The need to be a physician as young as possible

[deleted421268]

Does age matter to you guys. At the earliest it will be 4 years, 4 year med, 4 year res, a and than practice. But taking a year or two longer or even more than that to get accepted to med school may delay starting age of starting to practice. Does that bother you guys at all? Like I want to done as early as possible.

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[claduva94]

Does age matter to you guys. At the earliest it will be 4 years, 4 year med, 4 year res, a and than practice. But taking a year or two longer or even more than that to get accepted to med school may delay starting age of starting to practice. Does that bother you guys at all? Like I want to done as early as possible.

As the youngest person in my class I definitely understand now why there is no need to be in a hurry.

 

[deleted421268]

As the youngest person in my class I definitely understand now why there is no need to be in a hurry.

What you mean?

 

[DrHart]

But taking a year or two longer or even more than that to get accepted to med school may delay starting age of starting to practice.

Obviously?
My advice is to chill out. Think about it this way, when you're old and grey do you think 35 years of practice feels much different from 37 or 38 years of practice?
Looking back at your high school experience, (if you could have) would you have rushed it to try to get done in 2 or 3 years instead of 4?

 

[Law2Doc]

The light at the end of this tunnel is a train. It's *****ic to rush to get through the journey quicker, when the journey itself is much of the value/fun. The goal isn't to get to a career first. One guy gets there at 30, another at 35 -- so what? Heck, I will have had two careers in the time some had one -- what do I win? Nothing, because it's not a race.

 

[Donald Juan]

College should be a great experience. Even with a pre-med load + ECs, you should be able to party plenty. Med school is busier, but I've still made great friends, had relationships, and gone on once-in-a-lifetime vacations. At this point, I'm in no rush to start residency, much less just hurry through and be done with it.

 

[fancymylotus]

Does age matter to you guys. At the earliest it will be 4 years, 4 year med, 4 year res, a and than practice. But taking a year or two longer or even more than that to get accepted to med school may delay starting age of starting to practice. Does that bother you guys at all? Like I want to done as early as possible.

It bothered me enough that I tried to finish everything up as fast as possible.

 

[LizzyM]

There are 7 year BS/MD programs if you want to shave a year off.... but why hurry through life? If you are too young looking when you finish, patients may find it difficult to trust you.

 

[Lost in Translation]

Fuarky, dreamadream, lalex, and the other guy. They make SDN entertaining.

 

[Lucca]

You need some time away from the rat race to talk to average people.

 

[Lost in Translation]

You need some time away from the rat race to talk to average people.

I think OP is on their time away, given that they make a new thread every 3 days or so.

 

[allantois]

You sound like a dental student

But in all seriousness, it's a process: enjoy every step of it. There's nothing magical waiting at the end of it.

 

[Annabell Lee]

There are 7 year BS/MD programs if you want to shave a year off.... but why hurry through life? If you are too young looking when you finish, patients may find it difficult to trust you.

This is a great point that is also applicable to many situations outside of medicine.
In professional settings I always try to look my age so people will take me seriously.

 

[kmp0410]

I thought like this when I was 20 or so. It killed me when I thought I would have to delay a year and wouldn't be a doctor till I was 26. Had no idea of the concept of residency and that I wouldn't even be a real doctor until much longer. Mainly because I was more focused on the outward stuff of being a doctor. Now I'm 27 and a M1. Wouldn't mind being a little younger just to time things with family life a little better, but I'm quite satisfied.

Theres a million ways to answer this, but I prefer to do it a philosophical way.

Life is a journey, not a destination. The sooner you figure this out the happier you will be. My mother said this to me when I was a kid and it drove me crazy, but its very true. You always imagine your life as once you get to a point/in your career then its over and your in cruise control...but you'll never really feel that way...every day will still be a day. When your older you will realize this. You never really "feel" that different.

On a non philosophical level...medicine in particular is not an end game kind of profession. You have only started with the hoop jumping. They will last the rest of your life, and certainly get more involved in med school and residency. Saw something similar to this on here before...the sooner you realize medicine is not a finish line but a lifelong journey you'll be much happier.

I think I've been getting trolled a lot lately. Anyways, I guess it gives me an outlet for my hokey mumbo jumbo.

 

[claduva94]

What you mean?

I mean I wish I had taken MORE time. In the grand scheme of things a couple of years is nothing.

 

[Mad Jack]

Fuarky, dreamadream, lalex, and the other guy. They make SDN entertaining.

I don't know why but I really love your avatar. It's mesmerizing.

 

[Holmwood]

It's only a problem if you age like a lab rat, lol. Actually, not really. The sad truth is that the majority of the world isn't thinking of you at all. Stop comparing yourself with other people who really have no significance to the greater span of your life, and do whatever makes YOU happy.

If you want to become a doctor early, fine. If you want to wait a few years to start your journey, fine.
Honestly, no one cares.

 

[Mad Jack]

I'm a nontrad. I've gotta say, starting medical school later was the best decision I could have possibly made. I lacked a lot of things that will make me a far better physician in the future when I was younger, from life experience to maturity to people skills. Plus, I got to enjoy having fun with pretty much all of my 20s with a fairly decent career, and now I get to spend the 30s, which are generally a pretty meh part of a person's life, becoming a physician and being set for the rest of my life. Wouldn't change a thing. Honestly, I think jumping right into med school would have ruined me as a person, but that's a personal issue, and not widely applicable.

 

[fancymylotus]

You sound like a dental student

But in all seriousness, it's a process: enjoy every step of it. There's nothing magical waiting at the end of it.

Life on the other side is pretty magical.


Not

 

[Mad Jack]

There are 7 year BS/MD programs if you want to shave a year off.... but why hurry through life? If you are too young looking when you finish, patients may find it difficult to trust you.

OP must be rushing to get to the end, not realizing that it's a rather disappointing finale.

 

[fancymylotus]

I should add that age may not matter to us, but when you have immigrant parents whose entire purpose..sort of..in life is to come here and have doctor children, you are physically pushed to finish up your education as fast as possible.

 

[primadonna22274]

I went to med school at 37 and am halfway through FM residency at nearly 42. I was a PA for 11 years before that. I've been blessed with excellent health and youthful genes so that helps. Truly I am grateful every day for this self-induced upheaval and am much happier in my professional life, although I am in deeper debt and a little less healthy and in less great shape than I was 5 years ago...still glad I did it.

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[Holmwood]

I went to med school at 37 and am halfway through FM residency at nearly 42. I was a PA for 11 years before that. I've been blessed with excellent health and youthful genes so that helps. Truly I am grateful every day for this self-induced upheaval and am much happier in my professional life, although I am in deeper debt and a little less healthy and in less great shape than I was 5 years ago...still glad I did it.

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Ah, 42 is nothing. My aunt had her first twins at 43.

Really, I think medicine and preventative health advanced so fast within these couple decades that our cultural perspective on age is lagging behind.
And it'll continue to do so...

I should add that age may not matter to us, but when you have immigrant parents whose entire purpose..sort of..in life is to come here and have doctor children, you are physically pushed to finish up your education as fast as possible.

I get that. Except this is medicine, where you'll be spending at least a decade to get anywhere near the earning potential of a bonafide doctor. If your parents were really concerned about doctor children and already spent a significant portion of their life trying to get their own children to that point... I mean they've already waited 20+ years. What's a couple years more of waiting in that greater span of things... At least that's my opinion.

 

[fancymylotus]

Ah, 42 is nothing. My aunt had her first twins at 43.

Really, I think medicine and preventative health advanced so fast within these couple decades that our cultural perspective on age is lagging behind.
And it'll continue to do so...


I get that. Except this is medicine, where you'll be spending at least a decade to get anywhere near the earning potential of a bonafide doctor. If your parents were really concerned about doctor children and already spent a significant portion of their life trying to get their own children to that point... I mean they've already waited 20+ years. What's a couple years more of waiting in that greater span of things... At least that's my opinion.

If only our parents were so rational

 

[primadonna22274]

Haha considering I haven't had kids (yet) that makes me slightly nervous lol. Dogs are so much easier. Seriously, though, I don't think I would have been able to be so selfish with my career choices if I were somebody's mother. I know some women who can do it all and do it well but I am not one of them.

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[Goro]

Some of my all time best students have been in their 30s and 40s. I graduated one last year at 50.

Does age matter to you guys. At the earliest it will be 4 years, 4 year med, 4 year res, a and than practice. But taking a year or two longer or even more than that to get accepted to med school may delay starting age of starting to practice. Does that bother you guys at all? Like I want to done as early as possible.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

It's more important to go to med school when you are ready for it than as soon as possible.
I certainly wasn't ready at 22 or even 25. I might not have been ready at 30.

Sure I could have handled the course work if i could have snagged an acceptance, but I wasn't mature or motivated enough for med school.

Early or late it's more important to go when you are best suited to excel

 

[MerYangBey]

Just wondering is there a retirement age for physicians? Like is your hospital going to start sending you brochures about the best time to retire when you hit 65?
Is an older physician considered a liability, especially in a surgical field? By older I mean 70+.

I'm genuinely not trying to offend anyone. I'm just curious since it seems it's becoming the norm to take a few gap years before starting , and I've seen several much older applicants interviewing (second career).

 

[LizzyM]

Just wondering is there a retirement age for physicians? Like is your hospital going to start sending you brochures about the best time to retire when you hit 65?
Is an older physician considered a liability, especially in a surgical field? By older I mean 70+.

I'm genuinely not trying to offend anyone. I'm just curious since it seems it's becoming the norm to take a few gap years before starting , and I've seen several much older applicants interviewing (second career).

Here's a story about an ophamologist who quit operating at age 80 but still sees patients!
https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/4188/renee-richards

 

[MrLogan13]

I'm an MS1 right now and will be ~40 when I finish my residency. I wouldn't change that. I've enjoyed my time and the different professional experiences I've had in my adult life. There's no rush.

 

[musicalfeet]

My own doc gave me this advice when I was 21 (but at that time, I was pursuing a different but similarly time-consuming path), and only NOW do I see what he's talking about: You're only young once, and you only get the time, opportunity and freedom to have fun and explore different aspects of life once. The sooner you begin your "career" and "work-life", the sooner you're going to realize that you wished you spent some of your earlier years enjoying yourself.

Only 4 years later do I get it...once you begin the path to become a doc, it will NEVER end. There will ALWAYS be more patients to see, more studying for retaking licensing, more paperwork, more loads of crap to be done. So broaden your horizons and live it up before you begin...because once you begin, it will never stop until you die. I am really glad I did a different career path before, and enjoyed a lot of random experiences in life that I wouldn't have if I was a traditional premed. Yeah, it means I won't start till I'm 26 and won't be done till I'm mid 30's, but those few years of tradeoff were well worth it IMO.

 

[DrHalsey]

Obviously?
My advice is to chill out. Think about it this way, when you're old and grey do you think 35 years of practice feels much different from 37 or 38 years of practice?
Looking back at your high school experience, (if you could have) would you have rushed it to try to get done in 2 or 3 years instead of 4?

High school? What's that? Went straight out of homeschooling to high school...was a nightmare then got dumped into dual enrollment as a full time college student. Was out of my age group my entire life and it still affects me to this day. Now I sit here at 22 trying to get into medical school with no career prospects outside of joining the military. Trying to live it up in my 20's will end up with me on the streets.

OP shouldn't worry and should do what he feels is best for him because what may make one happy will not work for another.

 

[Whats up Doc!]

Idk sometimes it bothers me that Ill be in my early 30's by the time I finish my residency but other times I get really excited thinking about the whole journey. The hardest part for me at this point is trying to plan the rest of my life like when should I purpose to my gf, when should we get married, do i want a family and if so when??? But thats just me being psychotic and trying to plan for things that I really have no idea about at this point lol so I suppose overall im going to try and enjoy the journey as best I can with a come what may attitude

 

[Holmwood]

Idk sometimes it bothers me that Ill be in my early 30's by the time I finish my residency but other times I get really excited thinking about the whole journey. The hardest part for me at this point is trying to plan the rest of my life like when should I purpose to my gf, when should we get married, do i want a family and if so when??? But thats just me being psychotic and trying to plan for things that I really have no idea about at this point lol so I suppose overall im going to try and enjoy the journey as best I can with a come what may attitude

I'm an MS1 right now and will be ~40 when I finish my residency. I wouldn't change that. I've enjoyed my time and the different professional experiences I've had in my adult life. There's no rush.

Older men are said to be more attractive because they have their ****s together. Go get those hotpockets when they're ready, right? Have fun.

 

[DrHart]

High school? What's that? Went straight out of homeschooling to high school...was a nightmare then got dumped into dual enrollment as a full time college student. Was out of my age group my entire life and it still affects me to this day. Now I sit here at 22 trying to get into medical school with no career prospects outside of joining the military. Trying to live it up in my 20's will end up with me on the streets.

OP shouldn't worry and should do what he feels is best for him because what may make one happy will not work for another.

I see what you mean. Although I'm sure you realize that your experience is probably a minority perspective. I think most people would go back in a heartbeat if they had the chance. My point was just to illustrate that a few extra years before medical school won't likely affect your career, while missing out on worthwhile experiences during an undergrad may leave you wishing you hadn't.

 

[Goro]

I have a hospitalist/intensive care clinician colleague still going strong at 72.

Here's a story about an ophamologist who quit operating at age 80 but still sees patients!
https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/4188/renee-richards

 

[familyaerospace]

I started medical school at 34. I had entire careers and a family before starting medical school. Actually I have lived a few lifetimes in the time my classmates have barely lived one. All I can say is that I look at my classmates and see their high amount of immaturity. Spending a year or so on yourself is not going to kill you.

 

[Lucca]

I started medical school at 34. I had entire careers and a family before starting medical school. Actually I have lived a few lifetimes in the time my classmates have barely lived one. All I can say is that I look at my classmates and see their high amount of immaturity. Spending a year or so on yourself is not going to kill you.

Are you an elf?

 

[familyaerospace]

Are you an elf?

I have lived as a woman and as a man since I had a sex change (and have had three separate legal names). I have lived as three different religions and was ordained in two of them. I have raised 4 kids and have started multiple businesses. Just legally having lived as a few different people is kinda living as different lifetimes. I lived for 13 years as a man and the rest as a woman.

 

[NickNaylor]

I think there is something to be said about having wisdom as a physician, which comes with experience (which itself often comes with age). Does that mean you should intentionally delay getting through your training? I don't think so. It's also to important to keep in mind that the later you get through everything the less able you are to do a full mission abort should that be a real possibility due to the reduced time available for you to pay off your loans, save money for retirement, etc..

I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to get through training as quickly as possible. In this case, "quickly" being maybe able to practice before you're 30.

 

[blackgirlmd]

I think nothing is wrong with either choice. I'll be starting fall 2016 and I'm 21. I know a girl starting and she's 37. As long as you feel comfortable and ready, it doesn't matter when you start.

And I resent the statement "if you look too young patients won't trust you".

 

[cloudmurder1]

And I resent the statement "if you look too young patients won't trust you".

Doesn't really matter whether you resent it; from what I've heard its probably true.

 

[Lucca]

I have lived as a woman and as a man since I had a sex change (and have had three separate legal names). I have lived as three different religions and was ordained in two of them. I have raised 4 kids and have started multiple businesses. Just legally having lived as a few different people is kinda living as different lifetimes. I lived for 13 years as a man and the rest as a woman.

I was making a light joke, but that is indeed amazing! You have walked several more roads than I ever will, regardless of age.

 

[Tenk]

There are 7 year BS/MD programs if you want to shave a year off.... but why hurry through life? If you are too young looking when you finish, patients may find it difficult to trust you.

I get asked for my age at least once a day in the ER or told I look too young to be a doctor. It actually works to my advantage, because I now have a whole repertoire of jokes at my disposal that increase my patient rapport instantly. Just have to adapt.

I recommend to anyone going down this path to become an attending as fast as humanly possible. Do not take gap years (I took two to get accepted). Do not take time off. Buckle down and power through. It truly is great being an attending and where all your hard work finally pays off.

 

[Lord Humongus]

I think nothing is wrong with either choice. I'll be starting fall 2016 and I'm 21. I know a girl starting and she's 37. As long as you feel comfortable and ready, it doesn't matter when you start.

And I resent the statement "if you look too young patients won't trust you".

I resent that you resent it. And I'll have you know, if you resent me for resenting it, I'll be deeply offended.

 

[HopefulApp23]

I get asked for my age at least once a day in the ER or told I look too young to be a doctor. It actually works to my advantage, because I now have a whole repertoire of jokes at my disposal that increase my patient rapport instantly. Just have to adapt.

I recommend to anyone going down this path to become an attending as fast as humanly possible. Do not take gap years (I took two to get accepted). Do not take time off. Buckle down and power through. It truly is great being an attending and where all your hard work finally pays off.

What are your jokes??

 

[NoTownPreMed]

I'm a nontrad. I've gotta say, starting medical school later was the best decision I could have possibly made. I lacked a lot of things that will make me a far better physician in the future when I was younger, from life experience to maturity to people skills. Plus, I got to enjoy having fun with pretty much all of my 20s with a fairly decent career, and now I get to spend the 30s, which are generally a pretty meh part of a person's life, becoming a physician and being set for the rest of my life. Wouldn't change a thing. Honestly, I think jumping right into med school would have ruined me as a person, but that's a personal issue, and not widely applicable.

Definitely agree with you on this Mad Jack, well for my case anyways. I'll be in my early 30's hopefully when I matriculate. During my 20~ something years in life, I've done/gone through many things people twice my age hasn't yet (travel overseas, got married, have children, so much more). I believe by going through life experiences such as this puts less pressure on us non-trads in the long run as we've already gone through that "been there, done that" phase.

 

[ahc336]

Looking back at your high school experience, (if you could have) would you have rushed it to try to get done in 2 or 3 years instead of 4?

"Obviously?"

**** that ****. High school sucked.

 

[Mad Jack]

Looking back at your high school experience, (if you could have) would you have rushed it to try to get done in 2 or 3 years instead of 4?

High school sucked. I actually just left I hated it so much. Boring as **** classes, meaningless social bull****, immaturity everywhere. That's one thing I would gladly skip all over again.

 

[WingedOx]

Idk sometimes it bothers me that Ill be in my early 30's by the time I finish my residency but other times I get really excited thinking about the whole journey. The hardest part for me at this point is trying to plan the rest of my life like when should I purpose to my gf, when should we get married, do i want a family and if so when??? But thats just me being psychotic and trying to plan for things that I really have no idea about at this point lol so I suppose overall im going to try and enjoy the journey as best I can with a come what may attitude

I'm not sure why students have this idea that once you're "done" that life becomes suddenly awesome. I finished residency this year and only became board certified earlier this week and I'm in my 30s. I suddenly make a lot more money but it's not as if my quality of life shot up instantly. I took a cushy job (and probably sacrificed some income as a result) but others in my residency class are working A LOT harder as attendings now than they did as senior residents.

By the same token, it's not like life before now was all drudgery. Having to be a glorified ass-kisser MS3 was probably the worst year of my life, but I had a lot of fun outside of school during that time. I got to go to theater shows, I had MLS season tickets, I played on my school's inter-grad school soccer team that played against other city med schools for a season, and I went out just about every weekend. In residency I lived in one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the country, met Ms. Ox, traveled a lot, ran a few marathons, went to a ton of concerts, and still somehow saved 8% of my income for retirement.