Defer Matriculation to MD?... Non-Traditional Here... Need Advice

[HereForToHelp]

I'm a very non-traditional applicant. I graduated in 2009 with a business degree. I was accepted by an out-of-state MD program a few weeks ago to start medical school in August with the class of 2021. (This is my only acceptance offer.) I have three weeks to submit paperwork to decide if I would like to defer the acceptance offer. I have already given the MD program a deposit to hold my seat.

I'll explain why I'm considering deferring matriculation at the very bottom of this post. Below are four options I have to consider. I'm going to decide in the next two weeks. I was hoping medical school students could offer me advice. It'd be very much appreciated.

Option 1: Start medical school

• Pros...
• Time: (No lost time on starting MS1.)
• Cons...
• Less time to research new city
• Less time to develop personal care habit plans (cooking, exercise, hobbies)
• Not sure of my current learning style: (I'll do my best to cram information between now and medical school to find out how I learn best.)

Option 2: Work a 2nd year with AmeriCorps (They offered me a second year already. I just have to sign a contract.)

• Pros...
• AmeriCorps scholarship: (AmeriCorps gives an education award for each year of service. I am currently eligible for $5,775 for my first year of service. A second year of service would allow me to start medical school with $11,550 in scholarship money.)
• Institutional Aid: (I was accepted very late in the application cycle. I feel that I may be considered for more institutional aid options if I defer matriculation by one year since the MD school would already know that I would have a seat to start with the class of 2022.)
• Outside scholarships: (I could use the year of deferment to research other scholarships for medical school.)
• Study time: (I could study material that I am rusty on and go into MS1 feeling confident about my learning style.)
• Books: (I planned on reading books related to speed reading and memorization techniques this application season but never had the time to do so. I feel that reading these books would be helpful in the future. I could do this during the year of deferment.)
• USMLE: (I do not plan to prepare for Step 1. Repeat. I do not plan to prepare for Step 1 without even being in medical school. However, I could read through SDN posts to become familiar with what resources to use for classes in the future for each subject. High yield. Rapid Review. BRS. Pathoma. Lecturio. Etc. I would like to at least experiment with how to study certain subjects. I usually have 3-4 hours each day of leisure time. My leisure time was consumed during my 2016-2017 year of service by applications to medical school and getting used to my AmeriCorps job. I applied to nearly 30 MD programs. A second year with the AmeriCorps program would be a smooth transition. I've barely now felt that I have leisure time for the past two weeks.)
• Mentoring: (I'm the first person in my family to make it past middle school. I come from a family of immigrants. I'm not sure of what lies ahead when it comes to medical school. Some medical schools exist nearby where I currently work with AmeriCorps. I could reach out to them to see if they are open to allowing me talk with their MD students for advice about... studying... self-care... picking a specialty... etc.)
• MD City: (I don't drive. I could research the new city I would live in as a MS1 during my deferment. I'd research potential places to live with good access to public transportation that are also close to places I'd like to volunteer in the future. I could then use time away from the AmeriCorps job on PTO or holiday leave to visit the MD city in person to finalize my future decision on where to live as an MS1.)
• Cons...
• Time: (Another year of my life without starting MD school.)

Option 3: Start a one-year SMP program at a different MD program (I would still go to the out-of-state MD program that accepted me. I'd just complete a one-year program offered by this MD program before starting MS1)

• Pros...
• Study: (I'd basically get exposure to a lot of MS1 topics. I'd be able to develop a learning style for many subjects I would study as an MS1. However, I feel that a could do a much lighter version of this by still working with AmeriCorps during independent study time.)
• Same as above: (All the other positives that apply to Option 2... institutional aid, outside scholarships, study time, books, USMLE, mentoring, MD City.)
• Cons...
• Money: (Expensive. Option 2 allows me to make money and earn scholarships. Option 3 costs a lot of money.)

Option 4: Go back home. Do a part-time job. Take 2 courses per semester at an undergraduate school. (Some classes that jump to mind would be... A&P I and II. Pharmacology. Biochemistry II. Histology... Etc.)

• I could do this option without taking on additional debt. I would just use my education award the first semester and offset an additional costs from my part-time job in the second semester. With this option I start off MS1 without any scholarship money but get to study without the cost of Option 3. However, I'm not sure if the MD program would approve of this option since it's not like I'd be working for a program such as AmeriCorps or completing a master's program through an SMP. I have to contact the MD school to see if they are open to this option.
• Pros:
• Basically all the positives of Option 3 without having to go into massive debt before starting MS1.
• Cons:
• Basically lack the ability to use AmeriCorps scholarships for medical school.

I am currently favoring Option 2. I am a strong independent learner and feel that I could still get the benefits of Option 3 and 4 on my own. I could take advantage of my 3-4 leisure hours per day during my 2016-2017 service year. I am also very passionate about the AmeriCorps program that I serve. I wouldn't feel bad about losing out on another year of not starting medical school.

I am just scared of starting medical school because of my non-traditional background and mental rust. I have not studied anything since taking the MCAT in May 2016. I know that if I start MS1 this August I will struggle more than others with my first semester. I'm fine with that. What I'm not comfortable with though is not knowing if I will also still struggle with the second semester of MS1 because I have not discovered what study techniques work for me by then. I want to avoid having to potentially remediate classes.

If I stick with Option 1 above SDN, what topics should I start studying now before school starts. I'm thinking of just sticking to Cell Bio, Genetics, Biochemistry, and General Chemistry topics such as acid and bases.

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[Donald Juan]

You should start MD school now. If you had something you really wanted to do in life because you really wanted to do it, then maybe defer. But all your options are things to help you prepare for med school (which won't help), or ways to make money, which in the long run are net losses. You might delay med school and come up with 10 or 20,000 in additional scholarships, but long term you are missing out on a year of physician salary making 200k+. You mention researching the city....you have several months which is plenty of time to research a city you are moving to. The SMP program is ridiculous. Do not do that while holding an acceptance.

 

[deomnibusdubitandum]

Granted, I just skimmed through your options. But the first thing that comes to mind is why would you defer a year of $200,000 (approximate) salary for a $6,000 scholarship?

 

[NonTrad16]

As a graduate from a similar timeframe and as an incoming M1 with similar concerns about the jump.... honesty, I don't think your alternative plans make any sense at all. Your suggestions swing from spending a bunch of money on courses or an SMP, to ones enabling you to research scholarships (basically a no go anyways).

What you have already done has been enough to make the school think you will succeed. If you want to become a physician... go to med school.

Also, I don't think your school would allow you to defer for any of those options, except perhaps the first.

 

[jcorpsmanMD]

I think options 2&3&4 are all trrrible. 3&4 being the worst. I think you're just scared to start medical school, that's understandable, so am I. I thought about deferring because I wanted to earn an MBA before beginning my MD. There were many reasons I wanted the MBA but I quickly came to realize that I partially wanted the MBA bc I felt as I wasn't ready for medical school, that I could solidify some study habits / exercising, etc. similar to what you mentioned. But if you're anything like me, ask yourself this, what do you want? I realize I want medical school NOW, no matter how nervous or anxious I might be. Do you really want to do an SMP? take more undergraduate courses? keep working just to postpone the inevitable? I say go get the MD all I see is anxiety and fear for starting school, I see no legitimate reasons for why you should defer. Quit your job, move to the city 3-4 weeks before school and do your best to get acquainted. It sounds terrible, but if you don't have money take out a small personal loan or use some credit cards and just pay them off with your loans for school when the time comes. DO. NOT. DEFER.

P.S. That 11k scholarship doesn't matter bc at the end of the day you're losing a year salary as an attending.

 

[tick_tock400]

yup, concur. option 1 sounds the best. Med school curriculum was quite a ways different than undergrad courses; you also get through core topics w/in a few weeks-- so like why waste months on a biochem course when the biochem you need would be covered w/in 2 weeks in med school likely? (also remember, a lot of the details that are tested out in pre-med aren't tested out in med school b/c that minutiae may not be clinically relevant). I bet your science knowledge will be on par with tons of students when you come in.

 

[Mr Roboto]

Start med school in August. Deferring for a year is a $250,000+ loss of earning potential, which far far far outweighs a $6,000 scholarship.

Med schools rarely give out institutional aid, unless you have very strong reason to expect a nice scholly next year, then don't defer because of that.

You absolutely do NOT need to pre-study for med school. Everything that you need to learn will be taught, and you'll get back into the swing of things quickly. Please don't waste time prestudying. I started in 8/16 after not doing any type of school based learning (or MCAT studying) since 12/14. The rust falls away fast.

Four months is plenty of time to find a place to live and develop self-care habits.

 

[DokterMom]

You're nervous -- which is OK. But don't let this derail your plans! Get through it and hit the ground running. Your medical school wants you to succeed and will jump through hoops to help you, provide you ask early and demonstrate a willingness to work hard.

You mentioned specifically not knowing your learning style. This is one of the things their learning center can help you determine. Maybe if you ask now, they can offer you some suggestions now for how to find this out.

You say you don't drive now -- Is there a medical reason? Will your med school city be the kind of place where this isn't a problem? (In most cities, it will be.) Is this something you can remedy now?

 

[Major]

Start med school!!

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Start med school. Every other option is just stalling and are terrible ideas

 

[LePepe]

Granted, I just skimmed through your options. But the first thing that comes to mind is why would you defer a year of $200,000 (approximate) salary for a $6,000 scholarship?

Business school graduate

 

[deleted480308]

Go to school. It's not even a question

 

[Cawolf]

Option 1 is your best bet.

Option 2 is reasonable, but not if you are trying to justify financially.

Options 3 and 4 are plainly put, stupid (if your goal is to go to medical school).

 

[NotYou20]

Start school. You'll be fine

 

[backside_attack]

No offense but those are really silly and inconsequential reasons to not start school. You seriously need a year to research a city? You'll be in your apartment or on campus studying 80% of the time. If you don't like where you live your first year, move when your lease ends.

That Americorps money is a drop in the bucket. Also you're taxed on it as income (at a high margin, as well) so it's definitely going to end up being less than the $11k you think you're getting when you factor in filing it as income on your tax return for which you've never paid taxes on and will have to come Tax Day. (believe me: I have also gotten the award twice)

 

[sloop]

Start school. You're not considering the opportunity cost of the delay, which is your main problem. None of the alternative options make sense financially.

As has been mentioned, the only rational justification for deferring here is if there is something that you want to do with your time enough that it is worth the opportunity cost of a year delay (which includes a year of earnings at your future projected salary and many less easily quantified opportunities like being settled into a stable career a year earlier, etc.)

 

[educ8r]

You're scared of starting med school. It is understandable. But you don't need to defer to succeed. There are plenty of people on this forum who have had long gaps (mine was around 5 years, but over a decade for any science content), and I'd bet all have had trepidation about the academic rigor to some degree. But one of the things about medicine is you have to figure out how to make it work with imperfect and incomplete information. Don't defer for the perfect time to start med school when now is perfectly good enough.

 

[Goro]

I guarantee you that if you try to defer for any of those reasons, you will probably get your acceptance rescinded.

And concerning option number three, this is one of the worst mistakes a medical school candidate can make. Turn down and acceptance in the hope that you will go get into a better school the following year will simply mean you will never, ever be a doctor

Did you not look before you leapt????

I'm a very non-traditional applicant. I graduated in 2009 with a business degree. I was accepted by an out-of-state MD program a few weeks ago to start medical school in August with the class of 2021. (This is my only acceptance offer.) I have three weeks to submit paperwork to decide if I would like to defer the acceptance offer. I have already given the MD program a deposit to hold my seat.

I'll explain why I'm considering deferring matriculation at the very bottom of this post. Below are four options I have to consider. I'm going to decide in the next two weeks. I was hoping medical school students could offer me advice. It'd be very much appreciated.

Option 1: Start medical school

• Pros...
• Time: (No lost time on starting MS1.)
• Cons...
• Less time to research new city
• Less time to develop personal care habit plans (cooking, exercise, hobbies)
• Not sure of my current learning style: (I'll do my best to cram information between now and medical school to find out how I learn best.)

Option 2: Work a 2nd year with AmeriCorps (They offered me a second year already. I just have to sign a contract.)

• Pros...
• AmeriCorps scholarship: (AmeriCorps gives an education award for each year of service. I am currently eligible for $5,775 for my first year of service. A second year of service would allow me to start medical school with $11,550 in scholarship money.)
• Institutional Aid: (I was accepted very late in the application cycle. I feel that I may be considered for more institutional aid options if I defer matriculation by one year since the MD school would already know that I would have a seat to start with the class of 2022.)
• Outside scholarships: (I could use the year of deferment to research other scholarships for medical school.)
• Study time: (I could study material that I am rusty on and go into MS1 feeling confident about my learning style.)
• Books: (I planned on reading books related to speed reading and memorization techniques this application season but never had the time to do so. I feel that reading these books would be helpful in the future. I could do this during the year of deferment.)
• USMLE: (I do not plan to prepare for Step 1. Repeat. I do not plan to prepare for Step 1 without even being in medical school. However, I could read through SDN posts to become familiar with what resources to use for classes in the future for each subject. High yield. Rapid Review. BRS. Pathoma. Lecturio. Etc. I would like to at least experiment with how to study certain subjects. I usually have 3-4 hours each day of leisure time. My leisure time was consumed during my 2016-2017 year of service by applications to medical school and getting used to my AmeriCorps job. I applied to nearly 30 MD programs. A second year with the AmeriCorps program would be a smooth transition. I've barely now felt that I have leisure time for the past two weeks.)
• Mentoring: (I'm the first person in my family to make it past middle school. I come from a family of immigrants. I'm not sure of what lies ahead when it comes to medical school. Some medical schools exist nearby where I currently work with AmeriCorps. I could reach out to them to see if they are open to allowing me talk with their MD students for advice about... studying... self-care... picking a specialty... etc.)
• MD City: (I don't drive. I could research the new city I would live in as a MS1 during my deferment. I'd research potential places to live with good access to public transportation that are also close to places I'd like to volunteer in the future. I could then use time away from the AmeriCorps job on PTO or holiday leave to visit the MD city in person to finalize my future decision on where to live as an MS1.)
• Cons...
• Time: (Another year of my life without starting MD school.)

Option 3: Start a one-year SMP program at a different MD program (I would still go to the out-of-state MD program that accepted me. I'd just complete a one-year program offered by this MD program before starting MS1)

• Pros...
• Study: (I'd basically get exposure to a lot of MS1 topics. I'd be able to develop a learning style for many subjects I would study as an MS1. However, I feel that a could do a much lighter version of this by still working with AmeriCorps during independent study time.)
• Same as above: (All the other positives that apply to Option 2... institutional aid, outside scholarships, study time, books, USMLE, mentoring, MD City.)
• Cons...
• Money: (Expensive. Option 2 allows me to make money and earn scholarships. Option 3 costs a lot of money.)

Option 4: Go back home. Do a part-time job. Take 2 courses per semester at an undergraduate school. (Some classes that jump to mind would be... A&P I and II. Pharmacology. Biochemistry II. Histology... Etc.)

• I could do this option without taking on additional debt. I would just use my education award the first semester and offset an additional costs from my part-time job in the second semester. With this option I start off MS1 without any scholarship money but get to study without the cost of Option 3. However, I'm not sure if the MD program would approve of this option since it's not like I'd be working for a program such as AmeriCorps or completing a master's program through an SMP. I have to contact the MD school to see if they are open to this option.
• Pros:
• Basically all the positives of Option 3 without having to go into massive debt before starting MS1.
• Cons:
• Basically lack the ability to use AmeriCorps scholarships for medical school.

I am currently favoring Option 2. I am a strong independent learner and feel that I could still get the benefits of Option 3 and 4 on my own. I could take advantage of my 3-4 leisure hours per day during my 2016-2017 service year. I am also very passionate about the AmeriCorps program that I serve. I wouldn't feel bad about losing out on another year of not starting medical school.

I am just scared of starting medical school because of my non-traditional background and mental rust. I have not studied anything since taking the MCAT in May 2016. I know that if I start MS1 this August I will struggle more than others with my first semester. I'm fine with that. What I'm not comfortable with though is not knowing if I will also still struggle with the second semester of MS1 because I have not discovered what study techniques work for me by then. I want to avoid having to potentially remediate classes.

If I stick with Option 1 above SDN, what topics should I start studying now before school starts. I'm thinking of just sticking to Cell Bio, Genetics, Biochemistry, and General Chemistry topics such as acid and bases.

 

[Shotapp]

I am not a medical student but here is where my opinion stands.

I would choose option 1 every single time.

All the other options are thrash. Seriously, do the smart thing and start school this summer.

 

[togaedere]

Non-traditional person here who also is first in family to access higher education. I get a lot about what you are saying but I also agree with the rest of the folks that you should start this year.

It should not take you long to find some mentors who share your background (maybe same ethnicity, maybe same socioeconomic background, maybe both) - I do very much emphasize that, provided you start this year (which you should) you start looking NOW for a doctor mentor where you will be going to school - someone you can check in with who you can grow to trust. For many people medical school can be a really strange culture shock and fellow students can seem like a bunch of privileged aliens (not saying they are, just that it can seem that way). I saw a *bunch* of disadvantaged background folks get kind of lost because they struggled initially in med school and then felt like the weight of their entire family's existence was weighing on their success. It really stresses people out to the max and compounds any struggles making it even harder to do well. I have a deep belief (not based in science)

As a non-trad, I can tell you that it can feel weird going back to school again. I basically was in a full panic for the first month of school and still remember my first anatomy practical (i am an intern, btw) thinking that I would basically not answer anything correctly. I just felt like I was in way over my head. I survived my first couple of exams, and then continued to chip away and then ended up doing pretty well toward the end. I agree that there's basically nothing you can do to prepare - you have to take it as it comes. But also remember that one test doesn't mean anything - doesn't predict future success, doesn't dictate what sort of physician you will become. This is a dynamic process, and the profession desperately needs people from non-legacy backgrounds (my catch-all phrase for folks that do not know anyone in their family who is in medicine or even a professional field) and diverse socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

PM if you would like to know more. Best of luck to you!

I'm a very non-traditional applicant. I graduated in 2009 with a business degree. I was accepted by an out-of-state MD program a few weeks ago to start medical school in August with the class of 2021. (This is my only acceptance offer.) I have three weeks to submit paperwork to decide if I would like to defer the acceptance offer. I have already given the MD program a deposit to hold my seat.

I'll explain why I'm considering deferring matriculation at the very bottom of this post. Below are four options I have to consider. I'm going to decide in the next two weeks. I was hoping medical school students could offer me advice. It'd be very much appreciated.

Option 1: Start medical school

• Pros...
• Time: (No lost time on starting MS1.)
• Cons...
• Less time to research new city
• Less time to develop personal care habit plans (cooking, exercise, hobbies)
• Not sure of my current learning style: (I'll do my best to cram information between now and medical school to find out how I learn best.)

Option 2: Work a 2nd year with AmeriCorps (They offered me a second year already. I just have to sign a contract.)

• Pros...
• AmeriCorps scholarship: (AmeriCorps gives an education award for each year of service. I am currently eligible for $5,775 for my first year of service. A second year of service would allow me to start medical school with $11,550 in scholarship money.)
• Institutional Aid: (I was accepted very late in the application cycle. I feel that I may be considered for more institutional aid options if I defer matriculation by one year since the MD school would already know that I would have a seat to start with the class of 2022.)
• Outside scholarships: (I could use the year of deferment to research other scholarships for medical school.)
• Study time: (I could study material that I am rusty on and go into MS1 feeling confident about my learning style.)
• Books: (I planned on reading books related to speed reading and memorization techniques this application season but never had the time to do so. I feel that reading these books would be helpful in the future. I could do this during the year of deferment.)
• USMLE: (I do not plan to prepare for Step 1. Repeat. I do not plan to prepare for Step 1 without even being in medical school. However, I could read through SDN posts to become familiar with what resources to use for classes in the future for each subject. High yield. Rapid Review. BRS. Pathoma. Lecturio. Etc. I would like to at least experiment with how to study certain subjects. I usually have 3-4 hours each day of leisure time. My leisure time was consumed during my 2016-2017 year of service by applications to medical school and getting used to my AmeriCorps job. I applied to nearly 30 MD programs. A second year with the AmeriCorps program would be a smooth transition. I've barely now felt that I have leisure time for the past two weeks.)
• Mentoring: (I'm the first person in my family to make it past middle school. I come from a family of immigrants. I'm not sure of what lies ahead when it comes to medical school. Some medical schools exist nearby where I currently work with AmeriCorps. I could reach out to them to see if they are open to allowing me talk with their MD students for advice about... studying... self-care... picking a specialty... etc.)
• MD City: (I don't drive. I could research the new city I would live in as a MS1 during my deferment. I'd research potential places to live with good access to public transportation that are also close to places I'd like to volunteer in the future. I could then use time away from the AmeriCorps job on PTO or holiday leave to visit the MD city in person to finalize my future decision on where to live as an MS1.)
• Cons...
• Time: (Another year of my life without starting MD school.)

Option 3: Start a one-year SMP program at a different MD program (I would still go to the out-of-state MD program that accepted me. I'd just complete a one-year program offered by this MD program before starting MS1)

• Pros...
• Study: (I'd basically get exposure to a lot of MS1 topics. I'd be able to develop a learning style for many subjects I would study as an MS1. However, I feel that a could do a much lighter version of this by still working with AmeriCorps during independent study time.)
• Same as above: (All the other positives that apply to Option 2... institutional aid, outside scholarships, study time, books, USMLE, mentoring, MD City.)
• Cons...
• Money: (Expensive. Option 2 allows me to make money and earn scholarships. Option 3 costs a lot of money.)

Option 4: Go back home. Do a part-time job. Take 2 courses per semester at an undergraduate school. (Some classes that jump to mind would be... A&P I and II. Pharmacology. Biochemistry II. Histology... Etc.)

• I could do this option without taking on additional debt. I would just use my education award the first semester and offset an additional costs from my part-time job in the second semester. With this option I start off MS1 without any scholarship money but get to study without the cost of Option 3. However, I'm not sure if the MD program would approve of this option since it's not like I'd be working for a program such as AmeriCorps or completing a master's program through an SMP. I have to contact the MD school to see if they are open to this option.
• Pros:
• Basically all the positives of Option 3 without having to go into massive debt before starting MS1.
• Cons:
• Basically lack the ability to use AmeriCorps scholarships for medical school.

I am currently favoring Option 2. I am a strong independent learner and feel that I could still get the benefits of Option 3 and 4 on my own. I could take advantage of my 3-4 leisure hours per day during my 2016-2017 service year. I am also very passionate about the AmeriCorps program that I serve. I wouldn't feel bad about losing out on another year of not starting medical school.

I am just scared of starting medical school because of my non-traditional background and mental rust. I have not studied anything since taking the MCAT in May 2016. I know that if I start MS1 this August I will struggle more than others with my first semester. I'm fine with that. What I'm not comfortable with though is not knowing if I will also still struggle with the second semester of MS1 because I have not discovered what study techniques work for me by then. I want to avoid having to potentially remediate classes.

If I stick with Option 1 above SDN, what topics should I start studying now before school starts. I'm thinking of just sticking to Cell Bio, Genetics, Biochemistry, and General Chemistry topics such as acid and bases.

 

[Hakuna Matata]

Non-trad here, first generation college student, and was extremely rusty with studying before med school. My advice: START MED SCHOOL NOW. All of your reasoning just doesn't make sense. Others have already touched on the financial aspects. But pre-studying will NOT help you. I 100% guarantee that. In med school you hit the ground running and figure it out as you go. Everyone does. You'll be just fine. No amount of studying will ever prepare you for med school- everyone is in the same boat regardless of non-trad vs trad. And you'll figure out the ins and outs of your city when you get there. Again, we're all in the same boat! You wont really know the city until you've lived there a year. You'll figure out transportation and whatnot once you're there.

Seriously. Start med school. I promise you will regret it if you don't.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Darth Doc]

I too was rusty when I started (no school in 15 years). I knew if I could make it through the first semester I'd survive medical school. MS3 now. Jump in the first day and start working.

(I second what everyone else is saying. All you're doing by postponing is risking NEVER being a doctor.)

 

[YellowTurtle]

Start med school asap

 

[Redpancreas]

• Pros...
• Time: (No lost time on starting MS1.)
• Cons...
• None

There, fixed that for you.

 

[HereForToHelp]

Thanks a lot SDN. A lot of your advice is really spot on. @Backtothebasics8 thank you for fixing the post.

I am nervous but that feeling will go away with time.

I am trying to rationalize anything other than starting med school now. However, the money and math doesn't add up to favor deferring. Opportunity costs. The MD school has graduation rates in the mid 90%.

I do think I'm headed for a culture shock but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've learned a lot from people that are different than myself and vice versa.

Although I don't think my family is depending on my success I do think that completing medical school could help my family. My father has been an apartment painter for nearly two decades now. I get emotional sometimes just looking at walls. . My mother does not work and for the past two years disowned me. She's been exhibiting odd behavior. She'd just shut herself in her room whenever I came to visit my home state during holidays or breaks from work. I hadn't so much as heard her voice or seen for her face for years until a few weeks ago when I visited home to tell my father about my MD acceptance. At that news she came out to join the conversation. She doesn't care about my potential earnings in the future; she was just interested, although she didn't say much. Before she had started to exhibit odd behavior I remember a conversation I had with her several years ago. This is roughly what she said to me in her native language: "be what it may that happens to me... [insert my first name]... promise me that you'll become a doctor." I said yes back then. My family has had a hard life. An additional year of my future income could help me give them (their first ever) vacation experiences or cover healthcare costs if needed.

I'll PM some of you next weekend. I'm off to work in a few minutes.

 

[William Shakespeare]

I definitely wouldn't sit on an offer for 11k scholarship. Idk where you're going to med school, but that's less than half a year's worth of tuition at mine. I'm just saying it's virtually a drop in the bucket compared to your future salary and cost of attendance.


Sent from my iPad using SDN mobile

 

[libertyyne]

I agree with the assessment above, it reads like you are making up stuff not to go to medical school. If you want to go to medical school you should go now. If you do not wish to go to medical school you should withdraw completely.

Trust the MCAT . If you did well on that you should be able to complete medical school without a problem.

 

[mistafab]

Don't defer. You would just waste time. The scholarship or SMP are literally worthless options. 11k is piddlings compared to a year as an attending. SMP to go to another school? Don't be ridiculous.

Use deferments for death of your mom/spouse/child. Other reasons are wastes of time.

 

[cellsaver]

I'm a very non-traditional applicant......

This is non-traditional:
54-year-old medical student at Wake Forest School of Medicine is living her dream
You are traditional

I was hoping medical school students could offer me advice.

Reject the offer. Let someone on the wait list who really wants it have the seat.
Check the Pre-Med SDN forum with all of the nervous kids asking, "did anyone hear back from admissions"?

You do not want it. So do not take it. Next year when no other medical school offers you a seat, you will have realized your foolishness.

If you do decide to take the seat, know this: you will have zero to little time to "research the city". I barely traveled 1 mile away from campus the first 2 years. Your "personal care habit plans (cooking, exercise, hobbies)" will be non-existent. This isn't camping or Club Med. You'll be lucky to eat full meals (never mind cook). The gym? you'll probably lose muscle mass if you have any to show off, or gain weight (fat). Hobbies? what are those? I'm lucky to have sex with my husband once a week. Hobbies??!!?? Pfffftttttt!

overall, you will be feverishly trying to catch your breath and wondering how you will ever master the content. Anxiety, depression, doubts, insecurities, feeling alienated, estrangement, frustration, suicidal ideations - these are all there banging on your door trying to have a piece of your ass. Medical school does that. Your post was written by a oh-so traditional millennial who is preparing for a vacation.

Don't take the seat. Let someone else have it who really wants it. They'll pack their bags in 2 hours, jump on the plane and kiss the ground once they land at their new city host. Then they'll post on SDN in the MD student forum, and complain about how boring the lectures are, rant about how their school is such a disappointment, and how "fettered" they are by their school's curriculum.

but that's another thread.

The world needs more bartenders and ballet dancers. how are you at making cocktails because being a ballet dancer takes ballzzzz of steel and an enormous amount of inner strength

 

[MediCane2006]

At this point everyone else on the thread has given you good advice so I'll just echo it and say...

...NO ONE feels ready to go to med school. And people who say they do are either lying or delusional. Yes it's scary. Yes it's hard. But nothing you feasibly can do in the next year is going to make an appreciable difference in your performance.

So go forth and excel! Congrats on y9ur acceptance.

 

[DNC127]

This is non-traditional:
54-year-old medical student at Wake Forest School of Medicine is living her dream
You are traditional


Reject the offer. Let someone on the wait list who really wants it have the seat.
Check the Pre-Med SDN forum with all of the nervous kids asking, "did anyone hear back from admissions"?

You do not want it. So do not take it. Next year when no other medical school offers you a seat, you will have realized your foolishness.

If you do decide to take the seat, know this: you will have zero to little time to "research the city". I barely traveled 1 mile away from campus the first 2 years. Your "personal care habit plans (cooking, exercise, hobbies)" will be non-existent. This isn't camping or Club Med. You'll be lucky to eat full meals (never mind cook). The gym? you'll probably lose muscle mass if you have any to show off, or gain weight (fat). Hobbies? what are those? I'm lucky to have sex with my husband once a week. Hobbies??!!?? Pfffftttttt!

overall, you will be feverishly trying to catch your breath and wondering how you will ever master the content. Anxiety, depression, doubts, insecurities, feeling alienated, estrangement, frustration, suicidal ideations - these are all there banging on your door trying to have a piece of your ass. Medical school does that. Your post was written by a oh-so traditional millennial who is preparing for a vacation.

Don't take the seat. Let someone else have it who really wants it. They'll pack their bags in 2 hours, jump on the plane and kiss the ground once they land at their new city host. Then they'll post on SDN in the MD student forum, and complain about how boring the lectures are, rant about how their school is such a disappointment, and how "fettered" they are by their school's curriculum.

but that's another thread.

The world needs more bartenders and ballet dancers. how are you at making cocktails because being a ballet dancer takes ballzzzz of steel and an enormous amount of inner strength

This a million times. Plus I loved the jab at the end to one of the most annoying people on this forum. A+ post.

 

[atomi]

You are all over the place. Get yourself stable and start new school now. Screwing around in Europe for a year or something is cool when you are 19, not when you are 30. You get 2 months off after first year. Go sit on a beach for that time and do nothing if you want. I would be surprised if you could get a deferment without a very good reason.

 

[atomi]

I guarantee you that if you try to defer for any of those reasons, you will probably get your acceptance rescinded.

And concerning option number three, this is one of the worst mistakes a medical school candidate can make. Turn down and acceptance in the hope that you will go get into a better school the following year will simply mean you will never, ever be a doctor

Did you not look before you leapt????

Please tell me you are joking. If a student came to you and says anything so stupid, like I'm thinking of going back to undergrad for a year or doing an smp instead of starting med school, then you've got someone who is need of HELP. And your response is to permanently tank his career options in medicine? Being a young person is hard and people need help sometimes. This person needs a referral to a psychologist. It doesn't mean he can't be a good doctor.

 

[Goro]

Please tell me you are joking. If a student came to you and says anything so stupid, like I'm thinking of going back to undergrad for a year or doing an smp instead of starting med school, then you've got someone who is need of HELP. And your response is to permanently tank his career options in medicine? Being a young person is hard and people need help sometimes. This person needs a referral to a psychologist. It doesn't mean he can't be a good doctor.

Are you responding to someone else? Where in my post did I suggest that OP not directly attend med school.

OP is just naïve, not ill.