Don't take a simple life for granted.

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UCLApremed

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Hello everyone,

I just want to take this opportunity to let everyone know that there is more to life than just medical school.

Although I'm trying to get into medical school, I'm currently experiencing and facing a bigger challenge than acceptance to medical school. I learn that the simplest things in life are enough to make me happy. For the past several months, I have been living in constant financial depression. I don't know how many people out there come from a poor family background. If you do, I'm sure you know how I feel.

Please don't ever take anything for granted in life such as food and shelter. It's so difficult to come home to a notice of eviction and no food/drinks. School has been my shelter for the past few months. I feel like I am a homeless person trying so hard to make it in the trials of life while in school. Literally, I have little change to supporty myself. I would study all day hungry and put myself to sleep just to forget the hunger. I would shake during exams just because I have nothing to eat. I would get excited about the prospect of eating a $1 McChicken sandwich at McDonald. I haven't had a good meal for over a month now. My meals today were noodles and bread with Dr. Pepper that is over 2 week old. Yet, despite all of this, I'm still trying to study for exams.
I count every single penny I have to make sure there's enough for a meal.

This is really my story. I just want everyone to know that life is difficult. Don't get disappointed if you can't get into medical school this year. It's not the end of the world. There are simpler things in life that we should be content with. Keep trying and one day, we'll all get somewhere and life is sweeter.
 
some people may take offense at this, but this is what welfare is for. i think you qualify for foodstamps and other goods. you should talk to someone at your school. im sure he/she could help you. or you can talk to someone at the union rescue mission. of course youre not homeless (or maybe you are; im not sure if you were serious about school being your shelter), but you are probably undernourished. look in the yellow pages, if necessary. talk to churches or charities. please get some help.
 
My gosh, are you serious? I'm sorry to read about your struggles? Do you have family that can help? How about student loans? How about your local synagogue, church?

My friend, if I could help you I would. You need to find ways to eat well, to sleep well, to make it. You health is critically important. Can you drop down to part-time and work part-time to help out. Can you get finanical aid?

Something needs to be done? You can't go on like this. My thoughts will be with you.
 
It's the sad fate of humanity that we don't appreciate anything that we have, even though we know we should.
 
sorry I'm on the opposite coast from you or I'd cook for you part-time. If you're ever over hear in NYC, let me know and I'll take care of your undernourishment. are you sure you don't qualify for foodstamps?
 
I agree with you. My friend in medical school was telling me how he knew this one guy in third year or fourth year, everything was going smoothly until one day he got hit by a car and died. How important is it to be called doctor now? hmmm.... He was the only child and his family was devasted.
My other friend knew this one guy who is dying of cancer. His parents were counting on him to go to medical school to support the family because they are very poor. Now they have to scrape some money just to try to save his life.
At times I am sadden by my own life, but I think of those who have it worse than I do. Health, family, and friends I realize are so much more important than school, grades or even work.
 
Holy cow - that sucks.

There's got to be something that can be done - friends, family, religion - something. If you're in school there's got to be some way you can get loaned a dollar a day (for that burger - or 2 burgers on mondays) - actually, if you're really that bad I'll gladly send you 10 dollars just so you can have a quality meal...

Geez, good luck man.
 
some people may take offense at this, but this is what welfare is for. i think you qualify for foodstamps and other goods.

No foodstamps or welfare for students unless they are pregnant. This is not socialized Europe. If you want to be a student, you will be expected to gut it out, making due or else give up.

BTW I have was in this position for two years as an UG, the experiences served me well in my interviews this year. What I did eventually was get a graveyard shift job that paid for ****, but let me study my ass off. Made enough money to eat well, and killed the MCAT in the process. Hit up hotels, parking garages, hospitals, crappy restaurants, all night gyms etc for work. If you work in a resaurant you won't have to buy a meal ever really. I guess you could eat the supplements at a gym, but how much energy gel can a person stomach? Just don't get caught stealing.

It is funny. You will find when you do get into med school, and you certainly will if you can do this, people who didn't lift a finger to help you before are going to want to celebrate with you and offer ignorant "advice". They can all go f*ck themselves.
 
I'm always complaining about how hard my life is with my classes, and my lack of time to do other things. Your post has given me the swift kick that I needed, and I thank you for that. I don't know how to respond to your message or what advice to give you. I'm sorry that things aren't different for you and I'm sorry that you've got to go through things like that. I believe that you can make it through this, however, and I believe that times like these are those which test what you are really made of. I'll pray to God that things look brighter for you, and I promise I will never complain again and be the selfish idiot I have been.
 
What about temporary staff agency (Kelly services for instance??)
 
You need to ask for help. Maybe get some more loan money from the school? You should not be starving to death while in college.
 
I say post a po box mailing address and see how much cash you get sent by the altruistic sdn society. I'll pass on buying that SDN teeshirt and I'd definitly send you something instead (you really seem to need it). Later.
 
I agree - post an address (or even via PM) and I'd be happy to send you something.
 
Now that an effulgence of generosity seems to be coming about.... I could really use a new car... that BMW 3 series looks pretty nice..... here mail me some money -

6700 Richmans Lane
Beverly Hills, CA 20855 (my house has it's own zip code).





Oh, for those of you taking this seriously - I'm JOKING.
 
Excuse me for being somewhat cynical, but this story seems a bit melodramatic. I do not mean to be offensive, but you are in school, so you must have income coming from somewhere. If you are that poor then it would be a cakewalk to get work study from the government where you could work at your school and do homework while you earn money (a cushy campus job).

Everyone goes through that time where they are that "poor college student." All I eat is PB&J and eggs because it is cheap and I am surviving on the money I saved from past summer jobs. I go hungry all the time (mostly because I sacrifice meals for beer) and I have lost about 20lbs this year alone (went from a 36 waist to a 34). My point here is this: jobs are not impossible to find (its been hard for me because I don't want to be a waiter) and there are always other alternatives. I would highly recommend people on here not sending money to a PO box like suggested because it does seem a bit suspicious.

I do not mean to be offensive, but my inner conservative is shining through.
 
Vons.com does home grocery delivery in LA. We could do an SDN collection to send some groceries your way.
 
- Sell your plasma, I don't know where you are or if there's a plasma donation center close by but you can make roughly $60/yr.

- Work at a grocery store and steal food. I'm not playing. When I couldn't afford meals anymore, I started doing this. I couldn't adequately compete w/ my fellow Dukies when I wasn't eating enough... It just isn't worth it. I can't say the other things that you can do b/c they are all illegal, but things my friend and I definitely had to do to get by.

- Double up jobs - IE get a library job and then get a tutoring job where your student meets you at the same time. This is great for efficiency and you can make ~20/hr.

- If all else fails take out a private bank loan w/ a horrible interest rate. You're at UCLA, you can't have maxed out your private loans.... it's a public school...?

- Research tests/studies... I got paid 500 bucks to do a study in a room where i listened to music around certain smells.... Nothing too invasive... they just wanted to see how the brian functioned w/ different stimuli etc.

hang in there....
 
Go hold up a sign at the freeway offramp like everyone else. Or get a school loan.
 
wow. Thank you for sharing. I just had a fight with the one person who let's me thrive off his labor. Like a big fight. And i came on to read ur message... maybe it's a sign.. And i thought my life was hard just for having to live with such a difficult person, and i was questioning my existence.

thanks for putting things in perspective. May God bless u richly.
 
Wow, you really changed my perspective tonight.

If SDNers really want to make a contribution and you have a Paypal account, we could always send grocery $$$ to an online account. Otherwise, yeah, you should set up a P.O. box and we can send you care packages. I have the heart of an asian mother, and it just kills me to hear about someone not getting enought to eat!

If things ever get really rough, I'm in SD, not too far. Gimme an email: [email protected]
 
This is ridiculous, you people have hearts that are way too big. You need to use more discretion, this is not Ethiopa, there are things to do that will allow him to eat. This reeks of scam, you guys could very well be getting hustled.
 
jeeze some people are too generous. I have a paypal account and I want to get digital cable. Does anyone want to help me out?

I got an email from an African fellow wanting me to help him by placing a ton of money in my account while he moves to america. What could be the harm in this?
 
see...here's the deal. if your story is genuine, the i'd gladly be willing to help you out, but i'm not sure if your story is genuine or not. i did a search of your posts and you posted back in feb. 2002 saying that you were working on your masters. however you just posted a few days ago saying that are currently a senior in undergrad????? i'm a bit confused.
 
All I'm saying is here at Duke, they're giving free food out somewhere at almost every time of day. You just need to know where to look. So what if you're not a Russian major? If they're giving out free pizza, go pretend to be a Russian major...
 
i feel ya bro...

29 cent hamburgers were a savior back in the day...it sad they dont have that right now.

its tough man. ive been homeless, hungry, poor before and its not the life. i feel you on every aspect you have posted up there man.

peterockduke actually has some ideas you might want to think about. desperate times calls for desperate measures man. i was fortunate enough to have a good reputation with my tutoring within the asian community, which was the only reason i was able to support myself and my fam during school.

i also had a great support group of friends that always were kind enough to invite me over for dinner and just random things. id be nothing without them. i gave everything i could to them. help with classes, support etc...

church groups are great and the people really care and will help you out, if you are religious that is. my prayers are with you man. if you wanna talk and stuff...you can always pm.
 
Well done Jordan. Always get your facts straight before you make a key decision. I like that.
 
Originally posted by Jordan 1
see...here's the deal. if your story is genuine, the i'd gladly be willing to help you out, but i'm not sure if your story is genuine or not. i did a search of your posts and you posted back in feb. 2002 saying that you were working on your masters. however you just posted a few days ago saying that are currently a senior in undergrad????? i'm a bit confused.
Click to expand...

I looked at his old posts and it seems like he is a master's student who has also taken undergrad premed classes from a post-bac standpoint.
 
the guy never asked for any charity....its something the sdnners on here brought up which is just a nice act of generosity in my honest opinion. if people i didnt know very well didnt help me out when i was growing with groceries and things of that nature...i really dont know how we could have survived.

isnt it sad that we cant just learn something from his post instead of having to see if he is a liar?
some people...

after initially reading i felt proud to a part of medicine knowing that we have some altruists out here that will become doctors...
 
I like to consider myself a generous and caring person, but this person obviously goes to school and has access to the internet, so things can't be that bad. There are literally families out there that don't have shelter and kids are raising themselves while the parents are both working multiple jobs. I am grateful for my upbringing and I thank something (I'm somewhat of an atheist) everyday that I have been so fortunate. However, this person sounds like they can easily solve their food problems by getting a part-time job. If he is really that poor, he should be receiving financial aid while in school.
 
It saddens me to read about the OP's financial sitution. What I don't understand is why the OP doesn't opt to get a part-time job? Large campuses like UCLA have lots of job opportunities in terms of on-campus jobs...such as working in the dining hall, bookstore, libraries, etc. Also, the OP never stated how he is paying the tuition at UCLA, paying his rent, paying his utility bills, etc. Before I send a check to the growing SDN pool of contributions (which I must say...is VERY ADMIRABLE of the members of the SDN community...the outpouring of support for the OP is remarkable), I'd just like to know a little more about the OP's financial situation. As for the poster who said something to the effect of..."Well..how bad can he be? He does have internet access, right?" Umm..how do you know he's not typing to us from one of the many computer labs on the UCLA campus? (Obviously, that would be free internet access).

The organization I run on campus works on outreach activities for underprivileged youth in the Bay Area and financial aid is a key component of our presentations at these underserved high schools. I'm not receiving any form of financial aid so I don't know the ins and outs of the process..but I did do lots of research about financial aid on-line and I've learned a lot by working with my volunteers (some of which...are currently on financial aid right now). I know that the FAFSA program would provide lots of grants and low-interest loans to students like the OP who come from especially underprivileged backgrounds. I just don't understand why the OP won't elaborate about his financial situation and tell us whether he's receiving financial aid, is currently on a work-study, etc.

As echoed by posters above, if there is anything I can do to help...please let me know via PM. Best of luck to you and I hope everything turns out well. Keep your head up through times like this...when you reach your goal (med school)...tough times like this will make your reward all that much sweeter. May God be with you.
 
In defense of why he doesnt just get a part time job,,,,maybe he does but all the money goes towards school or paying for past debts? Also, it is true that he could be typing from a computer station on campus. As far as financial aid...some of us fall in this gap where we can't get any, for example, my mother and step father combined make over 65000 a year....though neither contribute to my schooling, housing, or food...the only saving grace for me has been my dad who makes less than 15000 a year.

Still, I can greatly feel what UC is going through. I do have a place to live but a place I hardly like to go to because of things that go on here. Therefore, I spend most of my time at the MESA center on campus. When I have to study I hang at the hospital or sometimes at Denny's.....There is no food here though for the most part and my money goes to paying past debts that I did when I was foolish....(yes my fault)......so i do know the feeling of hunger....I have been blessed just like jlee though with friends who often throw me extra food they have left over(like bags of chips or left over dinner)...You might want to think about doing that UC.....at first it was hard to ask, but after awhile people really start noticing and just want to help.....

Really good way to get some money and food hehehe mcdonalds 🙂...right now I work two jobs while trying to pay off my debt and accomplish other things. one is on campus and the other is at mcdonalds...every night I bring home a crap load of food for me and my guy and then I save a salad for the next day at school for lunch, then I only have to worry about dinner. For money I "accidently"drop change in the drive thru and since i am in a rich area they just leave it, this at least helps me get coffee on the really hard days to get up. I keep every single penny for something......

As for SDNERS true, we should always be careful, but would we like to be called liars ourselves when we open ourselves so much to a room? I understand that your crit. is only to help those who might be getting scammed, but I would think there are other ways to go around this in a more polite and tactful way....
 
There are a lot of assumptions being made on this thread about this person's stuation. I think we should hold out until we hear from the OP.

I had several friends in college who got into very dire situations at various points in their life for one reason or another. They all, fortunately, were able to recover, but that did not prevent folks from helping them get through the rough moments.

It's possible that the OP has blown away all his/her disposable and not so disposable income on tuition and applying to medical schools. I don't know the situation, but I do know that times can get tough for all sorts of folks.
 
First and foremost, I'm so sorry if I misled my fellow SDNers. By the grace of God, I never meant to ask for any contributions. God bless everyone here, you guys open your heart. However, I will NOT take any contributions. That's not my intent.

Secondly, my other posts are from my brother. Believe it or not, he made it to medical school but passed away 5 months ago from a car accident. Honestly, my life is ****.

Third, I do take out grants for tuition. Any loans already went to medical school applications, rent, bills, family, etc, the whole nine yards.

There's many other intricate details of my situation that I could sit here and write all day but I'll decline to do it at this time. It's not my position to have to explain my life story to everyone because 1) it's too depressing to let myself think of the past 2) my purpose is NOT to bring in donations.

Bottom line, I just want to let you guys know that not getting in medical school this year is not the end of the world. Just live life in the moment and appreciate what you have. I have to go study now, have a great day.
 
for anyone who said anything sarcastic, cynical, or unhelpful. what kind of doctor do you think you will become?? where is your sensitivity, if not compassion. if you want to question what this person says, then do so. but dont shove it in his face. you never know if what he is saying is really true or not. but if it is all true, then you just served to kick someone while he/she was already down.
 
oh and please dont think that you are enlightening us gullible fools out there with your cynicism. america is full of people who question everything and believe in nothing but their own self righteousness.
 
Originally posted by bewitched1081
for anyone who said anything sarcastic, cynical, or unhelpful. what kind of doctor do you think you will become?? where is your sensitivity, if not compassion. if you want to question what this person says, then do so. but dont shove it in his face. you never know if what he is saying is really true or not. but if it is all true, then you just served to kick someone while he/she was already down.
Click to expand...

I take serious offense to this. What kind of physician will you become if you do not question people's story and want to learn more, especially one that is posted in two paragraphs on an internet messageboard? Are you going to be the doctor in the ER that just gives morphine to the guy that says he's in pain when he really is just there for another "fix" to satiate his morphine addiction? People on here were talking about sending money to some unknown messageboard poster (I know he didn't ask for it) without wanting to learn more about the situation. For some reason I find that highly unsettling. I would rather see people send a dollar or two to their local soup kitchen or food bank and know that it is at least going to an established charity that is dedicated to helping the unfortunate. I have always been a strong supporter of welfare in this country to provide a social safety net to those who need it, but based on the thread starter's post I can't see where this would apply. He has the time to make posts on here and is currently fortunate enough to attend college, which is alot more than can be said about many people in this country.

I also want to point out that you calling people who questioned the poster "self-righteous" in it of itself makes you self-righteous.

All and all, I do commend the OP for qualifying his situation a little more and explaining that his intent was to make us appreciate life in general. This is a good message that many students do not always adhere to.
 
Originally posted by UCLApremed
First and foremost, I'm so sorry if I misled my fellow SDNers. By the grace of God, I never meant to ask for any contributions. God bless everyone here, you guys open your heart. However, I will NOT take any contributions. That's not my intent.

Secondly, my other posts are from my brother. Believe it or not, he made it to medical school but passed away 5 months ago from a car accident. Honestly, my life is ****.

Third, I do take out grants for tuition. Any loans already went to medical school applications, rent, bills, family, etc, the whole nine yards.

There's many other intricate details of my situation that I could sit here and write all day but I'll decline to do it at this time. It's not my position to have to explain my life story to everyone because 1) it's too depressing to let myself think of the past 2) my purpose is NOT to bring in donations.

Bottom line, I just want to let you guys know that not getting in medical school this year is not the end of the world. Just live life in the moment and appreciate what you have. I have to go study now, have a great day.
Click to expand...

I have a lot of respect for you. There have been many times when I thought I was the only person that didn't have enough money for food...and its an awful feeling. If you ever want to talk about anything at any time, PM me. Being broke and hungry definitely makes you appreciate everything a lot more. Good luck, I wish you the best.
 
Originally posted by bewitched1081
some people may take offense at this, but this is what welfare is for. i think you qualify for foodstamps and other goods. you should talk to someone at your school. im sure he/she could help you. or you can talk to someone at the union rescue mission. of course youre not homeless (or maybe you are; im not sure if you were serious about school being your shelter), but you are probably undernourished. look in the yellow pages, if necessary. talk to churches or charities. please get some help.
Click to expand...

I'm not very knowledgeable about welfare but my friend is a social worker and tells me it is exceptionally difficult to qualify for welfare. You cannot own anything and you have to make an appallingly small amount of money. She has told me that an elderly couple whose only source of income is $500 social security check/month gets $10 in food stamps per month. That's all! They get no other assistance. Before you say something so unrealistic please find out more about our meager welfare system. Granted, my friend is a state social worker for Missouri so it may be different in California. Personally I think that this country being the most wealthy in the world should be able to afford a minimal standard of living for all inhabitants. Isn't our GDP around 10 trillion dollars/year? If only the middle class knew more about the poor to very poor, we may be able to make a difference.
 
I agree. your post has made me rethink my position on complaining about the time I don't have. I appreciate the pick up, and yes you can make it. just try to keep your head up. I'm not sure if you are a believer in God, but I just wanted to give you a scripture to read. Psalm 23 chapter in entirety. I pray that your circumstances turn around, just stay faithful to what you are trying to accomplish. 😍 😍 no matter what things may look like in your life, God does LOVE you!!!
 
I am very very impressed by this guy and definitly think that those questioning him really dont have any point. He's got no reason whatsoever to not tell the truth. Those of you that might go on saying "but he wants attention" if that's the case (which I dont think it is), he probably needs it.

So, about the people talking about jobs, welfare, etc... The guy's not stupid. He's in college, he is educated, he's not going to go miss something as obvious as getting a job, there are way to man nuances of his situation for anyone to give him any advice asside from someone that knows him personally.

Yup - that's my take.
 
**** happens, financial wise. Do the best you can do, get a job, or somethng. Back in High school, my father lost everything due to a sudden crack addition and my mother didn't want me. I ended up living in a tent, working 60 hours a week, and selling weed. I am glad I didn't get caught, but you got to do what you have to to survive. Life is a little easier, but I just got done working 43 hours last week and not having a single day off from school or work, b ut I am living and healthy.
There is stuff you can do to eat and get shelter.
 
ever tried dumpster diving? Dumpster diving at Trader Joe's late at night is supposedly a great way to find good, healthy well-preserved (saran-wrapped) foods. My friend does it in Maryland all the time so if you want any advice on how one starts, send me a PM.
 
hey, dude. LA can be pricey, i know. 🙁

there is a mobile clinic based out of CHS/UCLA med that is affiliated with the greateer west hollywood food coalition, which provides dinner 365 days a year. if you contact someone at the mobile clinic i'm sure they can hook you up with the food coalition. they make really good soup and get bread from la brea bakery. very nice. pm me for contact info if you're interested.

there are absolutely more important things in life than med school, and i think it's awesome that in your struggles you can find a lesson to share. peace out.
 
donate sperm...it pays really well. Seriously, like $600-900/month for qualified applicants. Also, go to student clubs and stuff...they always have free food there...or work at a restaurant where you can get a free meal during each shift.
 
Originally posted by bewitched1081
oh and please dont think that you are enlightening us gullible fools out there with your cynicism. america is full of people who question everything and believe in nothing but their own self righteousness.
Click to expand...

You sound self-righteous in calling cynical people self-righteous.


By the way, sending a man money out of pity when he didn't ask for it is like taking a knife to his pride.
 
Originally posted by irie
You sound self-righteous in calling cynical people self-righteous.
Click to expand...

Thats exactly what I said a few posts ago. It annoyed me that I was being called self-righteous by a self-righteous person.
 
Those of you who think you're perfect are really annoying to those of us who are.
 
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