Calling all psychics...

[Jaider]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Is Jaider gonna get lucky or not?

By "get lucky" I mean "get accepted to any MD class of 2010."

No, you don't really need to reply to this. You can even stop reading. It is a stupid post after all. My dilemma is that I need to decide tomorrow whether I follow my optimistic life plan for 2006, or my pessimistic life plan. So I'm just writing stream of consciousness and wondering if anyone wants to predict my future. 🙂

Optimistic plan:
Assume MD acceptance so study biochem, continue to work full-time, make bank, book RTW trip, travel for three months this summer.

Pessimistic plan:
Assume I'm going to get pooped on by all admissions committees. Drop Biochem, quit job, study full-time for MCAT, volunteer more, and spend summer reapplying. Maybe squeeze in short trip during May.

Under both plans I'm applying to "back-up" Masters programs right now. I really just don't know whether I should make the MCAT a priority now at the expense of biochem and work. The bummer about dropping biochem is that if I AM accepted this year, I'd have to take biochem this summer at the expense of traveling. And the bummer about quitting my job/ reducing my hours is that I loose a lot of money and benefits, which I need if I am to travel this summer and/or afford a back-up Masters degree. Dang!

Waa waa boo hoo. I don't know what to do. I have to decide tomorrow (deadline to drop classes).

Help me! *sniff*

(If it matters to your psychic abilities, I've had only one interview at a state school and I'm in pre-interview hell-hold at U. Maryland and VCU. Got a few rejections from a few others and silence from even more. Complete mid-October. Good application, but semi-crap MCAT)

 

[big_smiles]

Good luck with everything Jaider.

My mom is sort of a psychic, but believe me - -it is definitely a mixed blessing sometimes, let me tell you! She can predict things I sometimes do not want to know. I know a lot of people don't believe in "psychics" and to tell you the truth, I try not to either. But it's hard to oversee the freaky coincidences sometimes.

And why drop biochem? It is a useful course, could you afford to cut down a little on work hours?

I want to know the answer to that too. I want to know: "will ANY US grad school and medical school take me to become an MD-PhD?". I have an optimistic and pessimistic plan too.

Optimistic plan:
Take 6 classes, do research, tutor, finish thesis, read some interesting novels I have been waiting to read

Pessimistic plan:
Spend all free time studying for MCAT, take classes, become sleep-deprived and lack a life for the next 6 months as I work my ass off.

I feel you. I hope you make it!!!!

*Fingers crossed, but not looking towards Tarot cards or dousing rods or premonitions*

 

[CerealBox]

my mom is psychic too. i'm totally serious. it used to freak my dad out. i don't think she can control it though... she just has dreams about things that are going to happen, and then they happen! It's happened enough to be really freaky.

but considering she doesn't know you, she probably won't have a dream about you... or at least won't know its you. so that doesn't help.

i'd quit work, keep taking the biochem class and study with all of your other time for the MCAT. take the MCAT in April and then you'll also know if you're in or not yet. if in: travel and have fun. if not: volunteer and reapply.

good luck!

 

[MoosePilot]

(If it matters to your psychic abilities, I've had only one interview at a state school and I'm in pre-interview hell-hold at U. Maryland and VCU. Got a few rejections from a few others and silence from even more. Complete mid-October. Good application, but semi-crap MCAT)

Ok, here's my honest opinion. I'm not sugar coating it, so if you want sugar coating more than my best guess based on extensive research, then don't read further...

Ok. I'd probably give up on any school that hasn't interviewed you yet. That's slightly pessimistic, but realistic enough.

So look at your state school. Are they rolling? Do they give out most of their acceptances early or late? You should probably have a sense of this right now. How are your numbers compared to their averages (what state is it and what are your numbers)? If your numbers are around their averages or higher and they make most or many of their acceptances late, I'd say you've got an excellent shot. If your numbers are low for them and they're rolling, I'd say your chances are decreasing by the day.

Try to make a plan that will take both eventualities into account. What is the backup master's degree for? You know you won't need it if you get in. I'd probably forget the master's degree for now, unless your GPA is your major shortfall. I get the impression that undergraduate work is better, anyway, because graduate work goes into a different section of AMCAS GPA calculations. Ask the school for feedback. Be polite, don't bug them, but ask them if they can share any info with you. It might help.

 

[NiteOwl]

I am not psychic, but I am probably a little psycho...does that count?

 

[mazeymaze]

Is Jaider gonna get lucky or not?

By "get lucky" I mean "get accepted to any MD class of 2010."

No, you don't really need to reply to this. You can even stop reading. It is a stupid post after all. My dilemma is that I need to decide tomorrow whether I follow my optimistic life plan for 2006, or my pessimistic life plan. So I'm just writing stream of consciousness and wondering if anyone wants to predict my future. 🙂

Optimistic plan:
Assume MD acceptance so study biochem, continue to work full-time, make bank, book RTW trip, travel for three months this summer.

Pessimistic plan:
Assume I'm going to get pooped on by all admissions committees. Drop Biochem, quit job, study full-time for MCAT, volunteer more, and spend summer reapplying. Maybe squeeze in short trip during May.

Under both plans I'm applying to "back-up" Masters programs right now. I really just don't know whether I should make the MCAT a priority now at the expense of biochem and work. The bummer about dropping biochem is that if I AM accepted this year, I'd have to take biochem this summer at the expense of traveling. And the bummer about quitting my job/ reducing my hours is that I loose a lot of money and benefits, which I need if I am to travel this summer and/or afford a back-up Masters degree. Dang!

Waa waa boo hoo. I don't know what to do. I have to decide tomorrow (deadline to drop classes).

Help me! *sniff*

(If it matters to your psychic abilities, I've had only one interview at a state school and I'm in pre-interview hell-hold at U. Maryland and VCU. Got a few rejections from a few others and silence from even more. Complete mid-October. Good application, but semi-crap MCAT)

WAIT wait wait.....WHY WHY WHY do you have to take Biochem????????? Its not a prereq at any o 17 schools I applied to!

 

[crazy_cavalier]

I'd rename the "pessimistic plan" to "better-safe-than-sorry". Take the "better-safe-than-sorry" route.

 

[Jaider]

Thanks for your input, guys.

You're right, Moosepilot. I'm not putting any faith into the schools that haven't interviewed me yet. I'm just riding on my state school at this point. They aren't rolling, so I have to wait until the first week in April to find out. They also won't divulge any information to applicants (I called this week). 🙂 Am I competitive in that applicant pool? Well, yes. I've gotten great feedback from the school. So why am I freaking out? Because this school has quirky admissions criteria so it's not a matter of how my numbers compare and whether my ECs are decent. Acceptance isn't easy to predict here. We all THINK we should get in and then feel majorly jaded when we don't. I don't know why, but I have awful luck and I suspect I'm going to get pooped on and be one of those jaded in-state applicants.

Why Biochem? Because it's good prep for med school and most importantly because I said I was going to take it on my AMCAS application (a few of the schools I applied to require it). Now that it's on my AMCAS, I have to take it. My state school is adamant about that rule.

Why the Masters? My undergrad GPA is 3.8 (science/nonscience majors), so I don't need to make up for bad undergrad grades, but I've learned that med schools don't value my full-time work (though medical in nature), they're more impressed with traditional students. So, I feel like I've got to get back in school or else get stuck in my current line of work. Plus it's been much harder for me to get involved in ECs as a full-time workhorse instead of a student.

So... there's more of my nonsense for you to consider. Maybe it helps explain a little better why I'm up in the air about my schedule right now.

 

[MoosePilot]

Why not skip the master's program. Your GPA is excellent. You can't improve on that. Maybe get into an EMT program and ride an ambulance for a year. Combine money making with an EC.

 

[BlinkyCat]

I think you should stick with the Biochem...it'll help you on MCAT and in Med school 🙂