Accepted but Declining: Good or Bad? Help!

[Doug Underhill]

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What can we learn from this topic:

1) UT Houston seems to have blacklisted the OP
2) Other med schools have clearly not
3) The OP is very good at answering interview questions. Saying that you did this for the sake of medicine requires quite the silver tongue.

Honestly, I'm starting to think that the SDN doctrine about declining acceptances isn't as hard and fast as we make it out to be. It sounds like that while the school you were accepted at will be less understanding, other schools will still be interested. Paradoxically, the OP may have become a more compelling applicant than before because he declined his acceptance: he only had one last cycle and it came off the waitlist in April. Declining the acceptance allowed him to build some really interesting things for his app.

 

[Lost in Translation]

What does pre-match mean? Were you accepted?

 

[GrapesofRath]

This is one hell of a troll job, 10/10.

 

[Glandzburg]

What does pre-match mean? Were you accepted?

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...tions-thread-2015-2016.1130355/#post-16376325

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...tions-thread-2015-2016.1130355/#post-16376325

Wow, Texas is crazy.

 

[mehc012]

Perhaps declining an offer creates a sense of uniqueness and value that other students don't possess. Choosing to decline an MD offer to first an MBA for the sake of medicine plucked at the heartstrings of interviewers. And it was the case for me, as well. Medicine could use an overhaul

This story overall is interesting, but the writing in these posts makes me want to scream "get over yourself!!!" really really loudly in hopes that OP can hear me all the way down in TX.

 

[Lost in Translation]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...tions-thread-2015-2016.1130355/#post-16376325

So pre-match is basically an acceptance?

 

[medic86]

Update to Thread:

I interviewed at five Texas MD programs this cycle and only one interviewer out of 12 was concerned that I previously declined an offer. I certainly did not get an interview invitation from UT Houston, which is totally understandable. But I pre-matched at two schools this cycle thus far.

I made a strong argument for my choice to decline and the one concerned interviewer became convinced. SDN appears to hold a much stronger opinion than admissions committees, overall. Perhaps declining an offer creates a sense of uniqueness and value that other students don't possess. Choosing to decline an MD offer to first an MBA for the sake of medicine plucked at the heartstrings of interviewers. And it was the case for me, as well. Medicine could use an overhaul. As an MBA entering medical school, I can appreciate factors of the system, as a whole, that I might miss out on by delaying my MBA.

There are additional factors in the process that clarified the rectitude of my decision. I am now able to apply and consider new and exciting medical schools that fit my personal mission, I am now engaged to my girlfriend and am a co-owner of a start-up medical innovation company geared toward the intellectual property rights of medical inventions. This will make for a unique, exciting and personally tailored lifetime.

Congrats.

You did something stupid but it worked out for you.

And why did you even make this thread since you clearly already made your mind up beforehand?

 

[ivorypearls]

So pre-match is basically an acceptance?

Yes, a person that pre-matched/matched into a Texas medical school has been accepted to that school

 

[MediPhil]

My perception of medicine has changed quite significantly over the last year - especially of and regarding applicants. Students interviewing right now seem oblivious to the struggles that US Healthcare faces. They are gung-ho, and why not?! They're on a path to do great things for patients who need care. But the tectonic plates in medicine are shifting. Not just one or two, but handfuls of physicians have complained to me that, "Healthcare is dead." They claim that if they could go back and do it all again, they would choose a different path. There are, of course, physicians who disagree (particularly in academia where the developing threats are felt less harshly).

My novice advice to pre-medical students would be to think deeply about your motives. Students should be willing to spend more time with paperwork than patients. They should be content with low autonomy and the encroachment of medical technologies that may begin to shrink the physician's role or even displace them entirely over the next decade. Students should be wary of the possibility that the current physician salaries are quite likely to change, and most likely on a downward trend. And most importantly, students need to be flexible in light of the fact that healthcare is more dynamic now than in quite some time.

These are the concerns of many current physicians. Our generation of students is likely to possess the burden of change in unexpected ways. So, do not go gentle into that good night. Know well the task you face by enrolling in a field with impeccable opportunity, but which possesses equally significant uncertainty. SDN expects you to relentlessly jump right in to the mix, akin to a clever car salesman. But I feel that admissions committees, at large, can appreciate applicants in this decade who plan to do things unconventionally. I'm doing things unconventionally and there are others who are attempting to do so as well. Even medical schools like Harvard and UT Dell are shifting (or developing) their curricula to address the need for change. I was lucky enough (because it was certainly a gamble) that declining an offer allowed me to gain new, insightful experiences that inform my future career as a healthcare provider. And I have faith that other students who want to take time to think deeply about their motives, and who come out the other side wanting to prove that healthcare is not dead and can be revolutionized for the best interest of patients and physicians, will face a highly rewarding and effectual career as a physician (whether at the bedside or in admin). I don't think many admissions committees could deny the heart of these applicants.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

This story overall is interesting, but the writing in these posts makes me want to scream "get over yourself!!!" really really loudly in hopes that OP can hear me all the way down in TX.

YUP. THIS. ^^^

My perception of medicine has changed quite significantly over the last year - especially of and regarding applicants.

OP, I'm honestly happy for you that you took a gamble and it paid off. But please chill with the sanctimonious "I got an MBA before med school so therefore I am unique and unconventional and will pass on my wisdom to the lowly premeds of SDN" shtick. There are plenty of valid ways to prepare for a career in the ever-changing field of medicine and the motivation to do so looks different for everyone. I certainly hope your MBA taught you more than just the fact that you're better than the average premed. 🙄

 

[MediPhil]

OP, I'm honestly happy for you that you took a gamble and it paid off. But please chill with the sanctimonious "I got an MBA before med school so therefore I am unique and unconventional and will pass on my wisdom to the lowly premeds of SDN" shtick. There are plenty of valid ways to prepare for a career in the ever-changing field of medicine and the motivation to do so looks different for everyone. I certainly hope your MBA taught you more than just the fact that you're better than the average premed. 🙄

I am not claiming than an MBA generates novelty in medical applicants. Rather, I am proposing that a shift might be taking place in admissions committees. Healthcare is changing. So I feel that students should be cautious about the changes ahead. Students that take time to prepare appropriately, whether through an MBA, medical missions or any form of service/academic endeavor, shouldn't be discriminated against. Students who "jump right in" without knowledge of the path ahead because they have great stats and "wanna help sick people"... Now THAT I would be wary of as an admissions committee member.

I have been that applicant and I barely got in off the waitlist. Maybe, just maybe, adcom can see the benefits of students who recognize the state of healthcare in advance. For me, that required a year away. Unconventional. And maybe even unfortunate. If students can gain insight without declining an offer, they're in a sturdier boat than I. But I would be amiss to pass over a student because they declined an offer, then came back with real motive.

 

[Glandzburg]

Yeah ok thanks Ghandi.

 

[mehc012]

...lots of flowery language to say very little... I don't think many admissions committees could deny the heart of these applicants.

Enough with the 'heart' crap. You got an MBA and ended up learning what you should have known going into your first cycle. While that's awesome - everyone should learn those things somewhere along the line to med school - you're making it sound like a massive sacrifice which you undertook for reasons of pure, unbridled altruism.

We are not the admissions committee. We do not need to hear the flowery BS you spun about how getting your MBA changed you as a person, shook you to your core, made you love your mama better, or taught you everything about medicine and therefore was a valid choice in place of going to med school first. What SDN needs to take from your story is that declining an acceptance is not 100% a death knell for an application...not so that we can all go "MediPhil was right!" (because it was a stupid, stupid risk considering the other pathways you had available to get to this same place) but so that someone who, unlike you, has fewer options can take it into consideration. I can't think of a scenario in which declining an acceptance will turn out to be the better choice, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist somewhere. And no, your situation still does not qualify; just because you bought a lotto ticket and won doesn't mean that buying lotto tickets is a sound financial plan.

 

[Lawpy]

Enough with the 'heart' crap. You got an MBA and ended up learning what you should have known going into your first cycle. While that's awesome - everyone should learn those things somewhere along the line to med school - you're making it sound like a massive sacrifice which you undertook for reasons of pure, unbridled altruism.

We are not the admissions committee. We do not need to hear the flowery BS you spun about how getting your MBA changed you as a person, shook you to your core, made you love your mama better, or taught you everything about medicine and therefore was a valid choice in place of going to med school first. What SDN needs to take from your story is that declining an acceptance is not 100% a death knell for an application...not so that we can all go "MediPhil was right!" (because it was a stupid, stupid risk considering the other pathways you had available to get to this same place) but so that someone who, unlike you, has fewer options can take it into consideration. I can't think of a scenario in which declining an acceptance will turn out to be the better choice, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist somewhere. And no, your situation still does not qualify; just because you bought a lotto ticket and won doesn't mean that buying lotto tickets is a sound financial plan.

And here i was sitting all inspired thinking that OP will be the leading face of healthcare reforms.... i'm crushed 🙁

 

[MediPhil]

And here i was sitting all inspired thinking that OP will be the leading face of healthcare reforms.... i'm crushed 🙁

Honestly can't tell if sincere or trolling.

You guys seem to have forgotten that medicine is a passion career. Physicians put themselves through an arduous and seemingly unending training process to treat patients. Accepting an offer is therefore a very serious decision. Yes, I would not encourage applicants to decline offers. But I continue to argue that adcoms may appear to be less dogmatic now than in the past, in light of healthcare changes. Should you decline an offer? Probably not. For me, it worked out and I have new opportunities because of it. It appears I am better prepared for medicine now, because of it. I might have been able to gain the same insights while going through medical school, but what does it say about me that I am willing to jump right in without an ounce of skepticism about what lies ahead?

I wasn't prepared a year ago so I took a year. An MBA offer was an excuse to take that time and process my motives. Just because an applicant "wants to go to medical school" doesn't make them a valuable candidate. If they haven't reached the point where medicine is their absolute passion by acceptance time, a year off might not be complete murder. If you are able to hone your focus during a year off and it points to medicine, then I believe you should stand a chance.

 

[Doudline]

This is one hell of a troll job, 10/10.

It's becoming clearer with every post from the OP.

 

[mehc012]

Yes, I would not encourage applicants to decline offers.

Cool, then we're all on the same page. Gaining acceptance after turning one down is possible, but rare and not a good idea. /thread

The rest is all stuff that should be in your application, not SDN. We're not forgetting that medicine is about passion; we just don't care what yours is because it's not relevant here.

 

[Glandzburg]

Accepting an offer is therefore a very serious decision. Yes, I would not encourage applicants to decline offers. But I continue to argue that adcoms may appear to be less dogmatic now than in the past, in light of healthcare changes.

You can't go making assumptions like that based on your experience alone, basically ignoring the advice of ALL of the Adcoms on this site. That logic is awful, and you are going to seriously mess up somebody else's decision is the future by spewing this nonsense.

You got lucky. Congrats. But it's dangerous to imply that this is no longer looked down upon based on your n=1 anecdotal evidence.

 

[Lawpy]

Honestly can't tell if sincere or trolling.

You guys seem to have forgotten that medicine is a passion career. Physicians put themselves through an arduous and seemingly unending training process to treat patients. Accepting an offer is therefore a very serious decision. Yes, I would not encourage applicants to decline offers. But I continue to argue that adcoms may appear to be less dogmatic now than in the past, in light of healthcare changes. Should you decline an offer? Probably not. For me, it worked out and I have new opportunities because of it. It appears I am better prepared for medicine now, because of it. I might have been able to gain the same insights while going through medical school, but what does it say about me that I am willing to jump right in without an ounce of skepticism about what lies ahead?

I wasn't prepared a year ago so I took a year. An MBA offer was an excuse to take that time and process my motives. Just because an applicant "wants to go to medical school" doesn't make them a valuable candidate. If they haven't reached the point where medicine is their absolute passion by acceptance time, a year off might not be complete murder. If you are able to hone your focus during a year off and it points to medicine, then I believe you should stand a chance.

Um you're extrapolating your luck into a general scenario and justifying that with your passion. Congrats on your success but I wouldn't go far into advising people to count on the same.

 

[Doug Underhill]

I don't think he's trolling. I think he's probably a solid applicant with good interview skills. I still wouldn't recommend his path to your average 3.7/31 Joe Premed who has an acceptance to State U and some gap year degree lined up.

 

[claduva94]

I wonder if perhaps Texas schools are a bit more forgiving if you are a competitive applicant?

 

[bearintraining]

This thread has more drama than Grey's Anatomy.. Fortunately I needed something while I wait for the next episode..in February!
😀

 

[Chlorini]

I wonder if perhaps Texas schools are a bit more forgiving if you are a competitive applicant?

I'd agree with this. All the Texas schools are fighting over the same 300ish applicants. The Texas applicants with crazy stats either go out of state or to Baylor/UT Southwestern. The 9 other schools want the kids with the typical 30-35 MCAT and 3.7 GPA.

 

[DokterMom]

YUP. THIS. ^^^


OP, I'm honestly happy for you that you took a gamble and it paid off. But please chill with the sanctimonious "I got an MBA before med school so therefore I am unique and unconventional and will pass on my wisdom to the lowly premeds of SDN" shtick. There are plenty of valid ways to prepare for a career in the ever-changing field of medicine and the motivation to do so looks different for everyone. I certainly hope your MBA taught you more than just the fact that you're better than the average premed. 🙄

I think what he's saying is that the *business* of medicine is broken, that he recognized that fact, and that for him, completing an MBA first to gain a fuller perspective of the medical business made a lot of sense and will help him become a more effective doctor and help change the way he practices medicine. Clearly, multiple admissions officers agreed.

Don't let the tone drown out the message --

 

[mehc012]

I think what he's saying is that the *business* of medicine is broken, that he recognized that fact, and that for him, completing an MBA first to gain a fuller perspective of the medical business made a lot of sense and will help him become a more effective doctor and help change the way he practices medicine. Clearly, multiple admissions officers agreed.

Don't let the tone drown out the message --

But that's hardly new news, and it doesn't affect the actual topic that this thread is supposed to be about: declining an acceptance good or bad?

If we were talking about whether an MBA is generally seen as a valid reason, or whether TX schools are a special case, or whether he had a particularly strong app that made it feasible, etc, fine. But he just keeps going on and on about heartstrings and whatever. Even OP agrees that declining is a risk and should generally not be encouraged - that's the real message here.

 

[MediPhil]

But that's hardly new news, and it doesn't affect the actual topic that this thread is supposed to be about: declining an acceptance good or bad?

If we were talking about whether an MBA is generally seen as a valid reason, or whether TX schools are a special case, or whether he had a particularly strong app that made it feasible, etc, fine. But he just keeps going on and on about heartstrings and whatever. Even OP agrees that declining is a risk and should generally not be encouraged - that's the real message here.

I am not opposed to having the thread diverge for any of the above-referenced discussions. And if you don't like my plucking of heartstrings, I will refrain from sharing the many sonnets I prepared in advance for this thread.

Declining an acceptance: generally bad for your chances of re-acceptance... unless you use the off-year to improve your qualifications significantly? No hard-fast rules, I suppose. But it seems to generally be a bad thing. I hope that helps any pre-meds who are eager to decline offers. And fair warning to anyone who doesn't listen to the advice of this population: declining an offer to medical school is an emotionally agonizing experience, in general. If you don't feel like you absolutely need to do it, then don't.

 

[robin911]

I am assuming that at UT houston you cannot defer for one year like you can at other schools?

 

[MediPhil]

I am assuming that at UT houston you cannot defer for one year like you can at other schools?

Correct. To my knowledge, UT Houston was and remains the only Texas medical school that does not offer deferral. However, I do doubt that any of the new medical schools (Dell and Rio Grande) are planning on offering deferrals quite yet.

EDIT: https://med.uth.edu/admissions/admissions-criteria/ "Deferred acceptance is not offered."

 

[robin911]

Honestly, I am not sure how many other medical schools you applied to this cycle, but if I were you, I would wait the cycle out and see if you get another acceptance at a school that does offer deferred acceptances. It is only December. The worst thing that can happen is you lose the $100-200 deposit for holding your acceptance spot at UT Houston.

Personally, I find it fascinating that you worked your entire undergrad career at applying to medical school and now, given an acceptance on a bright and shiny silver platter, you are questioning it. Maybe my opinion is extremely bias because i have sacrificed many things in my life to even apply to medical school so cannot fathom ever turning down an acceptance. At the end of the day, decide whether your feelings about becoming a hospital administrator are a whim... or if they are something worth giving up a goal that you have worked at your entire life and gambling ever receiving another acceptance.

One final note, clearly this is the student-doctor network, not the student-future hospital administrator network. If becoming an administrator is something you are really considering, send massive emails to current administrators and ask their advice for this situation.

 

[claduva94]

Honestly, I am not sure how many other medical schools you applied to this cycle, but if I were you, I would wait the cycle out and see if you get another acceptance at a school that does offer deferred acceptances. It is only December. The worst thing that can happen is you lose the $100-200 deposit for holding your acceptance spot at UT Houston.

Personally, I find it fascinating that you worked your entire undergrad career at applying to medical school and now, given an acceptance on a bright and shiny silver platter, you are questioning it. Maybe my opinion is extremely bias because i have sacrificed many things in my life to even apply to medical school so cannot fathom ever turning down an acceptance. At the end of the day, decide whether your feelings about becoming a hospital administrator are a whim... or if they are something worth giving up a goal that you have worked at your entire life and gambling ever receiving another acceptance.

One final note, clearly this is the student-doctor network, not the student-future hospital administrator network. If becoming an administrator is something you are really considering, send massive emails to current administrators and ask their advice for this situation.

OP made this decision regarding last year's cycle and reapplied this year, getting two acceptances.

 

[robin911]

OP made this decision regarding last year's cycle and reapplied this year, getting two acceptances.

Lol.... oye guess I should have spent more time rereading thread. Thanks for the info. 🙂

 

[MediPhil]

I am honored to have just been pre-matched at UT Southwestern as well. So, three pre-match offers so far. 😵

 

[johnnytest]

Interesting thread. Congrats OP. I see where you are coming from. It's helpful to know more about health care and how the system is and where it's headed if we intend to one day be part of the system. But, I think it may be difficult for certain students to really learn about the system. Sure, shadowing and clinical opportunities provide some insight but probably not as much as if hearing how everything works from a parent or relative who is a physician. It's tough because pre-meds have some sort of passion to pursue medicine and even though they may or may not know what the system is like. I also feel most pre-meds have a hard-time picking another career option once they have considered pre-med for some time. I mean if you were pre-med for 3 years and then all of a sudden you have doubts based on some form of enlightenment you may want to still go through and at least apply. Even though the right thing to do would be to be honest with yourself and consider other options. Goro mentions often that 50% of applicants have no reason to be anywhere near a medical school and this may be due to what you stated. But, I think admissions committee are able to recognize the other half of applicants who have really considered the pros and cons of medicine and have a very good reason for going into it. Not sure if we can do anything about the student who says "I think I want to be a doctor..."

 

[claduva94]

Enough with the 'heart' crap. You got an MBA and ended up learning what you should have known going into your first cycle. While that's awesome - everyone should learn those things somewhere along the line to med school - you're making it sound like a massive sacrifice which you undertook for reasons of pure, unbridled altruism.

We are not the admissions committee. We do not need to hear the flowery BS you spun about how getting your MBA changed you as a person, shook you to your core, made you love your mama better, or taught you everything about medicine and therefore was a valid choice in place of going to med school first. What SDN needs to take from your story is that declining an acceptance is not 100% a death knell for an application...not so that we can all go "MediPhil was right!" (because it was a stupid, stupid risk considering the other pathways you had available to get to this same place) but so that someone who, unlike you, has fewer options can take it into consideration. I can't think of a scenario in which declining an acceptance will turn out to be the better choice, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist somewhere. And no, your situation still does not qualify; just because you bought a lotto ticket and won doesn't mean that buying lotto tickets is a sound financial plan.

I'm just impressed OP was able to provide all this insight about the issues with the system to adcoms after much less than 1 semester of an MBA...

 

[ZPakEffect]

So your first cycle you only got admitted off of the wait-list by a single school. And yet this cycle you have received 3 pre-matches as a re-applicant? That is very peculiar and a little difficult to believe.

 

[LabrattoRx]

The more prestigious your undergrad, the more valuable the STEM MBA becomes. Ask, what am I paying for? I can say one thing, UT's public school system you 100% get what you pay for. As long as you're motivated, you will have an 8/10 star experience in their system. Also, a lot of my jack ass friends got their MBA online. As technology improves, the ability to do this in the years ahead will improve.

 

[texan2414]

The only reason you got accepted to medical school is because you're in TX. If you were a non-Texan applying to OOS MD schools, I'm sure you would've fared much worse than this past cycle.

 

[texan2414]

My perception of medicine has changed quite significantly over the last year - especially of and regarding applicants. Students interviewing right now seem oblivious to the struggles that US Healthcare faces. They are gung-ho, and why not?! They're on a path to do great things for patients who need care. But the tectonic plates in medicine are shifting. Not just one or two, but handfuls of physicians have complained to me that, "Healthcare is dead." They claim that if they could go back and do it all again, they would choose a different path. There are, of course, physicians who disagree (particularly in academia where the developing threats are felt less harshly).

My novice advice to pre-medical students would be to think deeply about your motives. Students should be willing to spend more time with paperwork than patients. They should be content with low autonomy and the encroachment of medical technologies that may begin to shrink the physician's role or even displace them entirely over the next decade. Students should be wary of the possibility that the current physician salaries are quite likely to change, and most likely on a downward trend. And most importantly, students need to be flexible in light of the fact that healthcare is more dynamic now than in quite some time.

These are the concerns of many current physicians. Our generation of students is likely to possess the burden of change in unexpected ways. So, do not go gentle into that good night. Know well the task you face by enrolling in a field with impeccable opportunity, but which possesses equally significant uncertainty. SDN expects you to relentlessly jump right in to the mix, akin to a clever car salesman. But I feel that admissions committees, at large, can appreciate applicants in this decade who plan to do things unconventionally. I'm doing things unconventionally and there are others who are attempting to do so as well. Even medical schools like Harvard and UT Dell are shifting (or developing) their curricula to address the need for change. I was lucky enough (because it was certainly a gamble) that declining an offer allowed me to gain new, insightful experiences that inform my future career as a healthcare provider. And I have faith that other students who want to take time to think deeply about their motives, and who come out the other side wanting to prove that healthcare is not dead and can be revolutionized for the best interest of patients and physicians, will face a highly rewarding and effectual career as a physician (whether at the bedside or in admin). I don't think many admissions committees could deny the heart of these applicants.

These are points that every pre-med should know through observation and clinical experience.

The fact that it took you a separate year to realize the significance of your decision to enter medical school tells me that you barely shadowed or got exposure to a variety of clinical environment. And then when you did, it was an earth-shattering moment for you when it shouldn't have been.

 

[navigator]

The only reason you got accepted to medical school is because you're in TX. If you were a non-Texan applying to OOS MD schools, I'm sure you would've fared much worse than this past cycle.

OP was accepted to 3 schools, including UTSW. Pretty sure you can attribute his success to more than being a Texas resident. After all, aren't you a Texas resident? And you've only gotten, what, 2 IIs? And exclusively to mid-tier, in-state schools? Don't mean to be a douche here but man, eat some humble pie.

 

[texan2414]

OP was accepted to 3 schools, including UTSW. Pretty sure you can attribute his success to more than being a Texas resident. After all, aren't you a Texas resident? And you've only gotten, what, 2 IIs? And exclusively to mid-tier, in-state schools? Don't mean to be a douche here but man, eat some humble pie.

Except I wasn't dumb enough to turn down prior medical school acceptances.

 

[MediPhil]

I'm just impressed OP was able to provide all this insight about the issues with the system to adcoms after much less than 1 semester of an MBA...

The MBA program I am in is obviously condensed to one year and began in the summer of 2015. By interview time, I had more than 8 courses under my wings - predominantly management and business analytics. Coming from a hard sciences background, the major shift is sufficient to encounter substantial realizations in a short time.

Except I wasn't dumb enough to turn down prior medical school acceptances.

Dumb enough? I declined an offer off the waitlist and now have multiple pre-matches and potentially more to come. You may perceive my choice as dumb. And though I was certainly distraught about the decision, I was able to see value that others couldn't see so I took a risky plunge. It was a risk but it wasn't dumb. I knew I could add value to my personal package by taking a year to hone my qualifications. The risk was that adcoms would not recognize the value.

Don't mean to be a douche here but man, eat some humble pie.

 

[claduva94]

The MBA program I am in is obviously condensed to one year and began in the summer of 2015. By interview time, I had more than 8 courses under my wings - predominantly management and business analytics. Coming from a hard sciences background, the major shift is sufficient to encounter substantial realizations in a short time.



Dumb enough? I declined an offer off the waitlist and now have multiple pre-matches and potentially more to come. You may perceive my choice as dumb. And though I was certainly distraught about the decision, I was able to see value that others couldn't see so I took a risky plunge. It was a risk but it wasn't dumb. I knew I could add value to my personal package by taking a year to hone my qualifications. The risk was that adcoms would not recognize the value.

I'm sorry but I still don't see how that relates enough to the healthcare system to being able to state it needs an overhaul. Even a full MBA doesn't qualify someone to do that. It is far too complex a system. I'm glad your plan worked out for you but @mehc012 is right that the flowery language is entirely unwarranted and in my opinion unfounded.

 

[Lost in Translation]

I hate OP more than I hate the naive posters.

I genuinely hope he fails out of medicine.

 

[jl lin]

Did you say you were given a free ride for the MBA? Yea, being very clear on your goals, it's not terrible, but it was a bit risky. Of course I think people were saying this not knowing your overall stats and application. People forget the individual, holistic perspective. If you are a great applicant in the first place, and you were offered a free ride that meets with your long-term goals, knowing yourself, you made a call that worked for you. I think you knew that Houston wouldn't consider you again; but apparently overall, you are a strong enough candidate to have been OK in taking the risk. So, yea. Sure it was a risk, but I feel that you made a very calculated risk, and your overall app was probably good regardless. Add to that the point of convincing them of the free-ride option in light of your long-term goals for medicine was key, I think.

Nothing is every wasted if you don't want it to be, but keep in mind, you might change your perspective in terms of what you want to do when you "grow up" as a physician. You may not. Who knows? But it's a possibility. I have a number of friends that changed their field of residency. A couple more than twice, believe it or not--wife and kids in tow.

Congratulations on everything and your marriage. Best wishes to you!

 

[jl lin]

I hate OP more than I hate the naive posters.

I genuinely hope he fails out of medicine.

Ah, your just messing around, right?

 

[jl lin]

I'm sorry but I still don't see how that relates enough to the healthcare system to being able to state it needs an overhaul. Even a full MBA doesn't qualify someone to do that. It is far too complex a system. I'm glad your plan worked out for you but @mehc012 is right that the flowery language is entirely unwarranted and in my opinion unfounded.

IDK, I think the OP made his points and things worked out.

About the HC System being far too complex, um absolutely; NO doubt in my mind about this. But we have to start somewhere, and what this administration and congress shoved down our throats is a far, far cry from making things better IMHO.

About the OP, He's just a bigger picture applicant. He's moving from his perspective, and maybe keeping some of that bigger perspective in mind is important for medical students/physicians.

 

[claduva94]

IDK, I think the person made their points and things worked out.

About the HC System being far too complex, um absolutely NO doubt in my mind about this. But we have to start somewhere, and what this administration and congress shoved down our throats is a far, far cry from making things better IMHO.

About the OP, He's just a bigger picture applicant. He's moving from his perspective, and make keeping some of that bigger perspective in mind is important for medical students/physicians.

I mean the ACA definitely isn't perfect but it has done A LOT of good (not sure if this is what you were referencing). Anyway, I guess my point is that OP really made themselves out to be more enlightened than others due to an MBA, and I really don't think that is the case and also think what OP did was still a very bad idea despite it ultimately working out.

 

[22031 Alum]

It was a risk but it wasn't dumb.

Don't flatter yourself. It was dumb. Dumb choices work out for people every single day. Many, many more dumb choices don't work out. I'm genuinely happy that it worked out for you! You should realize how extremely fortunate you are and not take this as some sign that you should be advising people to do what you did.

 

[deleted642188]

IDK, I think the OP made his points and things worked out.

About the HC System being far too complex, um absolutely; NO doubt in my mind about this. But we have to start somewhere, and what this administration and congress shoved down our throats is a far, far cry from making things better IMHO.

About the OP, He's just a bigger picture applicant. He's moving from his perspective, and maybe keeping some of that bigger perspective in mind is important for medical students/physicians.

From my observation, most people here are irate that OP continues to flaunt his acceptances like anyone can beat the system/game and comes off as a bit patronizing and sanctimonious too *dat humble brag*. Furthermore to reiterate another poster, I know that one should be careful about heeding advice from strangers on the web, but why ask for help if OP was going to take our advice with a grain of salt if his mind was fixed from the start?

I'm not spiteful of OP and wish him the best for his health/fulfillment and his patients' sake, but at most he only had to update us and acknowledge that he was a statistical outlier.