Does SDN discourage you?
Started by Planet Ocean
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I have a W for a computer science class, and I got in so you'll be fine lol
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Not so much.
Of course, my MCAT is almost 8 years behind me now...
If you're a California applicant, this whole process sucks, but for most people with a reasonable state school option, if you have grades that are at the school's average, and you apply early, and you can articulate why you want to be a physician and have done things to support this, you'll probably get in.
Of course, my MCAT is almost 8 years behind me now...
If you're a California applicant, this whole process sucks, but for most people with a reasonable state school option, if you have grades that are at the school's average, and you apply early, and you can articulate why you want to be a physician and have done things to support this, you'll probably get in.
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I was initially discouraged until I started to think about it from a real-world (and not SDN) perspective. I'm happy with my 33 now (and I was before I made that post).
In the end SDN helped me have the confidence to think a 37-40 was do-able. Without that confidence I probably would've gotten less than a 33. SDN is encouraging as long as you remember that SDN is not reality.
I only get discouraged in this short time that I've been here when people squabble constantly and over the silliest things. I swear I never thought I would find a place where the most common insult hurled around is "you are XYZ and I would never want you as my doctor." or "you are XYZ and I would never go to your clinic!" lol I love this place.
It's like the Jerry Springer of the premed world, minus the violence. Although I would love to see a few SDN premeds slap each other silly.
It is reality, albeit a small subset of reality. As one of the few "average" applicants on SDN (3.6/32), I think it's important to remember that you aren't directly competing against all the high-achievers on here because they've all got their eyes set on elite schools while we're just trying to get in anywhere we can. There was a post yesterday about someone upset that he/she got into a 7-year progam at a non-elite school and would have to settle on that instead of applying for an elite school.....I mean come on...
Hahaha yes that would be pretty interesting to see. People get so wound up over the most random things, maybe it's more verbal sparring then anything. It's entertaining to read 😉 i can't say I'm totally innocent though... Im guilty of it as well haha.
Yeah this place makes me feel worthless...makes me super anxious and think that I'm not doing enough! But I guess it keeps me on my toes.
Don't let it get you too down, I hear lots of people make things up. I hear NickNaylor might actually be a hobo living under a bridge that's close to an internet cafe - you just never know.
The amount of trolls get's very discouraging.
It is within the power of the community to not allow trolls to be a huge deal. Unfortunately that doesn't happen.
Have you ever been to another forum? The trolls on this board are fairly tame.
Definitely agree. That said, I wish there was significantly less chaff caused by people asking utterly stupid questions, repeatedly asking the same questions, or flat-out trolling. That would make SDN significantly more useful and, IMO, enjoyable.
Agreed. I wish when these threads came up a couple of people would just stay "this has been answered" or "this is straight trolling" and then the mods would close the thread. Simple as that.
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Except for the ~4900/37,000 acceptances received for people with 3.39 GPA and below? That's only for white people too. https://www.aamc.org/download/157958/data/table25-mcatgpa-grid-white-0911.pdf
You are doing exactly the opposite of what this thread was made for. Unnecessarily discouraging and not giving realistic advice.
Realistic advice is you will have a harder time getting accepted, will have to apply broadly and early, and will have to make up for your GPA in other aspects of your application, or even do a post-bac or SMP.
Honestly, it was really motivating to get hooked on SDN at the beginning of my freshman year. I began to really understand and conceptualize all that I needed to do to be competitive, and it was very encouraging. I knew that I needed to study for tests because a good freshman GPA would put me in a good spot in later years. At the same time, I knew that if I didn't do so hot in a class, freshman GPA stumbles are often forgiven. I felt like I was in a pretty safe zone -- and I don't think I would have had the same perspective without seeing it said by countless people on this forum. Additionally, having tons of statistics, resources, MDApps, and stories (both of success and failure) were invaluable. I feel like now, after my first year of college, I am equipped with the knowledge of what I need to do to be competitive for admission in a few years. Without SDN, I would probably be in the dark about such matters.
Conversely, I think that SDN would have terrified me to no end if I had joined as a junior. The fact that I had a clean slate allowed me to tread carefully, but it's never fun to hear about things that you should have done and wish you could change -- because obviously, you can't go back in time. So I totally understand the discouragement factor. But I am very glad that I got lucky in the overall timing of my SDN discovery.
Conversely, I think that SDN would have terrified me to no end if I had joined as a junior. The fact that I had a clean slate allowed me to tread carefully, but it's never fun to hear about things that you should have done and wish you could change -- because obviously, you can't go back in time. So I totally understand the discouragement factor. But I am very glad that I got lucky in the overall timing of my SDN discovery.
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How can a troll be discouraging? Or are you saying that people who are often more real (don't spoon feed sugar coated bs) are trolls?
If someone wants to be told what they want to hear, and will not settle for otherwise, then they should ask their mom for advice.
I really don't get discouraged at all. I look at it like this. For all I know, many of the posters on here could possibly be that nerdy ass kid that sat next to me in my ochem class. Or could be that really fat guy who sits in the back and is mad at the world. Or the poster could be that dude who looks like a square, has a big ass backpack, and dresses like a bumb. Thinking of most of the posters on here like that (when I'm probably one of the freshest premeds at my school (6'2, shredded, stylish, bbc, talking game, humor, etc etc...), makes it easier not to take what they say to heart.
Now of course there are posters on here who I can tell would be cool to chill with in real life. Some might actually look like they take a multi, lift heavy, and have an all around cool personality. But I'm pretty sure they're few and far between.
With that said OP, Do you even lift?
Now of course there are posters on here who I can tell would be cool to chill with in real life. Some might actually look like they take a multi, lift heavy, and have an all around cool personality. But I'm pretty sure they're few and far between.
With that said OP, Do you even lift?
Imagining everyone's a loser (per your description) to make you feel better? Nice.
Reality check: people that are incredibly intelligent, good looking, and interesting folks abound in medical school. High school sterotypes don't apply.
Sigh plz go. We don't need more miscers...
And yes everyone who is academically successful is a loser, and their accomplishments are null, especially in comparison to you, because you are so great. 😴
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yeah really... especially at the midtiers. There were plenty of smoking hot girls and normal/cool guys at my interviews. I generally liked everyone, except this one girl who kept asking dumb questions with answers that could be easily found on the school website...
Plus, I'm jacked and tan!
Yea, I agree. A lot of individuals on SDN are encouraging and very helpful even if the questions get redundant.
Nah man, It's not that I imagine everyone is a loser, just the ones that are the most critical and vocal to a lot of posters' questions (guys like "Hemmorage" and the like), yeah I'm callin' you out lol!
Think of it like stormfront. I'd bet my house that 9/10 of those guys on that site are 9-5 blue collar weasels that act all high and mighty online. But in reality, they'd be the first one to look down at the ground when walking past a black guy. The same thing goes here. Those who are usually the most outspoken and critical of everyone, are usually the quiet nerdy/weirdo types in real life. And if you don't know what I'm talking about then, I don't know what else to say.
With that said, no doubt there are incredibly intelligent kids in med school, but as far as the good looking folks, I'd beg to differ. Aside from the medical schools in Puerto Rico, I've never seen a medical school with good looking people (chicks) abound.
I think you completely misread my post. Being academically successful has nothing to do with coming on her and giving negative criticism to lots of different posters with new questions. Again, I'm referring to the posters who represent the extreme atypical student and bash on others whose stats aren't on pair with theirs. Please read my post again ( unless you're one of those kids). Since you misc, do you lift or are you one of those foreveraloners that just go on there and pretend like you pull 9.979997779/10 girls?
Discouraging in the sense that good people who want to give solid advice are wasting their time on people who are just looking for the lolz.
Wait, are you in medical school? Did you apply last cycle? How many medical school classes have you seen to judge this on?
Maybe I misread your post, but I lack the energy to reread it (too many finals). I have misced since like 2 years ago when I was borderline annorexic (6' 1" 120 lbs). I lift, but I'm not that strong or cut. My highest deadlift was 365 and I've benched the 75 pound dumbbells for 5 reps (can't squat, shoulder issues 🙁). Unfortunately I haven't lifted in like 3 weeks due to balancing med school apps, ridiculous amounts of school work, and a large family crisis. I am pumped for summer though, no work to do, want to pull 405.
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I don't care how jacked you are if you don't make it to the interview it really doesn't matter. How many ripped tan doctors do you know? Maybe med schools look for certain type of person. Just a thought.
And what's up with your obsession with lifting and getting girls? Do you need help in that department? There are forums out there that help inexperienced guys to get their game together. Maybe you should check it out. 👍
a picture's worth a thousand words. And i remember a thread specifically about good looking people in medical school. If I recall correctly, a majority of the med students said that although there were a few goodies in the mix, most of the class were 6/10's at best.
Wtf?
Right on dude, 405 is quite the feat. After a long lay-off I'm almost stalled at 325 right now and going up slowly but surely. Good luck on looking thick solid and tight this summer!
I'll definitely take your advice bro, Thanks!
are you aware?
Yeah, I know what it stands for. Congrats on your accomplishment and the need to constantly remind yourself of it whenever you feel insecure, Myro....
Thanks man. When you look good, you feel good. Nomsayin?
The members may be a it daunting but I find it motivational. I don't want to be a middle of the road applicant, I want to be a top one. Interacting with the top applicants allows me to see firsthand what is required to be one of those top applicants. And because it's in real time and constantly updated, I find it superior to books and articles (although I still use those too). So while it may be intimidating, I don't find it discouraging. The site simply shows me how to be on the top of my game.
Let's be real here. I know people like to complain about how neurotic SDN is, but ignore the majority of posters that fill the WAMC with 3.4 BCPMs or 27 MCATs. Sure, there are people with 40 MCATs and 4.0 GPA's. But to fixate on them would be to ignore the large number of SDN users who actually are reapplicants, or who never get into a US MD school, or who never get into a US school at all.
Furthermore, the majority of users on SDN are not that neurotic. A 3.4 GPA may get you in somewhere, but data (wonderfully compiled by Sector9) shows that your chances are significantly lower to get in anywhere with a lower GPA--not to mention people that want to get into a specific school, or that don't have an in-state school, or that have a spouse that lives in a state with really competitive medical schools.
Not everyone is simply trying to "get in" somewhere. A lot of SDN users are targeting top 10 schools, or difficult out-of-state schools, or perhaps wishfully thinking of scholarship money. If you don't have those same goals, what's to feel discouraged about? Your whole life you're going to be surrounded by people with more ambitious goals and better success than you. You need to learn to stop looking at what other people are doing and focus on your own goals.
Compliments of AAMC and Sector9
Furthermore, the majority of users on SDN are not that neurotic. A 3.4 GPA may get you in somewhere, but data (wonderfully compiled by Sector9) shows that your chances are significantly lower to get in anywhere with a lower GPA--not to mention people that want to get into a specific school, or that don't have an in-state school, or that have a spouse that lives in a state with really competitive medical schools.
Not everyone is simply trying to "get in" somewhere. A lot of SDN users are targeting top 10 schools, or difficult out-of-state schools, or perhaps wishfully thinking of scholarship money. If you don't have those same goals, what's to feel discouraged about? Your whole life you're going to be surrounded by people with more ambitious goals and better success than you. You need to learn to stop looking at what other people are doing and focus on your own goals.
Compliments of AAMC and Sector9
In general, SDN is full of good people who like to help out others. However, there are some jabronies that suck and deserve nothing but chastisement...like that Egyptian kid that claimed to be a white African-American and wanted to be considered an URM.
It also depends on the patient population. I shadow/take histories from/examine at primary care clinic and I LOVE it. Sure, some patients suck, but overall it's very enjoyable.
The in-patient population in a hospital, on the other hand, is significantly less enjoyable.
Reminds me of when I switched from ER shadowing at a city hospital to shadowing a family doc in a pretty nice area. I was shocked to actually see normal people as patients for once.
+1 THIS. 👍
@OP: No, there are some stellar people but there are also people on the opposite side of the spectrum. A pretty normal premed population to me.
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Is that part of your school's curriculum or did you set that up on your own?
It's part of our curriculum, but I will likely try to continue doing it on my own if possible.
That's awesome man. I know some med students have said that when school's say they introduce patient interaction early on in the curriculum, that it's a bunch of bs. From your experience, it seems to be the opposite. Is the early patient interaction a definite plus for you or a major part of the program?
1) Nerdy ass kid? Lol.
2) What school do you go to?
1) Lol..are you black? I am asking because you can still be a white person with a BBC, which might simply indicate an ischemic and narcotizing engorged penis secondary to a giant 'narcissism' thrombus from all of those narcissistic co-factors flowing through your blood stream.
2) Hypocrisy is pointing fingers at you.. you... loud..outspoken.. handsome one!
3) At least 6/10 med student girls that I have seen at Columbia, Cornell, and NYU are either cute, hot, or drop dead gorgeous. And don't get my started about the residents at NY-Presbyterian. Idk what the heck are you talking about. I actually thought that med schools purposely select for models.
4) I see what you are saying, but if only you expressed yourself in a more humble way. Maybe less people would automatically get repulsed by your post, and instead would learn something from your point (ie: not to be cocky, not to be an ******* to others, not to be a loud mouth, not to be a self indulging narcissistic egotistical douche bag, not to flaunt your high stats [this includes your cock measurements, and how much you bench, as well as your GPA and MCAT], etc...), which the optimistic side in me hopes was your initial intention.
If you haven't applied to medical school yet, and haven't gone through interviews, I strongly recommend you revisit your moral intentions, and your verbal expressions, and make sure that the two are in sync. Your brain is telling me that you don't like cocky jerks, but your mouth is making you one. Not cool man.
I'm not trying to pick an argument, and I am trying to be as respectful as possible bearing in mind what you most likely meant, but it's a little bit difficult when you express yourself the way that you do when it comes to "nerdy ass kids" and your implication about 'ugly-ass-girls'.
Good luck in your application cycle.
