Any other MS4s hoping to skip graduation?

[cookymonster]

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I know not too many MS4s seem to post here, but hopefully this speaks to someone. Like many of us, I'm planning on wrapping up rotations at the end of March. After that, I plan to travel into the early summer before I have to move and start intern year. I'd much rather not spend the money to fly back from Frankfurt or London for ceremonial purposes. I also haven't enjoyed medical school very much and would frankly just like to put the whole experience behind me. I don't want to go to the Match Day ceremony either, but that's for another thread.

I haven't yet asked my school if graduation attendance is required. I haven't brought this up with my family either (I have a feeling it won't go over that well). Anyone else out there considering this?

 

[Perrotfish]

I don't want to go to the Match Day ceremony either, but that's for another thread.

God bless the military for getting me out of that. Who in the world thought that that was a good idea?

 

[FractureFixer]

I know not too many MS4s seem to post here, but hopefully this speaks to someone. Like many of us, I'm planning on wrapping up rotations at the end of March. After that, I plan to travel into the early summer before I have to move and start intern year. I'd much rather not spend the money to fly back from Frankfurt or London for ceremonial purposes. I also haven't enjoyed medical school very much and would frankly just like to put the whole experience behind me. I don't want to go to the Match Day ceremony either, but that's for another thread.

I haven't yet asked my school if graduation attendance is required. I haven't brought this up with my family either (I have a feeling it won't go over that well). Anyone else out there considering this?

I am a third year and have already thought this. And yes, it wont go over well with family at all trust me. (even said in jest)

 

[searun]

As a third year student, I can see graduation on the horizon, and I am looking forward to it. I definitely will attend my med school graduation ceremeony. I would not consider missing it. My parents will fly out from the Northwest to the East Coast, and my brother, intrepid world traveler, will appear, and we will have a great party for several days. It will be a blast.

 

[smq123]

I know not too many MS4s seem to post here, but hopefully this speaks to someone. Like many of us, I'm planning on wrapping up rotations at the end of March. After that, I plan to travel into the early summer before I have to move and start intern year. I'd much rather not spend the money to fly back from Frankfurt or London for ceremonial purposes. I also haven't enjoyed medical school very much and would frankly just like to put the whole experience behind me. I don't want to go to the Match Day ceremony either, but that's for another thread.

I haven't yet asked my school if graduation attendance is required. I haven't brought this up with my family either (I have a feeling it won't go over that well). Anyone else out there considering this?

I skipped Match Day. I didn't think it was that big a deal. You should ask your school, though, since I believe that some schools do require attendance.

Definitely talk to your family about graduation. As one of my high school teachers once told me, graduation isn't for you, it's for your parents (and grandparents). Unless they were incredibly unsupportive during med school, they deserve to be asked.

You may end up having to come back around graduation time, anyway. Some intern programs schedule orientation VERY early (early June) - some of my classmates had a week between graduation and orientation.

 

[hrandani]

I plan on forgetting to mention the whole graduation thing to the rents. They'll never know.

 

[TexasPhysician]

4th year here - already have plans to skip graduation. Family is well aware of this. One of my best friend's weddings is the day I graduate. Being there is much more important than being handed a piece of paper as I walk across a stage for 5 seconds.

 

[Momentum70]

Im a 4th year and ill be finished long before graduation. I extended out my 4th year because I changed my mind late about the field I wanted to go into and as such didnt have that much to do this year. Most of my friends graduated last year so I planned on skipping graduation and was all set to do it until my parents found out. Then i was reminded that its not just for me. Apparently our relatives, significant others, etc. really enjoy what I consider a 3 hour boredomfest waste of time. Needless to say I lamented and will now be flying back into town for graduation. Your situations may be different than mine, but im the first doctor in the family and it would cause my parents a lot of grief if they dont get pictures to show thier friends. All of us going into medicine are at least a little altruistic(i would hope), so this is just one more sacrifice Ill make.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

i refuse to go.

 

[hikikomori]

Graduation? Big deal. I didn't even tell my folks I'm in medical school.

 

[SOUNDMAN]

We are required to go.

 

[Elixir86]

Graduation? Big deal. I didn't even tell my folks I'm in medical school.

I'm only an M2, but from what I've heard, attendance at graduation is required at my school (VCU SOM).

 

[VincentAdultman]

Not saying you should or shouldn't but graduation is one of those things you tend to regret not going to further down the road. Also, as someone stated, the ceremony isn't really for you anyway.

 

[penguin24]

Attendance isn't really required, but I'm sure the Deans won't be thrilled. That's a tough call, having to spend all that money just to walk across the stage.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

I look at it this way - after dropping a few hundred thou on a medical education, I look forward to having the school celebrate my achievement of graduation.

Plus if there's a chance for free food/drinks, I'm in.

 

[Inuranic]

I'm only an M2, but from what I've heard, attendance at graduation is required at my school (VCU SOM).

Seriously?

Ugh. Anything VCU requires me to do is invariably something I want to skip.

 

[bonesawz]

We are required to go.

Our school has several 2 year programs and they combine all of them into one big long boring graduation ceremony. Its not the same achievement, so why the same ceremony? I don't want to make my kids sit through all of that....I don't want to sit through all of that!

 

[lildave2586]

Attendance isn't really required, but I'm sure the Deans won't be thrilled. That's a tough call, having to spend all that money just to walk across the stage.

My class has to pay for the graduation. Is this the way it works at other schools? We have to raise like 20K to have our own ceremony. That seems stupid to me, but no one ever asked my opinion.

 

[Perrotfish]

My class has to pay for the graduation. Is this the way it works at other schools? We have to raise like 20K to have our own ceremony. That seems stupid to me, but no one ever asked my opinion.

What happens if you don't pay? Could y'all just vote to skip the whole thing?

 

[penguin24]

My class has to pay for the graduation. Is this the way it works at other schools? We have to raise like 20K to have our own ceremony. That seems stupid to me, but no one ever asked my opinion.

Wow, I've never heard of that. I just thought the money used for graduation is taken from the Student Fees that they charge us for w/ the tuition. Either way, we pay for it in the end.

 

[lildave2586]

What happens if you don't pay? Could y'all just vote to skip the whole thing?

Well, some people proposed charging everyone a $100 fee and having a small ceremony. Some people objected. It just seems stupid that we have to worry about raising 20K for our own graduation. I think we have raised like 15K so far through fund raisers and such, but it still seems stupid to me. Apparently the school has always done this and each class has never had a problem coming up with the money. I'm just glad I'm not a part of class leadership.