Can I trust SDN?

[ZedsDed]

Those of us not from there hate the culture just as much as the rest of the country

With the burning rage of a thousand suns.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[efle]

@efle, @gyngyn. Thank you guys for sharing your thoughts with me. Initially hearing that you had lots of qualified applicants to your waitlist with zero acceptances elsewhere made my heart sink. I have an II at some Cali schools (not really sure how I got so lucky here with a 3.7/28 ORM status, but I know its not over until I actually have the acceptance letter in my hand *knock on wood*), but I also came into this process applying to 32 schools and pretty much knowing I'd have to go OOS for school. So I feel blessed to be in this position in the first place! As long as I get an acceptance somewhere, I'll be more than ecstatic.

It's a different game for mission-based! You bring a demonstrated value very few of the high scorers do. Best of luck

I have mixed feelings about my home state. Like sure, it's fun, but it's also pretty vapid after a while. I personally would love to live at least for a little while in a place with a little more culture and class (and rain for God's sake )

I dream of a getaway cabin in the pacific northwest, went up the coast to places like Orcas Island and fell in love. This kind of environment (my desktop) just makes me go to my happy place.

Great for vacation but I'd want a city like San Diego or San Fran as home for most of the time

With the burning rage of a thousand suns.

oh my god, shut up betch

 

[ZedsDed]

oh my god, shut up betch

Ugh, gag me with a spoon betch.

 

[heartsink]

Didn't read the whole thread so maybe its been stated, but i generally put trust in trends i see come up the most from the greatest variety and number of posters, particularly when they come from verified faculty and physicians. Trends like "apply early at the beginning of summer", "dont take the mcat before you've done all your prereqs", "don't apply to the Caribbean under any circumstances".

Coming from the background of a BA in psychology with no sciences, no premed advisor, or any family or friends with any knowledge of medical school, the application process or any of the sciences, I've navigated and plotted a route for my own post-bac DIY to med school based entirely on what i've read on here for a long time, and I'm nearly done!

 

[ZedsDed]

It's a different game for mission-based! You bring a demonstrated value very few of the high scorers do. Best of luck


I dream of a getaway cabin in the pacific northwest, went up the coast to places like Orcas Island and fell in love. This kind of environment (my desktop) just makes me go to my happy place.

Great for vacation but I'd want a city like San Diego or San Fran as home for most of the time


oh my god, shut up betch

http://thedirty.com
In high school this website made me realize I will never, ever move there.

 

[Pusheen]

I dream of a getaway cabin in the pacific northwest, went up the coast to places like Orcas Island and fell in love. This kind of environment (my desktop) just makes me go to my happy place.

Great for vacation but I'd want a city like San Diego or San Fran as home for most of the time

Hey, I'd take that over Hawaii any day

I'm enamoured by New England, I'd love to live in a place with some history and cooler weather, at least for a few years. Every time I mention applying OOS to my friends, family, or SO, they're like but why would you ever leave CA???

 

[efle]

I actually dig that too, club nationals for my sport was at Bowdoin in Maine last year and driving through their forests in October is quite a sight

 

[Strigon]

I actually dig that too, club nationals for my sport was at Bowdoin in Maine last year and driving through their forests in October is quite a sight

Definitely has to be a better sight and climate than Tucson...

 

[jl lin]

This. A million times this.

I took the infamous practice MCAT #3, received a 30, and told my advisor about it. Her response..: You always get about 5 points higher on the actual MCAT.

So I proceeded to lightly study and instead focus on coursework. Took the actual MCAT: got a goddamn 22. Never asked for her advice again.

Edit: retook the MCAT after reviewing some formulas (unfortunately still didn't devote much time to studying, but at least I wasn't so blasé about taking it) and received a 30+. Still no 35 though....

Sorry, but she should have been cagey about making such a ridiculous statement. That's not even logical. Was she advising you during happy hour?

 

[jl lin]

Most people from CA would rather die than leave the OC

Really now? No offense to CA, but it has some very serious problems. There are those of us who view is as simply a vacation state. A nice pace to visit, but wouldn't want to live there necessarily. Big pluses for it being a nice coastal state though, as well as having some really great natural parks and some decent wines.

 

[Pusheen]

No offense to CA, but it has some very serious problems. .

Too many immigrants and liberalz?

 

[pageantry]

Really now? No offense to CA, but it has some very serious problems. There are those of us who view is as simply a vacation state. A nice pace to visit, but wouldn't want to live there necessarily. Big pluses for it being a nice coastal state though, as well as having some really great natural parks and some decent wines.

We're relieved to learn we still have some redeeming characteristics.
Sadly, we will need your body's water for the tribe now.

 

[ZedsDed]

Really now? No offense to CA, but it has some very serious problems. There are those of us who view is as simply a vacation state. A nice pace to visit, but wouldn't want to live there necessarily. Big pluses for it being a nice coastal state though, as well as having some really great natural parks and some decent wines.

I doubt it's entirely a logical decision. I grew up in California, hence I love California. Even if I end up living somewhere else, I will always love California.

 

[Acceleration]

As an example, I had to send them not merely my email addy, but my own webpage from our university's website.

Where there is a lot of angst here, if not outright neuroticism, the overall advice is good, you can sense the gestalt of what's correct vs. what's BS, and most SDNers are quite helpful.

The trolls range from merely amusing to outright toxic. Don't worry, they get splat with the banhammer if they go off the rails (a very satisfying sound). You generally can spot a loose cannon right away.

In no particular order, and this list is NOT meant to be comprehensive, I have a very high regard for gyngyn, LizzyM, mimelim, SouthernSurgeon, HushCom, Law2doc, Catalystic, Ismet, DrMidLife, Winged Scapula, WedgeDawg, gonnif, DoktorMom, Cabinbuilder and GrapesofRath. They are plenty others who belong on the list, but my brain is shorting out right now.

.

 

[Yojimbo_OGT]

Sorry, but she should have been cagey about making such a ridiculous statement. That's not even logical. Was she advising you during happy hour?

She might have been a functioning alcoholic (every hour is happy hour!). Other students have told me the terrible advice that she had given, like don't trust post-bacc PIs to write you a LOR (i.e., they will purposefully write a terrible letter to keep you on as cheap labor). I swear I am not making this stuff up.

To summarize my situation and make it applicable for others: my school was very small and limited on staff, so I think they desperately picked someone to be labeled as "pre-med advisor" to create more appeal for new students. Sadly, the students suffer, because then the 'advisor' will hastily give bad advice without any true appreciation of how anything functions. I turned to other professors as mentors/advisors, and I found SDN to be much more beneficial to building up my resume.

Cheers to the SDN community (even with your rampant neuroticism and anxiety-inducing "Help 40 MCAT/3.97 GPA no IIs!!!" threads).

 

[Dr.Forssmann]

Idk i applied late last year with the same stuff. I didnt get any thing back. And this cycle i applied early and vaboomm; interview in september... It made a huge difference. Idk i think sdn is legit.

Idk. Thats a tough decision to make but i would say dont apply save your money cause timing is a huge deal. Also just plan out your activities for next year and when you are gonna get done. Also prewrite that everything and you'll get an interview for sure!

 

[NotWayneBrady]

Pretty much every bit of advice I've received from Goro, WedgeDawg, or Gyngyn has been gold. There are a few people on this forum that really do carry the entire team, and I couldn't be more grateful for their insight.

That being said, there is a ton of valuable information here once you sift through the typical pre-med neuroticism (which I'm often guilty of myself) and the blatant gunners/trolls.

 

[Gandyy]

Pretty much every bit of advice I've received from Goro, WedgeDawg, or Gyngyn has been gold. There are a few people on this forum that really do carry the entire team, and I couldn't be more grateful for their insight.

That being said, there is a ton of valuable information here once you sift through the typical pre-med neuroticism (which I'm often guilty of myself) and the blatant gunners/trolls.

Gunners are the worst