Academic advisor flake or not?

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gogeter82

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Ok I am trying to get into med school.
I got my Bachelors in biology a few years ago.
Now I am taking bio classes to strengthen my biology background.
I am trying to get into an MS/MD program.
I am about to begin studying for the MCAT.
I hope to take that this April.
Then apply for MS program.
My advisor seemed gung ho really encouraging me. This week I met with him to discuss MS program. He seemed distant, less enthused. He was very quiet. I did most of the talking.
He kept his office door open. Different people kept coming into the room siting stuff down.
This last meeting I had to email him twice before he responded. He canceled the meeting that morning claiming scheduling conflict. That he'd work me in.
He claimed he'd help me draft a letter to MS program introducing myself as a candidate in February.
What if he cancels or flakes on me? This isn't the first time I've been let down.
I just feel like he's flaking out on me. Should I confront him about it? What should I do?
I'm signed up to take biochemistry this spring. Am I overreacting?

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I'm signed up to take biochemistry this spring. Am I overreacting?

Probably -- but maybe not... Pre-med neurosis is legendary though...

Should I confront him about it? What should I do?

"Confront" is the wrong word. Don't confront him about it, but do ask. "Dr. Smith, when I first came to speak with you, you seemed very enthusiastic about my prospects, but last week I got a very different impression. Do you have reservations about my candidacy? Or was it something else entirely?"

To me, it sounds like s/he got some very bad news or had a personal setback of some kind -- cutbacks at work, health problem, relationship issues. Probably nothing to do with you -- But if you are at a point where you need to make some big decisions and it is something to do with you, better to get it out in the open.
 
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One instance of him being distracted is not enough to decide he's a flake who is going to screw you over. Most likely scenario is there was something going on either in his personal life or professional life that distracted him. I agree with DokterMom's advice.
 
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Don't worry I will not let him nor anyone else screw me over.
Question is why not allow this information be accessible to students without the assistance of an adviser.
Truth be told most advisers are discouraging this is a known fact.
Trust I don't want anyone patting me on the back. I haven't come this far to know and realize that most folks could care less whether you make it or not.
 
Take a few deep breaths and calm down.

First, why MS first? Why not during medical school?
That begs the question, why an MS anyway? Why not MD/PhD?
 
Ok I am trying to get into med school.
I got my Bachelors in biology a few years ago.
Now I am taking bio classes to strengthen my biology background.
I am trying to get into an MS/MD program.
I am about to begin studying for the MCAT.
I hope to take that this April.
Then apply for MS program.
My advisor seemed gung ho really encouraging me. This week I met with him to discuss MS program. He seemed distant, less enthused. He was very quiet. I did most of the talking.
He kept his office door open. Different people kept coming into the room siting stuff down.
This last meeting I had to email him twice before he responded. He canceled the meeting that morning claiming scheduling conflict. That he'd work me in.
He claimed he'd help me draft a letter to MS program introducing myself as a candidate in February.
What if he cancels or flakes on me? This isn't the first time I've been let down.
I just feel like he's flaking out on me. Should I confront him about it? What should I do?
I'm signed up to take biochemistry this spring. Am I overreacting?

Not a big deal, the thing you learn with age is that usually how people act has very little to do with you, and much more to do with their personal life.

That being said, if you were extremely needy or constantly emailing/taking up his time it's possible he's fed up with it? Not enough details about the extent of premed neurosis vs. lazy advisor to know.

Either way, take 5 deep breaths. You will be fine with or without his help. Focus on doing well in school.
 
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Take a few deep breaths and calm down.

First, why MS first? Why not during medical school?
That begs the question, why an MS anyway? Why not MD/PhD?
I was urged to get into MS first then automatically transition into the MD program.
There are Masters programs offered that once you complete your MS they automatically let you in MD program.
So I thought this would be a good fit for me.
I am taking Bio courses currently cell bio, then in jan I start biochemistry to impress MS and MD program.
I plan to take MCATs in next few months.
I have to find out the latest MCAT the program will accept.
My advisor seemed very disinterested. He abruptly ended the meeting.
I am tired of peoples tricks and jokes. I was tricked before by a doctor on an admissions commitee. He told me he was going to help me get in. But he never did.
I used to shadow this same dude. Now he doesn't speak to me. I kinda believe this same doc off the admissions comittee to Med school called my academic advisor and told the man to not help me. This doctor I believe is that low. smh
Its pointless
I just feel trapped.
 
Not a big deal, the thing you learn with age is that usually how people act has very little to do with you, and much more to do with their personal life.

That being said, if you were extremely needy or constantly emailing/taking up his time it's possible he's fed up with it? Not enough details about the extent of premed neurosis vs. lazy advisor to know.

Either way, take 5 deep breaths. You will be fine with or without his help. Focus on doing well in school.
youre right I will focus on school work. thats all I have control over right now.
I hope admissions commitees will see this.
 
Is the MS you are referring to an SMP (special masters program)?
 
I was urged to get into MS first then automatically transition into the MD program.
There are Masters programs offered that once you complete your MS they automatically let you in MD program.
So I thought this would be a good fit for me.
I am taking Bio courses currently cell bio, then in jan I start biochemistry to impress MS and MD program.
I plan to take MCATs in next few months.
I have to find out the latest MCAT the program will accept.
My advisor seemed very disinterested. He abruptly ended the meeting.
I am tired of peoples tricks and jokes. I was tricked before by a doctor on an admissions commitee. He told me he was going to help me get in. But he never did.
I used to shadow this same dude. Now he doesn't speak to me. I kinda believe this same doc off the admissions comittee to Med school called my academic advisor and told the man to not help me. This doctor I believe is that low. smh
Its pointless
I just feel trapped.

A couple more quick questions/comments:
1) There are no programs that I am aware of that have 100% linkage. You have to excell in them and the competition is fierce (I did one of these programs). Personally, I thought the program was harder and more stressful than medical school. Which program are you talking about?

2) An MS degree doesn't add a whole heck of a lot which is why I initially said you should do MD/PhD. Are you interested in the MS or just looking for a back door into medical school?

3) Why not go directly into med school?

4) Are you hearing voices by any chance? Does the television talk to you? I'm only kind of kidding. Perhaps you should speak to a therapist if nothing else than to make yourself feel better

5) If you are making this up, you are an exceptional troll and I commend you.
 
I was urged to get into MS first then automatically transition into the MD program.
There are Masters programs offered that once you complete your MS they automatically let you in MD program.
As others have mentioned, this doesn't exist, and it's confusing as to why you are getting the MS.

I plan to take MCATs in next few months. . .
I was tricked before by a doctor on an admissions commitee. He told me he was going to help me get in. But he never did.

This implies you've applied before, which would be incongruous with the fact that you haven't yet taken the MCAT. Trolling?

I am tired of peoples tricks and jokes. I was tricked before by a doctor on an admissions commitee. He told me he was going to help me get in. But he never did.
I used to shadow this same dude. Now he doesn't speak to me. I kinda believe this same doc off the admissions comittee to Med school called my academic advisor and told the man to not help me. This doctor I believe is that low.

This is a self-motivated process. You're an adult now, and nobody is responsible for getting you into medical school other than yourself. If you conveyed to any doctor that you expected him to get you into school by pulling strings, I would find it completely unsurprising that he would no longer show an interest in you. If he is with the medical school affiliated with your undergraduate institution, it is normal that a member of the adcom and a pre-med advisers would communicate. And if your pre-med adviser or office put you in touch with this physician to shadow in the first place, it would be totally appropriate and not "that low" to inform the people who referred you if you were construed to make inappropriate demands/requests of the doctor on the adcom. This is why you need to be polite, respectful, humble and professional to everybody along this path.
 
My advisor seemed very disinterested. He abruptly ended the meeting.
I am tired of peoples tricks and jokes. I was tricked before by a doctor on an admissions commitee. He told me he was going to help me get in. But he never did.
I used to shadow this same dude. Now he doesn't speak to me. I kinda believe this same doc off the admissions comittee to Med school called my academic advisor and told the man to not help me. This doctor I believe is that low.

Sounds more like they changed their minds.

The doctor you used to shadow said he would help you get into medical school. What did you interpret that to mean? Simply allowing you to shadow is helping - though just a little. Expecting him to pull strings is ridiculous on the other end of the 'help' spectrum. So what did you expect? The fact that he doesn't speak to you now is a big red flag...

Taken together with your adviser's abrupt change in behavior, then yes, I think there's cause for concern.

You need to try to figure out why that happened. A doctor who allows you to shadow and a faculty adviser are both "want to help" people by nature. Why did they both go from very helpful and enthusiastic to abrupt and disinterested? (Hint: It's not "tricks and jokes")
 
And so if the advisor doesn't advise me then its over?
Is that what you all are saying.
An if that one admissions commitee member says no then its over?
Give me a break one medical school and you all act like its the end.
please come again
 
Who cares what your advisor says or does? You don't need him to get into medical school and it doesn't even seem like he knows what he's talking about. All the information you need is on SDN .
 
Who cares what your advisor says or does? You don't need him to get into medical school and it doesn't even seem like he knows what he's talking about. All the information you need is on SDN .
Thanks I appreciate the encouragement.
I don't come here to play. I use SDN as a tool for information that I need as pre med.
 
The reason why I stopped shadowing the doctor was because he propositioned me.
He told me if I slept with him then he'd get me in.
I'm sorry I didn't clear this up in my initial post.
 
The reason why I stopped shadowing the doctor was because he propositioned me.
He told me if I slept with him then he'd get me in.
I'm sorry I didn't clear this up in my initial post.

Wait..what?
 
^ LOOOL... is that even real? trolololol if you are just playing us all.

Here is my experience though. When I told my interest in an md/phd progam, my advisor said I didn't really need it and that I would be better off doing md only, so I left that idea behind. The attitude also changed when I switched my majors from hard science to a subspecialty of biology. But I was able to communicate why these changes in my thought were made. This made my advisor see clearly the path I envisioned. While my advisor may not agree that I should take gap years (since I was interested in medicine from day 1), I always hope that everyone sees why I take my decisions. Sometimes advisors will not understand why you are doing something that doesn't make sense with what you envisioned. Maybe you need to find a better time to explain yourself. If I was a prof, I would not understand why you are getting an MS because that is pointless if you plan to go into medicine. You could be working and earning some money to help you pay towards med tuition. You seem to only be doing MS due to its supposed link with med school admissions. Your decision to also believe a doctor to have had a link with adcom seems to be remarkable to me because "kissing up" to someone like that for those reasons shows you have no confidence in your own credentials. You need to get a backbone and stop using the path that seems to be an immediate sponsor to your destination. Continue taking classes, working in a lab, and get to med school without that MS. Your advisor will also retain his/her respect for you. Sometimes people that go in all sorts of directions can displease an advisor for many reasons (maybe they may reflect on their own times as a parent). Just my 2 cents.
 
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