Traditionals: Scared of Non-Traditionals?

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find a spouse = dating = fun.

i am sure taking care of your children is a bigger responsibility than me trying to remember to close my tab before i go home (ever accidently tip on top of the 20% mandatory overnight bar tab gratuity?!!! what a hit).

do you anticipate hanging out with 22 year olds? just wondering. i would think it would be weird for both parties. i know i don't enjoy hanging out with high schoolers.

I bet I am not as old as you think I am. At my work I hang out with the people on my team and we range from 25-45 years old. We all get along well and have fun. (by the way, I am the youngest on the team at 25)

One thing you will learn is how to balance your time. Responsibility does not always equal distraction. Having responsibilities can actually help you be more efficient. As an undergrad I actually had my best semester while taking my hardest course load and worked 30+ hours a week.

 

[exmike]

Originally Posted by bearpaw
i think the whole "let me get some real life experience before med school thing" is bs.

Perfectly spoken like a kid with no life experience.

HAHA exactly!

That is PRECISELY why adcomms like non-trads.

 

[samurai_lincoln]

uhhh, i can't speak for everyone, but i am sure my father's lifetime of accumulated resources outmatch whatever money you've acquired in a few years of 100k or so earning.

all my friends are the same way too. sorry, i don't want to have a finances based pissing match here, but you're so arrogant i just want to shut you up. my parents paid 160k just for college, and that doesn't include all the money i spend screwing around. that doesnt include cars and stuff. They are footing another i don't know how much for med school in boston too. and they don't even care about it. i have a friend that took kaplan TWICE because over mid thirties wasn't good enough. can you compete with that? its ok, most people can't and thats fine, but don't think you're hot **** because you have 10k to spend on applying.

last time i checked, long money is written with decimals, not k's.

Get over yourself, for crying out loud. Arrogant? Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle. Who gives a crap that your parents sent you through four years at an elite private college? That is true of probably half the folks here, yet they aren't spouting off about it. We are all really happy that all that wealth managed to get you into a slightly-above-average, overpriced private med school. Yippee.

 

[KatieOConnor]

Wow, I guess the grass is greener on the other side. Here I was all worried because by the time I start med school (if I get in this round!!) I'll have taken 4 years off. I was actually all intimidated by the people who go right through college, completely focused on what they want to do.

I think I needed to be on my own for a while though. My family paid for all four years of college. When I needed a car, I got one without asking. When that one broke, I got another one, also without asking. I crashed my car into part of the house and caused some structural damage, my parents were there with their checkbooks (!!). Whenever I'd leave for college in the fall, my parents would give me more money than I could spend in a year if I tried.

I'm envious of those who are mature and focused after only 4 years of college; I certainly was not. It's not even that I've had some wonderful career or anything, I've been subsisting in NYC, trying to live on my own meager salary.

 

[DrWuStar]

oh come on... fight some more!! i'm having so much fun reading this thread

 

[TheFlash]

I just love the fact that you are worried about us.

You should be.

Why?

ADCOMS LOVE non-trads - we've seen the world, done it, and KNOW that medicine is the right career for us.

We could care less about cultural / parental "pressure" - my parents think I'm a fool for walking away from a lucrative pharma career.

We are more focused, better prepared financially (insert ANY private school name here) - we have the cash to fly to EVERY interview, use ALL the essay/application services, and apply to 40+ schools. - not too mention Kaplan, Princeton Review, and the slim possibility that we just might pay someone to take the MCAT for us and get away with it. Ha!

We are the new minority - get used to it. "URM ? it now stands for "Urban Research Moms" - deal with it. No one cares that your not white anymore.

We are better rounded - we actually have people skills - we have NOT lived the last 12 years of our life in a library, cafeteria, or coffee shop.

We are a shiny, new concept - and EVERYONE LOVES new things. Including Deans of Admission.

The price we pay? Sure - I'll be the older guy sitting in the front - not because I'm a gunner, but because my eye sight is fading fast.

I'll be late 30's by the time I finish even a basic residency - take note - no nurse will ever call me "Doogie" and the grey flecks in my hair will lend credibility. I will also know that nurses truly run the department and you'll never hear me mutter a condescending or arrogant remark - ones that so easily float out of the orfices of 27 year old residents.

I could go on and on - the fact that you posted that thread reaffirms that this is a growing trend - one that I am sure will groom more personable doctors.

I've got a long way to go. I am only starting my MS post-bac but...
Be afraid.
Be VERY afraid.

I'll wink at you as the ADCOM hugs me and says she wants to get a picture together at the white coat ceremony.

Are you f'ing serious? You sound like a bitter old man who still wishes he was young, trying to squeeze out whatever perceived superiority you've got over "trads." Deep down you're scared to admit that you're going to be over the hill by the time you get of residency, while your traditional counterparts aren't even yet out of their twenties. All of your non-traditional "life experience and maturity" is reaking in this post.

Start your post-bacc and shutup.

 

[bearpaw]

Get over yourself, for crying out loud. Arrogant? Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle. Who gives a crap that your parents sent you through four years at an elite private college? That is true of probably half the folks here, yet they aren't spouting off about it. We are all really happy that all that wealth managed to get you into a slightly-above-average, overpriced private med school. Yippee.

whatever you do, don't address any of my legitimate arguments. please.

my "spouting off" about finances was simply that if one wants to brag about something, he ought to at least have something worth bragging about. so its cool if a non trad aggressively brags about having a few grand to throw around, but all of a sudden i'm the bad guy when i assert why i believe he is nothing more than a chump? look, if you want to brag about something, it better be worth bragging about. don't tell me my car is **** if you still riding a bike.

which brings me to my next point...

Mr.Samurai, i see you have a problem with my overpriced med school. I wonder what med school will cost when you finally enroll in 2009? I read your posts ("Long road to hoe, need to convince myself it is worth it!"...GPA 2.54, 2009, etc...http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=1497130#post1497130) and i am convinced that you ought to spend a little more time getting your **** together and a little less time worrying about my elitist a$$. Its pretty easy to criticize my slightly above average school if it were something to be ashamed about, but i think a strong bet would favor you not attending any medical school. Perhaps all this time you've spent weighing the nuances between JHU and UCSF have blinded you to the fact that you will never need to actually make any similar distinction ("should i summer at the hamptons or the cape? or wait, how about i just keep working my crappy job and do nothing forever").

was that dose of reality a painful bit#h slap? i would hope so.

anyway, is there someone that can actually give me legitimate reasons why being a non trad is actually an advantage? i think most of the time it would be a disadvantage for the individual. I think a med school would be smart to have a few in there, but the core of students ought to be what it is now. i think a couple of really older people is ok for perspective, but i don't think significantly older people make for the best students or peers. thank you.

 

[ice_23]

I don't think (most) trads have any grudges against non-trads...i just think that when people assert that non-trads are better in general (such as what 911 posts) and then have the nerve to post that somehow they'll be more "personable" doctors, it naturally bothers us. Their blatant arrogance makes these types of statements self contradictory.

-Ice

 

[JohnnyOU]

No one has to worry about anything, except their own stats, skills, and experience.

ADCOMS know when they admit a person in their early 20s that they have no real life experience other than going to college (which is generally considered the last socially acceptable form of unemployment). And many times that is enough, since they accept thousands of them each year.

There are lots of possible advantages to being an older applicant (experience, people skills, coping abilities, management skills, a ton of learning you'll never get from school, etc..) and most of the adcoms know this...but it is dependent on upon the individual. If you have all this exp. but act like an idiot, you won't be wanted at med school or anywhere else.

A person who made a 3.7 gpa and scored a 34 mcat while doing little else but going to school, is not going to look as good as someone who made a 3.7 gpa and scored a 34 mcat while raising children and having a homelife etc.. (generally speaking)

Either way, whether you're 22 or 52, you will get into med school if you work hard and are mature.

J~

 

[JohnnyOU]

anyway, is there someone that can actually give me legitimate reasons why being a non trad is actually an advantage. i expect non trads to be slower, less focused, more distracted, and less fun to be around (for trads at least). are these expectations unwarranted and if so why? thank you.

You can see the post I just finished regarding a few possible advantages to the non-trads.

In response to your saying a non trad is slower, less focused, more distracted,... you sound like you're describing people in their 50's or something. You might as well say the same about a 22 yr old who is fat or diabetic.

As far as being less fun... I don't think that is a factor in the admissions... but I can probably drink you under the table 😀

J~

 

[TexasRose]

Good to know that the real world still has cocky arrogant mofos that rely on being "unique" as opposed to having achieved anything in order to get into med school 🙄

Im sure that medical schools are really looking to increase their quota on the number of rich, arrogant, spoiled, and sexually predatory males in their class.

awww Gleevec, don't let the *****s get to you!

I'm a nontrad. I'm happy with it. I'm happy some of my classmates are also nontrads and many are trads. What's the big deal? Why must you guys feel threatened by one another?

If you've earned a spot in med school, you've earned it. End of discussion. All the posturing and spouting off by folks who haven't gotten to med school yet is a complete waste of time. If you've got what it takes, you'll get in.

 

[DrWuStar]

awww Gleevec, don't let the *****s get to you!

I'm a nontrad. I'm happy with it. I'm happy some of my classmates are also nontrads and many are trads. What's the big deal? Why must you guys feel threatened by one another?

If you've earned a spot in med school, you've earned it. End of discussion. All the posturing and spouting off by folks who haven't gotten to med school yet is a complete waste of time. If you've got what it takes, you'll get in.

always the voice of reason 🙂

 

[bearpaw]

You can see the post I just finished regarding a few possible advantages to the non-trads.

In response to your saying a non trad is slower, less focused, more distracted,... you sound like you're describing people in their 50's or something. You might as well say the same about a 22 yr old who is fat or diabetic.

As far as being less fun... I don't think that is a factor in the admissions... but I can probably drink you under the table 😀

J~

i just was mad...i don't mean any of that man. when i think non trad, i keep thinking of all these 35 year old married people trying to hang out, but the reality will be way different.

i am sure you can drink more than me...i had 3 beers the other day and i was hungover and then i got sick for a week. i am so weak. i had a couple drinks yesterday but i am ok today.

 

[JohnnyOU]

i just was mad...i don't mean any of that man. when i think non trad, i keep thinking of all these 35 year old married people trying to hang out, but the reality will be way different.

i am sure you can drink more than me...i had 3 beers the other day and i was hungover and then i got sick for a week. i am so weak. i had a couple drinks yesterday but i am ok today.

lol

It's cool... I think the only one I can drink under the table now...is ME 😀

J~

 

[TexasRose]

i just was mad...i don't mean any of that man. when i think non trad, i keep thinking of all these 35 year old married people trying to hang out, but the reality will be way different.

We don't all try to play like we're 21.

 

[Swiper]

oh come on... fight some more!! i'm having so much fun reading this thread

I actually enjoyed the b!tchslap comment, I thought it was a good addition. The sidelines are probably smarter at this point, though.

Carry on!

 

[bearpaw]

We don't all try to play like we're 21.

i changed my post. i was being a jerk. but yeah, i hate samurai_lincoln.

and i hate people who think i am naive just because of my age and then can't present a legitimate reason about why i am so naive.

 

[samurai_lincoln]

whatever you do, don't address any of my legitimate arguments. please.

my "spouting off" about finances was simply that if one wants to brag about something, he ought to at least have something worth bragging about. so its cool if a non trad aggressively brags about having a few grand to throw around, but all of a sudden i'm the bad guy when i assert why i believe he is nothing more than a chump? look, if you want to brag about something, it better be worth bragging about. don't tell me my car is **** if you still riding a bike.

which brings me to my next point...

Mr.Samurai, i see you have a problem with my overpriced med school. I wonder what med school will cost when you finally enroll in 2009? I read your posts ("Long road to hoe, need to convince myself it is worth it!"...GPA 2.54, 2009, etc...http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=1497130#post1497130) and i am convinced that you ought to spend a little more time getting your **** together and a little less time worrying about my elitist a$$. Its pretty easy to criticize my slightly above average school if it were something to be ashamed about, but i think a strong bet would favor you not attending any medical school. Perhaps all this time you've spent weighing the nuances between JHU and UCSF have blinded you to the fact that you will never need to actually make any similar distinction ("should i summer at the hamptons or the cape? or wait, how about i just keep working my crappy job and do nothing forever").

was that dose of reality a painful bit#h slap? i would hope so.

anyway, is there someone that can actually give me legitimate reasons why being a non trad is actually an advantage. i expect non trads to be slower, less focused, more distracted, and less fun to be around (for trads at least). are these expectations unwarranted and if so why? thank you.

Fine, I will take back the poke at Tufts, that was completely unfair of me. But commenting on your parents' finances was equally asinine and makes you look like a spoiled brat, whether it is true or not. I agree that you were goaded, but two wrongs do not make a right.

As for me, yeah I screwed up big time in undergrad. I partied my frickin' butt off the whole time in San Luis Obispo. Hey man, all that sun and sand gets to ya 😀 Doesn't really matter though, since I can chuck those grades in applying to Texas medical schools (old grades wiped out via state statute). Given my history of standardized testing results and renewed academic focus later in life, I don't think that I will have any trouble gaining admission to those schools. No, I am not getting into Hopkins or UCSF, and I harbor no illusions of such glory. Nor do I worry about it.

Yes, my hours suck (as is the case at all big firms) and consequently so does my job, but that is beside the point. How much will med school cost me? Not much, since I am still a Texas resident... essentially only the opportunity cost of foregoing my current salary for four years. And I could care less about that in the grand scheme of things.

As for your "substance" argument, I think it is hilarious that you can throw out these stereotypes (slower, no fun, etc.) with no support for your assertions, and yet demand reasoning from anyone who would choose to refute these so-called claims. However, I will respond to the "unfocused" part of your theory. I would venture to say that nontrads are often more focused, not less. I certainly found this to be the case in law school, where several people in their 30s were at the top of our class. After all, these are people who, after some exploration, have finally found what they want to do in their life. They have made, and continue to make, sacrifices in order to pursue this dream, which causes them to follow it with a singular focus. At base, they know what they want and where they are going, and a certain level of hunger comes along with that. Conversely, some (I emphasize some) portion of traditional students are in med school only through pressure from parents, or not knowing what else to do with their lives at that juncture.

Anyway, just my perspective on what I have seen in my prior experiences in professional-level education. Make of them what you will, but I think the points I make are valid. I do apologize for getting personal on the last post, particularly when I had no real reason to get involved.

 

[samurai_lincoln]

i changed my post. i was being a jerk. but yeah, i hate samurai_lincoln.

and i hate people who think i am naive just because of my age and then can't present a legitimate reason about why i am so naive.

Awww, come on... and I was just starting to warm up to your special brand of humor. I don't know how I'll sleep tonight in my cardboard shanty by the river.

 

[bearpaw]

Fine, I will take back the poke at Tufts, that was completely unfair of me. But commenting on your parents' finances was equally asinine and makes you look like a spoiled brat, whether it is true or not. I agree that you were goaded, but two wrongs do not make a right.

As for me, yeah I screwed up big time in undergrad. I partied my frickin' butt off the whole time in San Luis Obispo. Hey man, all that sun and sand gets to ya 😀 Doesn't really matter though, since I can chuck those grades in applying to Texas medical schools (old grades wiped out via state statute). Given my history of standardized testing results and renewed academic focus later in life, I don't think that I will have any trouble gaining admission to those schools. No, I am not getting into Hopkins or UCSF, and I harbor no illusions of such glory. Nor do I worry about it.

Yes, my hours suck (as is the case at all big firms) and consequently so does my job, but that is beside the point. How much will med school cost me? Not much, since I am still a Texas resident... essentially only the opportunity cost of foregoing my current salary for four years. And I could care less about that in the grand scheme of things.

As for your "substance" argument, I think it is hilarious that you can throw out these stereotypes (slower, no fun, etc.) with no support for your assertions, and yet demand reasoning from anyone who would choose to refute these so-called claims. However, I will respond to the "unfocused" part of your theory. I would venture to say that nontrads are often more focused, not less. I certainly found this to be the case in law school, where several people in their 30s were at the top of our class. After all, these are people who, after some exploration, have finally found what they want to do in their life. They have made, and continue to make, sacrifices in order to pursue this dream, which causes them to follow it with a singular focus. At base, they know what they want and where they are going, and a certain level of hunger comes along with that. Conversely, some (I emphasize some) portion of traditional students are in med school only through pressure from parents, or not knowing what else to do with their lives at that juncture.

Anyway, just my perspective on what I have seen in my prior experiences in professional-level education. Make of them what you will, but I think the points I make are valid. I do apologize for getting personal on the last post, particularly when I had no real reason to get involved.

i already changed my comments to more accurately reveal my thinking...but rest assured, i don't believe that "fu#king around" for several years makes someone better at anything worthwhile than me.

 

[TexasRose]

i changed my post. i was being a jerk. but yeah, i hate samurai_lincoln.

and i hate people who think i am naive just because of my age and then can't present a legitimate reason about why i am so naive.

I can see why that would piss you, and any other trad student, off.

 

[samurai_lincoln]

i already changed my comments to more accurately reveal my thinking...but rest assured, i don't believe that "fu#king around" for several years makes someone better at anything worthwhile than me.

No, I totally agree. If you are focused and determined, there is no point in waiting to attend med school, simply for the sake of taking a few years off. But if someone is hesitant or unsure, I think it could do them some good. It is great that you know what you want early in life. Just open up your mind to the fact that others mature at different rates and have different life experiences. I don't know if I'd classify such experiences as fu#king around, unless someone spends like 3 years backpacking Europe or something.

 

[911Med]

I love getting you guys riled up a bit...

I was just about ready to bust out "I was hooking up with your mom at age 22" sort of material.

Heh heh heh

I could care less about $$ and time frames.

For the record - my high school cost roughly the same as your undergrad (around 39K/year) and it did NOTHING to help me achieve my stellar 24T MCAT

If we all get in (trads and non-trads) - hey - the world is a better, healthier place.

cue sappy music

Now - let's start the bitch slap thread - c'mon bearpaw - give me your "A" material.

 

[dmk724]

What's the big deal? Why must you guys feel threatened by one another?

If you've earned a spot in med school, you've earned it. End of discussion. All the posturing and spouting off by folks who haven't gotten to med school yet is a complete waste of time. If you've got what it takes, you'll get in.

I'm a traditional student myself, but I completely agree. Non-traditional students might have an advantage because of experience, but traditional students can gain experience as well. Doing things like study-abroad, having a full-time summer job, volunteering with an organization that you actually want to volunteer with (and not just because it looks good on your application), learning another language, can be helpful for any applicant. Spend your time trying to make yourself a more attractive applicant, not worrying about the competition.

 

[oldtimer]

Not all of us non-trads are nearing our 40's. Many of us have 4-5 years of real work experience under our belts, not just temporary jobs while we wait for school to start. In those few years, we learn a lot about the world and what it takes to succeed. You find out that the most successful people have intangible skills that you learn from life experiences and can't be learned in the classroom. This is also true in medicine. The trads may have an advantage over non-trads during the first two years of pre-clinical coursework where it's mostly studying and taking exams. The non-trads are admittedly rusty with that stuff. However, where I believe non-trads will shine is during the clinical years. Medicine is as much art as science and being a great doctor uses many of the same intangible skills we picked up before. Because residency directors place the more emphasis on clinical skills than on course grades, non-trads have the upper hand here.

 

[rgporter]

...anyway, is there someone that can actually give me legitimate reasons why being a non trad is actually an advantage?

I need less sleep than I did at your age. 😉 That's going to be an advantage from everything that I've heard.

Mostly I don't really care if I am going to be a better student than someone younger than me. I'm only worried about whether I am going to be the best I can be. Chill out though, we're going to be peers. It's stupid to get in a pissing match over money or age.

 

[oasis786]

awww Gleevec, don't let the *****s get to you!

I'm a nontrad. I'm happy with it. I'm happy some of my classmates are also nontrads and many are trads. What's the big deal? Why must you guys feel threatened by one another?

Great question!! I don't mean to get all philosophical here, but why ARE people threatened by each other?

Pre-meds of other pre-meds, non/trads of non/trads, successful people of other successful people? Why so much insecurity?

I guess it's human nature to try to find and highlight the differences between us and use them as a means to separate rather than bring together. Why would a med school class be any different? 🙄

 

[ms2209]

Personally speaking, I don't think it matters either way. You need to evaluate your situation and decide what would make you happier, and go with it. Some people don't see the necessity in delaying med school, and others view it as a life experience...it really just depends on how you feel about it. However, I do have one pet peeve, which is people constantly lambasting "trads" for being less experienced/mature. While I agree that not having lived on your own, worked a job, etc. means that you have less experience in some regards, I don't necessarily think that this means "trads" have no idea what they're getting themselves into, or that they haven't also had experiences that have been equally rewarding and have shaped them. I don't necessarily think that maturity and age go hand and hand, because I've seen more exceptions to the "rule" than actual cases supporting it. And frankly, although I may not have held dealt with the same "life pressures" as non-trads, I feel that the struggles I've had during the year with classes, as well as working over the summer/winter breaks (and during the year), has taught me a great deal and has changed my perspective (I actually wrote about this in my PS). Anyway, that's just my two cents...take it as you will 🙂

 

[Indebt4Life]

I think that non-trads have a disadvantage over trads. Medical students endure some pretty tough times and I am not just talking about studying your a** off. I am talking humiliation, ridicule, someone with power over you that gets a kick out of putting you down, down. At these times, "little kids" are more likely to put up with it and take it whereas a non-trad especially one that has left a good paying job will not want to put up with it. It really sucks "I am paying how much for some je*k off to tell me what an incompetent fool I am" That bites. Also, trads are younger and therefore have more energy to stay up at night at the hospital..it will be just like a night out clubbing. We be clubbing! Also, non-trads have more responsibilites and commitments like marriage or children which takes a toll on their performance. I truly respect and admire non-trads esp the real oldies and the female ones...it takes a lot of guts and drive to start all over. 👍

 

[nina512]

Oh great...is there really this much animosity between trads and non-trads?

It's sort of funny...I'm finishing up my Master's and I partially supervise a few undergrads in the lab, one of which is applying to med school along with me. It's great...even though we differ in age by 6 years, I don't think it makes us that different. (or maybe I'm just young at heart 🙂 )

As a non-trad, I promise not to look down on you trads if you don't look at me like an old-fart. However, since I've got that "Asian-thing goin" on (by that I mean looking young), you might just think I'm one of your "peers"

Non-trad undercover,
Nina

 

[IndyZX]

i dont see it as an advantage at all. whats more appealing? being 21 or being 29 with lots of life experiences?

last time i checked, the 21yr old will get to experience "life" as well.

 

[rtmcad2319]

Trads have the overwehlming advantage...geez!!!
We are younger and do you honestly think that the adcoms don't realize that being trad. you have no chance (no time) to have these "life exps." People worry way too much on here!

 

[rgporter]

Trads have the overwehlming advantage...geez!!!...

The human population is entirely too heterogeneous to make sweeping generalizations of this type. This is a stupid argument, no matter which side you find yourself defending.

 

[rtmcad2319]

I agree, but trads should not have any FEAR of non-trads!

 

[leechy]

Taking "a year or two off to gain perspective" is good for medicine, but its bad for you. If you know this is what you want to do, no point in wasting time. By that token, a 35 year old starting med school would be best thing for medicine, except that its a terrible thing to wait till you're 45 to begin your career. Most people achieve their goals as soon as they can...non trads either didn't know they wanted to be a doc or couldn't get in right after undergrad. some people choose to take a year off, but most people do not take several years off voluntarily.

Whoa here. Taking a "year or two off" is NOT "bad for you". Obviously, if you feel energized and ready for four more years of intense academics at the end of college, then that's great, and jumping right into med school is right for you. BUT, there is nothing "bad" about taking a year or two off between college and med school!! I'm in the middle of a hiatus between the two, and for me personally, it's been wonderful. I do low-key jobs and use my copious free time to watch movies, read books, socialize with friends, travel, take up strange hobbies, and basically do all the things that I did not have much time for in college / high school, and will not have much time for once I'm back in med school. People could criticize me for "wasting time", but I don't see it as a waste. Youth is short, and maturity lasts forever. I'm glad to have spent a portion of my youth not having to constantly bust my ass for tests and so on. Now, obviously I'm not saying that everyone ought to do this... if you feel ready for med school, then definitely dive right in... I'm just saying that those of us who choose to take time off are not necessarily making a bad decision.

 

[rgporter]

I agree, but trads should not have any FEAR of non-trads!

Most assuredly not. Non-gunner-wankers should fear gunner-wankers and shun them at every opportunity. 😀

 

[Termwean]

We know how to effectively communicate, not "was that dose of reality a painful bit#h slap? i would hope so." BTW I didn't even start college until I was 28( 10yrs respiratory therapist, combat medic in 3 wars), the majority of the people in my classes think I am 21-22. We non-trads are not gray-haired, diaper-wearing, geratol and viagra popping Geri's. We have interesting resumes, experiences, LOR, AND good gpa's and mcat. But, I do not feel we are in competition with each other. non-trads will not become the majority in a class. Our mommies and daddies are not blindly paying our bar tabs, thinking they are buying us books. We have worked hard, and make ALOT of sacrifices to pursue medicine. Some ad-coms like that, some don't. Relax bearpaw...I think 911 was just joking around, and your stressed-out, high-strung, Adderal popping A$$ is going to stroke out if you can not take a joke. Relax, get some. Find a sense of humor.........before you get "a painful bit#h slap."

whatever you do, don't address any of my legitimate arguments. please.

my "spouting off" about finances was simply that if one wants to brag about something, he ought to at least have something worth bragging about. so its cool if a non trad aggressively brags about having a few grand to throw around, but all of a sudden i'm the bad guy when i assert why i believe he is nothing more than a chump? look, if you want to brag about something, it better be worth bragging about. don't tell me my car is **** if you still riding a bike.

which brings me to my next point...

Mr.Samurai, i see you have a problem with my overpriced med school. I wonder what med school will cost when you finally enroll in 2009? I read your posts ("Long road to hoe, need to convince myself it is worth it!"...GPA 2.54, 2009, etc...http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=1497130#post1497130) and i am convinced that you ought to spend a little more time getting your **** together and a little less time worrying about my elitist a$$. Its pretty easy to criticize my slightly above average school if it were something to be ashamed about, but i think a strong bet would favor you not attending any medical school. Perhaps all this time you've spent weighing the nuances between JHU and UCSF have blinded you to the fact that you will never need to actually make any similar distinction ("should i summer at the hamptons or the cape? or wait, how about i just keep working my crappy job and do nothing forever").

was that dose of reality a painful bit#h slap? i would hope so.

anyway, is there someone that can actually give me legitimate reasons why being a non trad is actually an advantage? i think most of the time it would be a disadvantage for the individual. I think a med school would be smart to have a few in there, but the core of students ought to be what it is now. i think a couple of really older people is ok for perspective, but i don't think significantly older people make for the best students or peers. thank you.

 

[exmike]

I may be 26 but i swear I'm as fun as a 22 yr old! I hope my youngster classmates dont eat me alive! (as this thread seems to suggest may happen)

 

[Machaon]

I started this thread, but I hope you don't all think I originated the vindictiveness as well. I just had a neurotic moment concerning traditional vs. non-traditional students and I wondered if anyone shared my neurosis and/or had some reactions to it. I think I made it clear in my first post that I have no hard feelings toward non-trads, but I'm just double-checking. I was merely acknowledging a possibility. I'm sorry it turned into some slap fights.

 

[Swiper]

Haha, it's a classic (yet neverending) SDN argument. Just don't start any MD vs. DO threads, no matter your intention! 😉

 

[samurai_lincoln]

I started this thread, but I hope you don't all think I originated the vindictiveness as well. I just had a neurotic moment concerning traditional vs. non-traditional students and I wondered if anyone shared my neurosis and/or had some reactions to it. I think I made it clear in my first post that I have no hard feelings toward non-trads, but I'm just double-checking. I was merely acknowledging a possibility. I'm sorry it turned into some slap fights.

You know, at least in my experience (law school), the non/trad distinction ended up being virtually nonexistent once classes started. You just naturally gravitated toward people with common interests and compatible personalities. Granted, an age difference of 10 or more years virtually eliminates these areas of common ground. But in less extreme cases, you totally forget about small differences in age and experience. My two closest friends from law school were 21 and 29 when we entered, and I was right in the middle at 24. I hung out with people as old as 35 or so, and they were still amenable to coming out and partying with us. Of course, there was not much else to do for socialization 🙂

I think it is just an admissions paranoia thing, a la AA. Once you're in, you all working toward the same goals and suffering through the same stress and pain. People forget about who came straight through and who took two, five, or ten years off.

 

[Indebt4Life]

We know how to effectively communicate, not "was that dose of reality a painful bit#h slap? i would hope so." BTW I didn't even start college until I was 28( 10yrs respiratory therapist, combat medic in 3 wars), the majority of the people in my classes think I am 21-22. We non-trads are not gray-haired, diaper-wearing, geratol and viagra popping Geri's. We have interesting resumes, experiences, LOR, AND good gpa's and mcat. But, I do not feel we are in competition with each other. non-trads will not become the majority in a class. Our mommies and daddies are not blindly paying our bar tabs, thinking they are buying us books. We have worked hard, and make ALOT of sacrifices to pursue medicine. Some ad-coms like that, some don't. Relax bearpaw...I think 911 was just joking around, and your stressed-out, high-strung, Adderal popping A$$ is going to stroke out if you can not take a joke. Relax, get some. Find a sense of humor.........before you get "a painful bit#h slap."

Whoah!! You didn't start college until you were 28 yrs old...but people think that you are 21-22 yrs old??? WTF Sweetie, somebody has been lying to you!!! Or it may be wishful thinking of longing to be that hot young doctor on ER that sends shivers down my spine? The guys that "claim" that they don't look their age turn out to be the ones that look their age plus a few more years...for a FACT.

911Med is obviously more relaxed than high-strung Bearpaw...remember, 911 even joked about paying someone to retake his MCAT because his 24T ain't gonna get him in NO WHERE but DO school.

 

[mentoz]

this thread is absolutely ridiculous ..


if everyone lived similar lives and made the same choices, how much could we really learn from each other? how come no one has bothered to think about embracing all of our differences and life experiences? i'm grateful to have met people from many different backgrounds with varying motivations because it is an opportunity to learn from them .. and if i don't agree with their choices, it's an opportunity to develop a more open mind and tolerance .. i'm appalled at this kind of bickering and wonder how any of you will manage to work well with others .. we all don't have to like each other, but please let's try to respect each other and honor the diversity of your class ..


ask yourself a very important question .. "does this even matter?"
no one is better than the next person .. don't worry about it .. let's stop trying to justify one point against another because none of this even matters .. the OP posted only because he is worried, but what will worrying do to help his situation? worry about yourself and being a good physician.

 

[Swiper]

...ain't gonna get him in NO WHERE but DO school.

😱 There we go. Didn't even need it's own thread, now did it?

 

[Heal&Teach]

I may be 26 but i swear I'm as fun as a 22 yr old! I hope my youngster classmates dont eat me alive! (as this thread seems to suggest may happen)

Gees.. I'm in the same boat. Does this mean that my classmates will gawk when I see them at a bar - and point and call me granny?

 

[rgporter]

this thread is absolutely ridiculous ...

Agreed. In your signature isn't it supposed to be, "If you drop your keys in molten lava..."?

 

[Scubadoc]

this thread is absolutely ridiculous ..


.. we all don't have to like each other, but please let's try to respect each other and honor the diversity of your class ...

mentoz....you rock! 👍

 

[mentoz]

Agreed. In your signature isn't it supposed to be, "If you drop your keys in molten lava..."?

yes, problem?

sorry that came off rude, it's an inside twist.

 

[nina512]

To the 20yr olds,
I wonder...when you reach, let's say, 28...do you think that you'll be more experienced than when you were 20?


Of course!!!


Try not to blame non-trads for their perspective...think of your own towards people that are younger than you.


Nina

 

[oasis786]

To the 20yr olds,
I wonder...when you reach, let's say, 28...do you think that you'll be more experienced than when you were 20?


Of course!!!


Try not to blame non-trads for their perspective...think of your own towards people that are younger than you.


Nina

Good point. *is exceptionally annoyed by high schoolers racing around in their modified cars like they own the town*