Anyone else been on a long as heck journey

[World_Changer]

Hey guys, I have been on the road towards preparing to apply to med school for the past five years. At this point, I am tired as heck and am getting discouraged....If it weren't for my fiance and my mother, I dont know what the heck id do. I am now 27, and I just get so depressed when I see other people graduating from med school who graduated from undergrad after me, or at the same time. Don't get me wrong, Im happy for them, but it just reminds me of my current situation..anyone else been on a long journey towards becoming a doctor?

Hey Dominique, I feel you and your concerns; but not to worry...just focus on what you want and do not dare give up. If you want something deeply enough, you'll strive and accomplish it no matter how long it takes. Everyone has a different path you see, yours is such that you will appreciate the end result, perhaps, more than anyone else. Stay strong

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[DrMidlife]

If a DO school actually admitted that they denied you admission because you're transgender, I'd damn near quit med school and go to law school to take your case.

But I don't buy it. What's more likely is the usual thing we see around here: rejected nontrads just love to decide they were discriminated against because of age/religion/orientation/etc because that's a lot easier, but the real reason is low stats or personality or just bad luck.

If you've chosen to bank your med school candidacy on being out as transgender, that's ballsy as hell, but imho not a good battle to choose. Regardless, I hope you get in.

Best of luck to you.

 

[familyaerospace]

You did not get into DO school because you are transgendered?
That sounds like discrimination and I sincerely doubt that a DO school would say something like that? It sounds really illegal. Although a lot of people cannot relate to gender identity issues, the fact is, there is a niche for every kind of doctor. I just don't think every school would be that close-minded. That said, if you are say, M-to-F and you were still 'in-between' in your transformation (pardon me for not knowing the proper terms) it could look unprofessional. So in that case, being transgendered could be a barrier to admission but it's really to do with presentation.That is easy to fix with some help. I'm not saying that is your situation; just trying to make sense of your experience. I would think a transgendered student would be a really progressive addition to a class. Alas, I'm nowhere near being an adcom. Wishing you luck on the next cycle!

I pass as the appropriate gender as I am post-transition or as post transition as I am going to get. I did not have bottom surgery as that would cost 150K not including the 40K hysterectomy. This means my passport, social security, drivers license all have different sex markers due to different requirements to change each.

It is actually not illegal at all to discriminate against transgendered people in most of the US. There is a reason we have the highest non-employment rate at over 30%.

Further, unless something has changed, AACOMAS does not include gender identity in their non-discrimination policy. AAMCAS does though.

 

[familyaerospace]

If a DO school actually admitted that they denied you admission because you're transgender, I'd damn near quit med school and go to law school to take your case.

But I don't buy it. What's more likely is the usual thing we see around here: rejected nontrads just love to decide they were discriminated against because of age/religion/orientation/etc because that's a lot easier, but the real reason is low stats or personality or just bad luck.

Buy it or not, I don't care. They said at the interview that the class was required to be balanced (male/female) because of OMM. In order to accept me, they would have to accept an mtf who was at the same stage.

It's reasons like this that I was given the legal advice of starting to record my interviews.

I was also given that advice by an adcom member because I seem to just bring out the bigots. And I mean I really bring them out, it's like my aura or something. I can have a normal conversation with someone and someone else they've known for years as being mild-mannered will come up and start saying stupid things. I rarely respond because I've heard almost everything before. Then the other person apologies for their friend.

 

[jl lin]

Excuse me? This cycle I applied to 16 schools including international, my FAP only paid for 15 schools. I was rejected internationally. I applied to every lower range school there was including OOS where they took people outside of their state. I applied to a few top schools but many were not. I used the old school selector spreadsheet that was floating around here years ago to make many of my selections. That and if I knew adcomms at the school or they considered me with strong ties to the school or the state (like I have ties to U of M so since their deadline was late, I did it.)

I applied DO two cycles ago and I did NOT get in with the same stats! At least they admitted it was because I am transgendered and they claimed to need a balanced class.

Oh and one of the schools I am waitlisted on has a MCAT average of 28.

So, what do you think the issue is? Seems like you should have been in already. ???

 

[familyaerospace]

So, what do you think the issue is? Seems like you should have been in already. ???

I'll be damned if I know. I was told by several people I have a horrible run of bad luck when it comes to this. Even a dean said for some people it is just bad luck.

My partner's family is Romani, so the possibility of a "gypsy curse" has legitimately crossed my mind.

Every time someone points out a deficiency, I work like a crazy person to fix it. I've retaken classes, I've retaken the MCAT, I've redefined committed to long term ECs, I've done more mock interviews than I really want to admit to. Originally interviews were the weakest area by far but that has not been true for a while.

I was told by one interviewer that I did not travel enough, I have been to 46 states (plus DC) and three other countries so I don't know where else I should travel since I don't exactly have a lot of funds to travel. I do have a dream to go to Antarctica though but I want to hit all my states first. Next year, I was told I will likely collect either Hawaii or Alaska.

 

[mommy2three]

Spoken like an honest crazy person.










j/k.

ehh i have been called much worse

 

[LostInPreMed]

Hey guys, I have been on the road towards preparing to apply to med school for the past five years. At this point, I am tired as heck and am getting discouraged....If it weren't for my fiance and my mother, I dont know what the heck id do. I am now 27, and I just get so depressed when I see other people graduating from med school who graduated from undergrad after me, or at the same time. Don't get me wrong, Im happy for them, but it just reminds me of my current situation..anyone else been on a long journey towards becoming a doctor?

Today I submitted my DO application and I plan on doing the MD app when it opens on the 3rd. I first started this journey when I started my undergrad in 2001...it's 2014, so I've been walking this long lonely road for 13 years! The one thing that I can say without any trepidation is that WHEN I graduate medical school, I owe it all to this journey! I couldn't have become the doctor that I have, without the steps I've walked.

 

[Major]

Lots of great advice and insight in this thread!


This is why the Non-Trad forum is the best on SDN

 

[katiemaude]

Am I twisted that I am fully prepared to hate life in two years?

I'm going to be an M1 in August. I'm 36, and it took five years to get here counting from when I took my first prereq. I did two years of full-time post bacc, volunteering, shadowing ... the whole nine... plus MCAT studying and taking the actual MCAT. Then followed a year of working around the clock, more shadowing and volunteering, trying to earn money for an app season while keeping myself relevant and recovering from exhaustion. Fourth year became an ultimately unsuccessful app year (applied too late and got wait-listed at two MD schools). Fifth was a successful, IMHO, app year. I'm going to a DO school and very excited about it.

I started wanting to be a PA, changing my mind about midway through the second year. I kept weighing my doubts all the way up until the fifth year of this process. When I found myself EAGER to reapply despite the heartbreak of not getting in the first time and willing to shell out another few grand for applications, I knew for sure I wanted this. When I found myself in a solid, happy relationship for the first time in my 30s and I STILL wanted it (i.e. was not swayed by the allure of family-babies-security-homelife over medicine) I knew I was rock solid in my opinions. He is moving with me and we are going to see what med school does to us.

 

[Perseverance7779311]

Hey Dominique, I feel you and your concerns; but not to worry...just focus on what you want and do not dare give up. If you want something deeply enough, you'll strive and accomplish it no matter how long it takes. Everyone has a different path you see, yours is such that you will appreciate the end result, perhaps, more than anyone else. Stay strong

@World_Changer, thanks for the encouragement!!

 

[jl lin]

I'll be damned if I know. I was told by several people I have a horrible run of bad luck when it comes to this. Even a dean said for some people it is just bad luck.

My partner's family is Romani, so the possibility of a "gypsy curse" has legitimately crossed my mind.

Every time someone points out a deficiency, I work like a crazy person to fix it. I've retaken classes, I've retaken the MCAT, I've redefined committed to long term ECs, I've done more mock interviews than I really want to admit to. Originally interviews were the weakest area by far but that has not been true for a while.

I was told by one interviewer that I did not travel enough, I have been to 46 states (plus DC) and three other countries so I don't know where else I should travel since I don't exactly have a lot of funds to travel. I do have a dream to go to Antarctica though but I want to hit all my states first. Next year, I was told I will likely collect either Hawaii or Alaska.

Wow. I am confused. You seemed to have been working your butt off. *scratching head*

 

[familyaerospace]

Wow. I am confused. You seemed to have been working your butt off. *scratching head*

Gypsy curse.

 

[Nasrudin]

Gypsy curse.

I guess I'm in the minority view here but I think you are most certainly getting discriminated against. Or at least I don't have a hard time buying it at all. You're a mixed race transgender individual applying to largely Bible Belt schools.

Apply more broadly to more schools.

Otherwise I don't what to say. Except I'm surprised that people here can't see the high likelihood of discrimination. Maybe it's personality, but I know plenty of less than charming people in medical school and your credentials are tight so...I'm left to conclude you're at high risk for being denied this profession based on who you are.

Good luck.

 

[DrMidlife]

Agree w/Nas. I'd donate money to the @familyaerospace cause and help with app review & school selection. SDN-kickstarter.

 

[jl lin]

Well then it just goes to show that discrimination, legal or not, continues on. Sort of discouraging. Maybe do what Nas suggests and apply to other areas--but I thought you had already made the point that you applied broadly and even internationally.

 

[Member311455]

this thread make me think about all the students waiting on immigration reform to pass so they can achieve their dream of being a doctor? now that is a long journey!

 

[familyaerospace]

I guess I'm in the minority view here but I think you are most certainly getting discriminated against. Or at least I don't have a hard time buying it at all. You're a mixed race transgender individual applying to largely Bible Belt schools.

Apply more broadly to more schools.

Otherwise I don't what to say. Except I'm surprised that people here can't see the high likelihood of discrimination. Maybe it's personality, but I know plenty of less than charming people in medical school and your credentials are tight so...I'm left to conclude you're at high risk for being denied this profession based on who you are.

Good luck.

Thank you.

I applied to five schools in the north as well which is what Catalystik privately advised me to do because of the discrimination factor (one or two of which I had ties to because of my partner). Year before included a few New York schools, although those were a little out of reach. Very first year I only applied to MD schools that had gender identity in the non-discrimination statement or had a history of transgendered students.

Ironically it was only the Bible Belt schools (plus Michigan State) where I was interviewed. I don't really understand it. Why interview someone who you *know* you are not going to accept? Now MSU did not have a problem with me being LGBT but I was just not comfortable in Michigan. I've never been in a state where I felt more uncomfortable as a Jew.

I will tell you though realistically I am at least able to laugh about it. When I was going to MSU, I went to Hell, Michigan where it was literally frozen over (2 foot of snow). I took a photo and a video. On the video, I said something like "People say it will be a cold day in Hell before I get into medical school, so by that logic, I have to get into medical school soon!" or something like that.

My partner suggested he can afford for me to apply to a few schools since I am no longer qualified for FAP. Like two schools right now. So I am reworking everything, I am about halfway done so while I will not be submitting this week probably, I will submit next week if my mentor ever gets back to me. I need him to confirm he will rewrite a letter for me. I am literally going line by line over this application. I am replacing one of my more unusual ECs that I am known for with a more normal one although if that is the factor, I will just eat my hat. One of my friends who I met through SDN suggested I should put "applying to medical school" as a hobby for the hobby section of AMCAS.

My MCAT is about to expire, pondering whether or not to register for late this year or just say screw it and try for early 2016. They don't take my credit card (Discover) so I have to wait for a few amazon deposits to hit my bank account so I can use the MC debit card without fear of it being declined. Right now I have JUST enough to register for the MCAT and only the MCAT, but a few withdraws might be pending. I would use my partner's card, but he has to make sure he maintains some money in the account in case I do get in and have to make a fast deposit and move in a hurry. Bless him for it.

@DrMidlife you would not be the first to offer so if anyone does want to help they can. I give out my paypal address, just not publically.

Late last year, I was given about $250 to help with travel expenses through gofundme.com. It helped. People were basically selling blood and such to get me to interviews. I actually slept in my car for two nights when I was going to MSU's interview. Had one hotel, one car, then a student, then car.

 

[jl lin]

Familyaerospace, I just want to say that I sorry that you are hitting so many walls. Here's hoping your destiny will find you soon. You have worked very hard, and that's a huge part of being a physician.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

Agree w/Nas. I'd donate money to the @familyaerospace cause and help with app review & school selection. SDN-kickstarter.

I'm in for this. Can't help much with app/school selection, did ED.

 

[DrMidlife]

I say this gingerly and with an abundance of humility: I'd really want proof/moderator verification of some kind before I donated to a fund. Otherwise, count me in.

Working on it.

 

[familyaerospace]

I say this gingerly and with an abundance of humility: I'd really want proof/moderator verification of some kind before I donated to a fund. Otherwise, count me in.

I was originally joking when I commented. I do not actually expect a dime.

Everyone who has donated to me in the past has known me personally and I rarely ask, it was just given to me. SBB2016 surprised the hell out of me a few years ago and sent me a $50 amazon gift card. I actually tried to give it back to her. She guilted me into keeping it, so I used it to buy gifts for my family since the holidays were coming up. Last year I jokingly said on Facebook that if anyone wanted to donate to one of my trips (I was really high on painkillers at the time), I would take it. Ended up with over $600 which paid for most of the plane ticket. $400 from my rabbis and about $250 from my friends. I nearly passed out from the kindness... or maybe it was the pain killers. Hard to tell really.

@DrMidlife was sent last year's AMCAS application a few days ago. So she has more information than literally any person on SDN with the exception of SBB2016. She has seen my linkedin, knows my current name, my previous names (which I do not ever give out as I hate HATE my married name), was given my web CV with links to almost all of my publications in pdf format, has both my personal and professional email addresses, my real address, my partner's address, etc. In theory knows where I go to synagogue (a letter came from my rabbi), can verify all or almost all of my activities. I think both parents are on my application. I think the only things she doesn't know are my kids names, my social security number, drivers license, and passport number. She has the phone number of one of my four doctors (I shadowed my surgeon), she could probably figure out two more of my doctors in a few minute search on google since there are not a ton of LGBT doctors in Atlanta. I think the only one she might have a hard time figuring out is my neurologist who likes to stay in the shadows but I will tell her who that is if she wants.

I know I have to be careful about fundraising as I was nominated to be a moderator a week or two ago by one of the SDN advisers. Not sure if I will be given it but it is still something I have to be very careful of so I am leaving everything to DrMidLife.

As I have been saying, I am waiting on round 3, applying for round 4 (limited application as my partner is allowing me to spend $500 on applications this year so I am probably only applying to two or three schools), and really preparing for round 5.

 

[familyaerospace]

That line should read (don't know why it is not letting me edit it).

"$400 from my rabbis for one trip (plane ticket) and about $250 from my friends for another trip (mostly car, food, etc) plus there remained some for the other trip."

My interviews had to be by car. My rabbis paid for another trip when I was having to fly out but it was an area that I wanted to check out the medical school anyway.

 

[kjw1024]

Count me in-- I don't have much, but I'll offer what I can! I really hope for your success familyaerospace .

 

[DrMidlife]

don't forget you also didn't give me the movie rights. smart man.

other folks, i'm taking step 1 in about 10 days so look for updates after that. a legit kickstarter looks like the way to go. PM me if you have input.

 

[familyaerospace]

Count me in-- I don't have much, but I'll offer what I can! I really hope for your success familyaerospace .

Thank you, I accept prayers or moral support in lieu of money especially since my partner says this is getting ridiculous.

One of my rabbis I am actually considering putting him on a restricted filter on Facebook so I don't have to hear him harassing me about applying to medical school. My other rabbi will sing my praises to medical schools just so I don't become a colleague of his.

He (my partner) actually told me last year was my last round and that Plan B had to happen instead.

Then he learned that Plan B cannot happen unless he converts to Judaism which is going to happen sometime after the sun envelopes the Earth.

So now he gets to think really hard over if it is better that I apply to medical school and become a physician OR he becomes a Jew and I go to rabbinical school.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

Disclaimer: I have no real lens to fully understand what I'm looking at here (the entirety of your situation), but it seems that you need money. I've needed money before, I can understand that.

Sounds like first, we need to raise funds to widen the net you cast this year. How many schools would you like to apply to and how much do you need to make that happen?

Edit: Sorry, I retyped this about 17 times.

 

[familyaerospace]

Disclaimer: I have no real lens to fully understand what I'm looking at here, but it seems you need money. I've needed money before, I can understand that.

How much do you need to make this happen?

Realistically who knows. I am currently worrying about round 4 which I can afford a limited round on that. I would do anything to not have to deal with round 5.

I know if I need round 5, I am going to need to do an MCAT prep, retake the test, then the application fees. DrMidLife was suggesting a consultant which probably can't hurt. I'm sure my partner will cover most interview travel costs if needed. He is a former truck driver so hitching a ride with a former coworker might not be impossible or I might be able to hitch a ride with some of my rennie coworkers. Or I can do it myself. I have no problems doing cross-country road trips or sleeping in my car to save money. That is what I did for MSU. I actually liked the solitude. The only real cost was a petsitter and gasoline.

For the record, my first three applications were on FAP which I am no longer qualified for. There is always the possibility I will be qualified for it by round 5, but it's hard to know. My partner was actually unemployed for a few years so we have some serious bills to deal with like back child support for some of the kids and huge hospital bills for me after the assault. How our financials are going to look early next year really depends and we will have a better idea for part of it in August when he finds a new place to live and the other part in November when I find out what my loan repayments are going to look like.

If I end up being offered a movie deal, I will help pay off your medical school loans @DrMidlife . I tell you though, you should go for the quadriplegic transsexual M1. His story is better than mine.

 

[familyaerospace]

Disclaimer: I have no real lens to fully understand what I'm looking at here (the entirety of your situation), but it seems that you need money. I've needed money before, I can understand that.

Sounds like first, we need to raise funds to widen the net you cast this year. How many schools would you like to apply to and how much do you need to make that happen?

Edit: Sorry, I retyped this about 17 times.

It's ok.

What is sad is that I am applying to the top two schools I want to attend this year. They have both interviewed me twice in the past and I am sitting on both schools waitlists. There are two more I would not mind attending, but one my MCAT is too low for and the other I sat there while my interviewer badmouthed Jews for 45 minutes. I wish I had my interview recorded which is what I would do again. All of those are in Georgia.

Last year's 16 made me happy but I want to do a complete reassessment for round 5 once I have a better grasp of what I am going to get on the new MCAT. Some of them I realized I am not a good fit for so they are going to leave the list. I've realized there are some things I am going to want in the neighbourhood, which is a little selfish of me, and I want to add Sackler as an international medical school. I wanted to do that this year but my MCAT was too old. School by school analysis is something I am likely going to do this fall. I have a few major projects that have to be done before I worry about it though. Those should be mostly over by August.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

It's ok.

What is sad is that I am applying to the top two schools I want to attend this year. They have both interviewed me twice in the past and I am sitting on both schools waitlists. There are two more I would not mind attending, but one my MCAT is too low for and the other I sat there while my interviewer badmouthed Jews for 45 minutes. I wish I had my interview recorded which is what I would do again. All of those are in Georgia.

Last year's 16 made me happy but I want to do a complete reassessment for round 5 once I have a better grasp of what I am going to get on the new MCAT. Some of them I realized I am not a good fit for so they are going to leave the list. I've realized there are some things I am going to want in the neighbourhood, which is a little selfish of me, and I want to add Sackler as an international medical school. I wanted to do that this year but my MCAT was too old. School by school analysis is something I am likely going to do this fall. I have a few major projects that have to be done before I worry about it though. Those should be mostly over by August.

Ha, I'm gonna take a guess at what school your MCAT is too low for, Emory can shove it anyways.

There are people who got accepted to my class this year (State school not too far from you) who were interviewed for their 3rd time.(at least 2, though I'd guess even more) Persistence can be more than annoying apparently, it can be a solid statement of determination that ends up being persuasive.

 

[familyaerospace]

I actually had a meeting with one of the deans and she said no problems in the application. I made my rabbi write my letters again, he is writing two. One was the same as last year and is going to MCG by name (he loves using school names).

The other is a little more general but is like "Hey do you see how connected FA is to Georgia, specifically Atlanta? OMG, don't let him leave the state to go to medical school the synagogue would collapse without him, *arms flail* " type of thing, (not in those exact words, it was actually very professional, I read it) but I kinda laughed because if he was in front of me reading the letter he would have improvised the reading by saying something like that.

 

[jl lin]

It's ok.
, but one my MCAT is too low for and the other I sat there while my interviewer badmouthed Jews for 45 minutes. All of those are in Georgia.
.

Um, I should hope there would be much less anti-Semitism, since so many Jews have been making the move to southern regions for some time now. I am sorry but such anti-Semitism should be reported---and that person has no place on an adcom==or any admin or leadership role for that matter. I mean this is embarrassing for the school in a huge way--it makes me sick--and wow, I honestly don't think I could have sat through that.

 

[Fedaykin]

Hey guys, I have been on the road towards preparing to apply to med school for the past five years. At this point, I am tired as heck and am getting discouraged....If it weren't for my fiance and my mother, I dont know what the heck id do. I am now 27, and I just get so depressed when I see other people graduating from med school who graduated from undergrad after me, or at the same time. Don't get me wrong, Im happy for them, but it just reminds me of my current situation..anyone else been on a long journey towards becoming a doctor?

I'm sick and about to go to bed, but I can expound more tomorrow. Just ask. I've been at this since 2009 and probably still have another 5ish years left.

In 2009 I was unemployed in a career I despised. Decided to try to go to medical school. Made a plan that went roughly: MS → PhD → MD or DO (considering both). As of now- just barely shy of 5 years past being laid off by- I'm in a PhD program I absolutely love and things are looking up for the MD or DO application. There's still a long way to go and it's certainly not a sure thing, far from it in fact. But when it gets disheartening about how long there is left I focus on just how far I've come. I seriously never really thought I'd make it this far until somehow I did. Just need to keep chugging away at things.

 

[Fedaykin]

Um, I should hope there would be much less anti-Semitism, since so many Jews have been making the move to southern regions for some time now.

That's actually what sometimes makes things flare up. If you hate Jews, the frequency with which you bring it up probably correlates to the frequency with which you encounter them.

 

[amberlynnp13]

Hey guys! I am in the same boat! I am 27. I haven't taken my mcats yet. I am so stressed about trying to get into medical school so late in my life.. I still have 4 more classes to take before I even take my mcats. I won't be ready for my mcats until next summer and ill be 28!!!! My reason is my life flipped upside down when I was 16 and had my first child :/ . I ended up getting a GED.. I felt like I would never do anything with my life. Then I met my husband at age 18. He pushed me to go to college. I was an LPN, then I went and became an RN then got my bachelors degree in science of nursing and realized I want to be a physician. I am smart enough and my grades are pretty good. I felt like being a physician has always been one of my dreams and now that I am close to applying I'm so nervous! I fear rejection! I also do not like that in 27 and trying to get in! I just wish I knew earlier in life this was what I truly want to do. Also school is so expensive how are you guys paying? Loans?

 

[desdes]

Hey guys! I am in the same boat! I am 27. I haven't taken my mcats yet. I am so stressed about trying to get into medical school so late in my life.. I still have 4 more classes to take before I even take my mcats. I won't be ready for my mcats until next summer and ill be 28!!!! My reason is my life flipped upside down when I was 16 and had my first child :/ . I ended up getting a GED.. I felt like I would never do anything with my life. Then I met my husband at age 18. He pushed me to go to college. I was an LPN, then I went and became an RN then got my bachelors degree in science of nursing and realized I want to be a physician. I am smart enough and my grades are pretty good. I felt like being a physician has always been one of my dreams and now that I am close to applying I'm so nervous! I fear rejection! I also do not like that in 27 and trying to get in! I just wish I knew earlier in life this was what I truly want to do. Also school is so expensive how are you guys paying? Loans?

I wish you the best I get stressed myself and I will be having to start paying loans from ug in a few months and my spouse will be retiring from military so I am hoping I get in this cycle or we will be having to move. I think alot of times I go through what I should have done different but I think it has made me stronger

 

[amberlynnp13]

Oh my...

I am not far from your age and sadly, you are NOT the first, or the second, or even the third person that has echoed this sentiment. I have talked to a few future docs (MS2's, MS3's), residents, PA's and freshly graduated physicians and the majority feel exactly like you do. They all tell me to do NP, since FM is my goal.

Here's a story relating to what you wrote: I met someone who now runs a feed store. He was a CEO of a hospital system here in Texas. I think his salary was $220k+. Now, he sells chicks, seed and bunnies and LOVES it. His sanity is back. Nice guy. He works with the FFA kids. He has peace.

Thank you for your heartfelt posting. Can't buy sanity. You've given me something to think about. Hope step 1 is easy for you.

I am actually 2 yrs away from being an NP but decided I want to go to med school because FM isn't for me.... :/

 

[amberlynnp13]

I wish you the best I get stressed myself and I will be having to start paying loans from ug in a few months and my spouse will be retiring from military so I am hoping I get in this cycle or we will be having to move. I think alot of times I go through what I should have done different but I think it has made me stronger

Loans are the worst!!!! So far I'm $60k in debt and I'm still taking classes and didn't even get into med school yet!!! So I know my loans will be crazy but I'm hoping to get some scholarships. I have been doing a ton of research on them to see what i need to do tk get various ones... so we will see

 

[amberlynnp13]

I wish you the best I get stressed myself and I will be having to start paying loans from ug in a few months and my spouse will be retiring from military so I am hoping I get in this cycle or we will be having to move. I think alot of times I go through what I should have done different but I think it has made me stronger

I wish you the best of luck !

 

[desdes]

I wish you the best of luck !

Thank you! I hope this cycle is great for us all

 

[familyaerospace]

Um, I should hope there would be much less anti-Semitism, since so many Jews have been making the move to southern regions for some time now. I am sorry but such anti-Semitism should be reported---and that person has no place on an adcom==or any admin or leadership role for that matter. I mean this is embarrassing for the school in a huge way--it makes me sick--and wow, I honestly don't think I could have sat through that.

It was reported both to the school itself and to the ADL. It did not help.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

I'm sick and about to go to bed, but I can expound more tomorrow. Just ask. I've been at this since 2009 and probably still have another 5ish years left.

In 2009 I was unemployed in a career I despised. Decided to try to go to medical school. Made a plan that went roughly: MS → PhD → MD or DO (considering both). As of now- just barely shy of 5 years past being laid off by- I'm in a PhD program I absolutely love and things are looking up for the MD or DO application. There's still a long way to go and it's certainly not a sure thing, far from it in fact. But when it gets disheartening about how long there is left I focus on just how far I've come. I seriously never really thought I'd make it this far until somehow I did. Just need to keep chugging away at things.

Why can't you just take the MCAT now and apply to Tulane's medical school? (assuming you've finished the Masters?)

 

[QofQuimica]

That's actually what sometimes makes things flare up. If you hate Jews, the frequency with which you bring it up probably correlates to the frequency with which you encounter them.

Agree. I has a discussion with a New Englander once about why there is "no racism" or "racial tensions" in rural New England compared to what we have in the rural South. I pointed out that the reason why he never experienced such sentiments growing up is because, outside of a few of the larger cities like Boston, nearly everyone in New England is white and Christian. No racial diversity means no "racial issues."

 

[el_duderino]

Agree. I has a discussion with a New Englander once about why there is "no racism" or "racial tensions" in rural New England compared to what we have in the rural South. I pointed out that the reason why he never experienced such sentiments growing up is because, outside of a few of the larger cities like Boston, nearly everyone in New England is white and Christian. No racial diversity means no "racial issues."

I've had to explain this many times since moving from New Orleans to upstate NY.

 

[WhippleWhileWeWork]

I've had to explain this many times since moving from New Orleans to upstate NY.

This. More people should spend time in the deep south to understand how such racial tensions come about and continue to propagate.

 

[Fedaykin]

Why can't you just take the MCAT now and apply to Tulane's medical school? (assuming you've finished the Masters?)

Couple reasons.

Preparation. Most my prerequisite grades are in the C range (at best) and I only have one semester of organic chemistry. Realistically, I'm in no way prepared for the relevant sections of the MCAT for either. I really need to take them again and not exaggerating. And the new sections of the MCAT on the 2015 revision are also way out of my wheelhouse. I would kill the verbal section on the MCAT, but I'd correspondingly get murdered by both physics and orgo. I would guess at this point in time my performance would be 12-6-6ish. Realistically, my application will be DOA unless every data point roundly refutes my undergrad statistics.

Practicality. My PhD funding has a very definite timetable that a medical school acceptance now would disrupt. I'd likely have to give up my scholarship to attend the MD program next year, and it's a prestigious one. Also, experiences I anticipate having in my PhD which haven't yet come to pass are going to be the centerpieces of my application. The labs I'm looking at for my dissertation put out a lot of publications and I'd get to do significant (perhaps as long as a year) fieldwork in developing countries. And beyond what it means to my med school application, doing so holds a lot of personal value for me. And last, a lot of money has been invested in me by my program. I was one of a very few students in my school who got any funding- much less everything. I'm committed to seeing this degree out. Also, my fiancee's career is really taking off and med school will be a lot more affordable if I wait a few years.

Circumstances. I have a crazy situation in that I really think my biggest hurdle is going to be getting a foot in the door. I think I have a good chance at admission at many schools if I make it to an interview. What's going to kill me is that my undergrad grades are lousy across the board. Ironically, admissions programs that judge me by my doctoral work I think are going to give me a much more accurate analysis than ones that start by feeding my undergraduate grades through a computer that decides whether or not my application is worthy of human eyes. [I spent a long time thinking of a heading that started with "P" and came up dry.]

I will admit that I may be selling myself short. Believe it or not, this is uber-levels of confidence compared to where I was a few years ago. Go look for my first posts here if you want. Ignore the point where I say my undergrad GPA is a 2.92. That was before I knew AMCAS would recalculate it. Under AMCAS it's a 2.52, and at ~170 credits it's largely set in stone.

 

[Fedaykin]

I pointed out that the reason why he never experienced such sentiments growing up is because, outside of a few of the larger cities like Boston, nearly everyone in New England is white and Christian. No racial diversity means no "racial issues."

My extended family all originate from New England. I'm white and my fiancee is black. Before I started introducing her around I quietly explained that while no one in my family is a racist, please remember that they were all raised in a culture where a "mixed marriage" meant Catholic + Protestant- and would dominate gossip for months on end. An interracial marriage to my family was completely new ground. We didn't hit any issues which I actually think was because there are so few black people where my family comes from. No one held racial hostility because the most exotic race anyone had ever encountered was Irish.

 

[deleted367183]

@familyaerospace, I 100% believe you that discrimination is at work here.

But I also would suggest (I am physically disabled and it took me 2 "real" cycles and 1 "pretend" cycle to get in) that money and a long list will go a long way toward fixing this problem.

This year's successful cycle meant 41 completed, 10 invites, 6 attended, 1 "straight" acceptance, 1 acceptance off the waitlist. (MDApps removed me for some reason...I have to repost the numbers elsewhere.)

Perhaps take a year off and earn money to apply as broadly as possible? This is just a thought.

 

[familyaerospace]

@familyaerospace, I 100% believe you that discrimination is at work here.

But I also would suggest (I am physically disabled and it took me 2 "real" cycles and 1 "pretend" cycle to get in) that money and a long list will go a long way toward fixing this problem.

This year's successful cycle meant 41 completed, 10 invites, 6 attended, 1 "straight" acceptance, 1 acceptance off the waitlist. (MDApps removed me for some reason...I have to repost the numbers elsewhere.)

Perhaps take a year off and earn money to apply as broadly as possible? This is just a thought.

I'm self employed, I can only get as much money as I can get clients. No clients, no money. I just spent the past few days doing an NPOs website. That is getting paid in barter though for some possible travel and free classes. They can't afford me but they need me.

My partner, an older straight white guy with no problems, is the only source of income and he controls it. If he says I can have 500, I can spend it. For rounds 1-3, he kicked in whatever FAP didn't cover, up to $200.

I'm trying to get a real job but discrimination and overqualification makes it hard. I've been working with VR (I also have a disability which is now well controlled) for a few years. They are trying to help secure a job for me but they are having difficulty as well. They know I'm trans, Jewish, and epileptic. Employers don't like that. Even if they looked past the masters, the others are a problem.

 

[deleted367183]

I myself have been self-employed for the past four or five years. It wasn't pretty, I'll tell you. Good luck.