Medical Did I set myself up for a disaster - will residency programs discriminate against my age?

[gutonc]

Hello,

Background: This was my first application season - and also the last one. I had four interviews - UCLA, UC Davis, Oklahoma U, and OSU (DO). I was accepted to OU and OSU, did not hear back from UCLA (but I don't expect to get in - mutually poor fit), was rejected by UC Davis (well, I've never been to Sacramento prior to the interview). At the time of matriculation I will be 40. I am strongly leaning towards OU.

Question 1: As much as schools should not discriminate against age, residency programs may (?). All I have in mind are these specialties: internal medicine (hospitalist), anesthesiology, emergency medicine, possibly pulmonology which would be a path to become an intensivist. Given my age - did I just set myself up for rejection in those specialties and am gonna be forced into family medicine (not that there is anything wrong with it but it's not what I'd like to do)?

Question 2: The ER I work in is mostly staffed by docs who graduated from OSU COM (DOs). We were talking a few times about me leaving the job in a few months. Yesterday, the day doc was the one who does all the staffing and is kind of the "boss" of all other docs (not the chief of EM though). I know that OU offers a possibility to further students' clinical experience by letting them do individual rotations during summer or other "free time." I brought this up and this is what happened:

Me: - Hey, Dr D., do you think that after I quit here and, not this summer but...
Dr D.: - You're asking, can you come here to [PLACE] and work? Well, not if you go to OU! Subpar residency, (random rant I don't recall)...
Me: - Well, I was just asking if I could do this rotation thing...
Dr D.: (not really a reaction)

This got me thinking. I was always under the impression that OU is a decent respectable program. Is it possible that DOs to some degree exhibit a DO bias? Out of 7 of our ER docs, 6 are OSU graduates. The only non-OSU graduate (OU graduate) gave me a very unbiased advice to go to OU. Again - am I setting up myself for a disaster and difficulty finding a job/residency?

Many thanks for all Your advice here and in general. It has been very useful!

You'll be fine. If you got an MD acceptance go with it.

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[Goro]

You'll be fine. If you got an MD acceptance go with it.

This.
/thread

 

[gutonc]

Even though @Goro said my first post should have ended the thread, I will add the following.

You are going to meet “that guy” a lot of times over the next X years of education and training. Every “that guy” has a bias, or a grudge, or a chip on his shoulder, or something that makes him like that (and yes, of course, “that guy” can be a woman too).

Learn to recognize early when the person you’re talking to is “that guy” and adjust your expectations and response accordingly.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Congratulations!

1) Residency programs and hospitals are subject to employment law so they can't discriminate against you for age either.

2) Some people will have axes to grind. Don't get concerned. You'll run into people who will vent against groups of all types of students or patients or people. You'll be very shocked at the prejudicial or stereotypical paintbrushing. Give no weight to that.