I was faced with a similar dilemma a couple of years ago. I started college when I was 16 with the goal to apply as an 18 year old and be in by the time I was 19. As I went through college, though, I realized that it would be stupid to graduate in 2 1/2 years and that I'd be missing out on a lot. So then I decided to apply when I was 19 and start med school when I was 20. As I progressed through college, I kept this idea in mind but didn't pursue it heavily. I applied to 2 schools last year just to "test the waters" when I was 19 and got accepted into one of them. When I graduated from college last spring, I decided that I didn't want to start medical school so soon since the average age of newly matriculated med students is mid 20's in most schools. I asked for a 2 year deferral, but it was denied. I now plan on reapplying within the next 2 years.
So technically I guess it is possible to successfully apply to med school when you're 19, but do you really want to start when you're so young? The youngest person other than myself who applied that I know of is 20 at the time. Honestly, I do think that the application process is a numbers game, regardless of your age. My extracurriculars were average - slightly above average, but when I spoke to the dean about an extended deferral I asked him what got me into the school, and he said it was mainly my gpa that got me my interview, and then at the interview I wasn't a "*****" or a "boring repetitive bookworm." If you want to start medical school at 19 go for it, but remember that you may regret going straight from college into medical school without having some "free time" between the two. I got a job after college, and that sucks too, but if you don't do it you may never know how it is to have lots of free time
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