I'm feeling old...

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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danimjo

danimjo

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So it hit me this morning driving to work, that if I get in I'll be 26 when I matriculate... and then I'll have four years of residency, so I'll be 34 when I finally start my career. I know most you applying this year are spring chickens...

So is anyone else a re-applicant with a few more years under their belt? Anyone in med-school start a little later than most of your peers? What are some of the challenges you experienced?

Is it still worth it to start so late?
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The mean age of matriculating students in the 2013 class of UNECOM is 27. I suspect many of the other DO schools do not deviate greatly from this number.
 
Not a reapplicant but I would be 36 after residency. I dont care.
 
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A lot of incoming medical students are non-traditional when it comes to osteopathic medical schools. You're definitely not alone, and probably even on the young side.
 
<---will be 28 by the fall of 2010.
 
Starting at 31....life isn't a destination.
 
My two little pennies worth: I will be 31 when I marticulate (if I get accepted next cycle) and around 41 when I finish residency (pretty sure I'm going for some type of surgery residency). :D
 
My husband just finished his first year at age 50.
Totally worth it!
 
danimjo said:
Is it still worth it to start so late?
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You're only as old as you feel. I can tell you from personal experience that working a job you don't like makes you feel older than you are. If you want to practice medicine, then do it.

By the way, before you said your age I thought you were going to say you were 40+. I bet many here would consider you quite young. Congrats!
 
danimjo said:
So it hit me this morning driving to work, that if I get in I'll be 26 when I matriculate... and then I'll have four years of residency, so I'll be 34 when I finally start my career. I know most you applying this year are spring chickens...

So is anyone else a re-applicant with a few more years under their belt? Anyone in med-school start a little later than most of your peers? What are some of the challenges you experienced?

Is it still worth it to start so late?
Click to expand...

I was 26 when I matriculated. Plenty of my classmates are older than I am...don't sweat it. You won't be the youngest or oldest by far!
 
will be 35 by next fall when i matriculate somewhere :eek:

now you've just made me feel old :laugh:
 
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This thread makes me almost feel bad that I'm 22.
 
Semicolon said:
This thread makes me almost feel bad that I'm 22.
Click to expand...

We should start a thread. I'm feeling young.

To the OP, for goodness sake don't feel bad at all. I envy some of the experiences that you have had, and I am sure they will make you a better physician in the long run. It is awesome.
 
I have practised law for 21 years. At the ripe old age of 48 I began taking medical prerequisite science courses at night while continuing to work fifty hour work weeks. My appplications are in and complete at eight D.O. schools. I will be 52 when I enter medical school. I have more energy than most applicants and one heck of a "non traditional" application. I have made it a point to speak to the admission staff at all eight D.O. schools before I applied. Every one of them said that my age is not an impediment. We shall see. I have received three invitations thus far for an interview and no rejections thus far. Without sounding like a "lecture Dad" you are going to be 8 years older in 8 years regardless of whether you go to medical school or not. In eight years would you rather be a doctor or do something else with your life?

Mid thirties (or later) is not to late to begin making a living as a doctor. While I have enjoyed being a trial lawyer, something was always missing. My calling was to be a medical doctor. I ignored it and settled for another career. Follow your heart and do what you have a passion for - not just to make money. Life is measured not by what you accumulate on this earth but rather what you give away in service to others.
 
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To think I was just kicking myself the other day for not starting this when I was "young" and thinking about back when I was 25 or 26.... I'll be 34 in Sept and hitting my 35th birthday right around matriculation, assuming I'm able to luck out and get in this time, LOL. My biggest reason why I take a stand for older non traditional applicants is that usually someone that is older has more life experience under their belt than the typical 23 year old and that makes you a more diverse and well rounded person.
OP, you're still young and have plenty of time... and if your old avatar was you then you have nothing to worry about in terms of age!!:D
 
i am a non traditional student, will be 34 after residency, no big deal
 
danimjo said:
So it hit me this morning driving to work, that if I get in I'll be 26 when I matriculate... and then I'll have four years of residency, so I'll be 34 when I finally start my career. I know most you applying this year are spring chickens...

So is anyone else a re-applicant with a few more years under their belt? Anyone in med-school start a little later than most of your peers? What are some of the challenges you experienced?

Is it still worth it to start so late?
Click to expand...

I know a few people that are starting their first year in just a few weeks and they're all 28+ and one of them is 40.
 
danimjo said:
So it hit me this morning driving to work, that if I get in I'll be 26 when I matriculate... and then I'll have four years of residency, so I'll be 34 when I finally start my career. I know most you applying this year are spring chickens...

So is anyone else a re-applicant with a few more years under their belt? Anyone in med-school start a little later than most of your peers? What are some of the challenges you experienced?

Is it still worth it to start so late?
Click to expand...


26 is hardly old. At most schools that is the average age. I know people in their 40s who are in med school. I think its all relative. Most Gen Xers and Yers are going to be working way past the age of 65. So if you are 30 when you graduate, you will at least have career of 35 years including your residency.

I am in my 30s, I got a girlfriend who is 25, she says I have more stamina than most guys half my age :).
 
sbreland said:
This does make me think of a question for all of you... do you think that older (and I mean like 30 or over) students have a better work ethic? I don't know... I just remember back in college when I was the 22 or 23 year old I noticed that all the older/non traditional students in all of my classes were the hardest working and most focused pretty much without fail. Maybe my experience was an anolomaly but I really do think that older students have something on the younger ones.
1. The clock FEELS a lot shorter for us so we focus more .
2. Were usually not concerned with who's going out this weekend or where the party is or any of that crap... our free time (if we have any) is spent with our family .
3. We've seen what it's like to live a life without the opportunity we have in front of us and realize that this may be our one and last chance to better ourselves so we are going to fight for it.

I could go on and on but you get my point. I am not saying that all or even most younger traditional students are like I stated above... just saying that being older gives you some experiences and life lessons that some of the young ones don't have. Be happy that you are a little older and have a little more color to you... it will make this whole process much better for you in the end and more rewarding when you can appreciate not having to go back to the dead end job (or job you don't want to do for the rest of your life)... something many students that don't have your age and experience will know nothing about :) Good luck
Click to expand...

I may be 22 but I can honestly say that I don't think I'm any of that. I'm sure I have considerably less life experience than probably most of you, an advantage that I'm missing, but I'm glad to get started on this road early on as I've wanted to do this for so long. Throughout college I've really tried to buckle down and study and be a good student (especially towards the latter years) and never really thought about partying and the like. I've hardly partied in college at all (and now I feel like I've missed a part of my youth I should have experienced :D).

This isn't a defensive post, btw. Just felt like saying it. In the end, we're all colleagues.
 
Phew! Thanks for the wealth of experiences each of you has had. It definitely helps put things into focus!
 
At 51 applying for medical school I am concerned about age discrimination. Some people my age are young and some are very old. The challenge for the medical schools will be to decide if I am the type of student that will add to the diversity of the class or am I one brick shy of a full load having a mid-life crisis.:laugh:

I have called every school that I applied to and have been assured that age is not an issue. My goal is to convine the interviews that I not only have what it takes to suceed in medical school but that my life experience equals wisdom.:)
 
I'll be 29 hopefully, but even if I were 39 or 49, or even 59, I don't care. It's my dream and nothing will stop me.
 
We have a younger class overall, but I love the older students. They are great. Supportive, positive and we have a learning community mom that brings in animal crackers and pretzels. Its great.
 
danimjo said:
So it hit me this morning driving to work, that if I get in I'll be 26 when I matriculate... and then I'll have four years of residency, so I'll be 34 when I finally start my career. I know most you applying this year are spring chickens...

So is anyone else a re-applicant with a few more years under their belt? Anyone in med-school start a little later than most of your peers? What are some of the challenges you experienced?

Is it still worth it to start so late?
Click to expand...

I think the average age when I started was 24 (I am 26 now) but I found the older students to much easier to talk to and less likely to stab you in the back.
 
danimjo said:
So it hit me this morning driving to work, that if I get in I'll be 26 when I matriculate... and then I'll have four years of residency, so I'll be 34 when I finally start my career. I know most you applying this year are spring chickens...

So is anyone else a re-applicant with a few more years under their belt? Anyone in med-school start a little later than most of your peers? What are some of the challenges you experienced?

Is it still worth it to start so late?
Click to expand...

3.jpg


If us non-trads can overcome things like THIS, we can overcome anything these youngin's throw at us! You ain't got nothin' to worry about.... :)
 
lawyerdoc2b said:
I have practised law for 21 years. At the ripe old age of 48 I began taking medical prerequisite science courses at night while continuing to work fifty hour work weeks. My appplications are in and complete at eight D.O. schools. I will be 52 when I enter medical school. I have more energy than most applicants and one heck of a "non traditional" application. I have made it a point to speak to the admission staff at all eight D.O. schools before I applied. Every one of them said that my age is not an impediment. We shall see. I have received three invitations thus far for an interview and no rejections thus far. Without sounding like a "lecture Dad" you are going to be 8 years older in 8 years regardless of whether you go to medical school or not. In eight years would you rather be a doctor or do something else with your life?

Mid thirties (or later) is not to late to begin making a living as a doctor. While I have enjoyed being a trial lawyer, something was always missing. My calling was to be a medical doctor. I ignored it and settled for another career. Follow your heart and do what you have a passion for - not just to make money. Life is measured not by what you accumulate on this earth but rather what you give away in service to others.
Click to expand...

:thumbup:
 
sbreland said:
This does make me think of a question for all of you... do you think that older (and I mean like 30 or over) students have a better work ethic? I don't know... I just remember back in college when I was the 22 or 23 year old I noticed that all the older/non traditional students in all of my classes were the hardest working and most focused pretty much without fail. Maybe my experience was an anolomaly but I really do think that older students have something on the younger ones.
1. The clock FEELS a lot shorter for us so we focus more .
2. Were usually not concerned with who's going out this weekend or where the party is or any of that crap... our free time (if we have any) is spent with our family .
3. We've seen what it's like to live a life without the opportunity we have in front of us and realize that this may be our one and last chance to better ourselves so we are going to fight for it.

I could go on and on but you get my point. I am not saying that all or even most younger traditional students are like I stated above... just saying that being older gives you some experiences and life lessons that some of the young ones don't have. Be happy that you are a little older and have a little more color to you... it will make this whole process much better for you in the end and more rewarding when you can appreciate not having to go back to the dead end job (or job you don't want to do for the rest of your life)... something many students that don't have your age and experience will know nothing about :) Good luck
Click to expand...

I'm loving this thread. I feel a little old for this at times, but this helps to put it in perspective. (Thanks guys!)

In response to the quoted bit, I know that I absolutely have a better work ethic than I did when I was younger, BUT I have come across some 19-yr-olds who really have their stuff together. Not the majority, but they're out there. Some schools have a reputation for being harder on the younger applicants, which I can understand, but some people are just ready for this. I don't understand it - I was on a road trip when I was 19 - but I do admire them having their heads on straight at such a young age.
 
This is a great thread with wonderful responses. It is always nice to hear from other non trads. I am 27, but will be 30 when I matriculate. I would not have been able to go through medical school at age 22. I was able to accumulate a lot of life experiences and a solid work ethic over the years and now I am more determined and focused than ever. Medical school, bring it on!
 
I am 31 I am applying this year I am going through a divorce, so I am a single mom working as a science teacher full time this is my dream and no I dont feel old. I am happy that I am doing this now because my undergrad gpa 2.49 would not have made this possible. Now I am more confident, and my application is more competitive.


:confused: class of 2014I just dont know where yet!!!
 
I'm now 34 and look like I'm in my early 40's. (I've been working as a computer engineer for 13 years) I'm thinking about making a switch to medical school. With 2-3 years of pre-med course work, I'll be about 37 when I start matriculation (if I get in). Am I too old? If not, how hard is it to make it through med school as an older student? (beside that I no longer have the energy of a 19 year old). Thanks for any input! Wish I found out about this board much earlier in life...
 
Signaq said:
3.jpg


If us non-trads can overcome things like THIS, we can overcome anything these youngin's throw at us! You ain't got nothin' to worry about.... :)
Click to expand...

Talk about a nostalgic background...all its missing is the big White "90" behind it.
 
GunghoDO said:
I'm now 34 and look like I'm in my early 40's. (I've been working as a computer engineer for 13 years) I'm thinking about making a switch to medical school. With 2-3 years of pre-med course work, I'll be about 37 when I start matriculation (if I get in). Am I too old? If not, how hard is it to make it through med school as an older student? (beside that I no longer have the energy of a 19 year old). Thanks for any input! Wish I found out about this board much earlier in life...
Click to expand...

Definitely not. Hopefully some of the older non-trads can pipe in with their experiences, but there's no such thing as too old if you want it bad enough.
 
i took a couple yrs off for work and more for grad school. i put off applying because i wasn't ready for the whole process, and i wasn't sure i had what it took to be a doctor. while i do wish i had applied straight out of college (since i would be in residency by now), i am so grateful i had the time off to mature. there are plenty of 22 year olds who can appreciate the med school experience, but i was not one of them :) i think i would have been way over my head, and i'm impressed by how mature a lot of my younger classmates are... that said, i definitely feel like i have an edge when it comes to empathasizing since i've been knocked around by life and jobs for a few years. no flames - i'm just saying that a few years of Life hasn't detracted from my experience at all. and i was ~the same age as OP when i started, so i will probably be freaking out along with you when i start residency at >30yo :D
 
I am just here to support pretty much what everyone else said: you're not too old. :D

My mom was 42 (I think) when she started med. school, plus she had 3 young children (6,8, and 10 years old). She did just fine.

I am by no means old (24), but my school had a particularly young class this year; It is a bit weird to think that the guy who sits next to me will be a doctor by the time he is my current age. That being said, we also have a lot of people in their late 20's and I know of a few in their early/mid 30's.

Just surround yourself with like-minded people and you will be fine. If you don't want to go out and party like the youngin' 21 year olds fresh from college, it'll still be ok. ;)
 
Semicolon said:
This thread makes me almost feel bad that I'm 22.
Click to expand...

Is it weird that I worry about being the youngest in my class, at 21? I've managed to balance partying and school somehow while in college and am attending straight out of college.
 
Kevon said:
We should start a thread. I'm feeling young.

To the OP, for goodness sake don't feel bad at all. I envy some of the experiences that you have had, and I am sure they will make you a better physician in the long run. It is awesome.
Click to expand...

I'm also 22 and currently applying.

To be honest, the large number of non-traditional applicants is one of the many reasons for my interest in an osteopathic education. I'm sure the learning atmosphere/culture will be different. I think it would be good for me to interact with people who've seen more of the world than me.
 
MN premed said:
Is it weird that I worry about being the youngest in my class, at 21? I've managed to balance partying and school somehow while in college and am attending straight out of college.
Click to expand...

At least you can drink. I'll be starting med school 3 months after I turn 20 >.>

Though I'm on the /way young/ side of the spectrum, I welcome the older students. I agree with Cheshyre--people with varied life experiences make things more interesting. I can only imagine how much more difficult it is for those who have kids and such, and to have the courage to change your life course after being entrenched in something else. That kind of dedication is definitely a virtue.
 
food for thought... my dad entered Medical School at 41. Then did cardiology so add seven more years on top of the four. He's still going strong.
 
To the 26 year old OP ---Don't worry, your class will pitch in for your walker and depends so you can make it to lecture.+pity+
 
wannabeaDO said:
You're okay. This kid was only 12

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/08/25/cnna.young.med.student/index.html
Click to expand...

Haha, wow. I definitely wouldn't want to be that out of place in my med school class.

I do think that having older students will be interesting and a new experience, I just want to have enough people around my age who will share the same interests and activities outside of classes on the weekends and whatnot. Obviously older students with families will be spending time with their kids when they can, while I won't be having kids for awhile. I'll be moving there alone so I want to make some friends to hang out with!
 
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I love computer engineers!

I even had sex with some.
 
Birdeee said:
My husband just finished his first year at age 50.
Totally worth it!
Click to expand...

Almost seems too late imo. 53-54 when done graduating, 57-60 once he starts practicing. I'm not sure I'd go through all of this for 10 years of being an attending.
 
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