did anyone ever think they were just "too old"

[WWU_Viking]

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Well. This is going to sound ridiculous. And, this is my first post here.

The beginings of my undergraduate education scare me alot. I started at a community college for three long years. The first was part time for medical reasons. I did not start Gchem until the second year. I had bad study habits (maybe living at home made it hard to study)- but got getter. My community college gpa is a stinking 2.9 😱 My Gchem grades (quarter system) 3.0, 3.0, 3.0. Bio series: 2.2, 3.0, 3.3. O chem: 2.9, 2.8, 3.1. As for "clinical experience" I have worked in a pharmacy 1-2 (sometimes 3) days a week for the past two years.

I have recently changed my major to Biology/Anthropology and will be at a university for three more whole year, which is where I am commiting myself to achieve only 4.0 (or almost there) grades!! I will retake one biology class and the year of ochem (certain number of 300 level courses needed, plus I liked that class). I will also take more upper level science classes such as Human AP, may also take calc based physics. I will also be volunteering by playing piano in a nursery home/demntia (sp?) center, which may also reading to kids I guess. I will not be working, but will come back during breaks and work in the pharmacy again. I've considered pharmacy in the past, but am not to enthusiastic about it.

All this being said, I will be 24 when I complete my B.S. degree, and do not feel comfortable applying to med school until my last year, in which case I will not begin med school (if I get in the first time) until 25.

I used to think I would be "too old." Now as I look back, I was just being ridiculous (for lack of a better word). Anyone else used to think this at all, or any thoughts on my situation?

 

[squareDR]

Well. This is going to sound ridiculous. And, this is my first post here.

The beginings of my undergraduate education scare me alot. I started at a community college for three long years. The first was part time for medical reasons. I did not start Gchem until the second year. I had bad study habits (maybe living at home made it hard to study)- but got getter. My community college gpa is a stinking 2.9 😱 My Gchem grades (quarter system) 3.0, 3.0, 3.0. Bio series: 2.2, 3.0, 3.3. O chem: 2.9, 2.8, 3.1. As for "clinical experience" I have worked in a pharmacy 1-2 (sometimes 3) days a week for the past two years.

I have recently changed my major to Biology/Anthropology and will be at a university for three more whole year, which is where I am commiting myself to achieve only 4.0 (or almost there) grades!! I will retake one biology class and the year of ochem (certain number of 300 level courses needed, plus I liked that class). I will also take more upper level science classes such as Human AP, may also take calc based physics. I will also be volunteering by playing piano in a nursery home/demntia (sp?) center, which may also reading to kids I guess. I will not be working, but will come back durinc breaks and work in the pharmacy again. I've considered pharmacy in the past, but am not to enthusiastic about it.

All this being said, I will be 24 when I complete my B.S. degree, and do not feel comfortable applying to med school until my last year, in which case I will not begin med school (if I get in the first time) until 25.

I used to think I would be "too old." Now as I look back, I was just being ridiculous (for lack of a better word). Anyone else used to think this at all, or any thoughts on my situation?

Check out the non traditional student forums. You will see that you are far from being too old. good luck with improving your gpa.

 

[ShyRem]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ok... wipe the tears from my eyes...

25 too old. Definitely not. I'm 39 and will be an MSI in August. I did horribly in undergrad when I was 16 (yeah, young and WAAAAY too stupid back then) and left after not going to any classes my second semester sophomore year. Went back to undergrad and started over at the ancient age of 35.

So are you too old?? HECK NO! Go check out the non-trad forum for more stories. You are DEFINITELY NOT TOO OLD. 😉 But you do have some work to do to overcome your past grades and you'll need a good MCAT score. Good luck to you!!!

 

[WWU_Viking]

I am 21.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ok... wipe the tears from my eyes...

25 too old. Definitely not. I'm 39 and will be an MSI in August. I did horribly in undergrad when I was 16 (yeah, young and WAAAAY too stupid back then) and left after not going to any classes my second semester sophomore year. Went back to undergrad and started over at the ancient age of 35.

So are you too old?? HECK NO! Go check out the non-trad forum for more stories. You are DEFINITELY NOT TOO OLD. 😉 But you do have some work to do to overcome your past grades and you'll need a good MCAT score. Good luck to you!!!

 

[ShyRem]

At 21 you are absolutely NOT TOO OLD.

 

[fyi411]

Well. This is going to sound ridiculous. And, this is my first post here.
All this being said, I will be 24 when I complete my B.S. degree, and do not feel comfortable applying to med school until my last year, in which case I will not begin med school (if I get in the first time) until 25.

wow you are old 😱
kidding you have nothing to worry about
the average age for MD schools is 24

 

[QofQuimica]

OP, ShyRem is right. At age 21, you still have your entire adult life ahead of you. 24 is not too old to apply to medical school. You may enjoy reading this thread and seeing how many of us are applying and going to med school in our 30s and 40s. There is even one poster in their 50s. 🙂

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

I used to think I would be "too old." Now as I look back, I was just being ridiculous (for lack of a better word). Anyone else used to think this at all, or any thoughts on my situation?

I would be rolling on the floor laughing, but my 44-year-old knees may be headed for a touch of arthritis, and I need to keep them in good shape to start medical school next month.

You'll be fine. As for me, I'm actually very glad I'm going to medical school as a second-career older student. I mean this with affection, but nothing - absolutely nothing - in this world is as big a deal as it appears to be when you're in your '20's.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

OP, ShyRem is right. At age 21, you still have your entire adult life ahead of you. 24 is not too old to apply to medical school. You may enjoy reading this thread and seeing how many of us are applying and going to med school in our 30s and 40s. There is even one poster in their 50s. 🙂

50's!!!!! Am I the only one that thinks that is a little too old? I admire the determination, but I don't see how a medical school would invest in a 50 year old if they will only be able to start contributing when approaching their 60's, and only work a few years before retirement or health issues set in

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Am I the only one that thinks that is a little too old?

Equal opportunity in medical education is the law, and it has been for a long time. Discrimination on the basis of age is prohibited by federal law, and by LCME accreditation standards. This issue turned into an ugly thread a few weeks ago and shouldn't be repeated here. I can understand that you may not agree with the law, but it is a settled issue.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Equal opportunity in medical education is the law, and it has been for a long time. Discrimination on the basis of age is prohibited by federal law, and by LCME accreditation standards. This issue turned into an ugly thread a few weeks ago and shouldn't be repeated here. I can understand that you may not agree with the law, but it is a settled issue.

sorry, I wasn't trying to start a fight trust me. I understand the laws, yes, but that wasn't really my question.

 

[QofQuimica]

50's!!!!! Am I the only one that thinks that is a little too old? I admire the determination, but I don't see how a medical school would invest in a 50 year old if they will only be able to start contributing when approaching their 60's, and only work a few years before retirement or health issues set in

If you're asking me, no, I don't think it's too old, assuming that the person is in good health. To a college student, a fifty-year-old seems impossibly old, and you may have the mistaken impression that most people in that age group are sick, or otherwise unable to be productive members of society. In fact, however, the current generations of middle-aged and elderly people are the healthiest, longest-living people on record. I expect that this will continue to improve and become the norm as life expectancies rise further and medical advances continue to improve people's quality of life. This person may realistically be able to choose to continue practicing full- or part-time into his 70s or 80s. Finally, if you look at actuarial tables, you may be surprised to learn that a 50-year-old actually has a HIGHER chance of living to age 80 or 100 than you do, assuming that you are in your teens or twenties. 🙂

 

[skypilot]

I think 28 is the perfect age to start med school. You have a few years of experience outside of school but you still have the energy of someone in their 20s. Now me.... I am old.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

sorry, I wasn't trying to start a fight trust me. I understand the laws, yes, but that wasn't really my question.

Not a problem. Thanks for taking the time to post this. My apologies also - I felt a little bad for jumping like that. There was a thread a while back that took on an "old-vs-young" tone that was very divisive for SDN and hurt my feelings. Actually, I think a decision to go to medical school in one's 50's is quite unusual - my class has a gentleman in his 50's who just retired as a schoolteacher. But, who knows? He may accomplish more good in medicine in ten years of practice than I will in 20.

I'm just relieved I'm not going to be the oldest in my class.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Not a problem. Thanks for taking the time to post this. My apologies also - I felt a little bad for jumping like that. There was a thread a while back that took on an "old-vs-young" tone that was very divisive for SDN and hurt my feelings. Actually, I think a decision to go to medical school in one's 50's is quite unusual - my class has a gentleman in his 50's who just retired as a schoolteacher. But, who knows? He may accomplish more good in medicine in ten years of practice than I will in 20.

I'm just relieved I'm not going to be the oldest in my class.

yea, I really would love to read up on some of these older threads but searching is disabled 😡

 

[Jeru]

Well. This is going to sound ridiculous. And, this is my first post here.

First Post for me as well:

I'm 24 and I still have at least 2 years before I take the Mcat. So in that regard you are well ahead of me. Although even if I am 26 or 27 when I enter I doubt that anyone who is not looking directly at my application will have a clue as to my age. At 24 I fit right in with the 19 year olds in my pre-med classes and have actually had people suggest that my real DL was a fake because they think I look too young to have a credit card let alone to drink. I am also the mother of a four year old and several times people have mistaken me as her sister/babysitter… or worse one lady had the audacity to ask if I was 13 when I had her. My husband thinks I’m beautiful but then I haven’t aged a day since he met me when we were 17.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Looking young for my age is a real annoyance right now but I look forward to Medical School when I can have years of experience on most of my peers and no one will know the difference.

 

[QofQuimica]

First Post for me as well:

I'm 24 and I still have at least 2 years before I take the Mcat. So in that regard you are well ahead of me. Although even if I am 26 or 27 when I enter I doubt that anyone who is not looking directly at my application will have a clue as to my age. At 24 I fit right in with the 19 year olds in my pre-med classes and have actually had people suggest that my real DL was a fake because they think I look too young to have a credit card let alone to drink. I am also the mother of a four year old and several times people have mistaken me as her sister/babysitter… or worse one lady had the audacity to ask if I was 13 when I had her. My husband thinks I’m beautiful but then I haven’t aged a day since he met me when we were 17.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Looking young for my age is a real annoyance right now but I look forward to Medical School when I can have years of experience on most of my peers and no one will know the difference.

I always looked really young too, and yeah, it can be annoying when you're in your early 20s because it seems like people don't take you seriously. But wait another ten years, and I promise you that you're gonna start loving it. 🙂

 

[WWU_Viking]

Does anyone else have this problem?

Looking young for my age is a real annoyance right now but I look forward to Medical School when I can have years of experience on most of my peers and no one will know the difference.

I am 21 , ppl say I look like I am 17ish.

 

[Jeru]

Hehe.

Yeah cant wait to be a doctor in my late 30's and have my patients thinking I'm strait out of medical school or concerned that I'm not old enough to even be a doctor....

...well at least I'll have the credentials to kindly correct them.

 

[Law2Doc]

I am 21 , ppl say I look like I am 17ish.

Being young or looking young will be far more of a disadvantage than age. The average age of patients is steadilly rising and will continue to do so during our careers. And 60+ year olds simply don't trust physicians who are peers of their grandkids.

 

[QofQuimica]

Being young or looking young will be far more of a disadvantage than age. The average age of patients is steadilly rising and will continue to do so during our careers. And 60+ year olds simply don't trust physicians who are peers of their grandkids.

Your posts are normally logical and well-argued, but that's a ridiculous, unsubstantiated blanket statement.

 

[Law2Doc]

Your posts are normally logical and well-argued, but that's a ridiculous, unsubstantiated blanket statement.

Just watch the 20 year olds trying to establish a repoire with elderly patients, and you will see what I am talking about. More than one nontrad med student has been asked by patients for his "second opinion" after a much younger resident has suggested a course of action. 🙂

 

[e_phn]

Being young or looking young will be far more of a disadvantage than age. The average age of patients is steadilly rising and will continue to do so during our careers. And 60+ year olds simply don't trust physicians who are peers of their grandkids.

🙁

 

[Law2Doc]

🙁

Don't fret. The great thing about being too young is that you almost always grow out of it.

 

[e_phn]

Don't fret. The great thing about being too young is that you almost always grow out of it.

i was just kidding.

 

[LabMonster]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ok... wipe the tears from my eyes...

25 too old. Definitely not. I'm 39 and will be an MSI in August. I did horribly in undergrad when I was 16 (yeah, young and WAAAAY too stupid back then) and left after not going to any classes my second semester sophomore year. Went back to undergrad and started over at the ancient age of 35.

So are you too old?? HECK NO! Go check out the non-trad forum for more stories. You are DEFINITELY NOT TOO OLD. 😉 But you do have some work to do to overcome your past grades and you'll need a good MCAT score. Good luck to you!!!

Never too old. Think about it, the MD is just a really (and perhaps unneccessary) long training program. Do it if you want it, I am! 👍

 

[WWU_Viking]

I am the OP. Just to clarify, I currently do not think starting medical school at 24/25 is too old. However, I did.

 

[LabMonster]

I am the OP. Just to clarify, I currently do not think starting medical school at 24/25 is too old. However, I did.

And to reiterate, and re-emphasize, 24 is not too old. Never was, not, nope. I wish someone had said this to me before the MCAT, "Stop whining, kick the F%@#$% things ass and apply."

I didn't kick the MCATs ass, but I'm still in. Schools want the whole package - old or not.

 

[Law2Doc]

Never was, not, nope.

Back in olden days, when people used to live to around 30, 24 was probably too old to start med school. But then again, they didn't know a great deal of medicine then.