Realized this thread had too much information that compromised anonymity.
Last edited:
Personal Problem and Med School Transfer
- Thread starter MadKanMan
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2009
- Messages
- 1,333
- Reaction score
- 24
My school has a similar system of splitting up students in 3rd/4th year and the only time people were granted a transfer is if they had a fiance/wife in the other city. I don't know if your school is as strict but I guess it can't hurt to try.
2
235009
two things:
1. your reason isn't a good one. it's one thing to want to move closer to family, etc but it's another thing to want to transfer because you might as well be at a better school if you're going to be far anyway
2. the schools you are thinking of (those that'll give you better opportunities) probably won't have open spots for second or third year and are probably not accepting transfers.
that being said i think the way to go about this is trying to solve the issue within your school and then you can apply for transfer... you have nothing to lose from the application standpoint but the problem might be that when your administration catches wind of your desire that might not bode well for you when it comes time to writing MSPE letters.
finally, since transferring probably won't work out, you just need to take this as a life lesson. you knew when you matriculated that you were risking being sent away for 3rd and 4th yr and as long as the school didn't assure you before you matriculated that your reason for staying was a valid one (i'm assuming you either didn't ask or they said they decide that later) you should have taken that risk into consideration when making your final decision. at the end of the day you're probably just going to have to make the best of a bad situation, learn from it and move on.
1. your reason isn't a good one. it's one thing to want to move closer to family, etc but it's another thing to want to transfer because you might as well be at a better school if you're going to be far anyway
2. the schools you are thinking of (those that'll give you better opportunities) probably won't have open spots for second or third year and are probably not accepting transfers.
that being said i think the way to go about this is trying to solve the issue within your school and then you can apply for transfer... you have nothing to lose from the application standpoint but the problem might be that when your administration catches wind of your desire that might not bode well for you when it comes time to writing MSPE letters.
finally, since transferring probably won't work out, you just need to take this as a life lesson. you knew when you matriculated that you were risking being sent away for 3rd and 4th yr and as long as the school didn't assure you before you matriculated that your reason for staying was a valid one (i'm assuming you either didn't ask or they said they decide that later) you should have taken that risk into consideration when making your final decision. at the end of the day you're probably just going to have to make the best of a bad situation, learn from it and move on.
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2012
- Messages
- 4,559
- Reaction score
- 14,288
Yeah, I have to agree. I don't think a school is going to take you as a transfer because you don't like your school. For one thing, how do you know the administration at the schools you're considering is any less "stressful"? Secondly, transfers typically don't happen until 3rd year because most medical schools have different curriculums. If your first block was only Class A, Class B, and Class C, how can you transfer to a school whose first block was Class A, Class C, and Class D (but not Class B)? Given that you're already a half semester into first year, it would only work if the schools had very similar curriculums.
My advice would be to stay where you are and make the most of it. All schools offer you academic opportunities. You just have to be proactive and make the most of them.
My advice would be to stay where you are and make the most of it. All schools offer you academic opportunities. You just have to be proactive and make the most of them.
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2007
- Messages
- 3,266
- Reaction score
- 805
Simple solution, convince or pay another student to switch with you.
I am sure there are plenty of people that would trade with you in a heartbeat for a $500.
I am sure there are plenty of people that would trade with you in a heartbeat for a $500.
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2007
- Messages
- 8,317
- Reaction score
- 9,298
Putting your ego first will serve you well in the future.
You knew what you were getting into when you accepted the seat in the class.
If you really want to change schools, drop out and reapply, since you're such a great candidate, I'm sure schools will line up to accept you. Particularly when you explain how you dropped out when you didn't get your way.
If you really had a compelling reason to stay, the school would be happy to work with you. They have no interest in increasing your stress levels and decreasing your satisfaction by sending you away unnecessarily.
You knew what you were getting into when you accepted the seat in the class.
If you really want to change schools, drop out and reapply, since you're such a great candidate, I'm sure schools will line up to accept you. Particularly when you explain how you dropped out when you didn't get your way.
If you really had a compelling reason to stay, the school would be happy to work with you. They have no interest in increasing your stress levels and decreasing your satisfaction by sending you away unnecessarily.
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2012
- Messages
- 577
- Reaction score
- 698
This will absolutely work. If the only problem you have with the school is where you would be located MS3/4, then just pay someone to trade.
- Joined
- May 20, 2010
- Messages
- 5,291
- Reaction score
- 6,897
Wow they won't even take seperating you from your spouse as a valid reason? That's pretty weak.
But yeah just trade with someone. As long as the other location doesn't suck so bad that nobody else would want to trade you should be able to find a taker for the right price.
- Joined
- Jun 28, 2011
- Messages
- 3,477
- Reaction score
- 1,676
3rd year is a long ways away and eventually, you're going to have to move away from your family.
Unless you are a caregiver for a family member, I wouldn't stress about it. Going through the whole process of admissions is such a pain in the ass and from the sounds of it, you've already matriculated, so reapplying would basically be impossible since most schools won't accept anyone who's matriculated previously.
Transferring only works for special snowflakes and most of us aren't special snowflakes.
Unless you are a caregiver for a family member, I wouldn't stress about it. Going through the whole process of admissions is such a pain in the ass and from the sounds of it, you've already matriculated, so reapplying would basically be impossible since most schools won't accept anyone who's matriculated previously.
Transferring only works for special snowflakes and most of us aren't special snowflakes.
- Joined
- May 20, 2008
- Messages
- 77
- Reaction score
- 15
If this separation was such a big deal, why wouldn't you discuss this in detail with them before enrolling there?
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2007
- Messages
- 8,317
- Reaction score
- 9,298
I don't think that, the school you decided to attend does.
Exactly.
If you're lucky one of your classmates will hook up with another and want to switch locations to stay together.
You could also pay them to switch, but I would bet it will be closer to $5000 than $500 for two years of exile to a less desirable area.
Texas Tech used to do this and I couldn't help but wonder why people would want to go there if they had other choices and they were interested in a competitive specialty. You work on building a relationship with physicians early in your desired specialty, try to pick up some research opportunities, etc. and than you're thrown off the island and have to start over again with a new group of faculty. It's an unnecessary hurdle.
Last edited:
2
235009
this is a good point...
i would suggest you keep your discontent quiet for now, maybe ask an upperclassman you know how common switching is or whether people emerge during second year who want to switch. if your classmates know you are unhappy with the outcome then you lose any leverage and open yourself up to a crummy deal from an opportunistic classmate.
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2012
- Messages
- 4,559
- Reaction score
- 14,288
OP, I sympathize and I hope one of your classmates will be willing to switch so you can stay close to your family, but if you can't switch, 2 1/2 hours isn't that far away. Most of third year, you'll be very busy. On the rotations where you're not all that busy, you can drive back home on the weekends. Also, how does your school do fourth year? The way my school is set up with away electives and sub-Is, most of fourth year can be done wherever we want. Is that not the case for you?
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2008
- Messages
- 311
- Reaction score
- 0
Geez, do you go to med school in district 12?
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2006
- Messages
- 1,576
- Reaction score
- 25
Don't take **** from the admins. You will be paying them back in student loans for the next 25 years, if not longer.
No school wants to set someone up to fail. You should have probably refused to participate in the lottery,
If you can't get someone to switch, then ask to extend a year, do some sweet research project for a year then continue. If they refuse that then I would do everything in your power to transfer.
Statistically there will be one or more students who will drop out, flunk out or off themselves before you start 3rd year. Hopefully they will be in the location you want and u can take their place.
Best of luck! If your as strong of a student as you say, then there is a school out there who will want you.
Plan B- Lie your ass off, get "engaged", let your father have a horrible cancer that you need to stay near him for, ect. Just be smooth about it and don't get caught.
No school wants to set someone up to fail. You should have probably refused to participate in the lottery,
If you can't get someone to switch, then ask to extend a year, do some sweet research project for a year then continue. If they refuse that then I would do everything in your power to transfer.
Statistically there will be one or more students who will drop out, flunk out or off themselves before you start 3rd year. Hopefully they will be in the location you want and u can take their place.
Best of luck! If your as strong of a student as you say, then there is a school out there who will want you.
Plan B- Lie your ass off, get "engaged", let your father have a horrible cancer that you need to stay near him for, ect. Just be smooth about it and don't get caught.
- Joined
- May 10, 2011
- Messages
- 999
- Reaction score
- 56
Yep, more true than most schools will admit.
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2008
- Messages
- 39,345
- Reaction score
- 22,324
I'm sorry this happened to you, OP. Unfortunately, the time to have this discussion with the administration would have been before you accepted their offer (ie, I'll come if I'm exempted from the lottery system) when you had some leverage; now you're probably stuck, as transferring isn't really a realistic option (and it kind of sounds like you'd just be doing it to spite your current program, which isn't going to be a reason someone would accept your transfer).
Two years apart will suck, but it's not impossible; others have done it, I'm sure you'll find a way too. See if there is anyone in the current 3rd and 4th year classes dealing with the same issue and ask how they are dealing with it.
Two years apart will suck, but it's not impossible; others have done it, I'm sure you'll find a way too. See if there is anyone in the current 3rd and 4th year classes dealing with the same issue and ask how they are dealing with it.
