Honestly Running Out of Options

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Spinach Dip

Spinach Dip

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I am not going to post my whole history here, as I'm pretty sure everyone knows it already. The abbreviated version of my application cycles goes like this:

-Year 1: Sick. In and out of the hospital multiple times. Sent no secondaries because I was on too many meds and decided to try again next year.
-Year 2: A relative offered to pay app fees, but, the day after I submitted my primaries, they saw the price and backed out. I used some of my student loans to complete a couple, but nothing came of them.
-Year 3: Another relative offered to pay as soon as she sold her old house, if I helped her fix it up. I spent too many hours replacing insulation and patching drywall before she broke the news that she owed so much on the house that she would have to short-sale it, thus, I would get nothing. Somehow, between the house work and working as a private tutor (and with a couple exceedingly generous donations), I managed to apply to a few schools.



Now, year 4 is here. The last year my MCAT score is valid at any school. I plan on applying to DO schools, as my efforts at MD schools have all been disappointing.



I am looking for creative ways to pay for my apps this year. Something which will work so I can have a shot at doing something with my life and make a positive change in this world.



Just as a way of illustrating how severely I am running out of other options, I will address some of the options I have heard before and how viable each one is:

-Savings: Don't be silly. I have $10 in my bank account right now. Every stock/bond I had at some point (all 2 of them, thanks grandpa!) went to paying off my father's debts when he declared bankruptcy and ran away.
-Sell things: I have no double eagles or maya death masks I can sell on ebay. I use a flip-phone and am posting this from a 5-year old computer with a monitor and printer that are pushing 10.
-Credit Cards: No chance. Due to being joint on at least one debt when my father declared bankruptcy, I have also declared bankruptcy (even though I had no part in it. Yes, credit reports suck.) Regardless, I applied for several credit cards a couple months ago, and all were denied. (no surprise)
-Ask relatives: Already tried this the past 2 years... and you can see how well that has worked.
-FAP: The DO fee assistance program (as far as I understand it) will pay for 3 primaries. Nothing else. So that will cut a couple hundred off the total, but does nothing to pay for the remaining primaries, any secondaries, travel, or the deposit to hold my spot in a class (if I get one).
-Student loans: An idea pushed by a friend is to go back to school and take something simple and useful (such as spanish) and use the excess (earmarked for 'living expenses') from the student loans to pay for apps. Unfortunately, because of my ruined credit, I can only get student loans if I start a program which will further my education (such as a PhD/MD/DO program).
-Cut your expenses: For the past year, I have been living on $700-$800 a month, over half of which is rent. I don't go to the theater, I don't buy video games, I don't go out to eat, I don't have a car, I don't even have health insurance. I have nothing else to cut.
-Get a job: Thanks grandma. I have been applying and finding nothing in my area. I have got interviews at a couple places, and frequently get the "you're overqualified to work at Subway" nonsense. I would love a job at a lab or a private doctor's office or even (gasp!) a veterinary office, but such positions are few and far between. And those which do exist have tons of applicants to choose from. (One PI I interviewed with straight up told me he had 136 applicants for a single Research Assistant 2 position, several of which had PhDs. How insane is that!?!)

Which leads me to the 2 possibilities I have come across which actually seem plausible:

-Give up, find a job as manager of a Starbucks, save some money, and try again in 5 years: If this year leads to no acceptances, I WILL do this, but I see no reason to give up while my MCAT is still valid somewhere.
-Create a gofundme and beg for donations: I didn't even consider this before as I had relatives who said they would fund me the previous 2 years. (Yeah, shame on me for trusting them.) Further, I resisted the idea until recently out of some sort of pride or desire to keep my anonymity.... Now, out of desperation, I have finally created one. I have shared it with friends and family ($0 raised! What a surprise!)


In summary: Please let me know what I can do here. Is there an option I have not looked into? Is it time to give up? What can I do?



(And if you really want to donate, shoot me a PM and I'll give you a link to my gofundme.)
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Hmm... why not work as an MCAT tutor for a test prep company like Kaplan or Princeton Review? Or maybe just work as a self-employed MCAT tutor offering lessons over Skype? I think @Phloston did something similar for USMLE tutoring and it helped him a lot immensely.
 
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I think it's better to apply when you actually have the resources to put out a strong app, even if it's a few years from now. Better to give this 100% than to throw a Hail Mary.

Regardless, I wish you the best.
 
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Lawper said:
Hmm... why not work as an MCAT tutor for a test prep company like Kaplan or Princeton Review? Or maybe just work as a self-employed MCAT tutor offering lessons over Skype? I think @Phloston did something similar for USMLE tutoring and it helped him a lot immensely.
Click to expand...
Am honoured you linked me here. However I'm not certain I can help the OP in the way he/she needs. My story is I finished med school, and instead of going to residency, moved to Japan and am supporting myself on USMLE tutoring. Basically if you don't care about money or how stable your life is, we can talk, otherwise my advice would be absurd to most.
 
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I can think of 3 options:

1) I agree with the MCAT teaching/tutoring option. You can make $20+ per hour if you work for a company or make more if you private tutor. That way, you'll have an extra great thing to put on your application and you decide how often you work.
2) Are there any scribing jobs nearby? That doesn't pay nearly as well but it's better than nothing and can be enough to apply.
3) Have you considered the military? I'm not sure what they cover on the application side of things but they will do a great job to support you throughout school.
 
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dude, stuff came up in other threads

google how to be poor

someone suggested renting a car and doing Uber with it
resale-ing things on Ebay or craigslist
craigslist odd jobs
walking dogs
watching pets while people are out of town
lawn work
holding a cardboard sign while looking like **** (and hopefully not being recognized if that matters in your town)
craigslist elderly care
house cleaning
moving
anything you can tutor

get food stamps. look into public utility assistance. if you don't qualify for those, you probably qualify for various food box type things, go to your local department of human services they will have lists of places to go for everything from free toilet paper and cat food to food to clothing. I'm not suggesting you resell this stuff! but as a way to try to save more money. for each item you save by getting free put that money away in your uncrackable med school app fund.
 
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Also, focus groups and mystery shopping if you're in a reasonably-sized city. I have a good friend who was recently laid off and is able to at least buy gas and groceries with focus group income. She's told me you need to be a bit aggressive, but she can bring in $200-$300 on good weeks, and keep the products they want her to try out. It's not a lot of money but it's something.
 
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It might be sketchy depending on where you live but if you can run a chainsaw or do good yard work/landscaping you could probably find someone on Craigslist that needs something done. I've done this before, it isn't absurd to make $100 for a day's work if you find the right gig. It doesn't benefit your app in anyway and most would probably be hesitant to do it, but if you need money it'll get you it quick. I also have a buddy that details cars in his spare time in his garage, he makes $80 a car about. Good luck this cycle (and in general).

EDIT: Are you CPR certified? There's a company where I live (MI) that is understaffed with EMT-B's so they are hiring people that are CPR (maybe CPR/AED I'm not sure) certified to do non-emergent patient transport. Doesn't pay a lot at all, but it's a medically relevant job.
 
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You have no money. You also have no job (if I am wrong here, then I apologize).

Apply for jobs everywhere. Doesn't matter if it's McDonalds or at hospitals. The work doesn't matter. It'll be temporary.
 
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Don't send employers like Subway , Starbucks etc. your full resume. Make it seem like you have a college degree and nothing else.
Should be pretty easy to find a job at a local coffee shop, a lot of "qualified" people work at these places because its cool.

What about a bartender?
 
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Check out wyzant.com- great way for you to quickly get tutoring jobs ( most are short-term though) and between your college degree and MCAT, you probably can tutor in a bunch of subjects.

Also check out Next Step - signing up as an MCAT tutor might take some time (they require a few steps to the process) but they pay very nicely - much, much more than Kaplan or TPR.
 
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sanfran256 said:
Don't send employers like Subway , Starbucks etc. your full resume. Make it seem like you have a college degree and nothing else. Should be pretty easy to find a job at a local coffee shop, a lot of "qualified" people work at these places because its cool. What about a bartender?
Click to expand...
OP clearly states that if they choose to give up, they would find a job as a manager of a Starbucks.
 
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libahli said:
Check out wyzant.com- great way for you to quickly get tutoring jobs ( most are short-term though) and between your college degree and MCAT, you probably can tutor in a bunch of subjects.

Also check out Next Step - signing up as an MCAT tutor might take some time (they require a few steps to the process) but they pay very nicely - much, much more than Kaplan or TPR.
Click to expand...

I made a hefty amount as a Wyzant English and Writing tutor. Those bastards took 40% but I still managed to jump a tax bracket. Since cut down on Wyzant greatly though and branched out on my own.
 
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Have you really tried everywhere? I know Walmart and Lowes hires everybody and anybody. I worked as a cart pusher for a few months and it was the chillest job ever. You go out for a walk, sit down and read a book for a few hours then go out and take another walk. You could make $1600 in 2 months and be set.

Tutoring is good, but it takes a while to get a good client base and traveling is a pain.
 
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Isn't Walmart unionized? It's impossible to get a union job without joining the union, which can't be that easy.
 
Something just doesn't add up. Subway doesn't care about how "overqualified" you are. Turn over is expected and your qualifications don't change that much, if any. No one ever told me that when I applied for custodial work or to become a cashier. No one gave a **** about that when I worked construction. There are a lot of options for people who are intelligent and can navigate systems. @Crayola227 named a few.

Option 1:

1) Don't apply this cycle. Use your MCAT score to get a paying position as a tutor.
2) Use your tutoring as an opportunity to keep old knowledge fresh and as pressure to understanding the new requirements completely. (for retake)
3) Apply next year with a cash pile of savings from putting your nose to the grinder and living off of public assistance. *Take two if needed!
4) Apply broadly to both MD and DO -- ideally limiting the chance you won't matriculate anywhere.

Option 2:

Join the peace corp. Most placements you'll be able to squirrel away a TON of money due to living expenses being so low. It will change your life forever. Many medical schools see the Peace Corp as a HUGE application boost and for good reason.

Option 3-XXXX:

There are truly a thousand options open to you. I've given two but there are so many more. Seems to me, you've been looking for the quick fix for a while now. Do the smart thing and become independent. Good luck to you, whatever your decision may be.
 
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Are your health issues past you? I.e. can you join the military?

Just another option.
 
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Likely highly intelligent and has the chops to go to medical school, but not enough initiative to get a job in the real world :shrug:
 
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Lost in Translation said:
Isn't Walmart unionized? It's impossible to get a union job without joining the union, which can't be that easy.
Click to expand...

Nope. In fact, when I worked at Walmart during grad school, I had to sign paperwork that I wouldn't join a union.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
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Sell your body to science.

I get emails all the time from my school who pay hundreds of dollars just for showing up to psych/medical studies. I recently saw one that paid like 800 bucks and was relatively low-risk. try your undergrad school and they post a lot of these on et cetera section of craigslist

Best of luck
 
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Whatever you do, you need to stop half-assing your application cycles. You keep applying to "a few" schools or "a couple" schools. You're smart, you've been on SDN for a while, you should KNOW that this is STUPID. Each school has a ~1% acceptance rate - even as a rock star with a 40 on the MCAT, you still need to apply broadly. Especially now that you have 3 unsuccessful cycles under your belt, schools are going to assume there is a giant red flag somewhere on your app. I don't know how much success you can expect from DO schools either given how high your stats are?

It makes my head spin a bit that you are asking this question now, at the end of June. You should have asked this question 6+ months ago. It's like you're setting yourself up to fail again on purpose. I tend to agree with the person above who said you should take 1-2 years off, get your finances in order, do a full application cycle "the SDN way" and apply broadly to like 50 MD+DO schools.
 
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@Spinach Dip Mechanical Turk or similar crowdsourcing work online! It's definitely not a long-term solution but you can make a few hundred bucks in a couple of months and there are zero qualifications beyond needing internet access. It could at least help you cover secondary fees. It's also totally flexible so when you do end up finding work, it's something you can easily do whenever you have free time. I personally think you should go the 'get a job anywhere (retail, fast food, barista, whatever) and save money' route but I think you should skip this cycle and wait until you have a couple thousand dollars in the bank so you can do a real, full application cycle. The kind where you apply ASAP in early June to a mix of 15-30 MD and DO schools. I understand that your stellar MCAT score is about to expire but you crushed that exam once, you can do it again. No matter how great your stats are, applying to 1 or 3 or even 5 schools is a lot less likely to work out for anyone than applying to 15 or 20. This process is just too damn competitive.

You're in a sucky situation but you've already struck out a few times and to keep applying to a couple of schools and not getting in anywhere could really hurt your chances in the future.
 
@Spinach Dip I've heard that some PA programs accept MCAT scores instead of the GRE, would you ever consider that?
 
Spinach Dip said:
I am not going to post my whole history here, as I'm pretty sure everyone knows it already. The abbreviated version of my application cycles goes like this:

-Year 1: Sick. In and out of the hospital multiple times. Sent no secondaries because I was on too many meds and decided to try again next year.
-Year 2: A relative offered to pay app fees, but, the day after I submitted my primaries, they saw the price and backed out. I used some of my student loans to complete a couple, but nothing came of them.
-Year 3: Another relative offered to pay as soon as she sold her old house, if I helped her fix it up. I spent too many hours replacing insulation and patching drywall before she broke the news that she owed so much on the house that she would have to short-sale it, thus, I would get nothing. Somehow, between the house work and working as a private tutor (and with a couple exceedingly generous donations), I managed to apply to a few schools.



Now, year 4 is here. The last year my MCAT score is valid at any school. I plan on applying to DO schools, as my efforts at MD schools have all been disappointing.



I am looking for creative ways to pay for my apps this year. Something which will work so I can have a shot at doing something with my life and make a positive change in this world.



Just as a way of illustrating how severely I am running out of other options, I will address some of the options I have heard before and how viable each one is:

-Savings: Don't be silly. I have $10 in my bank account right now. Every stock/bond I had at some point (all 2 of them, thanks grandpa!) went to paying off my father's debts when he declared bankruptcy and ran away.
-Sell things: I have no double eagles or maya death masks I can sell on ebay. I use a flip-phone and am posting this from a 5-year old computer with a monitor and printer that are pushing 10.
-Credit Cards: No chance. Due to being joint on at least one debt when my father declared bankruptcy, I have also declared bankruptcy (even though I had no part in it. Yes, credit reports suck.) Regardless, I applied for several credit cards a couple months ago, and all were denied. (no surprise)
-Ask relatives: Already tried this the past 2 years... and you can see how well that has worked.
-FAP: The DO fee assistance program (as far as I understand it) will pay for 3 primaries. Nothing else. So that will cut a couple hundred off the total, but does nothing to pay for the remaining primaries, any secondaries, travel, or the deposit to hold my spot in a class (if I get one).
-Student loans: An idea pushed by a friend is to go back to school and take something simple and useful (such as spanish) and use the excess (earmarked for 'living expenses') from the student loans to pay for apps. Unfortunately, because of my ruined credit, I can only get student loans if I start a program which will further my education (such as a PhD/MD/DO program).
-Cut your expenses: For the past year, I have been living on $700-$800 a month, over half of which is rent. I don't go to the theater, I don't buy video games, I don't go out to eat, I don't have a car, I don't even have health insurance. I have nothing else to cut.
-Get a job: Thanks grandma. I have been applying and finding nothing in my area. I have got interviews at a couple places, and frequently get the "you're overqualified to work at Subway" nonsense. I would love a job at a lab or a private doctor's office or even (gasp!) a veterinary office, but such positions are few and far between. And those which do exist have tons of applicants to choose from. (One PI I interviewed with straight up told me he had 136 applicants for a single Research Assistant 2 position, several of which had PhDs. How insane is that!?!)

Which leads me to the 2 possibilities I have come across which actually seem plausible:

-Give up, find a job as manager of a Starbucks, save some money, and try again in 5 years: If this year leads to no acceptances, I WILL do this, but I see no reason to give up while my MCAT is still valid somewhere.
-Create a gofundme and beg for donations: I didn't even consider this before as I had relatives who said they would fund me the previous 2 years. (Yeah, shame on me for trusting them.) Further, I resisted the idea until recently out of some sort of pride or desire to keep my anonymity.... Now, out of desperation, I have finally created one. I have shared it with friends and family ($0 raised! What a surprise!)


In summary: Please let me know what I can do here. Is there an option I have not looked into? Is it time to give up? What can I do?



(And if you really want to donate, shoot me a PM and I'll give you a link to my gofundme.)
Click to expand...



Apply through ETS. I currently grade SAT essays online. Set my own schedule and it's all from home. $15/HR.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
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If you did manage to get accepted, would you be able to get enough loans to cover the schooling?
 
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More than happy to contribute to your gofundme.

I might've missed this detail in the mix, but applications aside, how have you been supporting yourself thus far?
 
Thank you for all the responses so far. You have given me a lot to think about.

I don't have time to respond to everyone, but I will answer one question which has come up multiple times..... I currently support myself via private tutoring. I enjoy it most of the time, but it is inconsistent and doesn't even come close to giving me the expendable income I need to apply the 'correct' way. As said before, I can use DO FAP to submit primaries to 3 schools. After that, I'm essentially broke.

Thanks again.
 
Would also be glad to support your gofundme. I think you need to talk in more detail either here or through PMs or with someone close IRL. It's really hard to provide much useful advice only knowing pieces here and there.
 
Something else to keep in mind is how you are going to finance school when you get the acceptance. Typically for a DO school you are going to paying a hefty price as they are almost all private. You will likely need all the unsubsidized loan as well as the Grad plus loan. The problem is, to get the grad plus loan, you will need to have a credit check done and they check for bankruptcies, I believe within the past 5 years. It would be awful to go through all this work, get accepted, and then not be able to pay for school when the time comes.
 
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No job in 3 years? Where do you live that you can't find any job, even if below minimum wage/under the table? You can be the manager of Starbucks that easily? Why haven't you tried being a regular barista in 3 years?

Something's fishy here. Sorry. You might be smart. But smart =/= hardworking.
 
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Spinach Dip said:
Thank you for all the responses so far. You have given me a lot to think about.

I don't have time to respond to everyone, but I will answer one question which has come up multiple times..... I currently support myself via private tutoring. I enjoy it most of the time, but it is inconsistent and doesn't even come close to giving me the expendable income I need to apply the 'correct' way. As said before, I can use DO FAP to submit primaries to 3 schools. After that, I'm essentially broke.

Thanks again.
Click to expand...
Just want to clarify that DO FAP covers the 3 primaries and all secondaries. Some schools you have to email them to have it unlock you, some you pay them and they refund you. But I did probably a dozen DO secondaries and only paid for NOVA.
 
How about vet school, Spinach? Your EC's fall better into that and I believe that was your first dream.
 
You didn't mention AMCAS FAP -- Is that not an option?

Also, in a previous thread, I mentioned moving to Texas. I wasn't kidding. Is that an option?
 
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Mad Jack said:
I think he's had enough of poverty at this point.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, there's always PA school.
Edit: However, Spinach would need some human healthcare experience to apply to PA school. Most of my friends became EMT's to fulfill that requirement.
 
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It really is time to seriously consider relocating if possible. Not just for your admission chances but it doesn't sound like the most favorable situation in terms of trying to finance an application and take control of your own life. Only so many times you can keep banging your head against the wall with the path you are taking.

Texas isn't where I would move but sometimes it's simple things that dictate a major part of MD admission outcomes. State of residence is one of them. You are in as bad a stat as there is in the US for MD admission. If you were in a favorable one, you would probably be in medical school already. We can try and talk about all the many things you should change and improve, but sometimes it's really that simple. In your shoes, changing that variable would be something I would really try and look to do if possible. A 3.4/40 app gets alot more traction at an LSU than a U of Wash. We can talk all we want about how you have to improve your ECs, interviews etc but if you move to a good state, you'll likely be in the drivers seat. And if you move to an LA, SC, KY type state, you really only need to apply to those state schools and nothing else since 90% of the people who get into med schools from there matriculate IS. Saves you tons of money on apps, increases your odds tremendously. There are cities in these southern type of states such as Lexington and New Orleans, there will be a job market if you look

As was said above you will get hired from some MCAT tutoring company if you look hard enough. Just gotta look: Kaplan hires people from 33 onwards in many areas. With a 40, you really are good to go, just gotta look for the place that will hire. That's really all there is to it with MCAT tutoring. IF you prefer working as a private tutor, again it's just an issue of taking some time to get your name out there and establishing a clientele. There are people who will fork over a boatload of cash to get MCAT tutoring from someone with a 40 and finding them isn't as daunting as you might think. Just spend a little time on it everyday, keep with it, you'll find sources of revenue from there. That's also probably your easiest and best source of potential income. Far less stressful and more fruitful than some grueling minimum wage shifts. Save up for however long you need to finance a move to a favorable state for MD admission, establish residency after a year and you will be in a much much better spot than you are now rather than hoping you can eek your way into finding some DO school that will accept your MCAT score somewhere.
 
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