How to break the news

Started by LetItSnow
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LetItSnow

LetItSnow

Skipping the light fandango
Verified Member
10+ Year Member
Veterinarian
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This is premature, but... I've decided to stay optimistic and hope that I'll get accepted this year.

So: What sorts of suggestions do people have for breaking the good news to the people you're really close to?

My sister is an MD, and I've considered sending her a "Real doctors treat more than one species" T-shirt if I get in.

Any creative thinkers out there with excellent, touching, humorous, or just plain interesting ideas?
 
LetItSnow said:
This is premature, but... I've decided to stay optimistic and hope that I'll get accepted this year.

So: What sorts of suggestions do people have for breaking the good news to the people you're really close to?

My sister is an MD, and I've considered sending her a "Real doctors treat more than one species" T-shirt if I get in.

Any creative thinkers out there with excellent, touching, humorous, or just plain interesting ideas?
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I just called everyone in my super excited state. The first person I told was my dad, and I ran upstairs to his office with my laptop to show him the acceptance email. After we laughed and giggled and danced around a little I just started calling people. Not terribly creative, but it was exciting and got the job done =)

Also, make sure you have told EVERYONE important in your life before you post it on Facebook. My dad told me he was calling my aunt to tell her, and he ended up forgetting and she found out through Facebook and was really angry about it. I didn't let it get to me because it was my special day, but her feelings were hurt.
 
I'm in a huge predicament about when to tell my boss. I know telling him too soon would put me on the chopping block ASAP and I know he may be the type to let me go right after I tell him. However I would feel really cruddy if I only gave him a 2 weeks notice..... anyone else in this predicament?
 
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Funny you bring this up - I was just brainstorming ways to send thank-you type stuff to all of the people who I've worked with. I plan to call everyone important (and I'll probably end up blurting it out to random people that I pass on the sidewalk..) but I wanted to make a special card/gift basket thing for the people who've really supported me in this and allowed me to experience everything that really solidified my desire to pursue vet med.

ANYWAY. I'm looking forward to seeing people's responses and suggestions. I don't want to do anything lame or overly me-centered but I do want to let people know AND thank them in a special way.

EDIT: Penny, if he's that much of a jerk, he deserves just two weeks notice. If you feel really awful about that, give him enough notice to fire you but close enough to leaving that it doesn't ding you too bad. Sorry you have to deal with that 🙁
 
that redhead said:
Funny you bring this up - I was just brainstorming ways to send thank-you type stuff to all of the people who I've worked with. I plan to call everyone important (and I'll probably end up blurting it out to random people that I pass on the sidewalk..) but I wanted to make a special card/gift basket thing for the people who've really supported me in this and allowed me to experience everything that really solidified my desire to pursue vet med.
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I was thinking the same thing yesterday, esp for all the drs and people I've worked closely with at my clinic over the last two years. I know there's an old thread on this (http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=742445&highlight=thank+you+gift) but what kind of stuff is everyone planning on doing this year? I'm hesitant to think about it because it's premature and I'm going back and forth between hoping and thinking I failed my interview. :xf:
And in terms of spreading the news.. once I'm done screaming my head off, I'll probably call everyone remotely important. Hahaha and yes, good point about telling important people before telling facebook.
I'm sorry, that's a hard situation, penny. Does your boss know that you are potentially leaving? He should know you are worth keeping as long as you want to stay, and then he can find somebody new!
 
I had delusions of holding off telling my mom that I got in and tell her by giving her an OHIO STATE VETERINARY MEDICINE t-shirt if/when I got in. That idea went right out the window once I got the call from OSU. As soon as I hung up with Dr Brandt, I called my mom at work. And then I proceeded to call everyone close to me, and then sent out a text to everyone else in my phone, and then posted on facebook, and then posted on here! You may have much better self control than I do, but there is no way I could hold off telling everyone right away!
 
My dad and I had just gotten back to our hotel in Columbus after my interview and were talking about dinner plans and flopped on the couch and floor, respectively. My phone rang and I didn't recognize the number so I picked it up (my hands were shaking). It was my interviewer and she told me I got in and I started shrieking. My dad's like "Stop screaming! What's going on?!". I thanked her and got off the phone and screamed "I'M GOING TO VET SCHOOL!". Then we both burst into tears...=) I would recommend calming down a little before you start calling people because I'm fairly certain I deafened everyone I spoke to. =)
 
Jakesmom said:
I had delusions of holding off telling my mom that I got in and tell her by giving her an OHIO STATE VETERINARY MEDICINE t-shirt if/when I got in.
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I was going to do this for my grandmother... but, realistically, I know that there is no way my family and I would be able to keep our mouths shut until the thing arrives.

As much as I'd love to be creative, I have a feeling that (if I do get in), the people I am really close to or those that were instrumental in the process will receive either a very obnoxious visit from yours truly, or the screaming phone call... depending on where they happen to reside. Acquaintances, it's getting facebooked.
 
Step 1) Answer the phone
Step 2) Start crying until your father thinks that someone dies.
Step 3) Tell father that everything's okay. Continue the tears.
Step 4) Drive 6+ hours home, crying the whole way, while calling mother, besties, updating FB, and updating SDN.
Step 5) Try really hard not to drive off the road
Step 6) Try even harder not to stop for a celebratory drink in every bar you pass :laugh: At least wait until you get into your home state before drinking!
 
Parents: Call them immediately and start blubbering and screaming incoherently into the phone.
Close friends: ^ same as above
Friends: Probably will change my Facebook status to "AHHHHHHHH"
Vets who I volunteered with: Tell them to save me a position in 4 years
 
that redhead said:
Funny you bring this up - I was just brainstorming ways to send thank-you type stuff to all of the people who I've worked with. I plan to call everyone important (and I'll probably end up blurting it out to random people that I pass on the sidewalk..) but I wanted to make a special card/gift basket thing for the people who've really supported me in this and allowed me to experience everything that really solidified my desire to pursue vet med.
Click to expand...

Wow, I feel like a schmuck! haha I went through the phone calls/texts last night. I didn't run up to any strangers today, but who knows about tomorrow? :laugh: This is probably uber lame, but with my financial status, I might be able to afford thank you cards (if I make them myself!). I usually give thank you notes immediately after (like shadowing, writing LORs etc). If I had some $$, I would definitely think of better ways to express my gratitude!!
 
kaydubs said:
Wow, I feel like a schmuck! haha I went through the phone calls/texts last night. I didn't run up to any strangers today, but who knows about tomorrow? :laugh: This is probably uber lame, but with my financial status, I might be able to afford thank you cards (if I make them myself!). I usually give thank you notes immediately after (like shadowing, writing LORs etc). If I had some $$, I would definitely think of better ways to express my gratitude!!
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Baked goods. Even if its brownies from a box or slice and bake cookies. Personally, I did pumpkin, banana or irish soda breads in little mini loaves, wrapped them up with cellphane and handed them out with cards. Its the thought that counts, not the amount you spend.
 
cowgirla said:
Baked goods. Even if its brownies from a box or slice and bake cookies. Personally, I did pumpkin, banana or irish soda breads in little mini loaves, wrapped them up with cellphane and handed them out with cards. Its the thought that counts, not the amount you spend.
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Good point. If only I could bake....or cook anything for that matter without a)destroying the food ingredients beyond recognizability & b)injuring myself in some way in the process.

:laugh: I just replied to one of your other posts. It's like we're having a conversation across 2 boards. (Probably a sign I need to leave the computer...):laugh::laugh:
 
kaydubs said:
Good point. If only I could bake....or cook anything for that matter without a)destroying the food ingredients beyond recognizability & b)injuring myself in some way in the process.

:laugh: I just replied to one of your other posts. It's like we're having a conversation across 2 boards. (Probably a sign I need to leave the computer...):laugh::laugh:
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Haha yeah I've been spending way too much time on here today!
(and when in doubt, buy baked goods and just rewrap!)
 
I called my mom crying after admissions called and told me I got in. She couldn't understand me and thought I wrecked my car because it was snowing pretty hard that day. Then when I could finally get it out, she started crying too. When I told my dad, I calmed down a little and said something on the lines of "You know how I said if I get accepted to vet school, I will only answer to 'doctor?' Well..." That weekend I was getting coffee with some friends and they surprised me with champagne and announced in front of all of Starbucks that I had gotten into vet school. Everyone clapped and someone even did one of those ear-splitting whistles. So embarrassing. 😎
 
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Jakesmom said:
I had delusions of holding off telling my mom that I got in and tell her by giving her an OHIO STATE VETERINARY MEDICINE t-shirt if/when I got in. That idea went right out the window once I got the call from OSU. As soon as I hung up with Dr Brandt, I called my mom at work. And then I proceeded to call everyone close to me, and then sent out a text to everyone else in my phone, and then posted on facebook, and then posted on here! You may have much better self control than I do, but there is no way I could hold off telling everyone right away!
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HAH!! I totally planned to tell my family this SAME way.. since I was accepted right before christmas..BUT I was not able to contain my excitement for more than 2 minutes and just ended up calling them !
 
When letters come out in June, I'll be back at Dad's house, so he'll know first. Then I'll probably go track down Mom and Step-Dad. Sister will be called. And I'll probably be horribly cruel to my riding instructor and just put up a HUGE banner in her riding ring... or better yet, pick up a cheap blanket for my lease mare Coquette and write "I'M GOING TO VET SCHOOL" on it. There will be baked goods going to the two clinics I worked at. Post on SDN at some point in all that. Everyone else will be updated via Facebook.

(All of this is extremely speculative, since I won't even find out about an interview invite until March)
 
I wanted to do something creative, but when I got the email, I ended up calling hubby, screaming in his ear, called my mom, brother and dad, screamed in all of their ears and then posted on FB and SDN.

For my vets (don't work there right now) I have waited on officially telling them bc I want to put together a little gift basket type thing with baked goods and other personalize items as a final THANK YOU. They have probably written me 5 LORs each in the past and all I did before was a TY letter, so this time, I want to make it special.

Only drama story was telling my in-laws. To say they were less than pleased is an understatement. I think they felt this "vet school thing" was just a phase I was going through and I think they were secretly praying that I would get over it and start producing grandchildren for them. (They have been pushing for that since we got back from our honeymoon - 5 years ago!) So relations with the in-laws are a little stressed right now, but on the good side, in 6 mos I am moving to another country and may not have to see them for quite some time!
 
I am trying to think of a creative way to tell my friends/family if and when I get accepted, but most likely I will be so excited I won't be able to hold it in for very long. I can't wait to hear back from these schools... the wait is so agonizing. I just want to know and then I will figure out how to tell everyone. 🙂
 
When I told my family that I wanted to become a vet they weren't too happy I got a lecture of how my life needs to be organized and all the things that reminded me my that my family does not know me at all.

When I told my chiropractor, his assisstant and my buddhist members they were supportive of me becuase they have seen how much I have over come in my life and some even say that I would make a good vet cause of I take care of my own cats and the fosters I take in.

I say tell who is important, if facebook is important then go for it, if family members get the news on facebook they should be happy you kept them on your friends list.

on my local news they do a segement called milestones who knows I might send in my picture to it and have them give me my congratulations.7

@Penny I never worked in an office setting to experience what your going through, I would say have a meeting with him and let him know , he might react like a jerk but your respecting your choices to become a vet, and your respecting the experience he gave you as an employer. If your leaving or want to have a leave of abense let him know what you would like from him or how he can help and give him time to think about it more then you are right now.
 
thedogisgreen said:
You just skip the freaking out part about whether you will get in or not, and go straight to what you will do once you get in.
...it's a nice break to dream every once in a while! 🙂
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👍

You know we spend enough time thinking about what we'll do if we DON'T get in...it's a little balance to think positive sometimes too 😀
 
lareinesoleil said:
You know we spend enough time thinking about what we'll do if we DON'T get in...it's a little balance to think positive sometimes too 😀
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👍

Agreed. But it makes me nervous in a strange way to think positively like this. Almost like I'm jinxing myself...
 
Ahh, I really wanted to do something creative, I was going to call my dad and say "soon your not going to be the only dr. In the family!" But that went out the window when I got an email for edinburgh at 630am, I was at home for the holidays and ran into my moms room and woke her up screaming and jumping up and down, im pretty sure my step dad thought there was a burglar 🙂
 
Kem9987221 said:
Ahh, I really wanted to do something creative, I was going to call my dad and say "soon your not going to be the only dr. In the family!" But that went out the window when I got an email for edinburgh at 630am, I was at home for the holidays and ran into my moms room and woke her up screaming and jumping up and down, im pretty sure my step dad thought there was a burglar 🙂
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:laugh: Haha that is awesome! :claps:
 
I got my hopes up last year, and that resulted in what was arguably the worst week of my life.

Don't get out your violins, now... I got over it, obviously. But I have no intentions of getting my hopes up this time. I'll give it my best, absolutely, but I have no intentions of wasting any more emotion on that school. At least not that sort of emotion. You know?

So, I'm being very careful. Don't let it stop anyone else! I'm just bitter, lol.
 
twelvetigers said:
I got my hopes up last year, and that resulted in what was arguably the worst week of my life.

Don't get out your violins, now... I got over it, obviously. But I have no intentions of getting my hopes up this time. I'll give it my best, absolutely, but I have no intentions of wasting any more emotion on that school. At least not that sort of emotion. You know?

So, I'm being very careful. Don't let it stop anyone else! I'm just bitter, lol.
Click to expand...
so how did you break the news in the end?
 
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StartingoverVet said:
so how did you break the news in the end?
Click to expand...

I remember the sticker on the envelope and the "they wouldn't waste a nice sticker on a rejection letter" line of thought... Then opening it at the kitchen table and some assorted jumping around and making noises and scaring the cats... Then calling the husband and him not being able to tell if I was upset or excited at first. And apparently while he was at work the rest of the day everyone kept asking him what the **** eating grin was about.

I think we got dinner with my parents that weekend.

Plus I got to post on FB and, yes, here too. It was pretty great.

Again... It's hard to remember these days. Maybe it's good to think about sometimes.
 
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