Okay, I’m 26…and I really don’t feel like that’s old at all…except when I think about how old I’ll be when residency, possible fellowships are all said and done. Anyhow, I have a younger cousin graduating from high school. She’s a good 8 younger than me. And you know when you’re a little kid a couple of years can make you seem so mature and the others look like babies, so I really perceive her like my little cousin. Anyhow, her father is a physician and she’s always known that’s what she wanted to be, so it has occurred to me that we will be in medical around the same time. She still needs to go through college so it would at least be 4 years and I’m hoping to start medical school in 1-2 years, so at least I’d graduate before my cousin who is nearly a decade younger than me. Anyhow, I know it’s not a race with my cousin at all…but in addition to the traditional undergraduate universities she applied to, she applied and was accepted to a prestigious 6-year combined undergraduate/medical school program at the University of Miami. She will start medical school atnthe University of Miami in 2006. Now, assuming that I don’t do the linkage at my post-bacc school, that is preciesely the year in which I’d be aiming to start, not to mention a logical first choice since my family is in Miami. Now, I love my cousin to death so I think it would be great to be in school together, but I find something very comical about the fact that I’d be in school, in the acutal grade as my “little cousin.” So anyhow, it’s very possible that I’ll be the old gal in school while my cousin will be the young one in school - talk about an odd couple.
I guess I’ll be a grandfather of my class at 40? 
I fully understand what you are saying here. And no…26 is not old, so don’t worry about it. And don’t let your family forget that you are also working on achieving your dream. I hope you don’t get lost in your cousin’s glory of being accepted so very, very early in her life. Make sure you are alos able to shine!!! I wish you all the luck in the world.
My family has been very supportive. My cousin’s father, my uncle, has been instrumental in making me believe that I can change careers from lawyer to doctor and ignore the naysayers in life who just want to say something negative. I spoke to my cousin and she thinks it would be great to be in the same class together…not to toot my own horn, but, you know, she’s always looked up to me as her cool, older cousin. Anyhow, I think she’s super smart and sweet and would be a great study buddy, but I just find it really funny. Her friends will ask why she’s always hanging out with that older girl and she’ll say, “that’s my cousin!”
So long as medicine is your dream, never let age be an issue. And, at 26 you’re really not very old!! I started med school this year at twice your age, and believe it or not, most of the kids in the class think it’s awesome. And I have studied with several of the younger students, and age has never come up. I doubt it will come up when you are studying with your cousin or younger classmates. We are all in it for the same reason. . we want to become physicians. And that’s the rest of the story.
So, go ahead and work towards accomplishing your goals. I imagine your younger cousin, who will also be an adult by the time you begin med school, will enjoy having someone she knows well to share the experience with.
Best of luck to you both!!
Don’t let age be an impediment. In fact, it can actually be an asset. One of my residency classmates & I were chatting last - very bright young man. We both have class reunions coming up on the same weekend in June. However, his is a 5 year college class reunion & mine is my 20th HS reunion. We got a big laugh when we did the math & realized that he had just barely turned 6 when I was strolling down the aisle at HS graduation.
Hey there,
I was joking with one of my favorite Chief Residents last year and I politely reminded him that I graduated from the English equivalent of high school six weeks before he was born! He was finishing his seventh year of residency at the time. Age does have it’s advantages!
Natalie 
For me, going back to school at 39 has been invigorating. Rather than making me feel old, it has actually made me feel younger. Many of the younger ones call me the old man. Really, though, it has turned out to be a somewhat of a term of endearment. The more serious ones really look at me as a mentor. I can say I was never this popular in high school. :-))
Hi all, thanks for the responses. I’m really not feeling too old about this whole process. I always look about 5 years younger than I am (not much fun when I was 15-20) plus I just feel young. One of my favorite stores to shop at is “Forever 21” and my boyfriend always asks me “When do you think you’ll be too old to shop in Forever 21?” And I tell him, “Never. I’m Forever 21, baby.” Anyhow, it probably will look silly one day, but my point is that I don’t really feel old. It just find it funny, but also exciting, that we could be in the same class together.
I had a somewhat similar thing happen. My husband’s cousin, who I perceive as hardly more than a child, was applying to medical school at the same time as I was. Of course, it turned out he was being pretty immature about the whole thing, blew off applying until last minute, didn’t follow through with stuff, etc - and I got in and he didn’t. I have a feeling in six or seven years we’ll be seeing him on this board. 
Congratulations to your cousin. And good luck to you too!
Pam
I have similar situation /w my cousin. She is a junior now and i am starting my pre-med this summer!! I literally saw her growing up since she was an infant. Now i will probably see her in my med school classes, or graduate with her at the same time. Does this bother me!! May be a little. But when i look back I see all the things i have done in the past — the journey of life. Life is all about moving on and dare to change directions. When I was in Engineering school I often wondered why do we need all the extra Elective/General credits like Sociology, Humanities, Economics classes? why not just take more core engineering classes and improve our technical knowledge? I have found my answer after I am out of school and working for 5 years. The answer is “vision”. I think a well rounded education is the best tool to broaden your world, to discover yourself. Wether the education is being taught in school or in real life. For being a non-traditional student what you have is “the vision”. To quote the MC commercials, " Taking pre-med classes–$3K, Preparting for MCAT $1k, Getting a MD degree from a state university $120K, Being a non-traditional pre-med student with “visions”—priceless. So feel good about who you are and where you are right now. And be proud of yourself for daring to change the direction of your life to be a doctor. So don’t worry about what you could have done in the past, embarrass the present and take the plunge. And when you will be done /w med school and become a MD, you will know that you have done the RIGHT thing.So start your “journey” my friend and have “visions”.
I kinda know how everyone is feeling. I’m 25 and will graduate at the same time as my nephew! Luckily for me, he’s not contemplating becoming a doctor - yet. But, seeing as how he’s a nursing major, I bet he will.
My 25 year old sister is 7 years younger than me and already an MS-1 at UT-Southwest. AND my even younger 21 year old sister will be starting med school the year after I (hopefully) start!
I have fun talking with my sister who is in med school now. We’ve actually grown much closer in the past year (ditto with the 21 year old). She thinks its funny how seriously I take all my classes - I guess it’s an ‘older’ pre med thing. At least I beat her MCAT score . . . not that we are a competitive family or anything. lol