Seriously, you got this, and here's why

[futuredrummerdoctor]

Guys. Please be careful when using the Internet. It's a great source of motivation and an AMAZING resource for so many parts of the pre-med journey (seriously wouldn't have gotten far without SDN), but please do not compare yourselves to others. I just wanted to drop by to say that YOU CAN DO IT! The mcat is a really challenging time, but don't forget to smile and breathe and be happy and BELIEVE IN YOURSELVES because you're embarking on an incredible journey, one that is yours and yours only! life doesn't get easier, we just get better. Keep smiling, don't worry about people who may tell you that you don't stack up, or can't get in, or should only
Apply to low-tier schools, Etc.

Your focus truly does create your reality, so please do not lose sight of who you are in the process. Instead of wasting time worrying about whether you're going to get in, just BREATHE and use all your free time to look at MCAT stuff. There is literally no point in wasting moments of your precious pre-med journey worrying, because you're GOING to get there some way or another regardless, and when you have that white coat, you're going to look back and wonder why you spent so much of your life WORRYING. As pre med students, we tend to be natural worry warts and over-planners. And we tend to forget about the truly magical parts of life. You have a RIGHT to be here, you are precious and you are important. You need to prioritize your happiness and mental health over anything else.

Whether you are 19 years old reading this, or 45 and going back for a second career, never ever ever fall prey to the ugly face of comparison. This is YOUR time to
Enjoy and create whichever life you want!


So, instead of worrying constantly, use the power of positive visualization and believe in yourself and in something great and know that, step by step, you will accomplish your dream.

Never give up, I believe in you and I'm here for you

"Think for yourself, and never stop questioning"

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[mmcoffee]

Well said.

If I had listened to what people on the forums thought of my app, I would have never tried/gotten in (non-trad, low GPA, taken the MCAT 3 times, never had an interview before this year, etc).

Just knew med school was my end goal and just focused on improving things my way, at my pace. Got into both american and canadian schools this year

 

[futuredrummerdoctor]

Well said.

If I had listened to what people on the forums thought of my app, I would have never tried/gotten in (non-trad, low GPA, taken the MCAT 3 times, never had an interview before this year, etc).

Just knew med school was my end goal and just focused on improving things my way, at my pace. Got into both american and canadian schools this year

WAY TO GO!! Yes, everyone's different. With the way this presidential race is going, I might join my parents and apply to schools in Canada, as well! Not even trolling! But seriously, great job- never, ever, ever give up!

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

THANK YOU for posting this message. From time to time, messages like yours pop up and they hopefully serve as a small reminder of the importance of character and perspective in this long journey. The MCAT is just a small piece of it. For some, it is a great tool for making their application stand out. For others, it's a chance to compensate for a transcript that may have a few iffy spots. For most it is a necessary number for a complete application and nothing more. Do your best, but don't let it define you.

The three to six months people spend studying for the MCAT is a character builder, and how you attack it and define it foreshadows how you will overcome obstacles down your path to physicianhood. If you treat this as a time to organize and summarize what you have learned, then you will do well. If you enjoy applying physics to biology and biology to chemistry, then you will do great. If you treat it like a series of fun brain teasers, then you will do great.

Positivity goes a long way not only in studying for the MCAT, but every aspect of life. You will be a fantastic doctor one day Drummer Man!

 

[futuredrummerdoctor]

THANK YOU for posting this message. From time to time, messages like yours pop up and they hopefully serve as a small reminder of the importance of character and perspective in this long journey. The MCAT is just a small piece of it. For some, it is a great tool for making their application stand out. For others, it's a chance to compensate for a transcript that may have a few iffy spots. For most it is a necessary number for a complete application and nothing more. Do your best, but don't let it define you.

The three to six months people spend studying for the MCAT is a character builder, and how you attack it and define it foreshadows how you will overcome obstacles down your path to physicianhood. If you treat this as a time to organize and summarize what you have learned, then you will do well. If you enjoy applying physics to biology and biology to chemistry, then you will do great. If you treat it like a series of fun brain teasers, then you will do great.

Positivity goes a long way not only in studying for the MCAT, but every aspect of life. You will be a fantastic doctor one day Drummer Man!

Aw thanks, I'm actually a girl by the way. Not important though.

What's important is that, yes we live in a world full of negativity and bitterness. There's people who give constructive criticism, but then there's people who don't have your best interest at heart and will try to tell you that you can't accomplish something. There's always going To be critics in this world, even when we are in medical school and beyond. They are simply there to test our resolution to helping humanity. I work in a hospital and when people around me are being unbearably negative, I just constantly remind myself that I'm on this path because I really want to help people. And I want to help other professionals around me and work as a team to create a better world. I want the world to heal, but that's not always realistic. Being truly happy and finding inner peace is a fine line between being grounded in reality and your competitiveness (it's okay to be competitive!!) while also realizing the mask society lives behind.

For example. When we become residents, we are going to get kicked down by almost everyone around us at the hospital- People who have been working long shifts and don't have patience for us. We have to keep being kind and confident and living in truth, which is universal love and compassion. If we let negativity and comparison affect us, it will in turn affect our ability to help patients to the best of our ability (which we swear to when we get that white coat). Everything but love is an illusion, and it's up to us to decide what is truly important to us. People want to be materialistic, critical, judgmental, and narrow minded. It's the trap we got ourselves into, collectively. Those kinds of people will always be there. It's life!

We have to just study very hard, get clinical exposure and enjoy the journey, keep interacting with professionals around us with kindness and confidence, and stay in our lanes while always standing up for the truth.