I started my Chemistry 211 class this past Monday and I have not taken Chem since 2000. I feel like a old woman surrounded by all of these other students. I have always been among the youngest throughout my educational career, so this is an entirely new experience.
Our professor said something about, “I know you all aren’t old enough to remember, but I remember when email first became big.” I snickered because I totally remember.
My lab partner told me that she has not taken Chemistry for a long time. I asked her how long and she said, “Well I graduated high school in 2013, so I think about four years.” I just laughed and she looked a little worried when I told her that I had not taken it since 2000.
I went to go get a parking tag and the lady in Parking said, “Faculty?” I smiled and said, “Student.” :lol:
These are just a couple of examples over the last five days. Does this awkwardness ever go away? I know it’s more my issue than anything else.
It eventually does. But the best part is you do not care about the drama that goes on with the younger students.
I’ve been faculty at a college…but also ran into the confusion about being faculty vs a student in medical school. lol
Being old means nothing.
Everybody if they live long enough gets old.
Follow your aspirations and don’t worry about your age. You can be old and a doctor or you can just be old and wondered what would have happened if you went to medical school.
Good luck.
Thank you for your replies! I just finished my Chem lab class with an A and I am having my Chem lecture final tomorrow. As long as I don’t bomb the final, I will get an A in that class as well. I appreciate this forum!
Good job, Zudley!
That shot in the arm will carry you through. You are proving that you can hang with the kids. Taking chem since 2000 isn’t bad, I had it a few years before that (and I was already an older student then). Your age is an advantage, trust me, once you start applying. Draw on your experiences and flaunt them to the adcoms. They love the life experience.
Thanks guys for all of the posts! I am so glad I’m not alone. I turned 40 in 2016 and this year I will be starting pre-med. Granted I’m already a registered nurse for 10 years so I don’t have to take some of the required classes! Yay for me. I was worried that medical schools will think that I am too old but after reading some stuff online and following people in Instagram who are pre-med, I feel better. Does anyone have advice for me as how to increase my chances of getting in? Which schools love the older student ? Older students offer quite a bit of life experience and level headed thinking and we do not worry about the silly things that the younger crowd does.
@gabelerman wrote:
It eventually does. But the best part is you do not care about the drama that goes on with the younger students.
Yep, that’s the best part about being old. Not having all that drama to deal with.
Are you in medical school or premed, as your post was in the medical student discussion? But, either way, I know how you feel. I just retook general biology and aced it. I was the oldest in that class, even older than the professor who told at least half dozen times throughout the semester reminded us how old she was.
Is there a point where age can become a liability? Where med schools will say, that one is too old to train for the few years they have remaining to be a physcian?