I don't think I'll make it into medical school

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deleted804295

I've been on SDN since my freshman year of college and I owe everything I've learned about the premed experience to SDN.

I made a vow a year or so ago that I wanted my experience to be documented so that if I do well I can help others and that if I do bad I can help others to not make the same mistakes.

I'm making this post pre-maturely prior to even submitting my application for a couple reasons but mostly due to knowing that if I fail I will have a propensity to not log in again due to shame. I have seen many brilliant people on SDN come and go without a trace due to unsuccessful cycles.

It's okay to not make it into medical school, it's fine to know that it's highly likely you'll have to apply again, and it's perfectly okay to know that in a sea of very high achievers you're mediocre.

That's all I suppose. I likely will continue logging in but if I disappear I thought I should let you all know.
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efle said:
If you're expecting not to get in anywhere, why are you applying this cycle?
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I don't know OP well or their ECs, Stats, personality etc. But probably the same reason a few hundred people with a 3.0 and a 500 MCAT apply - there is still a not-insignificant (12%) chance of acceptance.
 
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efle said:
If you're expecting not to get in anywhere, why are you applying this cycle?
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My stats aren't horrible- they're very mediocre and it's a borderline application.

Depending on how one interprets the AAMC table my likelihood of getting in is either 40%-70%.
 
MemeLord said:
I don't know OP well or their ECs, Stats, personality etc. But probably the same reason a few hundred people with a 3.0 and a 500 MCAT apply - there is still a not-insignificant (12%) chance of acceptance.
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I mean they're not that low.
 
I'm just not sure what percent chance I should shoot before before even bothering to apply.
 
Sunbodi said:
Woah. My likelihood is higher than 40%. That makes me feel better.

I mean but still. It's very possible I don't get in. There have been people with better stats on SDN that didn't get in.
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For most students above a 3.5/508 the reasons for not getting in are likely downward trends, poor writing, poor ECs, uneventful LORs, poor school list and bad interviewing/interview day skills.

Even as a borderline applicant, maximizing all of those qualities ^^^^ is how you get in to that accepted slot. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but you are in control of 90% of the process, only the last 10% is the school actually choosing you. It may sound egocentric, but even as a borderline applicant if you make them like you then you have better chances then not.
 
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Sunbodi said:
Woah. My likelihood is higher than 40%. That makes me feel better.

I mean but still. It's very possible I don't get in. There have been people with better stats on SDN that didn't get in.
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Bro, fix this mentality before getting into medicine, being pessimist and eternal comparing yourself to others is not the behavior you expect from a person how is going to treat you or your family. If you have good application you should be fine, if not, figure out what went wrong, fix it, and apply again, schools and medicine are not going anywhere. Don't compare yourself to superstars, remember, 40% of people with 3.8+ GPA don't get in, 20% of people with 517+ MCAT don't get any single offer.
 
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MemeLord said:
For most students above a 3.5/508 the reasons for not getting in are likely downward trends, poor writing, poor ECs, uneventful LORs, poor school list and bad interviewing/interview day skills.

Even as a borderline applicant, maximizing all of those qualities ^^^^ is how you get in to that accepted slot. Nothing is ever guaranteed, but you are in control of 90% of the process, only the last 10% is the school actually choosing you.
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Wow thanks so much. Knowing I meet at least the benchmark stats I think I'm going to put more focus on the other aspects of my application now.
 
spb1703 said:
Bro, fix this mentality before getting into medicine, being pessimist and eternal comparing yourself to others is not the behavior you expect from a person how are going to treat you or your family. If you have good application you should be fine, if not, figure out what went wrong, fix it, and apply again, schools and medicine are not going anywhere. Don't compare yourself to superstars, remember, 40% of people with 3.8+ GPA don't get in, 30% of people with 517+ MCAT don't get any single offer.
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I mean. I had a very distorted view on what was acceptable stats to begin with. I've been studying with people who score 515+ on the MCAT and who have high GPAs.

I think it's realistic to put heavy emphasis on stats when schools are becoming increasingly focused on stats. God knows what my school's median MCAT will look like after this cycle.
 
MemeLord said:
Might I suggest a gap year? A week before application opens for submission is not when you should start focusing on the application.
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I have LORs finished and a 4th draft on my PS. I'm not super behind I've just been stressing over what my MCAT would look like based off of practice scores.
 
Sunbodi said:
I have LORs finished and a 4th draft on my PS. I'm not super behind I've just been stressing over what my MCAT would look like based off of practice scores.
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If it helps, the general advice is that the real deal will be closest to the average of your AAMC fls and my average was like a 515 (Upward trend, but still) and I got 6 points higher than that. The AAMC tests are more of a study tool than a direct 1:1 comparison. Don't stress until after you see the numbers on your real deal.
 
Sunbodi said:
I mean. I had a very distorted view on what was acceptable stats to begin with. I've been studying with people who score 515+ on the MCAT and who have high GPAs.

I think it's realistic to put heavy emphasis on stats when schools are becoming increasingly focused on stats. God knows what my school's median MCAT will look like after this cycle.
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People with 515+ mcat represent 7-8% of all test takers. It is not always about stats. As @Goro said "4.0 robots are dime a dozen". Remember, there are mission driven schools, that usually have lower stats, my state has 2 schools where median MCAT is 504. You can get into DO school with 500 MCAT and mediocre GPA. Nobody has to attend Harvard to become a doctor.
 
Sunbodi said:
Woah. My likelihood is higher than 40%. That makes me feel better.

I mean but still. It's very possible I don't get in. There have been people with better stats on SDN that didn't get in.
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If you are from the right state such as Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan etc then your chances will be higher than 40%. If you have a 40% chance of getting into am MD school you probably have a 95% chance of getting into a DO school. It's time for you to buck up.
 
MemeLord said:
If it helps, the general advice is that the real deal will be closest to the average of your AAMC fls and my average was like a 515 (Upward trend, but still) and I got 6 points higher than that. The AAMC tests are more of a study tool than a direct 1:1 comparison. Don't stress until after you see the numbers on your real deal.
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Thanks. I don't think I'll have a 6 point boost since all 3 tests have been identical scores. I've had burnout the last month of studying and I honestly am done studying for it this year. If my score tanks I think I'll just take a gap year because I can't be bothered to continue studying.
 
Sunbodi said:
I mean. I had a very distorted view on what was acceptable stats to begin with. I've been studying with people who score 515+ on the MCAT and who have high GPAs.

I think it's realistic to put heavy emphasis on stats when schools are becoming increasingly focused on stats. God knows what my school's median MCAT will look like after this cycle.
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This is a fallacy - Looking at year on year trends it looks upward for the average MCAT and GPA, but the multi decade charts show that the GPA and MCAT fluctuate +/- 5% points abouts the same area (84% MCAT and like 3.7 GPA)
 
Sunbodi said:
Thanks. I don't think I'll have a 6 point boost since all 3 tests have been identical scores. I've had burnout the last month of studying and I honestly am done studying for it this year. If my score tanks I think I'll just take a gap year because I can't be bothered to continue studying.
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When is real deal?
 
Sunbodi said:
My stats aren't horrible- they're very mediocre and it's a borderline application.

Depending on how one interprets the AAMC table my likelihood of getting in is either 40%-70%.
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My chances were worse. And I’m starting med school in the fall. Lighten up, at least don’t put negative energy out
 
Sunbodi said:
What's Ohio's median MCAT?

Sheesh. I can't even complain about my state because it's better than a certain one that shall not be named but still.
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Northeast Ohio Medical University3.67
New MCAT Average - 504
The Ohio State University College of Medicine3.76
New MCAT � 514
The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences3.62
New MCAT � 510
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine3.74
New MCAT � 515
Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine3.62
New MCAT Average - 504
We also have OUHCOM that seems to be the most OOS unfriendly osteopathic school in the country, with 503 average MCAT.
 
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Sunbodi said:
Me: Pre-mature goodbye fellas
SDN: Pick yourself up and pull yourself together.

Y'all are real ones
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I apologize if I missed it somewhere, but what about your ECs? I was successful only on my 3rd cycle, so I know the struggle of trying to figuring things out. I also know the struggle of feeling "not good enough" to be a doctor. But I also saw a lot of very different stories, so, what are your ECs?
 
M&L said:
I apologize if I missed it somewhere, but what about your ECs? I was successful only on my 3rd cycle, so I know the struggle of trying to figuring things out. I also know the struggle of feeling "not good enough" to be a doctor. But I also saw a lot of very different stories, so, what are your ECs?
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Very cookie cutter as well.

Sorry, I didn't mean to make this thread a WAMC. I have about 400 hours in research, 500-1000 hours in leadership, 200 hours in non clinical volunteering, only about 150 hours in clinical exposure but it stretched out over 3 years. Only 30 hours of shadowing from a non primary care doctor- which in my eyes is very lethal however after asking everyone in my network and cold emailing about 50 different physicians this was all I could amass. I'm being very vague but my research was under two different PIs. My leadership is under about 3 different organizations which is why the hours are higher than everything else.

I'm sure I'm missing a few things here and there.
 
Isoval said:
@Sunbodi

If you disappear, I will find you.
I will find you and I will drag you back to SDN for round 2.
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Thank you dear <3. I for sure will be re-applying if I don't get in- although I could work in other professions after researching into all my plan Bs they really wouldn't have the same effect on me as medicine.

I fear I would be too ashamed however to come back. Probably would lurk and DM people here and there.
 
Sunbodi said:
Very cookie cutter as well.

Sorry, I didn't mean to make this thread a WAMC. I have about 400 hours in research, 500-1000 hours in leadership, 200 hours in non clinical volunteering, only about 150 hours in clinical exposure but it stretched out over 3 years. Only 30 hours of shadowing from a non primary care doctor- which in my eyes is very lethal however after asking everyone in my network and cold emailing about 50 different physicians this was all I could amass. I'm being very vague but my research was under two different PIs. My leadership is under about 3 different organizations which is why the hours are higher than everything else.

I'm sure I'm missing a few things here and there.
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listen, this is the thing. All of this "shame" is just your confidence issues. Yes, you could use more clinical exposure, but otherwise, your ECs are not bad at all. What you need to work on is your confidence. I honestly think that this is the only thing standing between you and an acceptance. So, work on that, especially before you submit the application, - ask someone to read your essays, to make sure that that lack of confidence does not show in them.
 
M&L said:
listen, this is the thing. All of this "shame" is just your confidence issues. Yes, you could use more clinical exposure, but otherwise, your ECs are not bad at all. What you need to work on is your confidence. I honestly think that this is the only thing standing between you and an acceptance. So, work on that, especially before you submit the application, - ask someone to read your essays, to make sure that that lack of confidence does not show in them.
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You're very sweet. Thank you so much.
 
SDN is a dichotomy of dreams and nightmares. Many newcomers are faced with a plethora of people who are either very successful, or very unsuccessful. The middle ground is paper thin.
 
You came here for ppl to build you up don’t be surprised. You also posted this as a scapegoat. The typical “Oh I’m just gonna go out there, probably won’t win but who knows” mentality knowing dam well you want it as much as anyone.
 
Something I learned from Donald Trump's electoral victory in 2016 is that confidence alone can take you very far in life. The confidence doesn't have to be objectively justified, nor do you need special skills or experience to back it up; you just need to have an unwavering faith in your ability to succeed. If you feel confident in yourself, you will exude confidence—and in turn, others will feel more confident in you.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you convince yourself that you're fully capable of achieving something, then others will be more willing to help you get to where you want to be. Don't waste time doubting yourself and preparing for failure. Wake up feeling like a rockstar, ignore the haters, and waddle around like your gargantuan balls can barely fit between your legs.
 
chlorocruorin said:
You came here for ppl to build you up don’t be surprised. You also posted this as a scapegoat. The typical “Oh I’m just gonna go out there, probably won’t win but who knows” mentality knowing dam well you want it as much as anyone.
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The virtue of charity goes a long way.

Edit: I think my original post was pretty clear but in case you didn't know it since you're newer; there is a real community present in SDN. I've been here for a while and along the way I've made friends and met people I enjoy seeing here. I've also been here through enough cycles to know that people I like sometimes stop coming on for whatever reason but usually due to unsuccessful cycles. We would wait patiently wait for their return but sometimes it would never happen. And that's okay.

I made a post here a while ago detailing that this pre med process is a journey for me that has helped in my adult development and I really owe it to SDN. I wanted to know in the past why high achievers sometimes wouldn't get in and sometimes you don't always know that when they disappear. I hoped that if I got to the point where I wasn't accepted I could help others know why. This isn't a post to make people build me up, I'm thankful for my mom who is there to build me up, my dad who is always with me, and my close friends IRL.

I am really thankful for my peers in previous cycles, I'm thankful for the adcoms who do this work for free, and I'm thankful to the friends I've made along the way. I didn't want my gratitude to not be understood by disappearing so I made this thread as a premature goodbye in case I wasn't strong enough to continue logging on again.
 
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Osminog said:
Something I learned from Donald Trump's electoral victory in 2016 is that confidence alone can take you very far in life. The confidence doesn't have to be objectively justified, nor do you need special skills or experience to back it up; you just need to have an unwavering faith in your ability to succeed. If you feel confident in yourself, you will exude confidence—and in turn, others will feel more confident in you.

It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you convince yourself that you're fully capable of achieving something, then others will be more willing to help you get to where you want to be. Don't waste time doubting yourself and preparing for failure. Wake up feeling like a rockstar, ignore the haters, and waddle around like your gargantuan balls can barely fit between your legs.
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Thanks. I know I worked hard. I think taking a breather with my mom really let me put things in perspective.

Confidence is truly key and I have confidence that I worked my hardest and at this point that matters more than any potential results.
 
@Sunbodi Your response is inappropriately verbose & missing the point. They were telling you to crush it because you want it and it's entirely possible that your subpar diagnostict scores are associated with you having a loser mentality instead of channeling into your inner hunter gatherer that this is a test that is crushable and on your own time table unlike other exams you will have to take in the future e.g. USMLE Step exams.
 
Select All That Apply said:
@Sunbodi Your response is inappropriately verbose & missing the point. They were telling you to crush it because you want it and it's entirely possible that your subpar diagnostict scores are associated with you having a loser mentality instead of channeling into your inner hunter gatherer that this is a test that is crushable and on your own time table unlike other exams you will have to take in the future e.g. USMLE Step exams.
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Thanks for the clarification.
 
Sunbodi said:
... but mostly due to knowing that if I fail I will have a propensity to not log in again due to shame.
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Shame? What shame is there in trying and failing? "Oh goodness I'm so ashamed that I only made it the last round of the Olympic trials."

You only fail if you stop trying. Masters are masters at what they do because they've failed more times than most people have tried.
 
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