- Joined
- Jul 12, 2014
- Messages
- 5
- Reaction score
- 2
I just finished M1 year, which is a 1-year pre-clinical. Next year I start on the wards. I get a 6 week long break. I am not doing anything except hangout with friends basically, and catch up on my hobbies. I attend a T20-30.
(I know this all sounds like excuses and you can skip this part, but I started school as an MD/PhD and decided to drop the PhD late this year... and I put everything on hold because I assumed I'd have 4 years blocked off to do research and get involved in ECs. In May, I dropped the program (informed decision). Then I came out to my mom as gay and got all but disowned by her, which took a toll on my mental health and housing. Then my cat died a week later, then my closest uncle died a week after that. Then I lost my car and had to buy a new one. I was scrambling to secure housing (I lived at home), process the major losses in my life, and trying to pass the year so I wouldn't have to remediate and have a failed block on my transcript.)
Anyway, early July I reached out to 11 PIs asking to do any sort of research with them this summer, but all said no or ghosted me. Due to online lectures, I never got to meet professors in person or 1-on-1. I signed up to do some community volunteering but most of the spots are taken and I'm on a waitlist to volunteer at 3 places (a soup kitchen and then two clinics). It's looking like I'll be doing nothing these 6 weeks. I'm worried I won't be a competitive residency applicant. I don't want to end up in the middle of nowhere. I want primary care, I think, though. I think FM or IM-PCP.
Ideally I want to stay in Michigan or go to California. Michigan is my home state and I have most of my friends and family here (but soon to lose my family when they find out I'm gay). I have a strong preference for being near a major city, like 30-45 minutes away max by car. I know 3 years isn't the end of the world if I end up in the middle of nowhere, but truthfully I'm scared about being gay in some areas, and I don't love the idea of being in a completely rural area as is.
(I know this all sounds like excuses and you can skip this part, but I started school as an MD/PhD and decided to drop the PhD late this year... and I put everything on hold because I assumed I'd have 4 years blocked off to do research and get involved in ECs. In May, I dropped the program (informed decision). Then I came out to my mom as gay and got all but disowned by her, which took a toll on my mental health and housing. Then my cat died a week later, then my closest uncle died a week after that. Then I lost my car and had to buy a new one. I was scrambling to secure housing (I lived at home), process the major losses in my life, and trying to pass the year so I wouldn't have to remediate and have a failed block on my transcript.)
Anyway, early July I reached out to 11 PIs asking to do any sort of research with them this summer, but all said no or ghosted me. Due to online lectures, I never got to meet professors in person or 1-on-1. I signed up to do some community volunteering but most of the spots are taken and I'm on a waitlist to volunteer at 3 places (a soup kitchen and then two clinics). It's looking like I'll be doing nothing these 6 weeks. I'm worried I won't be a competitive residency applicant. I don't want to end up in the middle of nowhere. I want primary care, I think, though. I think FM or IM-PCP.
Ideally I want to stay in Michigan or go to California. Michigan is my home state and I have most of my friends and family here (but soon to lose my family when they find out I'm gay). I have a strong preference for being near a major city, like 30-45 minutes away max by car. I know 3 years isn't the end of the world if I end up in the middle of nowhere, but truthfully I'm scared about being gay in some areas, and I don't love the idea of being in a completely rural area as is.