Anyone else feel this way?

[tennischamp822]

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[Planes2Doc]

Basically, I have a 3.75/30 and got one interview this year from a state school. Interview went okay, but now I am beginning to think that a borderline application + okay interview won't be enough to get into medical school this year.

I know I should be doing more volunteering/shadowing/random ECs to boost my app for next year + studying for the MCAT again.

However, I really just don't want to do any of those things at all and am thinking of just switching careers altogether.

Has anyone else gotten this close to med school and then decided to just quit because the process just seems so stupid/unfair to them?

The process is extremely stupid and unfair, but so is the rest of life. You might not enjoy putting on a song and dance for ADCOMs, but that's what people have to do. Then if you end up quitting, you'll still have to put on a song and dance for [FILL IN THE BLANK]. Imagine going to a job interview at a company that does stuff you don't give two $h1ts about.

I realize that everyone on SDN is always saying how they enjoy every single thing they do, but this is not the case in the real world at all. Most fellow classmates I've talked to said how much they hated the process.

So just play the game. And remember, SDN is full of people that are very committed to the end goal of getting into medical school. You can still get in with less ECs, which most people do. I realize that devoting the best years of your lives (college) doing a bunch of crap you'd rather not do to impress ADCOMs is considered to be a badge of honor here on SDN, but it doesn't have to be this way.

Just do the minimal amount of ECs, maybe retake the MCAT for a higher score if you are confident that you can do it, and reapply. It's not worth giving up something that determines the rest of your life over something that stupid.

Plus on the bright side, you have no idea how good that moment feels once you drop all those ECs you dread. It's like an incredible high.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Think about what the alternative is. Honestly I'd much prefer med school apps to searching for a job.

 

[GopherMD]

Have you thought about DO school? I have similar numbers and interviewed at 3 MD (waiting to hear back from my state school after the interview) and 4 DO programs. I will be attending a DO school if I don't get into my state school. You should seriously consider applying to DO schools in addition to MD next cycle. Of course find something in the next year to improve your application.

I'm a reapplicant. I applied to only MD programs last year and did not receive a single interview. This time around, I applied to both MD/DO after improving my application and I'm happy with the results. If medicine is what you truly want to do, stick with it and work hard!

 

[Balantidiumcoli]

The process is extremely stupid and unfair, but so is the rest of life. You might not enjoy putting on a song and dance for ADCOMs, but that's what people have to do. Then if you end up quitting, you'll still have to put on a song and dance for [FILL IN THE BLANK]. Imagine going to a job interview at a company that does stuff you don't give two $h1ts about.

I realize that everyone on SDN is always saying how they enjoy every single thing they do, but this is not the case in the real world at all. Most fellow classmates I've talked to said how much they hated the process.

So just play the game. And remember, SDN is full of people that are very committed to the end goal of getting into medical school. You can still get in with less ECs, which most people do. I realize that devoting the best years of your lives (college) doing a bunch of crap you'd rather not do to impress ADCOMs is considered to be a badge of honor here on SDN, but it doesn't have to be this way.

Just do the minimal amount of ECs, maybe retake the MCAT for a higher score if you are confident that you can do it, and reapply. It's not worth giving up something that determines the rest of your life over something that stupid.

Plus on the bright side, you have no idea how good that moment feels once you drop all those ECs you dread. It's like an incredible high.

Doesn't posting this kind of crap make you feel even the slightest tinge of shame? I don't like the process either but this post comes across as ignoble and sleazy.

But as to your question OP, many times. The only thing is those thoughts always pass with time.

 

[MedPR]

Doesn't posting this kind of crap make you feel even the slightest tinge of shame? I don't like the process either but this post comes across as ignoble and sleazy.

But as to your question OP, many times. The only thing is those thoughts always pass with time.

Why should he feel shame posting the truth?

 

[Balantidiumcoli]

Why should he feel shame posting the truth?

No shame in the truth, but trying to pass yourself as a caring individual by doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and not so much an interest in actually helping out comes across as pretty douchey.

 

[sliceofbread136]

No shame in the truth, but trying to pass yourself as a caring individual by doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and not so much an interest in actually helping out comes across as pretty douchey.

But that's what you have to do? Don't hate the player, hate the game.

 

[Balantidiumcoli]

But that's what you have to do? Don't hate the player, hate the game.

I actually hate them both.

 

[premed2000]

X

 

[tn4596]

I feel you here OP. I have a 3.8/34 and I've received 1 II and 13Rejections. Talk about how brutal and disastrous my cycle is going. But I am trying to evaluate my application cycle and the mistakes that I have done, such as applying too late in the cycle + applied to too top heavy. I am already in the process of boosting my ECs and prepping for reapplication either in 2013 or 2014. If becoming a doctor is what you want to do, DON'T GIVE UP!

That is brutal. But with those numbers I am sure you will get in, this year or next year

 

[vanillabear55]

I feel you here OP. I have a 3.8/34 and I've received 1 II and 13Rejections. Talk about how brutal and disastrous my cycle is going. But I am trying to evaluate my application cycle and the mistakes that I have done, such as applying too late in the cycle + applied to too top heavy. I am already in the process of boosting my ECs and prepping for reapplication either in 2013 or 2014. If becoming a doctor is what you want to do, DON'T GIVE UP!

how late in the cycle did you apply?

 

[premed2000]

X

 

[Planes2Doc]

Doesn't posting this kind of crap make you feel even the slightest tinge of shame? I don't like the process either but this post comes across as ignoble and sleazy.

But as to your question OP, many times. The only thing is those thoughts always pass with time.

I have wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid. I care about my family, my friends, and also about the well being of others around me, which is why I pursue this profession.

I don't think that the hundreds of hours that I spent performing free labor for a hospital system by cleaning beds, restocking linens, making kits, and very occasionally talking to patients necessarily define me as a person. I would judge a person based on how they act toward me, not by a laundry-list of volunteer commitments that you see over and over again on this site, or the number of hours one commits to these activities.

Would you like to negatively judge the many people you know in your life who aren't "required" to perform such significant levels of "service" in order to achieve their goal (in other words, never took part in the significant volunteer commitments you see every premed doing)? I'd like you to think about that before you go off judging people you've never met. You'd be surprised how many medical students and doctors have openly admitted that they did not enjoy these activities. Does this make them bad physicians, and most of all, bad people worth hating?

 

[HealthHare]

Doesn't posting this kind of crap make you feel even the slightest tinge of shame? I don't like the process either but this post comes across as ignoble and sleazy.

But as to your question OP, many times. The only thing is those thoughts always pass with time.

Brochillthatisall.

 

[Balantidiumcoli]

I have wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid. I care about my family, my friends, and also about the well being of others around me, which is why I pursue this profession.

I don't think that the hundreds of hours that I spent performing free labor for a hospital system by cleaning beds, restocking linens, making kits, and very occasionally talking to patients necessarily define me as a person. I would judge a person based on how they act toward me, not by a laundry-list of volunteer commitments that you see over and over again on this site, or the number of hours one commits to these activities.

Would you like to negatively judge the many people you know in your life who aren't "required" to perform such significant levels of "service" in order to achieve their goal (in other words, never took part in the significant volunteer commitments you see every premed doing)? I'd like you to think about that before you go off judging people you've never met. You'd be surprised how many medical students and doctors have openly admitted that they did not enjoy these activities. Does this make them bad physicians, and most of all, bad people worth hating?

Struck a nerve? I don't think the hundreds of free hours I have spent at a hospital have necessarily taught me any nuances that I wouldn't have learned in medical school. But being the naive individual I was prior with no real clinical experience it definitely taught me a lot about how a hospital works, health care delivery and patients. If you feel that your current post isn't using the best of your ability and you could accomplish more doing something else, here's an idea: do something else.

Implying that the best takeaway people from get from their extracurricular experience is simply a dog and pony show for some adcom as opposed to fulfilling and benevolent work is, like I said, sleazy.

 

[Hemorrage]

I have wanted to be a doctor since I was a kid. I care about my family, my friends, and also about the well being of others around me, which is why I pursue this profession.

I don't think that the hundreds of hours that I spent performing free labor for a hospital system by cleaning beds, restocking linens, making kits, and very occasionally talking to patients necessarily define me as a person. I would judge a person based on how they act toward me, not by a laundry-list of volunteer commitments that you see over and over again on this site, or the number of hours one commits to these activities.

Would you like to negatively judge the many people you know in your life who aren't "required" to perform such significant levels of "service" in order to achieve their goal (in other words, never took part in the significant volunteer commitments you see every premed doing)? I'd like you to think about that before you go off judging people you've never met. You'd be surprised how many medical students and doctors have openly admitted that they did not enjoy these activities. Does this make them bad physicians, and most of all, bad people worth hating?

The admissions process IS ridiculous. If anyone really claims otherwise they are out of their minds, however, there is nothing we can do about it we just have to play the game and win... then laugh about it after.

 

[MedPR]

No shame in the truth, but trying to pass yourself as a caring individual by doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and not so much an interest in actually helping out comes across as pretty douchey.

Welcome to pre-med.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Struck a nerve? I don't think the hundreds of free hours I have spent at a hospital have necessarily taught me any nuances that I wouldn't have learned in medical school. But being the naive individual I was prior with no real clinical experience it definitely taught me a lot about how a hospital works, health care delivery and patients. If you feel that your current post isn't using the best of your ability and you could accomplish more doing something else, here's an idea: do something else.

Implying that the best takeaway people from get from their extracurricular experience is simply a dog and pony show for some adcom as opposed to fulfilling and benevolent work is, like I said, sleazy.

You can think what you want, but he's in medical school. All that really matters.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Struck a nerve? I don't think the hundreds of free hours I have spent at a hospital have necessarily taught me any nuances that I wouldn't have learned in medical school. But being the naive individual I was prior with no real clinical experience it definitely taught me a lot about how a hospital works, health care delivery and patients. If you feel that your current post isn't using the best of your ability and you could accomplish more doing something else, here's an idea: do something else.

You're correct that the volunteering and what have you will teach you about how the hospital works, health care delivery, and patients. You can probably get that pretty quickly with a handful of hours. But eventually it's just diminishing returns, so I don't quite see the point of people doing the hundreds or hours you see on this site. It's just putting more pressure on people to keep doing this stuff.

I'm not quite sure what exactly you meant by the last statement, but I'll try to answer this. I'm already in medical school, so I'm done doing my time in regards to ECs, thank God. Sure it's very easy to say that you should do something else if you feel you can accomplish more. Most people feel that all the time, especially if they are working a 9-5 job they don't enjoy (which is why I left to do a post-bacc). But it's unrealistic to just get up and walk away from responsibility. In terms of the medical school admissions process, volunteering is an oxymoron, since it's not actually volunteering, it's an unwritten requirement that forces people to do it, even if they are kicking and screaming on the inside. If you don't do it, then your application will look... Just plain bad.

Implying that the best takeaway people from get from their extracurricular experience is simply a dog and pony show for some adcom as opposed to fulfilling and benevolent work is, like I said, sleazy.

And you're implying that the people who aren't putting on a dog and pony show for ADCOMs make up the majority? I'll have to throw out some data here... If you look at this article by the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm, you see that only 22.5% of people ages 16-24 (encompasses traditional premeds) took part in volunteer activities in 2011. Suddenly, when you look at the amount of community service performed by people who matriculate to medical school, the number is suddenly an incredibly high ~80%!!! Such a large discrepancy just doesn't make any sense.

Now I realize that a lot of premeds like to think of themselves as very special and unique, but in reality, what is the difference between someone who isn't a premed, and someone who is?

A premed needs to take the basic lab science classes plus the MCAT. Someone who isn't a premed doesn't.

That's it. Premeds aren't some magical morally superior being that makes anyone who isn't premed look like Hitler. Therefore, I don't think that we can assume that all of these premeds are doing all of these volunteer activities because they genuinely want to. I think it makes more sense to assume that medical school admissions is very competitive, and since apparently they like to see volunteering (well now it's more mandatory than anything), I think that most premeds would be pushed to pick up as many activities and nail as many hours as possible.

You know what actually pisses me off more? The typical SDN applicant I call a "ZERO To Mother Teresa" applicant. This is when you see someone who never volunteered before (whether as a kid or in high school) suddenly pick up a laundry-list full of activities when they become premed, racking up tons of hours, and sacrificing their years in college as a result. They try to pass themselves off as bleeding heart people who are dying to help the poor and underserved communities as much as possible. But in reality, they are just gunners trying to better their chances to get into medical school, which is acceptable.

But what would piss you off more? The person who just picks up hospital volunteering, admits it's mostly for learning about the environment and because it's expected, or someone who goes from never having volunteered (or genuinely care about the community) to suddenly picking up so many activities that would put most volunteering adults to shame? I think the latter is more "sleazy" as you put it, because you are completely falsifying who you are, and are masquerading as some sort of saint in front of the ADCOMs. Then what do you think happens when they get that acceptance letter to their top choice?

Of course I wouldn't judge those people, because for most of us, when you decide to go the premed route, you make enormous sacrifices. It kind of sucks if you don't get in, and all of your friends are passing you by, while you're just stuck. It's a big sacrifice, so anyone would be an idiot not to do everything in their power to get in. So how can you blame them, when everything is on the line?

 

[sliceofbread136]

You're correct that the volunteering and what have you will teach you about how the hospital works, health care delivery, and patients. You can probably get that pretty quickly with a handful of hours. But eventually it's just diminishing returns, so I don't quite see the point of people doing the hundreds or hours you see on this site. It's just putting more pressure on people to keep doing this stuff.

I'm not quite sure what exactly you meant by the last statement, but I'll try to answer this. I'm already in medical school, so I'm done doing my time in regards to ECs, thank God. Sure it's very easy to say that you should do something else if you feel you can accomplish more. Most people feel that all the time, especially if they are working a 9-5 job they don't enjoy (which is why I left to do a post-bacc). But it's unrealistic to just get up and walk away from responsibility. In terms of the medical school admissions process, volunteering is an oxymoron, since it's not actually volunteering, it's an unwritten requirement that forces people to do it, even if they are kicking and screaming on the inside. If you don't do it, then your application will look... Just plain bad.



And you're implying that the people who aren't putting on a dog and pony show for ADCOMs make up the majority? I'll have to throw out some data here... If you look at this article by the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/news.release/volun.nr0.htm, you see that only 22.5% of people ages 16-24 (encompasses traditional premeds) took part in volunteer activities in 2011. Suddenly, when you look at the amount of community service performed by people who matriculate to medical school, the number is suddenly an incredibly high ~80%!!! Such a large discrepancy just doesn't make any sense.

Now I realize that a lot of premeds like to think of themselves as very special and unique, but in reality, what is the difference between someone who isn't a premed, and someone who is?

A premed needs to take the basic lab science classes plus the MCAT. Someone who isn't a premed doesn't.

That's it. Premeds aren't some magical morally superior being that makes anyone who isn't premed look like Hitler. Therefore, I don't think that we can assume that all of these premeds are doing all of these volunteer activities because they genuinely want to. I think it makes more sense to assume that medical school admissions is very competitive, and since apparently they like to see volunteering (well now it's more mandatory than anything), I think that most premeds would be pushed to pick up as many activities and nail as many hours as possible.

You know what actually pisses me off more? The typical SDN applicant I call a "ZERO To Mother Teresa" applicant. This is when you see someone who never volunteered before (whether as a kid or in high school) suddenly pick up a laundry-list full of activities when they become premed, racking up tons of hours, and sacrificing their years in college as a result. They try to pass themselves off as bleeding heart people who are dying to help the poor and underserved communities as much as possible. But in reality, they are just gunners trying to better their chances to get into medical school, which is acceptable.

But what would piss you off more? The person who just picks up hospital volunteering, admits it's mostly for learning about the environment and because it's expected, or someone who goes from never having volunteered (or genuinely care about the community) to suddenly picking up so many activities that would put most volunteering adults to shame? I think the latter is more "sleazy" as you put it, because you are completely falsifying who you are, and are masquerading as some sort of saint in front of the ADCOMs. Then what do you think happens when they get that acceptance letter to their top choice?

Of course I wouldn't judge those people, because for most of us, when you decide to go the premed route, you make enormous sacrifices. It kind of sucks if you don't get in, and all of your friends are passing you by, while you're just stuck. It's a big sacrifice, so anyone would be an idiot not to do everything in their power to get in. So how can you blame them, when everything is on the line?

This was a good post. People have to do things they don't want to do to achieve their goals. You can't fault them for that. The only logical place to point your anger is the admissions process imo.

 

[MedPR]

This was a good post. People have to do things they don't want to do to achieve their goals. You can't fault them for that. The only logical place to point your anger is the gunners.

ftfy

 

[serendipity513]

I was in a very similar situation when I first applied. 3.72 cGPA and a 30MCAT. I got two interviews the entire cycle even though I applied the earliest I could and didn't end up getting in anywhere that year. I was really frustrated and shocked by it and considered doing something completely different with my life. In fact, I chose not to reapply and was exploring new career options. At the time I was working in a research lab and one day I was working on my project and just had this overwhelming impulse to reapply. It was a truly odd moment. I was just going about my day when suddenly I stopped in my tracks and just absolutely knew that I had to reapply. I finished what I was doing, went back to my office and started the process right there. I had spent so much time over the summer wondering about a new career that I didn't get my application completed until September. I also received only two interview invites that year (perhaps because it was so late) but this time I got into both schools.

I think the biggest difference between my first cycle and second cycle was the ability to show passion. The first year I knew I wanted to be a doctor but I couldn't express why. The second year after my spooky moment of enlightenment and evaluting my strength and weaknesses while trying to determine my new career path, I knew I wanted to be a doctor and could tell you that I wanted to be a doctor to help educate patients and medical students because education is a passion of mine and I will incorporate it into my career in some form. I also did more shadowing and volunteering do get more clinical experience, but I didn't retake the MCAT.

Also, during the extra year off I had, I met my boyfriend (who will very most likely be my husband in the future) and was able to go on a family vacation I otherwise would have missed out on. And that taught me that it's not the end of the world for life to happen on an unexpected schedule. It's ok to not get into school this first time out. Who knows what might happen in the upcoming year that would not have happened if you were in medical school?

I know rejection super sucks and you physically recoil at the idea of going through the angst of the cycle again, but its a road that must be traveled to become a physician. Take some time and look over your application looking for weaknesses and try to fill them. Also try to find a meaningful experience to do over the course of the year. I got asked in every single interview in the second cycle why I didn't get in and how it made me feel. Having a positive attitude in your answer to this is important, and they will be impressed if you can show that while disappointed by the outcome of the previous cycle, the year off was a growth experience and you learned from it.

And know that your reaction to rejection is normal, and that you are not intellectually deficient because you didn't get in this year. You just had holes in your application that others had filled. Since getting in, I've been on par or better than many people who prematched their first year of applying. Just be self-reflective and honest with yourself on any shortcomings and then attempt the fix them. Stay positive, show passion and you'll make it next year!

 

[ShenanigansMD]

I think the key is to find volunteer activities you actually enjoy, and not ones that you think will look good. Just throwing hospital volunteering on your application can show you care, but chances are that 2 billion other applicants are changing bed linens and entering data, and many of them could be using self-deception to make them think they care.

If you find that your feelings about a particular volunteer experience contradict the definition of volunteering, then you should really search for something that you would love to give your time to. You may not find that in a hospital, but chances are that there is something in your community that really aligns with your gut.

Do you think science education is terrible in middle schools? Go help kids in the sciences. Do you think your neighborhood looks too bland, boring, and square? Go join a community art organization to spruce things up. Do you wish you had more time to exercise and bulk up, and think that the rest of your community is out of shape as well? Go join an exercise club at the YMCA (or LA fitness, whatever) and make sure people stay in shape through sports or athletic competitions.

Cliche as it sounds, do what you love, not what other's tell you to do.

 

[KnuxNole]

No shame in the truth, but trying to pass yourself as a caring individual by doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and not so much an interest in actually helping out comes across as pretty douchey.

To be fair, the only reason they are doing it is for the end goal. If they weren't applying to med school, a ton of people wouldn't even be aware of volunteer positions in the community. Of course, finding things you like helps(you don't have to volunteer in a hospital if it sucks).
Planes, I still do kinda disagree that someone would sacrifice years in college if they do a volunteer activity. If someone does an activity a few hours one day a week for a semester, that doesn't really sound too bad.

 

[Planes2Doc]

I think the key is to find volunteer activities you actually enjoy, and not ones that you think will look good. Just throwing hospital volunteering on your application can show you care, but chances are that 2 billion other applicants are changing bed linens and entering data, and many of them could be using self-deception to make them think they care.

If you find that your feelings about a particular volunteer experience contradict the definition of volunteering, then you should really search for something that you would love to give your time to. You may not find that in a hospital, but chances are that there is something in your community that really aligns with your gut.

Do you think science education is terrible in middle schools? Go help kids in the sciences. Do you think your neighborhood looks too bland, boring, and square? Go join a community art organization to spruce things up. Do you wish you had more time to exercise and bulk up, and think that the rest of your community is out of shape as well? Go join an exercise club at the YMCA (or LA fitness, whatever) and make sure people stay in shape through sports or athletic competitions.

Cliche as it sounds, do what you love, not what other's tell you to do.

I generally agree with this, and think that it's quite a reasonable (and good) thing to do not only for the end goal of medical school admissions (that's why we're all on SDN, right?), but also for yourself. I think that people on this site kind of take it a little overboard when they suddenly sign up for five or more activities. I realize that ADCOMs probably think this is good, but in the long-run, I think you might have one upset medical student when they look back and realize that they didn't end up doing the things they were truly passionate about (it's what we always say to do here on SDN) during their days in college because they spent all of their time doing ECs.

But doing something you enjoy is great. Sure you might not have originally been doing this in the first place, but there's always a time to start. But suddenly doing a whole laundry-list of them? Probably not the best idea in the long-run.

To be fair, the only reason they are doing it is for the end goal. If they weren't applying to med school, a ton of people wouldn't even be aware of volunteer positions in the community. Of course, finding things you like helps(you don't have to volunteer in a hospital if it sucks).
Planes, I still do kinda disagree that someone would sacrifice years in college if they do a volunteer activity. If someone does an activity a few hours one day a week for a semester, that doesn't really sound too bad.

I realize that I didn't clarify that I was referring to the "ZERO to Mother Teresa" applicants you commonly see on SDN. You don't see too many of the non-SDN "Cookie Cutter" applicants that end up maybe volunteering for something for four hours a week, which like you said, don't really force you to sacrifice your college life. But in regards to the laundry-list applicants who rack up 1000+ hours by the time they matriculate, they lose out on a lot of the experiences that college students should have. In my opinion, that's sad because you only live once. You'll never experience college again... But if you make it into medical school, you'll have your whole life ahead of you to do the things that ADCOMs want us to do. There's a time and place for everything, and maybe college isn't the right time to do something that a stay at home mom whose kids are off to college and wants to give back to the community would do.

 

[Geebeejay]

Implying that the best takeaway people from get from their extracurricular experience is simply a dog and pony show for some adcom as opposed to fulfilling and benevolent work is, like I said, sleazy.

Uh, most of the time, it is exactly a dog and pony show for some adcom. Hell, realizing this is one of the reasons why I stopped volunteering at the hospital entirely in favor of finding a clinical job. Some of the tidbits about volunteering I've read from personal statements and EC descriptions are so incredibly dramatized and absurdly blown out of proportion that I have to laugh out loud!

Maybe you're a better person than that, and maybe it truly is a passion of yours to restock blanket warmers and give chairs to visitors without any ulterior motive to impress unsuspecting adcoms, and if this is your passion - I'm sure the university hospital will be glad to have you as a volunteer for them while you're in medical school

 

[circulus vitios]

No shame in the truth, but trying to pass yourself as a caring individual by doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and not so much an interest in actually helping out comes across as pretty douchey.

Doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and then lying about your true motives makes you a douche. Doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and being honest about your motives makes you a player in the game.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and then lying about your true motives makes you a douche. Doing a bunch of communal/volunteer work with an end goal in mind and being honest about your motives makes you a player in the game.

It's kind of funny because you have to lie about your true motives to the ADCOMs. I would like to know if anyone on SDN who did a minimal amount of work (as in solely ED volunteering once a week) and told the ADCOMs that they did this to gain experience, and didn't mention themselves being saints.

In terms of SDN, I think you and notbobtrustme are pretty much the very few people I see currently who express what most fellow students have told me. Otherwise, the meaning of SDN boggles my mind. First of all, it's a forum meant for people who are try to get ahead in medical admissions, yet, many members keep saying how immoral it is to get ahead and that it makes you a terrible person.

A lot of fellow classmates pretty much reflect what you and others have said. You do it because you need to and then drop it.

I do agree with Balantidiumcoli that it makes you douchey. I agree 100%. But in this case, I don't think premeds wake up one day and say, "Hmm... I feel like being a huge douche bag and do a bunch of things, lie to people pretending to be someone I'm not, then drop these things and boast how much I hated them." Premeds are doing this because they have a metaphorical gun to your head. So it's kind of hard to blame people because they are doing something they need to do. Would you still call them a douche if they told you they hate the MCAT and don't want to take it? For those of you who can't imagine life without SDN, believe it or not, one of the first things premed advisors will tell a beginning premed is that they need to start volunteering.

 

[pre med 2014]

The process is extremely stupid and unfair, but so is the rest of life. You might not enjoy putting on a song and dance for ADCOMs, but that's what people have to do. Then if you end up quitting, you'll still have to put on a song and dance for [FILL IN THE BLANK]. Imagine going to a job interview at a company that does stuff you don't give two $h1ts about.

I realize that everyone on SDN is always saying how they enjoy every single thing they do, but this is not the case in the real world at all. Most fellow classmates I've talked to said how much they hated the process.

So just play the game. And remember, SDN is full of people that are very committed to the end goal of getting into medical school. You can still get in with less ECs, which most people do. I realize that devoting the best years of your lives (college) doing a bunch of crap you'd rather not do to impress ADCOMs is considered to be a badge of honor here on SDN, but it doesn't have to be this way.

Just do the minimal amount of ECs, maybe retake the MCAT for a higher score if you are confident that you can do it, and reapply. It's not worth giving up something that determines the rest of your life over something that stupid.

Plus on the bright side, you have no idea how good that moment feels once you drop all those ECs you dread. It's like an incredible high.

Good motivational post. I hate putting on a song and dance but everybody has to do it I suppose.

 

[tn4596]

It's kind of funny because you have to lie about your true motives to the ADCOMs. I would like to know if anyone on SDN who did a minimal amount of work (as in solely ED volunteering once a week) and told the ADCOMs that they did this to gain experience, and didn't mention themselves being saints.

In terms of SDN, I think you and notbobtrustme are pretty much the very few people I see currently who express what most fellow students have told me. Otherwise, the meaning of SDN boggles my mind. First of all, it's a forum meant for people who are try to get ahead in medical admissions, yet, many members keep saying how immoral it is to get ahead and that it makes you a terrible person.

A lot of fellow classmates pretty much reflect what you and others have said. You do it because you need to and then drop it.

I do agree with Balantidiumcoli that it makes you douchey. I agree 100%. But in this case, I don't think premeds wake up one day and say, "Hmm... I feel like being a huge douche bag and do a bunch of things, lie to people pretending to be someone I'm not, then drop these things and boast how much I hated them." Premeds are doing this because they have a metaphorical gun to your head. So it's kind of hard to blame people because they are doing something they need to do. Would you still call them a douche if they told you they hate the MCAT and don't want to take it? For those of you who can't imagine life without SDN, believe it or not, one of the first things premed advisors will tell a beginning premed is that they need to start volunteering.

I only said I volunteer to get the experience, only had a little more than 100 hrs. I never said in PS or interview that I was trying to help the community, being a saint or any of that bs...

 

[Planes2Doc]

Good motivational post. I hate putting on a song and dance but everybody has to do it I suppose.

Thanks I appreciate it. I think that this song and dance is becoming more elaborate than Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth.

I'm honestly afraid of what this means for future medical students if the EC standards keep getting pushed up and up. Even if an activity doesn't "suck," it's still apparent, given that this age group has the least number of volunteers in the US, that traditional premeds would rather be doing other things. I fear that sacrificing this much time in college to ECs plus grades and the MCAT will lead to pretty quick burnout in medical school.

Given that medical students are a very precious investment for their schools, I'm surprised that the medical schools aren't being more cautious about this...

 

[ShenanigansMD]

I'm honestly afraid of what this means for future medical students if the EC standards keep getting pushed up and up. Even if an activity doesn't "suck," it's still apparent, given that this age group has the least number of volunteers in the US, that traditional premeds would rather be doing other things. I fear that sacrificing this much time in college to ECs plus grades and the MCAT will lead to pretty quick burnout in medical school.

Given that medical studeHuntoon says physicians should suck it up and accept that lower costs for patients will require lower fees for doctors. "Personally, I believe doctors have to look at their own salaries and ask if they're overpaid," she says. "Do I really need to make half a million dollars a year? No.nts are a very precious investment for their schools, I'm surprised that the medical schools aren't being more cautious about this...

I agree that some standards might be "inflated," but spending your college years working on your resume shouldn't be viewed as a sacrifice. I tell people all the time everything I did and they tell me, "You did all that in college? Don't you feel like you wasted the best years of your life to school work!" Nope, because you can spend college doing:

1. Studying subjects you enjoy, or will have utility in your life.
2. Pursuing extracurriculars you enjoy, or which aid you in other ways.
3. Meeting people you enjoy to talk with, or networking that proves fruitful.
4. Alcohol.

And with option 4 I mean that some people define their undergrad experience on how much they partied, and not what they're studying/doing/life goals. I'm not saying that partying is a bad thing, or that too much school is good, but working on the resume should provide you with some of your most valuable college experiences.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Thanks I appreciate it. I think that this song and dance is becoming more elaborate than Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth.

I'm honestly afraid of what this means for future medical students if the EC standards keep getting pushed up and up. Even if an activity doesn't "suck," it's still apparent, given that this age group has the least number of volunteers in the US, that traditional premeds would rather be doing other things. I fear that sacrificing this much time in college to ECs plus grades and the MCAT will lead to pretty quick burnout in medical school.

Given that medical students are a very precious investment for their schools, I'm surprised that the medical schools aren't being more cautious about this...

I think the only way ECs are gonna go is up...

 

[Claudin]

I'm honestly afraid of what this means for future medical students if the EC standards keep getting pushed up and up. Even if an activity doesn't "suck," it's still apparent, given that this age group has the least number of volunteers in the US, that traditional premeds would rather be doing other things. I fear that sacrificing this much time in college to ECs plus grades and the MCAT will lead to pretty quick burnout in medical school.

Given that medical students are a very precious investment for their schools, I'm surprised that the medical schools aren't being more cautious about this...

I totally agree with the bolded part. I think the underlying problem lies in the fact that there are "expected" ECs and stuff-you-like ECs. For me, I would rather play sports to de-stress. I was on the varsity team for one year, and although it was a lot hours spent on training, it was the best year I have ever had. Then the next year I had to drop all that to do clinical volunteering, which was pretty stressful on top of a heavy course load.

The only way for medical schools to fix this problem is to convince the applicants that no matter what ECs they are involved in, as long as they are passionate about it, they will have a chance at an acceptance. Maybe this way of evaluating applicants can generate even more diversity than the current state of affairs. But of course, this will never happen.

 

[Planes2Doc]

I agree that some standards might be "inflated," but spending your college years working on your resume shouldn't be viewed as a sacrifice. I tell people all the time everything I did and they tell me, "You did all that in college? Don't you feel like you wasted the best years of your life to school work!" Nope, because you can spend college doing:

1. Studying subjects you enjoy, or will have utility in your life.
2. Pursuing extracurriculars you enjoy, or which aid you in other ways.
3. Meeting people you enjoy to talk with, or networking that proves fruitful.
4. Alcohol.

And with option 4 I mean that some people define their undergrad experience on how much they partied, and not what they're studying/doing/life goals. I'm not saying that partying is a bad thing, or that too much school is good, but working on the resume should provide you with some of your most valuable college experiences.

Notice how the keyword you wrote here is ENJOY. If an applicant is genuinely that altruistic person that an ADCOM wants, then they would have been doing a bunch of volunteer activities long before applying. They also would never feel the need to bring this up on SDN or ask anyone else about them because they enjoy them. I've only met one person that has been volunteering since she was a kid, and that's because she was born in Central America to Missionary parents who raised her up very religiously, and they value service.

Otherwise, before becoming premed, people were probably doing the things that were actually important to them. So if you spend virtually all of your time in college doing activities you don't actually ENJOY (or would rather be doing other things instead, which still would make you unhappy), I think that things will go downhill once you realize that in medical school you have absolutely no choice but to work your ass off all day and every day.

Yes, there are people who enjoy doing things to boost their resumes. I've met some people who worked day and night on things in college. A lot of them were actually entrepreneurs. People with these qualities, especially the altruistic ones, tend to be rare. It's kind of suspicious when virtually every premed, at least on SDN, is doing so many of these activities.

But from the sound of things, in regard to your own life, it sounds like you did things that made you happy and you ENJOYED during that time. I just doubt that every one of those 80% of medical school matriculants that volunteered actually ENJOYED what they were doing.

I think the only way ECs are gonna go is up...

This just isn't sustainable. This is going to do one of the following:

A. Drive premeds to such unhappy levels, that they either lose their idealism way too quickly in college, or burn out pretty quickly in medical school. This really isn't the way to create the more "human" doctors people seem to want.

B. As with the OP's case, the hoops are going to become too great that people will no longer follow the premed track. This can have devastating consequences, given that the future of the United States' healthcare system is uncertain. Then again, SDN seems to generally be naive about the money issue, so oh well...

Would I be to naive to believe that SDN can be a movement for change? People need to bring commitments/hours down to reasonable levels. Admitting gunners who pile on more activities isn't going to make better doctors.

I totally agree with the bolded part. I think the underlying problem lies in the fact that there are "expected" ECs and stuff-you-like ECs. For me, I would rather play sports to de-stress. I was on the varsity team for one year, and although it was a lot hours spent on training, it was the best year I have ever had. Then the next year I had to drop all that to do clinical volunteering, which was pretty stressful on top of a heavy course load.

The only way for medical schools to fix this problem is to convince the applicants that no matter what ECs they are involved in, as long as they are passionate about it, they will have a chance at an acceptance. Maybe this way of evaluating applicants can generate even more diversity than the current state of affairs. But of course, this will never happen.

In regard to the first bolded part, you bring up a good point. Volunteering is something that you should do if you have EXTRA TIME on your hands, and find it fun. On SDN, instead you see people trying in every which way to insert it into their already extremely busy lives. Hmm...

In regards to the second part, sure it would be great if ADCOMs told that. But I thought of another way medical schools can solve this problem, and now. Instead of going gaga over every "ZERO to Mother Teresa" applicant that apparently has a long commitment (maybe freshman or sophomore year, which anecdotally on SDN means you care), they should scrutinize it more. They should ask some basic straight-forward questions like:

*"What suddenly made you start these activities?"
*"What do you enjoy about these activities?"
*You didn't just do these to get into medical school, right?"
*"What have you learned about these activities?"

I think that interviewers should put their BS detectors to good use here. I also don't think these questions as cheap shots at the applicant, since anyone who suddenly made such a drastic commitment to these activities must obviously have good reasons that don't involve any thinking.

Medical schools need to get out of the mindset that:

*Applicant with laundry-list of activities starting freshman/sophomore year = SAINT
*Applicant with laundry-list of activities starting within year of application = Box-Checker

I think the former is most likely a better informed or more serious "box-checker." Remember, genuinely altruistic people are pretty rare to find. If every premed turned medical student was as genuine as they made themselves out to be, then we would have a million Paul Farmers in this world, and premeds would look up to all of the physicians they know personally as role models. But that's not happening, and I wonder why.

 

[MedPR]

Wow so many walls of text.

Bottom line is, there are hoops. Med schools place them, we jump through them. Such is life.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[Planes2Doc]

Wow so many walls of text.

Bottom line is, there are hoops. Med schools place them, we jump through them. Such is life.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using SDN Mobile

 

[MelissaThompson]

I was in a very similar situation when I first applied. 3.72 cGPA and a 30MCAT. I got two interviews the entire cycle even though I applied the earliest I could and didn't end up getting in anywhere that year. I was really frustrated and shocked by it and considered doing something completely different with my life. In fact, I chose not to reapply and was exploring new career options. At the time I was working in a research lab and one day I was working on my project and just had this overwhelming impulse to reapply. It was a truly odd moment. I was just going about my day when suddenly I stopped in my tracks and just absolutely knew that I had to reapply. I finished what I was doing, went back to my office and started the process right there. I had spent so much time over the summer wondering about a new career that I didn't get my application completed until September. I also received only two interview invites that year (perhaps because it was so late) but this time I got into both schools.

I think the biggest difference between my first cycle and second cycle was the ability to show passion. The first year I knew I wanted to be a doctor but I couldn't express why. The second year after my spooky moment of enlightenment and evaluting my strength and weaknesses while trying to determine my new career path, I knew I wanted to be a doctor and could tell you that I wanted to be a doctor to help educate patients and medical students because education is a passion of mine and I will incorporate it into my career in some form. I also did more shadowing and volunteering do get more clinical experience, but I didn't retake the MCAT.

Also, during the extra year off I had, I met my boyfriend (who will very most likely be my husband in the future) and was able to go on a family vacation I otherwise would have missed out on. And that taught me that it's not the end of the world for life to happen on an unexpected schedule. It's ok to not get into school this first time out. Who knows what might happen in the upcoming year that would not have happened if you were in medical school?

I know rejection super sucks and you physically recoil at the idea of going through the angst of the cycle again, but its a road that must be traveled to become a physician. Take some time and look over your application looking for weaknesses and try to fill them. Also try to find a meaningful experience to do over the course of the year. I got asked in every single interview in the second cycle why I didn't get in and how it made me feel. Having a positive attitude in your answer to this is important, and they will be impressed if you can show that while disappointed by the outcome of the previous cycle, the year off was a growth experience and you learned from it.

And know that your reaction to rejection is normal, and that you are not intellectually deficient because you didn't get in this year. You just had holes in your application that others had filled. Since getting in, I've been on par or better than many people who prematched their first year of applying. Just be self-reflective and honest with yourself on any shortcomings and then attempt the fix them. Stay positive, show passion and you'll make it next year!

You got 2 interviews with 3.7/30 in the state of Texas? There was somthing serious holding you back....like a bad PS/LOR/secondary

 

[serendipity513]

You got 2 interviews with 3.7/30 in the state of Texas? There was somthing serious holding you back....like a bad PS/LOR/secondary

That is very possible. Texas doesn't have secondaries, so it wasn't that. But it could have been a not so hot PS or I may not have chosen the best LOR writers. I personally think I was shamefully weak in my clinical exposure, and I think the lack of clincal exposure probably influened my ability to write a striking PS. UTH was my #1 school, so even with just two interviews, it worked out. Even so, I was quite surprised with the low number of interviews I received. It was a humbling experience that has made me hyperaware of how I'm going to construct my residency applications so I don't have a repeat experience. I wasn't aware of SDN until I actually started medical school. Having found it sooner, I may have been able to do better.

 

[MelissaThompson]

That is very possible. Texas doesn't have secondaries, so it wasn't that. But it could have been a not so hot PS or I may not have chosen the best LOR writers. I personally think I was shamefully weak in my clinical exposure, and I think the lack of clincal exposure probably influened my ability to write a striking PS. UTH was my #1 school, so even with just two interviews, it worked out. Even so, I was quite surprised with the low number of interviews I received. It was a humbling experience that has made me hyperaware of how I'm going to construct my residency applications so I don't have a repeat experience. I wasn't aware of SDN until I actually started medical school. Having found it sooner, I may have been able to do better.

Wow

Mediocre stats with very little clinical expereince netted you 2 II in texas -- unheard of in any other parts of the country!!

 

[Spinach Dip]

This just isn't sustainable. This is going to do one of the following:

A. Drive premeds to such unhappy levels, that they either lose their idealism way too quickly in college, or burn out pretty quickly in medical school. This really isn't the way to create the more "human" doctors people seem to want.

B. As with the OP's case, the hoops are going to become too great that people will no longer follow the premed track. This can have devastating consequences, given that the future of the United States' healthcare system is uncertain. Then again, SDN seems to generally be naive about the money issue, so oh well...

Currently, I see a decent market for the following:

C. Some second-level schools will get clever and start advertising "No Extra Curriculars Needed!" They will admit classes based solely on academic factors. As a result, those schools which appreciate ECs will then start advertising the opposite. This will eventually lead to the clarification of three kinds of adcoms:
1. Those that care about ECs the most
2. Those that care about MCAT and academics the most
3. Those that find a balance between the two



That's just one possible future I see, but I agree with whomever above said that the current trend is unsustainable. Absolutely agreed. Years ago, mission trips to some third world country were the hottest thing. But then the adcoms started realizing that people weren't actually doing these things out of perfect altruism, but solely to check a box to get into med school. As a result, mission trips have fallen off in value and founding a non-profit is the new "hot thing" to do (and if you have a rich uncle who can donate ten grand, you are pretty much accepted to med school already). I think, in the near future, adcoms are going to realize that these people are not founding non-profits solely out of altruism, but as a check-off item to get into med school. As soon as the word gets out, starting non-profits is going to suddenly lose its appeal, and something else is going to take its place as the next "hot thing" to do.

The cycle will continue for a while, but it is clearly unsustainable in the long-run.

 

[MelissaThompson]

Currently, I see a decent market for the following:

C. Some second-level schools will get clever and start advertising "No Extra Curriculars Needed!" They will admit classes based solely on academic factors. As a result, those schools which appreciate ECs will then start advertising the opposite. This will eventually lead to the clarification of three kinds of adcoms:
1. Those that care about ECs the most
2. Those that care about MCAT and academics the most
3. Those that find a balance between the two



That's just one possible future I see, but I agree with whomever above said that the current trend is unsustainable. Absolutely agreed. Years ago, mission trips to some third world country were the hottest thing. But then the adcoms started realizing that people weren't actually doing these things out of perfect altruism, but solely to check a box to get into med school. As a result, mission trips have fallen off in value and founding a non-profit is the new "hot thing" to do (and if you have a rich uncle who can donate ten grand, you are pretty much accepted to med school already). I think, in the near future, adcoms are going to realize that these people are not founding non-profits solely out of altruism, but as a check-off item to get into med school. As soon as the word gets out, starting non-profits is going to suddenly lose its appeal, and something else is going to take its place as the next "hot thing" to do.

The cycle will continue for a while, but it is clearly unsustainable in the long-run.

So true!

At U of Colorado - you won't believe how many BILLIONS of clubs there are out there founded by pre-meds who you never hear from again once they get into med school.

An example:

Pre-med club
Pre-medicine society
Pre-health club
Health Professional Group...etc etc

 

[Planes2Doc]

Currently, I see a decent market for the following:

C. Some second-level schools will get clever and start advertising "No Extra Curriculars Needed!" They will admit classes based solely on academic factors. As a result, those schools which appreciate ECs will then start advertising the opposite. This will eventually lead to the clarification of three kinds of adcoms:
1. Those that care about ECs the most
2. Those that care about MCAT and academics the most
3. Those that find a balance between the two



That's just one possible future I see, but I agree with whomever above said that the current trend is unsustainable. Absolutely agreed. Years ago, mission trips to some third world country were the hottest thing. But then the adcoms started realizing that people weren't actually doing these things out of perfect altruism, but solely to check a box to get into med school. As a result, mission trips have fallen off in value and founding a non-profit is the new "hot thing" to do (and if you have a rich uncle who can donate ten grand, you are pretty much accepted to med school already). I think, in the near future, adcoms are going to realize that these people are not founding non-profits solely out of altruism, but as a check-off item to get into med school. As soon as the word gets out, starting non-profits is going to suddenly lose its appeal, and something else is going to take its place as the next "hot thing" to do.

The cycle will continue for a while, but it is clearly unsustainable in the long-run.

Interesting idea, but it would NEVER happen. Why? If any school said that you did not need any ECs, they would end up opening Pandora's Box. If you read through other volunteer threads, the general consensus is: Altruism is vital to being a doctor.

Now if a medical school suddenly admitted that you don't need this, then they are admitting that you don't need to be altruistic to be a doctor. They are also in a way admitting that maybe this thing that some applicants gave up their better years of college for wasn't so important after all. That would be an enormous slap in the face to them. There would probably be a lot of outrage among gunners who sacrificed the fun they had left in their lives to do this.

That's why this cycle is going to be so hard to break.

Good idea though!

 

[Geebeejay]

Currently, I see a decent market for the following:

C. Some second-level schools will get clever and start advertising "No Extra Curriculars Needed!" They will admit classes based solely on academic factors. As a result, those schools which appreciate ECs will then start advertising the opposite. This will eventually lead to the clarification of three kinds of adcoms:
1. Those that care about ECs the most
2. Those that care about MCAT and academics the most
3. Those that find a balance between the two



That's just one possible future I see, but I agree with whomever above said that the current trend is unsustainable. Absolutely agreed. Years ago, mission trips to some third world country were the hottest thing. But then the adcoms started realizing that people weren't actually doing these things out of perfect altruism, but solely to check a box to get into med school. As a result, mission trips have fallen off in value and founding a non-profit is the new "hot thing" to do (and if you have a rich uncle who can donate ten grand, you are pretty much accepted to med school already). I think, in the near future, adcoms are going to realize that these people are not founding non-profits solely out of altruism, but as a check-off item to get into med school. As soon as the word gets out, starting non-profits is going to suddenly lose its appeal, and something else is going to take its place as the next "hot thing" to do.

The cycle will continue for a while, but it is clearly unsustainable in the long-run.

I don't see this happening....it's not like any schools, including "second-levels" (whatever that means), aren't getting way more than enough applicants already

 

[Spinach Dip]

True, it would probably never happen directly, but I can imagine some school saying "we value academic achievement higher than any volunteer position"....
"While we value extra curricular activities, note that academics such as MCAT score, published research, and undergraduate achievement are more valuable"....
"Although volunteer activities are valuable to develop the applicant, anything beyond a certain minimum will not affect your chances of matriculation"....
Or something like that.



Regardless, it is sad for me to see threads like THIS. Read it and think about this: a sophomore who is undergoing surgery is worried that spending a month on crutches will significantly cut into her ECs.... and damage her chances of getting into med school. Is this seriously the way adcoms want things to be?

 

[Planes2Doc]

True, it would probably never happen directly, but I can imagine some school saying "we value academic achievement higher than any volunteer position"....
"While we value extra curricular activities, note that academics such as MCAT score, published research, and undergraduate achievement are more valuable"....
"Although volunteer activities are valuable to develop the applicant, anything beyond a certain minimum will not affect your chances of matriculation"....
Or something like that.



Regardless, it is sad for me to see threads like THIS. Read it and think about this: a sophomore who is undergoing surgery is worried that spending a month on crutches will significantly cut into her ECs.... and damage her chances of getting into med school. Is this seriously the way adcoms want things to be?

I just read it, and it's pretty terrible. It's kind of sad that this is where things have come to. But it is what it is.

I would like to challenge the ADCOMs to try something different this year. I would like every single school to pick 20 of the "ZERO to Mother Teresa" applicants they were most impressed by that they accepted (immediately, not wait-list) I want them to call up every single reference from these long laundry-lists a month after the applicant decided on that school. I want the schools to see how many of these accepted students continued with the ECs after acceptance, versus how many dropped it. Then compare it with other schools.

There should be no consequences for the accepted person, and in fact, they should never have to know that the references were called. It's not fair since no one is asked to talk about future commitments. I just think this might be an eye opener for the medical schools, and perhaps develop a path going forward. Maybe it's time to end the mindset that a longer commitment implies altruism, and that the more commitments an applicant has makes them more righteous.

In fact, I think that medical schools should perhaps think about telling premeds something along the lines that despite premeds being so committed to their communities, and despite them caring so much about their volunteering, that the premeds should still take time for themselves. I think this would be a nice gesture.

 

[MelissaThompson]

You also realize there were previously women-only medical colleges...

I wonder what the rational at the time was to train physicians in a female-only setting

 

[Geebeejay]

True, it would probably never happen directly, but I can imagine some school saying "we value academic achievement higher than any volunteer position"....
"While we value extra curricular activities, note that academics such as MCAT score, published research, and undergraduate achievement are more valuable"....
"Although volunteer activities are valuable to develop the applicant, anything beyond a certain minimum will not affect your chances of matriculation"....
Or something like that.



Regardless, it is sad for me to see threads like THIS. Read it and think about this: a sophomore who is undergoing surgery is worried that spending a month on crutches will significantly cut into her ECs.... and damage her chances of getting into med school. Is this seriously the way adcoms want things to be?

Heh...let's not confuse the silly neuroticism of certain premeds with reality.

 

[IL Pre Med]

The process is extremely stupid and unfair, but so is the rest of life. You might not enjoy putting on a song and dance for ADCOMs, but that's what people have to do. Then if you end up quitting, you'll still have to put on a song and dance for [FILL IN THE BLANK]. Imagine going to a job interview at a company that does stuff you don't give two $h1ts about.

I realize that everyone on SDN is always saying how they enjoy every single thing they do, but this is not the case in the real world at all. Most fellow classmates I've talked to said how much they hated the process.

So just play the game. And remember, SDN is full of people that are very committed to the end goal of getting into medical school. You can still get in with less ECs, which most people do. I realize that devoting the best years of your lives (college) doing a bunch of crap you'd rather not do to impress ADCOMs is considered to be a badge of honor here on SDN, but it doesn't have to be this way.

Just do the minimal amount of ECs, maybe retake the MCAT for a higher score if you are confident that you can do it, and reapply. It's not worth giving up something that determines the rest of your life over something that stupid.

Plus on the bright side, you have no idea how good that moment feels once you drop all those ECs you dread. It's like an incredible high.

I agree with what the above poster said. I'd also like to add that doing a bunch of volunteering activities can possibly have its upside. For example, an animal shelter I volunteered at ended up being the place where my girlfriend found her current dog. The hospital I volunteer at has provided me with a lot of cool things to talk about and I've done a lot of cool things within that hospital, I won't name specifics to retain anonymity. All in all it is mostly song and dance as stated above, but everyone has to do it and no matter the profession you're going to have to jump through hoops everywhere you go. I've thought about quitting, quite recently actually, just the other week, but you need to do what you love and what drives you. I know this is what I want to do and I can't see myself anywhere else. If you feel the same you shouldn't quit because it's "too hard". Just my 2 cents