Anyone feel under achieved?

[Uisa]

Wow, well I thought I was doing well for myself until I discovered SDN. So many people on here who are above and beyond... well I mean I guess that's what it takes to get into med school.

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys feel like you lack and what you're going to start working on this next year before applications.

For me, besides the obvious things like doing well in classes etc. I need to volunteer more and start shadowing... and on top of that be involved on campus more (oh the endless road)

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[ilovebiology]

Wow, well I thought I was doing well for myself until I discovered SDN. So many people on here who are above and beyond... well I mean I guess that's what it takes to get into med school.

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys feel like you lack and what you're going to start working on this next year before applications.

For me, besides the obvious things like doing well in classes etc. I need to volunteer more and start shadowing... and on top of that be involved on campus more (oh the endless road)

Couldn't agree more! It's kind of intimidating when you start comparing yourself to all of these amazing premedians on here! haha But as my quote says below, don't compare yourself to others. However, I need to definitely shadow, continue to volunteer and do well in classes, and also somehow do research? I know I need to do 2 semesters of research (2 units) at my school to graduate... I wonder how I'm going to fit it all in, all the while keeping sane and try to have a semi-social life?

 

[Poliscidoc]

Amen to both of you. At times it all seems a bit much, but I guess that's why not everyone is a Dr.

 

[Uisa]

Couldn't agree more! It's kind of intimidating when you start comparing yourself to all of these amazing premedians on here! haha But as my quote says below, don't compare yourself to others. However, I need to definitely shadow, continue to volunteer and do well in classes, and also somehow do research? I know I need to do 2 semesters of research (2 units) at my school to graduate... I wonder how I'm going to fit it all in, all the while keeping sane and try to have a semi-social life?

Yeah couple that with a g/f for over a year and work twice a week at a tissue culture lab... Congrats! You have no life!

 

[ilovebiology]

Amen to both of you. At times it all seems a bit much, but I guess that's why not everyone is a Dr.

That's what I tell myself almost every day...when I question why I am going into medicine. It's all good though. It'll pay off later.

 

[redlight]

haha yes there are many premed beasts on sdn. im glad they are here though... there were things i would not have tried if not for sdn members on here... things that i enjoy but would not have known to try if not for sdn [ hope that makes sense]... so im grateful for that at least.

and i think i need more shadowing, and i need to continue research obviously. also, more variety in clinical volunteering couldnt hurt...

and im not sure if i should be shadowing speciaties like transplant or neurosurgery as a premed.. i was talking with a (rising? haha) 4th year med student while shadowing and he did zero shadowing before med school so at times i feel as though some of what i'm doing/seeing is unecessary and over the top... even though it's pretty cool to see, i guess.

 

[vin5cent0]

I don't worry about it too much. A guy I went to college with is now at medical school, and his resume consisted of the same mediocre EC's I have access to: Biology club, pre-med club, volunteering/shadowing at our local hospital, etc etc. If you try and compare yourself to everyone on here, you'll only disappoint yourself (no offense). There are just some animals on here that 99% of us will never compare to. 4.00/40 MCATs with a huge list of ECs just isn't attainable for most people.

 

[Naijaba]

I often wonder how many undergrads looked at 'collegeconfidential' before they applied to undergraduate colleges. I didn't even know the site existed until ~sophomore year of college. That site has limitless posts of high schoolers with amazing high school GPAs trying to get into top undergraduate universities. My parents were always satisfies with A's and B's in high school, and honest to goodness I don't think I would've cared about high school if not for them. Thankfully I found personal motivation in college and now I realize why sites with high achieving students are actually a good thing.

 

[redlight]

I often wonder how many undergrads looked at 'collegeconfidential' before they applied to undergraduate colleges. I didn't even know the site existed until ~sophomore year of college. That site has limitless posts of high schoolers with amazing high school GPAs trying to get into top undergraduate universities. My parents were always satisfies with A's and B's in high school, and honest to goodness I don't think I would've cared about high school if not for them. Thankfully I found personal motivation in college and now I realize why sites with high achieving students are actually a good thing.

this is exactly me .. when i found out about college confidential (oddly enough, it was through sdn) i was really scared. it's filled with a bunch of rabid prestigewh*ring parents and high schoolers going on and on about how important graduating from a school with international prestige is and "chancing" eachother for admission.... sheesh. and i think it's so awkward that they basically have two categories: ivy league gets its own sub forum, then the other "top schools" get a sub forum, and then all the other schools are apparently crap and not worth talking about. i was on the fence about recommending the site to some of my family members applying to college.. but i thought it would be best not to scare anyone lol.

 

[MN premed]

I definitely feel under achieved too! I have volunteering and research, but practically no shadowing. My gpa is fine, but after tons of MCAT studying, I still didn't pull off a 30 It's funny though because everyone I know is like, "You'll definitely get accepted, you're so smart!" But that's probably because I'm the only pre-med in my friends And I always have to tell them "Yea, maybe...But everyone applying to med school is 'so smart'!" I hope they're right though and I get accepted!

this is exactly me .. when i found out about college confidential (oddly enough, it was through sdn) i was really scared. it's filled with a bunch of rabid prestigewh*ring parents and high schoolers going on and on about how important graduating from a school with international prestige is and "chancing" eachother for admission.... sheesh. and i think it's so awkward that they basically have two categories: ivy league gets its own sub forum, then the other "top schools" get a sub forum, and then all the other schools are apparently crap and not worth talking about. i was on the fence about recommending the site to some of my family members applying to college.. but i thought it would be best not to scare anyone lol.

Haha, that's so ridiculous, this is the first I've heard of this site. I don't get why people think they need to go to Ivy League schools. There's really no point.

 

[redlight]

I definitely feel under achieved too! I have volunteering and research, but practically no shadowing. My gpa is fine, but after tons of MCAT studying, I still didn't pull off a 30 It's funny though because everyone I know is like, "You'll definitely get accepted, you're so smart!" But that's probably because I'm the only pre-med in my friends And I always have to tell them "Yea, maybe...But everyone applying to med school is 'so smart'!" I hope they're right though and I get accepted!




Haha, that's so ridiculous, this is the first I've heard of this site. I don't get why people think they need to go to Ivy League schools. There's really no point.

and the kids there are so accomplished.. it's nuts. i mean, some of them have even published research articles...high schoolers! wow. they're very driven, accomplished, and (unfortunately) very insane/unstable.

honestly, at their age, the only research i knew of were the stupid research papers we had to write every year in english class. yeah, i was very very naive. i didnt know of places like chicago, berkeley, vandy, rice, hopkins, duke until schools came to visit or advisers mentioned them...didnt even know all the ivies (like dartmouth). i guess that's why i like sdn.. the information.. this time around (in terms of applying to schools), i want to know what i'm getting myself into and what i need to do in general.

 

[TopSecret]

Wow, well I thought I was doing well for myself until I discovered SDN. So many people on here who are above and beyond... well I mean I guess that's what it takes to get into med school.

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys feel like you lack and what you're going to start working on this next year before applications.

For me, besides the obvious things like doing well in classes etc. I need to volunteer more and start shadowing... and on top of that be involved on campus more (oh the endless road)

It seems like that when you visit a place like this. Maybe it's just that things have become more competitive with so much uncertainty these days. Recently I went to get my BLS for healthcare providers certification renewed and everyone but me was a premed student or an EMT trying to get into medical school. One of the girls assigned to practice the abdominal thrusts on me was fresh out of high school, shadowing a bunch of doctors and trying to get some time in the ER before her first day of college.

 

[Tots]

It seems like that when you visit a place like this. Maybe it's just that things have become more competitive with so much uncertainty these days. Recently I went to get my BLS for healthcare providers certification renewed and everyone but me was a premed student or an EMT trying to get into medical school. One of the girls assigned to practice the abdominal thrusts on me was fresh out of high school, shadowing a bunch of doctors and trying to get some time in the ER before her first day of college.

When I got my EMT license the summer after I graduated high school there were 2 pre-meds(though I wasn't really pre-med at the time) and 38 people trying to become firefighters.

When I found out about Collegeconfidential(After I got into College), I was blown away and amazed I actually got into a decent college. I had no idea how to sell myself like some of those kids...omitted a lot of minor but important ECs, wrote my PSs without much thought, and never studied at all for the SATs...Then I found SDN...

 

[TopSecret]

haha yes there are many premed beasts on sdn. im glad they are here though... there were things i would not have tried if not for sdn members on here... things that i enjoy but would not have known to try if not for sdn [ hope that makes sense]... so im grateful for that at least.

and i think i need more shadowing, and i need to continue research obviously. also, more variety in clinical volunteering couldnt hurt...

and im not sure if i should be shadowing speciaties like transplant or neurosurgery as a premed.. i was talking with a (rising? haha) 4th year med student while shadowing and he did zero shadowing before med school so at times i feel as though some of what i'm doing/seeing is unecessary and over the top... even though it's pretty cool to see, i guess.

It's not necessary to shadow but it helps. If you already have a good understanding of what a medical career entails (the good and the bad) then you're in good shape. A lot of people have this idealized version in their heads and that doesn't really help them.

If you do shadow, here are some tips. Look confident, avoid asking too many questions during the patient encounter, and listen well. Also, avoid long hours of shadowing or fatigue may be mistaken for lack of interest and that'd be bad. I once had a shadow(er?) who nodded off as a patient spoke. It didn't leave such a good impression.

 

[TopSecret]

When I got my EMT license the summer after I graduated high school there were 2 pre-meds(though I wasn't really pre-med at the time) and 38 people trying to become firefighters.

When I found out about Collegeconfidential(After I got into College), I was blown away and amazed I actually got into a decent college. I had no idea how to sell myself like some of those kids...omitted a lot of minor but important ECs, wrote my PSs without much thought, and never studied at all for the SATs...Then I found SDN...

Live and learn.

When I was in high school 15 years ago, the Internet had less than 50,000 websites, AOL was king and a 9600 baud modem was state of the art. I had to read information on medical school from books at the library. It was so primitive.

 

[secants]

I sometimes wonder how I managed to do well in a lot of my classes because I'm really not that bright. I guess hard work can go a long waaay.

 

[Naijaba]

and the kids there are so accomplished.. it's nuts. i mean, some of them have even published research articles...high schoolers! wow. they're very driven, accomplished, and (unfortunately) very insane/unstable.

honestly, at their age, the only research i knew of were the stupid research papers we had to write every year in english class. yeah, i was very very naive. i didnt know of places like chicago, berkeley, vandy, rice, hopkins, duke until schools came to visit or advisers mentioned them...didnt even know all the ivies (like dartmouth). i guess that's why i like sdn.. the information.. this time around (in terms of applying to schools), i want to know what i'm getting myself into and what i need to do in general.

This. When I was applying to college (and I'm from California), I didn't know the difference between the California Institute of Technology, the California Polytechnic Institute Pomona, and the California Polytechnic Institute San Luis Obispo. The latter two are state schools and the former is, of course, Caltech.

 

[NickNaylor]

Some of the people are SDN are pretty intimidating. With the same token, though, there are some people that are very... comforting. People that got in that you wouldn't expect to. These are rarer than the first type, but they are here.

I think as long as you do everything you can to put yourself in the best position possible, you have nothing else to worry about. What else can you do? That's the attitude I take anyway.

 

[Uisa]

I sometimes wonder how I managed to do well in a lot of my classes because I'm really not that bright. I guess hard work can go a long waaay.

Well in college, I found that you can substitute smartness with how hard you work.

 

[ChinaDoll]

it's just plain scary to see how many people who achieved a lot end up with some 3-tier med school or end up re-apply again..but I have the say that SDN definitely do a great deal of good to me regarding getting myself motivated and NEVER NEVER again feel I am on top of the world...IT's just the fact that I am going to a small state school and I am one of the few pre-meds actually exist here...As I am doing volunteering and research, those pre-meds just cant understand why I am doing all these stuff...I actually wow them because they got to know that I have about 400 volunteer hours...they dont do any of these..

I guess my point is that it's good to have those over-achievers here at the SDN because they become our goal or something like an example...I can definitely say I won't be as motivated as I am now without them...I just kept telling myself it's not good enough it's not good enough.....but we do have to watch out for trolls..some of the stuff are just clearly made-up..and you know it's not real and they know it too...* * (wink wink...LOL)

best luck to all of us..hope we will all make it

 

[NickNaylor]

Well in college, I found that you can substitute smartness with how hard you work.

This is very true to a large extent. I think there does come a point, though, where you do have to have some innate intelligence to perform at a high level. It's not necessarily a 1:1 substitution.

 

[dw2158]

Live and learn.

When I was in high school 15 years ago, the Internet had less than 50,000 websites, AOL was king and a 9600 baud modem was state of the art. I had to read information on medical school from books at the library. It was so primitive.

reality check, everyone.


and what is this collegeconfidential business? is it forums, like SDN for high schoolers/college admissions? i guess i'll check it out just to gawk.

 

[Narmerguy]

reality check, everyone.


and what is this collegeconfidential business? is it forums, like SDN for high schoolers/college admissions? i guess i'll check it out just to gawk.

It's a pretty unhealthy site that high schoolers will do well to stay away from. Competitive spirit is great but there becomes a point where you start to loose your identity in the "hunt" and this forum is pretty much a mass collection of that. Out of my graduating class, not a single student that got accepted to an Ivy League looked at college confidential (all were accepted to more than 4 of them). People should just focus on doing their thing and making that work for them.

 

[Remuneration]

Anyone want to swap? I'll trade 2 points off my MCAT for your 50 hours clinical experience (you choose the subsection).

 

[red10]

I felt like I was really well rounded and did well in school before I came on this site. I got above a 30 on my MCAT and I asked my pre-med adviser if it was a good score or not and she was like "absolutely thats a competitive score, don't bother retaking". But then I get on here and everyone has like 37s and I feel like I shoulda retaken.
I know I coulda done better on the MCAT but I take tests well so even with probably low end of the pre-med spectrum studying I got above 30.

 

[Poliscidoc]

Well in college, I found that you can substitute smartness with how hard you work.

Or being a kiss ass is my trick

 

[TopSecret]

I felt like I was really well rounded and did well in school before I came on this site. I got above a 30 on my MCAT and I asked my pre-med adviser if it was a good score or not and she was like "absolutely thats a competitive score, don't bother retaking". But then I get on here and everyone has like 37s and I feel like I shoulda retaken.
I know I coulda done better on the MCAT but I take tests well so even with probably low end of the pre-med spectrum studying I got above 30.

If no subset score is a single digit then you're in pretty good shape as long as you have a 3.6 GPA or better at a competitive school (top 25 in USNews). That's generally how competitive things are. You should still apply, though. But have a plan B in case things don't work out this year.

In general, if you get invited to interviews, then you're considered academically qualified. And if you don't get accepted then something might've gone wrong at the interview. Or maybe the admissions committee decided to accept someone who has a sunnier personality and has the looks of a model all things being equal. People like that generally stand out from the rest with similar numbers.

 

[PreMedHopeful]

This whole summer was wasted because I DECIDED TO BE LAZY.....and that doesn't pay so in the end...you have to try your best and give it 100% if you want to be a doctor....

I learned my lesson by getting a C

 

[Red1263]

you know I'm glad someone posted this, because I was doing the horrible act of comparing myself to those impossibly, well-off people. Lol, I realize now, after reading your guys' replies, I can breathe a lil easier , thank you guys, truly thank you.

 

[TopSecret]

you know I'm glad someone posted this, because I was doing the horrible act of comparing myself to those impossibly, well-off people. Lol, I realize now, after reading your guys' replies, I can breathe a lil easier , thank you guys, truly thank you.

Applicants who have average numbers might really shine at interviews and have successful medical careers while those who have near perfect numbers may lack some serious social skills and have problems dealing with patients later on (if they get that far). Some "stellar" applicants may therefore be better suited for a research career (i.e., PhD) than a career in medicine.

 

[Uisa]

Applicants who have average numbers might really shine at interviews and have successful medical careers while those who have near perfect numbers may lack some serious social skills and have problems dealing with patients later on (if they get that far). Some "stellar" applicants may therefore be better suited for a research career (i.e., PhD) than a career in medicine.

This is so true, I work at a medical school and all the doctors emphasize social skills and confidence.

 

[TopSecret]

This is so true, I work at a medical school and all the doctors emphasize social skills and confidence.

It makes a huge difference to have people who are motivated and fun to be with. If others like you, then patients will like you and you'll be regarded as a good, caring doctor. If you're rough around the edges, have no social graces, and are a loner who has poor listening skills but otherwise brilliant, then a career in medicine may not be such a good choice.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

seriously... thought i was doing alright for myself with a good plan to work with but apparently being a nurse is mega-demerit, everybody has 4+ years of research, and have more clinical experience than i do despite my full-time job in the hospital floor all while maintaining a 3.99989887129 GPA (OMG that one A- in a one credit class killed me LOLOLOLOLOL!!11!!one!!)... i also used to feel pretty good about my MCAT score but it seems they give out 39+ scores to about half the population

 

[TopSecret]

seriously... thought i was doing alright for myself with a good plan to work with but apparently being a nurse is mega-demerit, everybody has 4+ years of research, and have more clinical experience than i do despite my full-time job in the hospital floor all while maintaining a 3.99989887129 GPA (OMG that one A- in a one credit class killed me LOLOLOLOLOL!!11!!one!!)... i also used to feel pretty good about my MCAT score but it seems they give out 39+ scores to about half the population

I know nurses and PA's who go to medical school and they do really well, especially in the clinical rotations. One PA actually became a dermatologist and dermatology is one of the most competitive specialties in all of medicine because of the high demand and easy lifestyle.

 

[DrBeks]

Amen to both of you. At times it all seems a bit much, but I guess that's why not everyone is a Dr.

I found this to be quoteable for my signature.

And I don't feel like I have enough volunteer hours. I have a bit. Enough to say I've been volunteering, but yes, compared to many people on SDN, I don't think I have enough.

 

[TopSecret]

I found this to be quoteable for my signature.

And I don't feel like I have enough volunteer hours. I have a bit. Enough to say I've been volunteering, but yes, compared to many people on SDN, I don't think I have enough.

It's not so much the number of hours that is important but the quality of the experience. The quality can be inferred from your perspective of medicine and the steps it takes to become a doc. If after several hundred or thousands of hours of volunteering you have this idea of medicine that is far from the truth and you include those thoughts on your application, then it may hurt your chances. Why? Because the expectations are much higher.

 

[DrBeks]

If after several hundred or thousands of hours of volunteering you have this idea of medicine that is far from the truth and you include those thoughts on your application, then it may hurt your chances. Why? Because the expectations are much higher.

I've never thought of this. It's a very good point. thanks.

 

[TopSecret]

I've never thought of this. It's a very good point. thanks.

A lot of medical students make their decision on what specialty they want to go into based on a couple months of experience during their M3 year. You don't need a whole lot of volunteer time to know that you want to go into medicine. Maybe a good two weeks of part-time equivalent experience is all that you need at one location to get a feel for it and then you could do another two weeks elsewhere to broaden your exposure. Reading on your own and talking to people in the field is also a decent way to learn about medicine. I think those approaches would be reasonable and good uses of your time. You could volunteer for a longer time just for the intrinsic value of volunteering but for the purpose of making a career decision all you need is a month or two of exposure to know if you'd hate or love something.

 

[kikiu]

Wow, well I thought I was doing well for myself until I discovered SDN. So many people on here who are above and beyond... well I mean I guess that's what it takes to get into med school.

Anyway, I was wondering what you guys feel like you lack and what you're going to start working on this next year before applications.

For me, besides the obvious things like doing well in classes etc. I need to volunteer more and start shadowing... and on top of that be involved on campus more (oh the endless road)

Yes, I thought the same thing too. Yet, no matter what, I still feel like I always will be an 'underachiever' in this game---I suppose, this is a nice welcoming to the pre-med/medical field.

 

[FuturaDocta]

When I got my EMT license the summer after I graduated high school there were 2 pre-meds(though I wasn't really pre-med at the time) and 38 people trying to become firefighters.

When I found out about Collegeconfidential(After I got into College), I was blown away and amazed I actually got into a decent college. I had no idea how to sell myself like some of those kids...omitted a lot of minor but important ECs, wrote my PSs without much thought, and never studied at all for the SATs...Then I found SDN...

Haha. I didn't study for the SATs or the ACTs at all. It seems like a waste of time to me.

Although, I am curious as to how much the SATs/ACTs count to the med schools if it does at all.

OP, it's alright to feel underachieved. I mean, how natural is it for a normal full time student to take on the pre-med course load and still want to shadow/research/volunteer/donate a kidney/ and still be involved with the school? A normal person would have just stuck to working on getting good grades, socializing, and maybe getting a job to pay off bills and school.

Then, *wallah*, up pops SDN and the feeling of "underachievement" starts flooding in. Though, after a while, you are thankful for this great resource because it informs you enough of "how to get you into med school," one of these days.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Haha. I didn't study for the SATs or the ACTs at all. It seems like a waste of time to me.

Although, I am curious as to how much the SATs/ACTs count to the med schools if it does at all.

OP, it's alright to feel underachieved. I mean, how natural is it for a normal full time student to take on the pre-med course load and still want to shadow/research/volunteer/donate a kidney/ and still be involved with the school? A normal person would have just stuck to working on getting good grades, socializing, and maybe getting a job to pay off bills and school.

Then, *wallah*, up pops SDN and the feeling of "underachievement" starts flooding in. Though, after a while, you are thankful for this great resource because it informs you enough of "how to get you into med school," one of these days.

are you serious??

 

[FuturaDocta]

are you serious??

not so much.

 

[TexasFight]

When I got my EMT license the summer after I graduated high school there were 2 pre-meds(though I wasn't really pre-med at the time) and 38 people trying to become firefighters.

When I found out about Collegeconfidential(After I got into College), I was blown away and amazed I actually got into a decent college. I had no idea how to sell myself like some of those kids...omitted a lot of minor but important ECs, wrote my PSs without much thought, and never studied at all for the SATs...Then I found SDN...

Yeah I found that place AFTER I submitted my college apps too it was a horrifying experience. Kind of like finding all the answers to a test you just failed in the one section of the textbook you didn't read - right after you took the test.

 

[TopSecret]

Yeah I found that place AFTER I submitted my college apps too it was a horrifying experience. Kind of like finding all the answers to a test you just failed in the one section of the textbook you didn't read - right after you took the test.

People who have a definite advantage are those who have parents who attended those schools and know exactly what the committees are looking for. It also helps to have legacy.

 

[FuturaDocta]

Yeah I found that place AFTER I submitted my college apps too it was a horrifying experience. Kind of like finding all the answers to a test you just failed in the one section of the textbook you didn't read - right after you took the test.

Your analogy cracks me up.

 

[camo]

A lot of medical students make their decision on what specialty they want to go into based on a couple months of experience during their M3 year. You don't need a whole lot of volunteer time to know that you want to go into medicine. Maybe a good two weeks of part-time equivalent experience is all that you need at one location to get a feel for it and then you could do another two weeks elsewhere to broaden your exposure. Reading on your own and talking to people in the field is also a decent way to learn about medicine. I think those approaches would be reasonable and good uses of your time. You could volunteer for a longer time just for the intrinsic value of volunteering but for the purpose of making a career decision all you need is a month or two of exposure to know if you'd hate or love something.

I totally agree with you on this.

I spent two months one summer in the ED and I knew that a career in medicine was for me. Then, subsequently, the next summer I shadowed a physician to re-affirm my decision, and it definitely solidified my decision.

Very well put, and as well I do a lot of reading about medicine and talk to various people. So, yeah it's definitely not about 1000 hrs of volunteer activities and what not.

 

[Naijaba]

It's amusing that four posts below this one is another post title something like "Top tier schools...impossible to get into?" Crazy SDN kids.

 

[TopSecret]

I don't worry about it too much. A guy I went to college with is now at medical school, and his resume consisted of the same mediocre EC's I have access to: Biology club, pre-med club, volunteering/shadowing at our local hospital, etc etc. If you try and compare yourself to everyone on here, you'll only disappoint yourself (no offense). There are just some animals on here that 99% of us will never compare to. 4.00/40 MCATs with a huge list of ECs just isn't attainable for most people.

All sorts of people go to med school. A guy I know just studied, played computer games when classes were over, and did some research one summer. He had a 3.9 GPA and 36 MCAT at a top 15 school in US News and got into Wash U. He was a frat guy and did little EC. He was very calm and very much into games. Other than video games he also liked to watch TV. He's an ER doc now.

 

[teddy bear doc]

Thank you so so so much for finally stating the obvious!!! I think I am going to stop looking at SDN so much because my self esteem is taking a huge hit. I thought I was doing great: good grades, decent MCAT, some volunteering and shadowing, plus some other stuff that makes me really unique. Then I get on here and these people are posting threads like, "what are my chances? I have a 4.0 and a 43S and 800 bajillion volunteer hours and activities, plus I was first author on some groundbreaking research and I am nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize." So yeah, I feel kinda like poo when I see that and then look at myself and go, "Man! If they don't get in, where does that leave little ol' me????" Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way!!!

 

[camo]

Thank you so so so much for finally stating the obvious!!! I think I am going to stop looking at SDN so much because my self esteem is taking a huge hit. I thought I was doing great: good grades, decent MCAT, some volunteering and shadowing, plus some other stuff that makes me really unique. Then I get on here and these people are posting threads like, "what are my chances? I have a 4.0 and a 43S and 800 bajillion volunteer hours and activities, plus I was first author on some groundbreaking research and I am nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize." So yeah, I feel kinda like poo when I see that and then look at myself and go, "Man! If they don't get in, where does that leave little ol' me????" Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way!!!

yeah the people on here are few and far between, if that makes sense. Basically there are 42,000 people who apply to medical school each year about 1/50th are those on SDN. So they are the minority, just keep doing what you are doing and you will be fine. think positively.