Does age count when applying to med schools?

[Femtochemistry]

Hi,

I am 20 years old and i am applying to med schools for the 2003 year. At first, if you look at my age you might think that i have ZERO EC's; however, i have 3 years of research, 1 year as a volunteer tutor, and 1 year as a patient aide. The reason why i am "young" is that i used to live in London and when i moved to the US, the american system pushed me TWO years ahead! So, i was in grade 8 at the age of 12! Yeh, thats right! I was 12 (the year i was turning 13) when i started 8th grade. In conclusion, do you think that med schools might give me the boot?

thx!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Trek]

Maybe- it depends how you come off during an interview. --Trek

 

[jot]

hah - hardly man - and you aren't that young - i'm 19 &applying and i know there are younger out there that have made it. i don't think anyone cares unless you come to an interview with a bib.

-jot

 

[Chronotropic]

One adcom member told me that they look for a certain maturity level. When asked if they would take an 18yo he said that they usually don't take many because they just don't have the maturity to handle the trials of medical school.

However 20 is alot diff then 18 so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[Med4ever]

Don sweat it I am 19 and in MEdical school.

 

[VC15]

If you look at the class profiles at several schools, you'll often find that the youngest person in the class is somewhere from 18-20. I know this was the case not too long ago at UCSF and Duke. So 20 is far from freakishly young.

I'm 20 and starting med school this fall, though I guess it's a little different up here in Canada.

I also know a guy who went to the same undergrad school as me and got into WashU meds last year at age 20. He won a scholarship, too.

 

[Femtochemistry]

Originally posted by VC15
If you look at the class profiles at several schools, you'll often find that the youngest person in the class is somewhere from 18-20. I know this was the case not too long ago at UCSF and Duke. So 20 is far from freakishly young.

I'm 20 and starting med school this fall, though I guess it's a little different up here in Canada.

I also know a guy who went to the same undergrad school as me and got into WashU meds last year at age 20. He won a scholarship, too.

Damn! I feel old now
LOL

 

[WaitingImpatiently]

Originally posted by Femtochemistry
Hi,
So, i was in grade 8 at the age of 12! Yeh, thats right! I was 12 (the year i was turning 13) when i started 8th grade.thx!

Hmm... I was 13 when I started 8th grade, and probably 3/4 of my class was, too. The other 1/4 was 12. That's not young at all.

 

[LizardKing]

You're fine. Especially because you packed those 3 years with a lot of stuff. Med schools also give younger students a little leeway with the ECs. What I mean is they take into account the fact that you have not had several years to fill up your resume. As long as you pack in those 3-4 years of college with meaningful activities (sounds like you did) you're in very good shape.

 

[Ceez]

Originally posted by WaitingImpatiently



Hmm... I was 13 when I started 8th grade, and probably 3/4 of my class was, too. The other 1/4 was 12. That's not young at all.

i was about to say the same thing. i was 12 in the 8th grade and it wasn't a big deal.

 

[racergirl]

I was 26 in 8th grade.

 

[Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]]

I am 20 too

 

[Diogenes]

Originally posted by racergirl
I was 26 in 8th grade.

So was my twin brother!

 

[Med4ever]

Hey different strokes for different folks. Yo I wouldnt feel bad about wasting our 'youth' in books, I mean I think we all did it for different reasons but the choice was ours. Personaly I rather finish school early so I can have a big family rather then get 3 years extra of crazy partying. If someone else rather party till they die and never have a family cool to that. Also, if you really feel that you wasted your youth live vicariously through your kids .

 

[DALABROKA]

8th grade? Does anyone even go to 8th grade anymore? I figured that all SDNers could just skip high school.

Seriously though, I've know many 20 year olds that are very mature and many many more that have the maturity of a six year old (at 20 I was the later). As long as you are thoughtful and can show that you will be ready to make life and death decisions when you are ~24, you will be fine.

 

[Bikini Princess]

Originally posted by Femtochemistry
Hi,

i have 3 years of research, 1 year as a volunteer tutor, and 1 year as a patient aide. i was in grade 8 at the age of 12! Yeh, thats right! I was 12 (the year i was turning 13) when i started 8th grade.
thx!

Femtochemistry: How can you have 3 years of research if you are only 20? or 1 year as a patient aide? I don't understand...didn't you go to college? There's no way you can do 3 years of research and college if you are only 20?

 

[jot]

he means 3 years of research while in college - hah otherwise ...

 

[VC15]

He could have started grade school a year early, or skipped a grade, or maybe he's just born late in 1981... in all three of these cases, he'd still be 20 right now and starting his senior year.

 

[Resident Alien]

You'll be fine as long as your stats are good, and you're mature by the committee's standards. I was 19 during the app. cycle, and Im about to dive into med school.

Good luck