Starting med school as a teenager would mean you NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE OR WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY until after your 20's are over.
If what this kid is saying is true. He started college at perhaps 14-15, beat out a huge percentage of the university population significantly more "mature" than he is and still smoked the MCAT.
I have no idea what your chances are.. but I do know that people of your intellectual ability have a gift many of us won't begin to understand. I would quickly say to stop and smell the roses a bit, certainly, but obviously your path in life is vastly different than all of us and even the traditional as well. Just because it took many of us a bit, doesn't mean your path is such.
If I were in charge, nobody would start med school before the age of 25. I'd make it a prereq to live in a developing country, or at least a non-English-speaking country, for at least a year. I'd also make it a prereq to be independent from parents, working at a job and paying rent, for at least 3 years.
Well that wipes out your competition.. except me.. but hey.. experience is good, but genius combined with a fundamental desire to help people heal is perhaps better. I figure the kid would probably irritate and push a good chunk of his med class because the "kiddie" could be kicking everyone's arse.
If you really will have your bachelor's degree soon, then I would consider getting a Master's in something. That's 2 years added at most, which would make you 20 by the time you matriculate and that's a much better boat to be in. Plus it will give you time to find a solid EC that you have benefitted from and contributed to during that time.
So now the boy genius has a masters at 20 and has spent more time in a classroom and less time experiencing life. I think you guys are failing to see the strength of his application in the sheer idea that an 18 or 19 year old has already completed college. and done really well to boot. Everything this kid does to improve his application just makes him look like more of phenom. Does he further delay matriculation because he's only 20 and so should spend 3 more years working on a PhD just to make him older.. Ponder that headline and profile in the local newspaper. Local 23 year old completes his PhD research....Not to mention that just makes him that much more stronger while in medical school because of the vast prior knowledge he would have to develop in acquiring the PhD. Delaying doesn't mean maturing.
I say go for it and discuss the hardships of being significantly younger, but just as smart as your peers and why you feel that makes you competitive in med school.. Don't get wrapped up in starting organizations, although that looks good, but if you don't want to do that as a physician, it's phony. You need to show them a bit of what you want to actually be. You're going to raise eyebrows for ADCOMS that many do not simply because of your age, you'll garner people simply curious how an 18 year old is applying to medical school. Go take an EMT-b course and volunteer in an ER. Try to get a job as a ward clerk.. doesn't take any "qualifications" to get hired in most cases, just a willingness to learn.
Good luck Doogy.
