping for a couple of good hints, but was told - "You present yourself well. Don't worry, you'll mature soon - it's just a matter of genetics. Was your mom a late bloomer?" I felt like she was saying either that I never went through puberty or that I needed bigger breasts or something.

 

[dreaminOfMD>.<]

I get a mixed reaction from people. I always get carded though...that's for sure. I've had a couple of instances where people thought my daughter was my younger sister...now that, is freaking awesome.

 

[Yogi Bear]

over the summer i stopped by espn zone in nyc around midnight w/ some friends. even though i was 21 at the time, they still carded me.....for 18 and older requirement! on other hand, one of my friends was like 18 at the time and she went through w/o any problems.

 

[hringrose]

I had to reply to this post because I think I have you all beat...

I am always being told that I look liked I am 12. When I go to Swiss Chalet (a restaurant), they ask me if I want a kid's menu and crayons! Once when I was with a friend they didn't even bother to ask and set my seat with crayons and a colouring sheet. My mom always worsens the situation if she is there by lecturing the server that I am in university and I am 20 years old.

I have often wondered how to make myself look older. Once people get to know me, they realize that my thoughts and sense of responsibility are very mature. I worry, however, about admissions interviews because they will not have the chance to get to know me very well and they may dismiss me as being too young...

 

[TroutBum]

I'm 24, last year I got carded at the movies.

I also teach MCAT classes for Kaplan. One night, I went in to teach, and there was a new person working behind the desk. When I walked in, he said, "Hello, the SAT test drive is in room 1."

I was not amused.

I bet women find it more flattering to be told they look young then guys do. There's no bigger blow to a man's ego than to be told he looks like he's still in high school 🙄

 

[cocoabutter]

TroutBum, me too, me too!

I am 23 and have gotten carded at the movies twice within the last two years. I am female, and I guess it is better to be mistaken for younger than older.

But its funny, people always think I am 16. I mean, maybe I don't look 23, but at least give me 18...I can get in a rated R movie!

 

[TexasRose]

Okay, you WILL appreciate when you get older.

I hated it when I was 18 and 21 and 25. I hated being carded after 25, hated people thinking I was my child's babysitter, hated the looks I got when I was preggo. (could see them thinking "pregnant teen, tsk tsk.") I was in my mid 20's!!!

I'm 33 now, and the Adcoms will have to recheck my DOB and file to realize I'm a nontrad mother-of-3! It's cool now because many of my friends are busy coloring their hair and buying facial products for wrinkles. (I admit to a certain amount of selfish joy in that! )

Hey, you will get respect for the education, the white coat, and the way you present yourself. The younger looks are a bonus!

Theresa

 

[SuzyQ]

It's really weird for me because some people think I look 15 while others think I look my age, 21. For instance when I went out with my family to dinner the waitress asked how old I was when my parents ordered the family chicken dinner. The reason why they asked this was because if you are 12 or under the dinner is cheaper! agh. An then for example, I went out with my friends the other night at this nice Italian resteraunt and they asked me if I wanted any wine. I dont understand! How can I go from looking 12 to 21?? It's not like I put on any extra makeup when I go out with friends or dress differently. oh well!

 

[lola]

i look pretty young, though i will be 28 this fall 😱!!

back when i was in college i looked *really* young, and it somewhat affected my self-confidence. no one ever took me seriously, because i looked young and had a sort of typical california dumb girl look (blond hair & blue eyes). i would even go so far as to say it was one factor that kept me from applying to med school when i was in college.

don't worry, though. it'll get better. i'm finally at an age where i can appreciate getting id'd at a movie or bar, though i still can't appreciate being mistaken for an unaccompanied minor on an airplane 😉

 

[wack]

YOu young lookers have it easy. I am 26 soon to be 27 and I look old as dirt. When I volunteer at a nursing home the nurses just say "are you new here, they are doing crafts in the cafeteria, do you want to take your medicine?" I mean I am falling apart. I guess I don't eat that well, could be part of the problem. I excercise like a fiend (4 mile a day runner) and don't sleep much, could also be part of the problem. Everything was fine until about two years ago, when I started my job then I just went down hill fast. Sometimes I think I have late onset progeria. Worse yet I find that my aging doesn't just extend to my physical characteristics is also is effecting me mentally. Totally forgot to go to the softball game yesterday (early dementia?) maybe I was just occupying to much of my mental capacity by agonizing over my medical school decision. Yesterday I told my roommate to turn down his music (I think "dag blamed racket" was the exact phrase I used). Frequently I have an insatiable urge to listen to talk radio. What the heck is wrong with me?! If med school ages me any more I am toast. Aging sux. They should do more aging research I mean if you think about it the number one killer is getting old. It's even worse than heart disease. 100% of all Amercians are aging can you imagine the billions that aging costs in productivity. (See thats how you pitch it to get a research grant.) To the Worried young people don't sweat it, our culture envies and worships youth. Now where the he!! did I put my cane and Jumbo sized word find.

 

[enamine]

Last year (so age 20), I was flying home for break and one of the flight attendants asked if I was "traveling alone" (as in, when minors under 12 fly alone and are guided from the plane by flight attendants). Also, I always get asked if I'm at least 15 years old if I sit in the emergency exit row.

 

[Yogi Bear]

for all the SDN babes who claim to look young, post ur pic. 😀 j/k

 

[carrigallen]

Originally posted by wack
YOu young lookers have it easy. I am 26 soon to be 27 and I look old as dirt.

Yup, I'm 22 and I look 27....too much UV light! 😎 😱

 

[pathdr2b]

I'm 36 and was carded at Dave and Buster's a few weeks ago.

I get mistaken for being in my early 20's all the time. When one of my advisors recently learned I was the mother of a 6 year-old he commented that I must have had her when I was a baby, which I assumed meant he thought I had her as a teenager! 🙄

 

[curlyq]

i am 24 going on 25 and get carded all the time. sometimes it can get frustrating when you are the only person who has to show ID out of a group of 10 people 😡 But I guess in a way it's a good thing because i will blend in with my younger classmates better.

-curlyq

 

[2ndave]

back when i was in college i looked *really* young, and it somewhat affected my self-confidence. no one ever took me seriously, because i looked young and had a sort of typical california dumb girl look (blond hair & blue eyes). i would even go so far as to say it was one factor that kept me from applying to med school when i was in college.

Lola--

sounds just like me! Except I can add to the blond hair/blue eyes thing the traces of a Minnesota accent. Back when I was in college, I was always getting mistaken for a total naif. I even tried wearing all black for awhile and studying German philosophy, to see if those things helped--but no, still no one took me seriously.

It doesn't seem so bad now though!

 

[oompaloompa]

I suffer from much the same problem, but I think mine stems from the fact that I'm a fairly short guy- about 5'1'' and I've been pretty skinny in reccent years. If I shave closely and wear my hair down, I think I could easily pass for an elementary student(I'm 22) As if this weren't enough, I have to get braces this summer before I go to medical school. I really hope they're off before clinicals, can you imagine the looks on the patients' faces?

 

[labangel]

I'm 26 and people always tell me that I look like I'm still in high school. Once, I was out shopping with my sister (who's 30) and the salesclerk thought that she was my mother! Talk about insulting both of us!! 😱

 

[Sonya]

hey,
I had a friend who as a sophmore (probably 20), she could pass as 12-13. As a senior, we were such good friend, i can't tell how old she looked. But, others still said she looked 15.

Like the other person said... ACT mature, and they will accept you. Especially outgoing (WHEN it is appropriate).

Sonya

 

[care bear]

y'know, for girls i really do think looking younger is a lot better.
i look my age or slightly older (at 13, i used to get approached all the time by men in their twenties who thought i was 18 or 19) and i used to really have to fight against it.(wearing hair ribbons, 'girly' things, etc.) i am really tall (i grew to be 5'10) and not so skinny (sz 6 or 8) so i think that's most of it, but i'm sure that as i get older it will just get worse. i already have a few strands of grey and i can feel the wrinkle creams and cellulite in my future 🙂 and it also makes me feel like i better get married while i still look young, too!
also i really think weight is a huge factor that makes you look older, so maybe i will try to lose weight as i age. just some thoughts from the other side of the fence!

 

[Skaterbabe74]

Well I'm 29 and still get carded all the time. My classmates always are shocked to learn my real age...they think I'm between 18-21 like them 😀

I don't mind being carded all the time soo much except in certain situations...ie. being up in one of our mountain casino towns with my bf (who's 36 and bald), his older sister (40s) and his brother-in-law. I got carded in every single casino we walked into despite having stamps all over my hands stating that I was over 21! I don't even get carded that much in Vegas lol! Another place it's really annoying and quite rude actually is going to an R or NC-17 movie with my bf. I wouldn't mind so much if they just carded me going in the door like all the "kids", but instead 9 times out of 10 they'll make some rude comment to my bf along the lines of "Anyone under the age of 17 must be seated with you at all times." As I said before my bf is bald so he tends to look slightly older than he actually is, but he doesn't look like my father! especially if we're holding hands!! Either they think he's my dad or he's cradle robbing, either way equally rude and offensive! And I may look like I'm in my early 20s, but I sooo don't look like a teenager anymore....

--Jessica, UCCS

 

[dmitrinyr]

I have always looked young, all of my 22 years. This year I volunteered at a hospital where a high school student was volunteering with me. If you would look at the two of us and told that one is 22 yrs old and the other 17, I bet you nobody would say that I was the college senior. I also used to work as an EMT and I had many patients ask me whether or not it was "a half a day at school" and other comments like that.

I guess when I will be 30 and look like 25, I wouldn't mind it as much.

 

[bruinkid]

when i go out to restaurants, they always give me the kids menu. one time, the waitress even asked if i wanted to color. and no...she wasn't joking 😡
and i'm 22

 

[DrMom]

Originally posted by TheresaW
Okay, you WILL appreciate when you get older.

I only recently stopped getting asked what grade I was in (I'm 31). A classmate freaked out when he learned I had a 7 year old because he thought I was one of the youngest in the class (I'm actually one of the oldest).

Overall it is nice, although I have to admit that it really used to annoy me. It also was an issue when I was pregant (especially when my fingers swelled so much that I couldn't wear my wedding ring 🙄). The absolute worst was when I taught middle school and people kept thinking I was a student. 😡

I am noticing, though, that med school is aging me. Got to decide what to do about those new gray hairs sneaking in!

 

[weirdo700]

I believe height, clothes, and attitude play a big part into people thinking someone is young. I mean it goes on everyday on T.V., just look at the WB, boybands, and some teen movies. Some people in there playing high school kids are over 23. Point is I think it is difficult to tell anyone's age between the ages of 18-32, unless you have some very visible signs (balding, advanced wrinkles).

 

[TroutBum]

Originally posted by weirdo700
I believe height, clothes, and attitude play a big part into people thinking someone is young. I mean it goes on everyday on T.V., just look at the WB, boybands, and some teen movies. Some people in there playing high school kids are over 23. Point is I think it is difficult to tell anyone's age between the ages of 18-32, unless you have some very visible signs (balding, advanced wrinkles).

Yah, I was SHOCKED when I learned Andrea on 90210 wasn't actually a high schooler

Just kidding around, weirdo (that didn't come out right . . . )

 

[Biodude]

Interesting that you people look young 😀

I look OLDER than I actually am, which I think will totally suck when I'm thirty 😱

I'm 18 but people tell me that I look (and act) like I'm 23. I guess it's the facial hair. Or maybe because I'm pretty large for a dude of my size...Asian, Chinese ancestry, and recently today somebody told me that I looked like a line-backer 😛 (I weigh 207 lbs and I'm 5'8" 1/2...by the way, I really need to lose some weight)

Sometimes I wish I could look young, but other times people treat me like I'm a mature adult, which is awesome...especially when I was bein' offered beers

 

[NE_Cornhusker1]

Originally posted by Biodude
Interesting that you people look young 😀

I look OLDER than I actually am, which I think will totally suck when I'm thirty 😱

I'm 18 but people tell me that I look (and act) like I'm 23. I guess it's the facial hair. Or maybe because I'm pretty large for a dude of my size...Asian, Chinese ancestry, and recently today somebody told me that I looked like a line-backer 😛 (I weigh 207 lbs and I'm 5'8" 1/2...by the way, I really need to lose some weight)

Sometimes I wish I could look young, but other times people treat me like I'm a mature adult, which is awesome...especially when I was bein' offered beers

Are you Dat Nguyen from the Cowboys? 😛

There's nothing better than being 24 (my age) and passing for 18 (how old I look). I can't buy tobacco w/o being carded and have to pull my ID out for others who won't believe me. Peace.

 

[lytesnsyrens]

people always tell me i look young. when i was 18 this lady asked if i was in junior high. and now that i'm 21, people guess me no older than 18. i have 2 younger sisters, 19 and 14, who everyone thinks are older than me! even my 14 year old sister! oh well, my mom always tells me when i'm her age and look 30 i'll appreciate it.

 

[allan120]

I have the same curse (gift?) of looking young. I went back to college to get another degree at 23.

My first day in class, another student looked at me and asked me if I liked being a freshman. I was carded trying to get into an R-rated movie a few months later.

I'm 26 now and everyone still thinks I'm 19-20. It was a concern for my last gf because she thought she looked like a cradle robber (she was 22 but looked late 20's-ish). She would cheer whenever she noticed I had a new white or grey hair on my head.