2018-2019 Waitlist Support Thread

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I WAS ACCEPTED OFF THE WAIT LIST AT DREXEL TODAY' !!!!! JUST FEW MINUTES AGO. I wish the best to rest of the wait listed here. I was interviewed on 2/6

Congratulations!!!!!!
 
This month has just left me feeling broken.

2.5 years ago, I remember being extremely stressed over the MCAT. I knew that I had to have an insane score to make up for my low undergraduate GPA and to be accepted into one of my state schools, so much that I dedicated my time solely towards the test after graduating. I remember that day in February 2017, I was in a class in my DIY post-bacc when I got an email saying that my score was available. I was so excited when I learned that I scored in the 97th percentile, and in that moment, I thought I could really do this. I couldn't pay attention at all during that lecture because I spent the whole time thinking about and constructing my school list now that I had my stats.

So I applied in the 2017-2018 cycle. I applied to around 40 schools and was complete August/September. October came, no interview. Then came the holidays. Then 2018. By spring, I still had the hopes of a last minute interview, but it never came. Nevertheless, I remained strong. At my scribe job, I worked my butt off. I became the best at my job, and I was selected as chief after my predecessor matriculated into medical school. I hated my job; my boss was a money grubbing physician with a team of equally unethical providers, but I stuck with it because I knew it would be important for my app. And quite frankly, I think I did the best that I could at my job. In that cycle, I also co-authored and published a paper. I wrote a new personal statement. I revised my activities section. I was hopeful again. I submitted an application for 2018-2019.

I was so happy when that first interview invite came in October and even more elated with the second. Then the third and fourth in December. In my mind, there was no way I could mess this up. I got my first post-II rejection, but I thought hey I still have a couple chances. Same with the post-II waitlist. Now it's July 2019, I'm sitting at two post-II rejections, one waitlist at a school that starts in 8 days, and one pending decision at a school that interviewed me 6 months ago. The last school tells me "I might be on the waitlist". They tell me to check the portal every day, and it has said that same exact thing since I interviewed 6 months ago. Letters of interest and intent have all been submitted. All my cards have been played. The days drag on. I go to work 3-4 days a week for 12 hours each day and hate nearly every minute of being wrapped up in the bureaucratic nonsense and unethical treatment. On my off days, I get gas, grocery shop, and watch Netflix. I plan on submitting my resignation letter within the next week and moving back home; two application cycles have sucked me dry financially, and it's just a poor financial decision to renew my lease and stay at a job that makes me miserable.

But what should I do going forward? Some of the physicians and admin at work tell me to go to the Caribbean. I have to just smile and take it because they get defensive when I calmly explain why it's not an option for me. At the very least, I will have to retake my MCAT score; most schools require it to be within 3 years of matriculation or application, neither of which will be valid for the upcoming cycles. I remember the dread and the pressure to perform during my last bout of studying for it, and now both have just been cranked to the maximum. Scoring lower isn't an option, but how am I supposed to score better than a 520? One bad test day and I'm in the gutter. Some of my friends I graduated with, I was hoping that I'd only be a year behind them. Now, it's looking like they're going to be residents before I even started medical school. People will say something along the lines of blah blah your life moves at it's own pace, don't compare yourself to others. But how can I not when I'm in my mid-20s with no solid career foundation. My family, they've been nothing but supportive. They have high hopes for me. I'm the "smart one" in the family. But I've just let them down.

I'm depressed.

Omg ... I feel your story .... heart breaking ! You certainly deserve this opportunity to become a doctor. So many that barely made the bell curve were accepted!!!!
 
@gyngyn what percent of your class would you say still has remained on WLs past the CTE deadline?
 
@gyngyn You mentioned that everyone accepted at your school is CTE, with two showing multiple acceptances. It seems odd that everyone chose CTE immediately and that there is not a single PTE applicant who may be waitlisted at another school and is holding out until the last possible moment. Perhaps you had an early CTE date? Or is it possible that the AMCAS is providing you the wrong information? It feels like it has been quite some time that they’ve reported everyone as CTE. I hope they haven’t made a mistake?
I have verified the information from AMCAS personally...twice.
We still have 2 multiple accepts. They won't tell us who they are. Nor will they act.
 
I have verified the information from AMCAS personally...twice.
We still have 2 multiple accepts. They won't tell us who they are. Nor will they act.

Wow that is ridiculously unfair to everyone except the extremely lucky five people who get multiple acceptances. How is that okay.
 
I have verified the information from AMCAS personally...twice.
We still have 2 multiple accepts. They won't tell us who they are. Nor will they act.

Hey gyngyn, I was just wondering if your perspective as a member of an ADCOM about the new traffic rules is unique, or if it’s actually endorsed by others. I just wish we heard more from the adcom side rather than the aamc excitedly self congratulating itself.
 
Hey gyngyn, I was just wondering if your perspective as a member of an ADCOM about the new traffic rules is unique, or if it’s actually endorsed by others. I just wish we heard more from the adcom side rather than the aamc excitedly self congratulating itself.
From what my colleagues have shared, none of us is remotely happy with this mess, but we were never in the driver's seat. This decision was made by and executed (largely) by...lawyers.
 
Wow that is ridiculously unfair to everyone except the extremely lucky five people who get multiple acceptances. How is that okay.
I have a feeling this is possible because the other schools are not requiring PTE/CTE. If there is any justice in the world, these two will ultimately honor their commitment to @gyngyn's school, and the other schools will get burned by allowing this to happen, by finding themselves with seats to fill at orientation. The good news is that this will create at least two lucky winners of the last minute WL sweepstakes! 🙂
 
I have a feeling this is possible because the other schools are not requiring PTE/CTE. If there is any justice in the world, these two will ultimately honor their commitment to @gyngyn's school, and the other schools will get burned by allowing this to happen, by finding themselves with seats to fill at orientation. The good news is that this will create at least two lucky winners of the last minute WL sweepstakes! 🙂

I know you’re trying to keep it lighthearted but honestly it’s not a game to us. It’s our lives and our families being impacted. I appreciate your attempt at levity but it’s also maybe misplaced given the gravity of the situation and the immense uncertainty.
 
I know you’re trying to keep it lighthearted but honestly it’s not a game to us. It’s our lives and our families being impacted. I appreciate your attempt at levity but it’s also maybe misplaced given the gravity of the situation and the immense uncertainty.
Absolutely no disrespect intended. I hoped to convey my agreement that it is BS that some fellow applicants can get away with unethical behavior, aided and abetted by some of the very institutions that emphasize it so much in the process. Of course, it would be ideal if everyone played by an agreed upon set of common rules. I was merely trying to point out a silver lining at this point in the process for anyone with no acceptances, namely, that people holding multiple acceptances at this point are the only things that will generate WL movement.

I didn't mean to imply that med school admissions were a game; just that an acceptance off a WL at this point in the cycle would be analgous to winning a sweepstakes. Sorry if I offended anyone.
 
No but hopefully someone can prove me wrong. I'm waitlisted at a T20 and T30ish with no acceptances and currently reapplying.
I called a T20 that I'm waitlisted for and they said the had a withdrawal and an acceptance they gave out last week. The person on the phone said while the class is full, maybe a withdrawal here or there may happen.
While I have been fortunate enough to have an acceptance, hearing from the forum that people are staying on other waitlists after their CTE DL makes me incredibly anxious.
 
I clicked plan to enroll on Sunday for the school I just got accepted at and my other waitlisted schools emailed me saying "we see you've committed to another school, congrats, but you're off our waitlists by AMCAS rules" which is very confusing based on my understanding of PTE vs CTE. I'm fine with it bc obviously I'm accepting my one acceptance but its a very complicated system.

Oh and I withdrew my 2020 AMCAS application today, they said I might get a refund (which is great bc I spent like $900)
 
Do you happen to know the respective CTE dates for those schools?

That info may be here.

 
I called my waitlist school (wisconsin) today and they reported no waitlist movement has occurred at all and they don’t anticipate going to the waitlist at all this year :’( I’m so bummed, especially since that waitlist is ranked and I was so close, at the beginning of the summer I definitely thought I’d get in. It’s been such a long summer of waiting and looks like it will ultimately end in rejection.
 
I called my waitlist school (wisconsin) today and they reported no waitlist movement has occurred at all and they don’t anticipate going to the waitlist at all this year :’( I’m so bummed, especially since that waitlist is ranked and I was so close, at the beginning of the summer I definitely thought I’d get in. It’s been such a long summer of waiting and looks like it will ultimately end in rejection.

Sorry to hear
 
I called my waitlist school (wisconsin) today and they reported no waitlist movement has occurred at all and they don’t anticipate going to the waitlist at all this year :’( I’m so bummed, especially since that waitlist is ranked and I was so close, at the beginning of the summer I definitely thought I’d get in. It’s been such a long summer of waiting and looks like it will ultimately end in rejection.

Do you have another acceptance or would this have been your first? Either way, I'm really sorry 🙁. I don't mean to give false hope, but there has been some movement at other schools the past couple days, so its possible that that movement could stir the pot a little bit!
 
Do you have another acceptance or would this have been your first? Either way, I'm really sorry 🙁. I don't mean to give false hope, but there has been some movement at other schools the past couple days, so its possible that that movement could stir the pot a little bit!

Thanks. I do not have an acceptance yet besides to a Caribbean school. I have one other waitlist I’m holding out for. But this is my second time applying, and I know I am mentally and academically ready to go, and I’m getting too old (this is my subjective feeling, of course) to keep reapplying. I’ve tried my hardest to make up for a sub-par undergrad GPA and I’ve just about exhausted my arsenal here. Sooo probably headed to the Caribbean soon since my ultimate goal is still to become a practicing physician. Bleh. If anyone is facing a similar fork in the road I’d love to hear from you!
 
Thanks. I do not have an acceptance yet besides to a Caribbean school. I have one other waitlist I’m holding out for. But this is my second time applying, and I know I am mentally and academically ready to go, and I’m getting too old (this is my subjective feeling, of course) to keep reapplying. I’ve tried my hardest to make up for a sub-par undergrad GPA and I’ve just about exhausted my arsenal here. Sooo probably headed to the Caribbean soon since my ultimate goal is still to become a practicing physician. Bleh. If anyone is facing a similar fork in the road I’d love to hear from you!
You've got start conversation turned off
 
Thanks. I do not have an acceptance yet besides to a Caribbean school. I have one other waitlist I’m holding out for. But this is my second time applying, and I know I am mentally and academically ready to go, and I’m getting too old (this is my subjective feeling, of course) to keep reapplying. I’ve tried my hardest to make up for a sub-par undergrad GPA and I’ve just about exhausted my arsenal here. Sooo probably headed to the Caribbean soon since my ultimate goal is still to become a practicing physician. Bleh. If anyone is facing a similar fork in the road I’d love to hear from you!
It's too soon to give up.
 
@ph0ebunny

You won't get any love on SDN for choosing a Caribbean school (that's putting it mildly). Personally, I think you should be fine if you go to one of the better Carib schools and excel. The people who don't drop out seem to match quite well.
 
@ph0ebunny

You won't get any love on SDN for choosing a Caribbean school (that's putting it mildly). Personally, I think you should be fine if you go to one of the better Carib schools and excel. The people who don't drop out seem to match quite well.

Random question but why are people on here so against Caribbean schools? I get that they are mostly a last resort but people on here seem to have an unrealistic hatred of them
 
Random question but why are people on here so against Caribbean schools? I get that they are mostly a last resort but people on here seem to have an unrealistic hatred of them

I don't have an opinion one way or another, so don't take this as me criticizing anyone who goes to school in the Caribbean.

But here is the 'official' r/premed warning: here
 
Random question but why are people on here so against Caribbean schools? I get that they are mostly a last resort but people on here seem to have an unrealistic hatred of them
Only yesterday I heard from a classmate of mine whose kid was attending a Caribbean school. He was begging for any information on a US school that would accept him as a transfer. He never even applied DO...
 
Random question but why are people on here so against Caribbean schools? I get that they are mostly a last resort but people on here seem to have an unrealistic hatred of them

Search the forums for a thorough and exhaustive (but probably not complete) list of reasons it is not a wise choice.
 
Random question but why are people on here so against Caribbean schools? I get that they are mostly a last resort but people on here seem to have an unrealistic hatred of them

I know a couple of physicians that went to a Caribbean school and then matched to great residency programs and are doing quite well rn.
 
I know a couple of physicians that went to a Caribbean school and then matched to great residency programs and are doing quite well rn.
There was a time when this was possible (if not common). This is not that time.
Most of those who matriculate do not match at all, though all must re-pay the loans (without the possibility of discharge in bankruptcy).
If Step 1 goes P/F, even outscoring the competition will not be a way to distinguish oneself from the prevalent stigma.
That stigma is related to the common reasons for a Caribbean matriculation.
This is not to say that all deserve the stigma. There is just no way to distinguish them.
Even the "successes" are often dead end surg pre-lims from which a license cannot be obtained. These matches are likely to become less common now that the programs are going to be evaluated on the success these interns have in matching into a categorical residency upon finishing their stint as a service intern.
Any US school (MD or DO) with these abysmal outcomes would be shut down.
 
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Only yesterday I heard from a classmate of mine whose kid was attending a Caribbean school. He was begging for any information on a US school that would accept him as a transfer. He never even applied DO...
@gyngyn -- is there such a thing?
 
Hey anyone looking for a roommate at Drexel medical school. I am still in the process of completing background and finger prints here in Miami. I am driving there by 7/25.
 
Hey anyone looking for a roommate at Drexel medical school. I am still in the process of completing background and finger prints here in Miami. I am driving there by 7/25.

This is called a waitlist thread for a reason. I’m happy for you but can you take this somewhere else? Like Drexel thread or accepted student FB page.
 
It seems like things aren’t going too well on here. I’m bummed too—I was told practically everyone on this waitlist gets in and don’t have a full plan for how to approach the next year while I reapply. @LabileEmotions I’ve been enjoying your daily quotes. I think now is a good time for a story. I’ve changed some titles but this is 100% factual, and I’ve had it confirmed by others who were there.

A few years ago my fire engine and an ambulance were responding on a call for a “Sick Person.” On our way there, the captain riding up front tells us “Okay guys, dispatch says the patient is both blind and deaf.” To which everyone onboard says something like, “Huh, well this will be interesting.”

I walk up to the front door and ring the bell. A nice person (I’m being vague), who I will call Roommate, answers and brings us inside. It is immediately apparent that Roommate is fully deaf and progressively blind. Roommate moves around the house pretty easily and talks to us, but can’t hear us. Roommate explains that the patient, a new roommate, just moved in. We walk into Patient’s room to find him doubled over on the floor groaning and clutching his stomach.

Patient is fully blind, fully deaf, and nonverbal. The only pertinent signs are obvious abdominal pain. There are no symptoms, because Patient can’t say anything. Our crews are now divided up solving this problem. I’m in the office with Roommate, trying to find out any useful information that might provide us a clue as to what’s going on. The ambulance crew is working on moving the patient, and a few other firefighters are going through Patient’s bedroom and bathroom hoping to find something with Patient’s name on it. Patient has no ID, no wallet, no medications with his name, no photos, no bills, etc. We have no way to identify him.

Now begins the most clever and least efficient form of communication I’ve ever seen. In the office, Roommate has a small computer-like device that I had only read about in my EMT textbook. It has a small keyboard and several rows of ballbearings. Roommate gives my captain a phone number that he calls, which turns out to be a call service. The lady on the other end now serves as the relay in this conversation. My captain asks a question to the call taker, who sends it to the little computer, which converts the message into brail on the rows of ball-bearings, Roommate reads the brail, then either types or says a response. Perfect.

At this point the ambulance crew is outside, loaded and ready to leave for the hospital. I am now relaying their questions from the street back to the house to ask through this call center. The most information obtained is Patient’s first name. The ambulance departs and we all clean up our gear.

Now, this was confirmed by the ambulance crew. The ambulance unit officer calls the receiving ED to inform them of their arrival. She states, “Be advised, patient is both blind and deaf; we will need an interpreter.” They arrive at the hospital and one of the senior doctors walks up. I know this doc to be brilliant at her job. The charge EMT says to the doctor, “The patient is blind and deaf.” The doctor shouts at the patient, “WHAT’S WRONG?” The EMT goes, “Doc, he’s deaf. He can write though if you give him a pen.” They hand him a pen. Patient writes “INTERPRETER.” To this the doc writes back, “WHAT’S WRONG?” The EMT responds, “Doc, he’s blind.”

Two takeaways. First, ya know on every med school’s admissions page where it says Cognitive/Motor Skills? This basically says you can perform the functions every doctor needs (talk to people, read, write, pick things up, put things down). No matter how much this process sucks, all of us are actually doing very well and our lives are relatively easy. Second, no matter how much education and training you’ll get as a doctor, some days you’ll just be plain stupid. Stay humble.
 
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