Do you ever hate how little control you have over things?

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You have most control over your GPA, which is one of the two most important criteria for admission, but do you ever get upset at how little control there is over a whole lot of other things? Research is best example. I don't know about you all, but although I'm working almost independently on a project with my grad student, it's so hard to tell whether something tangible will come out soon or at all. Meanwhile I see so many other students on SDN with names on papers shortly after they join a lab. In addition to this, how about the MCAT. I could be wrong, but can't studying for this test in particular only help with so much, and diminishing returns are steep after a certain point? Anyway, just wanted to rant and see how some of honestly feel about this sort of thing.

 

[Moose A Moose]

Let it go, Elsa.

 

[jaxon]

I'd say you have more control over the MCAT than GPA. Isn't that the purpose of "standardized" ?

 

[Lawpy]

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

You have most control over your GPA, which is one of the two most important criteria for admission, but do you ever get upset at how little control there is over a whole lot of other things? Research is best example. I don't know about you all, but although I'm working almost independently on a project with my grad student, it's so hard to tell whether something tangible will come out soon or at all. Meanwhile I see so many other students on SDN with names on papers shortly after they join a lab. In addition to this, how about the MCAT. I could be wrong, but can't studying for this test in particular only help with so much, and diminishing returns are steep after a certain point? Anyway, just wanted to rant and see how some of honestly feel about this sort of thing.

Having absolute control over something in life is an exception, not the rule.

 

[eteshoe]

You have most control over your GPA, which is one of the two most important criteria for admission, but do you ever get upset at how little control there is over a whole lot of other things? Research is best example. I don't know about you all, but although I'm working almost independently on a project with my grad student, it's so hard to tell whether something tangible will come out soon or at all. Meanwhile I see so many other students on SDN with names on papers shortly after they join a lab. In addition to this, how about the MCAT. I could be wrong, but can't studying for this test in particular only help with so much, and diminishing returns are steep after a certain point? Anyway, just wanted to rant and see how some of honestly feel about this sort of thing.

- That is the nature of the beast
- You do have control over your MCAT. With proper planning, a high score is achievable (maybe not a 100th percentile but at least 85th)

 

[JustAPhD]

C'est la vie.

 

[bananafish94]

There will always be the people who get the insane scores on the MCAT. Don't worry about them. But you have control over an awful lot. You largely have control over your GPA, you can get an acceptable MCAT with enough work, and you decide what extracurricular activities you do. A lot of things in the process are based on luck, but the more opportunities you expose yourself to the more luck you will have. I always tell my freshman chemistry students to write what they want their resume to look like, and then make it a reality.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

The key is connections
If your parents are academics, or doctors you will have more to do in undergrad most likely
If you go to an ivy, you have more opportunity

BUT
You still have the ability, just requires more effort if your parents aren't academics/doctors, and you don't go to an ivy.

I got a really nice position by dropping emails, did it for a year.. I think I emailed over 10 people before I got anywhere, and hey I finally got to what I wanted to do.
It probably would have taken 2-3 if I was more well connected, but oh well.

So no I don't hate because I have complete control over how I shape my resume for med school.. and I don't do it specifically for med school btw, I initially do it because I like it.

 

[gyngyn]

A sense of control is an illusion.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

.

 

[magicdock]

I'd say you have more control over the MCAT than GPA. Isn't that the purpose of "standardized" ?

Maybe I'm confused but instead standardized supposed to be a more of a measure of intellect (due to the quickly diminished returns of studying) since a majority of people study for the same amount anyways (2-4 months)

Where as the GPA anyone can get a 3.7+ gpa if the put in the hours?



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[Dr.Sticks]

A sense of control is an illusion.

I disagree to a certain extent;
Sure I don't have control on where I was born, to whom I was born, if I hit the genetic lotto, etc
But after the basics, one generally has about 90% control
You could get hit by a bus and be a vegetable the rest of your life, out of control.. but failing to chase your dream? that's your fault.. Ones dream is never out of control.. it's there, if you work hard enough you'll get there

 

[eteshoe]

Maybe I'm confused but instead standardized supposed to be a more of a measure of intellect (due to the quickly diminished returns of studying) since a majority of people study for the same amount anyways (2-4 months)

Where as the GPA anyone can get a 3.7+ gpa if the put in the hours?


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I put in a ton of time (~9 months since I was a nontrad) studying for a high MCAT score. Which really felt like a lot more work than for my GPA. Also standardized exams really tend to measure how well one can prepare for that exam more so than pure intellect. A lot of people reach a ceiling (score-wise) due to improper preparation, not because some inherent intellectual deficit.

 

[magicdock]

I put in a ton of time (~9 months since I was a nontrad) studying for a high MCAT score. Which really felt like a lot more work than for my GPA. Also standardized exams really tend to measure how well one can prepare for that exam more so than pure intellect. A lot of people reach a ceiling (score-wise) due to improper preparation, not because some inherent intellectual deficit.

So you're saying if every premed took a hypothetical ultimate MCAT prep course seriously they could score a 518+ (equivalent to 3.7 gpa)


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[eteshoe]

So you're saying if every premed took a hypothetical ultimate MCAT prep course seriously they could score a 518+ (equivalent to 3.7 gpa)


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I never said a prep course was necessary (I tend to find them a bit useless since with proper discipline and cheap(er) prep books, one can do quite well). A lot of pre-meds (from what I've seen) tend to take their MCAT while being busy w/ school work (or other time constraints) that they don't properly account for in their study plans. They also use methods that may have worked for simple UG in-class exams but aren't as effective for the MCAT. Some people still manage to come out with awesome scores and some not so much.

Whereas a good GPA (3.7+) is really dependent on doing well during your first 2 yrs of college, and not f-ing up at the tail end (taking a reasonable course load and dedicating studying time helps achieve this goal). This doesn't mean one needs all A's, so in that sense it tends to be quite doable. Especially since there's so much free material online to learn practically any subject that one would typically run into in a college setting. A 4.0 is a different beast all together.

 

[ace_inhibitor111]

I definitely understand how you feel, especially given there are so many requirements in the process and so many different ways to fail. I was definitely 'lucky' to have had the opportunity to publish papers since the lab I worked in happened to be prolific. But at the same time, it is possible to make your own luck-- I started off working in 4 different labs before eventually putting all my effort in the one I knew had the most promise.

LoRs definitely suck. You have no control over whether the professors you got to know are good writers, or inexperienced writers, or hate premeds etc. This is the scariest part for me since I have no idea if someone held some weird bitterness against medical school and possibly wrote a crappy letter. Then there are professors I barely know who happen to write great letters for everyone or let them write their own letters. One way of 'solving' this would be to mass email a bunch of professors I got a good grade in. But it's a lot like begging for change on the street. You might get what you want at the cost of your dignity.

 

[njtrimed]

Get used to not having control now. You will never have control over your patients' choices or what the system dictates. You need to get used to the idea of doing your best to make the best of what is not entirely under your control.

 

[TBlackS]

A sense of control is an illusion.

Though it is a necessary illusion (to a minimal degree) for day-to-day function and (in hard-nosed heaps) in pursuit of "achievement" and "excellence" in our chosen field's warped perception, especially in research and evidence-based practices. This particular sense of control in these particular endeavors is a necessary evil contributing to our necessarily warped perception if we want to live in a scientifically progressive society. But we all don't need to be "excellent" in the same fashion or to the same degree, nor are we by sheer nature. Our healthcare system can (barely) tolerate evolutionarily determined doses of averageness in its workforce, as we have (barely) sufficient founts of excellence as safeguards and correctors.

There's also a humanistic component of medicine in which excellence may be of a softer, more pliant cloth and thus defined alternatively (and in many more words I'm too tired to attempt to type out) -- partially by practitioners' willingness to relinquish control. This is "excellence" of another fashion, and "excellence" I believe is wanting in modern medicine. Although I do see some gradual improvement.

OP, this is all irrelevant. I just wanted to spend some time thinking lol. My take on your situation: for sanity maintenance and general contentness, I've found that balance is key. Let go what you can bear to let go.