2013-2014 Panic Thread

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GOK<3 said:
I agree with you, but I'm just REALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLY frustrated not getting even "ONE" god darn interview! I can't help but feel defeated. Hopefully this phase will pass soon. I have already started working on my reapplication. I wish you all the luck my friend and thank you for writing to me :)
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I know, trust me I know. It's very hard.
 
SLM914 said:
Everyone I showed my PS too said it was very good.
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Hopefully this doesn't come across as my projecting onto you, but I put my first PS in dozens of hands, we edited it together and everyone said it was "good." My second PS as a reapplicant was hashed out with one person (found via SDN) who was brutally honest with me.

Apparently the first PS was "a little serial killer-ish;" I wrote about being in love with bodies as my reason for wanting to go into medicine (read: surgery). It was well written and interesting, which is why I guess no one told me that anything was wrong, but it does go to show that trying to find someone who will be completely honest with you AND is familiar with the system/expectations of the process can be pivotal in putting together a solid applicaiton. Get yourself a nit-picker who is never satisfied and slam the PS/experiences section, especially since it seems that nothing else is lacking with your app.
 
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I know I didn't pay enough attention to the descriptions for my experiences this past cycle. Definitely going to put more time into them if I have to reapply.
 
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just to give a hope to some ppl - last year, I got II on April 10th - 15th from some state school as OOS for me. I did not go, but just be aware that there is still a chance.
 
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Unbelievable first and only II coming up at the end march
 
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gobigorgohome22 said:
Hey everyone,

As this application season rolls to a stop, I had an interesting idea. Im not sure if this will work. I want this to be an opportunity to get all that gunk that's bubbling up inside of you out before you prepare for another cycle or help relive some of the stress you are feeling or to say those things that you would never say to someone in real life.

You're probably wondering, what the hell are you talking about??? Where there times during this application cycle where you were hurt by the actions of that one person? Maybe they said you wouldnt make it. Maybe they didnt fully support you on your dream. Maybe they didnt believe in you. Maybe they kept pestering you about one thing or another making the cycle harder than necessary? This is a chance to write them a few lines letting them know that you were hurt by their actions or that they made this process even harder for you. If you are like me, you probably didnt say anything to them in real life. This is a chance to get it off your chest!

I think a far greater number of us will fall into the other side of the spectrum. Do you honestly think that you got to this stage all by yourself? Who helped you get here? Who helped you get through this ruthless application cycle without braking down (or picked you back up when you did brake down?)? Maybe it was as small as giving you a flower for valentines day. Or maybe they cared enough to ask how you were doing. Or maybe they brought you that late night coffee while you were struggling to study for a test but your mind was on how bad this cycle was going. Or maybe it was something big, like helping you pay for applications or lending you some money when your car broke down. This is your chance to let them know that you noticed their generosity and are thankful for all the support. Who knows, it may earn you some good karma (maybe enough to get an interview or get off those stinking waitlists).

I realize that most people probably wont do this. Even if you dont write anything and post it, I hope you take the time to think about what you would say. This is more for myself that anyone else.

Well, Ill go ahead and write a little. I think im going to write to my parents. I owe them everything. I wouldn't have made it this far without their support.

-------
Dear Mom and Dad

Thank you!! What else is there to say.... I am so lucky to have parents like yourselves. Even when we had nothing, you made sure that I never wanted anything. You realized the importance of a good education. You made sure that I had access to the best schools possible. Even if it meant you had to drive over an hr to get to work. Even if it meant you had to take the bus. Im sitting here writing this having made it through this hellish process only because of you. Even when you were out of work, you paid for me to be able to apply to as many schools as I wanted to. You paid for me to be able to travel to every interview I was offered (5!). I have been fortunate enough to have gotten so many interviews because of your help. Im sitting here with 5 MD waitlist offers and an acceptance to our top choice DO school. Five years ago when we set out on this journey, we couldn't have expected all the hills we have had to climb or the hoops we have had to jump through. BUT we made it! I know we are struggling financially. I know you have been out of work for about a year. Thank you for never letting me know how bad it is. Thank you for telling me to focus on school rather than work. Thank you for never "burdening" me with it. But now, you dont have to worry about me. I'm going to be a doctor. I know this was your dream as much (if not more) as mine. We made it. We are in a bad place financially but we'll make it through it. We always have. I believe in you as much as you believe in me. Thank you, for everything!! What more is there to say....
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Serious feels after reading this...I wouldn't have made it to med school without my parents. Period. Thanks for the reminder that we should be just as forthcoming with positive emotion as we are ready to shed the negative.
 
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gumdrops said:
Serious feels after reading this...I wouldn't have made it to med school without my parents. Period. Thanks for the reminder that we should be just as forthcoming with positive emotion as we are ready to shed the negative.
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Thank you, Just hope I can be half the parent to my kids that they were to me.
 
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And now the places to hear back from dwindles to three...

I have a feeling I'm going to hear back this week, but apparently it's just my stomach being hungry. No news, all day err day.
 
"And now the places to hear back from dwindles to three...

I have a feeling I'm going to hear back this week, but apparently it's just my stomach being hungry. No news, all day err day."


Post Interview or pre?
 
only two IIs and they're both late march. (complete in early oct). Do I have a good chance at getting in this cycle or should I be panicking and applying to masters programs as another option... or keep up my grades bc i'm likely to end up on waitlists?

this process is so nerve-racking. hang in there guys
 
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eWaffles said:
only two IIs and they're both late march. (complete in early oct). Do I have a good chance at getting in this cycle or should I be panicking and applying to masters programs as another option... or keep up my grades bc i'm likely to end up on waitlists?

this process is so nerve-racking. hang in there guys
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Well, definitely keep up your grades! If you decide to reapply it's important that you maintain your GPA.
 
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Do you guys think it matters if we email our update letters as word docs or pdfs?
 
T3ckFr3s said:
Do you guys think it matters if we email our update letters as word docs or pdfs?
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ive always done pdfs; just looks more professional.

also its really helpful if you find the email of the admissions director and email him/her while ccing the rest of the team. hope that helps!
 
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eWaffles said:
ive always done pdfs; just looks more professional.

also its really helpful if you find the email of the admissions director and email him/her while ccing the rest of the team. hope that helps!
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Also PDFs rule out the chance of weird formatting issues whereas Word documents can get wonky.
 
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Why am I still waiting on half the schools I applied to, including my top choice? :bored:
 
Also, random but I've decided that waiting for decisions is like dating. You work really hard to exercise, work out, eat right, dress right, and put on the right makeup for 4 years to be attractive to the person you are looking for - someone with the best pedigree, smile, personality, humor. Hey, someone rich would be nice too. After four years of readying yourself, you finally find him. He's your dream come true. You find the courage to put yourself out there and since you're a modern woman, you ask him out. And he says sure, I'll go out on a date with you. And you spend tons of money to get ready for the date, buying the nicest sexiest dress you find and maybe getting your teeth whitened, whatever so you can flash him your pearly whites. You know. No expenses spared for "the one." But then, after asking him out, silence. Maybe he blows you off and doesn't even show up to the date. Or maybe you've had one date...and then nothing. What the heck? You're confused.

Oh wait, turns out, he can't decide. He's swamped with other beautiful girls who are richer than you, prettier than you, and smarter than you. He even has a Kennedy in there! Maybe a cousin of Oprah. So he's like, "I like you but I don't know if like you enough for something really committed, you know? I don't know if I want to marry you right now...or ever..." and he's telling you to wait until he sorts it out. You know he's sort of talking to other girls on the side. And he just doesn't respond to your texts or phone calls anymore. And it's terribly sad, because he looks good in his fancy MD jacket and you know you could be perfect together. And frankly, it's not like the other guys are really treating you any better - they're all super indecisive and responding days after you text them too, if that. So much for a rebound.

So you're just desperately and sadly waiting by your phone...hoping to hear something good from him. Because as sad as it is, you know if he decides that you're not worth it, you're going to cry and end up settling for someone you don't want for a year, even though you know you could do so much better. And then after a year of regrouping, maybe you'll find someone as awesome as him. But then again, you'll have to spend all that money again looking good, and all that money you spent earlier in the year getting your hair/makeup done will have been for naught.

Rant over.

PS. Yes, inspired by Taylor Swift.
 
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hopefloatsss said:
Also, random but I've decided that waiting for decisions is like dating. You work really hard to exercise, work out, eat right, dress right, and put on the right makeup for 4 years to be attractive to the person you are looking for - someone with the best pedigree, smile, personality, humor. Hey, someone rich would be nice too. After four years of readying yourself, you finally find him. He's your dream come true. You find the courage to put yourself out there and since you're a modern woman, you ask him out. And he says sure, I'll go out on a date with you. And you spend tons of money to get ready for the date, buying the nicest sexiest dress you find and maybe getting your teeth whitened, whatever so you can flash him your pearly whites. You know. No expenses spared for "the one." But then, after asking him out, silence. Maybe he blows you off and doesn't even show up to the date. Or maybe you've had one date...and then nothing. What the heck? You're confused.

Oh wait, turns out, he can't decide. He's swamped with other beautiful girls who are richer than you, prettier than you, and smarter than you. He even has a Kennedy in there! Maybe a cousin of Oprah. So he's like, "I like you but I don't know if like you enough for something really committed, you know? I don't know if I want to marry you right now...or ever..." and he's telling you to wait until he sorts it out. You know he's sort of talking to other girls on the side. And he just doesn't respond to your texts or phone calls anymore. And it's terribly sad, because he looks good in his fancy MD jacket and you know you could be perfect together. And frankly, it's not like the other guys are really treating you any better - they're all super indecisive and responding days after you text them too, if that. So much for a rebound.

So you're just desperately and sadly waiting by your phone...hoping to hear something good from him. Because as sad as it is, you know if he decides that you're not worth it, you're going to cry and end up settling for someone you don't want for a year, even though you know you could do so much better. And then after a year of regrouping, maybe you'll find someone as awesome as him. But then again, you'll have to spend all that money again looking good, and all that money you spent earlier in the year getting your hair/makeup done will have been for naught.

Rant over.
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Haha. By chance, are you also a fan of T swift? :D
 
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nambajuice said:
Haha. By chance, are you also a fan of T swift? :D
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How did you know? Haha besides my over dramatization over this process? Obviously I've been listening to "You Belong with Me" on infinite repeat.
 
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hopefloatsss said:
Also, random but I've decided that waiting for decisions is like dating. You work really hard to exercise, work out, eat right, dress right, and put on the right makeup for 4 years to be attractive to the person you are looking for - someone with the best pedigree, smile, personality, humor. Hey, someone rich would be nice too. After four years of readying yourself, you finally find him. He's your dream come true. You find the courage to put yourself out there and since you're a modern woman, you ask him out. And he says sure, I'll go out on a date with you. And you spend tons of money to get ready for the date, buying the nicest sexiest dress you find and maybe getting your teeth whitened, whatever so you can flash him your pearly whites. You know. No expenses spared for "the one." But then, after asking him out, silence. Maybe he blows you off and doesn't even show up to the date. Or maybe you've had one date...and then nothing. What the heck? You're confused.

Oh wait, turns out, he can't decide. He's swamped with other beautiful girls who are richer than you, prettier than you, and smarter than you. He even has a Kennedy in there! Maybe a cousin of Oprah. So he's like, "I like you but I don't know if like you enough for something really committed, you know? I don't know if I want to marry you right now...or ever..." and he's telling you to wait until he sorts it out. You know he's sort of talking to other girls on the side. And he just doesn't respond to your texts or phone calls anymore. And it's terribly sad, because he looks good in his fancy MD jacket and you know you could be perfect together. And frankly, it's not like the other guys are really treating you any better - they're all super indecisive and responding days after you text them too, if that. So much for a rebound.

So you're just desperately and sadly waiting by your phone...hoping to hear something good from him. Because as sad as it is, you know if he decides that you're not worth it, you're going to cry and end up settling for someone you don't want for a year, even though you know you could do so much better. And then after a year of regrouping, maybe you'll find someone as awesome as him. But then again, you'll have to spend all that money again looking good, and all that money you spent earlier in the year getting your hair/makeup done will have been for naught.

Rant over.

PS. Yes, inspired by Taylor Swift.
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Plus, this guy is kind of a doosh in that he seems to prefer girls who already are sleeping with multiple guys. something about their apparent desirability seems to pique his competitive edge. you are a nice, single girl, but this guy doesn't want that. he wants the hot, unavailable girls, even though he probably won't get lucky with most of them.
 
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You people love Taylor Swift too?! :love:
 
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I guess I am the only one here who can't stand Taylor Swift. Maybe the adcoms sensed that and didn't send me an invite yet :p lol
 
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hopefloatsss said:
Also, random but I've decided that waiting for decisions is like dating. You work really hard to exercise, work out, eat right, dress right, and put on the right makeup for 4 years to be attractive to the person you are looking for - someone with the best pedigree, smile, personality, humor. Hey, someone rich would be nice too. After four years of readying yourself, you finally find him. He's your dream come true. You find the courage to put yourself out there and since you're a modern woman, you ask him out. And he says sure, I'll go out on a date with you. And you spend tons of money to get ready for the date, buying the nicest sexiest dress you find and maybe getting your teeth whitened, whatever so you can flash him your pearly whites. You know. No expenses spared for "the one." But then, after asking him out, silence. Maybe he blows you off and doesn't even show up to the date. Or maybe you've had one date...and then nothing. What the heck? You're confused.

Oh wait, turns out, he can't decide. He's swamped with other beautiful girls who are richer than you, prettier than you, and smarter than you. He even has a Kennedy in there! Maybe a cousin of Oprah. So he's like, "I like you but I don't know if like you enough for something really committed, you know? I don't know if I want to marry you right now...or ever..." and he's telling you to wait until he sorts it out. You know he's sort of talking to other girls on the side. And he just doesn't respond to your texts or phone calls anymore. And it's terribly sad, because he looks good in his fancy MD jacket and you know you could be perfect together. And frankly, it's not like the other guys are really treating you any better - they're all super indecisive and responding days after you text them too, if that. So much for a rebound.

So you're just desperately and sadly waiting by your phone...hoping to hear something good from him. Because as sad as it is, you know if he decides that you're not worth it, you're going to cry and end up settling for someone you don't want for a year, even though you know you could do so much better. And then after a year of regrouping, maybe you'll find someone as awesome as him. But then again, you'll have to spend all that money again looking good, and all that money you spent earlier in the year getting your hair/makeup done will have been for naught.

Rant over.

PS. Yes, inspired by Taylor Swift.
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Haha love this! It's a pretty accurate comparison. <3 Taylor Swift also
 
Just got another II today for late March. I can't believe it, I have to make this one count!!!

I am 95% sure that I got an interview because of a brief update letter I sent yesterday. THEY REALLY WORK!
 
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T3ckFr3s said:
Just got another II today for late March. I can't believe it, I have to make this one count!!!

I am 95% sure that I got an interview because of a brief update letter I sent yesterday. THEY REALLY WORK!
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Wow! Congrats. This seriously gives me hope. But this late in the cycle, I'm wondering what really can I update my few remaining schools on? What was the gist of your letter? I sent in an update letter mid-January with my Fall grades and Winter Break volunteering etc.
 
T3ckFr3s said:
Just got another II today for late March. I can't believe it, I have to make this one count!!!

I am 95% sure that I got an interview because of a brief update letter I sent yesterday. THEY REALLY WORK!
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Same here! I'm pretty sure 3/5 school's I interviewed/will be interviewing at wouldn't have sent me invites without me updating them.
 
That awkward feel when your friend has yet to get in anywhere and is desperately awaiting an interview from his last school, but because you browse sdn you know the last interview date has come and gone.
 
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Member 552728 said:
Wow! Congrats. This seriously gives me hope. But this late in the cycle, I'm wondering what really can I update my few remaining schools on? What was the gist of your letter? I sent in an update letter mid-January with my Fall grades and Winter Break volunteering etc.
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I had no correspondence with this school for 7 months after I submitted my secondary. On a whim, I decided to send an update to this school because I realized its mission fell in-line with my AmeriCorps service and that I was helping folks that were from the school's area. There's still hope out there, good luck!
 
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T3ckFr3s said:
I had no correspondence with this school for 7 months after I submitted my secondary. On a whim, I decided to send an update to this school because I realized its mission fell in-line with my AmeriCorps service and that I was helping folks that were from the school's area. There's still hope out there, good luck!
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congrats!!!!!!
 
T3ckFr3s said:
Just got another II today for late March. I can't believe it, I have to make this one count!!!

I am 95% sure that I got an interview because of a brief update letter I sent yesterday. THEY REALLY WORK!
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:soexcited: Congrats! Make it count!
 
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Waitlisted at my top two schools, waiting to back from one school post-interview and have one last interview end of March - beginning to freak out a little, though! D:
 
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Congrats, was it from a waitlist or the pending?
 
Wait listed at 5 schools now.. Officially panicking :inpain:
 
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GOK<3 said:
6 II with 29/3.61/3.59 is pretty good! I have a 29/3.9+ with no interviews :(.. you're in a much better boat. I'm pretty sure you will get in from one of your waitlists :)
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Thanks friend. Good reality check. :)
Good luck to you! I think there's still a chance for you to get IIs. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
 
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nambajuice said:
Thanks friend. Good reality check. :)
Good luck to you! I think there's still a chance for you to get IIs. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
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Thank you I hope so! I hope you get in my friend.. I can understand how frustrating it must be.. Good luck!
 
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GOK<3 said:
Thank you I hope so! I hope you get in my friend.. I can understand how frustrating it must be.. Good luck!
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Thank you, I hope so too! Let's try to stay positive… it's not over till it's over! :thumbup:
 
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I would just like to take a min to thank you all who post on this thread for all the support and encouragement being given out. SDN is not always the most positive place for a premed but this thread has always been positive. You guys have definitely helped me and im sure a lot of other people out there. Good luck to everyone!
 
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I finally get to experience the angst of the post-interview wait.... grateful to be in the position of having interviewed somewhere, but WOW waiting to hear back is hard!! :nailbiting:
 
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fingerscrossed92 said:
I finally get to experience the angst of the post-interview wait.... grateful to be in the position of having interviewed somewhere, but WOW waiting to hear back is hard!! :nailbiting:
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I have an interview tomorrow so I'll be right there with you after 5pm. Support group? Lol
 
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Anyone else seeing on fb posts about residency? My friends from college who graduated with me or before me are all posting about successfully matching and I've had to hide like all of them because medicine is such a sensitive topic right now...haha.

Day million and still no good news...
 
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nexusofavalon said:
I deactivated my facebook at the start of the cycle so I didn't have to deal with all the med school related Facebook posts. Then I told everyone except my close friends I was taking another year off. My close friends don't realize how much I appreciate them for never bringing up med school unless I ask them for advice.
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Totally know those feels. I reflect on this whole process and now categorize friends as those who had the tact not to ask and made me feel like a worthy human being in spite of medical school applications...and those who didn't, lol. If it makes you feel any better, some people have been even less gracious post-acceptance than they were when they saw me struggling.
 
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