Sorry for this delayed reply! I've been really busy!
In our entering class, we ranged in age from 19 to 32, so there was an age gap. The average age of our entering class was 23. I do find that many of my classmates are at a different "phase" of their lives, and have priorities that I haven't even considered (e.g. engagements, weddings, children). That doesn't mean that we don't get along though, and some of my best friends in the class are older. It's simply a different dynamic to work with. Hope that helps!

I think his first real-impression on me was quite different from the impression I got when I was reading his blogs.

Especially, it is really a glass-shatteringly shocking experiece when you get to hear the actual voice of someone being so different from kind of the voice you were sub-vocalizing/imagining of this person in your head as you read the blog. In my head, the Josh's voice I have been imagining had a low-tone bassy sound like of a opera baritone, but when I first heard his actual voice, I remember of being it none of like it!

It's funny how I'm already forming an imaginary vocal image of you in my head, Shelly.

I'm also a year younger and I'm just wondering if you ever found the age factor to impede on your ability to make friends with your med school classmates? With so many people getting into med school after more than one attempt, or doing graduate studies first, many of your classmates may be that much older. Do you find they're at a different "phase" in their lives or do you get along with everyone just fine?

Thanks!

Darren: I don't think that I was often seen by my peers as the less mature one. It may be because I skipped my first of the two grades (senior kindergarten and grade 7) very early on, allowing me to fit in easily. In general, I can also easily be a very serious person when need be (as in O-Week), so I am able to tailor myself to fit the situation. When I'm just hanging out with my friends, I can definitely act immature sometimes, but I don't think that it affects how seriously my friends take me during school and work. (Maybe my friends can comment on this one!)

You are right that being taken seriously is an important thing. Being younger than your peers is something you can't change (literally), so I wouldn't try to 'grow out of it' and catch up to them. To solve the 'seriousness' issue, it's important to make note how you can project yourself differently in your personal vs. work life. For anyone, whether they are younger or not, making conscious efforts to notice and tailor their actions and demeanor can improve first impressions. So, examples of tried-and-true efforts that can be taken are cutting down on jokes and dressing more professionally. Hope that helps!

Great first post! Haha, I was wondering…being 2 years younger than those in your grade, were you always seen by friends as the less mature one? I personally am one year younger than those in my grade, and people sometimes don't take me as seriously …I'm trying to grow out of this.

BTW, what grades did you skip?