To all the baby-faced doctors/students out there

[CarltonBanks]

I am a 21 year old baby-faced guy who is consistently mistaken for somebody that is 15-16 years young. I get carded basically everywhere I go (movies, clubs, buying video games/nintendo wii), asked for my ID at least 5-6 times per hour in Vegas, and I STILL get the free kid giveaways down at Angel's stadium (I got the John Lackey growth chart taped on to my bathroom wall ). When I went to volunteer at a hospital a couple of years ago, the elderly volunteer gave me a JUNIOR-HIGH sign up form! I told her my real age and she looked like she was about to have a heart attack. No joke.

Anyways, my question is do patients feel uncomfortable with going to a doctor who looks so young? Would they rather go to a older looking doc rather than one that looks like their teenage son or daughter? Any optometrists or students out there with a similar situation? How do you respond to your patients when they comment on this?

EDIT: In case you were wondering, the guy in my avatar is not really me. If you have no clue who that guy is you need to start watching Nick at Nite.

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[stonegoat]

When I was in school, I looked very young as well. I found many patients just didn't really trust me, so I bought a high quality fake "moustache" and it solved the problem. I thought I looked a bit like a 1970s porn star with it, so I usually only wore it in clinic.

 

[ODduck]

When I was in school, I looked very young as well. I found many patients just didn't really trust me, so I bought a high quality fake "moustache" and it solved the problem. I thought I looked a bit like a 1970s porn star with it, so I usually only wore it in clinic.

Are you serious??

Funniest thing I've ever read on SDN!!

Did your classmates get a kick out of this or what?

 

[eyestrain]

I hear the "you're really young" or "you're too young to be a doctor" line about 12 times per day. It was okay at first, but it's getting REALLY old. I'm sure the patients don't mean anything bad, they probably think it's a compliment but it's annoying as hell. Young patients don't do it nearly as much as the elderly do. Those old farts say it EVERY time. And if there is anyone who distrusts me because I'm young, it's probably those old people. Sometimes I get the feeling that they're sizing me up through most of the exam. Usually by the end, they seem okay with everything.

 

[Ben Chudner]

I hear the "you're really young" or "you're too young to be a doctor" line about 12 times per day. It was okay at first, but it's getting REALLY old.

It will upset you more when they stop saying it.

 

[gochi]

It will upset you more when they stop saying it.

OH MY GOSH BEN!!! you have too many icons thats freakin awesome

 

[Ben Chudner]

OH MY GOSH BEN!!! you have too many icons thats freakin awesome

They will go away very soon. We're just playing a joke on KHE.

 

[CarltonBanks]

I was thinking of just growing some facial hair but hrmm... a fake mustache sounds like a good idea

 

[Tired Pigeon]

Having a youngish appearance can be a disadvantage, but I think patients react more to how you carry yourself. If you work on your body language and tone of voice to project authority, competence, poise, and maturity, any concerns patients may have upon first seeing you will quickly evaporate.

Many of my fellow students (I'm in med school, but I think the issue's the same) think their young appearance is the problem, but when you watch them interact with patients they come across as rather tentative and uncertain - this is what the patients are reacting to. Their voices often sound like they're asking questions instead of making statements, e.g. "I'm going to examine you now???" It can be hard to speak authoritatively and confidently with patients who are your parents' age (or older), but this is a skill worth developing.

You may continue to get uncomfortable comments about "looking too young" when patients first meet you, and you can't do much about that, but the tone of the rest of your interaction with that patient is something you can control.

 

[JAZZEYE]

I am a 21 year old baby-faced guy who is consistently mistaken for somebody that is 15-16 years young.

Maybe you should tell your patients you are 15 yrs and that you are a prodigy....you could be marketed as a doogie howser !

 

[JAZZEYE]

.

 

[CarltonBanks]

Maybe you should tell your patients you are 15 yrs and that you are a prodigy....you could be marketed as a doogie howser !

hey, it worked on some of the cute ladies in my classes

 

[CarltonBanks]

Having a youngish appearance can be a disadvantage, but I think patients react more to how you carry yourself. If you work on your body language and tone of voice to project authority, competence, poise, and maturity, any concerns patients may have upon first seeing you will quickly evaporate.

Many of my fellow students (I'm in med school, but I think the issue's the same) think their young appearance is the problem, but when you watch them interact with patients they come across as rather tentative and uncertain - this is what the patients are reacting to. Their voices often sound like they're asking questions instead of making statements, e.g. "I'm going to examine you now???" It can be hard to speak authoritatively and confidently with patients who are your parents' age (or older), but this is a skill worth developing.

You may continue to get uncomfortable comments about "looking too young" when patients first meet you, and you can't do much about that, but the tone of the rest of your interaction with that patient is something you can control.

Good post, thanks

 

[beatnik10884]

I have to say that I had to overcome the "young" thing when I worked for a custom jeweler. People would always be apprehensive to purchase anything from me, because of my young face and age.I would say even to the point that they questioned my ability to replace a watch battery

As I soon learned, it is indeed how you carry yourself and confidence. You can have all the knowledge in the world but if you come off uncertain, then of course people pick up on that. At 19, I sold a man a $26,000 engagement ring, ALL BY MYSELF...It was the most fun I have ever had. All the work and meetings with diamond dealers (who were shocked about how confident my employer was in me to let me work this sale). Anyway, enough with the rant, I'm certain that age is not the real problem as it is image and level of professionalism one displays.

 

[4Eyes]

I feel your pain. I posted a similar thread some time ago...there are some good replies in there also.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=372420

 

[SightIsPrecious]

I get asked how old I am by patients all the time... but it varies depending on what I'm wearing, and whether or not I have my hair up or down. Last week, a patient said "oh you must be carded all the time! Are you even 20?" And a month before that, a patient who just recently had her first child was going on and on about her baby... then asked if I had any children.

 

[zyg0te]

I get asked how old I am by patients all the time... but it varies depending on what I'm wearing, and whether or not I have my hair up or down. Last week, a patient said "oh you must be carded all the time! Are you even 20?" And a month before that, a patient who just recently had her first child was going on and on about her baby... then asked if I had any children.

I don't get how the child thing is related to age

 

[WhiteOrchid]

I understand exactly how you feel. People mistake me to be 15 or 16 all the time! Maybe it runs in the genes because my dad is 40 and people always think that he's my 18 year old brother. Plenty of stories to tell you about that one .. haha.

But anyway, hopefully when the time comes, people will take me seriously for what I've learned and accomplished

 

[JMU07]

ME TOO. All the time. I'm 21 and barely look like I'm in high school! I get patients all the time at work who ask why I'm not in school, etc... I had a guy over the summer who asked me "How do you like the new high school?" because they just built one nearby to the office and I told him "Oh, I don't know anything about that school." because I didn't get it at first. Then he asked me which high school I went to and I told him actually, I'm graduating college at the end of the year.. story of my life. My husband has the same problem - he got carded for a PG-13 movie once (I didn't!)

 

[drbizzaro]

ME TOO. All the time. I'm 21 and barely look like I'm in high school! I get patients all the time at work who ask why I'm not in school, etc... I had a guy over the summer who asked me "How do you like the new high school?" because they just built one nearby to the office and I told him "Oh, I don't know anything about that school." because I didn't get it at first. Then he asked me which high school I went to and I told him actually, I'm graduating college at the end of the year.. story of my life. My husband has the same problem - he got carded for a PG-13 movie once (I didn't!)

carded for PG-13? are you serious? i'm glad you didn't get carded for that!
so what did your patient say after you said you were about to graduate college?

 

[JMU07]

carded for PG-13? are you serious? i'm glad you didn't get carded for that!
so what did your patient say after you said you were about to graduate college?

hahaha.. I'm glad too!

He felt like a jerk, I didn't mean to make him feel bad but he apologized like 10 times, lol.

 

[Eyegirl2k7]

My staff call me Dr. Doogie. I am 27 and look 12. I wear pearls all the time and glasses to try to look older at work.

 

[drbizzaro]

My staff call me Dr. Doogie. I am 27 and look 12. I wear pearls all the time and glasses to try to look older at work.

wow! 12!!! that's a bit young! hopefully your husband/boyfriend looks older!

one of my good friends had the same problem during optometry school. she looked 15, even though she was 30, and many of the guys she liked would turn away because they felt it seemed wrong to date someone who looked like a minor!

 

[in_translation]

I have the same problem too. Try and look your most "grown up" when you're in clinic, but keep in mind it's how you do your job that will change how patients perceive you. If you let them know what you're doing and why and stay in control, you'll usually earn their respect by the end of it (if they were even skeptical to begin with). There are many of us out there who are in the same position.

 

[eyestrain]

I was in Walmart during my 3rd or 4th year, and an Army recruiter came up to me and asked me when I was going to graduate. I said "In a year". He said, "Have you thought about what you're going to do for college?" Yeah, I thought about it 7 years ago, ***. And what the hell are those guys doing trolling Walmart for recruits?

 

[ODhopeful]

I was in Walmart during my 3rd or 4th year, and an Army recruiter came up to me and asked me when I was going to graduate. I said "In a year". He said, "Have you thought about what you're going to do for college?" Yeah, I thought about it 7 years ago, ***. And what the hell are those guys doing trolling Walmart for recruits?

Because it's the rich that wage wars and the poor that fight/die for their cause. I don't think ur gonna find too many rich ppl at walmart as oppose to saks fifth or some stores like that. It's sad, but just the truth.

 

[drbizzaro]

Because it's the rich that wage wars and the poor that fight/die for their cause. I don't think ur gonna find too many rich ppl at walmart as oppose to saks fifth or some stores like that. It's sad, but just the truth.

that's very true for the most part... however, i've met some kids who graduated from college at the top, and wanted nothing more to become enlisted in the army... they were given career opportunities and nice salaries, but turned them down for the army life...