Anybody else feels crappy after reading SDN

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
NickNaylor said:
First, what Don said: the breadth and depth of the ECs you see on here are pretty strong. Granted, it's what necessary to get into the best schools, but if you want to get into your school or A school, then that doesn't need to be your goal. You'll also see at interviews that a lot of people are extremely weird. If you're simply not strange in person then you're ahead of the pack.
Click to expand...

LOL that is comforting. Now I really feel like I have an edge.
Members don't see this ad.
 
FattySlug said:
LOL that is comforting. Now I really feel like I have an edge.
Click to expand...

I guess I should've prefaced that with a caveat. I will say that I noticed that at the more "prestigious" schools, the proportion of very obviously weird people decreased substantially. I have no doubt they're weird (myself included), but they hid it well. It was at the interviews for my state schools where the "specialness" really stood out. There were some strange, strange people there.
 
NickNaylor said:
First, what Don said: the breadth and depth of the ECs you see on here are pretty strong. Granted, it's what necessary to get into the best schools, but if you want to get into your school or A school, then that doesn't need to be your goal. You'll also see at interviews that a lot of people are extremely weird. If you're simply not strange in person then you're ahead of the pack.
Click to expand...

Well I'm glad I have a background in Entertainment and dealing with people lol
 
Members don't see this ad :)
NickNaylor said:
I guess I should've prefaced that with a caveat. I will say that I noticed that at the more "prestigious" schools, the proportion of very obviously weird people decreased substantially. I have no doubt they're weird (myself included), but they hid it well. It was at the interviews for my state schools where the "specialness" really stood out. There were some strange, strange people there.
Click to expand...

That's because your state is full of special people. ;)
 
SteveJMarist said:
This thread is making me feel a little old. I graduated HS 6 years ago :eek:
Click to expand...

5 years ago for me and I'm feeling pretty old, too!

gyropath said:
I am loving this thread. I'm glad that I'm not the only one.
Click to expand...

Yes, so true. Although, honestly, a lot of the SDN inspired neuroticism actually inspires me to reread my application a thousand times, get a lot of second opinions, and just generally work harder to do better...which I suppose is a good thing. On that note, I've decided if I get an acceptance to med school I'll become a donor. And if I get into my top choice, I'll become a lifetime donor. :D
 
Donfernando07 said:
Suddenly because they have high grades they're a lock for every school? I think they have as much a right to question what their chances are at their list of schools, especially when these schools can be notorious for having ambiguous or extreme expectations.
Click to expand...
Lies. People that can actually get into a good school don't need a forum to tell them that.
 
Definitely feel like "I'll never get into med school, everyone else is better than me! :(" after reading SDN sometimes. I stay for the lulz though, sometimes SDN makes me laugh.

But I tend to remain optimistic nonetheless. If you are working hard and doing the right things, it will pay off eventually. At least I like to think so.
 
I felt this way many a time when I read SDN as I was preparing my application. It was crap. And yes, it does pay off eventually if you're dedicated. :) Do your own thing, and remember to take this place with a grain of salt. There's a lot of good advice here, if you can sift through the LOLcats and the BS. Now I read just for the cats and associated lulz.

Also, lulz at you youngins. I just skipped my 10 year HS reunion!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
SteveJMarist said:
I skipped my 10 year 8th grade graduation reunion this year- does that count?
Click to expand...
Hahaha! It's all about scale, I guess. To be honest, I am curious what became of my classmates from K-8. I'd be much more likely to go to that reunion than my HS one.

Y'all do realize we're still young, right?
 
NickNaylor said:
I guess I should've prefaced that with a caveat. I will say that I noticed that at the more "prestigious" schools, the proportion of very obviously weird people decreased substantially. I have no doubt they're weird (myself included), but they hid it well. It was at the interviews for my state schools where the "specialness" really stood out. There were some strange, strange people there.
Click to expand...
i'm glad i'm not the only person who felt this way. my state school interview was... an experience..
 
courtnes said:
Hahaha! It's all about scale, I guess. To be honest, I am curious what became of my classmates from K-8. I'd be much more likely to go to that reunion than my HS one.

Y'all do realize we're still young, right?
Click to expand...

Hop on facebook- you'll catch all of those randoms on there haha.

And, yes, the old thing is a joke ;)
 
It happened again. Somehow I got lured back over to the "what are my chances" sub-forum. :(
 
MeowMeowCAT said:
Lies. People that can actually get into a good school don't need a forum to tell them that.
Click to expand...

And yet we all scoff at those applicants that have to reapply because they thought they were competitive at all the top schools they applied to. Don has a meaningful point. Everyone's "stress" over their application is all relative and there's always a set of schools that someone will wonder if they have what it takes to get there.
 
zeppelin125 said:
I've come to realize that many of the pre-med SDN members reflect the top 25% of the applicants that you are competing against. In the "real world", most of the pre-meds I know didn't score above a 30 on their MCATs, and many have had B's and C's during their undergraduate career, and are still getting acceptances to MD's. SDN has the tendency to make you feel neurotic and compare yourself against these hugely successful individuals, but make a plan on how you're going to get into medical school, stick to it, and watch the positive outcomes, and you shouldn't feel lousy about reading the forums.
Click to expand...

This is the truth. I have been questioning the docs I work with, many of them who sat on adcoms as students, and they will tell you that getting a C or not having a 35 MCAT is not the end of the road for those who want to get into med school.

Although it is in some ways a numbers game, they want to see applicants with a true passion for medicine, and that you are a human being outside of your studies. The docs that I work with couldn't be any different from each other, and yet they are all capable, and all had a different path to medicine.

Nobody knows what that adcom member is going to think when they meet you. They may see themself in you and know you will succeed, or they may see someone with perfect scores as arrogant and uncaring, and they will have the stamp on that rejection letter as soon as they are out the door after that interview.

Just be yourself, do the best you can, and an acceptance will be waiting for you.
 
There was a company who once sent out thousands of survey cards in the mail....the question on it was "do you like taking surveys?"...


lo and behold, the response was a resounding "YES".....

this place is filled with a very self selecting crowd.....keep that in mind as you read on.....
 
NYRN said:
This is the truth. I have been questioning the docs I work with, many of them who sat on adcoms as students, and they will tell you that getting a C or not having a 35 MCAT is not the end of the road for those who want to get into med school.

Although it is in some ways a numbers game, they want to see applicants with a true passion for medicine, and that you are a human being outside of your studies. The docs that I work with couldn't be any different from each other, and yet they are all capable, and all had a different path to medicine.

Nobody knows what that adcom member is going to think when they meet you. They may see themself in you and know you will succeed, or they may see someone with perfect scores as arrogant and uncaring, and they will have the stamp on that rejection letter as soon as they are out the door after that interview.

Just be yourself, do the best you can, and an acceptance will be waiting for you.
Click to expand...

I love this point of view, and it is basically what I have heard from several people. Unfortunately though, I had a friend on the bad side of this- not much of a life outside of his studies and somewhat arrogant (3.9 GPA, 34 MCAT). He's reapplying this year. On the other hand, I know colorful people that have gotten in with much less endearing stats.

eablackwell said:
I graduated HS 10 years ago today. My facebook friends insist upon reminding me hourly...
Click to expand...

:laugh:. 2001- what a year! It was still pre-9/11 at that point. Crazy.
 
SteveJMarist said:
I love this point of view, and it is basically what I have heard from several people. Unfortunately though, I had a friend on the bad side of this- not much of a life outside of his studies and somewhat arrogant (3.9 GPA, 34 MCAT). He's reapplying this year. On the other hand, I know colorful people that have gotten in with much less endearing stats.
Click to expand...

He must have applied to the likes of Havard, Yale or Johns Hopkins.
 
SteveJMarist said:
I love this point of view, and it is basically what I have heard from several people. Unfortunately though, I had a friend on the bad side of this- not much of a life outside of his studies and somewhat arrogant (3.9 GPA, 34 MCAT). He's reapplying this year. On the other hand, I know colorful people that have gotten in with much less endearing stats.



:laugh:. 2001- what a year! It was still pre-9/11 at that point. Crazy.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I think that is the problem when it comes to the high stats crowd that doesn't get in. That or a poorly planned application - mostly poor school choice, not that they can't get into top tier but maybe not enough safety schools.

But yes, 2001... 9/11 happened during my first week of classes. I remember sitting there watching them replay the footage with my roommate who I'd only known a week. Crazy. I think 9/11 was for our generation what JFK's assassination was for our parents. But, I digress. Back on topic?

Don't let the numbers you see on SDN get you down. Everyone has their pros and cons in the eyes of the adcoms. Unless you're Nick Naylor. :laugh:

(just teasin, Nick, you have earned your success with all your work!)
 
NickNaylor said:
I guess I should've prefaced that with a caveat. I will say that I noticed that at the more "prestigious" schools, the proportion of very obviously weird people decreased substantially. I have no doubt they're weird (myself included), but they hid it well. It was at the interviews for my state schools where the "specialness" really stood out. There were some strange, strange people there.
Click to expand...

RogueUnicorn said:
i'm glad i'm not the only person who felt this way. my state school interview was... an experience..
Click to expand...

Going to have to disagree here. At my state school all the applicants seemed fairly normal unless they hid it very well. Yet, at multiple "'prestigious" schools I found a few people I would describe as odd. Although it could be because I pushed back most of my interviews to the end of the cycle due to conflicts/finances.
 
HakeeMD said:
Going to have to disagree here. At my state school all the applicants seemed fairly normal unless they hid it very well. Yet, at multiple "'prestigious" schools I found a few people I would describe as odd. Although it could be because I pushed back most of my interviews to the end of the cycle due to conflicts/finances.
Click to expand...

Yea I'd have thought it would be at the very top schools. I know some absolutely brilliant people at my school that will most likely be interviewing at such places (Due to 3.9+ & 38+), but they are quite weird. Nice people, but awkward.
 
zeppelin125 said:
I've come to realize that many of the pre-med SDN members reflect the top 25% of the applicants that you are competing against. In the "real world", most of the pre-meds I know didn't score above a 30 on their MCATs, and many have had B's and C's during their undergraduate career, and are still getting acceptances to MD's. SDN has the tendency to make you feel neurotic and compare yourself against these hugely successful individuals, but make a plan on how you're going to get into medical school, stick to it, and watch the positive outcomes, and you shouldn't feel lousy about reading the forums.
Click to expand...

This. I think the outliers come here... the MCAT threads are full of jubilant posts about 38-43's, while the "what are my chances" either are grim times or trollish displays of might.

Take what useful info you can, and do your best. Ignore the rest.
 
I have leaned a lot about the admissions process here. Quite often I will encounter some idea or bit of information that I can put to work in enhancing my potential as a candidate.

For example, I thought I was engaging in research, but I was mostly just a lab assistant.

I saw a bunch of threads saying how useless that is on an application unless you are actually contributing, so I approached the professor about starting a project of my own. I started that project this week.

I figure you can either feel bad about what you haven't done, or you can get ideas of what to do when you are here.
 
NickNaylor said:
First, what Don said: the breadth and depth of the ECs you see on here are pretty strong. Granted, it's what necessary to get into the best schools, but if you want to get into your school or A school, then that doesn't need to be your goal. You'll also see at interviews that a lot of people are extremely weird. If you're simply not strange in person then you're ahead of the pack.
Click to expand...
I'd like to modify this a little bit, if I may.

If you've been on SDN for a little while and have followed some of the advice that posters give, you'll find out at interviews that (as long as you're not a socially inept person), you're far ahead than the majority of the interviewees.

At least, that was my experience with most non-SDNers on the interview trail. Unlike Nick though, I interviewed mostly at what most on SDN would consider "mid-tier" schools. YMMV.

Edit: I would actually say that a lot of the people posting on SDN are likely in the top 5-10% of med school applicants (I certainly am not!). So, it's unfair for people to compare themselves to the average SDNer.
 
Last edited:
SDN is both a blessing and curse.

Think about it, your childhood pediatrician didn't have access to this behemoth of social networking,

and branching out to fellow prospective medical students, and or doctors.

Also try not to be discouraged by the trolls who say they retook an MCAT with a 40

just to get a better essay score.................

Ignorance is bliss :cool:
 
wish I knew about this site back before I started high school. :(
 
Last edited:
FattySlug said:
He must have applied to the likes of Havard, Yale or Johns Hopkins.
Click to expand...

That he did, but he had a fair amount of in-state safety schools as well. Was waitlisted at Loyola-his ugrad institution- then rejected. Interviewed at Rosalind Franklin, rejected. I think it was more a function of his stoic personality than him not applying broadly. He applied as early as possible, which is worth noting. Reminder of his stats: 3.8-3.9, 34.

courtnes said:
Unfortunately I think that is the problem when it comes to the high stats crowd that doesn't get in. That or a poorly planned application - mostly poor school choice, not that they can't get into top tier but maybe not enough safety schools.

But yes, 2001... 9/11 happened during my first week of classes. I remember sitting there watching them replay the footage with my roommate who I'd only known a week. Crazy. I think 9/11 was for our generation what JFK's assassination was for our parents. But, I digress. Back on topic?

Don't let the numbers you see on SDN get you down. Everyone has their pros and cons in the eyes of the adcoms. Unless you're Nick Naylor. :laugh:

(just teasin, Nick, you have earned your success with all your work!)
Click to expand...

Yep. I was a freshman in HS when 9/11 happened. They called us into the hallway to announce what happened. I really like your 9/11 and JFK analogy- it fits.

As far as those high-stat people that don't get in, I think you're right when saying it's a mix of not applying broadly and just flat out being weird.
 
mauberley said:
No, YOU get off MY lawn. :p
Click to expand...

NO U!

nou.gif


Go eat some cheese, it goes great with your prune juice!

J/K, maubs, you know I love ya.
 
courtnes said:
I felt this way many a time when I read SDN as I was preparing my application. It was crap. And yes, it does pay off eventually if you're dedicated. :) Do your own thing, and remember to take this place with a grain of salt. There's a lot of good advice here, if you can sift through the LOLcats and the BS. Now I read just for the cats and associated lulz.

Also, lulz at you youngins. I just skipped my 10 year HS reunion!
Click to expand...

LOL, I'll be skipping mine in a few weeks.
 
gujuDoc said:
HS reunions are useless now that there's facebook and twitter and myspace and friendster and findyourhighschoolclassmates.com or whatever that website was that was created 10 years ago.

It is not hard to find out what people are up to without reunions these days.
Click to expand...
unless, you know, you actually want to have some face-to-face interactions with them..
 
RogueUnicorn said:
unless, you know, you actually want to have some face-to-face interactions with them..
Click to expand...

Or if you want any chance of gettin with that guy/girl who was so hot back in the day but wouldn't talk to nerds like you and now that the tables have turned because you're gonna be a big shot doctor...

No I haven't thought about this before.
 
dbeast said:
Or if you want any chance of gettin with that guy/girl who was so hot back in the day but wouldn't talk to nerds like you and now that the tables have turned because you're gonna be a big shot doctor...

No I haven't thought about this before.
Click to expand...

:laugh:
 
dbeast said:
Or if you want any chance of gettin with that guy/girl who was so hot back in the day but wouldn't talk to nerds like you and now that the tables have turned because you're gonna be a big shot doctor...

No I haven't thought about this before.
Click to expand...
i lol'd

gujuDoc said:
Yeah but that's my point. If you want it, you contact them on fb on how to meet up with them. if they were that important to you and all. Half the time you go to those things and don't even care or remember half the people there.
Click to expand...
why does it have to be that they were important to me? not all of my interactions are some deep-seated emotional connections. sometimes it's just fun to see everyone and casually reminisce in a setting where you aren't forced to talk to them for longer than you want to.
 
RogueUnicorn said:
i lol'd


why does it have to be that they were important to me? not all of my interactions are some deep-seated emotional connections. sometimes it's just fun to see everyone and casually reminisce in a setting where you aren't forced to talk to them for longer than you want to.
Click to expand...

You got a point there. never thought of it that way. :) :laugh:
 
you guys should go read 4/29/11 official thread on MCAT forum, so many high scores there makes me feel inadequate, sigh.
 
DrTroll said:
you guys should go read 4/29/11 official thread on MCAT forum, so many high scores there makes me feel inadequate, sigh.
Click to expand...

Haha yea- it looks like that group beasted that test.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

Y
Anybody else regretting their earlier submissions?
Replies
7
Views
951
Moko
Moko
E
SDN Article: Training for the Marathon: SDN Resources to Submit Your Best Application
Replies
3
Views
665
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
E
SDN Article: What’s in a Curriculum?
Replies
0
Views
144
Emil Chuck
E
S
  • Question
SMP or something else after grad?- Anxious International Pre-med Senior
Replies
9
Views
915
gyngyn
gyngyn
U
Does anyone else feel like there are less II (per SDN activity) compared to previous years for October?
Replies
3
Views
2K
Glassdyr
Glassdyr
Top