For all those who think they cant make it..

[sunnyjohn]

Good post liverotcod!

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[Clin_Epi]

I worked all through college, full time student or not. i managed an apartment complex ( a bit ghetto though) so I did not have to pay rent or utilities. As far as buying booze, another American term you need to learn is credit card.

I feel pity for your tenants...wonder what they have to say about your stint as manager.

Credit Cards...yes...I am actually aware of those. My family couldn't get one for the first 3 years we were here because we did not qualify... Thank you though.

I do not agree with your story as being inspirational or with what you did. Your story does however highlight the reason why I love America. Anyone can make it. From people like you to people like me, AND we have the right (protected by the legislation) to disagree.

 

[liverotcod]

we have the right (protected by the legislation) to disagree.

The constitution, actually. If it were only protected by legislation, we would have lost it long ago.

 

[tacosrmyfav]

I feel pity for your tenants...wonder what they have to say about your stint as manager.

Credit Cards...yes...I am actually aware of those. My family couldn't get one for the first 3 years we were here because we did not qualify... Thank you though.

I do not agree with your story as being inspirational or with what you did. Your story does however highlight the reason why I love America. Anyone can make it. From people like you to people like me, AND we have the right (protected by the legislation) to disagree.

Well seeing as I had the job for 5 years I probably wasn't to bad. I understand you POV but you need to quit hatin, I didn’t post the message for you or people like you. Furthermore the point of the post isn’t overcoming addiction its overcoming obstacles in pursuit of your ultimate goal in life. If you are to ignorant to realize this I pity you.

 

[Clin_Epi]

In response to liverotcod

>Translation: all people make mistakes. Have you never?

Very few (no major ones, ever). Never gave myself the chance to screw up in the first place. The price of failure academically, health wise or socially (as in crime) is too high for my family, my friends and me.

>Whether or not you believe the disease theory of addiction, can you admit >that the act of recovery is challenging? You need not be inspired by the >individual to be inspired by the act of overcoming an obstacle, even if you >believe that obstacle self-induced. Are not the feats of great athletes >inspirational, even though they might easily avoid the pain of training by >simply deciding not to compete?

Yes, recovery is challenging. The neurological component of addiction is similar for both athletic activity and drug addiction but they are not comparable. The social and personal results/ramifications fall at opposite ends of the spectrum.

>It's fairly easy to avoid getting busted as a user or low-level dealer, I should >think. Higher level dealers are more at risk as they make bigger targets for >law enforcement.

...bust the low end users to get to the dealer...last time I checked...especially if they have no $ for a lawyer or influential parents...usually the poor kids...

>I don't agree with your tone, but the essence of this argument is right, and >what causes me the most pain and guilt about my own situation. In my last >semster as a drunk, for example, my parents and the student loan people >funded me to sit in my dorm room and get drunk every day. I actually went >to a part time job to pay for my booze. There's no excuse for this behavior, >and I grew to hate myself for it, too.

It is your right not to agree with me. People refuse to judge others. Why? Since when is it incorrect to point out something that is wrong?

>In your last paragraph, you describe a very inspirational situation. But to >give an example of how statements like yours and Peterock's might be
> hurtful, let's imagine the following responses:

>Please don't quote this out of context, because I'm writing only to make a >point:

>1) How did he get AIDS?

From HIV...but if you are asking how he became infected I will give you a clue: It wasn't from drug use.

>2) If his brother has MS, he's at higher risk, right? Why should our >educational system waste a seat at med school on someone who is less >likely to be able to perform the job?

It is his little brother. First started in high school...My friend is healthy.

>3) He must not be all that smart if it takes 3 jobs to be financially stable.

All three jobs are research positions at teaching hospitals. And yes going into finance or other ventures pays more. He has a calling for medicine.

>See what I mean? I don't believe any of the crap I just wrote, and don't >even know if number 2) is true. It's possible to disagree without being >hurtful, so please do so.[/QUOTE]

Ok...not sure how to respond to the last statement. When you disagree with someone you are at odds with them. Hence no matter how you phrase or sugar coat it at the end still the same, you disagree.

 

[Clin_Epi]

Well seeing as I had the job for 5 years I probably wasn't to bad. I understand you POV but you need to quit hatin, I didn’t post the message for you or people like you. Furthermore the point of the post isn’t overcoming addiction its overcoming obstacles in pursuit of your ultimate goal in life. If you are to ignorant to realize this I pity you.

You said it was in a 'ghetto' building...Quality might not be what the building owner is looking for. People like you will never understand my point of view (if that is what POV stands for).

YOU and I have different definitions of 'OBSTACLES'. If you introduce or initiate behaviour which prevents you from achieving your goals that is a CHOICE. If you are born with a disease or into an environment (I am talking about cases like being born in Ethiopia during one of the 1980's famines), those are OBSTACLES.

People like me have no pity for people like you. And we would never accept or even want your pity.

 

[Medikit]

I think you misread what I posted. I was encouraging the OP to be up front about his former mistakes, rather than conceal them. That way, you get bit right away rather than waiting for them to bite you later on.

For the record, I applied to 30 schools this past cycle with a history of alcoholism and a DUI, clearly communicated in my record. I have 7 acceptances.

Yeah, I kept checking your mdapps because I wanted you to do really well, congrats .

 

[Peterock]

YOU and I have different definitions of 'OBSTACLES'. If you introduce or initiate behaviour which prevents you from achieving your goals that is a CHOICE. If you are born with a disease or into an environment (I am talking about cases like being born in Ethiopia during one of the 1980's famines), those are OBSTACLES.

This is exactly what I'm getting at!!! If I'm too lazy to study for 4 years and then work hard for 2 years, am I inspirational? Don't think so.

I'm not going to laud someone who 1) sold poison to other people 2) hurt himself and others for no reason other than for boredom/escapism/etc 3) FINALLY did work like the rest of us.

My hunch is that you sold drugs and supported yourself through school.

Would I want someone like you to be my doctor or my kids doctor when **** hits the fan? HELL NO. Would I want someone like you to around drugs in a high stress environment? Of course not. It's not that I don't think people change, it's your entire attitude of self-aggrandizement etc. There's obviously a lot you're still missing.

 

[MDhopeful023]

I'm new to SDN and I'm rather appalled to hear such intelligent people "fighting" with each other. I stumbled on this forum thinking it would be an interesting conversation and well I see all this bickering. We should be happy for tacosrmyfav. I understand all the POVs but we have to get over it. It is not good for a potential pre-meds to see intelligent people attacking each other and downgrading hard work.

I don’t want to join the “fight.” I just want you to know how a new comer feels when they see such negativity (ie rather scared to ask for opinions from peers that can potentially rip them apart rather than give them words of encouragement).

BTW there are many forms of inspirational stories of people who made it into medical school. Tacosrmyfav is just one of them that overcame his obstacle of drugs and alcohol. Here is another person that is inspirational that everyone should take a look at.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/04/02/seeing.no.limits.ap/index.html

 

[ForbiddenComma]

I'm new to SDN and I'm rather appalled to hear such intelligent people "fighting" with each other. I stumbled on this forum thinking it would be an interesting conversation and well I see all this bickering. We should be happy for tacosrmyfav. I understand all the POVs but we have to get over it. It is not good for a potential pre-meds to see intelligent people attacking each other and downgrading hard work.

This is sort of how I feel. Taco pulled his life together after screwing up in his late teens/early 20s, and some of you people want to do nothing but condemn him forever because of earlier mistakes.

In a way, I'm in the same boat. Not with drugs, but from making decisions with my life that were completely inconsistent with my ultimately going into medicine. In fact, this is probably true of most non-trads. Whether or not drugs are involved, we all "screw up" in that we waste time in other careers before switching over. Should we all be barred from medicine because our lives were not in order at age 20? Should medicine be restricted only to the stereotypical traditional bio major?

I know that some of the gunners such as Peterock view all non-trads with utter contempt for not being on the ball vis-a-vis their ultimate career choice by age 20. But I know he is wrong. And more to the point, admissions people with actual med school admissions committees know he is wrong.

 

[Peterock]

This is sort of how I feel. Taco pulled his life together after screwing up in his late teens/early 20s, and some of you people want to do nothing but condemn him forever because of earlier mistakes.

In a way, I'm in the same boat. Not with drugs, but from making decisions with my life that were completely inconsistent with my ultimately going into medicine. In fact, this is probably true of most non-trads. Whether or not drugs are involved, we all "screw up" in that we waste time in other careers before switching over. Should we all be barred from medicine because our lives were not in order at age 20? Should medicine be restricted only to the stereotypical traditional bio major?

I know that some of the gunners such as Peterock view all non-trads with utter contempt for not being on the ball vis-a-vis their ultimate career choice by age 20. But I know he is wrong. And more to the point, admissions people with actual med school admissions committees know he is wrong.

You can eat my ass, dude. I don't know what I'm going to do in 10 years, let alone what I'm going to do tomorrow.

You've thrown around a lot of baseless personal insults and made comments that are factually inaccurate. It's funny though to listen to your pretentious crystal ball predictions though.

 

[tacosrmyfav]

You said it was in a 'ghetto' building...Quality might not be what the building owner is looking for. People like you will never understand my point of view (if that is what POV stands for).

YOU and I have different definitions of 'OBSTACLES'. If you introduce or initiate behaviour which prevents you from achieving your goals that is a CHOICE. If you are born with a disease or into an environment (I am talking about cases like being born in Ethiopia during one of the 1980's famines), those are OBSTACLES.

People like me have no pity for people like you. And we would never accept or even want your pity.

You have stated your narrow minded ignorant opinion. I suggest that people like you develop some empathy for people like me because as a doctor “people like me" need your help the most. Get over yourself, this world is full of all types of individuals and its judgmental, elitist, ignorant self absorbed jackasses like you that make people like me relish proving turds like you wrong !!!! CLASS OF 2009.... SUCK IT ASSWIPE

 

[Homer Doughnuts]

You can eat my ass, dude. I don't know what I'm going to do in 10 years, let alone what I'm going to do tomorrow.

You've thrown around a lot of baseless personal insults and made comments that are factually inaccurate. It's funny though to listen to your pretentious crystal ball predictions though.

This has to be the worst rebuttal to a post ever. If Forbidden Comma's comments were so factually inaccurate please enlighten us to the truth peterock.

 

[Clin_Epi]

You have stated your narrow minded ignorant opinion. I suggest that people like you develop some empathy for people like me because as a doctor “people like me" need your help the most. Get over yourself, this world is full of all types of individuals and its judgmental, elitist, ignorant self absorbed jackasses like you that make people like me relish proving turds like you wrong !!!! CLASS OF 2009.... SUCK IT ASSWIPE

Ignorant? ...my life is not for this discussion board.

Empathy? ...Yes, for people who are suffering from illness I will do my best and aid them by curing them. As that will be my duty as a physician, no matter their creed, ethnicity or source of disease.

YOU and people like you are not anywhere near the people that need help the most. When you start working in a hospital or become a physician you will be exposed to some of them. Remember what you said then.

Also, you should look UP to people like 'liverotcod'. He/She admitted to his/her mistakes when applying for medical school which is very brave and mature. I can respect him/her for that decision. It is called being accountable to ones actions, personal responsibility etc. You hide and lie...definitely characteristics that make you inspirational...Maybe to Enron/WorldCom executives

"jackasses" "turds" "ASSWIPE"...you are very brave on the internet...
...If we ever meet please repeat those words to my face...

 

[Peterock]

This has to be the worst rebuttal to a post ever. If Forbidden Comma's comments were so factually inaccurate please enlighten us to the truth peterock.

The burden of proof is not on me. If someone calls me a self-centered biology -loving gunner blah blah blah, I don't have to defend myself. It's a ridiculous statement. THe burden of proof is on the one that slanders. Scientific thought does not work this way. That is, if I say that the world is flat, I must then prove it. What Forbidden Coma says is false and he has absolutely no proof for any of his comments.

For the record:
I am not a biology major, but chemistry. I think biology is rather easy.
I am interested in FP not dermatology. My life's story is not for your amusement and does not belong on this discussion board as well.

Let's laud drug dealers for not choosing to hurt other people (and themselves) and who go back to following the middle class lifestyle they were born into. How wonderful for them. They're really an inspiration to me.

If you want inspirations go read about (in no particular order): Jlee, Cerberus, Neuronix, MisstressS etc. These are inspirational SDN'ers who have actually overcome more than their own inability to cope with reality.

 

[ForbiddenComma]

Well, you've given me all the proof I need to my central thesis: You're being obnoxious.

In your narrow worldview, someone who simply made bad choices in their early 20s should forever be barred from med school. And regarding taco, I think that beating a bad past of drugs or alcohol, and getting his life together to the point of getting accepted into med school, is one hell of an inspirational story. It means that you're never out, and it is possible to beat your demons and succeed. A loser at 20, yes even a self-inflicted loser, can become a winner at 30. Admissions committees apparently feel this way... what makes you more of an expert than them?

My original comment was this: "I know that some of the gunners such as Peterock view all non-trads with utter contempt for not being on the ball vis-a-vis their ultimate career choice by age 20." With your comments, you do nothing but back up my statement.


Edit: cleaned some things up. Participating in an Internet flame war is like participating in the Special Olympics, as the saying goes.

 

[Peterock]

Well, you've given me all the proof I need to my central thesis: You're being obnoxious.

In your narrow worldview, someone who simply made bad choices in their early 20s should forever be barred from med school. And regarding taco, I think that beating a bad past of drugs or alcohol, and getting his life together to the point of getting accepted into med school, is one hell of an inspirational story. It means that you're never out, and it is possible to beat your demons and succeed. A loser at 20, yes even a self-inflicted loser, can become a winner at 30. Admissions committees apparently feel this way... what makes you more of an expert than them?

My original comment was this: "I know that some of the gunners such as Peterock view all non-trads with utter contempt for not being on the ball vis-a-vis their ultimate career choice by age 20." With your comments, you do nothing but back up my statement.


Edit: cleaned some things up. Participating in an Internet flame war is like participating in the Special Olympics, as the saying goes.

You simply waste my time with your insults.

What did this guy end up with, a 3.4/30 in teh end? Yeah, imagine someone with those numbers and 8 years of stuff getting in. It's crazy, I tell you.

And for the record smart guy, the OP hasn't told adcoms anything about his past. So frankly, they just see some lazy kid who didn't have his life together (which is in fact true) and decided to finally do work. The adcoms are not impressed by his return into the sober world. It's good that you show off your ignorance and make a Special Olympics comment in the same post. I wonder what your number was...

 

[Clin_Epi]

A loser at 20, yes even a self-inflicted loser, can become a winner at 30. Admissions committees apparently feel this way... what makes you more of an expert than them?

He/she never disclosed his/her past.

 

[crazy_cavalier]

GEEZ LOOOUUIISSEE!! there are A LOT of haters on SDN!!

I get the impression that quite a few of you are pretty stead-fast in your opinions / beliefs and are not very open to considering the counter view.

Please, from now on, when you read something like this, take a moment to stop and think about the opposite point of view from whatever the hell it is that you think.

Example: you think, "wow this guy is crap! i don't want a person with a drug history treating MY family!!"
STOP AND CONSIDER THE OPPOSITE VIEW
"hmmm, well he HAS overcome his past behavior... he's turned around his life, worked extremely hard, and obviously it takes remarkable character and strength for such a tremendous turn-around."

Example: you think "this guy's story is so inspirational! it just goes to show that a low gpa doesn't kill you chances"
STOP AND CONSIDER THE OPPOSITE VIEW
"well, he did have to do A LOT of work to overcome his poor performance, and the circumstances surrounding his history is unique and is not universally applicable to other similar applicants who had a shaky start in the undergrad years."


ANYWAY, all I'm saying is, please please just invest effort in exploring the other side of the argument! Once you understand all the facets at play, those that favor your opinion and those that don't, only then can you proceed to make a cogent, compelling argument and elucidate a valid point in what you say.

 

[AcousticDoc]

Man...I can't believe all the hating that's going on here. Taco, your story is good to help prevent those of us, who know we can make it, stay in that mind set even after some small set backs and not lose hope. Cheers man!

 

[kul135]

Congratulations!!! That's wonderful.. Thank you so much for sharing your story w/ all of us!!!..Really appreciatee it.. gives me hope!!

 

[tacosrmyfav2]

hahahahaha im back, right about this time a bunch of people have been rejected from medical school and are feeling like poo. Well fear not, read the thread if I can make it anyone can. Oh yeah I am finishing my 2nd year of medical school at a US allo school top 50, during my app cycle I was accepted to 3 US Allo schools, 2 of which were top 50. Right now I am freaking about step one but thats all in due time. So for all you folks feeling like you'll never make it - Its possiable, just look at my AMCAS application grade distribution posted in the 1st page of the thread. Oh yea and haters I dont want to hear it so STFU.

And in advance, no i will not name any school I was accepted to or the school I am currently at. All I will say is my entering class had a average overall GPA of 3.75 and a average MCAT of 31 so its no schlep school.


oh yea i changed my user name b/c my old e-mail account is closed so thats why my user name is diff.

 

[gotmeds?]

Do your hands ever get sore from patting yourself on the back so much?

 

[emaj1n]

you had to do post-bacc and grad school to make up for it

that doesn't really help those undergrad students who are applying this round

congrats to your for getting accepted however---what school was it?

So what if he had to do post-bacc. That's not the point. The point is he initially had poor numbers and, realistically, little to no chance. Now he is going to medical school.

I disagree. For people who have recently decided they want to enter medicine but have poor stats, Taco's story is awesome. It's just a story about how someone made up for past mistakes through a lot of determination. How is this not helpful for someone with poor stats and little chance this go-around?

 

[Spathi]

Congrats you made your way in. So let this be your chance not to settle for mediocrity once you’re there because who wants a mediocre doctor. I honestly think depending on which state you live in a 10 10 10 MCAT will not get you in anymore so things are becoming ever more competitive.