Anyone else feel this way?

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tennischamp822 said:
Thanks for the advice everyone. I am glad to realize that I wasn't the only one feeling this way. I have to now also figure out what to do in my second gap year if that school doesn't come through for me.
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Are you waiting on other schools? Maybe you will get more
 
ShenanigansMD said:
Ahh yes, now I got you. I should read more thoroughly.
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It makes all the difference in the world. One of my fellow classmates who I met in my entrepreneurship class was interested in the subject since college, and always worked on things in that field. Today he is a very successful and well-known entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.

He was successful because he was actually doing what he was enjoying, despite this appearing like a lot of work for most other people, who instead did other things during college. That's why he looks very happy right now, at least by the looks of him on Facebook. :laugh:

With premeds, on the other hand, they end up spending a significant amount of time doing things they aren't exactly passionate about. Volunteering, research, entry-level clinical jobs, and other things don't actually have much to do with being a doctor. Therefore, unless one is passionate about community service, academic research, or working an entry-level clinical job, I would be surprised to see them happy during undergrad.

This is why so many premeds, such as the OP of this thread, get turned off from it. That's also why being a re-applicant is so frustrating, because you need to continue the grind of doing the activities you don't want to do for another year. Otherwise, re-applicants would be jumping for joy if they actually enjoyed these activities, but I doubt you'll see a happy re-applicant anytime soon here.
 
I know a lot has already been said here, but I think it's worth saying that it's okay to second guess yourself! Having doubts when you're neck-deep in the admissions process is more than normal. I was recently accepted into one of my top choices, but in the weeks leading up to that, I had so many second thoughts that I actually opened up a SOPHAS application and secured all of my LORS for that application in no time at all, completely ready to drop the medical school idea all together. There was a mound of self doubt that I couldn't shake, and I had over-analyzed my chances so much that I had, for a moment, convinced myself that I had made a mistake in applying at all. But once I was accepted, all of those doubts were gone. Thankfully I will not be reapplying, but if you have to, that's okay. You will be a stronger applicant your second time around without a doubt, but who knows! Maybe this interview will pull through and you've gotten yourself worked up for nothing 🙂

A doctor that I externed with told me that he has always told people that the hardest part about becoming a physician is getting into medical school- once you're there, it's what you make of it. Obviously I can't verify that entire claim, but I think that his words do speak to the fact that this process is extremely stressful. The take home message is this: you will have a moment of clarity somewhere down the line, whether it be in light of an acceptance or in the midst of exploring other career options. Just try to ride this out, and if you are meant to pursue this line of work, then you will get there!
 
Planes2Doc said:
It makes all the difference in the world. One of my fellow classmates who I met in my entrepreneurship class was interested in the subject since college, and always worked on things in that field. Today he is a very successful and well-known entrepreneur in Silicon Valley.

He was successful because he was actually doing what he was enjoying, despite this appearing like a lot of work for most other people, who instead did other things during college. That's why he looks very happy right now, at least by the looks of him on Facebook. :laugh:

With premeds, on the other hand, they end up spending a significant amount of time doing things they aren't exactly passionate about. Volunteering, research, entry-level clinical jobs, and other things don't actually have much to do with being a doctor. Therefore, unless one is passionate about community service, academic research, or working an entry-level clinical job, I would be surprised to see them happy during undergrad.

This is why so many premeds, such as the OP of this thread, get turned off from it. That's also why being a re-applicant is so frustrating, because you need to continue the grind of doing the activities you don't want to do for another year. Otherwise, re-applicants would be jumping for joy if they actually enjoyed these activities, but I doubt you'll see a happy re-applicant anytime soon here.
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Yay!! I got rejected! LOL
 
tennischamp822 said:
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 pointless?
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I kept making small advances in my application process so it always seemed like I might get it the next time around. Plus, I knew I would be sorry if I didn't keep at it. Things have worked out so far. My advice would be keep at it; if it is something you really want to do and try not to get discouraged. I always approached the next application with an attitude like, "they're just not going to be able to stop this (me getting admitted) from happening"
 
Balantidiumcoli said:
I actually hate them both.
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I'm pretty much with Balantidiumcoli on all that

Planes2Doc said:
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?
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I think that some people view these things as something that is required. I might have started like this but somewhere along the line it seems more like something I do because I have (at least more so) actually become that person...the person you describe yourself as in your PS, who wants to genuinely help and all that. I eventually got an acceptance but I still keep all the ECs that I had going at the time of my application at their current levels. I believe in that.
Comparing person to person doesn't seem like a worthwhile endeavor but on some level where your real passion in about the whole thing will show through. Whenever I got rejected, I worried that "This (X / whatever) was all the responsibility I might get in healthcare; but I am still going to do that because it's the right thing to do"..like it says in my sig...
I just always thought if I'm going to do this; I'm doing it all the way and I'm just not the kind of person to over-sell myself in apps or interviews. That probably made things harder for me but I'm not a game-player. I put in work.
 
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29/3.6 - Applied this year and got 1 interview. Was immediately rejected with the reason that my "Volunteering and international experience, has given me a colored view of the American medical system."

I have 6 years of volunteering as a medical interpreter at a free clinic run by student doctors (from the medical school I applied to). When the Admissions counselor told me this reason I about laughed my butt off at how ridiculous it sounded. Apparently after all that time I still don't understand what I am getting myself into.

There was also a curious statement in my file about how I called a Doctor by their first name which was "awkward". I feel like I was railroaded because of this, and the above reason was a pretext to turn me away. Then again, I am supremely pissed because I found out 6 years of volunteering meant nothing so I could be skewing my perceptions due to my emotional state 😀
 
Shjanzey said:
29/3.6 - Applied this year and got 1 interview. Was immediately rejected with the reason that my "Volunteering and international experience, has given me a colored view of the American medical system."

I have 6 years of volunteering as a medical interpreter at a free clinic run by student doctors (from the medical school I applied to). When the Admissions counselor told me this reason I about laughed my butt off at how ridiculous it sounded. Apparently after all that time I still don't understand what I am getting myself into.

There was also a curious statement in my file about how I called a Doctor by their first name which was "awkward". I feel like I was railroaded because of this, and the above reason was a pretext to turn me away. Then again, I am supremely pissed because I found out 6 years of volunteering meant nothing so I could be skewing my perceptions due to my emotional state 😀
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"I don't always call doctors by their first names, but when I do, I make sure they're on the admission committee at the only school that invited me to interview"
 
Mavii said:
"I don't always call doctors by their first names, but when I do, I make sure they're on the admission committee at the only school that invited me to interview"
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Haha, true story. The funny thing is -- I called her by her first name in the thank you letter I wrote AFTERWARDS. Because I couldn't remember....guess I shouldn't have been so courteous after all. Oh well it's only a year...for a non-trad....8 years out of undergrad....FML
 
I knew people in UG who half-@$$ed their way through clinical volunteering and complained about it after putting in 4 measly hours a week. But you don't HAVE to enjoy patients to help them, right?

OP, also consider revisiting your PS when you reapply.
 
kimposibl said:
I knew people in UG who half-@$$ed their way through clinical volunteering and complained about it after putting in 4 measly hours a week. But you don't HAVE to enjoy patients to help them, right?

OP, also consider revisiting your PS when you reapply.
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A lot of hospital volunteering involves minimal patient contact compared to the amount of scut work you do. I don't think there is anything wrong when you complain about having to do an orderly's work for free.

Secondly, if someone doesn't want to do something, then why shouldn't they have the right to complain?
 
Wow thats really ironic. I've heard of someone getting into utmb with a 22 (urm though), but 27+s get interviews all the time. I got an interview at utmb with a 27, but I think my optional essays were really good. I don't think it's your mcat score. Did you write all the essays? Some schools in tx really love diversity, so that essay is pretty important. The people I know who got rejected or no interviews with average stats ( 30-32, 3.5-3.7ish) either barely had any Ecs or wrote a poor app (essays, ec descriptions, bad lors).
 
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tennischamp822 said:
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 pointless?
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Its a difficult process but the fact is, US medical school admissions are easier than many other countries in the world including Canada, India and the UK. If at times you think its hard, think that you have it easier than many others in the world. You have to be determined. Life certainly does not get easy after you get into medical school. If you are under the impression that after getting into medical school you are in some way set, thats not true. You will still have to work hard and study hard. There are longer and harder exams after the MCAT (USMLE Step 1, 2CK, 2CS, 3) and all take a full day or two just to write.

Don't give up hope, but if you don't think you like a life that is something a workaholic would be accustomed to, it is not too late to give up. There are people who realize they hate patient care and that medicine is not for them in residency. By that time they are already in debt to the tune of tens of thousands, the are entering their 30s and are making a very low salary for the amount of work they put in to get there.
 
Medstart108 said:
Its a difficult process but the fact is, US medical school admissions are easier than many other countries in the world including Canada, India and the UK. If at times you think its hard, think that you have it easier than many others in the world. You have to be determined. Life certainly does not get easy after you get into medical school. If you are under the impression that after getting into medical school you are in some way set, thats not true. You will still have to work hard and study hard. There are longer and harder exams after the MCAT (USMLE Step 1, 2CK, 2CS, 3) and all take a full day or two just to write.

Don't give up hope, but if you don't think you like a life that is something a workaholic would be accustomed to, it is not too late to give up. There are people who realize they hate patient care and that medicine is not for them in residency. By that time they are already in debt to the tune of tens of thousands, the are entering their 30s and are making a very low salary for the amount of work they put in to get there.
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This is true.

However, for India, the reason is not just academic competition but financial reasons as well. You can't pull out student loans like US you have to depend on the bank of mom and dad.
 
tennischamp822 said:
Wrote the diversity essay but not the hardship one.

I refuse to believe my ECs/LORs/app writing skills are all that bad. People on SDN have told me that my ECs are good enough. I have seen my LORs, and they are solid too.

Question for you: If all these URMs (~25% of most TX med school classes)/EC champions are getting in with 22-27 MCATs, then where does that leave the average white/asian person without massive EC hooks?

Sorry if this came off as combative. That was not my intention.
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Not getting in. My buddy (asian) with 3.6/29 didn't even get an interview. He did research, work as a scribe, some community service and was member of a couple of club. Also know another person with 3.5/28 not receiving any interviews. This process is quite brutal. It can come down to luck unless you have something that stands out, whether it be numbers, ethnicities or ECs
 
tennischamp822 said:
Wrote the diversity essay but not the hardship one.

I refuse to believe my ECs/LORs/app writing skills are all that bad. People on SDN have told me that my ECs are good enough. I have seen my LORs, and they are solid too.

Question for you: If all these URMs (~25% of most TX med school classes)/EC champions are getting in with 22-27 MCATs, then where does that leave the average white/asian person without massive EC hooks?

Sorry if this came off as combative. That was not my intention.
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Unless you're half asian and half white, then this statement alone just turned your whining thread into an US vs THEM.

You're exactly the kind of person that hates the URMs for takin yer jobz. The fact of the matter is, had you did better in school, on the mcat, or any other part of your application for that matter, then you'd be in a better position than you are now.

As for you question about "average". Well, the average person doesn't get accepted...😎
 
tennischamp822 said:
Lol calm down brother, and work on your reading comprehension if you think this is an "US vs THEM" thread.
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You just talked about URMs getting in with low stats and then grouped yourself with whites and asians. What else were you trying to convey?

Good luck with your medical school goals in 2013.
 
tennischamp822 said:
Wrote the diversity essay but not the hardship one.

I refuse to believe my ECs/LORs/app writing skills are all that bad. The admissions person I talked to + some people on SDN have told me that my ECs are good enough. I have seen my LORs, and they are solid too.

Question for you: If all these EC champions & URMs (~25% of most TX med school classes) are getting in with 22-27 MCATs, then where does that leave the average white/asian person without massive EC hooks? If the average MCAT of UTMB is like 30-31, who do you think is bringing that up?

Sorry if this came off as combative. That was not my intention.
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The EC lists you see on SDN are a bunch of bull****. The average applicant does not have 300 hours of volunteering, 100 hours of shadowing, 3 years of research, president of 3 different clubs, etc. The average applicant does not have "amazing" letters of recommendation or an "amazing" personal statement.

Look at the AAMC GPA and MCAT tables. If you do average ECs -- let's call this 50-100 hours each of shadowing and volunteering, maybe some research, maybe another activity like tutoring or employment -- and if you have average letters of recommendation and an average personal statement, your chances of being accepted will pretty much fall in line with what the table says. You have a 3.75/30 so you have about a 72% chance of being accepted, assuming you applied to 15 or more stats-appropriate schools.
 
circulus vitios said:
The EC lists you see on SDN are a bunch of bull****. The average applicant does not have 300 hours of volunteering, 100 hours of shadowing, 3 years of research, president of 3 different clubs, etc. The average applicant does not have "amazing" letters of recommendation or an "amazing" personal statement.

Look at the AAMC GPA and MCAT tables. If you do average ECs -- let's call this 50-100 hours each of shadowing and volunteering, maybe some research, maybe another activity like tutoring or employment -- and if you have average letters of recommendation and an average personal statement, your chances of being accepted will pretty much fall in line with what the table says. You have a 3.75/30 so you have about a 72% chance of being accepted, assuming you applied to 15 or more stats-appropriate schools.
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Lol. Did somebody mention ECs??! Cue Circulus Vitios and Planes2Docs!!

:meanie:
 
Sorry if I offended you. I just don't think it's the 30 that's holding you back. I think that it's a totally acceptable score for Texas. I know Asians with 30-32 that got interviewed at UTSW and/or Baylor, so it's not your race. I'm part Asian if that makes you feel any better. I did write the hardship essay because I had med school friends tell me that writing both essays, although not required..does give you a leg up at particular schools. Everyone has hardships no matter what race they are is what I was told by these med students. It's optional, but not really. I actually got asked a lot of questions about my hardship essay and my interviewers found it impressive what I had overcome. I'm sure that's not the only thing that held you back, but it might be something that could better your app if you have to reapply.

What school did you interview at? You never know, you might just get in.
 
Came to thread to get depressed and was not disappointed.
 
tennischamp822 said:
Wrote the diversity essay but not the hardship one.

I refuse to believe my ECs/LORs/app writing skills are all that bad. The admissions person I talked to + some people on SDN have told me that my ECs are good enough. I have seen my LORs, and they are solid too.

Question for you: If all these EC champions & URMs (~25% of most TX med school classes) are getting in with 22-27 MCATs, then where does that leave the average white/asian person without massive EC hooks? If the average MCAT of UTMB is like 30-31, who do you think is bringing that up?

Sorry if this came off as combative. That was not my intention.
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tn4596 said:
Not getting in. My buddy (asian) with 3.6/29 didn't even get an interview. He did research, work as a scribe, some community service and was member of a couple of club. Also know another person with 3.5/28 not receiving any interviews. This process is quite brutal. It can come down to luck unless you have something that stands out, whether it be numbers, ethnicities or ECs
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You do not need "massive EC hooks". I'm not surprised this "buddy" didn't get. How long did he do his ECs for? was he applying jr. year in college like everyone else? I expect your "buddy's" application made a lot of adcoms go "zzzzzzzzzzzz..." Nothing more boring than a traditional student doing traditional cookie cutter ECs for a few months and applying to medical school with little "real life" experience.

With a 3.6/30 I think you have a 55% chance of getting accepted (off the top of my head). 3.6/29 and you're down to 50%. Not good odds, but certainly not bad. You can raise those chances by setting yourself apart from others, and checking off boxes won't accomplish that. Prove youre actually a real human by doing something you're into and staying committed to it! And then write about it in your app in a way that reflects your real interest in it!
 
circulus vitios said:
I'll stop when the EC-whoring adcom members are dead or unemployed.
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Yep and I will stop when people come to their senses and stop throwing away the best years of their lives pretending to do stuff that they care about. Nothing is worse than seeing someone step into medical school, and look back regretting not actually doing what they cared about.

Want to see this perspective without the whole EC philosophical BS? Then read any pre-studying for medical thread and see how everyone says you should do everything you can before starting medical school.

You might be making fun of us now. You might find this funny. But the Cookie Cutters who actually managed to live a little in college will be laughing right back at you when you are kicking yourself yourself later when you regret spending so much time on this stuff.
 
The best ec, I think is a job that will benefit your app. You get paid, and you get something on your app. You might want to consider scribing. It's pretty cookie cutter, but at least you get paid and good experience and insight into medicine.

I think you have a good chance at A&M. They accept 70 percent of those they interview. They also like update and interest letters, so I'm sure if you write one of those you will be golden! Oh don't forget to tell them they are your top choice and will attend if accepted.
 
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Look on the bright side OP, atleast you will still be a Texas resident next year. Improve your ECs and possibly retake the MCAT and you are golden.
 
I'm glad I read through this thread. Not just because of the advice for the OP (whose situation is similar to mine) but planes2doc, you've perfectly worded my frustrations with the premedical process.
 
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