Is there a risk of embarrassment in attending medical school or phD in sciences at a non-traditional age?

Question

I've heard people almost look condescendingly on older students in medical school. Why is this so? Do they think older students are less intelligent for pursuing their dream at a later age? Just curious the reason.

Answer 1

First, may I suggest that your premise may not be correct. In fact I rather suppose the prevailing attitude at any school of higher learning is relative to the degree of academic excellence that prevails within that institution. Thus, regardless of age, one may find any degree of non approval based on one of any number of personal,racial,political,economic,or social presuppositions.
The question then becomes: do you expend your time, energies, and resources constantly monitoring or soliciting how others react and relate to you, or do you tackle the task at hand and show your justification for being selected to the world of academia?
The person who defines success by his/her values, morals, and ethics never submits to the whelm of others for their approval or significance.
I trust this will at least give you some food for thought..

Answer 2

Well I am currently in medical school. I am a traditional student. There are a couple of people in my class who are much older.

Mostly they are not looked done upon, because most of them have lead full lives before they started school. So, their greater experience is quite awe-inspiring compared to the "babies" who have just gotten out of undergrad.
I personally dont think they are less intelligent. I just look at it as a dream deferred.

However,these people are in their 30s. That is fine. But when the person is much older, like in their 50s, I dont see cost-benefit to doing it besides just wanting to fulfil a dream. Medical school is 4 yrs and a minimum of 3 or more years in most residency programs then it takes about a decade more to finally get established. By the time you accomplish all of that, you will be in your 60s or more depending how it goes. That is about the time you should be trying to get out of medicine considering how hard the profession can be on your health [ and that becomes a bigger issue as you get older]

It is slightly harder for older people because it is harder to retain things. I am in my early 20s and I know I am not as sharp as I was when i started undergrad. It is just the nature of aging. I dont think you get less intelligent with age. It just is more work to stay at the level that you need to be at to be successful.

If you are considering pursuing a professional degree, and you have weighed out all the pros and cons. Go ahead, on the whole, i think your experience will be fine with the younger students, but you may still find the occasional ageist. The bad experiences will not be numerous or often, so dont worry about that. Go get what you want. Better late than never.

Answer 3

My personal beliefs are that i do not look down on anybody if they are trying to better thierselves. If is see someone out side in Mobile selling news papers trying to make a living i will think to myself. At least they are trying to do something for themselves. But not everyone looks at things the same way. Yes, you are looked at and judged by everything you do it is just human nature. But only the people who really have good hearts can look past the superficial stuff like age. There was this 50 year old lady in my Fundamentals of Chemistry class who had taken that class 5 time before that one and dropped out everytime. This is after she dropped out of high school. I was willing to give up all my free time to help her succeed in the class this time. If someone who is mature in thier years goes to medical school i think that it is great because the younger you are the less likely you are to be serious about stuff. And if you are not serious then it is a waste of time. And the older person can look at the younger person on the same level and say, " I have my education what about you?" and i think that that would be the highlight of that persons life. So i say onto all the older people do what you feel is right if it makes you happy then you shouldn't care what other people say and don't let them bring you down. But you may need some support through the process and if you do then you can always email me at [e-mail].

Answer 4

There is a risk of embarrassment in any pursuit. Some people will look condescendingly at older students and some will look that way at younger students. People are people.

I have had several co-workers who quit very different careers and went to medical school. One of them was in business management and was in his mid-forties when he started medical school. Another was an early thirties engineer.

A little embarrassment will be one of the easiest things a medical student will have to overcome. It should not be a significant concern to anyone willing to do what it takes to complete medical school.

Answer 5

I've heard lots of stories like this. A med student that's over 30 is looked at by younger "normal" aged students as being less intelligent and less accomplished. There is a stigma against people who do not enter the medical field as a young driven and ambitious youngster.

BUT, I've also head that these older students have a better track record in med school, and end up being better doctors. They have a little bit more life experience and can handle failure and stress a bit better. They are also not so wrapped up in the status of med school and being a doctor... they are more concerned with healing than with the title.

Answer 6

Anyone at anytime can find a reason to mock or trash someone else. All they need is a little self esteem problem or just feeling threatened by someone they don't know how to handle or control.

There are people who look condescendingly on international students, on ultra young and yes on older students. That's unfortunately part of the world we currently live in.

A friend of mine went back to college at 50 to get her PHD. She took early retirement from her corporate job and decided to get into R&D - field work instead of fiscal decision making. He took a little grief from some but told me it was the best decision he'd ever made.

I'd do it.

Answer 7

I guess the reason why is that they are wondering if the older ones will be able to retain all of the knowledge necessary to be a good doctor. But then again i know some younger people in their 20's that cant remember what they had for dinner last night

Answer 8

My cousin didn't go to medical school until he was in his thirties, but he graduated near the top of his class and is now a very respected physician in his community.

His patients and present colleagues couldn't care less that it took him a while to find his calling in life. So don't worry about any petty "attitude" you might get for being an older student.

Answer 9

>I know of two people that just started Med school this past August...both are 40 years old and both are having a great time and doing very well.

Both had previous successful careers in entirely unrelated fields, and both had wanted to be physicians since they were children.

They both had the same fear (that you are having) at the beginning, and they have actually found that their "advanced age" makes no difference to either their classmates or teachers.

Go for it, and good luck.<

Answer 10

further and extra pupils are non-classic than till now, particularly in graduate classes. My mom is in under-grad for nursing. maximum folk there are my age or youthful yet there are some different older. She is getting alongside tremendous with the different pupils. She had initially planned on shifting yet enjoyed the scholars lots she stayed (that's a smaller inner maximum college she attends)