<p>A true genius… 240 on the psats…</p>
<p>i skipped one grade. Do you guys think that’ll give me an edge over the other applicants, considering i’m a year younger than mostly everybody who’s applying?</p>
<p>well that depends. if you got grades and sat scores to back that up, you will definitely have an interesting edge over the rest of the applicants.</p>
<p>I dont think its that important. I’m a year younger than my classmates too, and I’m sure there are kids even younger than that. If its something that has affected your life significantly, maybe it will help in your essays? I dont know for sure.</p>
<p>i dont think that gives you an upper edge dude.</p>
<p>Actually, if anything, it might hurt you. I mean, many of these programs were designed (not the accelerated ones) to ENRICH your education by providing 8 years to do so. I mean, I remember seeing one girl who was 16 years old (!!) and finished the 6 year program at Miami. A 22 year old doctor…there’s something wrong with that. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want someone that young operating on or prescribing medication for me. I really believe in the philosophy of enrichment because I feel it gives one richer life experiences…and regular people who aren’t physicians feel more comfortable with a doctor who has experience and age. It just gives the impression of wisdom, you know? And you always want your patients to be comfortable when you’re doing a quadruple bypass surgery. Haha.</p>
<p>I don’t think it has too much of an impact, unless it’s more than a year or two younger. I’m among the youngest of my classmates, and I didn’t find it an advantage or disadvantage.</p>
<p>i agree with stanford dude, nobody wants a very young doctor. i always ask for an older one because i feel more confortable</p>
<p>I disagree Age does not necessarily make a better doctor. For example, Older doctors - many of times - refuse 2 use new treatments or new procedures simply because they are not familiar with them, or do not keep up with these new treatments. </p>
<p>Acute Resipitory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) was a condition that resulted from older doctors clinging to their believes in the use of high tidal volumes for mechanical ventilation that led to over-distension of aleveoi and eventually collapse of sections of the lungs.</p>
<p>I dont believe that we should rule out a person simply because of age but rather measure the skill of a doctor by their abilities and competance which you can only determine by meeting them, having an appointment with them or speaking to others that have seen him or her. </p>
<p>Refering to BA/MD programs, I highly doubt being older or younger will give u an edge and or will put you at a disavantage. Your drive for medicine, and passion 2 become a doctor i THINK (as I havent been through it yet) is what will matter in the end. </p>
<p>GOOD LUCK 2 ALL!!!</p>
<p>u take everything out of context. i meant that it implies a little more experience. a young doctor right out of med school is still a neophyte. he might have some practice but not as much. also, a good doctor is not necessarily somebody open to innovation and new ideas. a doctor’s first resposability is with the patient. history has always been about getting over old ideas and accepting new ones. its not the old people that oppse that change. there is just a lot of things on the antiquated base and it needs hard proof to begin a new one, besides its not bad to be a little recalcitrant. :D</p>
<p>Haha, for the first time I think, I agree sergio. Although you make a good point, I don’t think having knowledge of new innovations or technology makes one a GOOD doctor. After having volunteered with a doctor before, I know that the best doctors are those who can relate and communicate with their patients, putting them at ease when necessary. I really believe a lot of medicine is psychology…take that with a grain of salt of course since it’s my personal belief. There have been studies showing that people will react to an old man in a white coat who claims to be a doctor positively and will follow his directions if they’re given in “sophisticated” terms. The people in the study found out afterwards that the “doctor” was just a well-paid actor. Ever heard of the placebo effect? Medicine is a LOT about psychology and knowing how to tell the patient certain outcomes/results. </p>
<p>Now, you can go to school for a dozen years and be the best qualified psychologist on the planet, but I still firmly believe the doctors who can relate BEST and most MATURELY to a patient are the older ones. There is a reason why people feel more comfortable with a older doctor (not too old, not too young). Just his/her presence of age gives the impression of wisdom/maturity/knowledge. Age must mean something…it means more years of work with patients, more failures, more successes…more ability to really know what’s going on with the patient. That’s what really counts.</p>
<p>first of All Stanford Dude…you write in a very affected tone implying that no one else knows what the placebo effect is and claiming that you are suddenly an authority on what makes a good doctor simply because you volunteered with one. </p>
<p>The Placebo effect is when the patient believes that what he is recieving or what he is doing will make him better and thus this belief manifests itself. Your example, where the doctor speaks to the patient in a sophisticated way does not imply that he placebo effect is taking place it simply means that maybe the doctor is better at explaining the situation, and the treatment so the patient follows the doctors suggestsions, not that the doctor is somehow making the patient believe he is getting better. </p>
<p>Sergio, I agree that experience is the victor in almost all circumstances, but I am thoroughly opposed to believing that simply because a doctor is younger then another he is not as talented or effective in his treatment. My example was simply one of how older doctors are not always the best in all situations. Now with the ARDS, I had the opportunity to work with the doctor who was involved in bringing that out. His words were “I told everyone to use low tidal volumes Ten Years ago, the elder Doctors were egotistic and didnt listen until ten years later.” Those words wer his not mine… </p>
<p>EMR-Eletrical Medical Records should now be something done by all doctors. My dad implements medical billing software and he says that elder doctors are the most unwilling to convert their patients records to EMR so that right now if you get sick in Hawaii the doctor their has 2 hav your medical records faxed from your home physician. This slows down treatment and creates uncessary distractions. It is our generation that will implement this. </p>
<p>Now, I completely agree that generally Elder Doctors are definately more experienced and knowledgable simply because they’ve been doing it for much much much longer. But you cannot rule out the skill of a doctor simply because he is young, or in the case where this was originally brought up because he is entering medical school at a young age. A Doctor that graduates from medical school at the age of 26 may be just as good as one who graduates at the age of 23. So in this case…what you were dicussing these two individuals will have the same ammount of clinical experience just one entered medical school younger. Now if you have someone who is 56 years old and one who is 25 with the 56 entering medical school way before the 25 year old then obiously yes he will be a much better doctor. But we are dicussing this with younger people graduating out of medical school at a younger age then the norm. </p>
<p>and Yes I agree, Stanford_Dude medicine is a LOT about psychology</p>
<p>I agree with ya. now, about the placebo effect, dont get so defensive. there is no need to be pedantic or pretentious.</p>
<p>Yeah, I agree when you said that doctors entering at different ages are no different in terms of clinical knowledge. I apologize if I came off as affected, which it seems like I did, as that was not my intention. You can certainly interpret age/youth as a good or bad thing. Good discussion though.</p>
<p>I apologize Sergio if I came off as pretentious. </p>
<p>And yes def. that was a good dicussion…Im a big fan of debate and argument as it leads to advancement of our understanding of the world. </p>
<p>Good Luck 2 both of you!!!</p>
<p>does rice/baylor let you apply out to another medical school once you complete the undergraduate requirements without jeapordizing your chances at your already gauranteed spot? im looking to going into research medicine and wanted to know if this was possible so i could be closer to home etc. i also would like to know that if i do get into rice/baylor, will they let me also take part in the MSTP program once i join medical school if i decide to stay at baylor?</p>
<p>I hope to god I get into this program haha. I applied to NEOUCOM’s (kent/youngstown) med program and Lehigh’s med program, but I sincerely do not want to go to either. I want to be surrounded by scholors. so I’m hoping I get into rice ba/md …anyhoo I’m applying interim, as I suppose everybody else is. good luck all~
-saif</p>
<p>i am applying early!</p>
<p>
great typo! 
Duhhh …I want to be aruond dem smert peopul</p>
<p>Way to pick on little errors, pal. With that kind of maturity, you’ll be a great addition to your future alma mater. [/sarcasm]</p>