How long did it take you to get accepted?

[Sutter]

I'll have 2 years in between college and medical school. I feel like this period has been extremely beneficial to me...to the point where I'm not bothered in the least about forgoing the year's worth of physician salary.

But it is hard to see my friends slide through school, and me trying so hard to be in their position. That bit is a little hard to swallow.

So, it led me to wonder, am I an anomaly, or more closer to the median?

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[WedgeDawg]

The median age for incoming MS1s is 24. I think you're right about there.

 

[lhooq]

The average age of entering medical students is ~24 and taking two gap years is extremely common, so you are most certainly not an anomaly. I'll have taken one year off before starting medical school this fall. Even though I'll be one year "behind" my friends who started right after college, I'm glad I took a gap year; I felt as if the extra time helped me mature, let me try something new, and improved my application.

 

[Sutter]

Really? 24? Huh. I guess all those all-star straight out of college kids just make me uncomfortable

 

[WedgeDawg]

Really? 24? Huh. I guess all those all-star straight out of college kids just make me uncomfortable

Many of the "all-stars" are not straight out of college.

 

[familyaerospace]

I am going to be 34 when I start.

 

[jb94mg]

Really? 24? Huh. I guess all those all-star straight out of college kids just make me uncomfortable

Look up researchismymiddlename's mdapps if you're in a particularly masochistic mood.

 

[Australopithekus]

The median age for incoming MS1s is 24. I think you're right about there.

For MD schools, the average starting age is ~24 and the median is 23. 3 gap years here, OP.

 

[efle]

Look up researchismymiddlename's mdapps if you're in a particularly masochistic mood.

Is that a joke account or did some university actually enroll a 14-15 year old into their PhD program? The most impressive to me remains Narmerguy

For MD schools, the average starting age is ~24 and the median is 23. 3 gap years here, OP.

I bet this varies a lot by school. Wish MSAR had a median age list!

 

[Banco]

Is that a joke account or did some university actually enroll a 14-15 year old into their PhD program? The most impressive to me remains Narmerguy

Its real and easily verifiable. Pretty incredible.

 

[butternutsquash]

I also have 2 years between graduating college and med school, and I'll be 24 by the time I start.

 

[moisne]

I took 3 years off - my school has a much older median age . Was it 26 or 27

 

[Moose A Moose]

To hell with what your friends are doing, OP. Just do you.

 

[AgentMay]

I agree with the above. It is the norm nowadays to take a year or two gap years. Most of the people I know are doing it. I myself took a year off, and it helped me with my application because of the experiences I gained during that gap year. I'll be 24 when I start this fall.

 

[vellez]

I'll be 27; so I'll have take 4 years off. I think I'm better for it!

 

[Proteinz]

I'll be 26 when I start if I get in this cycle. Sometimes I feel like that too, but I think we all sometimes feel like the grass is greener on the other side. My friend met his fiancee during his gap, and says taking sometime off was one of the best decisions he's ever made. I say enjoy your youth/time off while you can, OP.

 

[ramifications]

I am the youngest in my major's class and it is definitely hard to swallow having 2 gap years before medical school. It arose from paperwork and money issues that I could have controlled had I known the future. All I learned from this event was prepare for the best and expect the worst because I seemed to have given up just because I knew it would have been useless to apply this year but in actuality, I would have had everything set had I kept my morale up. While having the gap years is a boon in terms of getting my health together, I can't help but feel that I have elongated my journey by 2 more years having known my entire life I was going to become a doctor. On top of that, I would have been traveling the world during summer instead of doing prereqs and finding a job. Alas, the man is unwise to think of what could have been rather than what is.

 

[tavokeri9]

.

 

[ramifications]

This sums my situation up perfectly. I also always knew I wanted to become a doctor…but due to some mistakes and low self-esteem issues, I've missed out on going to med school straight from undergrad. I'm now trying to make peace with a gap year lol but it's hard especially since I'm Asian and its kind of a social stigma to take a gap year in my community. But I'm really hoping it will be good for me!

My parents are actually more scared that I will not move on from this stage to something of higher learning. I don't think they care if I become a doctor or not; my mom always expresses that I be happy while I won't say that she doesn't feel proud of me for having chosen medicine which isn't all too common in my family. The push for PhD in the family is very strong. I think a gap year would be great if only I was able to enjoy it. Instead, I have to get a job, get shadowing and clinical hours, and also keep up with my interests and health. Oh let's not forget the MCAT.