Starting age...

[uwodesperate]

Let's say, hypothetically, that one graduates from medical school at the age of 30-31 and applies to any one of the surgical residency programs. Would program directors of surgical residency programs take the non-traditional age factor into consideration when selecting applicants? Personally, I am a bit late in the game so I am just worried that my age will prove to be an obstacle later on when I am deciding on which specialty to pursue. Any thoughts?

[A-Stark]

Hey, that's not *that* old. And I don't think it should matter. In my class, there were multiple guys that age (and several years older) who matched to derm, ortho, emerg, and internal medicine, and many 28-29 year olds who matched to gen surg, anesthesia, and radiology.

 

Nothing wrong with maturity.

[Lactic Folly]

Yeah, that's still near the average, and I'm not sure that you would be considered non-traditional at that point.

[uwodesperate]

What is the average age of the people entering residencies?

Also, what is the exact definition of non-traditional medical students? Entering medical schools in their 30s?

 

Thanks!

[rmorelan]

What is the average age of the people entering residencies?

Also, what is the exact definition of non-traditional medical students? Entering medical schools in their 30s?

 

Thanks!

 

Not set def I think - I generally think it is anyone that did more than a masters degrees to get into medical school - particularly anyone that did a second degree or worked before attempting to apply.

 

Probably a lot of those may be in their 30s.

[rmorelan]

Hey, that's not *that* old. And I don't think it should matter. In my class, there were multiple guys that age (and several years older) who matched to derm, ortho, emerg, and internal medicine, and many 28-29 year olds who matched to gen surg, anesthesia, and radiology.

 

Nothing wrong with maturity.

 

Same over the past few years at western as well. Some of our top matchers are what you would call non trads.

[uwodesperate]

I see. Thank you for the replies!

[schmitty]

I sure hope they don't care! I turn 29 very soon and start my 4-year MD this fall and I really am not too keen on FM or IM (I think so far...)

[physio2med]

What's up with referring to all medical students or residents as 'guys'? Am I the only one who's noticed that 70% of med students are now women? Sure is that why at my school. It's come up in quite a few posts, and it's annoying.

[rmorelan]

What's up with referring to all medical students or residents as 'guys'? Am I the only one who's noticed that 70% of med students are now women? Sure is that why at my school. It's come up in quite a few posts, and it's annoying.

 

english desperately needs a shorthand gender neutral term for a group of people - Saying his/her or him/her or they comes off as cumbersome (despite its original gender specific meaning I wonder if now "guys" is used most often because it is simply 4 letters etc.)

 

Not quite 70% currently - more like 55% when you look at it overall. Still so much so that programs are not actively investigating ways to push things the other way back to gender neutrality. Ha - how times have changed

[oshaku]

What's up with referring to all medical students or residents as 'guys'? Am I the only one who's noticed that 70% of med students are now women? Sure is that why at my school. It's come up in quite a few posts, and it's annoying.

 

 

english desperately needs a shorthand gender neutral term for a group of people - Saying his/her or him/her or they comes off as cumbersome (despite its original gender specific meaning I wonder if now "guys" is used most often because it is simply 4 letters etc.)

 

Not quite 70% currently - more like 55% when you look at it overall. Still so much so that programs are not actively investigating ways to push things the other way back to gender neutrality. Ha - how times have changed

 

or we can accept that "guys" as a gender-neutral word meaning a group of people, as it is commonly used nowadays, despite its gendered past.  Many words change meaning overtime.  Here's a short list (which coincidentally includes the word "guy"): http://ideas.ted.com/20-words-that-once-meant-something-very-different/