Hi,
anyone who says young accelerated people shouldn't start med school young, or they won't be mature enough, or lost their youth, or whatever
is being extremely biased and judgemental.
you really can't say one thing about a person because of their age, and making those statement is rather shallow.
I'm not saying people who are younger are fully well developed, but i just think people who make flat out judgements knowing nothing about a person, are well, only applying their (and the societies) steryotypes and making all-encompasing judgemental remarks that are very often untrue, without any solid basis.
I've known well grown adults who can act stupid and immature. I've known young kids who can act professional and proper. How do you know these kids "missed their childhood", whatever that's supposed to mean.
Why is there their the pervasive assumption that this kids are being pushed to meet someone else's expectation?
In the 50's, if a black man was found driving a mercede's, the police may ask for his liscense/registration to prove he owned the car, while a white man wouldn't be questioned. They operated under the assumption assumption that a black man couldn't possibly own a nice car, he must have stolen it. There was a lot of such discrimation 50 yrs ago. but, back then no one would call it discrimination (except the black). Now, we call it discrimination, but then, it was considered fine and natural.
Maybe the socio economic status of african americans have improved since then, but i don't think so. We, as a society have become more aware of the fact that they are african american they can still be succesful nice people.
We have pretty much dispelled the fact that majority of the blacks are poor and usually criminals. you guys haven't dispelled your myths about younger people who are advanced.
the difference between this african american discrimination vs. the steryotypes that people set on younger individual, is that the typical seventeen year old is NOT mature enough to be facing patients. But, very often the ones who are accelerated are usually more mature than their peers.
I'm 17 (well, 18 in a few weeks). and i'm a senior in university. I took my first college class when i was 9. from 9 to 17 i've finished most of my college and high school level work at a junior college and Washington Univ. unlike this boy in the article, i never felt a push from anyone to accelerate. neither my parents nor I had a desire for me to do it quick. Actually, I could take it easier than most college students, because i was several years ahead. but for some reason .... A LOT, and I MEAN ALOT of people assume i must have really pushed hard to finish young.
Choker,
i agree some of them can be very immature, and sorry you had a bad experience with your dorm mate. But, not all young ones are like that.
I feel socially more comfortable with my peers at college than others my age. I took driver's ed at a local high school last summer, and it was strange being around those who were my age, but mostly high school juniors, while i was starting my senior year at univ. Honestly, i felt most of them were really immature compared to what I was used to.
Nowadays, no one can tell I'm young compared to the rest of my peers. About half my friends know i'm younger, and only a couple professors know. but I don't hide it from anyone (spare when you need to sneak yourself into a job you're not allowed to be in until you're 18
)
When i first started college, people could tell, and it was socially sort of strange. But, by my first or second semester of college, people got used to my brother and I (and a few other young kids) around the campus. I did hang out with other kids my age in little league and such.
Interact with people older just trains us to deal with people of different background, and makes us socially STRONGER, not outcasts. I was at a community college, and there were a lot of adults (like beyond college age, in their 30's and 40's) taking classes there. And, I was often a tutour for these guys. Sometimes they knew I was younger, sometimes they didn't, but it didn't bug them at all.
I don't think i've lost my youth in any significant ways. I go out with my friends to parties or for dinner on ski trips, or canoeing or whatever. We tease each other about who has a crush on who (and who has a crush on the supposedly hot EE professor
). I go out to movies and play computer games (kindof outgrown those RPGs now though), and mess around. Granted I've never walked been to a senior prom but, so?
What does it matter if people think i've missed out on stuff if I don't feel i have.
One of my friends (she was a budhist monk, and a pre-med student, and about 30) said it's probably good that I skipped through junior high and high because of all the social pressure their.
I think we probably grow up socially stronger than most of those people.
I agree patients will probably be comfortable with older doctors.
Maturity,
I had a friend, she started at the junior college when she was 14. I guess she's anti thesis to most of the steryotypes out their. Her parents totally wanted her to just stay in high school, didn't get why she wanted to do college early and such (she was in this joint program with HS/college). Her parents were unsupportive of her in many ways, not just schooling, but she had a LOT of determination. Despite the fact that half the time she didn't have a place to stay (she kept getting kicked out of her house...but that's a whole different story), and worked 20 hrs a week along with school, usually taking the bus or train b/c she didn't yet have a lisecne(and missed a final for her job interview). In some ways, I first see here as immature because she skipped class so much and wasn't focused and such, but knowing her, i'm pretty damn amazed, and doubt me or any you else at 20 could do as she did. She was pre med for a while, but is now a graduate english lit student (I think...).
YBee,
Maturity depends on how much life experience you've had. My cousin, all her life, has been mentally ******ed. November last year I was in the hospital for a week, and didn't recover fully for about 6 to 8 mos after. and believe me, it's was the brutualist dose of what medicine is about. but, don't tell me I haven't seen how people suffer because of disease and such. And it affected how i'd talk to the patients in ER and such.
I think i've lectured you all enough.
anyway, my point is, there are much more steryotypes than truth out there, and ALOT of people viewpoint is biased, based only on their imagination, and not at all on the stories or facts of younger students. and, most of your reaction have been judgemental and extremly biased (and considered a little rude to me, which provoked me into this LONG post.
I'm not totally like my peers in that i still live with my parents, and still talk to dad for advice more than someone who is 20 or 22 does.
The only think i can say I missed out on was dorm life. but, i think it's been overall a good descision for my parent to come with me to university (i started at a 4 yr univ when i was 15).
Yeah, I will take MCAT. I never seen doogie howsier, but heard about. wish I had seen it. there is "smary guy", but it's kindof a kiddish show though i like it(okay, i think my TV tastes also need to grow to match a 17 yr old, which means give up wonder years and boy meets world and disney channel). yeah, i got several extracurriculars.
