How many of you guys feel you deserved the acceptance?

[medicalmnt]

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I'm going through the threads of past school-specific threads and seems like a lot of good applicants were rejected. I realize once you get that 3.6/31 score range you're competitive to schools but did you guys (MD accepteds) feel that you actually 100% knew you were going to get in or was it like a 30% yes 30% wl 30% no and 10% no clue?

I'm trying to best assess my chances but it seems pretty bleak for me seeing "deserving" students with 3.7s/33+'s get rejected from schools which I thought they would have a good chance.

Just want to know if its just me who is stressing out going into junior year or I can find solidarity.

 

[darkjedi]

I was somewhat confident that I could probably get in somewhere, but that was only because the postbac I went to had a success rate of like 95+%. If I didn't have that statistic in my head and the confidence that as long as I worked my butt off I could get into med school, I think I would have had a lot more trouble quitting my previous job and career due to the uncertainty.

 

[Kalydeco]

I owe it all to the goat I sacrificed. I really do.

Before the ritual, it was like 10% acceptance, 20% WL, 70% rejected. But the minute I laid Buttons in the lobby of the AAMC building under cover of darkness, acceptance was assured.

 

[Lamel]

I owe it all to the goat I sacrificed. I really do.

Before the ritual, it as like 10% acceptance, 20% WL, 70% rejected. But the minute I laid Buttons in the lobby of the AAMC building under cover of darkness, acceptance was assured.

Lol.

On topic: One can't really be sure I guess, but if you have hit all the right notes then you should feel confident you'll get in somewhere. By right notes I mean good GPA+MCAT, good clinical experience, good volunteering, and a strategic school list.

 

[redteabag]

some schools reject over qualified applicants because it is safe for them to assume the applicant considers them as safeties.

 

[Time Table]

Don't we all think we deserved the acceptance?

 

[darkjedi]

Don't we all think we deserved the acceptance?

I think imposter syndrome is actually relatively common as a med student

 

[Ace-Co-A]

I think imposter syndrome is actually relatively common as a med student

True that. I was feeling impostor syndrome hard core at Second Look. Everyone is so amazing.

 

[Time Table]

I think imposter syndrome is actually relatively common as a med student

Could it stem from a lack of self-confidence perceived when viewing others o the same caliber as oneself?

 

[LovelyBRass]

Could it stem from a lack of self-confidence perceived when viewing others o the same caliber as oneself?

Maybe. When I look at other people's scores and "life accomplishments" it's easy to downplay what I've done. I also think this might play into it as well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect I wouldn't go so far as to say I have "imposter syndrome" because when I do get challenged, I can turn around and defend myself and what I've done and why I deserve what I have. But at baseline, and I don't know why I have this, I definitely relate to this Dunning Kruger effect.

 

[2Pints]

Could it stem from a lack of self-confidence perceived when viewing others o the same caliber as oneself?

"Comparison is the thief of all joy." - Theodore Roosevelt

I can't remember how many times I've repeated that quote during the application process.

I can't decide if this forum is a blessing or a curse. Maybe I should just go sacrifice a goat and stop worrying so much.

 

[Time Table]

"Comparison is the thief of all joy." - Theodore Roosevelt

I can't remember how many times I've repeated that quote during the application process.

I can't decide if this forum is a blessing or a curse. Maybe I should just go sacrifice a goat and stop worrying so much.

Or turn he comparison to competition. I personally thrive n competition and I use comparisons to find a goal/target to reach, whether it be a higher GPA or whatever.

 

[Greenberg702]

Fairly confident. I need to give a lot of credit to SDN for modeling the "ideal" applicant to medical school over the years (although these were mostly done by trolls and sarcastic posters haha). Fortunately, I was able to emulate the 3.9+/40+/multiple pubs/leadership/tons of shadowing + service and ended up being very happy with my cycle.

 

[Xenoblade]

Hell yeah I do!

 

[SN12357]

I'm going through the threads of past school-specific threads and seems like a lot of good applicants were rejected. I realize once you get that 3.6/31 score range you're competitive to schools but did you guys (MD accepteds) feel that you actually 100% knew you were going to get in or was it like a 30% yes 30% wl 30% no and 10% no clue?

I'm trying to best assess my chances but it seems pretty bleak for me seeing "deserving" students with 3.7s/33+'s get rejected from schools which I thought they would have a good chance.

Just want to know if its just me who is stressing out going into junior year or I can find solidarity.

The bolded and the title of the thread are completely different questions, no? I felt I deserved an acceptance (and feel that I deserve the ones I got). I worked very hard and I knew I was qualified by the standards of the process. But as to knowing I would get in, of course not. I was an anxious mess until that first wonderful acceptance actually arrived. No matter how qualified you are there's still that final element of chance and luck. You can reduce how much chance and luck are needed but you can't eliminate them entirely. All you can do is realistically assess your chances using the available data, do your best, and have a backup plan for the worst case scenario.

 

[mrh125]

I was somewhat confident that I could probably get in somewhere, but that was only because the postbac I went to had a success rate of like 95+%. If I didn't have that statistic in my head and the confidence that as long as I worked my butt off I could get into med school, I think I would have had a lot more trouble quitting my previous job and career due to the uncertainty.

bryn mawr?

 

[mimelim]

I knew I was getting in. Maybe I shouldn't have been as cocky, but there was no way someone wasn't taking me. It would have been their loss and I would have gone to Law school.

 

[2Pints]

Or turn he comparison to competition. I personally thrive n competition and I use comparisons to find a goal/target to reach, whether it be a higher GPA or whatever.

Oh I love some good competition. Hence the whole "triathlon" thing. Maybe it's the whole being a non trad applicant thing. I feel like I'm returning to a game I used to play with a different mind set and different skills.

 

[darkjedi]

bryn mawr?

yup

 

[Goro]

Please check your entitlement at the door.

No one "deserves" acceptance to medical school. Admission to medical school, and a career in Medicine, is a privilege, not a right. It is not a reward for being a good student or merely having high grades + GPA. You wanna be a doctor? Earn it.

I'm going through the threads of past school-specific threads and seems like a lot of good applicants were rejected. I realize once you get that 3.6/31 score range you're competitive to schools but did you guys (MD accepteds) feel that you actually 100% knew you were going to get in or was it like a 30% yes 30% wl 30% no and 10% no clue?

I'm trying to best assess my chances but it seems pretty bleak for me seeing "deserving" students with 3.7s/33+'s get rejected from schools which I thought they would have a good chance.

Just want to know if its just me who is stressing out going into junior year or I can find solidarity.

 

[Sportsdude89]

Never made it off the WL last cycle. Don't think I deserved it. Reapplying this year. Got an editor and interview coach. Framed every rejection letter and they're on my desk so I see them every day. Next to it is also the letter from an ADCOM on advice to improve my ap, in which she said to me( and I highlighted, underlined, and circled) "you are nothing special, obviously you did not stand out." It's the s*** like this that gets me fired up every day.

 

[compstomper]

I'm going through the threads of past school-specific threads and seems like a lot of good applicants were rejected. I realize once you get that 3.6/31 score range you're competitive to schools but did you guys (MD accepteds) feel that you actually 100% knew you were going to get in or was it like a 30% yes 30% wl 30% no and 10% no clue?

I'm trying to best assess my chances but it seems pretty bleak for me seeing "deserving" students with 3.7s/33+'s get rejected from schools which I thought they would have a good chance.

Just want to know if its just me who is stressing out going into junior year or I can find solidarity.

I understand how you feel as I felt the same way. Going by stats alone I was a middling MD candidate at best. This combined with the fact that the sons and daughters of street vendors and housekeepers seldom become doctors, to put it mildly.

Someone on the forum once said that you have to want it as much as you want air and water. I realized in the nick of time that there's a time and place when you have to get over your fears of inadaquacy and just devote yourself fully to pursuing your dreams. Best of luck.

 

[el_duderino]

I voted no. I feel I somehow got extremely lucky. I know I'm going to kill it, but I have no idea how these guys looked at my app and gave it the thumbs up.

 

[DocConk]

Never made it off the WL last cycle. Don't think I deserved it. Reapplying this year. Got an editor and interview coach. Framed every rejection letter and they're on my desk so I see them every day. Next to it is also the letter from an ADCOM on advice to improve my ap, in which she said to me( and I highlighted, underlined, and circled) "you are nothing special, obviously you did not stand out." It's the s*** like this that gets me fired up every day.

I'm wondering if you could share the relevant info about your app, as I would like to see where I stand, relative to you. Did you apply DO?

 

[egressive]

Despite applying with competitive stats, I still can't shake that I was accepted to meet a diversity quota for being half Puerto Rican. I tell myself I belong, and truthfully I know I do..a small part of me just wonders that in the end my acceptance came down to something entirely beyond my control.

 

[pharmnrp804]

Never made it off the WL last cycle. Don't think I deserved it. Reapplying this year. Got an editor and interview coach. Framed every rejection letter and they're on my desk so I see them every day. Next to it is also the letter from an ADCOM on advice to improve my ap, in which she said to me( and I highlighted, underlined, and circled) "you are nothing special, obviously you did not stand out." It's the s*** like this that gets me fired up every day.

Best of luck to you! I had a similar experience in my career, so I made it my goal to succeed just to spite them. Worked my ass off, and now I'm proud of where I am. I hope you make it next round!

 

[mrh125]

Never made it off the WL last cycle. Don't think I deserved it. Reapplying this year. Got an editor and interview coach. Framed every rejection letter and they're on my desk so I see them every day. Next to it is also the letter from an ADCOM on advice to improve my ap, in which she said to me( and I highlighted, underlined, and circled) "you are nothing special, obviously you did not stand out." It's the s*** like this that gets me fired up every day.

you are awesome.

 

[Narmerguy]

People need to let go of this idea that a medical school acceptance is something you "deserve" or "don't deserve". It's not your choice, schools decide who they do and do not want based on their own personal criteria. Having a 3.9 and 43 MCAT does not entitle you to feel like you "deserve" any acceptance at any school. Sure it makes it more likely that schools will want you based on their historic tendencies and preferences, but that's no knock on your quality or worth if schools choose not to accept you.

I get the imposter syndrome, I really do. I've been "granted" things that it didn't seem at the time like I deserved. It sucks because people on the outside tell you to just suck it up and be happy, or get upset with you for being ungrateful or out of touch. In reality, most of us want to feel like our talents and accomplishments are well matched with our pursuits, and few people want to feel like they're skating through life on the basis of tricks, or misjudgments someone else's part, or perhaps even personal connections (though plenty of people are fine with this).

Medical school acceptance is not one of those situations where you need to worry about this. Schools are not some inexperienced, helpless group of gullible suckers with no idea what they're doing. These individuals see hundreds and thousands of applicants every year. They know what they want. Being selected is not about "merit", it's about aligning with their vision of what a medical student at their school looks like. History has clearly shown that though great stats are often part of that vision, it's not always. Research can appear often, but it's not requisite. The truth is that their vision of what an ideal medical student looks like is multifaceted and allows room for a lot of different students with different application profiles. If you're accepted, that means you fit into their vision somehow and that's really all that you can say. It doesn't mean you "deserved" it or didn't deserve it. All applicants are selected upon the same criteria--how well does she/he align with that particular committee's vision of a student they want? Either you've got it or don't, don't beat yourself up over the outcome either way.

 

[EMDO2018]

.

 

[EMDO2018]

Please check your entitlement at the door.

No one "deserves" acceptance to medical school. It is not a reward for being a good student or merely having high grades + GPA. You wanna be a doctor? Earn it.

Aren't your last two statements kinda contradictory?

 

[DermViser]

I knew I was getting in. Maybe I shouldn't have been as cocky, but there was no way someone wasn't taking me. It would have been their loss and I would have gone to Law school.

You really would have gone to law school?

 

[NickNaylor]

You mean to tell me that excellent numbers and gunning hard in undergrad doesn't make me qualified to be a doctor?

WHAT?

 

[Goro]

You earn it not only by getting good grades, but by demonstrating your compassion and interest in serving others. That's why the detested ECs are mandatory. 4.0 automatons are a dime-a-dozen.

Aren't your last two statements kinda contradictory?

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

Never made it off the WL last cycle. Don't think I deserved it. Reapplying this year. Got an editor and interview coach. Framed every rejection letter and they're on my desk so I see them every day. Next to it is also the letter from an ADCOM on advice to improve my ap, in which she said to me( and I highlighted, underlined, and circled) "you are nothing special, obviously you did not stand out." It's the s*** like this that gets me fired up every day.

when you get in this year, you should send a copy of your acceptance and tell her to suck it

 

[circulus vitios]

I figured I had a decent shot at mid-tier DO schools and little to no chances at MD schools. I'm surprised by and grateful for the MD acceptance.

 

[LVE]

You earn it not only by getting good grades, but by demonstrating your compassion and interest in serving others. That's why the detested ECs are mandatory. 4.0 automatons are a dime-a-dozen.

It's not entitlement to recognize your own skills. Med schools do not accept students out of compassion, but based on the students own traits. I would hazard that almost every student accepted to a med school DID deserve it (obviously not just based on stats), plus many more. It's too bad there aren't more spots to accommodate all the students who have worked hard and have the right skills to deserve a spot.

 

[NickNaylor]

It's too bad there aren't more spots to accommodate all the students who have worked hard and have the right skills to deserve a spot.

That is entitlement to the T, my friend.

 

[Osteoth]

I owe it all to the goat I sacrificed. I really do.

Before the ritual, it was like 10% acceptance, 20% WL, 70% rejected. But the minute I laid Buttons in the lobby of the AAMC building under cover of darkness, acceptance was assured.

Buttons the sacraficial goat...lol

 

[lmn]

when you get in this year, you should send a copy of your acceptance and tell her to suck it

I think it's ridiculous to get so enraged at some honest advice from an Adcom. It's absolutely nothing personal (although it may feel like it to you as the applicant), they don't have the ability to get to know you over a long time and learn really in-depth about who you are and how hard you have worked and how much you want to become a doctor and why you may be good at it.

They have a few pages of information to make a decision to give you an interview slot or not, out of thousands of other applications. On paper, you didn't stand out at all, there was nothing very special about your application, that is YOUR fault. Either you didn't do anything remarkable, or you didn't do a good job of marketing whatever you did that you think is important. And you are mad at the Adcom member for being honest and telling you this? What do you want them to do, make you a warm cup of milk and stroke your hair telling you that you're fine and you'll do better next year? Being able to take criticism (especially constructive ones like this) and using it, without getting all bent out of shape, to improve yourself for the future is not only a necessary attribute of a good physician, but also a mature adult.

Sure be upset for a tiny bit that things didn't go well for you, but accept your faults and mistakes and pick yourself up and work to fix those things, don't hold some big grudge against someone who didn't do anything wrong to you and actually in fact was quite helpful by being honest with you.

 

[sazerac]

I always thought I deserved my acceptance. Then as a first year medical student I started interviewing applicants for next year's class. They deserve an acceptance much more than I ever did. 🙁

 

[cupcakesandcadavers]

I think it's ridiculous to get so enraged at some honest advice from an Adcom. It's absolutely nothing personal (although it may feel like it to you as the applicant), they don't have the ability to get to know you over a long time and learn really in-depth about who you are and how hard you have worked and how much you want to become a doctor and why you may be good at it.

They have a few pages of information to make a decision to give you an interview slot or not, out of thousands of other applications. On paper, you didn't stand out at all, there was nothing very special about your application, that is YOUR fault. Either you didn't do anything remarkable, or you didn't do a good job of marketing whatever you did that you think is important. And you are mad at the Adcom member for being honest and telling you this? What do you want them to do, make you a warm cup of milk and stroke your hair telling you that you're fine and you'll do better next year? Being able to take criticism (especially constructive ones like this) and using it, without getting all bent out of shape, to improve yourself for the future is not only a necessary attribute of a good physician, but also a mature adult.

Sure be upset for a tiny bit that things didn't go well for you, but accept your faults and mistakes and pick yourself up and work to fix those things, don't hold some big grudge against someone who didn't do anything wrong to you and actually in fact was quite helpful by being honest with you.

good point, its interesting to see that perspective.
however, constructive criticism would be to tell him or her that they should probably do more clinical volunteering, or up the grades, etc. not tell them that they aren't special or that they suck. so this applicant did not do the best job, it does not mean that they are not a special person. the human thing to do is offer advice, not beat someone down when they are already low.

 

[LVE]

That is entitlement to the T, my friend.

If you need to earn it, it isn't entitlement. Quite simple.

 

[el_duderino]

If you need to earn it, it isn't entitlement. Quite simple.

If "earning" it means "you are entitled by getting good grades and having the right skills."

It doesn't.

 

[lmn]

good point, its interesting to see that perspective.
however, constructive criticism would be to tell him or her that they should probably do more clinical volunteering, or up the grades, etc. not tell them that they aren't special or that they suck. so this applicant did not do the best job, it does not mean that they are not a special person. the human thing to do is offer advice, not beat someone down when they are already low.

The thing is that this is Adcom feedback, not a counselor or paid admission's coach. Their job isn't to tell you exactly how you should be living your life and that you should join Americorp for 2 years, or start up a free clinic in Africa/etc to make your application stand out. They told the applicant that their application didn't stand out and that's why they were passed over. It is up to the applicant to decide if they want to take that advice and what they want to do to make their application stand out. School's don't want cookie cutter applicants, why would they give advice like you suggested that pushes the idea of cookie cutters? Cookie cutters don't stand out and don't deliver the type of applicants schools want.

Like I said before, that person may be "special" or "unique", but they obviously didn't show any of that in their application in the eyes of the Adcom, it isn't a malicious attack, it is a matter of fact observation. Ya we all know the application process sucks and you'll feel really down at times and rejection sucks, but it's something you need to be able to get through and if you can't take criticism in a difficult situation you won't have a good time in med school, residency, or beyond.

 

[LVE]

If "earning" it means "you are entitled by getting good grades and having the right skills."

It doesn't.

Correct. Earning it means earning it, which is of course different from person to person and is a complex process. It's hard to articulate in a sentence or two. I believe there are more qualified applicants than there are spots available and that's a shame. But I don't want someone to call me entitled because I worked for my spot and I do believe I earned it.

 

[lmn]

@imn I disagree. There are a lot of variables outside of your control, if an adcom shares a similar hobby or experience on your ap you're more likely to stand out since they can relate and you're odds are improved. Standing out, IMO is all on perspective and subjective opinion on your potential based on objective measures like mcat, gpa, ecs. Look at Chandler Parsons... mavs picked him up for 46 mil contract while the rockets dumped him. If xyz school needs a quota of an athlete, or native american, or someone who grew up in rural area and you're a suburban white boy you better believe it's gonna be hard as he'll to get into that school. You ever see those blurbs schools say on their classes where they brag class of whatever has a fashion model, Olympic athlete---at the end of the day medical school recruiting is just like business and each med schools has their own quota they fulfill.

Ya because obviously if they even had a "quota" for an athlete or native american/etc, it obviously isn't your fault that you weren't competitive for those other 149/150 seats. The fact is you didn't cut it for that school, plain and simple. Ya sure you may have even been academically and EC "qualified", but we all know that just being qualified doesn't always cut it and mean that you'll have a shot at that school. You have to make your application stand out from the thousands of others as someone they think they need to meet and that might be a great addition to their class. If you can't do that, you are either choosing the wrong school or you aren't competitive enough to stand out.

Of course schools want the best possible candidates that they realistically can get, why wouldn't they want to put together the best possible well-rounded class of people that excel in different ways? Every school "requires" that to different levels, if you don't fit that bill for a particular school why is it their fault?

 

[el_duderino]

good point, its interesting to see that perspective.
however, constructive criticism would be to tell him or her that they should probably do more clinical volunteering, or up the grades, etc. not tell them that they aren't special or that they suck. so this applicant did not do the best job, it does not mean that they are not a special person. the human thing to do is offer advice, not beat someone down when they are already low.

I don't think adcoms really have the mentality of "go do some clinical volunteering and we'll think more highly of you." They have so many great applicants to look through they don't need to tell anyone what to do.

If it were me, my attitude would be more like "there wasn't anything special about this guy, so whatever. If he really wants it then he'll do something cool. There are plenty of people who are special enough on their own without me giving them a list of things that will make them LOOK special."

 

[Sportsdude89]

Imn,I do actually agree with you it may be overkill to slap it into the adcoms face if accepted... but as a future physician, you sound like you have a stick pretty far stick up your ass. May I offer you a little humble pie?

Yes those accepted were perceived as unique by an adcom/s, but there are a handful who think they are literally better than God, it's SO SAD.

 

[lmn]

Imn,I do actually agree with you it may be overkill to slap it into the adcoms face if accepted... but as a future physician, you sound like you have a stick pretty far stick up your ass. May I offer you a little humble pie?

I see so many people who are accepted who, yes are unique and stand out, but they think they are literally better than God, it's SO SAD. I pity you and these people.

And while I'm hoping I do get in this cycle, that merely just gets you into the door, it's what you do after that really counts.

Please don't try to belittle me with your grandstanding. I have gone through the application cycle, I have been rejected from plenty of schools, I know the feeling of giving it your best effort only to be told you're not good enough and to be rejected, I have watched all of my friends around me get acceptances while I had nothing, I have been through the feeling of wonder where you went wrong and thinking I may have to reapply and trying to figure out what in the world I could do to try to fix it for next time.

Now what was the difference between me and those I was talking to? I didn't take the rejections as attacks on me as a person, and I definitely didn't hold grudges against the Adcom members that decided my application wasn't good enough. Ya it was extremely crappy, but I accepted that my application wasn't perfect and that there were definitely faults that Adcoms could have used to come to a reasonable conclusion that I wasn't good for their class. Did I disagree with some of their decisions? Ya you bet I did, but I didn't hate them for having to make a hard decision based off little information.

Please once again stop your grandstanding, I and almost every other accepted person I know are extremely thankful and feel extremely blessed and lucky getting our acceptances. Saying that you shouldn't hate an Adcom for something unreasonable is absolutely not pretending we are so GREAT and GODLY as you are trying to state. I know you're stressed due to applying, but stop trying to grandstand and trying to belittle me because you're stressed out.

 

[Sportsdude89]

I'm certainly not looking for an audience here, but instead trying to inspire reapplicants like myself to push forward and continue staying motivated and understand many parts of the application process are out of your control.