How old were you when you started med school?

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I'm a first year and 22...one of those obnoxious, over-achieving kids coming right out of undergrad 😛
I'd say about half of my class is either right out of undergrad or maybe took a year off and reapplied. The other half is the "nontraditional." We have a 30-year-old computer programmer and 32-year-old graphic desiner at my lab table in addition to a PT who taught anatomy (not fair), a former actor, and a few engineers. I love hearing the stories about what people did before med school and what stimulated them to go back to school. The one thing I can say is most people in my class aged extremely well; I never would have guessed that some of them were any older than 24. Long story short, my class ranges from 20 to I think about 35, with the average being somewhere around 25, I'd say. I feel like such a baby sometimes!
 
I am 21 now and will still be 21 when I start in 2007.
 
22 when I started, turned 23 a month after starting. A lot of people in my class are all over the board though.

We have a couple of students in the (now non-existent) 6-year BS/MD program that were 17 at school's start, and we have a couple of PhD's who are in their late 30s, and one lady who looks like she's in her mid 40s. I think the class average is 24 or 25, so don't worry.

By the way Brian, I read an oooold post of yours in the UM allo class thread where you were asking for suggestions on what course to take during your last year. I recommend Cell/molec biology with mallery/glaser and general physiology with farmer (BIL255 and 265) I took both during my mcat semester and found them very helpful in general as good prep. material. Make sure to take those profs. though, because herbert can't teach and the other physiology prof, riley, focuses his class entirely on fish and whales and other crap that doesnt matter to a budding doc.
Good luck.
 
Hurricane95 said:
22 when I started, turned 23 a month after starting. A lot of people in my class are all over the board though.

We have a couple of students in the (now non-existent) 6-year BS/MD program that were 17 at school's start, and we have a couple of PhD's who are in their late 30s, and one lady who looks like she's in her mid 40s. I think the class average is 24 or 25, so don't worry.

By the way Brian, I read an oooold post of yours in the UM allo class thread where you were asking for suggestions on what course to take during your last year. I recommend Cell/molec biology with mallery/glaser and general physiology with farmer (BIL255 and 265) I took both during my mcat semester and found them very helpful in general as good prep. material. Make sure to take those profs. though, because herbert can't teach and the other physiology prof, riley, focuses his class entirely on fish and whales and other crap that doesnt matter to a budding doc.
Good luck.
Click to expand...

Hey thanks for the advice! I am finishing up biochem w/ ahmad this semester and am signed up for bil 265 w/ farmer for spring. I heard cell molec is similar to biochem so I figured on just taking 265. What year are you at Miami?
 
Hey Brian,
That's great, biochem will serve you well. The first module in med school (the first five weeks) is all of biochemistry, all of genetics and cell biology compressed into the five weeks...I relied on my knowledge from ahmad's class big time, learn it well. You'll like physio, although the book is animal physiology farmer knows most of the people in the class are premed and ties a lot of it to human physiology.

I'm a first year right now. If you or one of your friends interested in attending UM med is ever interested in taking a look around the med campus or the facilities, send me a PM and let me know, I don't mind showing you guys around. Best of luck with everything.
 
Hurricane95 said:
22 when I started, turned 23 a month after starting. A lot of people in my class are all over the board though.

We have a couple of students in the (now non-existent) 6-year BS/MD program that were 17 at school's start, and we have a couple of PhD's who are in their late 30s, and one lady who looks like she's in her mid 40s. I think the class average is 24 or 25, so don't worry.

By the way Brian, I read an oooold post of yours in the UM allo class thread where you were asking for suggestions on what course to take during your last year. I recommend Cell/molec biology with mallery/glaser and general physiology with farmer (BIL255 and 265) I took both during my mcat semester and found them very helpful in general as good prep. material. Make sure to take those profs. though, because herbert can't teach and the other physiology prof, riley, focuses his class entirely on fish and whales and other crap that doesnt matter to a budding doc.
Good luck.
Click to expand...

sheesh...listen to this man...avoid the fishprof!
BTW, the oldest person in our class is 39-40 ;-) (they put that graphic up during orientation)

Yeah and Brian if you need a tour just PM Hurricane95 or myself.
 
Learfan said:
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.
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Yes. Thank god for diversity of experience. I started med school just shy of 28. I don't think I would've been ready for it any earlier.
 
I will have just turned 22. Guess I'll be right in the mix.
 
I don't consider a 25 yr old to be "non-traditional" applicant/first year medical student.

When I think of nontraditional I think of someone who has been working for many years in a different career, or someone with a family who is returning to school.
 
I'll be 34 as an MS1, and I believe I'll make an important contribution.

Medicina quae sera tamen.
 
me:22...low:19...high:33.....dont ask me about the 19, its probably an outlier
 
If everything had gone according to plan, I would have started med school when I was 20. As it turns out, it wasn't that simple (it's called life), and I started med school at 25 (which is about the national average). I think I would have been a wonderfully tight little ball of neuroses, but I could have been an MD by now. OP, don't worry about it, you have all the time in the world, and there's more important things to worry about. All things happen in their time.
 
i'm a strong believer of how old your feel vs. how old you actually are.

i feel like i'm 22-23 even though i'm not, becasue that's the average in our class, sometimes a little older.

age is just a number, don't feel bad.
 
I'll be 29 when I start. I didn't decide to go down this path until I was about 23-24. Even if I would have decided beforehand, I don't think I would have been ready at 21-22. I'm glad I took the time to experience other things before medschool, because from what I have been hearing once you start you are not going to have a whole lot of time for much else.
 
I'm twenty two and I know most older-students are uber sensitive about this stuff, but....I don't see a problem with people who are ya know, thirtyish when they start, but forty, fifty! What's the point? There is a shortage of doctors in this country which is going to get worse, why let in people who will barely even be competent before they need to retire. Seems like a waste of seat and a disservice to society (who is financing a good part of our education--even at private schools)when they could let in someone who would be practicing twice as long.
 
Trail Boss, just wait until you're 30 or, heaven forbid, closer to 40 or (even worse) looking for tombstones, grave plots, and writing your own obituary while nearing 50.

You'll be 30 (or even, dare I say it, OLDER) and wondering why you didn't have children earlier in life. I had my children first and went to school later. And who's to say who would practice longer? The 22 year old who gets hit by a bus at the age of 28, the 22 year old who ends up with massive cardiovascular disease at the age of 45, or the 40 year old in good health who lives and practices to 70? The crystal ball isn't working for the future, and no one knows how long anyone will be working. I believe my life experience will lead to more compassion for my patients, mainly because I have been through so many life experiences.

If everyone was the same, what an incredibly boring world we'd all be living in.
 
Trail Boss said:
I'm twenty two and I know most older-students are uber sensitive about this stuff, but....I don't see a problem with people who are ya know, thirtyish when they start, but forty, fifty! What's the point? There is a shortage of doctors in this country which is going to get worse, why let in people who will barely even be competent before they need to retire. Seems like a waste of seat and a disservice to society (who is financing a good part of our education--even at private schools)when they could let in someone who would be practicing twice as long.
Click to expand...
Hon, we have no reason to be sensitive. I always laugh to myself when I hear younger students make comments like yours, and I'll tell you why. Right now, being forty is something abstract to you, and I understand that. I was 22 once too. That being said, it's one of the great poetic justices of life that a decade from now, whether you want to or not, you will be staring 40 square in the face, wrinkles, gray hairs, and all. And there will be some future 22-year-old (who is at this very moment in some middle school somewhere trying to master pre-algebra and diagramming sentences) telling you how much of waste it is for you to be doing something that HE could be doing. You don't have to take my word for it. Wait ten years, and you'll see for yourself. 😉
 
I agree with you Q! Only time will tell. I feel lucky to have a grandmother who is 69 and still working (she has waaayyyy more energy then me) and an aunt who just discovered herself at 43. These role models have given me a chance to see that being older than 30, 40 or 50 does not mean you are going to sit at home and knit, while counting your grey hairs. Trust me, my grandma could run circles around any 22 year old! 🙂 For all the 21 years old who think there is no point in getting an education after 40, wait until you are that age! Your perpective will change.
 
I'll start two months after my 21st birthday.. I can't see myself delaying it until later, but what sucks about starting this early is that these are my 20s that I'm stifiling for 4 years in med and 4 years thereafter between Res and Spec.
It's different for everyone.. it's not a race.
 
previous comp programmer
What was I thinking?!?
 
I think it's great that there is such a diversity of age in my class. That said, I'm 25 years old and going to graduate from med school this May. As a women looking to have children, I am very glad I pursured medical school straight out of undergraduate. I'm looking at residency/fellowship of probably five years. 30 seems a late enough to finally be making a real salary and starting a family. I can't imagine waiting much longer. I know people start families in med school and residency but my husband is a student as well and we are in no way ready to take care of a kid with regards to time or money.
 
I wouldn't let a 25 year old doctor get within 100 feet of me! :meanie:

I Kid, I kid. I'm just jealous because my ovaries will be withering bags of chromosomal waste when I graduate at 31, single and childless. :laugh:

Bitter, party of 1 !!
 
I was 23 when i started after taking a year off before i entered. We had people as young as 20 and into their 40's so i nice range of ages
 
Brickhouse said:
I wouldn't let a 25 year old doctor get within 100 feet of me! :meanie:

I Kid, I kid. I'm just jealous because my ovaries will be withering bags of chromosomal waste when I graduate at 31, single and childless. :laugh:

Bitter, party of 1 !!
Click to expand...
*hugs* 😳
 
i was 23 when i started. my father was 36 as a MSI, if that makes the OP feel any better, and at my school that age hardly raises an eyebrow any longer...
 
🙂 or :scared: ... open to interpretation!

22.

I am a TCK and traveling the world has been a lot of fun.......BUT.....
I am "wasting" all of my youth and the majority of my prime in school!!!! :meanie:
 
I graduate residency this year as the youngest in my class. Does age matter? Maybe. I can flip my sleep schedule quickly, work 30hrs straight no problem, moonlight and have energy to enjoy life outside of residency. That seems to be the biggest difference between myself and classmates 5 to 10 years my senior. Did I lose out on the prime 20s life? Maybe, I traveled the world some anyway. Could I have gained worldly wisdom to make me a better doctor? I doubt it, I haven't seen the difference. In the end its about your perspective and your priorities. If I could have done it again, I'd do it the same way.
 
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ShyRem said:
Trail Boss, just wait until you're 30 or, heaven forbid, closer to 40 or (even worse) looking for tombstones, grave plots, and writing your own obituary while nearing 50.

You'll be 30 (or even, dare I say it, OLDER) and wondering why you didn't have children earlier in life. I had my children first and went to school later. And who's to say who would practice longer? The 22 year old who gets hit by a bus at the age of 28, the 22 year old who ends up with massive cardiovascular disease at the age of 45, or the 40 year old in good health who lives and practices to 70? The crystal ball isn't working for the future, and no one knows how long anyone will be working. I believe my life experience will lead to more compassion for my patients, mainly because I have been through so many life experiences.

If everyone was the same, what an incredibly boring world we'd all be living in.
Click to expand...

QofQuimica said:
Hon, we have no reason to be sensitive. I always laugh to myself when I hear younger students make comments like yours, and I'll tell you why. Right now, being forty is something abstract to you, and I understand that. I was 22 once too. That being said, it's one of the great poetic justices of life that a decade from now, whether you want to or not, you will be staring 40 square in the face, wrinkles, gray hairs, and all. And there will be some future 22-year-old (who is at this very moment in some middle school somewhere trying to master pre-algebra and diagramming sentences) telling you how much of waste it is for you to be doing something that HE could be doing. You don't have to take my word for it. Wait ten years, and you'll see for yourself. 😉
Click to expand...

I swear I was listening to a song about how time flies while coincidentally reading this thread and your 11-year old posts. When the song finished and I realized it, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Only 23, but thinking about getting really old still irrationally freaks me out. (The song for reference, video's cool too)

 
29. If I had it to do over again 24-26 seems ideal. 29 wasn't bad at all though.
 
23. "wasted" two years pursuing another major that I wasn't really interested in. Then again, i'm doing the same thing now but I'm too far in the game to look back haha.
 
There should be an age limit on how old you can be before applying. Some of these 19-22 year olds that finally left daddy's house make going to for beers with classmates a total ****-show.
 
SwordOfTheMorning said:
I swear I was listening to a song about how time flies while coincidentally reading this thread and your 11-year old posts. When the song finished and I realized it, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

Only 23, but thinking about getting really old still irrationally freaks me out. (The song for reference, video's cool too)
Click to expand...
Good song/video; thanks for sharing. Except, she's wrong. The best time of life is most emphatically NOT at age 17. She (and you) are too young to understand that yet.

-Love, Q (now almost 42)
 
Started at 26. Best decision to delay it a few years. You get to enjoy your 20's, actually know what working a job is like, and you mature.


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