Dumb question but I need advice.

[202781]

Hi,
My name is sankondbest and I work in a hospital cafeteria washing dishes. I thought I could do this and for some reason I thought it would look good on my application. I guess I just did not want to do NOTHING (actually I dont care if I do anything until med school I just knew I would be asked what I have been doing since graduation and do not want to say I sit on my ass and watch TV all day).

My point is I have no interaction with other people at my job, I hate it and it is so boring that it feels like I am turning off my brain for 8.5 hrs a day. If I quit this job though I don't think I will ever be able to get another position at this hospital and since this hospital also has a school, I think I may get rejeceted from the school as well.

I don't particularly need the money (although it is always nice to have) because I have saved $$ ever since I was 15 and started working during the summers (I never spend $$ on anything really) my point is while I do not have a ton of $$, I do have like 10k in savings. and free room/board (I dont live with the parents or family members).

My question is:

What would you do in my position...should I quit knowing I may be rejected from the school as well (a school that is mid-high range on my list)?

How bad would it be if I said I was doing NOTHING at an interview?

Would earning like 10-15k before school started mean a whole lot knowing that as a physician I will be making that amount in 1 month (probably less than a month) and medical school costs like 60k per year (average cost of attendance)?

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[joshmell]

I don't think the school would seriously keep track of the dishwashers. And if they do, just tell them you can find something better suited for your skills. You have a bachelor's degree at least, which isn't some holy grail or anything, but I'd like to think four years of post-secondary qualifies you to not wash dishes and not be questioned why.

 

[majahops]

I completely agree with this post...

I would add that I don't think that what you do from this point till the end of this cycle is going to have much effect on your admission anywhere.

I don't think the school would seriously keep track of the dishwashers. And if they do, just tell them you can find something better suited for your skills. You have a bachelor's degree at least, which isn't some holy grail or anything, but I'd like to think four years of post-secondary qualifies you to not wash dishes and not be questioned why.

 

[bipolardoc]

just random and curious, out of allllllllllllllllllllllll the jobs out there why did you chose to be a dish washer, why not a receptionist, temp service, or whatever. I am also curious how your interview went applying for the dishwasher job given you are college educated. Sometimes jobs like McDonolds etc... dont take their chances on overqualified applicants knowing they just going to ditch the job very soon and dont want to spend time/money training.

 

[airplanes]

wouldn't it be looked down upon if you told them you were doing dishes in the hospital cafeteria? just speculating. How much do you like this school? I don't they they would have any problem with you leaving your job for something else that is more stimulating. provided you give your two weeks notice

 

[shaggybill]

Unless you can give the Adcom a good reason why you chose to use your time after graduation as a dishwasher, you might want to try looking into something else. The fact that your employer is a hospital won't mean diddly if you aren't somehow involved with patients. You might as well quit and do something you at least semi-enjoy. At least you'll have THAT at interview time.

 

[202781]

Actually the interviewers that I have told have really liked this aspect of my app. It shows how dedicated I am (I am willing to wash dishes just to be working in a hospital)...seriously it works (I have been accepted to 2 schools and have never been rejected post interview yet (I have had 5)

 

[majahops]

haha then do what you want. keep washing dishes or don't... but i assure you that you didn't get into med school (even .0000001%) because of washing dishes in a hospital.

congrats by the way

Actually the interviewers that I have told have really liked this aspect of my app. It shows how dedicated I am (I am willing to wash dishes just to be working in a hospital)...seriously it works (I have been accepted to 2 schools and have never been rejected post interview yet (I have had 5)

 

[shaggybill]

Actually the interviewers that I have told have really liked this aspect of my app. It shows how dedicated I am (I am willing to wash dishes just to be working in a hospital)...seriously it works (I have been accepted to 2 schools and have never been rejected post interview yet (I have had 5)

That kind of changes thing a bit then. If you have already been accepted at a couple of schools (congrats on that), then why does it matter if you keep your job or not? I don't think the fact that you work in the kitchen of your top school's hospital will gain you any favor, and I don't think your quitting will have any effect whatsoever on your application.

 

[JeanLuc]

What I would do in my post-graduation/pre-acceptance period is read - especially things relevant to my medical interests. E.g. reading texts/studies from a field of interest. This way you are sitting on your arse all day, enjoying yourself, but you're also being academically/intellectually productive. So, if you want to quit your job, I'd say that you have a way to justify it with that.

 

[turkeyjerky]

Sorry but this is too funny. Why would you ever think washing dishes in a hospital cafeteria would help you get into med school? Lol, I mean that's the funniest stupid pre-med idea I've ever heard.

You do know that they don't have a cafeteria representative on the adcom, right?

The interviewers who "liked" this facet of your application probably told you that because they were embarrassed and felt sorry for you. Omg, why would you ever want to be a dishwasher? That's one of the worst jobs I could think of, even being a janitor would be better. Far better in fact, at least you get to see people and walk around.

 

[turkeyjerky]

You got me, this was a joke thread, wasn't it?

 

[202781]

.

 

[202781]

You got me, this was a joke thread, wasn't it?

sadly it was not...I think I am going to quit tomorrow morning. Does anyone have an idea of how I should do it. (I have worked for 5 days, they have given me an outfit/shoes)

 

[goldenwest]

Haha 5 days. So much for those interview tear yankers.

 

[HumidBeing]

sadly it was not...I think I am going to quit tomorrow morning. Does anyone have an idea of how I should do it. (I have worked for 5 days, they have given me an outfit/shoes)

Give them notice and offer to return the clothes.

Quitting a job that you found was not right for you is not going to make a difference in whether you are accepted. You CAN talk about what you learned from the experience - relating to what it's like to do manual kitchen labor for a living.

Yes, $10-15k extra could make a difference in your comfort level that first year, and reduce the amount of loans you take out. I think that reducing the first year's worth of loans by 20K might reduce the amount that you pay back (iincluding interest) by considerably more than you expect.

 

[shaggybill]

What an odd thread.

 

[202781]

end of discussion... I quit.

 

[Lukkie]

what did you do with the outfit/shoes

 

[oneandonlylo]

I'm spending the year hostessing in a restaurant, but I didn't have a choice b/c I couldn't find a "better" or more relevant job and someone has to pay the bills. It isn't particularly fun or interesting and it's def. not what I wanted to do with my year (I really wanted to research), but I think I've garnered a certain amount of respect for being willing to do whatever necessary to fulfill responsibility. That, and I can spin it nicely since I work with people

 

[202781]

what did you do with the outfit/shoes

I gave them back.

I'm spending the year hostessing in a restaurant, but I didn't have a choice b/c I couldn't find a "better" or more relevant job and someone has to pay the bills. It isn't particularly fun or interesting and it's def. not what I wanted to do with my year (I really wanted to research), but I think I've garnered a certain amount of respect for being willing to do whatever necessary to fulfill responsibility. That, and I can spin it nicely since I work with people

Yeah...I have actually been a host/server before and it is like 15x better than washing dishes because you are interacting with people, making tips, talking to other people working there... Washing dishes I literally would stand over a sink all day and wash dishes the only time I left the sink was to put the dishes away in the back of the kitchen. I talked to nobody, I could not wear an ipod, the did not play music. Just the sound of dishes

 

[Rain Rabbit]

haha, this thread made me laugh out loud at work...