The effect of age

[Law2Doc]

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I don't personally care about going to a top ranked medical school, but I'm not ambitious enough to graduate college at 18 either. I was probably lucky to graduate high schoool at 18.

Yep. I think the question is whether an ambitious person should want to get to med school first or to set himself up better for success. You can get to the target either way but sometimes if you spend the time to pave the road better it's a smoother ride in a nicer car.

 

[notdeadyet]

Yep. I think the question is whether an ambitious person should want to get to med school first or to set himself up better for success. You can get to the target either way but sometimes if you spend the time to pave the road better it's a smoother ride in a nicer car.

What happened to the train? Are you mixing metaphors or am I mixing threads?

(Scratch that; I'm mixing threads)

 

[TheRealMD]

Yeah, this is what I was alluding to earlier. To do the incredible academic feat of graduating college so young requires a lot of ambition. I'd be a little worried that at 24, when most people haven't graduated from medical school, the OP may be looking back thinking, "If I'd taken two years to beef up my app and better position myself, I'd be graduating Harvard right now".

I don't personally care about going to a top ranked medical school, but I'm not ambitious enough to graduate college at 18 either. I was probably lucky to graduate high schoool at 18.

But Harvard isn't the goal. It's merely a stepping stone. I realize that I could wait a year, do some more to improve my app, and probably have a better chance than most people ever will. But I'd rather apply now when I think I am ready than spend a year and know I am ready.

Besides, the whole process is a crapshoot anyway. You could have all the grades/ECs/recs/MCAT scores in the world and still not get into top schools. I'd rather walk with what I have now than run with a "hopefully it'll work out later" situation.

 

[notdeadyet]

I realize that I could wait a year, do some more to improve my app, and probably have a better chance than most people ever will. But I'd rather apply now when I think I am ready than spend a year and know I am ready.

This issue isn't when you think you're ready. The issue isn't when you are ready. The issue is when Adcoms will think you're ready. And more Adcoms will think you are ready when you have a year or two more experience both in life and clinical volunteering.

Besides, the whole process is a crapshoot anyway. You could have all the grades/ECs/recs/MCAT scores in the world and still not get into top schools.

It's not a crapshoot. It's subjective. And the better your app, the better your odds. A year could greatly improve your app in the minds of Adcoms. If for no other reason than it shows that you are mature enough to not be rushing the process.

I'd rather walk with what I have now than run with a "hopefully it'll work out later" situation.

I'm not sure I understand. A year will strengthen your app. It's not reading tea leaves here.

Regardless, I really do wish you luck. It's just that more dreams of med school are ruined by folks rushing the process than taking their time. This is especially true for folks wanting to apply very young, when a year or two's seasoning improves the dish and for folks wanting to apply very old, when a bit of extra boiling makes old steak chew softer.

 

[eekonomics]

Yeah, this is what I was alluding to earlier. To do the incredible academic feat of graduating college so young requires a lot of ambition. I'd be a little worried that at 24, when most people haven't graduated from medical school, the OP may be looking back thinking, "If I'd taken two years to beef up my app and better position myself, I'd be graduating Harvard right now".

I don't personally care about going to a top ranked medical school, but I'm not ambitious enough to graduate college at 18 either. I was probably lucky to graduate high schoool at 18.

Even if the OP did beef up his extracurriculars, don't you think Harvard would be a far cry? Stats worse than his have gotten the boot from less than Harvard...

 

[Law2Doc]

Besides, the whole process is a crapshoot anyway. You could have all the grades/ECs/recs/MCAT scores in the world and still not get into top schools. I'd rather walk with what I have now than run with a "hopefully it'll work out later" situation.

Disagree. While no one is ever a sure thing-- as I said before you can certainly turn a half court shot into more of a lay-up if you set yourself up better. (Sorry ndy, I'm full of metaphors today). That's certainly what I would do. While you are correct that your med school is just a stepping stone in a process that will reward personal accomplishments far more than school pedigree, there are certain advantages in terms of research opportunities, mentors with connections, etc. This won't make and break you, but if you have the option -- and in your position if you were willing to put in the time you might -- it's something worth considering. Again the goal shouldn't be to get there fastest -- that really shouldn't be a priority.

 

[dbhvt]

Good luck. There's a 19 year old rising M2 here. You heard from a 20 year old in this thread, and there is a guy at Duke who was 19 or 20 when he applied. Apply broadly, and include several of the most selective schools. Your age is a characteristic that makes you interesting.

 

[notdeadyet]

Even if the OP did beef up his extracurriculars, don't you think Harvard would be a far cry? Stats worse than his have gotten the boot from less than Harvard...

Stats better than his have gotten rejected from Harvard and stats worse have gotten in. He has a solid GPA and a solid MCAT. Harvard is not out of reach if he has a good story to tell. And saying "I'm the youngest" is not a very compelling story. (Nor is "I'm the oldest"; trust me)

 

[Law2Doc]

Even if the OP did beef up his extracurriculars, don't you think Harvard would be a far cry? Stats worse than his have gotten the boot from less than Harvard...

I think that Harvard was just meant to be an example, rather than the actual likely result. The notion was that if the OP played his/her cards right s/he could pave the road for better med school options at 20 than s/he will get at 18.

 

[Law2Doc]

Your age is a characteristic that makes you interesting.

Depends how it's regarded. It's more likely looked at as a lack of something -- something you will outgrow in time, rather than something in and of itself. I mean everyone applying has experienced being 18 so it's not that much of a selling point. But it's a distinct advantage in that it allows the OP to accomplish more before still applying very young.
I agree that if the OP applies widely s/he may get some interest. But I and ndy are saying that if the OP spent the next year or two correctly, OP could get a whole lot more interest, and probably from even better places.

 

[notdeadyet]

One last thing on the age issue:

When you apply for anything, it behooves you to put yourself in the mind of the person who will be judging your application. If you are a very bright, very ambitious 18 year old, it is easy to forget that most of us were not bright or ambitious at 18.

TheRealMD- as you apply, always keep in mind that your average 50something Adcom pulling the switches on your application is going to reflect back to themselves at 18 and possibly shudder. Some will get past that, but some will have a hard time swallowing the idea of a well-versed, cosmopolitan, worldly, mature 18 year old, because they are very very rare fish. A lot of growing tends to happen between 18 and 20, which is why some folks are saying that your odds, while good now, would be much better then. The shudder-factor would be significantly reduced.

 

[dbhvt]

I think that Harvard was just meant to be an example, rather than the actual likely result. The notion was that if the OP played his/her cards right s/he could pave the road for better med school options at 20 than s/he will get at 18.

It's hard to say. This is going to depend on the details of the OPs personal history. The URM 18yo college grads I know have very compelling stories to go along with their relentless drive and dedication. This story might be watered down at 20.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

We have a 19 y/o in our class (well, maybe he's 20 now -- he was 19 when we started). To me, it seems like a waste of youth, though. Why not take advantage of graduating early and do something exciting instead of just plugging in for 4 more years of study then residency then work? I guess I don't get the hurry to reach a destination at an earlier age.

 

[notdeadyet]

The URM 18yo college grads I know have very compelling stories to go along with their relentless drive and dedication. This story might be watered down at 20.

If you have the drive, intelligence and ambition to graduate college at 18 and have a compelling story to boot, you're not going to kick your heels up at 18 and start getting dull. You'll just get more interesting.

A young team making it to the world series is a great story. The young team winning them back to back is an even better one.

 

[Law2Doc]

This story might be watered down at 20.

The advice of waiting is certainly dependant on OP doing something valuable during those two years. Which is why I suggested a Masters, working, researching or ideally some combo of the three. That's what I would do if I was in OPs position and had those two years to burn.

 

[Law2Doc]

I guess I don't get the hurry to reach a destination at an earlier age.

Ditto.

 

[da8s0859q]

Ditto.

Ditto ditto.

 

[monday_best]

To the OP:

I followed a similar path as you (PM me if you want more specifics), and I graduated college at 19. I know several people in my cohort who went to medical school, law school, and got into really prestigious, competitive jobs right out of college. People never would have guessed we were as young as we were.

I don't think most people realize how motivated, talented, and well-rounded a person you need to be to make such a non-traditional educational choice and get through all the hard work of college at a young age.

As long as you have a coherent story about why you want to go into medicine, can demonstrate that you know what you're getting into, and present yourself with maturity and humility, I really think you will have a lot of success applying this year.

The only thing I would caution you against is rushing into the profession if you're unsure, or haven't explored other opportunities. One of the best things about starting/graduating college early is that you have plenty of extra time to figure out what you want to do. I know a lot of people would encourage you to use it now, but there are opportunities to "use" your extra time later. You could take a year or two off during med school or after med school. You could have time to do a long global health outreach program once you've acquired the requisite doctoring skills. If you wanted to write a book or pursue an anthropology degree or something else in the future, you could do it then.

There's no point in waiting if you know this is something you want to do now. You will learn and mature in med school the same way you will learn and mature outside of med school, because that process is really just driven by experience, and you sound like the type to seek out the right experiences no matter what environment you'll be in.

If I had known I wanted to go to med school straight out of undergrad, I would be done by now. I didn't know then, and I made the right decision to wait to know myself better. I am a lot more mature than I was at 19, but I know there will be so much more learning and maturing to do in med school, that I feel like the end result would have been the same in the grand scheme of things.

You should never shy away from opportunities that you think you are ready for. Use your "extra" time when you really need it.

Good luck!

 

[monday_best]

We have a 19 y/o in our class (well, maybe he's 20 now -- he was 19 when we started). To me, it seems like a waste of youth, though. Why not take advantage of graduating early and do something exciting instead of just plugging in for 4 more years of study then residency then work? I guess I don't get the hurry to reach a destination at an earlier age.

I can't speak to the motivations of the guy in your class, but everyone I know (and I know more than several football teams of them) who chose to do the work to graduate college early weren't "in a hurry" for jumping-through-hoops sake. They just were/are really intellectually thirsty people and thought it was a waste of youth to not go after the opportunity to learn awesome things earlier. Plus, it gives one the flexibility to take time off at any point in her life. It's not like once you enter medical school it's a non-stop train from MS1 to attending.

Which would you rather have... a crazy story from your senior prom or a crazy story from your off-year volunteering and travelling around West Africa?

 

[Davjc2009]

Hey, if you look anything like Greg Oden (who looks like he could have been a number of NCAA players' father), it could be okay.

 

[notdeadyet]

Which would you rather have... a crazy story from your senior prom or a crazy story from your off-year volunteering and travelling around West Africa?

"I'll get around to it later" is written on a lot of tombstones. When you are young, you often hold the opinion that life will largely carry on as it does now, but this isn't the case.

The reason that early adulthood is a nice time to expand your horizons is that it only comes once. Theoretically, one could rush through their education and hurry into medical school and later take things slow. But it too often doesn't turn out this way.

By the time you're in your late 20's and looking at 30, you tend to be who you are largely as an extension of how you defined yourself in your early 20's. Folks who are very strict and hard on themselves through college and the few years after can tell themselves, "I'll relax and take it easy when I'm 30" but it rarely happens. Folks who sit around, take the easy way out, and accomplish very little can tell themselves, "I'm going to be a real go-getter when I'm 30" but it very rarely happens.

You can plan to change your lifestyle and stop and smell the roses later. The difference is that you know you can now. Later is maybe. Later can involve big student loans, a mortgage, kids, etc. There's a reason that there are armies of folks in their twentysomethings hitch-hiking around Europe and very few guys in their 30's.

 

[notdeadyet]

everyone I know (and I know more than several football teams of them) who chose to do the work to graduate college early weren't "in a hurry" for jumping-through-hoops sake. They just were/are really intellectually thirsty people and thought it was a waste of youth to not go after the opportunity to learn awesome things earlier.

You may find that your perspective will change as you get older. And unfortunately you'll be old a lot longer than you'll be young.

Ask folks in their 40's and beyond, "Do you wish you spent less time in college?" Very, very rarely will they say yes. The concern I have with folks striving to graduate college early is that they are taking a four year experience that they'll never have again and trying to compress it for the sake of adding an exta 1 or 2 years to a career that they will have for 40 or so years.

But I understand the logic of those who like the idea. To each their own and best of luck to all...

 

[gotmeds?]

It's hard to say. This is going to depend on the details of the OPs personal history. The URM 18yo college grads I know have very compelling stories to go along with their relentless drive and dedication. This story might be watered down at 20.

I'm an oldie myself and while I would advise most people to take some time off and experience life, I don't think that's the best advice for the OP. His age (and his drive to get to where he is at such a young age) make him an interesting applicant. If he waits a few years to apply, sure he might have some good experiences, but he'll be pretty much like every other 21 year old with good stats and good experiences.

I'm in my thirties, so I had to account for a lot of post-college years during my interviews. I think the single biggest thing that helped me during my interviews was having a good story -- something that made sense. It doesn't make sense for someone who is driven enough to finish college at 18 to suddenly decide to put off med school for a few years. If anything, that would lead me to question his desire to become a doctor more than his age would.

 

[deleted128318]

I'd rather apply now when I think I am ready than spend a year and know I am ready.

I would shed this attitude very, very quickly if you want a chance this round.

This is a very trigger-happy response to a decision that requires much more thought than that. In saying this, you have articulated the argument against yourself. The high wire you are walking is that, despite whatever experience you may have, someone who is so dedicated at your age seems blindly-so. You can't go into this thinking that you are ready, because it will be utterly apparent in your interviews. You do need to know. You need to prove that your age is not a barrier to knowing that you want to go into medicine, and that you have leap-frogged the "thinking" stage that usually accompanies someone under external pressure (i.e. parents, coming from humble means, the need for prestige) in these circumstances.

 

[TheRealMD]

I can't speak to the motivations of the guy in your class, but everyone I know (and I know more than several football teams of them) who chose to do the work to graduate college early weren't "in a hurry" for jumping-through-hoops sake. They just were/are really intellectually thirsty people and thought it was a waste of youth to not go after the opportunity to learn awesome things earlier. Plus, it gives one the flexibility to take time off at any point in her life. It's not like once you enter medical school it's a non-stop train from MS1 to attending.

Which would you rather have... a crazy story from your senior prom or a crazy story from your off-year volunteering and travelling around West Africa?

To put this in perspective, I wouldn't consider myself graduating college early (in fact, I still have a year left to go). It's just that I didn't go through 4 years of "normal" high school like most people do. I've had some life-changing experiences.

In any case, thanks for all of the advise. I think I'll just plow on ahead and apply this year anyway. I'm not really much for aiming OOS (if I didn't live in Texas, this would be a COMPLETELY different situation), but I've got a good shot at almost all of the Texas schools and would be happy here. Plus, it's only 4 years compared to 3-7 for a residency, and the rest of my life.

Med school only gets you through the foot of the door for a residency. The rest comes from the person themself. 😀

So, hopefully UTSW Class of 2012?! 😀

Oh, and as for the trigger happiness, I realize what you're saying and with think about it a lot more. Starting to work on my PS has forced me to analyze that statement and really figure out what I want to do.

 

[HreComesTheSun]

good for you OP 👍 don't forget to let us know when you get your first acceptance 🙂

 

[Law2Doc]

They just were/are really intellectually thirsty people and thought it was a waste of youth to not go after the opportunity to learn awesome things earlier. Plus, it gives one the flexibility to take time off at any point in her life. It's not like once you enter medical school it's a non-stop train from MS1 to attending.

Although my main point is that being so young is a great opportunity to spend time improving credentials to improve opportunities, I also disagree with the above perspective. Once you've been to med school you realize that your time to be a teenager is pretty much over. It's not as bad if you've already had the chance to get a lot more youth out of your system. (In this respect the nontrads are doing it right). So in that sense you burn through your youth to get to the other side of this tunnel, and I guess a lot of us just don't get what's the rush.

Additionally, yes it is going to be a non-stop train for most, because the amount of debt and interest you rack up once you start is staggering and the longer you take to get to attending, the more debt/interest you rack up. Unless you are rich, or can line up some very lucrative research in the middle, it's best to think of it as a bullet train once you start.

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

You don't get 18-22 back. If I was you I'd go do some fun kid things for at least a year anyway before applying to med school. I just think you'll appreciate that more later, much more than having one more year of being a physician.

 

[searun]

If my doctor is a man, then I feel more comfortable if he is a guy who gets up in the morning, takes a shower, and shaves his face, or at least trims his beard. If my doctor is a woman, then smooth legs and smooth arm pits work for me. I just cannot do this Doogie thing. Talking about life issues with someone who cannot buy a beer at a bar is too weird. Sorry. Has anyone tried to have a conversation recently with someone in high school? Nothing wrong with high school, just don't do my next surgery or explain the meaning of life to me.

 

[Immortal]

If my doctor is a man, then I feel more comfortable if he is a guy who gets up in the morning, takes a shower, and shaves his face, or at least trims his beard. If my doctor is a woman, then smooth legs and smooth arm pits work for me. I just cannot do this Doogie thing. Talking about life issues with someone who cannot buy a beer at a bar is too weird. Sorry. Has anyone tried to have a conversation recently with someone in high school? Nothing wrong with high school, just don't do my next surgery or explain the meaning of life to me.

Doogie may have been a better doctor than those who have course facial hair. Doogie may be able to better relate to his patients over some 50 year old doctor who has been jilted by the system one too many times.

OP, go ahead and apply broadly, you should be fine.

 

[TheRealMD]

If my doctor is a man, then I feel more comfortable if he is a guy who gets up in the morning, takes a shower, and shaves his face, or at least trims his beard. If my doctor is a woman, then smooth legs and smooth arm pits work for me. I just cannot do this Doogie thing. Talking about life issues with someone who cannot buy a beer at a bar is too weird. Sorry. Has anyone tried to have a conversation recently with someone in high school? Nothing wrong with high school, just don't do my next surgery or explain the meaning of life to me.

-_-

It's one thing to call me young. It's another thing to use TV shows to prove your point. That's rather discouraging, but I guess it's what I'm up against. Thanks for the reality check?

 

[Immortal]

-_-

It's one thing to call me young. It's another thing to use TV shows to prove your point. That's rather discouraging, but I guess it's what I'm up against. Thanks for the reality check?

A reality check on here? Nah.

I call it envy. A lot of hateraid being sipped by posters in this thread.

 

[sefago]

TheREALMD what country in Africa are your parents from? I don't think you would be placed at a great disadvantage. Infact if your parents are immigrants it would be nice to incorporate it into your application. I am also in college at a young age but not as young as you and I finished high school at 15 and got into college after a gap year and started college at 16 at a top 25 school and would graduate at age 20 and would still be around 19 when I start the application process. Anyway if you are getting in or not cannot be determined until you apply to schools. Apply to eight schools- vary them- and wait. Also don't mention a anything about your age or inexperience and I am sure you would not be looked at differently.

 

[searun]

Doogie may have been a better doctor than those who have course facial hair. Doogie may be able to better relate to his patients over some 50 year old doctor who has been jilted by the system one too many times.

OP, go ahead and apply broadly, you should be fine.

Uh, Doogie was an invention of Hollywood writers who have no clue about medicine and were about 25 years old and sharing reefers when they wrote the script to that dumb tv show. SO DOOGIE WAS NOT A BETTER DOCTOR THAN THOSE WITH COURSE FACIAL HAIR. DOOGIE IS A FIGMENT OF A DOPE SMOKER'S IMAGINATION. REALITY CHECK, KIDS. OH, PARIS HILTON IS A GREAT ROLE MODEL, AND GIVE HER PROBATION, SHE CAN DO COMMUNITY SERVICE WITH DOOGIE, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY PARIS AND DOOGIE CAN JUMP INTO BED TOGETHER. ON WAIT, DOOGIE IS GAY SO THAT WON'T WORK. POOR PARIS.

 

[Immortal]

Uh, Doogie was an invention of Hollywood writers who have no clue about medicine and were about 25 years old and sharing reefers when they wrote the script to that dumb tv show. SO DOOGIE WAS NOT A BETTER DOCTOR THAN THOSE WITH COURSE FACIAL HAIR. DOOGIE IS A FIGMENT OF A DOPE SMOKER'S IMAGINATION. REALITY CHECK, KIDS. OH, PARIS HILTON IS A GREAT ROLE MODEL, AND GIVE HER PROBATION, SHE CAN DO COMMUNITY SERVICE WITH DOOGIE, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY PARIS AND DOOGIE CAN JUMP INTO BED TOGETHER. ON WAIT, DOOGIE IS GAY SO THAT WON'T WORK. POOR PARIS.

Duh, it was a comment based on someone previously mentioning Doogie. No, I wasn't referring to Doogie directly; however, was using him as a representation for any young doctor. In addition, it was a post mocking the importance of doctors with "facial hair" 🙄

Paris has been a great service to those she's had sex with, I'm sure some people would not pass that down. Quite frankly, I'm not in the mood for crabs.

 

[searun]

-_-

It's one thing to call me young. It's another thing to use TV shows to prove your point. That's rather discouraging, but I guess it's what I'm up against. Thanks for the reality check?

As the Nike advertisement says, Just Do It! I am 24, and starting medical school at a top 10 school in 2 months. If you are 18, great, but just do it. Get admitted, pass your med school classes, do great in clinical training with your patients and nobody will care how old you are. Forget about pats on the back for being a child prodigy , there really was only one child prodigy, Mozart, and everyone else is a very poor imitation, so move on. No one will remember any of us in 100 years. One hundred years is just one long lifetime and all of us will be forgotten. So live a good life and try to do some good.

 

[Aynsl156]

I was 17 when I graduated, and I was also contemplating applying out of college. One of my friends in the same program did this, and she ended up at her state school. I decided to take two years off working in research, and I'm glad I did.

It's allowed me to aim at a broader range of schools, to acquire some research/shadowing experience, and to get perspective. And really, it's not the end of the world to be matriculating at 19.

 

[deleted128318]

Uh, Doogie was an invention of Hollywood writers who have no clue about medicine and were about 25 years old and sharing reefers when they wrote the script to that dumb tv show. SO DOOGIE WAS NOT A BETTER DOCTOR THAN THOSE WITH COURSE FACIAL HAIR. DOOGIE IS A FIGMENT OF A DOPE SMOKER'S IMAGINATION. REALITY CHECK, KIDS. OH, PARIS HILTON IS A GREAT ROLE MODEL, AND GIVE HER PROBATION, SHE CAN DO COMMUNITY SERVICE WITH DOOGIE, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY PARIS AND DOOGIE CAN JUMP INTO BED TOGETHER. ON WAIT, DOOGIE IS GAY SO THAT WON'T WORK. POOR PARIS.

Don't talk about NPH like that.

 

[Biology1234567]

There is no need to rush things. In most cases, those who rush things get more frustrated when things don't go the way they want them to then does someone who has taken things more slowly and has built a plan of action.

Maybe you should take a year and travel the country (there is a lot to see in this country), go over seas for a month, get a masters in clinical research, bioethics, molecular genetics, or some other masters level degree.

Think of the future. When you graduate from medical school, you won't have any other credentials that sets you apart from others that went from undergraduate to medical school and then residency. If you get a masters degree (a useful one), you can have a better chance of advancing in your field faster and have more respect from your peers. Let's say you get a masters in bioethics. You will have a leg up on others for becoming apart of an ethics committee at a hospital/clinic.

If you go to medical school next year, you will graduate in four years and then practice for more then 40 years. If you take a year to gain some life experience (which is what makes you a smarter and wiser person then having just book smarts), you will still practice for more then 40 years.

There is no need to rush things. You can apply to medical school this year if you want. It is up to you. Just make sure you do think about the advice you are getting from the older posters in this thread. At 18 years old, your prefrontal cortex is still developing so you most likely won't understand what us older posters are warning you about until you get a little older.

My advice is the following. Take a year to do some research. You will understand disease mechanisms better and understand how science is done. You will be able to relate to the material you are learning in medical school and as a physician better this way. For example, you do some research next year and learn how an assay is done. Let's say you don't do any research next year and 5 years from now when you are a resident you need to have an assay done for diagnostic purposes and you ask yourself what the heck an assay is and how it is done.

How does age affect a person's chances of getting into a school? Is it viewed as a positive or a negative in some cases when you start deviating from the norm?

I ask because I just turned 18 and plan on applying this cycle and my new MSAR shows a total of 0 matriculants into med school. Then again, it's a large scale but people keep telling me that I'll have to show "maturity" in my interview because I might be too young.

Anyway, here are my stats to put things into perspective for me:

African-American URM
Cum. GPA: 3.76
BCPM GPA: 3.76
MCAT: 32P (10V, 12P, 10B)

Some volunteering at an info desk previously, doing ER and Surgical ICU now.
Some doctor shadowing planned.

I feel that while I might be extremely young and probably didn't get an adequate chance to do what most pre-meds would (explore college and what not), I'm 100% sure on being a doctor. And i have gone through 3 years of college but it's just weird to explain how.

So can someone tell me how my age will affect my app? I'd hate for an adcom to say "You're too young but an otherwise great applicant. Come back next year!" 🙁

 

[TheRealMD]

At 18 years old, your prefrontal cortex is still developing so you most likely won't understand what us older posters are warning you about until you get a little older.

Uhh... I don't even feel bringing this up was appropriate at all. You've just belittled me. Tying age to expected level of maturity is the very problem I am worried about and you have now done it. You have essentially treated me like a child without actually knowing who I am. 😕

 

[Law2Doc]

I was 17 when I graduated, and I was also contemplating applying out of college. One of my friends in the same program did this, and she ended up at her state school. I decided to take two years off working in research, and I'm glad I did.

It's allowed me to aim at a broader range of schools, to acquire some research/shadowing experience, and to get perspective. And really, it's not the end of the world to be matriculating at 19.

Exactly my point. Nice move. Although at 19, even you still had more room in which you could maneuver and still be in the younger half of the class.

 

[Immortal]

Uhh... I don't even feel bringing this up was appropriate at all. You've just belittled me. Tying age to expected level of maturity is the very problem I am worried about and you have now done it. You have essentially treated me like a child without actually knowing who I am. 😕

That post that mocked you alone goes to show that ironically, an 18 y/o could very well be more mature than a 22 y/o college grad.

 

[midn]

I came from the same program TheRealMD came from and I can tell you most of us are a very driven bunch. When I left high school early for college, everyone preached to me the same thing about missing out on life experiences, etc. Looking back, I don't regret leaving high school early and thus any advice against graduating college early and starting medical school seems even less significant. I think everyone has this presumptions of young ambitious persons being socially atypical outcasts or the ones who will look back later in life and hate themselves for rushing things. I think it is far more demoralizing to stop your momentum and take these big 1-2 year breaks if you really don't feel like doing it.

First of all, where is the money going to come from to grind your education to a halt and spend a year traveling. Who the heck travels for an entire year anyways? Other persons are suggesting to stop and do research or save some African babies. If you have no drive to do this in the first place, why should you force it upon yourself? Research for some (like myself) is boring, and some persons just want to get into the work force and earn their own living (as horrific as it sounds).

The OP has already stated a strong commitment to pursuing medicine, so why keep trying to dissuade him/her? I know most of you mean good in your suggestions, but most the advice you give are from retrospect. I don't think it's a fatal mistake to decide to start medical school early.

And to the "Biology" poster: ...wow.

 

[RokChalkJayhawk]

As the Nike advertisement says, Just Do It! I am 24, and starting medical school at a top 10 school in 2 months. If you are 18, great, but just do it. Get admitted, pass your med school classes, do great in clinical training with your patients and nobody will care how old you are. Forget about pats on the back for being a child prodigy , there really was only one child prodigy, Mozart, and everyone else is a very poor imitation, so move on. No one will remember any of us in 100 years. One hundred years is just one long lifetime and all of us will be forgotten. So live a good life and try to do some good.

I can't see how you relate.

 

[monday_best]

You may find that your perspective will change as you get older. And unfortunately you'll be old a lot longer than you'll be young.

Ask folks in their 40's and beyond, "Do you wish you spent less time in college?" Very, very rarely will they say yes. The concern I have with folks striving to graduate college early is that they are taking a four year experience that they'll never have again and trying to compress it for the sake of adding an exta 1 or 2 years to a career that they will have for 40 or so years.

But I understand the logic of those who like the idea. To each their own and best of luck to all...

The people I was talking about all spent four-plus years in college, they just started earlier (skipped HS years or graduated HS early).

And again, I don't think anyone was focused on getting to an end-point sooner, just not having to wait on an experience they wanted and felt ready for.

I also think it's sad when people say that their best years were their four years in college. My life has gotten better every year since.

I guess I just don't expect to be as encumbered when I'm older as is typical in our society. I just don't understand why it costs so much more and takes so much more time to be an "adult" in your 30s and 40s than it does in your 20s. Sure, your health might not be as resilient and you have to save more aggressively for retirement. I understand that families are a tremendous responsibility and expense, but there really are a lot of status, society-pressured things that people feel the need to have and acheive in "adulthood" that I'm not really aspiring to.

If somebody really wanted to learn how to surf, would you advise them, "No, take some time, chill out on the beach for awhile, gain some more surf-related experience, what's your rush?"

Why can't learning a trade/profession be thought of the same way?

Keep in mind that I'm not talking about the people who spend the summer before med school studying anatomy needlessly (that just is indicative of our malignant American culture which completely devalues the need for vacation time). I'm talking about people who want the knowledge to get on with doing what they really want to be doing.

Making a non-traditional decision like this, I think, is very indicative of being the kind of person who likes to explore and is less vulnerable to societal pressures to conform to expectations.

 

[monday_best]

Although my main point is that being so young is a great opportunity to spend time improving credentials to improve opportunities, I also disagree with the above perspective. Once you've been to med school you realize that your time to be a teenager is pretty much over. It's not as bad if you've already had the chance to get a lot more youth out of your system. (In this respect the nontrads are doing it right). So in that sense you burn through your youth to get to the other side of this tunnel, and I guess a lot of us just don't get what's the rush.

Additionally, yes it is going to be a non-stop train for most, because the amount of debt and interest you rack up once you start is staggering and the longer you take to get to attending, the more debt/interest you rack up. Unless you are rich, or can line up some very lucrative research in the middle, it's best to think of it as a bullet train once you start.

Okay, I get the reality of debt and its influence on one's choices.

I just think there are a lot of young people who don't need to stop and "luxuriate" in their youth a little more. I'm sure Bill Gates doesn't regret dropping out of school early so he could get a move on pursuing his dreams.

If a young person truly knows what he wants, why are you trying to discourage him from going after it? That's an opportunity that folks rarely have and should take advantage of. I know a lot of 30 and 40 and 50 year olds who don't know what they want, or are afraid of it, or are chained to a lot of meaningless societal benchmark-type things that they took on by choice, but aren't doing much to make them happy.

You're either the type of person that knows himself and seeks out what he wants, or the type of person that follows a prescribed path, resenting all the encumberances he encounters the whole way. I don't think age changes that.

 

[Biology1234567]

Okay, I get the reality of debt and its influence on one's choices.

I just think there are a lot of young people who don't need to stop and "luxuriate" in their youth a little more. I'm sure Bill Gates doesn't regret dropping out of school early so he could get a move on pursuing his dreams.

If a young person truly knows what he wants, why are you trying to discourage him from going after it? That's an opportunity that folks rarely have and should take advantage of. I know a lot of 30 and 40 and 50 year olds who don't know what they want, or are afraid of it, or are chained to a lot of meaningless societal benchmark-type things that they took on by choice, but aren't doing much to make them happy.

You're either the type of person that knows himself and seeks out what he wants, or the type of person that follows a prescribed path, resenting all the encumberances he encounters the whole way. I don't think age changes that.

Nobody on here is saying to stop and luxuriate yourself; I think that is such a waste of time. They are saying take a year and strengthen the application so you can achieve more in the future then you can right now. If I remember correctly from the other posts in this thread, you don't have any research experience. Right there is something you lack at this moment, experience and knowledge wise. It’s one thing to have the book studies done and another thing to have hands on experience.

I did a summer internship my sophomore summer in undergraduate school and learned more in those 12 weeks then I did in all of my freshman and sophomore years. You will gain an understanding of why scientific research is frustrating and why it takes forever to get a final result. Before I did my lab internship I wanted to cure a common disease, but that ignorant part of me has shipped sale now that I learned how “real” science is done.

I'm not saying you won't be successful in what you chose to do in life without having research experience, but the knowledge you would gain from spending some time in a lab is very valuable.

There is nothing wrong with having goals and knowing what you want. I actually respect young people who have goals and know what they want. However, make sure to explore the career you want before the ship sales out to the sea. As you said, a lot of older people don’t even know what they want to do with their life. These are generally people who “go with the flow.” God I hate that type of attitude.

To achieve things in this country you have to be proactive. You can’t lay back. As I said in my other post in this thread, you can apply to medical school this year if you chose to do so, but at such a young age you have time to put together some credentials that others don’t think about doing before they go to medical school.

As a side not, I was not insulting you when I was using the words “you” in the other post when saying the prefrontal cortex is still developing when a person is your age. What I was saying is that people your age are still learning how to organize, plan, synthesis information, and so forth.

A good percentage of older people in the United States succumb to social pressure. Oh honey, the neighbor bought a new car. Looks like we need to go to the dealership tomorrow and buy a bigger car then they have and let’s buy a boat on the side as well. Yes hon, that will show them we have more money then them. Then the other neighbor puts a new addition to the house and everyone in the neighborhood has to try and out do them.

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm sure Bill Gates doesn't regret dropping out of school early so he could get a move on pursuing his dreams.

If a young person truly knows what he wants, why are you trying to discourage him from going after it?

Actually based on his history I think Gates would regret charging on with education at his young age -- he bailed from his educational path to try and do other things, and was lucky enough to fall into something that he was able to create a business around. He didn't already have a preconceived target during his teens -- he just was smart enough to recognize when he was sitting on a pot of gold, something many he dealt with did not.

I don't think I'm discouraging anyone, I'm just suggesting a way for OP to do it better, rather than faster. What I and a few others on this thread would do if we were in his enviable shoes.

And I totally disagree with the last sentence of your prior post -- with age your mind and what you want will often change. And how you spend your teens and twenties will shape that, if you let it.

 

[chemphd]

As a lot of the non-trads know, there's always a possibility for a change down the road. Even if you do go through medical school and residency, there's always an option to switch at that point to doing something else (research, consulting, etc.) so it's not the end of the world either way. You just need to do what you think will make you the happiest in the long run. If that's medicine, go for it. If it's medicine now, go for it! If it becomes something else later, you'll know that then.

Good luck to the OP!

 

[searun]

I can't see how you relate.

Well, Kansas sucks at football but is pretty good at basketball. Kansas State was good for a few years and now sucks again. Cal Berkeley is good at football but only because they have Tedford, the former Oregon coordinator who learned his lessons well at the U of O. And LT and San Diego, well, pro football is not worth watching. Who cares? I can't see how you relate to these crappy football teams.