How old were you when you started med school?

Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
D

Dr. Leca

Member
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2006
Messages
48
Reaction score
0
Members don't see this ad.
???

I didn't start college until I was 21, I am very depressed about this but I had to work full time for a couple years after high school. I wish I had this goal when I was 18. I'm 3 years late and it eats me alive.

I wont start med school until I am 25, if all goes well.
I am hoping some of you are late bloomers also, just to make me feel better.
 
Dr. Leca said:
???

I didn't start college until I was 21, I am very depressed about this but I had to work full time for a couple years after high school. I wish I had this goal when I was 18. I'm 3 years late and it eats me alive.

I wont start med school until I am 25, if all goes well.
I am hoping some of you are late bloomers also, just to make me feel better.
Click to expand...

That's not late. I think that is close to the average.
 
Dr. Leca said:
???

I didn't start college until I was 21, I am very depressed about this but I had to work full time for a couple years after high school. I wish I had this goal when I was 18. I'm 3 years late and it eats me alive.

I wont start med school until I am 25, if all goes well.
I am hoping some of you are late bloomers also, just to make me feel better.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry, but this post is kinda funny to me. I started med school in my 30's. It's not too late, you're not too old, many of your classmates will be your age and some will be much older.

Don't spend one more second worrying about it.
 
Dr. Leca said:
???

I didn't start college until I was 21, I am very depressed about this but I had to work full time for a couple years after high school. I wish I had this goal when I was 18. I'm 3 years late and it eats me alive.

I wont start med school until I am 25, if all goes well.
I am hoping some of you are late bloomers also, just to make me feel better.
Click to expand...

33. Take a chill pill, and put things in perspective.
 
I didn't start until age 25, and honestly I would have been quite ill-prepared for med school at 22.
 
I didn't start college late, but I did spend 5.5 years there. Didn't decide to apply for med school til my 5th year. So I was 24 my first year. And actually, I think that might've been our class average age first year.
 
Dr. Leca said:
???

I didn't start college until I was 21, I am very depressed about this but I had to work full time for a couple years after high school. I wish I had this goal when I was 18. I'm 3 years late and it eats me alive.

I wont start med school until I am 25, if all goes well.
I am hoping some of you are late bloomers also, just to make me feel better.
Click to expand...

none issue
 
I was 25 when I started med school and will be graduating in May at age 28 with my 29th bday not too far behind. There are many students in my class older than me some already being 30+. Funny thing is many of the younger students didn't believe I was older. Being non-traditional and having life experience I believe makes the med school experience better. You have an understanding on how balance multiple things. And for me being older kept me in gear and focus making sure that there would be no time off during med school and that I would graduate in 4 years.
 
25 is average at my school. I was 33. I think you can forget about being a late bloomer.....🙂
 
21 😛
 
not me, but we celebrated a 50th birthday for a classmate last year.
 
21....but our class ranged from 17 to around 30.
 
I will start med school next year when i'm 22!
Yay!
 
I feel ya. I wasted 6 years after high school goofing off. Now I'm fully determined to go to med school and sometimes I get really bummed out that I could actually be in my second/third year of med school had I got on the ball right after high school. Now I won't graduate until I'm 31.
 
i started when i was 24. i think the average is 24 or 25. the old timers drag the average up a bit methinks.
 
I started at 32 - oldest in our class is 40.
 
I was in college for 8 years, so I started when I was 26. One of my good friends was 31 when we started.
 
I started undergrad at 25 so you're not getting any sympathy from me. I'm 29 now and I think most of my MS1 classmates envy my worldly experience. Of course, that's when they aren't giving me crap for being old!
 
Agent Splat said:
and somehow you've managed to get YOUNGER since you started.
Click to expand...

Very perceptive. Alright, fine. I was actually 24 when I started, 25 at the end of M1 year. I do math good.
 
I started college at 18, but had to transfer to a different college with tons of graduation requirements and so will probably spend at least 5 years total in college. That would mean I'd be entering medical school at 23 instead of the usual 22. Sort of similar to another previous poster....
 
i started 2 years after finishing college at 23 y/o.
i'm glad i didn't go directly from college bc i got to do quite a few things some of my (slightly) younger classmates regretted not having the chance to do.
 
I'm not in med school (yet! someday...), however, I have encountered physicians who started med school as young as 18 and as old as into 40's. I don't know if I necessarily agree with 18 year olds starting med school so young.. just my opinion.
 
As the others have said, you have nothing to worry about!
If anything, I think it is an advantage to be older when you start med school. You'll be better able to focus and discipline yourself when it comes to studying than some of the youngsters can. You're in a better position to be able to decide what you truly want out of a career because you've had more time to think about it and grow into who you really are. The patients might respond better to you, since some people don't want a "kid" taking care of them.
I was 22 when I started and honestly sometimes I kind of wish I had taking some time off to grow up a little more before I started down this road. There's no need to rush to finish. It's not a race. 🙂
 
because i started early (17) and the system in our college i'd finish my MD at 23 - i dont think its a big advantage - the advantage is being accepted in med school and having your self studying what you really want ~~ we're all aging anyway :") ~~
 
21 and I wish I were much younger. Finishing residency ~30 is outrageous. School takes much longer than it needs to. If I have a kid I will push him through so fast it will be like Doogie. One day he'll thank me. You just have to go through $hitty times for a while but it's temporary.
 
23, I think the average is 24. I am one of the youngest which is odd for me since I was one of the oldest in my undergrad. Last year the tour guide at VCOM told us of an 18 year old in attendence at the medical school (no clue how).
 
18. I'm from Malta and here MD is a 5-year undergraduate course with 2 PGYs of housemanship with a state hospital. It's strange, I feel like a bit of a baby next to you all!

Someone mentioned that maybe 18 is a bit young to be studying. Trust me, the entrance exams here are tough enough to weed out those who don't want the career. As regards maturity, I can't really say. Apparently medical students from the University of Malta graduate with very high standards. And the extra clinical year added on helps make up for the young age. Graduates have an extra year of experience before being unleashed on the unfortunate public!!

Claire
 
19, and still going strong😉
 
I was 26 when I started medical school and wouldn't trade the intervening four years for anything. I was able to earn my second Bachelor's degree, travel the world, and I was able to truly reflect and engage in numerous experiences that confirmed that I did want to spend the rest of my life serving others. Not to mention, I found a beatiful woman who is crazy enough to marry me.🙂
To the OP, life is a journey not a destination. Enjoy the journey. Does it really matter if you enter private practice at 35 or 31? In the grand scheme of things, not really.
 
I did a summer program at a medical school and when we toured the school we were told their oldest accepted applicant was 72! He worked in a different profession for almost 30 years then decided he wanted to go into medicine. Weeks ago I interviewed at a school where their youngest incoming student was 19 and oldest was 52. Its never too late in my opinion to start. As others have said the average age at most schools is 24 or 25. Good luck!
 
Dr. Leca said:
???

I didn't start college until I was 21, I am very depressed about this but I had to work full time for a couple years after high school. I wish I had this goal when I was 18. I'm 3 years late and it eats me alive.

I wont start med school until I am 25, if all goes well.
I am hoping some of you are late bloomers also, just to make me feel better.
Click to expand...

Many in my class have taken off a couple of years at some point, and at least 15% of us are over 25. At least 3 are over 40. I started at 30, am married and just had a baby! Schools want dedicated, mature individuals, no matter what the age. Don't worry one bit.
 
Relax. I started med school at 46 and probably will not actually practice until I am 54. We all chart a unique path through life so dont sweat it. Just keep yourself focussed on the ultimate goal and work for it.
 
I started when I was 25.

Last year's class had someone start at 17.
Our class ranged from 21-35
 
Shredder said:
21 and I wish I were much younger. Finishing residency ~30 is outrageous. School takes much longer than it needs to. If I have a kid I will push him through so fast it will be like Doogie. One day he'll thank me. You just have to go through $hitty times for a while but it's temporary.
Click to expand...

I agree with Shredder. Spending your 20's as a poor student/resident is no way to live. Better to plow through and finish residency before you're 25. Though I can see the advantages of starting med school at age 30, after you've lived it up for awhile.
 
Natatiap said:
I did a summer program at a medical school and when we toured the school we were told their oldest accepted applicant was 72! He worked in a different profession for almost 30 years then decided he wanted to go into medicine. Weeks ago I interviewed at a school where their youngest incoming student was 19 and oldest was 52. Its never too late in my opinion to start. As others have said the average age at most schools is 24 or 25. Good luck!
Click to expand...

i think it is unethical to let someone who is 72 even apply - it's simply a wasted spot. he better have at least payed the tuition in full with cash. we supposedly have a healthcare crisis in this country, and we need more doctors; but not the kind that are going to practice for 2 years.
 
TheMightyAngus said:
I agree with Shredder. Spending your 20's as a poor student/resident is no way to live. Better to plow through and finish residency before you're 25. Though I can see the advantages of starting med school at age 30, after you've lived it up for awhile.
Click to expand...

While I agree that it seems like a damn shame to spend our 20's being dirt poor and in class, I also know that I wasn't mature enuf to have done medschool well years ago. If at 17 you'd asked me to work as hard as it is necessary to honor I would have laughed at you. I prolly could have graduated, but I doubt I would end up in as competitive a spot for residency had I done this crazy early in life.
 
TheMightyAngus said:
I agree with Shredder. Spending your 20's as a poor student/resident is no way to live. Better to plow through and finish residency before you're 25. Though I can see the advantages of starting med school at age 30, after you've lived it up for awhile.
Click to expand...

While I agree that it seems like a damn shame to spend our 20's being dirt poor and in class, I also know that I wasn't mature enuf to have done medschool well years ago. If at 17 you'd asked me to work as hard as it is necessary to honor I would have laughed at you. I prolly could have graduated, but I doubt I would end up in as competitive a spot for residency had I done this crazy early in life.
 
lol, I'm 23 and I'm only applying now. And *if* I get in this round I'd be 24 by the time I started. If I don't get in until next time around, I'd be 25...

So...chill out, 25 is really the average these days.
 
I am a 40 year old MS1! You are pretty average, actually...
 
I'll be a few days shy from 21....😳 .
 
I enrolled as an MS1 at 30. That was 20 years ago, so I've been an MD for 16years. I hope I have at least another 20 years of useful life as a practicing physician before I retire and go fishing...

I don't see anything wrong with someone starting med school at 50 or even later...😉
 
Last edited:
Shredder said:
21 and I wish I were much younger. Finishing residency ~30 is outrageous. School takes much longer than it needs to. If I have a kid I will push him through so fast it will be like Doogie. One day he'll thank me. You just have to go through $hitty times for a while but it's temporary.
Click to expand...

That's a good way to get a very screwed up kid. Just look at your classmates who have parents as physicians and were forced into medical school. Many of them are miserable---and those are the successful children! Some other doctors' children get all messed up in the head because daddy's never around. I've met several white trash 20-year-olds because Dad, the supreme doctor, either was too strict or too relaxed as a parent, forcing the child to act out in some way. In other words, don't piss off your kids or they'll get back at you.
 
Dr. Leca said:
???

I didn't start college until I was 21, I am very depressed about this but I had to work full time for a couple years after high school. I wish I had this goal when I was 18. I'm 3 years late and it eats me alive.

I wont start med school until I am 25, if all goes well.
I am hoping some of you are late bloomers also, just to make me feel better.
Click to expand...

Yes...DEFINITELY don't spend any more time worrying about this one. The average age of matriculation at my school was 25, and I was 27 when I started. There are many students in their 30s, as well. A student in the 2009 class at my school is in his 40s.

I've recommended to several students to take a break and get out in the "real world" a bit between college and med school. I'm definitely glad I did.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

G
When were you notified of your merit or need based scholarships?
Replies
0
Views
398
GratefulTN
G
R
Things to buy/do before med school starts
Replies
10
Views
1K
cerebellar
cerebellar
Tibial.Tuberosity
  • Question Question
How often can I visit family during med school?
Replies
19
Views
1K
AJS59
AJS59
MonsterGod
Should I be looking for research before med school even starts?
Replies
6
Views
681
Dr. Robb Bassett
Dr. Robb Bassett
madamemichaelscott
How far away did you go from family for med school and any regrets?
Replies
12
Views
2K
mistafab
mistafab
Top