accepted to your nightmare school

[kypdurron5]

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So it seems that the consensus opinion is "go where you're accepted, don't count on another year." Money issues aside, I agree with the OP that this is still a very difficult decision. It's not always a matter of rejection vs. acceptance. What happens if you're waitlisted at 3 of your top schools, and only accepted to the "worst" school on your list? You didn't get "rejected" per se from the other schools...you were in the running, you were close, and you'll probably have a better shot as a 2nd time applicant (esp. if you can improve your application in other ways). So do you hold out for one of those three schools that you really fell in love with, or do you go to the only school that would have you (this year)? It's easy to say "well, do you want to be a doctor or not," but "settling" for a school you're really not thrilled with when you were so close to being accepted at a good or great school is difficult to swallow.

"Why did you apply there in the first place" is an obvious question, but again, life is not that easy. I wish I could have visited every school before I wasted money applying to them all- but medical schools are spread out all across the country. During interviews I've been impressed almost every time, until visiting another school and being MORE impressed once realizing everything the previous school was lacking. I don't envy your situation, and I hope that I don't end up there myself.

 

[Chulito]

I know that I've already asked this question, but I got no answer so I'm going to try one more time. If you get only one acceptance this year and you turn it down and apply again next year, will schools (other than the one you jilted) have any way of knowing that you've turned down an acceptance? I don't see how they could.

Reapplying a second time is not as futile and reckless as people have made it seem on this thread. If you beef up your application, apply earlier, write a better PS, apply to more schools and better chosen schools, get your secondaries done quicker, work on your interviewing skills, etc., you stand a good chance of getting much better results. There is no reason to think that a single acceptance this year means that you can do no better next year. Obviously a lot of people who get no acceptances reapply the following year, and a good many of them do much better the second time around, in part because they are a lot more savvy.

As far as changing your mind about being willing to go to a school, if you find during an interview trip that a school is not nearly as appealing in person as it was on paper, I agree that dropping out right after the interview is likely the best option. But, because of indecisiveness or confusion or fear of getting nothing better or whatever, the OP in this case apparently did not do this. Would it really be so awful to pull out and work on having a much better application next year?

 

[smq123]

I know that I've already asked this question, but I got no answer so I'm going to try one more time. If you get only one acceptance this year and you turn it down and apply again next year, will schools (other than the one you jilted) have any way of knowing that you've turned down an acceptance? I don't see how they could.

I'm not sure, but on a similar thread somewhere else, one poster seemed very sure:
njbmd: "Medical schools do get a list of previous acceptances but not a list of schools applied to. You could apply to 100 schools but only the one that accepted you would show up on the list."
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=294090&highlight=previous+declined+acceptance

Reapplying a second time is not as futile and reckless as people have made it seem on this thread. If you beef up your application, apply earlier, write a better PS, apply to more schools and better chosen schools, get your secondaries done quicker, work on your interviewing skills, etc., you stand a good chance of getting much better results. There is no reason to think that a single acceptance this year means that you can do no better next year. Obviously a lot of people who get no acceptances reapply the following year, and a good many of them do much better the second time around, in part because they are a lot more savvy.

No, I agree - reapplying probably isn't all that reckless. But I wouldn't be that confident about it either. The number of really good applicants has steadily been going up for the past few years. Looking at some of the stats of the average applicant to my school for this application cycle, I'm not sure if I would have been accepted out of this year's pool. The OP would have to improve his application pretty significantly. What would that entail? Retaking the MCAT? (Ugh.) Taking more classes (and wasting more money)? I don't really know.

Plus, it seems like the OP is turning down a good school for some not-so-good reasons (except for the high tuition). But his tuition is probably going to be pretty high if he chooses to go out of state, in any case.

 

[Law2Doc]

Reapplying a second time is not as futile and reckless as people have made it seem on this thread. If you beef up your application, apply earlier, write a better PS, apply to more schools and better chosen schools, get your secondaries done quicker, work on your interviewing skills, etc., you stand a good chance of getting much better results. There is no reason to think that a single acceptance this year means that you can do no better next year. Obviously a lot of people who get no acceptances reapply the following year, and a good many of them do much better the second time around, in part because they are a lot more savvy.

Reapplicants have a harder road and need to show substantial improvement. You cannot just turn around and apply with substantially the same application and expect equivalent or better results. Plus the trend over the last few years has been that each year's numbers at most schools has exceeded the prior, and so expect competition to be harder not less in the subsequent year. It is now less than 5 months from the time you can apply so not really enough time to do something remarkably substantial -- little tweaks and "beefing up" won't change things. Even if schools don't hold it against you that you turned down an acceptance (and I would tend to think they would, because it raises the question of your committment to medicine, and schools generally have access to where applicants were accepted after a certain date), I wouldn't expect a better choice of schools in the subsequent cycle. You easilly could go from a lone acceptance to no acceptances, and become a third time applicant with expiring MCATs. For every hail mary success story on SDN where someone reapplies and does better, there are likely several more where the applicant did worse. Food for thought.

 

[Law2Doc]

Plus, it seems like the OP is turning down a good school for some not-so-good reasons (except for the high tuition). But his tuition is probably going to be pretty high if he chooses to go out of state, in any case.

Tuition should only be a factor if you have choices. For example if you had the choice of two similar schools and one was cheaper, then sure, go cheaper. But it shouldn't be enough to keep you out of med school, assuming you are a US citizen and qualify for the various federal and private loans available. The nice thing about getting a professional degree is lenders are happy to let you borrow what you need, sometimes more. Sure, things may be tight for a while down the road, but physicians generally manage to service their debt. If that is the primary concern, just take loans, apply for every scholarship your school offers that you qualify for, and worry about your debt once you are actually an employed physician.

 

[braluk]

Reapplicants have a harder road and need to show substantial improvement. You cannot just turn around and apply with substantially the same application and expect equivalent or better results. Plus the trend over the last few years has been that each year's numbers at most schools has exceeded the prior, and so expect competition to be harder not less in the subsequent year. It is now less than 5 months from the time you can apply so not really enough time to do something remarkably substantial -- little tweaks and "beefing up" won't change things. Even if schools don't hold it against you that you turned down an acceptance (and I would tend to think they would, because it raises the question of your committment to medicine, and schools generally have access to where applicants were accepted after a certain date), I wouldn't expect a better choice of schools in the subsequent cycle. You easilly could go from a lone acceptance to no acceptances, and become a third time applicant with expiring MCATs. For every hail mary success story on SDN where someone reapplies and does better, there are likely several more where the applicant did worse. Food for thought.

Agree. Unless you improve the very things (which usually takes more than one application cycle after your first application attempt) that made your application get glossed over, the results will be pretty much the same as your first time applying.

However, if the reason you were rejected the first time around was because you either applied to too few schools or too late, the following reapplication cycle, if applying early and more broadly, may be successful.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

Reapplicants have a harder road and need to show substantial improvement. You cannot just turn around and apply with substantially the same application and expect equivalent or better results. Plus the trend over the last few years has been that each year's numbers at most schools has exceeded the prior, and so expect competition to be harder not less in the subsequent year. It is now less than 5 months from the time you can apply so not really enough time to do something remarkably substantial -- little tweaks and "beefing up" won't change things. Even if schools don't hold it against you that you turned down an acceptance (and I would tend to think they would, because it raises the question of your committment to medicine, and schools generally have access to where applicants were accepted after a certain date), I wouldn't expect a better choice of schools in the subsequent cycle. You easilly could go from a lone acceptance to no acceptances, and become a third time applicant with expiring MCATs. For every hail mary success story on SDN where someone reapplies and does better, there are likely several more where the applicant did worse. Food for thought.

Exactly why I am FREAKED-OUT about not having any interviews. This is why I'm always irked when my advisers, professors, mentor-physicians, and family say "oh stop, you'll get in somewhere... you're great!" I have no idea how I'll make my application substantially better other than applying ridiculously early.

 

[braluk]

Exactly why I am FREAKED-OUT about not having any interviews. This is why I'm always irked when my advisers, professors, mentor-physicians, and family say "oh stop, you'll get in somewhere... you're great!" I have no idea how I'll make my application substantially better other than applying ridiculously early.

The difference is, (at least what I got an impression of off your mdapps), is that if you reapply, you'll have a second undergraduate degree to show for it- that is, something significant has been done between one application cycle to the next.

 

[szhao]

after consideration, this is why i withdrew from OSU, would have withdrew case and jhu, even if i got an interview. haha, after considerations during the process how happy i am during my 8 year stay is top priority over however good of a program. so in response to that, i would still withdraw, but that is probably because i already got a job.

 

[R-35]

So what if you got accepted to a school that you know would drive you clinically insane if you had to attend for four years, but that is your only acceptance. Lets say it is also going to cost you nearly 60,000 to go a year.

Do you...

A. go and just grind it out

B. withdraw and reapply the following year

And would withdrawing an acceptance to a school look really bad if you applied again the following year?

Hmmm why did you apply in the first place? I would choose A. its not worth it to go through the process again.

 

[Depakote]

So what if you got accepted to a school that you know would drive you clinically insane if you had to attend for four years, but that is your only acceptance. Lets say it is also going to cost you nearly 60,000 to go a year.

Do you...

A. go and just grind it out

B. withdraw and reapply the following year

And would withdrawing an acceptance to a school look really bad if you applied again the following year?

oh, ffs

 

[8744]

yikes!!! why????

Somebody needs to post that link to the thread "Would You Do it Over Again."

Seriously, medical school and residency are an exercise in delayed gratification. I know intellectually that things are going to be better in 2.4 years when I finish residency, start working less, and make more money but it has been a long grind so far with no tangible benefits.

 

[Law2Doc]

it has been a long grind so far with no tangible benefits.

You need to hit up the pharmaceutical reps for more free pens and swag. You are leaving perqs on the table.😀

 

[8744]

You need to hit up the pharmaceutical reps for more free pens and swag. You are leaving perqs on the table.😀

But then, zombie-like, I would be compelled to prescribe Viagra to everybody whether it was indicated or not.

Hey, I would be powerless. I've seen the studies.

 

[turkleton]

I think it's a little pointless at this stage to lecture the OP and tell him that he shouldn't have applied if he really didn't want to go- especially after he explained that he came to this conclusion after visitng the place.

OP, I think you made the wise move of sending your deposit to Temple or whatever it was. Obviously you're going to wait for the other schools, but if you don't hear my suggestion is to attend that medical school. 60K is high, but if most private schools are b/w 45-50 K total anyway so you'd be saving only 60K in 4 years. The area Temple is in is pretty crappy, I grant you- but most of the students don't live there. They live in the nicer parts of Phiadelphia and venture to the med school only for educational purposes. And unless you've got something amazing planned for next year, you're not going to supplment you app tremendously to make you a much more attractive candidate in one years time for the schools you've gotten rejected from. If nothing works out, I'd say go to the school, do ridiculously well and then get out of there for residency if you want. Money will come and you'll pay off your loans. My 2 cents.

 

[Depakote]

But then, zombie-like, I would be compelled to prescribe Viagra to everybody whether it was indicated or not.

Hey, I would be powerless. I've seen the studies.

Hey! The world would be a much more magical place if everybody were on Viagra.

 

[8744]

Hey! The world would be a much more magical place if everybody were on Viagra.

Hey, I had a demented, bed-ridden, 86-year-old patient who was being sexually abused by her 79-year-old husband. The husband's doctor was prescribing him Viagra. And I mean the wife was demented, in the last stages of Alzheimers. Adult diapers, soft diet, the works.

I bet you won't see that on TV commercials. I don't want to be accused of age-ism but, seriously folks, isn't there a time to just say to your penis, "Frank (or whatever you call it), we've had a good run but it's over."

 

[sunset823]

Hey, I had a demented, bed-ridden, 86-year-old patient who was being sexually abused by her 79-year-old husband. The husband's doctor was prescribing him Viagra. And I mean the wife was demented, in the last stages of Alzheimers. Adult diapers, soft diet, the works.

I bet you won't see that on TV commercials. I don't want to be accused of age-ism but, seriously folks, isn't there a time to just say to your penis, "Frank (or whatever you call it), we've had a good run but it's over."

That is truly disturbing...and I completely agree...the older a person becomes, the more they become a child; children don't drive, and certainly don't fornicate...

 

[gujuDoc]

That is truly disturbing...and I completely agree...the older a person becomes, the more they become a child; children don't drive, and certainly don't fornicate...

Wow I'm in agreement with you. That is soooooooooooo sick that someone at that age could do that to his wife. Sometimes I really wonder what this world has come to with some of the weirdo disturbing stories you hear out there.

 

[gsmithers68]

Alright well I appreciate all of the input from everyone. It does seems that this thread is immature because there is still plenty of time before I have to make a decision. But just to hint on my feelings on the matter after responses....

Financial freedom is something you can't take for granted. There was a thread that someone talked about this earlier and I have to agree with them on this subject... Loans suck and interest sucks. For every dollar you take out, expect to pay 2:1. Not to mention the compounding of debt as you get older and start trying to settle down. The difference between taking out $40k a year and $60-70k a year is a lot in the long run. We're talking 2-3 years of payments difference potentially...

Also, for everyone who says I shouldn't have applied there. Obviously you don't pay attention to details. This was post-interview.

There are pluses to attending Temple that people have eloquently talked about too. I will take that into account.

Again, thanks for the input everyone. I mean I will go if thats the only place I get accepted if it came down to it, but it will be a very difficult decision.

Oh and that viagra situation is ****ing disgusting and I couldn't agree more. Fornication should require an age cutoff. Sick.

 

[gujuDoc]

Alright well I appreciate all of the input from everyone. It does seems that this thread is immature because there is still plenty of time before I have to make a decision. But just to hint on my feelings on the matter after responses....

Financial freedom is something you can't take for granted. There was a thread that someone talked about this earlier and I have to agree with them on this subject... Loans suck and interest sucks. For every dollar you take out, expect to pay 2:1. Not to mention the compounding of debt as you get older and start trying to settle down. The difference between taking out $40k a year and $60-70k a year is a lot in the long run. We're talking 2-3 years of payments difference potentially...

Also, for everyone who says I shouldn't have applied there. Obviously you don't pay attention to details. This was post-interview.

There are pluses to attending Temple that people have eloquently talked about too. I will take that into account.

Again, thanks for the input everyone. I mean I will go if thats the only place I get accepted if it came down to it, but it will be a very difficult decision.

Oh and that viagra situation is ****ing disgusting and I couldn't agree more. Fornication should require an age cutoff. Sick.

Good luck with whatever happens with your other interviews.

 

[beenthere2]

"Fornication should require an age cutoff. Sick."

You can't say this. What age do you recommend? I guess that age cutoff should continually be redefined (over the years) as older than you are!

Spousal🙁 abuse is very bad, and was apparently unknown to the prescribing physician. THAT'S the problem with this story.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

"Fornication should require an age cutoff. Sick."

You can't say this. What age do you recommend? I guess that age cutoff should continually be redefined (over the years) as older than you are!

Spousal🙁 abuse is very bad, and was apparently unknown to the prescribing physician. THAT'S the problem with this story.

Exactly. Most elderly people are not demented or "childlike" and should be able to get it on as much as they want. In fact, sexual activity for the elderly is generally healthy and should be encouraged.

 

[Cirrus83]

It does seems that this thread is immature because there is still plenty of time before I have to make a decision.

[grammar nazi mode]You certainly meant to type premature![/grammer nazi mode]

Well, this thread might be immature but that has nothing to do with the amount of time you have left, lol.

 

[gujuDoc]

Exactly why I am FREAKED-OUT about not having any interviews. This is why I'm always irked when my advisers, professors, mentor-physicians, and family say "oh stop, you'll get in somewhere... you're great!" I have no idea how I'll make my application substantially better other than applying ridiculously early.

See this is why I suggest doing that SMP. Because you've done everything else you could and still haven't gotten an interview. its candidates like that for which such programs are helpful.

 

[kypdurron5]

See this is why I suggest doing that SMP. Because you've done everything else you could and still haven't gotten an interview. its candidates like that for which such programs are helpful.

Would you happen to know of a master list (thread) for which schools have summer programs?

 

[fleetgoddess]

This happened to me last year and from what I heard it's like a death wish to reapply. Schools want a easy way to weed out people and that is one they use. I agree its horrible. My counselor at school said to apply to all schools in state. so i did and got into one i HATED. if he woud have told me this i would have withdrew the day of my interview. I hated everything about my interview day and then could have never been accepted. However I got into two other schools by february and off my dream schools wait list in june so i didn't end up going. so i guess if u applied there and hate it withdraw before they can accept you.. like your interview day.

 

[lina123321]

All medschools are nightmares, go with the cheapest.

exactly; if you have other choices, consider them. if this is the only school that gave you an acceptance, is in the US, is accredited...then go for it; i know a bunch of hungry premeds who are on hold at other schools that would take an acceptance in a heartbeat, lol.

 

[Chulito]

I have just posted a question on the Adcom advice thread regarding the question of whether (and when) schools are made aware that an applicant has turned down an acceptance in a previous year in favor of reapplying elsewhere, so stay tuned there for his/her opinion if you're interested.

 

[FenderHM]

this thread highlights many salient issues:

do you want to go to med school to tell your friends you go to Duke/Harvard/Yale med? Or do you want to learn about medicine and help people any way you can?

Med schools upon reapp aren't going to take kindly to someone being "above" going to an LCME-accredited school of medicine that THEY applied to, paid the fees for, traveled to, interviewed at, and wasted everyone's time, JUST so they could whine later "BUT I WANNA GO TO HARVARD"

suck it up and be proud if you get accpeted anywhere

 

[Chulito]

do you want to go to med school to tell your friends you go to Duke/Harvard/Yale med? Or do you want to learn about medicine and help people any way you can?

Surely you must admit that there are other reasons a person might decide against a school that had previously seemed a good fit. Not everyone is talking about turning down an unranked school to pursue Harvard. The school about which I am having second thoughts is better regarded than a good many schools I would currently prefer to attend. The question is not all about ego, nor is it necessarily about bad planning and research. Your vision of what you want out of a school can change after visiting several of them and being part of this process for a long time, but it may not be clear enough to you right after an interview to withdraw your application before they accept you. In short, let me make my mistakes and then go about trying to decide how best to handle the outcome.

Med schools upon reapp aren't going to take kindly to someone being "above" going to an LCME-accredited school of medicine that THEY applied to, paid the fees for, traveled to, interviewed at, and wasted everyone's time, JUST so they could whine later "BUT I WANNA GO TO HARVARD"

Do you assume or do you know that they will have access to this bit of information?

 

[Topspin82]

I'll go in your place.

 

[Tired Pigeon]

I have just posted a question on the Adcom advice thread regarding the question of whether (and when) schools are made aware that an applicant has turned down an acceptance in a previous year in favor of reapplying elsewhere, so stay tuned there for his/her opinion if you're interested.

I was told in an 'off-the-record' conversation by a member of an admissions committee that this information (where you were accepted, not where you applied) would be on the table and would look really bad upon re-application the following year. In his words, "If you do this, it tells us you're not really serious, and you can forget about going to medical school. Anywhere." His attitude was that any lowly pre-med should just be honored to get accepted to any med school. This sounded a little over the top, but maybe it's right? I never actually ended up in this situation, so I never had to test it out. But I've wondered about it ... I'm interested to hear what you find out on the adcom advice thread.

 

[Chulito]

I was told in an 'off-the-record' conversation by a member of an admissions committee that this information (where you were accepted, not where you applied) would be on the table and would look really bad upon re-application the following year. In his words, "If you do this, it tells us you're not really serious, and you can forget about going to medical school. Anywhere." His attitude was that any lowly pre-med should just be honored to get accepted to any med school. This sounded a little over the top, but maybe it's right? I never actually ended up in this situation, so I never had to test it out. But I've wondered about it ... I'm interested to hear what you find out on the adcom advice thread.

This seems to be the consensus opinion, but I too am interested to hear what the adcom member on that thread has to say. In any event, I have to admit that my misgivings about a certain school have been virtually overwhelmed by a growing dread at the notion of having to reapply. It's so costly, so grueling, and I am so old already. I have the feeling that, in spite of all my talk here, I will end up going anywhere that accepts me this year.

 

[smq123]

Surely you must admit that there are other reasons a person might decide against a school that had previously seemed a good fit. Not everyone is talking about turning down an unranked school to pursue Harvard. The school about which I am having second thoughts is better regarded than a good many schools I would currently prefer to attend. The question is not all about ego, nor is it necessarily about bad planning and research. Your vision of what you want out of a school can change after visiting several of them and being part of this process for a long time, but it may not be clear enough to you right after an interview to withdraw your application before they accept you. In short, let me make my mistakes and then go about trying to decide how best to handle the outcome.

If it's any comfort to you, your vision of what you want out of a school is probably going to change after your first 3 weeks of med school. It really is different when you're outside looking in than when you're inside the situation. A lot of my initial misgivings about my current school proved to be pretty invalid after a while. Some of the stuff that I loved about it also stopped being important. It sounds like you've got some serious misgivings about the place that you're going to be attending next year, but hopefully you'll be able to talk candidly with students who go there now.

 

[FenderHM]

Do you assume or do you know that they will have access to this bit of information?[/QUOTE]

sorry if my previous post seemed a little harsh...

I'm pretty sure they do see this information because as of May 15th all schools get lists of AAMC IDs that have been accepted anywhere and its put into their computer systems to ensure kids arent holding multiple acceptances

 

[Chulito]

sorry if my previous post seemed a little harsh...

No worries.

I'm pretty sure they do see this information because as of May 15th all schools get lists of AAMC IDs that have been accepted anywhere and its put into their computer systems to ensure kids arent holding multiple acceptances

My hope (which is fading as I speak with more people) is that schools don't hold onto this information from one year to the next, since most people who have been accepted will end up matriculating somewhere and the information would be pretty useless to these schools a year later. I imagine that you wouldn't appear on the following year's list from the AAMC when reapplying, since by that point you would no longer be holding an acceptance. If both of those things are true, then perhaps it's less detrimental than people think to turn down an acceptance and reapply the following year. I'll let you folks know what the adcom from the Adcom Advice Thread has to say when (s)he posts again.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

You can borrow the money. All med schools are rough and going to drive you insane if that is your temperment. You will be spending your 4 years inside of a library, a hospital, and some local pizza pub, so what's the difference what the neighborhood looks like. Crummy neighborhoods mean more hands on clinical experiences, as the hospitals tend to be less well staffed.

I'm going to be the lone minority here and say that you guys are being way too harsh. Safety should most definitely be a concern, especially if the OP is a woman and, for whatever reason, didn't feel safe in that neighborhood.

It's easy for all you posters to come out and say "suck it up. who cares about the neighborhood" but if you're going to school there and you feel like you have to look over your shoulder just to walk to the subway, you probably will be miserable for at least your first two years. With men, it's so much easier. With women, it's not.

Just last week, a woman was brought into our hospital after being mugged at the bus stop and beaten so bad they had to admit her. This was the second time she's been mugged on her way home from work in two years. And this isn't an uncommon thing. It's because the neighborhood she works in is a bad place. She's perfectly safe at work, but it's leaving work that is unsafe.

So instead of judging the OP, maybe we should give our opinion and realize that safety isn't a "petty" thing as several of you have implied in this thread. Personally, I think if you have a bad feeling about some place, you should listen to it. Instincts shouldn't 't always be swept under the rug.

 

[James Moriarty]

Amen to that brother.

 

[bubabugster]

I still don't understand why the OP applied, but whatever. I say go. You're a human, you can adapt.

 

[smq123]

I'm going to be the lone minority here and say that you guys are being way too harsh. Safety should most definitely be a concern, especially if the OP is a woman and, for whatever reason, didn't feel safe in that neighborhood.

It's easy for all you posters to come out and say "suck it up. who cares about the neighborhood" but if you're going to school there and you feel like you have to look over your shoulder just to walk to the subway, you probably will be miserable for at least your first two years. With men, it's so much easier. With women, it's not.

Just last week, a woman was brought into our hospital after being mugged at the bus stop and beaten so bad they had to admit her. This was the second time she's been mugged on her way home from work in two years. And this isn't an uncommon thing. It's because the neighborhood she works in is a bad place. She's perfectly safe at work, but it's leaving work that is unsafe.

No one is saying that you should enthusiastically plunk yourself down in the middle of a crime-ridden ghetto where there is a drive-by shooting at least twice a day.

But it's a major university, with a large student body, that happens to be located in a less photogenic (and yes, slightly more dangerous) part of town. However, if the neighborhood were so bad that the OP would have to look over his/her shoulder constantly, do you think that the university would be able to retain any students? Do you think that they'd get any applications? Do you think that, if the LCME got wind of how dangerous a school was, that the school would still be accredited?

Understand that, if it's part of a major university, there is a certain baseline of safety that the university tries to provide - this is part of the reason why you pay tuition. This is unfortunately not the case in the neighborhood where you patient worked.

Our point here is that the OP seems to be writing off a good school (and possibly his/her only chance to go to medical school) for a fairly trivial reason. Yes, a pretty neighborhood is nice, but it's not crucial. A "ghetto" neighborhood doesn't outweigh the possibility that he/she might not get into another med school next year.

Knowing the general layout of the school in question, the OP should be fine, as long as he/she doesn't do anything stupid (i.e. wear a diamond studded Rolex and show it off to anyone who passes by).

 

[MedStudentWanna]

Understand that, if it's part of a major university, there is a certain baseline of safety that the university tries to provide - this is part of the reason why you pay tuition.

That's hogwash! First of all, the university is only responsible for what happens ON CAMPUS. That isn't what we're talking about. If someone feels unsafe in the surrounding neighborhood, which they will have to walk through to get to the school, then who are any of you to say he/she will be fine as you did? It's an absurd statement. For some people, safety is a huge concern and frankly, I've always been of the opinion that people should listen to their instincts. If there's a little voice inside your head saying "this is a bad idea," listen to that voice.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

That's hogwash! First of all, the university is only responsible for what happens ON CAMPUS. That isn't what we're talking about. If someone feels unsafe in the surrounding neighborhood, which they will have to walk through to get to the school, then who are any of you to say he/she will be fine as you did? It's an absurd statement. For some people, safety is a huge concern and frankly, I've always been of the opinion that people should listen to their instincts. If there's a little voice inside your head saying "this is a bad idea," listen to that voice.

Did the op state that they were concerned about being the victim of violence at this school? I think the concern was more that the neighborhood was disfavorable, not that he/she was particularly scared. Also, I'm guessing this school either has a bus stop directly on campus, meaning that it's secured by the campus or some means of escorting students to where they're going if safety is an issue -- at least, every school I've seen in an iffy area does that. If it really were an issue, I'd suspect that students at Temple would routinely be the victims of violence in the neighborhood around the school, in which case everyone would probably know about it.

 

[MedStudentWanna]

Did the op state that they were concerned about being the victim of violence at this school? I think the concern was more that the neighborhood was disfavorable, not that he/she was particularly scared. Also, I'm guessing this school either has a bus stop directly on campus, meaning that it's secured by the campus or some means of escorting students to where they're going if safety is an issue -- at least, every school I've seen in an iffy area does that. If it really were an issue, I'd suspect that students at Temple would routinely be the victims of violence in the neighborhood around the school, in which case everyone would probably know about it.

I'm not saying it's routinely an issue. Let's face it, the city is pretty big. Just because no Temple med student was the victim of a violent crime in the last few years doesn't mean violent crime doesn't exist in the neighborhood. The point is, if the OP felt unsafe, who's anyone to tell him/her he/she shouldn't? There are thousands of people who are the victims of violent crimes in Philly every year and thousands who aren't. I don't think we can say "since no Temple student has been the victim of crime while OFF campus the last couple of years, then the area must be safe." It just so happens that those 100+ people weren't victims. It doesn't mean the area is necessarily safe enough for others to question the OP's concerns. In this day and age, I wouldn't question anyone's anxiety about crime. Even the sleepiest towns have their share of violent crimes, let alone neighborhoods like this one.

I don't know if safety was the concern, but I find it hard to believe someone would turn down a med school acceptance just because the neighborhood was too crowded or something. I assume it was safety the OP was worrying about, not "unfavorable" scenery or whatever else others inferred from the original post.

 

[merlin17]

Wow, 72 k a year? That would certainly have made me think twice. I would call up the school and see if you can speak with a financial aid person there or go speak to a financial planner type and have them go through what that will actually mean for you from a financial perspective. Have them give you scenarios of how much you will be paying per year for how many years based on current interest rates and the types of loans they have. Depending on what specialty you are considering and your other financial considerations it may be pretty difficult. Just deciding that you will be able to pay it off because you will "a doctor" isn't thinking things through particularly well.

 

[delpier07]

Everyone is making it seem like North Philly is straight out of a Grand Theft Auto game. I forget who posted it before, but as long as you aren't doing anything stupid i.e. picking a fight with someone or flashing loads of money, there's no reason anyone would harm you. Consider the fact that the Temple University police force is the third largest in the state, after Philly and Pittsburgh. True, a lot of violent crimes occur in North Philadelphia, but very rarely right on Broad St., especially where Temple is, which you have almost no reason to leave. When it comes down to it, as someone who has spent alot of time in the city, I would much rather get lost in North Philly than West Philly, where UPenn is, but you don't hear many people thinking about not attending UPenn because of the neighborhood.

For reference, here's a map of all the violent crimes in Philadelphia in 2006:
http://inquirer.philly.com/graphics/murders_map/

 

[MedStudentWanna]

but as long as you aren't doing anything stupid i.e. picking a fight with someone or flashing loads of money, there's no reason anyone would harm you.

Right. Because all victims of violent crime all did something stupid that made them victims. Come on. People become victims for doing something as simple as walking down the street. I'm not saying no one should go to Temple or that Temple is a horrible place. I'm saying that Temple isn't everyone's cup of tea. The neighborhood may feel perfectly safe to some while giving others the creeps.

The OP applied there, but then changed his/her mind when he/she went to see it. Yes, they should have written to the school and withdrawn before a decision was handed down, but in this case, the decision came within a week, so I'm willing to give the OP the benefit of the doubt given the quick turn-around. I just don't get where some posters get off being so judgmental. Not everyone wants the same things out of a med school. For me, if I'm shelling out $75 K a year, I better not have doubts. I better be 100% certain this is what I want for the next 2-4 years of my life. That's too much money to pay just to scope things out as some have suggested.

As for explaining it next year, I would simply say "I liked the school before I got there. When I got there to interview, I realized I had certain concerns and before I had a chance to address those concerns and withdraw my name from consideration, I got an acceptance."

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me considering most people wouldn't do something as drastic as withdraw from a school they interviewed at without giving it serious thought and talking it over with family/spouse before making a decision. That can take more than 7 days. Now had the decision been handed down two months later, then I'd agree the OP should have withdrawn and it's his/her own fault he/she is in this predicament.

 

[Law2Doc]

When it comes down to it, as someone who has spent alot of time in the city, I would much rather get lost in North Philly than West Philly, where UPenn is, but you don't hear many people thinking about not attending UPenn because of the neighborhood.

Penn is a very wealthy school and I believe has done a pretty impressive job of buying enormous tracts of land surrounding the campus to the west, and has a river as a natural border in one direction and the Drexel undergrad campus as a border in another. Thus I think you really have to wander out of your way to "get lost in West Philly". Temple doesn't really have this. No city schools are immune from crime, but large buffer zones help.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

So what if you got accepted to a school that you know would drive you clinically insane if you had to attend for four years, but that is your only acceptance. Lets say it is also going to cost you nearly 60,000 to go a year.

Do you...

A. go and just grind it out

B. withdraw and reapply the following year

And would withdrawing an acceptance to a school look really bad if you applied again the following year?

Withdrawing from an acceptance and applying the following year will result in you being blacklisted by many medical schools.

I'd go and just grind it out. Do you want to be a physician or not? It's incredibly stupid to turn down any USA Accredited Allopathic Medical School acceptance because the competition is fierce (and getting worse) each year and there is no guarantee you'll get in any single year.

 

[James Moriarty]

Withdrawing from an acceptance and applying the following year will result in you being blacklisted by many medical schools.
.

Can anyone else verify this beyond hearsay? I keep hearing variations on a theme and no one seems to provide a clear, distinct source.

OP, if the aforementioned turns out to be true, then in essence you have no choice. If not, you have options. Everyone else on this thread probably can't provide a reason to not apply again just short of not putting yourself through the entire application process again. Yes, you made an error by not withdrawing before being accepted. However, that was the past and this is the present. If you foresee yourself being unhappy while also paying 72k a year, why would you just "suck it up" IF you could fare better the next time around? Quite simply, that's absurd and borders on the illogical. Of course that begs the question: would you fare better the next time around? If not, then you very well may have to suck it up as electing to forego the acceptance would be, in this case, also absurd and bordering on the illogical (based on the assumption you want to be a physician).