I'm insecure about my medical school acceptance. Please knock some sense into me.

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belleforest

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Graduated from a "Top 10" undergrad. Interviewed at a handful of med schools on the East Coast and Midwest, but only got accepted into a Midwest school.
The school itself is wonderful, the faculty is very supportive, and all the students seem legitimately happy on my interview/second look day. I'm also very grateful that I don't have to go through the sh*tstorm of re-applying.

However.

Through a combination of cultural and peer pressure, I'm having bouts of insecurities when it comes to my medical school. My undergrad is full of typical gunner pre-meds, and there is an atmosphere of arrogance that we should, even DESERVE to, get into "top-tier" schools. I'm ashamed to say that I definitely internalized this mindset during my time there (though the application process has completely knocked me off my high horse). People are matriculating to Stanford and Case and Harvard, and everyone looks at me with pity when I mention my school. Family friends regard any "Non-Top 5" medical school with disdain, and I sometimes worry that they also look down on my parents as a result. "Oh, you didn't get into Harvard Medical School? But you went to such a good undergrad. You probably just needed to work harder." "How are you going to match into a good residency from such a low-tier school? Looks like family medicine is your only option." "What a waste for your parents to pay so much for undergrad just to go to a no-name medical school, huh?"

Please knock some sense into me. Fire/roast away. Thanks in advance.
 
You're going to be a doctor, which freaking awesome! Don't base your happiness on what anyone else thinks. Are you happy to be going to medical school? If so, that's what counts.
 
I work in the emergency department. Today we got an overhead page for a lady who found out she had terminal cancer and attempted to kill herself. She is in critical condition but will survive. So now she has to live with the fact that she tried to kill herself. The fear in her eyes when she awoke and realized that she was still alive is something that is impossible for me to describe in words but it was one of those times where you truly understand the saying, “a fate worse than death.”

So what I’m saying to you is, imagine explaining your shallow problems to this lady and her family and try to imagine how they would respond because these are the kind of patients you will take care of some day.
 
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I experienced a similar time of disappointment/insecurity after undergrad applications—cried multiple times in the week following decision announcement day, cried again about a month before college started, felt like I failed to reach my expectations, etc, etc—but my 4 years of college ended up being one of the best experiences in my life. So I think I do understand how this may feel very big and important right now, but later on you'll probably look back with the same MD behind your name as everybody else and think you were a bit silly for placing so much importance on this, just like how I look back and think I was a bit dramatic about my college admissions experience too lol.

And judging from what you say, it seems that you will have a great time at this school! Focus on that, and who cares what other people say? As long as you're happy, it doesn't matter.
 
"Any effort that has self-glorification as its final endpoint is bound to end in disaster. Now we're paying the price. When you try to climb a mountain to prove how big you are, you almost never make it. And even if you do it's a hollow victory. In order to sustain the victory you have to prove yourself again and again in some other way, and again and again and again, driven forever to fill a false image, haunted by the fear that the image is not true and someone will find out. That's never the way."

-Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
 
It’s really astonishing how your environment can shape your perception of yourself and your success.

Imagine you got stuck on an island with ten people. Now, imagine they all point at you, and say you’re a screw up. Would you believe them? Probably. I would. But that doesn’t make those people right.

You’re in a sounding box with people who have toxic ideas of success. The truth is, you have so much to be proud of. But beyond that, you also have a lot to focus on. Like @capriccio said, you’re not going to be dwelling on this after you’re in the swing of school.

In the mean time, try to get those shallow people/voices out of your head, and focus on how you can be the best, happiest, most fulfilled doctor you can be.
 
I struggled with this and still do today. I don’t fault you at all for admitting it when the need for prestige is so prevalent everywhere. I believe it is possible to be both insecure about our place in life and to genuinely want to serve others.
 
Going to a prestigious school does not automatically mean acceptance into a prestigious medical school and residency. I do believe that name matters, but only to a point and definitely not to the degree that most people would like to believe. So take the acceptance, bust you *ss off during medical school, and work hard towards getting into the residency and specialty of your choice. Also, don't go in expecting to be "better" than your classmates, because in all likelihood, you will find that they've accomplished amazing things as well.

faerie62 said:
the need for prestige is so prevalent everywhere
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Mostly among premeds, medical students, and tiger parents. I don't fault people for chasing prestige. I was there once, and like you said, this feeling is natural and does not preclude one from providing excellent patient care. The further you go along in medical training though, the less people will care about prestige. So take that into consideration when deciding between schools (or in this case, deciding between not going to school).
 
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Playing college football I had the same mindset coming out of high school. Your fatal flaw is that those people at your own medical school, many probably come from top 10 UGs and are just as smart if not smarter than you. Getting into Medical school is hard across the board. If you go into school with your current mindset you will get blown away by how smart your peers are. Also, at some point you have to get that gunner mindset out of your head and realize that there’s more to life than f-ing peoples perception of you.
 
It's a cultural issue (assuming you are an ORM). All matters is if you like the school or not. Don't worry about family friends, they will forget you by next cycle and find someone else to pick on. Those who have kids in top school know how random admissions are.
 
The medical school that is right for you, is the school that wants you!
 
belleforest said:
Graduated from a "Top 10" undergrad. Interviewed at a handful of med schools on the East Coast and Midwest, but only got accepted into a Midwest school.
The school itself is wonderful, the faculty is very supportive, and all the students seem legitimately happy on my interview/second look day. I'm also very grateful that I don't have to go through the sh*tstorm of re-applying.

However.

Through a combination of cultural and peer pressure, I'm having bouts of insecurities when it comes to my medical school. My undergrad is full of typical gunner pre-meds, and there is an atmosphere of arrogance that we should, even DESERVE to, get into "top-tier" schools. I'm ashamed to say that I definitely internalized this mindset during my time there (though the application process has completely knocked me off my high horse). People are matriculating to Stanford and Case and Harvard, and everyone looks at me with pity when I mention my school. Family friends regard any "Non-Top 5" medical school with disdain, and I sometimes worry that they also look down on my parents as a result. "Oh, you didn't get into Harvard Medical School? But you went to such a good undergrad. You probably just needed to work harder." "How are you going to match into a good residency from such a low-tier school? Looks like family medicine is your only option." "What a waste for your parents to pay so much for undergrad just to go to a no-name medical school, huh?"

Please knock some sense into me. Fire/roast away. Thanks in advance.
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I did not get to read all of the comments posted above me, but all I would like to add is that, getting into A MED SCHOOL is a tremendous accomplishment in itself and don't compare your self to others-for everyone is on their own individual journey! Prestige does not necessarily mean better or more successful. There are thousands of others who would probably give an arm and a leg to be in your position and, just think about how many lives you will impact as you move forward in your career. Also don't forget, there's also residency too! I work in research at a T20 hospital/med school and there are also lots of well known doctors with impressive appointments who didnt even go to a T20 undergrad or med school, but then went to a great residency or fellowship and made it! So be grateful and study hard!
 
belleforest said:
Graduated from a "Top 10" undergrad. Interviewed at a handful of med schools on the East Coast and Midwest, but only got accepted into a Midwest school.
The school itself is wonderful, the faculty is very supportive, and all the students seem legitimately happy on my interview/second look day. I'm also very grateful that I don't have to go through the sh*tstorm of re-applying.

However.

Through a combination of cultural and peer pressure, I'm having bouts of insecurities when it comes to my medical school. My undergrad is full of typical gunner pre-meds, and there is an atmosphere of arrogance that we should, even DESERVE to, get into "top-tier" schools. I'm ashamed to say that I definitely internalized this mindset during my time there (though the application process has completely knocked me off my high horse). People are matriculating to Stanford and Case and Harvard, and everyone looks at me with pity when I mention my school. Family friends regard any "Non-Top 5" medical school with disdain, and I sometimes worry that they also look down on my parents as a result. "Oh, you didn't get into Harvard Medical School? But you went to such a good undergrad. You probably just needed to work harder." "How are you going to match into a good residency from such a low-tier school? Looks like family medicine is your only option." "What a waste for your parents to pay so much for undergrad just to go to a no-name medical school, huh?"

Please knock some sense into me. Fire/roast away. Thanks in advance.
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All new endeavors are fraught with anxiety. If any of your fellow students look down upon your UG school, who gives a rat's ass? Are you going to let them define you?

Your med school thought that you will make a good student and more importantly, a good doctor.

“Never cede to someone else the power to determine your worth. When evaluating your life, you need to use your own yardstick” the wise Doktermom
 
belleforest said:
Graduated from a "Top 10" undergrad. Interviewed at a handful of med schools on the East Coast and Midwest, but only got accepted into a Midwest school.
The school itself is wonderful, the faculty is very supportive, and all the students seem legitimately happy on my interview/second look day. I'm also very grateful that I don't have to go through the sh*tstorm of re-applying.

However.

Through a combination of cultural and peer pressure, I'm having bouts of insecurities when it comes to my medical school. My undergrad is full of typical gunner pre-meds, and there is an atmosphere of arrogance that we should, even DESERVE to, get into "top-tier" schools. I'm ashamed to say that I definitely internalized this mindset during my time there (though the application process has completely knocked me off my high horse). People are matriculating to Stanford and Case and Harvard, and everyone looks at me with pity when I mention my school. Family friends regard any "Non-Top 5" medical school with disdain, and I sometimes worry that they also look down on my parents as a result. "Oh, you didn't get into Harvard Medical School? But you went to such a good undergrad. You probably just needed to work harder." "How are you going to match into a good residency from such a low-tier school? Looks like family medicine is your only option." "What a waste for your parents to pay so much for undergrad just to go to a no-name medical school, huh?"

Please knock some sense into me. Fire/roast away. Thanks in advance.
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Comparison is the thief of joy.

Everyone, even your friends who were admitted to T10s, will feel inferior to somebody. They will have points in their life where “keeping doors open” is no longer an option, and they will reluctantly accept it. Only so many people can be the “best ever chief of medicine at Mass Gen.” The disappointment you’re feeling is more a matter of perception than of reality.
 
belleforest said:
Graduated from a "Top 10" undergrad. Interviewed at a handful of med schools on the East Coast and Midwest, but only got accepted into a Midwest school.
The school itself is wonderful, the faculty is very supportive, and all the students seem legitimately happy on my interview/second look day. I'm also very grateful that I don't have to go through the sh*tstorm of re-applying.

However.

Through a combination of cultural and peer pressure, I'm having bouts of insecurities when it comes to my medical school. My undergrad is full of typical gunner pre-meds, and there is an atmosphere of arrogance that we should, even DESERVE to, get into "top-tier" schools. I'm ashamed to say that I definitely internalized this mindset during my time there (though the application process has completely knocked me off my high horse). People are matriculating to Stanford and Case and Harvard, and everyone looks at me with pity when I mention my school. Family friends regard any "Non-Top 5" medical school with disdain, and I sometimes worry that they also look down on my parents as a result. "Oh, you didn't get into Harvard Medical School? But you went to such a good undergrad. You probably just needed to work harder." "How are you going to match into a good residency from such a low-tier school? Looks like family medicine is your only option." "What a waste for your parents to pay so much for undergrad just to go to a no-name medical school, huh?"

Please knock some sense into me. Fire/roast away. Thanks in advance.
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Just think - soon you will be away from all those college questioners (and friends of your parents) who try to make you feel small, and in the midst of classmates who are proud to be accepted to med school and excited to be there!
 
I'm in exactly your same position OP I completely understand. I went to a top 10 undergrad and will be matriculating at a "low-tier" MD school. It's a little weird to go from a top-tier, name brand undergrad to a no-name medical school, but I also think it's important for us to separate ourselves from the prestige of our institutions. I've realized that I'm probably overcompensating at least a little by aspiring to associate myself with the reputation of a certain school. At the end of the day we will all have the same "MD" at the end of our title, and if prestige is still important to us in a few years then most top residency programs are still open to us if we work hard.
 
belleforest said:
Graduated from a "Top 10" undergrad. Interviewed at a handful of med schools on the East Coast and Midwest, but only got accepted into a Midwest school.
The school itself is wonderful, the faculty is very supportive, and all the students seem legitimately happy on my interview/second look day. I'm also very grateful that I don't have to go through the sh*tstorm of re-applying.

However.

Through a combination of cultural and peer pressure, I'm having bouts of insecurities when it comes to my medical school. My undergrad is full of typical gunner pre-meds, and there is an atmosphere of arrogance that we should, even DESERVE to, get into "top-tier" schools. I'm ashamed to say that I definitely internalized this mindset during my time there (though the application process has completely knocked me off my high horse). People are matriculating to Stanford and Case and Harvard, and everyone looks at me with pity when I mention my school. Family friends regard any "Non-Top 5" medical school with disdain, and I sometimes worry that they also look down on my parents as a result. "Oh, you didn't get into Harvard Medical School? But you went to such a good undergrad. You probably just needed to work harder." "How are you going to match into a good residency from such a low-tier school? Looks like family medicine is your only option." "What a waste for your parents to pay so much for undergrad just to go to a no-name medical school, huh?"

Please knock some sense into me. Fire/roast away. Thanks in advance.
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You get into med school based off of your stats not based off of your school. Midwestern schools are some of the best in the nation so I think you should be proud with where you're going.
 
The percent varies by undergrad school surely, but as you well know, across the board only a fraction of students from any given undergrad will graduate with a resume worthy of getting accepted to medical school. In that sense, one could even argue it’s more significant of an achievement than getting into a top undergrad.

Also, in the long term it may help not to think in such absolute terms. If you are willing to agree “downward” movement in prestige is possible as you go from undergrad to med school, there must also be “upward” movement for others who have earned it. Be happy with where you’re at now and if there’s something more that you (not your family) want in the future, figure out what you can do to get there.
 
I sympathize with how you're feeling right now OP. I went to a no name state school for undergrad, but I attended a competitive high school where the culture was similar to your undergrad. The competition at our high school made all of us internalize ridiculously high standards. I remember that in my senior year, a classmate of mine was really upset because they "only got into Brown," and no one batted an eye. I didn't even realize how skewed my standards were until I started undergrad and spoke to people outside of my high school's academic bubble. That said, my disappointment at going to a state school was definitely real and I would get really annoyed when people tried to underplay how much it hurt.

I eventually realized that the quality of your school experience is predicated in large part on the quality of the people around you. This is partially mediated by prestige, but my undergrad definitely wasn't prestigious and I still had hardworking, driven classmates and professors/administrators who were truly willing to go to bat for their students. This made all the difference, and I'll be starting M1 at a T5 school in a few weeks. I don't know which school you're attending, but regardless, I'm sure that you'll be surrounded by talented and motivated people who want to see you succeed.

It's natural to feel let down when you build up such high expectations, I know from experience, but you're still in a great situation and it's important not to let your understandable disappointment get in the way of what will almost certainly be a great time in medical school.
 
Now imagine being almost perfect at a top 5 school and not having a single invite yet despite tons of people here with lower stats from “lower schools” having 3 invited already
 
And having to realize you spent 5k already on the cycle but there’s a red flag on your application apparently so you’ll have to do it again next year
 
neuro312 said:
It’s not even August. Your app probably hasn’t been read yet.
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LMAO. Read their past posts/threads. Just about every comment bemoans how they're not going to get into medical school despite stellar stats. They're either pathologically insecure, comically ignorant, a complete and utter troll, or some combination of all of the above.
 
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calipremed5768 said:
Now imagine being almost perfect at a top 5 school and not having a single invite yet despite tons of people here with lower stats from “lower schools” having 3 invited already
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This was uncalled for, and it's mid July. We also heavily expounded why your school list was not a wise decision on your part and how you should (and still have time to) add schools. This is not the time to derail a thread.
 
You can’t look to other people to validate you. Only you can make the choice to be happy with what med school you got into . You can’t compare yourself to other people . That always causes problems .
 
belleforest said:
Graduated from a "Top 10" undergrad. Interviewed at a handful of med schools on the East Coast and Midwest, but only got accepted into a Midwest school.
The school itself is wonderful, the faculty is very supportive, and all the students seem legitimately happy on my interview/second look day. I'm also very grateful that I don't have to go through the sh*tstorm of re-applying.

However.

Through a combination of cultural and peer pressure, I'm having bouts of insecurities when it comes to my medical school. My undergrad is full of typical gunner pre-meds, and there is an atmosphere of arrogance that we should, even DESERVE to, get into "top-tier" schools. I'm ashamed to say that I definitely internalized this mindset during my time there (though the application process has completely knocked me off my high horse). People are matriculating to Stanford and Case and Harvard, and everyone looks at me with pity when I mention my school. Family friends regard any "Non-Top 5" medical school with disdain, and I sometimes worry that they also look down on my parents as a result. "Oh, you didn't get into Harvard Medical School? But you went to such a good undergrad. You probably just needed to work harder." "How are you going to match into a good residency from such a low-tier school? Looks like family medicine is your only option." "What a waste for your parents to pay so much for undergrad just to go to a no-name medical school, huh?"

Please knock some sense into me. Fire/roast away. Thanks in advance.
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I think you should decline the acceptance and reapply to the top tier schools. *says the girl desperately waiting at #1 on a Midwest school waitlist, praying that someone will give up their spot*

But in all seriousness, I would kill to be in your shoes right now. I can see how peer and family pressure might build, but I would look at it as your Ivy undergrad preparing you to be top of the class in med school. Take this opportunity to be a leader, go kill it in school so you can go wherever you want for residency.
 
keep in mind that to anyone without a wealthy or academic background – in other words, 95% of people – being in medical school is impressive by itself.

beyond that, medicine is kind of its own bubble in terms of what is prestigious and isn't. my school is "top 10" (to put it in vulgar terms) but outside the medical community, it wouldn't come to mind when thinking about elite universities.

and, as others have mentioned, getting into almost any medical school is as or more difficult than getting into top undergraduate institutions.

i guess what i'm trying to say is that you have a lot to be proud of, and yet there will always be people who are unable to recognize your accomplishments for what they are. at the same time, there are tons of people who will be absolutely cowed by your med student status and prestigious undergraduate degree (as a lowly state school grad, i still feel that way when confronted with ivy league or ivy-adjacent credentials). ya just gotta feel secure in yourself!
 
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Just wanted to say that I've had similar thoughts every now and again -- but what everyone has said so far is exactly right. Getting into medical school is so difficult and you should be proud of your accomplishments! Caring about what others think about you just takes up space in your mind that you could devote elsewhere 🙂
 
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