Disaster struck for my gap year

[whoisclu]

Hey everyone. Sorry for the long paragraph, but I could really use some advice here. Thank you for reading.

So I have had this job lined up as a medical assistant for a dermatology practice for months now (beginning of April). I was in the process of finding places to live near the practice, and I was going to sign a place this Saturday with some roommates I found on craigslist. But just this past Thursday they sent me an email saying that they were "uncomfortable" and "disturbed" by my inquiry into how employee medical insurance was to be paid, and ended their email by withdrawing my offer. I sent them an apology email and tried to recover the situation to the best of my ability but they ignored it, so I called them. Our conversation went nowhere, as all she kept repeating was "We're not going to change our minds on this". They were incredibly rude and the whole experience was very abnormal, but alas, I have to move on. The only thing is now I have nothing to do to add to my application for my gap year. I'm trying to find other positions and opportunities for research, but it's still in the early stages. What should I put on secondaries when they start arriving? Do I simply say I have nothing at the moment but I am looking? Do I explain to them what happened? Will this reflect badly upon me if I do?

Tl;dr: I lost my gap year job due to abnormal circumstances, what do I put on secondaries?

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[mehc012]

Hey everyone. Sorry for the long paragraph, but I could really use some advice here. Thank you for reading.

So I have had this job lined up as a medical assistant for a dermatology practice for months now (beginning of April). I was in the process of finding places to live near the practice, and I was going to sign a place this Saturday with some roommates I found on craigslist. But just this past Thursday they sent me an email saying that they were "uncomfortable" and "disturbed" by my inquiry into how employee medical insurance was to be paid, and ended their email by withdrawing my offer. I sent them an apology email and tried to recover the situation to the best of my ability but they ignored it, so I called them. Our conversation went nowhere, as all she kept repeating was "We're not going to change our minds on this". They were incredibly rude and the whole experience was very abnormal, but alas, I have to move on. The only thing is now I have nothing to do to add to my application for my gap year. I'm trying to find other positions and opportunities for research, but it's still in the early stages. What should I put on secondaries when they start arriving? Do I simply say I have nothing at the moment but I am looking? Do I explain to them what happened? Will this reflect badly upon me if I do?

Tl;dr: I lost my gap year job due to abnormal circumstances, what do I put on secondaries?

Find a job, any job...that's step 1.
You should be able to find some volunteering pretty quickly

Honestly, it sounds as if working with them would have been more of a 'disaster'. Make some plans, and if you are asked what your plans are for your gap year...put 'em down. There's a reason why 'future plans' are counted less heavily than 'I already did this', and that's because everyone realizes that the future isn't set in stone for anyone; it's OK if something comes up later, and you can just update with it if you find something good.

 

[chillinillinkillin007]

Chill out bro. Did you have any experience or certification for this job? If yes you should be easily able to find another job. If not you're still fine and keep looking

 

[deanthedream17]

honestly don't let it get you down. some people are a-holes that's a fact. if you didn't do anything wrong besides asking about work related issues then consider it a blessing in a disguise for this to have happened to you. I got kicked out of my research lab for a BS thing via email and it hurt a lot, but then after I found another lab that allowed me to make up the credits I found it was less intensive and the people were much nicer. Besides, no reason to be miserable for a year.

 

[allantois]

I am yet to find a dermatology practice with nice and friendly staff. I think that med schools would rather see you work/volunteer in a more traditional medical setting anyways (primary care, emergency medicine, surgery).

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

I would bet that something happened, like the person that they thought was going to leave didn't leave. Either that, or you sent them a particularly unprofessional email. Along the lines of asking them to give you more money instead of signing you up for the company insurance, since you're on your parents' plan anyway.

 

[whoisclu]

Thanks for the input guys. I didn't seem to sound so upset haha. I am a little bitter, but who knows what they have going on. Maybe their business is down and they couldn't afford another person on the payroll. I just know they didn't handle it in the best way. I've made peace with it and I'm looking forward to pursuing new opportunities, but I was just worried what I should put on secondaries, as now it doesn't look like I have anything.

I bounce back pretty easily

 

[whoisclu]

But you don't think I should have to mention this speed bump in any secondaries or interviews, right?

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

But you don't think I should have to mention this speed bump in any secondaries or interviews, right?

It will only be noticeable to people reading your application if you don't fill it with anything else. Do some volunteering ASAP, with any organization, and try to get some other job (even if it is non-medical. I worked in a deli during my application year). That way, they won't even notice the speed bump.

 

[lmn]

But you don't think I should have to mention this speed bump in any secondaries or interviews, right?

Why would you bring this up? It does nothing to help you and only risks negative interpretations. Find a job so you can support yourself first of all, if you can get right into a medical/research related job, great. But it's not bad if you can't as long as you weren't counting on that to cover for a lacking area of your application. Just continue with the volunteering you were doing previously (or start a new volunteer experience) and get a job to support yourself in the meantime.

 

[Lamel]

What could you have written that disturbed them...

 

[Pattycake25]

What could you have written that disturbed them...

While I agree with everyone else that this is hardly a "disaster", and you should be able to find something else to do without much trouble, I do think you should share with us whatever you said and did that led to their dismissive email. A big part of an application is the interview - if you have an unprofessional demeanor, this would be the time for us to help you, not after you sink six interviews in a row without realizing how you're screwing up. I find it hard to believe that the derm practice wouldn't just tell you if the opening simply became unavailable, I think you did something that made them not want to associate with you, and I think we need to figure out what that is.

 

[Person0715]

While I agree with everyone else that this is hardly a "disaster", and you should be able to find something else to do without much trouble, I do think you should share with us whatever you said and did that led to their dismissive email. A big part of an application is the interview - if you have an unprofessional demeanor, this would be the time for us to help you, not after you sink six interviews in a row without realizing how you're screwing up. I find it hard to believe that the derm practice wouldn't just tell you if the opening simply became unavailable, I think you did something that made them not want to associate with you, and I think we need to figure out what that is.

I agree on this. Don't assume that they are just using the email as an excuse. In the first place, that's a lame excuse on their part (they could've easily used any other excuse--ie pt volume is not as high as they expected so they don't have a position for you anymore). It could be the case that your email was unprofessional and that is truly the reason they are letting you go.

 

[LizzyM]

Did you give the impression that you were going to be using a loads of health care services?

 

[zzxxzz]

I am more concerned about what you said to upset them than the loss of the job...I din't think you were obviously crass or anything, but this is a very unusual situation and, frankly, it's difficult to believe you didn't say something - even something fairly innocuous - that caused this reaction.

 

[Plecopotamus]

I agree that you are probably off base in assuming your email was professional and that they overreacted. I suggest PMing a resident/attending/adcom to discretely review it rather than putting it up for every pre-med SDNer to rip into you...I always feel like there's a little schadenfreude fueling some of the responses to this type of stuff.

 

[DokterMom]

I agree that you are probably off base in assuming your email was professional and that they overreacted. I suggest PMing a resident/attending/adcom to discretely review it rather than putting it up for every pre-med SDNer to rip into you...I always feel like there's a little schadenfreude fueling some of the responses to this type of stuff.

Good advice -- all of it. Or PM someone here.

 

[whoisclu]

Seems like it's already looking up for me. I went to a picnic today and met someone doing cancer research, and he said he could find something for me to do. It's even close to home, so I don't have to relocate!

I already might have volunteering in the works as well. I highly recommend volunteermatch.org, it was really easy to find opportunities around me and that were suitable for my skills. It took less than a day to hear back!

I'll take your advice and PM someone here to see if my email really was unprofessional. Thanks for all the help guys, I'm wondering why I didn't join the SDN community earlier.

 

[Person0715]

Seems like it's already looking up for me. I went to a picnic today and met someone doing cancer research, and he said he could find something for me to do. It's even close to home, so I don't have to relocate!

I already might have volunteering in the works as well. I highly recommend volunteermatch.org, it was really easy to find opportunities around me and that were suitable for my skills. It took less than a day to hear back!

I'll take your advice and PM someone here to see if my email really was unprofessional. Thanks for all the help guys, I'm wondering why I didn't join the SDN community earlier.

That sounds great. Hope it all works out.

 

[LizzyM]

PM me if you want me to review your email.

 

[lmn]

Seems like it's already looking up for me. I went to a picnic today and met someone doing cancer research, and he said he could find something for me to do. It's even close to home, so I don't have to relocate!

I already might have volunteering in the works as well. I highly recommend volunteermatch.org, it was really easy to find opportunities around me and that were suitable for my skills. It took less than a day to hear back!

I'll take your advice and PM someone here to see if my email really was unprofessional. Thanks for all the help guys, I'm wondering why I didn't join the SDN community earlier.

Best of luck! Hope it works out for you

 

[235009]

i'm also curious what this email said. professionalism is extremely important in the medical profession nowadays and you should be thankful that a possible deficiency in professionalism may have been revealed before med school.

 

[whoisclu]

LizzyM, I'm unable to PM you. It says "You may not start a conversation with the following recipients: LizzyM."

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM, I'm unable to PM you. It says "You may not start a conversation with the following recipients: LizzyM."

Sorry about that. Try again @whoisclu

 

[LizzyM]

We've PM'ed and I'll vouch for @whoisclu. He didn't come off as unprofessional but the practice might have been looking for someone who was going to take the benefit package as is rather than using it as a starting point for a salary negotiation. Must be a glut of employees to choose from there in that area. Negotiating for salary and benefits is not rude or unprofessional and it seems that the practice was the rude and unprofessional one.

 

[whoisclu]

Hey guys, just thought I would update you on my story in case some poor soul in a similar situation finds this thread someday.

Everything turned out great for my gap year. I did some work in a lab at the beginning and eventually got a position at Kaplan, instructing a course on the new MCAT and tutoring on the side. After a long application cycle with all 4 of my interviews turning into waitlists, I was accepted into my favorite last week!