I'm 17, Should I go to med school next fall?

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simpson1

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I'm a 17 year old who has just graduated from high school and is entering college, but because I have taken a lot of college courses throughout high school, am capable of graduating this spring with a degree in Biology. My current college GPA is high and I took the MCAT last spring, primarily to keep options open, and scored in the 40's. I have spoken to the admissions director at a local, private university and he/she essentially, though not directly mind you, guaranteed me admission. In addition, I have been told my chances are very good at top tier universities. I also have substantial research experience, volunteer time in a hospital setting, and have been told I am rather mature for my age.

I am very passionate and eager at this point about going into medicine, but am not sure whether or not it is the right move at this point. (Will I miss out on too much by spending only a year in college? On the other hand, is not having much undergraduate debt, an essentially guaranteed position in a class, and getting done with formal schooling earlier in life worth it?) What would you guys do if you were in my position? I'd really appreciate any input before I decide whether or not to apply for this admissions cycle (that's the cycle this fall 2003 for admission in fall 2004, in case this post floats around too long).

Thank you.
 
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH...oh, my sides...BWAHAHAHAHA....guaranteed admission...substantial research experience at 17...BWAHAHAHAHAHA...oh God, I needed that!
 
IF this is true about what you are saying (which i highly doubt) , medical schools also look for maturity in a person and i cant think of any medical school that will view a 17year old as mature enough to be in medical school - plus wont you need parental consent to attend medical school due to your age? 😛
 
Originally posted by simpson1
I'm a 17 year old who has just graduated from high school and is entering college, but because I have taken a lot of college courses throughout high school, am capable of graduating this spring with a degree in Biology. My current college GPA is high and I took the MCAT last spring, primarily to keep options open, and scored in the 40's. I have spoken to the admissions director at a local, private university and he/she essentially, though not directly mind you, guaranteed me admission. In addition, I have been told my chances are very good at top tier universities. I also have substantial research experience, volunteer time in a hospital setting, and have been told I am rather mature for my age.

Click to expand...

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Thanks for filling my laugh quota for the week. This post is even more of an unbelievable farce than Squat and Squeeze's supposed background, and that, my friend, is an accomplishment in itself.
 
Congratulations! Although it may be true, and I can see some universities or med-schools looking at your situation as a possible Doogie Howser, M.D. rerun, most would frown as 4 ever stated on your case of admittance. There are more factors than just grades involved, such as the ability to cope with the work load and hours, your mental adolescence, work ethic, and the advances college life you would be subjected to and the ability to hold your own. There are other things, but I can't think right now...

Oh, and good luck, thy sincerest wishes bode for thee.
 
WHILE I FIND THIS FIRST TIME POST SOMEWHAT DUBIOUS, I WILL SAY THAT WHILE I WAS IN UNDERGRAD WE HAD A STUDENT WHO STARTED WORKING ON HER DEGREE WHEN SHE WAS TEN, GRADUATED WITH A BS IN CHEMISTRY AND WAS ACCEPTED INTO AN MD/PHD PROGRAM IN VIRGINIA AT THE AGE OF 14. REALLY. NO KIDDING. SHE WAS SOME KIND OF SUPER GENIOUS AND VERY NICE AS WELL. IF YOU ARE BEING HONEST ABOUT WHO YOU ARE, YOU MIGHT BE BETTER HEADING FOR THE ACADEMIC ROUTE IN MEDICINE. YOUR AGE WOULD BE A HINDERANCE. YOU ALSO MIGHT CONSIDER GOING TO COLLEGE FOR FOUR YEARS ANYWAY. YOU WOULD HAVE TO REPEAT THE MCAT IF YOU STILL WANTED TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE A BIT OF LIFE EXPERIENCE UNDER YOUR BELT AND WOULD HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF BEING ACCEPTED TO A REGULAR MEDICAL PROGRAM.
 
Originally posted by simpson1
I'm a 17 year old who has just graduated from high school and is entering college, but because I have taken a lot of college courses throughout high school, am capable of graduating this spring with a degree in Biology. My current college GPA is high and I took the MCAT last spring, primarily to keep options open, and scored in the 40's. ..........................Thank you.
Click to expand...

NO......... Thank you! :laugh: :clap: :laugh:
 
Well I read this and thought "I am 17 look at me I am going to med school! HA HA"

I HOPE this is a sincere person, either way Sho Yano beat you to it, you are just a mediocre child genius as he is IN already at Pritzker starting this fall at an MD/PhD program AT THE AGE OF 12! He did his undergrad at Loyola at age 9...look it up and cry, you are not THAT special, LOL.:laugh:

But if you are for real, then go see your premed advisor URGENTLY and I would suggest waiting two years instead of one to make sure you have all your areas in check before you apply and get into a TOP meed school instead of any med school b/c you are rushed...but realize this is not something like skipping high school early, you will miss out!😀
 
Don't waste time in school any longer. If you are in the position to begin medical school next year then do it. Why waste time in undergaduate when you will just be throwing away money and energy. Start as soon as possible, it will only help you in the long run.


Herp
 
There is a 18 year old at my school doing mstp program, I think he did hs in a year and got his bs from mit. He seems very mature for his age. So why not go to school in the fall?
 
hi,

I graduated college when I was 18. Granted, i did not rock the mcats as well as you did, but I did excellet at a top tier undergrad intsitute. My pathway was somewhat different from your, nonetheless.

I chose to take two years off, do research, and then i'll matriculate when i'm 21 (i'm 19 now). Why? I doubted the medical schools will take me, primarily. My brother, then 16, applied to matriculate when he was 18, and received zero admissions. Then again, I have known another girl on SDN who started WashU medschool when she was 18.

These two years I took off have completely changed my view on research, and I've decided against MD PhD (which i was leaning towards), so they proved useful.

I will agree, they are much more likely to be acceptant of your case if you do MD PhD... but that doesn't mean this should ONE BIT affect your descision to do MD PhD (if research is even crossing your mind).

If when I graduated (at age 18) I was offered guaranteed admission at a decent school, i would accept it. Whether you will get admission, depends on your situation and the school.
But, at age 18, i already had 9 years of a very enjoyable college life behind me. I'd seen as much as I would of college. However, you yourself are raising the question of missing out. I never really felt i was/would be missing out. So, in that case there is a big difference.

So, my two cents is that i would gladly accept the admission. But, this seems much more of a persnal descision for you to make. Do you feel you need a break, if so now is the time to take it. Do you feel comfortable interacting with older students?

Can you get in and get a differed admission? (if this is what you want).
What medical school is this, if you don't mind?

Feel free to e-mail me [email protected], (i'd be glad to get to know you) and I can discuss more. (when i'm not swamped with secondaries 🙁)

sonya
 
If I were you I'd go the 6 year BS/MD route. That way you will still have 2 years of college to be young, away from home, and have some fun before you have to get serious. At your age and obvious performance level, you would do very well in med school. But now that med students start seeing patients early in the curriculum, most patients will not take you seriously unless you look a lot older.
 
Wow, if you're for real, then i think you should definitely go ahead and apply. All the maturity talk...it's nice, but in other countries with educational systems different than ours, doctors are picked right out of highschool (and i bet 3/4 of them aren't as smart as you sound).

The road to becoming a doctor's gonna be long enough. Don't delay it. You're obviously a little ahead of your age, and that's fine. You know what they say...a bird in the hand...

And while i think your story is rare, i wish the other posters were more respectful of their fellow human beings. But hey, i guess if you do go thru with it, you mihgt have to deal with a little bit of what you just tasted (sarcasm, disbelief).

And oh...there's nothing to be missed out on in college...except getting in trouble. 😉
 
In other countries where they get students for med school starting at 18 they have med school for 6 years not 4. Not to mention that those medical students are notorious for being immature and obnoxious.

If you are real you may well have a problem getting accepted because of your young age. I know a girl who had to apply twice because the first time she was told she was too young.
 
I would advise you to hold off for a year or two. Take some time to travel, volunteer, or do some things that you have always wanted to do. Once you start med school you will have very little time in your life to relax. Expand your horizons a bit and it can only help you avoid the "he/she's to young for med school" pitfalls. There are some fantastic opportunities around the world for bright, gifted, motivated students to volunteer and help others.

Your late teens and early twenties are a time to really discover who you are - your beliefs, passions, dreams and goals. They are also an important time to develop subtle social and communication skills which will be invaluable later in life. Although you seem very "mature" in the academic sense, this time in your life is when you will develop your emotional and socail maturity. Use this time to gain valuable life experience, it can teach you more about real life than any text book.

Enjoy your year of undergrad and don't worry about rushing into med school immediately. Don't start med school with a feeling that maybe you are missing out on anything. When you are my age (35), you will find that whether you started med school at 18 or 28, it really doesn't matter in the long run as long as you feel it is the right time for you.

Good luck and don't listen to the immature, jealous and negative responses on this board.
 
Originally posted by Lab-Rat21
I HOPE this is a sincere person, either way Sho Yano beat you to it, you are just a mediocre child genius as he is IN already at Pritzker starting this fall at an MD/PhD program AT THE AGE OF 12! He did his undergrad at Loyola at age 9...look it up and cry, you are not THAT special, LOL.:laugh:

But if you are for real, then go see your premed advisor URGENTLY
Click to expand...

I thought this Sho guy is actually 14 now?

But the original poster doesn't HAVE a premed advisor yet...

What you should ask yourself is "do i REALLY want to be a doctor, and do i have to be a doctor NOW." Numbers-wise, yeah you have a great shot at any place you want to go. Do you feel mature enough to do it? You should know that most people, even your fellow students, will NOT take you seriously. Do you feel like you have the perspective to even know what you want to do with your life at this point? I know I didn't when I was your age.

Most people change their plans several times in life and in college. There's no such thing as a waste of time unless you choose it to be. I stayed interested in medicine through college, but many of my peers changed their minds. My direction changed towards the MSTP path.

If you think that you KNOW you want to be a doctor, you're going to have to back it up to prove your worth to adcoms and your peers. Or you're going to have to be comfortable enough to with yourself to not care what they think...
 
What's the rush... take time off and enjoy your youth. Med school will always be there, but the years before your 20's will not. Say you practice into your 60's, a few years won't drastically change anything. Life is too short as it is--might as well take some time off while you are at an age when it is possible.

🙂

Best of luck in your decision...
 
I just can't imagine missing out on years of college. I mean, for a lot of people it takes about a year to get settled in, but after that, it's pretty much the best time ever. I mean you can't really beat having no real responsibilities other than to learn, being surrounded by other people your own age who are also learning and playing... sigh, can you tell I miss school? 😍 I can't really see what the rush is. I'm totaly excited about starting med school, but I wouldn't trade undergrad for anything. We all do a lot of maturing during those years, regardless of our maturity level when we start, and don't you really want a chance to take all of those electives you'll never really have the chance to take again? Besides, med schools REALLY prefer four years of undergrad. I knew a girl who graduated in three with *perfect* stats (literally), concert violinist, published - both in research and in literary publications, and she got rejected from every med school she applied to last year. Anyway, just my $0.02. 🙂
 
"med schools REALLY prefer four years of undergrad. I knew a girl who graduated in three with *perfect* stats (literally), concert violinist, published - both in research and in literary publications, and she got rejected from every med school she applied to last year."

🙄 🙄 🙄
 
No ya didn't. But, indeed, I could imagine what it would be like if you had.


Originally posted by simpson1
I'm a 17 year old who has just graduated from high school and is entering college, but because I have taken a lot of college courses throughout high school, am capable of graduating this spring with a degree in Biology. My current college GPA is high and I took the MCAT last spring, primarily to keep options open, and scored in the 40's. I have spoken to the admissions director at a local, private university and he/she essentially, though not directly mind you, guaranteed me admission. In addition, I have been told my chances are very good at top tier universities. I also have substantial research experience, volunteer time in a hospital setting, and have been told I am rather mature for my age.

I am very passionate and eager at this point about going into medicine, but am not sure whether or not it is the right move at this point. (Will I miss out on too much by spending only a year in college? On the other hand, is not having much undergraduate debt, an essentially guaranteed position in a class, and getting done with formal schooling earlier in life worth it?) What would you guys do if you were in my position? I'd really appreciate any input before I decide whether or not to apply for this admissions cycle (that's the cycle this fall 2003 for admission in fall 2004, in case this post floats around too long).

Thank you.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by Grumpy Bear
I knew a girl who graduated in three with *perfect* stats (literally), concert violinist, published - both in research and in literary publications, and she got rejected from every med school she applied to last year. Anyway, just my $0.02. 🙂
Click to expand...

Hey, do you work in a fertilizer factory? Because you're so full of ****.
 
I'm a 17 year old who has just graduated from high school and is entering college
Click to expand...

I am a 17 year old who HAVE just graduated from high school and AM entering college

Did you take ENGLISH 101?
 
Oh by the way,
there is a 19 year old at yale med
 
Go to med scholl, cause if you are who you say you are than you probably wouldn't get as much out of undergrad anywho. The purpose of undergrad is to a) prove to med schools you're worthy and b) have fun. Your making it sound like you already accomplished a. You just gotta ask yourself is b worth 4 yrs. and the loans. I would say yes, bu t I don't think you would agree. So just apply to med school now. Good luck.

OP
 
Originally posted by Squat n Squeeze
Hey, do you work in a fertilizer factory? Because you're so full of ****.
Click to expand...

Pot... meet Kettle. Kettle... meet Pot.
 
So you think what the poster is saying is funny?? 😕





😉

Seriously, tho. To the original OP: Why didn't you just graduate from high school early? It seems very interesting that you completed both high school and college concurrently.

Most colleges/universities have a limit on the number of credits a high school student can take concurrently with college courses. Of course there are a small percentage of students graduating from college earlier than the "traditional" applicant. I don't think that can be disputed.(Look at the previous posts).



I might be wrong about this but your post sounds dubious at best.
 
Originally posted by Squat n Squeeze
Hey, do you work in a fertilizer factory? Because you're so full of ****.
Click to expand...

😀 Hey it's a true story... although obviously anecdotal, so take it with a grain of salt. Key point is, the main negative feedback she got was that she should have taken four years of undergrad. And I'm guessing she may not have come off all that well in interviews... her attitude was a bit smug and I'm not sure she got the opportunity to polish her social skills in college.
 
Originally posted by OptimusPrime
The purpose of undergrad is to a) prove to med schools you're worthy and b) have fun. Your making it sound like you already accomplished a
Click to expand...

So that's the purpose of undergrad....... wish I had known that while I was there.
 
how come you did not just finish high school early if your so smart?

squat, that was a funny comment.

i dont know, maybe you are for real. how come you dont respond to anyone?

good luck anyway.

oh, and there is no way you are guaranteed anything. i am sure the entire committe needs to look at your file and decide. plus, its probably a big decision, not just the commit by itself, to accept you. i am also sure they want someone with more life experience. like i said, i finished early too, but i left high school...you did not experience college. it might sound kind of stupid, but going to college means a lot more than just that. with it you develop many other qualities, including maturity, responsibility and interpersonal skills. perhaps a year is enough...but you would be applying before even experiencing that year. one more thing, patients need to trust you and connect with you, their lives are in your hands...something to think about.

i am not to judge, just some points for you to think about, if you are even real. good luck.
 
Originally posted by simpson1I am a 17 year old who has just graduated from high school and is entering college
Click to expand...
Originally posted by DOit
I am a 17 year old who HAVE just graduated from high school and AM entering college

Did you take ENGLISH 101?
Click to expand...
There was nothing wrong with the original poster's grammar. Your "correction" is flawed, however.
 
i just want to give this person some things to consider because while you may be able to get in you need to think about what would really hapen if you did, primarily from a social perspective. you will be way younger than ever other student, so even though you may be mature there's just gonna be stuff you haven't experienced. what about dating? how are you gonna find someone near your age? do you think you'll be able to make friends with people 4 or more years older than you in most cases? what about little stuff, like going to bars with your classmates? anyway, this is just stuff to consider. you don't want to be unhappy for 4 years because of social issues. i'm not trying to seem negative - if you can answer these questions in a positive manner and you're sure of what you want to do then go for it. good luck with your decisions.
 
There is an 18 year old at my school and he is doing fine. If 18 is old enough to kill for uncle sam, 18 should be old enough to learn how to save lives as well. I'm a non-traditional med student who started at 26, but hey when not in school I act like a 16 year old. And socializing w/your classmates, if youre an 18 year old female classmate of mine and you are fine, I'll be socializing alot w/you.
 
hi. i'm 1 should i run for governor of florida this year?
 
Run for governer of Calif. it only cost $3,400 and some signatures.
 
HEY YALL , GIVE THE KID A BREAK, IT IS PEOPLE LIKE U WHO
HAMPER INITIATIVE IN SOCIETY. ITS TRUE , U HAVE TO BE MATURED TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE WORK IN MED SCHOOL. HE HAS THE DREAM KINDLY GIVE HIM SOME MOTIVATION. PLZZZZZZZ😛
 
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