Applying Sucks

[yigit]

I was just passing through reading some of the posts and got that really nasty feeling I had while I was applying to med school and I just wanted to offer some sympathy to those of you going through this process. It really sucks, but you'll look back on it and smile soon.
My sympathy especially to those of you that aren't annoying freaks that feel they need to tell everyone where they are getting interviews and acceptances. You may feel like the minority on these discussion boards, but if you choose your school right you'll be in the vast majority and things will be a lot more chill. Anyways, good luck. <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

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[none]

I don't want to be in the majority!! The majority gets rejected!!

 

[Katie]

I totally agree with Yigit; don't let the people with 37+ MCAT scores who have 10 acceptances by the 15th of October and "perfect" long-distance relationships get you down. I didn't get in anywhere until July 16 on my second time applying but ended up with 2 acceptances and attend a very good Top-50 school. I had a 29 MCAT, state school education, and currently lack a significant other, but am passing every single class and solidly honoring one. Don't let the bastards get you down! good luck to you all, I feel your pain and it will work out eventually..

 

[BlackPuma]

ehem don't let the bastards get you down?

annoying freaks that need to tell everyone!?

geez guys, dont you think that is a bit "harsh"...

first of all, nobody has the compuslion to tell anyone, except for the fact that we want to know where fellow SDNers got accepted so that we might end up in the same school....also we wanted to know how difficult was into a specific school....for example i got a reject from georgetown, and I was really pissed, but after looking at that stats, I realized they rejected a lot of pple...so there was nothing to take personal.....same goes for acceptances and waitlists, we just wanted to get an idea of which schools are sending out acceptances and which schools are sending out waitlists....we didn't create those threads to be "annoying" to other pple or be called "bastards"....me thinks those words were somewhat hard

 

[kutastha]

"Don't let the bastards grind you down" is a common quote when telling people not to let the rough stuff get to you. It was the name of a song by the 80s ska band, the Toasters, and used in a U2 song "Acrobat" from Achtung Baby. Nothing to be offended at, just sound advice.

Andrew

 

[lilycat]

Originally posted by kutastha:
•"Don't let the bastards grind you down" is a common quote when telling people not to let the rough stuff get to you. It was the name of a song by the 80s ska band, the Toasters, and used in a U2 song "Acrobat" from Achtung Baby. Nothing to be offended at, just sound advice.

Andrew•••

I think we have a generation gap here...

yigit and Katie weren't trying to be harsh -- they are some of the nicest, most positive "old-timers" on these boards -- they just wanted to give encouragement to anyone who might be feeling kind of down about the application process right now.

In my personal experience of talking to current applicants who peruse SDN or through emails from various members, who are not necessarily the most prolific of posters, there are a lot of people who feel really down after reading some of these threads. They don't realize what a small fraction of the applicant pool is posting on these boards.

Anyways, good luck to everyone applying right now. From personal experience, it really does seem to work out all right in the end, even if it comes down to the wire in July.

 

[BlackPuma]

oh really?! my bad then

I guess I am a youngin

 

[alice]

1. i think some of you who didn't recognize that u2 reference need to get out more.
2. thanks to the old-timers who wrote those nice notes. as someone who reads these posts in my spare time but doesn't often reply, i really appreciate the encouragement. thanks.

 

[nochaser]

"perfect" long-distance relationships

Gee, I see no perfection in that!

. I didn't get in anywhere until July 16

That's great! Did you also interview late?

 

[yigit]

My biggest concern in choosing to pursue a career in medicine was the fear of spending the rest of my life surrounded by overachieving Type A personalities who had no life outside of their schoolwork and having them rub off on me. I have serious issues with people that have to flaunt their smarts to everyone else and anyone who's been through the premed curriculum knows exactly what I'm talking about (if you don't, then just ignore this message). I remember being worried that I was going to have to work with these competitive, annoying premeds for the rest of my life and how terrible that was going to be. I also remember how I felt reading these boards when I was applying and the same people were talking every day about all the schools they were getting into and how upset they were that a Top 5 school had rejected them.

Now that I'm in medical school and I look around at my classmates I can't help but wonder what happened to all those people. Maybe getting into medical school chilled them out, but I like to think that they got weeded out during the admissions process. Once you get into medical school those types of people are ridiculed as "gunners." At my school even the teachers make fun of them once in awhile. There is a feeling of community amongst a medical school class (at least at mine) and people try to help one another and the guy in the front row who asks questions all the time just so he'll feel smart is the brunt of everyone else's jokes.

So anyway, I just remember how ****ty I felt and wanted to assure some of applicants that are feeling like I was that it's not all that bad once you get in.
Two words of advice, one for med school and one for life.
1.) Go to a med school that is Pass/Fail or Pass/Fail/Honors. Trust me.
2.) You never learn anything from talking. You've got to listen to learn.

Alright, I've done enough talking...back to listening.

 

[Badgerbabe]

Thanks, yigit and Katie! Your warm thoughts are appreciated!!

Shannon

 

[Katie]

hey no chaser, I did interview late at the first school that accepted me (SLU). I interviewed there in April and they put me on the alternate list 2 weeks after my interview, which I thought went quite well. BTW, if you get a thin envelope from SLU in February or March and your application is complete for some time don't assume it is a rejection letter without opening it. I was on my way to the trash with it then opened it and nearly had an MI when I saw the words "interview with a member of the Admissions Committee".

I didn't interview that late at the school I currently attend however (tufts); interviewed in January and the school interviews until May. accepted on July 17. I had my first interview in October (april MCAT) at Penn State and interviewed at other schools all the way until April. So I guess there is no straightforward answer to your question "did I interview late". Anyway, thanks everyone for your articulate and encouraging answers, keep em coming! happy holidays as well...

p.s: btw, yes "don't let the bastards get you down" is very much just a figure of speech. I don't believe that people who flaunt ridiculously high MCAT scores on here are bastards, mildly irritating on occasion, yes, but not bastardly children and I might add that yigit attends an AWESOME med school as well..

 

[barb]

Thanks, Yigit and Katie for your reassuring words. This is my second time applying and I must say "sucks" doesn't even begin to describe it.

 

[KyGrlDr2B]

I just want to say that I did feel sort of stupid with my mcat score that is so terrible according to all of the people on here. I mean, I got a 28 and some of the people were complaining about 32's. And I do not have a 4.0 or even a 3.9 (or a 3.8 he he) for that matter. ZERO research experience (its slim pickings at my university unless you are a chem major). But I have already been accepted to two schools. No, the aren't top 25 schools, I didn't even bother applying to those. Why waste money? But they are good schools. One did the first artificial heart transplant this summer, and also did the hand transplant. I now don't give a damn about my stats; all that matters is I'm going to be a doctor. And a good one at that.

 

[md2be06]

Yigit: I was wondering how schools that grade pass/fail rank their students come time for residency match? Or is there no rank, and thus just more emphasis is given by residency directors to these students USMLE Step I scores? Thanks.