i think i just screwed up big time... help needed ASAP

[kateycat]

so, i withdrew from a school (put it in the mail last friday) and today (thursday.. ie IT SHOULD BE THERE BY NOW) i get a phone call from the same school... telling me congratulations because they wanted to offer me admission from the waitlist....

at this point i was just like, um.... did you not get my response card that i was withdrawing from the alt list? she says no, i told her i mailed it last fri, she says 'oh maybe it'll come tomorrow' and tells me she'll note it in my file...basically end of conversation

so someone tell me, did i just seriously screw myself over if i have to reapply next year? (im still sitting on 2 other alt lists) ...is this going to be considered/recorded officially as me turning down an acceptance? aka am i going to get blacklisted? i mean i didn't know what else to say when she called, i had already sent the card in, kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place...

should i do something? IS there something i can do? should i call them back and ask for some kind of clarification as to my status? what if they never get my alt list withdrawal, since seriously it should have been there by now?

ahhhhhhhhh FREAKING OUT

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[deleted50541]

Why did you decide to withdraw from the WL? Seeing as you're not holding any acceptances now, call the office first thing in the morning to accept the offer if it's still available to you.

 

[SnowTown]

I'm a little confused by why you withdrew from a waitlist (and thereby decreasing your chance of getting in) without an acceptance in hand?

I guess try calling them first thing tomorrow and explain why you did what you did and go from there?

 

[imagined space]

If so, call them immediately back and say that you thought it over and would like to hold your place in their class if that is at all possible. They understand that admissions is a fluid and sometimes anxiety provoking process but you need to contact them quickly b.c they'll pass your acceptance to someone else on the waitlist.

 

[omegaxx]

so, i withdrew from a school (put it in the mail last friday) and today (thursday.. ie IT SHOULD BE THERE BY NOW) i get a phone call from the same school... telling me congratulations because they wanted to offer me admission from the waitlist....

at this point i was just like, um.... did you not get my response card that i was withdrawing from the alt list? she says no, i told her i mailed it last fri, she says 'oh maybe it'll come tomorrow' and tells me she'll note it in my file...basically end of conversation

so someone tell me, did i just seriously screw myself over if i have to reapply next year? (im still sitting on 2 other alt lists) ...is this going to be considered/recorded officially as me turning down an acceptance? aka am i going to get blacklisted? i mean i didn't know what else to say when she called, i had already sent the card in, kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place...

should i do something? IS there something i can do? should i call them back and ask for some kind of clarification as to my status? what if they never get my alt list withdrawal, since seriously it should have been there by now?

ahhhhhhhhh FREAKING OUT

Could you have said "I actually sent in a withdrawal earlier in the week but now I've changed my mind so please toss that in the garbage can"?

 

[scgroat]

I'm a little confused. It sounds to me like you withdrew from a waitlist knowing full well that you did not have an acceptance in hand. Smack yourself for being stupid, pick yourself back up, and hope for the best.

 

[emaj1n]

Do you really need suggestions here? For goodness sake, start calling them at 7:30 tomorrow morning. You should have called them back right after you hung up the phone. You should have accepted and told them to forget the withdraw. You should have...oh nevermind.

 

[Mardi-Bob]

You made some bad decisions that do nothing but show your immaturity.
That being said, you are not screwed.
However, your stats are very average and you are an avg. to slightly below avg. applicant.
I think your biggest worry would be having to go through the same stuff next cycle. Its all a big crap shoot to a certain extent. Also, if you do end up reapplying you really need to do something to strengthen your application. For example, get involved with some group that services third world countries or something dealing with indigent health care populations(that will help with your maturity too).

As for your late withdrawal, if you really didn't want to go why did you wait so long to withdraw? This is where I personally feel like you made a mistake by not sucking up the 4 years and getting your M.D. (in the end your still a doctor). I would call begging to withdraw your withdrawal.

Thats all I got. Hope you get off your other waitlists.

 

[crazy_cavalier]

There seems to be some confusion here. My impression of the OP's circumstance is this: She was accepted to School X (I'm guessing Northeastern Ohio, based on the mdapps) after she had sent in a withdrawal notice; she has no intention of matriculating there whatsoever. Therefore, suggestions to call the school and make an attempt to take back the withdrawal are useless. Her real question is this: "Did I withdraw in time?"... more specifically, "Did I send the withdrawal soon enough so that the acceptance does not take effect, thereby clearing me of any future blacklisting when reapplying and leaving my record as a clearly pristine 'Has not been accepted in past application cycles'..."

 

[scgroat]

I think you may be right. However, I can't imagine turning down my only acceptance only to go through the same tedious process next year.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

so, i withdrew from a school (put it in the mail last friday) and today (thursday.. ie IT SHOULD BE THERE BY NOW) i get a phone call from the same school... telling me congratulations because they wanted to offer me admission from the waitlist....

at this point i was just like, um.... did you not get my response card that i was withdrawing from the alt list? she says no, i told her i mailed it last fri, she says 'oh maybe it'll come tomorrow' and tells me she'll note it in my file...basically end of conversation

so someone tell me, did i just seriously screw myself over if i have to reapply next year? (im still sitting on 2 other alt lists) ...is this going to be considered/recorded officially as me turning down an acceptance? aka am i going to get blacklisted? i mean i didn't know what else to say when she called, i had already sent the card in, kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place...

should i do something? IS there something i can do? should i call them back and ask for some kind of clarification as to my status? what if they never get my alt list withdrawal, since seriously it should have been there by now?

ahhhhhhhhh FREAKING OUT

You have as my grandmother was fond of saying "screwed yourself blue". Good luck next year.

 

[SiR99]

Why would you turn it down AFTER the person told you that you were accepted? If you withdrew it before then it makes sense, but AFTER she says you got accepted you tell her you don't want to attend their school, and by the way you wrote it in your post, it almost seems like you were a little rude as well.

hopefully they will accept you back

 

[spicedmanna]

I think you may be right. However, I can't imagine turning down my only acceptance only to go through the same tedious process next year.

Yeah, it just doesn't make any sense. Why would someone turn down an acceptance (or w/d from a waitlist, for that matter) without having another acceptance in hand? That's simply nonsensical in my opinion. But whatever.

OP, I recommend contacting the office and getting clear about your current status. What you do from there, is up to you. I would personally try to reclaim the seat.

 

[kateycat]

ok sorry little clarification here...

i absolutely hated this school when i went and that is why i decided to withdraw from the waitlist.... because i truly did not want to go to school here. I had thought about it/meant to withdraw earlier, but got so busy, and i just wanted to give myself some time to think about the decision. i knew not to give up an acceptance hence why i decided to withdraw from the waitlist before being accepted, as the letter they sent me said they did not expect any waitlist movement until june. i thought i sent it in plenty of time.

i mean if i call them what should i say? "i just wondered if you had it marked down that i wanted to withdraw my WL spot vs withdraw the acceptance you were offering me?"

ps, i did apologize after i let her know.

 

[kateycat]

There seems to be some confusion here. My impression of the OP's circumstance is this: She was accepted to School X after she had sent in a withdrawal notice; she has no intention of matriculating there whatsoever. Therefore, suggestions to call the school and make an attempt to take back the withdrawal are useless. Her real question is this: "Did I withdraw in time?"... more specifically, "Did I send the withdrawal soon enough so that the acceptance does not take effect, thereby clearing me of any future blacklisting when reapplying and leaving my record as a clearly pristine 'Has not been accepted in past application cycles'..."

yes this is exactly what i am asking.

 

[Law2Doc]

ok sorry little clarification here...

i absolutely hated this school when i went and that is why i decided to withdraw from the waitlist.... because i truly did not want to go to school here. I had thought about it/meant to withdraw earlier, but got so busy, and i just wanted to give myself some time to think about the decision. i knew not to give up an acceptance hence why i decided to withdraw from the waitlist before being accepted, as the letter they sent me said they did not expect any waitlist movement until june. i thought i sent it in plenty of time.

i mean if i call them what should i say? "i just wondered if you had it marked down that i wanted to withdraw my WL spot vs withdraw the acceptance you were offering me?"

ps, i did apologize after i let her know.

Beggars can't be choosers. Not so sure why no acceptance was better than this one. All schools look the same from the inside of a lecture hall, library or hospital ward and that is where many will spend the majority of their time. Half of all applicants will not get into any med school, let alone a choice one. But to each his/her own. The school is going to indicate you were accepted to AAMC or whoever they have to. No point calling them back.

 

[kateycat]

so they're going to say i was accepted and declined it no matter what? will that make me blacklisted then? thats what i was trying so hard to avoid... because if i would have been accepted before i sent in my withdrawal i wouldn't have turned it down, but since i had already sent it to them, i really didn't know what else to say on the phone.

i mean if i'm going to get blacklisted does that mean i really won't be able to get in anywhere ever again? i mean if thats the case i'd call and see if i could get my acceptance back, but i really don't want to go there.

 

[Meatwad]

Beggars can't be choosers. Not so sure why no acceptance was better than this one. All schools look the same from the inside of a lecture hall, library or hospital ward and that is where many will spend the majority of their time. Half of all applicants will not get into any med school, let alone a choice one. But to each his/her own. The school is going to indicate you were accepted to AAMC or whoever they have to. No point calling them back.

Well I guess the same reason people are told "go to the school you liked the most," when they ask should I go to this Ivy vs. School X. If the OP truly hated the environment, they would probably not reach anywhere near their potential. It took a lot of confidence and guts to turn this down. I wouldn't have, personally, but if she hated it as much as she said, it would be just as imprudent as someone going to a school with a good rep that they really hated just for a name, as opposed to going to Podunk if they loved it; just won't do their best. Of course, at least that person still got an acceptance somewhere, but the OP doesn't seem too broken up about having to go through the process again.

 

[spicedmanna]

Well I guess the same reason people are told "go to the school you liked the most," when they ask should I go to this Ivy vs. School X. If the OP truly hated the environment, they would probably not reach anywhere near their potential. It took a lot of confidence and guts to turn this down. I wouldn't have, personally, but if she hated it as much as she said, it would be just as imprudent as someone going to a school with a good rep that they really hated just for a name, as opposed to going to Podunk if they loved it; just won't do their best. Of course, at least that person still got an acceptance somewhere, but the OP doesn't seem too broken up about having to go through the process again.

I'm going to have to go with L2D on this one. The OP has a slightly below average MCAT, but decent GPA; all in all, she is a fairly average applicant. I think she didn't cast the net widely enough. Indeed, I think that fortune came her way and offered her an acceptance this cycle, but she didn't take what fortune had to offer, apparently. Okay, that's not the choice I would have made. There's simply no guarantee that anybody will get that same fortune twice. I'm sure it's possible to reapply and get the acceptance that one wants, but I'm not sure I would take that chance with an acceptance already in hand. I doubt it is possible for me to hate a school so much that I would put myself through the application hell again and risk not actually getting accepted. One simply adapts to her situation, when it is demanded. If you delay one cycle, you are looking at a loss of opportunity that is equal to your salary as a physician for that time. Also, you run the risk of not getting accepted again. Not a good risk, if you ask me, but I suppose everyone has different ideas of that.

OP, I wish you good luck. If you choose to reapply, I hope you will cast the net much more broadly.

 

[Law2Doc]

I wouldn't have, personally, but if she hated it as much as she said, it would be just as imprudent as someone going to a school with a good rep that they really hated just for a name, as opposed to going to Podunk if they loved it; just won't do their best.

What I'm trying to say is this whole love hate thing is overrated. Med school is going to be a chore at times regardless of where you go, and you aren't exactly going to be spending the bulk of your day enjoying the scenery. It's not like at some schools people are skipping off to class blissfully while at other places a dark cloud follows them around. If a med school has a classroom, a library, a hospital and a local pub/pizza place nearby it has everything that is necessary for a positive med school experience. The rest is up to you.

 

[kateycat]

not that this particularly matters- but i have been studying to retake the mcat (i didn't have the prereqs done before hand) and have been doing MUCH better on aamc practice tests (mostly 33s, a 32, a 34, and 36). I have also worked on the other areas of my app, and will know to apply early next time if i have to. ive gotten feedback from a school i was rejected at, i don't have any major red flags in my app. (unless of course this becomes one)

the reason i posted this thread was to ask what i should do, and if i should call the school back and verify that they have my waitlist withdrawal. i know everyone can go on and on about how i should suck it up, take the acceptance, etc, but i've already made the decision and mailed my waitlist withdrawal. i can't undo that (unless of course, it is lost in the mail somewhere).

i had come to the conclusion previously that i DID NOT want to go to the school, there was no penalty in withdrawing from the WL, i thought i was making the best decision for me. the thought never crossed my mind that 6 days later, they'd call me to offer a spot. I truly don't know what else i should have said on the phone. but more importantly, i need to know what to do NOW because i can't change what's happened already.

my question is not, should i have gone to the school? but rather will this situation impact me negatively and significantly if i need to reapply next year?

 

[Law2Doc]

my question is not, should i have gone to the school? but rather will this situation impact me negatively and significantly if i need to reapply next year?

You will have to honestly answer any questions which inquire about previous cycle acceptances. Other than that, just do what you were going to do before this happened because there is nothing you can do about it.

 

[spicedmanna]

my question is not, should i have gone to the school? but rather will this situation impact me negatively and significantly if i need to reapply next year?

It will affect you for that school, primarily, but you will likely need to disclose that you applied last cycle and had a prior acceptance when asked. I don't know if that is negative, per se, but it does have some impact, because you'll need to explain why you didn't take the spot offered to you. The results of your actions cannot really be determined with any certainty. You took a risk and I hope it pays off.

The choice you made isn't the choice I would have made, but everybody's different, of course. I'm sure you thought this though.

I wish you much luck, and I hope you do get what you want!

 

[postbacker]

So you don't want to "take back" the withdrawal, but you have some concern that the school does not understand your withdrawal is definite? Very strange thinking - what exactly do you perceive is a problem?

First why would anyone ever withdraw from ANY waitlist without another acceptance in hand - but more to your question: why even care what they think at this point? You called, they have noted it in your file, you are done with them - that is what you want, right? Obviously you are not reapplying there next year, right? Close the book on this school and never look back...

Turning down a waitlist acceptance offered after May 15 should not affect your app cycle next year...at least not until AAMCAS includes a box to check indicating you have done this...and technically you turned down this school before it even made the offer, and they have noted that fact in your file...I don't see the problem.

Frankly I think that a lot of concern on SDN over turning down acceptances and reapplying the next year are overblown...I think "blacklisting" is an urban legend (may exist in the texas system per some reports)...but like most others, I think people who turn down acceptances and reapply are NUTS!

Some of the issues people have on SDN really blow my mind...

 

[Law2Doc]

...but like most others, I think people who turn down acceptances and reapply are NUTS!

And why wouldn't you think adcom members don't have the same take.

 

[postbacker]

And why wouldn't you think adcom members don't have the same take.

I am sure that most of them would frown upon this practice, but I don't think they know anything about this unless someone is dumb enough to mention it in their PS or in an interview...I think LizzyM pointed out she would not have an inkling of this sort of thing unless she was somehow told by the applicant...these schools are all dealing with thousands of applications - they have much more important matters to deal with than trying to find out if someone is a reapplicant who turned down an acceptance last year...if it really mattered, AAMCAS would put a "check box" on the application and probably require a written explanation...

I understand that schools that accept you can check AAMCAS and see if you have other acceptances after some date (May 1?), but I have not seen any evidence that schools somehow track this sort of thing to check and see if someone is reapplying who turned down an acceptance "somewhere" the prior year...

If I am missing something, please show me some evidence...in just the last day someone pointed out a classmate who turned down acceptances, retook the MCAT and scored much higher, reapplied the next year, and has or is attending a top 5 school...

 

[Meatwad]

I agree with you L2D and spicedmana, I suppose I was just trying to see things from the OP's point of view. I personally would not apply somewhere I would not attend; it's unfair to others and could lead to a situation like this which would be shooting myself in the foot for the future. What's done is done, and good luck to you OP.

 

[dbhvt]

Med school is going to be a chore at times regardless of where you go, and you aren't exactly going to be spending the bulk of your day enjoying the scenery.

Maybe the scenery at your school is just bad. Personally, I like the scenery here.

Really, the idea that location has no impact on your happiness is silly. Maybe some people have this amazing character trait where their internal sense of happiness or sadness transcends their environment, but I think it's judgemental to expect it of everyone. Some people are happy in cities, some people prefer urban environments, west coast, east coast, etc...

 

[MedStudentWanna]

I am sure that most of them would frown upon this practice, but I don't think they know anything about this unless someone is dumb enough to mention it in their PS or in an interview...I think LizzyM pointed out she would not have an inkling of this sort of thing unless she was somehow told by the applicant...these schools are all dealing with thousands of applications - they have much more important matters to deal with than trying to find out if someone is a reapplicant who turned down an acceptance last year...if it really mattered, AAMCAS would put a "check box" on the application and probably require a written explanation...

I'm pretty sure there IS a check box on AMCAS that asks if you've applied to med school before, then asks for the results or explanation.

 

[postbacker]

I'm pretty sure there IS a check box on AMCAS that asks if you've applied to med school before, then asks for the results or explanation.

If so, then it is a definite problem...I haven't even started a post bac yet, so I must defer to others on this...can anyone who has actually done the app confirm this?

Also - can anyone comment if they were asked this question in an interview?

 

[MedStudentWanna]

However, your stats are very average and you are an avg. to slightly below avg. applicant.

I hate this kind of reply because it's NOT TRUE! The OP has a 3.8 overall GPA, a 3.7 science GPA, and a 29 O MCAT with no section below 9. Where do you get below average when average for med schools is a 3.5 GPA and a 29 MCAT? No, she won't get into Harvard, but if this person posted a "what are my chances" thread, you'd all call her a troll and tell her to get lost.

She also has 2 years of clinical experience (more than many other people on this site) and worked two part-time jobs through school. I would add more EC's, but to say she's below average is silly unless she's aiming for the top 10.

 

[melissainsd]

I think if you can explain it, you will be fine. I wonder what the school would have thought if you had accepted on the phone only to receive your WL withdrawal a few days later? You truly were between a rock and a hard place.

If there is a place for explanation on your app, I think you will be fine. You can say you were offered admission to a school after you withdrew. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind about a school after you interview. They all say the interview is a time for applicants to see if we like the school. I don't think it shows immaturity that you made an informed decision not to go. But next time, email the admissions office your withdrawal and then send a hard copy in the mail.

 

[SnowTown]

I agree with you L2D and spicedmana, I suppose I was just trying to see things from the OP's point of view. I personally would not apply somewhere I would not attend; it's unfair to others and could lead to a situation like this which would be shooting myself in the foot for the future. What's done is done, and good luck to you OP.

I'm guessing she (he?) only found out that she doesn't like the school AFTER she interviewed/visited the school.

 

[Ersatzious]

I'm pretty sure there IS a check box on AMCAS that asks if you've applied to med school before, then asks for the results or explanation.

False.

The only explanation you have to provide is if you matriculated at a medical school and then subsequently dropped out. You do have to indicate if you are a re-applicant to the programs you designate for receipt of the primary application, but no explanations are needed. All re-applicants have to make the same designations.

The only way an institution can find out that you declined an acceptance is if the secondary asks (very rare, AECOM is one of the few examples) or someone inquiries in an interview. There is no indication on your AMCAS, either provided by you or included by the AAMC that you are a re-applicant who declined or deferred an acceptance.

Relax, OP. 1. There is little to no communication between allopathic and osteopathic admissions. 2. No allopathic program is going to care if you turned down a non-allo acceptance.

 

[postbacker]

I think if you can explain it, you will be fine. I wonder what the school would have thought if you had accepted on the phone only to receive your WL withdrawal a few days later? You truly were between a rock and a hard place.

If there is a place for explanation on your app, I think you will be fine. You can say you were offered admission to a school after you withdrew. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind about a school after you interview. They all say the interview is a time for applicants to see if we like the school. I don't think it shows immaturity that you made an informed decision not to go. But next time, email the admissions office your withdrawal and then send a hard copy in the mail.

As a recent applicant, can you comment on this? Is there a "check box" or somewhere on the online app where this is asked? Or do individual schools ask about it on the secondaries? Or did anyone ask you at an interview?

 

[melissainsd]

As a recent applicant, can you comment on this? Is there a "check box" or somewhere on the online app where this is asked? Or do individual schools ask about it on the secondaries? Or did anyone ask you at an interview?

See above post. Ersatzious said it perfectly.

 

[postbacker]

False.

The only explanation you have to provide is if you matriculated at a medical school and then subsequently dropped out. You do have to indicate if you are a re-applicant to the programs you designate for receipt of the primary application, but no explanations are needed. All re-applicants have to make the same designations.

The only way an institution can find out that you declined an acceptance is if the secondary asks (very rare, AECOM is one of the few examples) or someone inquiries in an interview. There is no indication on your AMCAS, either provided by you or included by the AAMC that you are a re-applicant who declined or deferred an acceptance.

Relax, OP. 1. There is little to no communication between allopathic and osteopathic admissions. 2. No allopathic program is going to care if you turned down a non-allo acceptance.

First, thanks for clearing up the check box question. I did not think it to be the case...don't ask / don't tell...

Your post led me to look at her mdapps just now, and I see you have nailed it...OP is bummed out by the osteo acceptance...she should have mentioned this detail in her post...since it appears to be her only osteo app, it begs the question why she didn't apply to others, or, why did she even apply here in the first place if she only wanted allo, and upon discovering she did not like the place, why didn't she drop it from consideration a long time ago???

I agree, she should not worry about turning this down, but I find her decision making process bizarre...and I think that if she had to explain it, she would just dig the hole deeper for herself...

 

[kateycat]

thank you guys. i really appreciate the positive comments... i am trying to relax a little now.

anyways, i'll give you a little more insight into my decision making process: i was a transfer student in undergrad. i went to a smaller school that i didn't really want to go to, because i got accepted into my chosen major there. i rationalized that it couldn't be that bad, and that it would only be a few years... but i hated the environment, and i was miserable. i went home almost every weekend. then, i realized that life was too short to really be this miserable- and so i transferred, found a similar major i enjoyed, and now i am much, much happier.

that being said- location and happiness DO matter, at least to me. i could have stayed at the school i hated, sucked it up, but to me it wasn't worth it. med school will be hard, but it shouldn't be miserable- there is a difference.

 

[kateycat]

sorry, i seem to see some confusion here.... i didn't apply to any DO schools... does that make a difference?

 

[postbacker]

sorry, i seem to see some confusion here.... i didn't apply to any DO schools... does that make a difference?

I googled the "Northeast Ohio Universities" page and read something about DOCS on the first page and assumed it meant DO (I see now it is something else altogether) and did not see the MD bit. My bad...never heard of this school before...

No, it really doesn't make a difference. Read all of my posts on this thread, and although I think what you are doing is kooky, I don't really see any problem with it, either.

 

[Ersatzious]

i didn't apply to any DO schools... does that make a difference?

No.

 

[Mastac741]

thank you guys. i really appreciate the positive comments... i am trying to relax a little now.

anyways, i'll give you a little more insight into my decision making process: i was a transfer student in undergrad. i went to a smaller school that i didn't really want to go to, because i got accepted into my chosen major there. i rationalized that it couldn't be that bad, and that it would only be a few years... but i hated the environment, and i was miserable. i went home almost every weekend. then, i realized that life was too short to really be this miserable- and so i transferred, found a similar major i enjoyed, and now i am much, much happier.

that being said- location and happiness DO matter, at least to me. i could have stayed at the school i hated, sucked it up, but to me it wasn't worth it. med school will be hard, but it shouldn't be miserable- there is a difference.

I say you go where you can. You can't start choosing unless you have TWO offers. I think you deserve to not go to medical school

 

[pennybridge]

All schools look the same from the inside of a lecture hall

not true. my school's lecture hall is filled with perfectly tanned bodies.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

that being said- location and happiness DO matter, at least to me. i could have stayed at the school i hated, sucked it up, but to me it wasn't worth it. med school will be hard, but it shouldn't be miserable- there is a difference.

The people who tell you that location shouldn't matter are people who've probably never lived some place where they were absolutely miserable before. You're right. Medical school is hard enough without the depression that comes from being some place that makes you that miserable.

That said, are you giving the place a fair shake? Is it the weather you don't like or the surroundings or the crime or the neighborhoods? Have you considered the possibility you could learn to like it? I've lived in places I didn't like before and one place that comes to mind, I eventually didn't want to leave. I might move back there after med school, in fact. Maybe you could take another look at why you feel you'll be miserable there.

 

[Law2Doc]

not true. my school's lecture hall is filled with perfectly tanned bodies.

They all are. Most are in better shape than at your school though.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

sorry, i seem to see some confusion here.... i didn't apply to any DO schools... does that make a difference?

only if you plan on becoming a dermatologist

 

[Law2Doc]

The people who tell you that location shouldn't matter are people who've probably never lived some place where they were absolutely miserable before. You're right. Medical school is hard enough without the depression that comes from being some place that makes you that miserable.

That said, are you giving the place a fair shake? Is it the weather you don't like or the surroundings or the crime or the neighborhoods? Have you considered the possibility you could learn to like it? I've lived in places I didn't like before and one place that comes to mind, I eventually didn't want to leave. I might move back there after med school, in fact. Maybe you could take another look at why you feel you'll be miserable there.

Actually going to med school in a better location is going to be much more depressing because you are always going to be missing out on more. You really want to go to med school where it's always cold and rainy, so when you are stuck inside studying on a Saturday afternoon you know no one else is on the beach having more fun than you.

 

[remo]

so, i withdrew from a school (put it in the mail last friday) and today (thursday.. ie IT SHOULD BE THERE BY NOW) i get a phone call from the same school... telling me congratulations because they wanted to offer me admission from the waitlist....

at this point i was just like, um.... did you not get my response card that i was withdrawing from the alt list? she says no, i told her i mailed it last fri, she says 'oh maybe it'll come tomorrow' and tells me she'll note it in my file...basically end of conversation

so someone tell me, did i just seriously screw myself over if i have to reapply next year? (im still sitting on 2 other alt lists) ...is this going to be considered/recorded officially as me turning down an acceptance? aka am i going to get blacklisted? i mean i didn't know what else to say when she called, i had already sent the card in, kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place...

should i do something? IS there something i can do? should i call them back and ask for some kind of clarification as to my status? what if they never get my alt list withdrawal, since seriously it should have been there by now?

ahhhhhhhhh FREAKING OUT

Your letter was postmarked well before the school accepted you. They should have already processed your withdrawal so IMO it is their fault. I would argue that this shouldn't count as an declining an acceptance because the school is slow to process their mail. Anyway, just another reason to use email for everything.......

 

[Nikki2002]

neoucom is in the middle of nowhere in a very safe area. it is EXTREMELY difficult to get into neoucom if you are not in their bs/md program. they accept maybe a handful (around 10) direct entry applicants each year

 

[spicedmanna]

The people who tell you that location shouldn't matter are people who've probably never lived some place where they were absolutely miserable before. You're right. Medical school is hard enough without the depression that comes from being some place that makes you that miserable.

That's not a good generalization to make, and it really doesn't apply to me. Suffice it say that I've lived in a number of locations, some of which I managed to just barely tolerate, some of which I actually liked a lot. It's true that where you live can make a difference in the quality of your experience; there's no doubt about that. I, however, have learned how to make the best of just about every situation I've been and lived in. It is possible to create the feeling of home, no matter where you are. I have been able to find a sense of happiness that is independent of location and situation. I don't think I'm special. I think anybody can learn this; it starts with willingness and acceptance. That being said, one should follow the path that has heart for them; naturally, this is highly individual and it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks of it. You are living for you, not for someone else. So f*** 'em. Listen to feedback and make your own choices; do what pleases you.

Of course, given options, a individual should take the one that fits best, but it often comes down to what is an acceptable and comfortable risk for you. The OP decided that she would rather risk not getting in anywhere and lose some time and money, rather than going to a place that she didn't think she would be happy attending. She wasn't willing to accept wherever she landed. That's actually fine. It just has greater risk, in my opinion, that's all. Of course, taking the greater risk means that there could be a greater pay-off subsequently, i.e., she could get into a school that she really aligns with. On the other hand, she could waste another year and not get in anywhere. What is the acceptable and comfortable risk for you? It's individual. Since my happiness is location-independent for the most part, I wouldn't want to take that risk and have that additional time and money lost in reapplication, with an acceptance already in hand. But that's me. I didn't have to make that choice, so it's largely irrelevant anyway.

I deeply appreciate and feel very fortunate that I manifested the perfect situation for me. I sincerely wish the OP good luck and fortune in doing the same!