Do you think age is a factor when applying to medical school?

[blankspace123456]

Hello!

Currently, I just finished my first year in college, but I am graduating in three years, as a part of a program. I am most likely going to be applying to Medical School next year, when I'm 19. I have a late birthday (September), so I figured I would be much younger than the rest of the applicants that I will be competing against. Do you think this will make admissions committees hesitant to invite me to interview if I have a good MCAT score/EC/GPA? However, I do have 1 IA, that I will disclose and explain.

Thank you for all of your responses in advance!

EDIT: After reading a few comments, I figured I should elaborate more on my extracurriculars. I am doing a summer research internship and am a member of a lab on campus, which I will return to in the Fall. I am the President of an organization and an officer in multiple other organizations, including a few premedical organizations. Furthermore, I have been shadowing in a hospital once a week for the past year in different departments of the hospital, increasing my exposure to multiple fields. Additionally, I volunteer by tutoring children, and in other activities as well.

Lastly, I came in to my college with 49 Dual Credit Hours through a local community college (most are basics), and I have taken 17 hours both semesters in residence at my University so far.

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[DrHart]

It depends on how mature you come across in writing and interviewing. Be careful about what you consider good ECs. I think many people fall into the trap of thinking that their ECs are very good/ unique when that's not always the case. The major disadvantage of being a younger applicant is that you have had less time to commit yourself to ECs and truly learn from your experiences.
Your GPA and MCAT can get you an interview if you're good enough, the rest depends on how your interviewers will judge you in the context of the rest of your application.


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[blankspace123456]

It depends on how mature you come across in writing and interviewing. Be careful about what you consider good ECs. I think many people fall into the trap of thinking that their ECs are very good/ unique when that's not always the case. The major disadvantage of being a younger applicant is that you have had less time to commit yourself to ECs and truly learn from your experiences.
Your GPA and MCAT can get you an interview if you're good enough, the rest depends on how your interviewers will judge you in the context of the rest of your application.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Could you take a look at my original post? I added an update.

 

[blankspace123456]

students who graduate early and want to apply to medical school have several challenges to overcome

1) often they have significant credit via AP and many medical schools do not prereqs via this method
2) many schools require 90 completed credits to apply
3) hours in volunteer and community service are often insufficient
4) hours in healthcare exposure such as clinical volunteering, paid employment, and shadowing are often insufficient
5) Extra curriculars are often light and little leadership is present
6) The majority of successful matriculants apply in senior year or post graduation

in short, early graduates often have great GPA and MCAT but have little else to make them good candidates

Could you take a look at my original post? I added an update.

 

[DrHart]

Could you take a look at my original post? I added an update.

My only additional advice would be to get at least a full year of clinical volunteering. As adcoms here will tell you, shadowing is a very passive experience. Its for you. Its great that you are getting exposure to different fields, don't get me wrong. But adcoms are looking for service to others (and you also want to make sure you don't mind being around sick people). Volunteering with kids is great. Another good target to aim for is working with the underserved (clinical or non) - or people less fortunate than you.

For a lot of kids, its really hard getting meaningful experiences in the short few years of college before applying. Something I've seen said before, and something I really agree with - if you are on track to graduate early, take a gap year or two and do something really cool. Americorps, peace corps, travel, work - have an experience that will make you a better student and physician. Kids fly through school with the blinders on, but medical school isn't going anywhere. One day you might look back and wish you just took a breath and did something cool or different for a year or two. (You can't really do this when your career gets rolling).
Just my 2c good luck friend.

 

[blankspace123456]

Thank you both! I'll take what you guys said and see how I can implement them. I really appreciate your responses!

 

[fldoctorgirl]

Hi! I figured I would chime in here as I'm in a similar position as you. I'm graduating in three years due to also accumulating credits via dual enrollment (28 credits) and 6 credits of AP courses. However, none of these courses were pre-reqs-- I took all of my pre-reqs, and a majority of my college coursework, at the honors level at a four-year institution (I'm in the honors college there). I also took several semesters maxing out on the amount of credits I was allowed to take. I am applying to med school this cycle with a 3.83 cGPA and I am 19 (turning 20 in the fall). I have done research, shadowing, clinical volunteering, non-medical volunteering, etc. I'm also an LPN, something I did while in high school. I have heard from many people in medicine (adcoms, etc.) that if anything, my age will make everything I have accomplished more impressive. So I agree with everyone's advice that as long as you get some volunteering done, keep your grades up, get a good MCAT score, and can present yourself as mature and beyond your age, you'll be okay.

I'll let you know how it goes for me though