If I get rejected everywhere

[bonvoyage]

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i sort of really want to be a dr. but im kinda old. and if i get rejected, i am not doing smp or anything else to "beef up" my application, so effectively i would consider a different career. i am a college grad and i am unemployed, typical premed major. so i'll find out if im rejected everywhere by this spring, right? i'll chill meanwhile. but what other careers would u suggest to someone who is good in science, but quite up to ph.d. level?

also i will be very demoralized because i told my friends that i am applying to med schools and that i am looking forward to spending another 4yrs partying and studying. but whatever, i'll be honest and tell them i failed. so would you suggest teaching or nypd or something? it seems that cops make more $$ but teachers have more vacation, so can develop your other interests.

 

[p30doc]

If you really want to be a doctor you will make it happen, if you don't you won't. Test you interest in things and figure out what you like no one can tell you that. There are plenty of people in their 40s who still don't know what they want to be when they grow up. Also med school is not another 4 yrs of partying.

 

[bonvoyage]

If you really want to be a doctor you will make it happen, if you don't you won't. Test you interest in things and figure out what you like no one can tell you that. There are plenty of people in their 40s who still don't know what they want to be when they grow up. Also med school is not another 4 yrs of partying.

i have my lapses but i am not the kind of person who "wouldnt know what to do when u grow up" when you're 30+ and balding. i need to get a real job and a career starting next summer.

 

[DrYoda]

If you really want to be a doctor you will make it happen, if you don't you won't. Test you interest in things and figure out what you like no one can tell you that. There are plenty of people in their 40s who still don't know what they want to be when they grow up. Also med school is not another 4 yrs of partying.

aaaaaaaawwwwwwww :cry: my dream just died.

 

[bonvoyage]

aaaaaaaawwwwwwww :cry: my dream just died.

look staying in school is a lifestyle. this sentence was taken out of context. basically if you intended to go to med school and then suddenly switch to being a "teacher" or "cop", it is really embarrassing.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Also med school is not another 4 yrs of partying.

I dunno. My first 2 months indicate otherwise. There are fewer opportunities for partying but the ones we have are pretty impressive. Med students work hard but also play hard. 😉

 

[ar2388]

how about a research job? i know someone who has a biochem BS and it working with estee lauder right now doing research. or get a masters and you pay get better pay at a research job, altho not sure about that. and if you really really like research, consider a phd.. you get a stipend for living expensese

 

[bonvoyage]

I dunno. My first 2 months indicate otherwise. There are fewer opportunities for partying but the ones we have are pretty impressive. Med students work hard but also play hard. 😉

i meant that you could interact with other university students. you know 18yo freshmen. in the real world, your coworkers might have a wife and kids lol.

 

[bonvoyage]

how about a research job? i know someone who has a biochem BS and it working with estee lauder right now doing research. or get a masters and you pay get better pay at a research job, altho not sure about that. and if you really really like research, consider a phd.. you get a stipend for living expensese

yeah right. do you know how much effort it takes to get somewhere in research? with a b.s. degree i can get the same job that a summer undergrad student gets in a prof's lab... and if you want to be a professor(with your ph.d.) you have to study for 5yrs on a miserly allowance(not to mention that no one would take me to a reputable ph.d. program, where would i get the lors?), and then you have to keep churning out those papers to get anywhere. i am not saying that research is bad. but if i wanted to do that, i'd go to med school and then perhaps go into academic medicine. if i cant even get into med school, then the idea is laughable.

 

[airplanes]

on a related note...i'm thinking about applying to teach for america right now as a "backup" if I don't get into med school this cycle. Do you guys think that is fair to TFA? I read on their website that applications are non-binding but I don't know if I would feel deceptive/guilty about writing up a personal statement and interviewing for a job that is actually my second choice...😕

 

[bonvoyage]

on a related note...i'm thinking about applying to teach for america right now as a "backup" if I don't get into med school this cycle. Do you guys think that is fair to TFA? I read on their website that applications are non-binding but I don't know if I would feel deceptive/guilty about writing up a personal statement and interviewing for a job that is actually my second choice...😕

i wouldnt worry about it as long as it's not your 10th choice. they're the ones who provoke this by making the application process so long... and isnt this a job that pays like nothing? i dont understand whats the appeal?

 

[scarletgirl777]

on a related note...i'm thinking about applying to teach for america right now as a "backup" if I don't get into med school this cycle. Do you guys think that is fair to TFA? I read on their website that applications are non-binding but I don't know if I would feel deceptive/guilty about writing up a personal statement and interviewing for a job that is actually my second choice...😕

If they ask you what other opportunities you are applying for, do you have an answer ready? They are not going to want to hear medical school.

TFA is a very competitive program and there are hundreds of students eager to do it. I'm sure they will be just fine if you change your mind later. Maybe you should apply right before the last available deadline so that you aren't in a position where they are asking you to sign a contract and you're still waiting to find out if you're getting into medical school because backing out of a contract would be pretty bad.

 

[chris1264]

pa school?

 

[bonvoyage]

pa school?

yeah right

 

[wasteoftime]

Look into a professional science masters. You could quite possibly make more than an MD with this degree eventually if you have the brains and work ethic, and its only 2 years.

http://www.sciencemasters.com

 

[bonvoyage]

Look into a professional science masters. You could quite possibly make more than an MD with this degree eventually if you have the brains and work ethic, and its only 2 years.

http://www.sciencemasters.com

hey thanks. i looked at the list of the programs. and i get the idea. they range from biology to financial mathematics. but most of those schools are not ranked highly in those disciplines. either way i do like some of the programs, whether it would be science or a number of other areas. but the application process is not easy... i could not ask a professor who wrote me a letter for med school to now write me one for financial math program.... by the way of all the professional programs, i think the most logical for someone who is no longer into medicine but wants to stay close is medical physics http://medicalphysics.duke.edu/graduate.html
but again i wouldnt ask for LORs now. and im not really passionate about any of those programs anyway. so i can really only choose from programs that dont require things like gre, LORs,etc.

 

[DrYoda]

hey thanks. i looked at the list of the programs. and i get the idea. they range from biology to financial mathematics. but most of those schools are not ranked highly in those disciplines. either way i do like some of the programs, whether it would be science or a number of other areas. but the application process is not easy... i could not ask a professor who wrote me a letter for med school to now write me one for financial math program.... by the way of all the professional programs, i think the most logical for someone who is no longer into medicine but wants to stay close is medical physics http://medicalphysics.duke.edu/graduate.html
but again i wouldnt ask for LORs now. and im not really passionate about any of those programs anyway. so i can really only choose from programs that dont require things like gre, LORs,etc.

I think pretty much any graduate/professional program is going to want LORs. Also, you could always take the GRE, I wouldn't eliminate something you're interested in just because it requires a test.

 

[bonvoyage]

I think pretty much any graduate/professional program is going to want LORs. Also, you could always take the GRE, I wouldn't eliminate something you're interested in just because it requires a test.

not going to ask my profs for new letters. and i got 98%ile on mcat. not going to get pwned by gre. basically, not interested in any other graduate programs.

 

[majestic red]

If they ask you what other opportunities you are applying for, do you have an answer ready? They are not going to want to hear medical school.

TFA is a very competitive program and there are hundreds of students eager to do it. I'm sure they will be just fine if you change your mind later. Maybe you should apply right before the last available deadline so that you aren't in a position where they are asking you to sign a contract and you're still waiting to find out if you're getting into medical school because backing out of a contract would be pretty bad.

I spoke with a Teach for America recruiter that came to my school, and he really encouraged me to apply even though I made it clear to him that I was already in the med school application cycle. He mentioned that many medical schools will defer admission for TFA and encouraged me to apply anyway, emphasizing that it wouldn't be binding... then he gave me a pamphet about their alumni in medicine. I think that when they say it's non-binding, it really is non-binding. Also, if it's something you really want to do, it looks like you can do it even if you do get into med school.

 

[airplanes]

I spoke with a Teach for America recruiter that came to my school, and he really encouraged me to apply even though I made it clear to him that I was already in the med school application cycle. He mentioned that many medical schools will defer admission for TFA and encouraged me to apply anyway, emphasizing that it wouldn't be binding... then he gave me a pamphet about their alumni in medicine. I think that when they say it's non-binding, it really is non-binding. Also, if it's something you really want to do, it looks like you can do it even if you do get into med school.

👍, thanks!

 

[bonvoyage]

hey i just looked at the TFA website. and i became somewhat interested. how is it different from a regular teaching job? i mean i understand u would teach at a high school in an inner city. but what do you get out of the experience other than "teaching"?

 

[p30doc]

hey i just looked at the TFA website. and i became somewhat interested. how is it different from a regular teaching job? i mean i understand u would teach at a high school in an inner city. but what do you get out of the experience other than "teaching"?

gold bouillon

 

[Wylde]

Do something you enjoy, instead of worrying so much about the money.

If you think you would enjoy being a teacher, be a teacher
If you think you would enjoy being a cop, be a cop

Also, there are many healthcare jobs to consider. I do not know why you so definitively shunned being a PA (and seem pessimistic about basically having to try to obtain a goal); PAs work with doctors, work with patients, etc. There are many similarities between PAs and Doctors.

Why do you want to be a doctor? Answer this, then find careers that have similarities (pharmarcy, optometry, PA, nurse, etc.)

Also, is 1 year going to make you significantly too old? Unless you have family obligations, I do not see how 1 year makes your dreams impractical. Are you going to limit yourself to 3-year residencies, especially because some will take 4+ more years!

 

[njbmd]

i sort of really want to be a dr. but im kinda old. and if i get rejected, i am not doing smp or anything else to "beef up" my application, so effectively i would consider a different career. i am a college grad and i am unemployed, typical premed major. so i'll find out if im rejected everywhere by this spring, right? i'll chill meanwhile. but what other careers would u suggest to someone who is good in science, but quite up to ph.d. level?

also i will be very demoralized because i told my friends that i am applying to med schools and that i am looking forward to spending another 4yrs partying and studying. but whatever, i'll be honest and tell them i failed. so would you suggest teaching or nypd or something? it seems that cops make more $$ but teachers have more vacation, so can develop your other interests.

If you really want to be a doctor you will make it happen, if you don't you won't. Test you interest in things and figure out what you like no one can tell you that. There are plenty of people in their 40s who still don't know what they want to be when they grow up. Also med school is not another 4 yrs of partying.

If you do not gain acceptance into medicine school (and most folks won't on the first try), then you won't gain acceptance. The thing will be what it will be. Why do your feel that you would be "demoralized" if you don't get in? I certainly would hope that your morals are not that flimsy that they leave you when you need them most. I also wouldn't want a police officer or teacher with this type of attitude as neither of those professions are easy to practice especially if your morals are lacking. I don't think that NYPD (or any school system) is going to beat a path to your door.

Since I entered medical school much older than 40 and have now completed a residency and fellowship (don't party much either as the poster above points out accurately), I find your possible solution to your problem somewhat puzzling. You say that you aspire to one of the most demanding and difficult professional schools and training yet you want to "throw in the towel" if you can't get in because you are "somewhat older".

Take a couple of years and figure out what you want to do. After that you might achieve some success and have "party time" that you seem to need. If you get reject everywhere, those schools may be providing you with a much-needed lesson (albeit expensive). If you get accepted, seriously look into what you have signed on for as you may find that it's not as wonderful as you would believe from the first day of orientation. There will be some hard work ahead of you or else and some serious debt to pay off.

 

[Law2Doc]

i meant that you could interact with other university students. you know 18yo freshmen...

Hmmm, someone who claims to be "kinda old" but then uses IM style typing like "u" instead of "you", "pwned", no punctuation. And is worried about not having 4 years of partying and opportunity to meet 18 yo freshmen if they don't get into med school. I'm not really buying it. But if you are for real, I think you (1) need a reality check in terms of your age, (2) need to figure out what you want to do with your life, and (3) get a reality check regarding med school.

People don't jump from medicine to eg being a cop at the drop of a hat. If you are able to do this either-or so easily, then you aren't likely ready to commit to the lifelong grueling path that is medicine. This is also evidence by the fact that you aren't willing to fix your app if you don't get in easily and yet are quick to reject the PA path as an option to stay in healthcare. You only go into medicine if you are really sure this is how you want to spend your life, not because you told people you were going to, or because you think it's an opportunity to keep in school. It's a really bad path for that, since seats are limited, and it's such a long, hard and expensive path. There are better graduate paths to "hide out" in if staying a student is the real goal, and it appears to be from your posts.

As for med school being 4 years of partying, I think you may need to talk to a few more med students. Most work harder than they party. During the first two years, you will have big parties after each exam, but for many, the amount of going out between those monthly events is pretty nonexistent. You spend many many sunny weekends in the library as a med student, and many nights in the books. If you don't, you quickly can find yourself on the 5 year program (at a cost of another $40k). You won't have anything close to the free time you had in college, sorry. And in third year, you will have limited weekends off, and probably will be staying overnight at the hospital every couple of days -- hardly conducive to regular partying. So at least research what you are going into before you assume this is a good path to party regularly and seek out 18 year olds.

And use regular words -- if you haven't noticed, the only ones who use the IM abbreviations on here are the high schoolers and/or the trolls. The majority of folks on the board actually write out words, use capitalization and punctuation. (Which makes it seem like you aren't, actually, "kinda old" to me.) Again, I'm not really buying your story at all, but gave you advice on the off chance you are for real. Good luck.

 

[jy54]

Why not go to a Caribbean school? I don't know what your stats are, but they're probably sufficient. If u get into ross or sgu (and you don't suck at life), then you WILL pass the Step exams and get a U.S. residency. IMO, it definitely beats having to apply to osteopathic schools for the "other" medical degree.

In any case, the following proverb rings true:
"If there is a will, then there is a way."

 

[Law2Doc]

If u get into ross or sgu (and you don't suck at life), then you WILL pass the Step exams and get a U.S. residency.

The attrition at all caribbean schools is quite high. Especially so at the top ones, which like to boast high step scores and match results, meaning they have to dump a portion of the class to be able to make those claims. The odds of even getting to the stage that you'll take the steps isn't close to comparable to US schools. And while these schools do better than many offshore places, currently the odds of landing a US residency as a non-US graduate is 40%, and declining as the number of US students increases significantly each year (while the number of residencies hasn't). While this might be the best option for the OP, it should never ever be regarded as a sure thing. It is a lower odds "second chance" to get to a US residency -- it should never be regarded as a good substitute for (1) fixing your stats to get into a US school, (2) osteo. (An MD from an offshore locale isn't going to have less of a stigma to the folks that have those issues than osteo, sorry. A caribbean degree is far more of an "other" degree, in the eyes of US MDs)

 

[bonvoyage]

Why not go to a Caribbean school? I don't know what your stats are, but they're probably sufficient. If u get into ross or sgu (and you don't suck at life), then you WILL pass the Step exams and get a U.S. residency. IMO, it definitely beats having to apply to osteopathic schools for the "other" medical degree.

In any case, the following proverb rings true:
"If there is a will, then there is a way."

as lawdoc posted below you, this is a ******ed choice. md>do>caribbean. my mcat score is average at wustl. so if i get rejected everywhere and still want medicine, then (as mentioned above), TFA is by far the best choice. it is 2yrs and it virtually guarantees to beef up your EC's. and of course you get a lot of free time(teachers do have vacations) and you can try to get finance internships in the summer to explore things. all while continuing volunteering at EM if unsure about medicine.
but TFA is a lot of work. it's sort of like SMP. im not humiliating myself if i get rejected by a girl and not doing the same for med schools. i am now thinking that i'll just be a military officer if i get rejected. i think that is something i might like, or at least i would definitely like it more than being a h.s. teacher. but then i can pretty much forget about med school because my mcat scores will expire. but i still hope i will not make this decision when the spring comes. i did not make this thread because i am so hopeless, i just might be in the spring.

 

[bonvoyage]

Hmmm, someone who claims to be "kinda old" but then uses IM style typing like "u" instead of "you", "pwned", no punctuation. And is worried about not having 4 years of partying and opportunity to meet 18 yo freshmen if they don't get into med school. I'm not really buying it. But if you are for real, I think you (1) need a reality check in terms of your age, (2) need to figure out what you want to do with your life, and (3) get a reality check regarding med school.

People don't jump from medicine to eg being a cop at the drop of a hat. If you are able to do this either-or so easily, then you aren't likely ready to commit to the lifelong grueling path that is medicine. This is also evidence by the fact that you aren't willing to fix your app if you don't get in easily and yet are quick to reject the PA path as an option to stay in healthcare. You only go into medicine if you are really sure this is how you want to spend your life, not because you told people you were going to, or because you think it's an opportunity to keep in school. It's a really bad path for that, since seats are limited, and it's such a long, hard and expensive path. There are better graduate paths to "hide out" in if staying a student is the real goal, and it appears to be from your posts.

As for med school being 4 years of partying, I think you may need to talk to a few more med students. Most work harder than they party. During the first two years, you will have big parties after each exam, but for many, the amount of going out between those monthly events is pretty nonexistent. You spend many many sunny weekends in the library as a med student, and many nights in the books. If you don't, you quickly can find yourself on the 5 year program (at a cost of another $40k). You won't have anything close to the free time you had in college, sorry. And in third year, you will have limited weekends off, and probably will be staying overnight at the hospital every couple of days -- hardly conducive to regular partying. So at least research what you are going into before you assume this is a good path to party regularly and seek out 18 year olds.

And use regular words -- if you haven't noticed, the only ones who use the IM abbreviations on here are the high schoolers and/or the trolls. The majority of folks on the board actually write out words, use capitalization and punctuation. (Which makes it seem like you aren't, actually, "kinda old" to me.) Again, I'm not really buying your story at all, but gave you advice on the off chance you are for real. Good luck.

why dont u correct everyone who uses your/you're and then/than and its/it's interchangeably?? those are repulsive mistakes, while my lack of capitalization or punctuation or acronyms is designed to type more efficiently. your accusation about 18yo girl or partying is out of context. it was just an example of how being in college is different from being in the real world. and i'm not averse to getting a real job and being surrounded by all those 25-30yo people(i'll do it eventually, whether this year or 10yrs from now). but you know once you're out of college, you miss it. btw i've never called you a tool, but you essentially did, as did many others in this thread. in real life people usually treat others the same way they want to be treated themselves.

and i dont remember who mentioned pharmacy or PA school. wtf?? if i were interested in that, i wouldnt be posting on this forum.

 

[MilkmanAl]

L2D's advice is solid whether you like it or not.

and i dont remember who mentioned pharmacy or PA school. wtf?? if i were interested in that, i wouldnt be posting on this forum.

I'm sure all the people who've been giving you sound advice on alternative health care professions are extremely sorry. They won't do it again.

And use regular words -- if you haven't noticed, the only ones who use the IM abbreviations on here are the high schoolers and/or the trolls. The majority of folks on the board actually write out words, use capitalization and punctuation. (Which makes it seem like you aren't, actually, "kinda old" to me.) Again, I'm not really buying your story at all, but gave you advice on the off chance you are for real.

That about sums up my opinion on the subject.

 

[Dr Lyss]

Based on most of your other posts and your attitude in this thread I'm guessing you are either a troll or really really immature... probably a mixture of both