average age

[cantaloupe]

*deleted by op*

[UTPEOPLE]

46

 

lol... jk... are you looking for a younger class or an older class?

[kzea]

Assuming that everyone that answered the survey (100/110) answered truthfully, the mean age works out to 22.8 years old with 95% confidence intervals at 22.2-23.4 and a range of 19 to 44.

[switcheroo]

Those numbers are for our class. My understanding is that we're slightly younger, on average, than most classes that come into UManitoba.

[onamountain]

It's not that uncommon. If you have a birthday that's after May 13, and you skip a grade and also get accepted out of third year - that makes you 19 when you get in.

[Freedom]

..or a 3 year degree in 2 years.

[hkmedic]

are there a substantial amount of applicants who do 3 year degrees in two years? do you figure that you have to have ap credits or w/e they're called to do that? cause otherwise you'd be taking like 6 classes each semester plus in the summer.

 

I don't think I could handle that, even without work and extra curriculars

 

I know a few people who were successful like that, did a 3 year B.Sc. General in 2 years. However, that also really limits your chances of applying to many other schools, and why wouldn't you want to enjoy your undergraduate experience? Also, what about one's maturity? I'd have to say I enjoyed and learned a great deal about myself during the latter 2 years of my 4 year degree.

[Lactic Folly]

Experience comes not solely from time, but from what has been done in that time. From my experience, maturity does not necessarily correlate with age, and those who do not show the requisite maturity in medical school interviews are unlikely to do well. By the same token, younger applicants who have succeeded in the process may be expected to possess the requisite experiences and maturity (to the point that if you did not know their age, would not be able to tell them apart from the 21-24 year olds through interacting with them), and it is inaccurate to assume that they have spent their lives "sitting at home and studying days on end" and could not be trusted to take on patient care. My ideal doctor is someone of character - such attributes are personal and cannot be inferred from one's age.

[PhoenixFlare500]

I think it's also important to realize that those 19-year-olds who get accepted still have to go through the whole application process including the interview, so I'm sure they fully deserve to be in med school. I would also think that 19-year-olds in med school actually is uncommon, just not impossible. But that's just a guess, considering I don't know the ages of people in med schools right now.

[onamountain]

What you say is true, and there are bound to be outliers in the form of 19 year olds who are mature and have loads of character. I was mainly responding to the comment that said this occurence was "not uncommon." Maybe I took the statement too literally.

 

That being said, I actually do think there is a strong correlation between age and maturity. I mean 18-22 is when you really get to first experience the world. If you're swamped with school work at this time, you're going to have less time to spend on other things. But, like I mentioned, I'm sure there exists the occasional 19 year old who does manage to live their life outside of school and is consequently mature enough to be a doctor.

 

I should clarify my previous statement - I didn't mean to say that tons and tons of 19yos get in, but rather that it's not as uncommon as people think. There are a few at most medical schools. I can see why you might be concerned about the experience and maturity of younger applicants, but I really don't think 19yos are hugely worse off than 20yos or even 21yos. I'm sure some 19yos are more experienced and more mature than people a few years senior to them, just as some will be less mature. One thing I find interesting is the relatively very high proportion of 19yo applicants who do get in - look at pg 9 of this document. They have a success rate of 40-50%, which is not too shabby. That's probably due to the lower number of overall applicants and a higher proportion of keeners though.

[Renin]

It's odd. I find the premeds that I think are going to make the best doctors are the ones that took a year or two off after graduating from highschool and actually explored other options, instead of blindly jumping in. Also, the keeners are lot less likely to help you, which seems sort of counterintuitive for someone trying to become a doctor.

 

HA. Not all of us can afford to take a year or two off. My parents would skin me.

 

PS: I think our class is in the 24-average type.

 

PPS: I didn't get in at 19. But I don't think I've matured much since then. Or will continue to mature. Maturity is over-rated.

[LivetoDance]

HA. Not all of us can afford to take a year or two off. My parents would skin me.

 

PS: I think our class is in the 24-average type.

 

PPS: I didn't get in at 19. But I don't think I've matured much since then. Or will continue to mature. Maturity is over-rated.

 

I totally feel like I have matured since the first time I applied. I was 20 when I first applied and fell into the study and nothing else category. I am now 25 and am married and a home owner with a full time job (non science related). I have taken a few years off to work and save up money to go back to school. I feel like I have had so many amazing experiences that have allowed me to excel on my interview, which I would not have had if I stayed in school and done a masters degree. My interview score has only improved since I started applying (my MCAT score on the other hand is another story). I also feel as though I am a lot more confident from when I first started applying. This is only my personal experience, but I would agree that you mature as you age since there are so many new responsibilities that you encounter as time goes by. That is my two cents worth!

[Dongzhuo]

In Britain and Asia people get into medical school straight out of high school at 18 or so. They get their degree at around 23. Those countries don't seem to have any problems

[PhoenixFlare500]

Yes but they might also be more mature coming out of high school than high school grads over here. Which I could definitely see...

[Dongzhuo]

Yes but they might also be more mature coming out of high school than high school grads over here. Which I could definitely see...

 

The British society seems just about the same as North American society......

[medston]

The UK system for med runs more slowly than ours. The undergrad is less intense and there is more emphasis on the post-grad training, which is drawn out over a long period of time. E.g., it takes (a minimum of) 13 years to become a fully qualified plastic surgeon in the UK but in Canada it takes 5, say 6 if you do a fellowship after res. So, despite being young, the kids there grow into their jobs slowly. In some ways it makes good sense. Note Quebec is like this too.

[charmer08]

are there a substantial amount of applicants who do 3 year degrees in two years? do you figure that you have to have ap credits or w/e they're called to do that? cause otherwise you'd be taking like 6 classes each semester plus in the summer.

 

I don't think I could handle that, even without work and extra curriculars

 

yea a 4 year degree in 3 years makes more sense... i could have done that if i had taken a full course load during the summer plus have a couple of EC's on the side

[gonnabeadocta]

Or, you could have graduated high school early (or skipped a grade when younger), and done a 3 year degree. In my opinion, age is just a number. I truly believe that it's what experiences fill up that number that matter.

 

 

 

yea a 4 year degree in 3 years makes more sense... i could have done that if i had taken a full course load during the summer plus have a couple of EC's on the side