How are your parents faring through this lengthy process...?

[med school apprehension]

I love and appreciate my parents, but CAN THEY PLEASE BE SUPPORTIVE AND OPTIMISTIC for me!!! I don't have a lot of faith in my numbers (GPA and MCAT), but must my parents rub it in?? I thought families were supposed to be supportive and encouraging and tell you that you're the best anyways...LOL! After much speculation, I've come to the conclusion that my fellow pre-med friends are much more supportive than my family (and you would think that they wouldn't be since there is some (just a wee bit) degree of competition involved). Isn't that sad?

(Sorry guys/gals...I just had to let some frustration out...that felt good!)

Have a productive night!!

[This message has been edited by med school apprehension (edited 11-27-2000).]

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[Doc Oc]

I know what you mean about families. My family doesn't understand how long the process takes. They wanted to know why I would wait until May to decide where to go to med school. They think you can just pick any one and go to it. My out-of-state relatives suggest going to the "good med school" near their town, not understanding that it is a state school that accepts virtually no out-of-staters. My family is very supportive, but less realistic. They have always thought of me as "smart", so they think I can get in "anywhere i want". They don't consider that the other applicants are all "smart" too, and that their families think the same of them! It's funny, in a way.

[This message has been edited by Doc Oc (edited 11-27-2000).]

 

[rohit]

hey, my parents want me to go into the family business: motels!!!

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rohit patel
"knowledge is limited. imagination encircles the world" -- Einstein

 

[alshepard]

I know what you mean. It is frustrating and a bit demoralizing to talk to people who are completely unfamiliar with the med school application process. My grandmother who is a really sweet woman nearly drove me to the brink asking if I'd been accepted yet every time she saw/talked on the phone with me. Keep in mind that I had just barely mailed in my AMCAS application at this point. Everyone in my family is very supportive of my decision to go into med school, but they are all so sure I'm going to get in that I'm going to be so embarrased if I don't. My grandmother wants me to "pick" the medical school closest to her (Dartmouth.) Trust me Gram, I'm trying.

 

[lilycat]

Even friends who aren't in the premed loop tend to unknowingly say the wrong thing. I interviewed at Baylor a while back and loved it, but one of my good friends hates Texas and can't understand why I'd want to live there for 4 years. All she keeps asking is what Baylor is ranked, and then proceeds to say, "Don't worry -- you'll get in somewhere better." Arrrgggghhhh! They don't get the fact that it isn't necessarily that cut & dry. Don't even get me started on my family... love them, know they support me, but they just are so clueless...

 

[alceria]

My parents seem to take for granted that I'll get in, simply because I had a very good academic record in grade school and high school, and got a full academic scholarship to my university. But I feel like I was a slacker during most of the first few years of college and I feel like I now fall at the borderline. If you hear my dad talk, you'd think I had already been accepted and sent in first tution check when in reality, I've got about a year more of undergrad to go before I can seriously think about the MCAT even. (This is difficult to explain to your parents when you've been in college for 4 years already and have racked up over 115 random credits that don't qualify you for a degree yet!) Another thing that kills me is that they don't get that even for the best applicants, it can take a couple years to get a spot because there just aren't enough spots. I've heard the dean of admissions tell pre-med students that they've had occasions when the SAME person has been on their alternate list for two years in a row, but hadn't gotten in. I mean, can you imagine??? People on the "outside" just don't get how long, involved, and strenuous the process can be.

My advice to the original poster is just to avoid the issue with your parents if possible. Not getting input from them at all is better (and less distracting) than getting negative reactions. And remember, if you really want it bad enough, and are willing to put enough work in, you'll eventually make it. I was talking to my opthamologist (sp?) during an appointment and we started talking about how difficult it is to get in, and he told me something that I've really taken to heart. He said, "There's always room for one more good doctor." Rest assured that if you put the work in and have the desire and energy to keep trying, you will eventually get a spot. Plus, there's always places like this for support.

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^v^