Importance of the USMLE in getting into a residency program

[Crow King]

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and that you have a false sense of entitlement based purely on your MCAT score.

I've seen this word come up a lot here. Which is great- I'm glad to see that the future generation of doctors is so much against entitlement, maybe this debt problem will finally get fixed in the future. 😛

But seriously...

OP, it sounds like you are bitter, and that you have a false sense of entitlement based purely on your MCAT score.

I was bitter from the start.

And maybe I feel entitled, maybe not... I believe the process was entirely fair. But then again, it would also be fair to pick students entirely at random.

Yes I think the process is ****ed up. I want to change it one day. I don't think you can judge much about a persons personality during a 1 hour interview and list of their ECs. I think all you can say is whether or not the person is a social dunce or not. I've met plenty of grating douchebags from elite medical schools, why weren't there pricks filtered out during the oh-so-reliable interview stage?

--digression, not comparing this medicine just bringing up an extreme case of something similar--
Some schools.. actually, only 1... accept people based stricly on their SAT scores, AP scores, difficulty of courseload, and class rank... Some people might claim these aren't the only indicators of a persons future success as a scientist or engineer, and they'd be right... but, this school in question produces far more Nobel laureates per student than any other school, because they judge their candidates based on discernable, non-faulty criteria.
----

MCATs hugely influence interviews, but red flags on an application, such as poor interpersonal skills, negative LORs, and a poorly written personal statement, are a good reason to reject an applicant.

If I'm bitter after the application process it's because I blame myself. My application was late and I didn't have many ECs. Probably lukewarm LORs too because I didn't know the writers very well. You said a few times I'm blaming other people. No, the fault is my own for not playing the game because I was too lazy.

Reading your interactions in this thread alone, you rub me the wrong way. I would not want you at my medical school. I don't see you as someone I'd want to call classmate. This is not said to be mean, but rather to provide feedback from someone who used to interview applicants.

lol, I wouldn't doubt it.

I'd question how much of a service you provide to the medical school, and I say that honestly. My dad used to interview applicants at the company where he worked as an engineer. They were looking for weirdos to screen. I think the engineers and physicists are smart enough to know the futility of trying to pick out the cool people from the seemingly average ones.

I'd guess skinMD is correct in that you've never held a job before

Ughh sigh the 3rd time someone mentions this... I've had 2 jobs, flipping burgers and sales, and a non-official tutoring job. So let's be done with that.

 

[2012mdc]

Yes to bad interviewing and also he was not ranked in some programs where he by all rights should have been.

Should have been ranked based on what? Stats?

You said he still matched well and he's probably at a place that he fits in. I'm not going to argue about whether he's socially awkward or not but the effect may be overblown. He was still able to match and a good place at that

 

[oldbearprofessor]

Some schools.. actually, only 1... accept people based stricly on their SAT scores, AP scores, difficulty of courseload, and class rank... Some people might claim these aren't the only indicators of a persons future success as a scientist or engineer, and they'd be right... but, this school in question produces far more Nobel laureates per student than any other school, because they judge their candidates based on discernable, non-faulty criteria.

Cal Tech?

http://www.admissions.caltech.edu/applying/decisions

Doesn't sound like that is how they describe their admissions process.

Their supplement asks:

1. What keywords would your friends use to describe you?
2. Please list three books, along with their authors, that have been particularly meaningful to you. For each book, please include a sentence
explaining their influence upon you. Please note that your response is not limited to math, science or school-assigned texts.
3. Members of the Caltech community live, learn and work within an Honor System with one simple guideline; "No member shall take unfair
advantage of any other member of the Caltech community." While seemingly simple, questions of ethics, honesty and integrity are sometimes
challenging. Share an ethical dilemma that has challenged you. How did you respond? Your response is not limited to academic situations.

 

[Crow King]

Cal Tech?

http://www.admissions.caltech.edu/applying/decisions

Doesn't sound like that is how they describe their admissions process.

Their supplement asks:

1. What keywords would your friends use to describe you?
2. Please list three books, along with their authors, that have been particularly meaningful to you. For each book, please include a sentence
explaining their influence upon you. Please note that your response is not limited to math, science or school-assigned texts.
3. Members of the Caltech community live, learn and work within an Honor System with one simple guideline; "No member shall take unfair
advantage of any other member of the Caltech community." While seemingly simple, questions of ethics, honesty and integrity are sometimes
challenging. Share an ethical dilemma that has challenged you. How did you respond? Your response is not limited to academic situations.

Answers to those questions are of minimal importance..

Except #2. The grad program application asks for the books you used in your math and science courses, because they recognize the different standards different schools have in instruction... learning experimental ochem using Vogel's at grade deflated school X and earning a 3.0 counts more than using some community college handbook at school Y and earning a 3.7

 

[voidlogin]

Anyways, a high MCAT score for med school admissions didn't seem to really help me much in admissions... applied to 25 schools with a 39 MCAT- got interviewed at 7 and accepted at 3. Had a good GPA (over 3.8) from a top 10 undergrad but not much ECs.

A 3.8 means very different things depending on your major. Art history vs Biochem 3.8 is totally different. How was your Science grades? By no EC, do you mean you never volunteered at a doctor's office or hospital? The devil is lost in the details. It's the same thing if you apply to CardioThoracic surgery but never did a rotation in CT or have any letters from CT. No matter how good your grades they wont interview you.

 

[Crow King]

A 3.8 means very different things depending on your major. Art history vs Biochem 3.8 is totally different. How was your Science grades? By no EC, do you mean you never volunteered at a doctor's office or hospital? The devil is lost in the details. It's the same thing if you apply to CardioThoracic surgery but never did a rotation in CT or have any letters from CT. No matter how good your grades they wont interview you.

I was a chemistry major, science and math grades similar to liberal arts.

Volunteered minimally even knowing it would hurt a lot because I figured grades could still get me in.. and they did.

I think all the emphasis on volunteering is silly. High school was all about volunteering, for getting class credit, getting into National Honors Society, getting into college, being part of clubs... in college it's all to get into medical school. Volunteering is fine and dandy once you have established yourself but 1,000 hours of volunteering translates to $10,000 - $20,000 if you worked. I worked instead (which is funny because 2 people here will swear I've never held a job). I think it's incredibly irresponsible to be getting yourself into huge debt and instead of working, "helping" out other people through a useless volunteer organization. But medical school admissions has made this irresponsibility almost a requirement for admissions... so I guess it isn't really irresponsible from that perspective

But yeah, app was very late, ECs sucked, and probably not fantastic LORs. That's why it didn't go so well.

Still got into med school and that's what matters though 🙂 So bitter about the process, and the details of the outcome, but not where I am now

 

[drizzt3117]

So you knew how to hone your app, didnt do it, and now you're upset?

I was a chemistry major, science and math grades similar to liberal arts.

Volunteered minimally even knowing it would hurt a lot because I figured grades could still get me in.. and they did.

I think all the emphasis on volunteering is silly. High school was all about volunteering, for getting class credit, getting into National Honors Society, getting into college, being part of clubs... in college it's all to get into medical school. Volunteering is fine and dandy once you have established yourself but 1,000 hours of volunteering translates to $10,000 - $20,000 if you worked. I worked instead (which is funny because 2 people here will swear I've never held a job). I think it's incredibly irresponsible to be getting yourself into huge debt and instead of working, "helping" out other people through a useless volunteer organization. But medical school admissions has made this irresponsibility almost a requirement for admissions... so I guess it isn't really irresponsible from that perspective

But yeah, app was very late, ECs sucked, and probably not fantastic LORs. That's why it didn't go so well.

Still got into med school and that's what matters though 🙂 So bitter about the process, and the details of the outcome, but not where I am now

 

[FunnyCurrent]

So you knew how to hone your app, didnt do it, and now you're upset?

This 👍

 

[Crow King]

So you knew how to hone your app, didnt do it, and now you're upset?

I'll tell you how to change that statement to make it accurate.


If you said-

So you knew how to hone your app, didnt do it, and have been slightly bitter about the process since the start. Then you'd be right.

Instead you make me sound like an even bigger ass than I am (in typical fashion for a lot of people here) by writing it that way.

 

[FunnyCurrent]

Replace upset with slightly bitter. They mean two different things.

Crow King did you at least get into a UC? If so then don't feel too bad.

 

[Crow King]

Also, why is it people here (and people in medicine in general) insist on going after people personally instead of focusing on a topic?

For ****s sake in another thread two people were so god damn insistent on calling each other tools, douchebags, etc because some people wear their scrubs to the restaurant.

You know, you can say you think it's tacky to wear your scrubs to the restaurant and leave it at that without getting personal with the person who does it...

 

[drizzt3117]

So what you're saying is that you're not upset?

You sound pretty mad to me.

I'll tell you how to change that statement to make it accurate.


If you said-

So you knew how to hone your app, didnt do it, and have been slightly bitter about the process since the start. Then you'd be right.

Instead you make me sound like an even bigger ass than I am (in typical fashion for a lot of people here) by writing it that way.

 

[Crow King]

Crow King did you at least get into a UC? If so then don't feel too bad.

I'd rather not say, enough information and I'll lose internet anonymity... 🙁

 

[Crow King]

So what you're saying is that you're not upset?

You sound pretty mad to me.

I'm saying bitter is by far the better word... it's more passive and less bothersome than being upset.

I mean this whole discussion I've only had with my immediate family and here at SDN because I figure if there's one place to talk about it, it's here...

I didn't try steering this thread into this direction, I brought it up casually and others wanted to go more into it..

 

[drizzt3117]

I think sdn is pretty much the last place you're going to get sympathy for submitting a suboptimal application but still getting in, albeit to not as good a school as you think you deserve and being ... bitter about it.

I'm saying bitter is by far the better word... it's more passive and less bothersome than being upset.

I mean this whole discussion I've only had with my immediate family and here at SDN because I figure if there's one place to talk about it, it's here...
P
I didn't try steering this thread into this direction, I brought it up casually and others wanted to go more into it..

 

[Crow King]

I think sdn is pretty much the last place you're going to get sympathy

This is so lame. Implying I'm on here looking for sympathy when all I wanted to know is how important the USMLE is relative to the MCAT in terms of admissions... who here changed the direction of this thread? huh?



There seems to be a certain mentality I've noticed- any and all criticism of the admissions process results in ad hominem attacks on the critic. Makes the person entitled, whiny, looking for sympathy, or having poor social skills. I've seen this on so many other threads and new it was coming to this one, but what the hell!

 

[FunnyCurrent]

I'd rather not say, enough information and I'll lose internet anonymity... 🙁

That's okay. From what I can tell there are no Caltech Chemistry majors in my class.

🙂

 

[2012mdc]

I think sdn is pretty much the last place you're going to get sympathy for submitting a suboptimal application but still getting in, albeit to not as good a school as you think you deserve and being ... bitter about it.

I don't think he's looking for sympathy.

I think he wants to know does applying and getting into a residency that's high on your list require the same amount of BS that the med school process does.

 

[drizzt3117]

I don't think he's looking for sympathy.

I think he wants to know does applying and getting into a residency that's high on your list require the same amount of BS that the med school process does.

That might have been the intent of his initial post (although I submit that there was still a high degree of "bitterness" there) but the thread evolved somewhat. I personally think, though, that depending on specialty, there may be significantly more "bs" that goes into residency applications than med school.

 

[Crow King]

I don't think he's looking for sympathy.

I think he wants to know does applying and getting into a residency that's high on your list require the same amount of BS that the med school process does.

Thanks dude. 🙂

And thanks to everyone who chimed in to the original question, answers were super helpful...

Nothing left to say or contribute so I'm done here.

 

[ArcGurren]

Should have been ranked based on what? Stats?

You said he still matched well and he's probably at a place that he fits in. I'm not going to argue about whether he's socially awkward or not but the effect may be overblown. He was still able to match and a good place at that

Yes, ranked based on stats. I didn't say that the effect was a HUGE one since he was able to match at a good place. I just said that it definitely played a part... I think he wised up as well after getting rejected.

 

[medstud87]

I think it's incredibly irresponsible to be getting yourself into huge debt and instead of working, "helping" out other people through a useless volunteer organization.

This is probably why you did not get into as many medical schools as you thought you would have. This type of inherent attitude is displayed through your subconscious and I'm sure the interviewers picked up on it.

FYI, that is what med school in America is all about.

You get into a lot of debt and you volunteer. However, no volunteering service is ever useless.

Get off your self-made pedestal and mature a little bit.

If smarts are your only asset, go into research because I don't know many people who would want you as their physician if they knew about your current outlook.

 

[2012mdc]

That might have been the intent of his initial post (although I submit that there was still a high degree of "bitterness" there) but the thread evolved somewhat. I personally think, though, that depending on specialty, there may be significantly more "bs" that goes into residency applications than med school.

Is rads one of them?

 

[drizzt3117]

Is rads one of them?

I think it's more true of the surgical fields, but one thing I've definitely noticed is the "who you know" is pretty key. Almost every attending I've met at my two aways so far has known at least a couple people at my institution, in many cases, really well, which makes a difference when those people can pick up a phone on your behalf. Our plastics chair at the new resident orientation told the new residents "every one of you is here bc someone picked up the phone and called me."

 

[isoquin]

I'd question how much of a service you provide to the medical school, and I say that honestly.

Yes, you've proven to be quite opinionated from minimal insight and unsupported assumptions.

Ughh sigh the 3rd time someone mentions this... I've had 2 jobs, flipping burgers and sales, and a non-official tutoring job. So let's be done with that.

When someone in medicine asks if you've held a job before, they're specifically referring to some professional responsibility. When I look at the above "resume" the answer is clearly no, you haven't held a real job. You've not gone through rigorous interviewing, held significant responsibility, or dealt with professionalism issues in the workplace.

Instead you make me sound like an even bigger ass than I am

You're doing a good job of that for yourself. Have you tried the humble pie here? I hear it's delicious.

 

[Crow King]

Some of you people are getting REALLY ****ing annoying now.

Are any of you this obnoxious and ****-stirring in real life? Probably not because none of you would have the balls to be such pricks in real life.



Now let me make this post in the manner of a typical SDNer-

This is probably why you did not get into as many medical schools as you thought you would have. This type of inherent attitude is displayed through your subconscious and I'm sure the interviewers picked up on it.

YOU ARE SO ****ING STUPID.

This needed to be in CAPS because you are just that dumb.

I GOT INTO 3 OUT OF 7 SCHOOLS I INTERVIEWED AT,

DESPITE interviewing VERY LATE,

so OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT WHERE I HURT as YOU CLAIM IT IS.

rofl.

I understand you and a lot of people here may think someone who believes in a more rigorous application process necessarily has poor social skills, but seriously...

Critical thinking is not one of your strong points, is it?

If smarts are your only asset, go into research because I don't know many people who would want you as their physician if they knew about your current outlook.

You and everyone else here act like it's one or the other. Refer to the above.

Get off your self-made pedestal and mature a little bit.

You're doing a good job of that for yourself. Have you tried the humble pie here? I hear it's delicious.

CHEEEEP insults you two and lots of others here fling around to stiffle this sort of discussion...

I think a better system is one based primarily on rigorous and objective standards.

I do not believe interviews should bear much weight EVEN THOUGH I DID WELL IN THEM, 3 out of 7 when most seats were already taken by the time I inteviewed.

Naturally, this makes me arrogant.

 

[IlDestriero]

Ok, I'll ask. How do you want to change the admissions process?
What about residency and fellowship selection, something I know well. At the fellowship level, your LORs and interview are everything.

 

[drizzt3117]

Most of the people replying to you have actually attended med school, and most people feel like there needs to be MORE qualitative evaluation, not less. This is because you'll find a lot of people in med school that you wondered how the F they were admitted in the first place. My med school until this past cycle placed the least emphasis on the interview of any med school in the country. However, we're getting away from that due to recent events. It appears the trend in med school admissions is to get away from test scores and more towards qualitative evaluation, more towards how res/fellowship programs work.

 

[Ortho Guy]

Some of you people are getting REALLY ****ing annoying now.

Are any of you this obnoxious and ****-stirring in real life? Probably not because none of you would have the balls to be such pricks in real life.



Now let me make this post in the manner of a typical SDNer-



YOU ARE SO ****ING STUPID.

This needed to be in CAPS because you are just that dumb.

I GOT INTO 3 OUT OF 7 SCHOOLS I INTERVIEWED AT,

DESPITE interviewing VERY LATE,

so OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT WHERE I HURT as YOU CLAIM IT IS.

rofl.

I understand you and a lot of people here may think someone who believes in a more rigorous application process necessarily has poor social skills, but seriously...

Critical thinking is not one of your strong points, is it?



You and everyone else here act like it's one or the other. Refer to the above.





CHEEEEP insults you two and lots of others here fling around to stiffle this sort of discussion...

I think a better system is one based primarily on rigorous and objective standards.

I do not believe interviews should bear much weight EVEN THOUGH I DID WELL IN THEM, 3 out of 7 when most seats were already taken by the time I inteviewed.

Naturally, this makes me arrogant.

This post lacks class.

 

[Ortho Guy]

.

 

[ArcGurren]

Some of you people are getting REALLY ****ing annoying now.

Are any of you this obnoxious and ****-stirring in real life? Probably not because none of you would have the balls to be such pricks in real life.



Now let me make this post in the manner of a typical SDNer-



YOU ARE SO ****ING STUPID.

This needed to be in CAPS because you are just that dumb.

I GOT INTO 3 OUT OF 7 SCHOOLS I INTERVIEWED AT,

DESPITE interviewing VERY LATE,

so OBVIOUSLY THIS IS NOT WHERE I HURT as YOU CLAIM IT IS.

rofl.

I understand you and a lot of people here may think someone who believes in a more rigorous application process necessarily has poor social skills, but seriously...

Critical thinking is not one of your strong points, is it?



You and everyone else here act like it's one or the other. Refer to the above.





CHEEEEP insults you two and lots of others here fling around to stiffle this sort of discussion...

I think a better system is one based primarily on rigorous and objective standards.

I do not believe interviews should bear much weight EVEN THOUGH I DID WELL IN THEM, 3 out of 7 when most seats were already taken by the time I inteviewed.

Naturally, this makes me arrogant.

Dude, do you have an anger problem?

The reason nobody agrees with you is because people get into medical school all the time who have no business being there. Sure they got their 40 MCAT score, 4.0 GPA, and have publications, and they have the personality and amiability of a rock. This is a HUGE barrier in patient care - if your patient doesn't like you, he's not going to want to be seen by you. This is the case no matter what specialty you go into. There's also issues

The way that you have made yourself come across is as a typical, whiny pre-med who thinks he's "experienced" in the world from his job flipping burgers. I worked for a year during undergrad at a research lab as an employee... full-time... and then went to medical school. Flipping burgers does not a professional job constitute. Also despite what you think, interviewers are rarely so stupid as to let what seems like a perfect student go to waste--unless, of course, that person comes off as an impolite douche during his interviews. Your last post basically confirmed this.

 

[isoquin]

Naturally, this makes me arrogant.

Well no. That last post makes you look insecure and immature, which only further proves the points people have been making about you. You're going to have a blast in third year.

 

[drizzt3117]

Well no. That last post makes you look insecure and immature, which only further proves the points people have been making about you. You're going to have a blast in third year.

"Student needs to improve his professionalism and learn to play well with others."

 

[Crow King]

Medicine attracts those with strong drive but pallid intellect.

When you're done studying tonight... go kick back another one and forget that you're some bitches, you won't be needing those brain cells anyways.

 

[Asp]

Med school is full of well-socialized but not particularly brilliant individuals (IQ ~ 115-130). Being more intelligent than this is a disadvantage, because you aren't able to communicate well with patients (IQ ~ 100, less if you're talking county hospital 😛).

I think Step 1 is more important to residency selection than MCAT is to medical school selection. In residency it's more important to "get the right answer" which is aided by greater intelligence. Extracurriculars matter less, partly because there is less time in medical school to do serious extracurriculars. Finally, research and people capital (who you know) matter more, especially at the top programs.

OP, don't be discouraged by these negative comments. You may be interested to know that social conformity correlates linearly with intelligence. You are one of the rare ones whose distaste for hypocrisy overrides that.

 

[majik1213]

the MCAT and USMLE Step 1 are similar: a low score can keep you out, but a great score won't possibly get you in. It does not "save you" or make up from a deficiency in another area, such as poor year three evaluations.

 

[ArcGurren]

Medicine attracts those with strong drive but pallid intellect.

When you're done studying tonight... go kick back another one and forget that you're some bitches, you won't be needing those brain cells anyways.

Dude just shut up. Why resurrect this thread just to whine about the fact that everyone thinks you have an anger problem?

 

[KaplanKrackers]

OP, it sounds like you are bitter, and that you have a false sense of entitlement based purely on your MCAT score. I'd guess skinMD is correct in that you've never held a job before, as you are not exhibiting good insight into how students are selected. MCATs hugely influence interviews, but red flags on an application, such as poor interpersonal skills, negative LORs, and a poorly written personal statement, are a good reason to reject an applicant.

Reading your interactions in this thread alone, you rub me the wrong way. I would not want you at my medical school. I don't see you as someone I'd want to call classmate. This is not said to be mean, but rather to provide feedback from someone who used to interview applicants.

What's worse, is that you are getting this feedback from multiple people in this thread, although not as explicit, and are erroneously attributing it to everyone else being wrong. You are showing a number of immature defense mechanisms, and instead of taking some advice and humble pie, you are pushing back because you believe you are just too awesome. Pointing fingers at other people and making blind accusations that they earned poor scores, or wild assumptions that they must not be as awesome as you, demonstrates your immaturity.

I would guess that your above average MCAT score compensated for your less than average interpersonal skills. You're going into medicine, so that's really not going to fly from here on out. It's one thing to overlook character flaws when adding someone to a class of 150. That won't work so well, regardless of your board scores, when attempting to enter a program that accepts 3 people per year.

So take a good look at your behavior in this thread and elsewhere. Is it that everyone else coming to the same conclusion about you is wrong? Or is it more likely that you are biased and having a difficult time being accurately introspective?

Not the sense I got. I think OP sounds like a decent guy, just trying to figure out how the system works. Sounds like his problem with getting into med school was more related to lack of EC's than personality.

But what do I know, I'm just a pre-med.

 

[drizzt3117]

Not the sense I got. I think OP sounds like a decent guy, just trying to figure out how the system works. Sounds like his problem with getting into med school was more related to lack of EC's than personality.

But what do I know, I'm just a pre-med.

OP knew what he needed to do to succeed, didn't do it, and is pissed now. It sound like he knew exactly how the system worked, but thought he was "above" needing to volunteer like everyone else, etc.

 

[dienekes88]

I'm entering medical school now (class of 2015) and am fresh out of the med school application process.

I knew going in it wasn't gonna be a CalTech style meritocracy in terms of admissions... nothing I can do about that until I'm on an admissions committee myself in 15 years.

Anyways, a high MCAT score for med school admissions didn't seem to really help me much in admissions... applied to 25 schools with a 39 MCAT- got interviewed at 7 and accepted at 3. Had a good GPA (over 3.8) from a top 10 undergrad but not much ECs.

So what I want to know is this: How important is the USMLE in getting into a residency program? Will a good score, say 2 standard devs about mean + good grades get you in to a good residency program with more certainty than getting a good MCAT + good grades will get you into med school?

Step 1 means a lot, because it'll get you through the filters. After that, it's everything else in the package.

 

[NickNaylor]

As someone who hadn't read this thread until just now, I thoroughly enjoyed the progression of the OP.

 

[CodeBlu]

As someone who hadn't read this thread until just now, I thoroughly enjoyed the progression of the OP.

I concur.

 

[blkprl]

I was a chemistry major, science and math grades similar to liberal arts.

Volunteered minimally even knowing it would hurt a lot because I figured grades could still get me in.. and they did.

I think all the emphasis on volunteering is silly. High school was all about volunteering, for getting class credit, getting into National Honors Society, getting into college, being part of clubs... in college it's all to get into medical school. Volunteering is fine and dandy once you have established yourself but 1,000 hours of volunteering translates to $10,000 - $20,000 if you worked. I worked instead (which is funny because 2 people here will swear I've never held a job). I think it's incredibly irresponsible to be getting yourself into huge debt and instead of working, "helping" out other people through a useless volunteer organization. But medical school admissions has made this irresponsibility almost a requirement for admissions... so I guess it isn't really irresponsible from that perspective

But yeah, app was very late, ECs sucked, and probably not fantastic LORs. That's why it didn't go so well.

Still got into med school and that's what matters though 🙂 So bitter about the process, and the details of the outcome, but not where I am now

Just be glad you got in 👍

I dont think its not a good idea to bash the whole "volunteering cult". a lot of people get help they need solely from the influence of volunteers.

A case in point, at my medical student run free clinic an african american male who worked as a social worker in the building that the clinic was located in lost 45lbs because of the advice and weekly guidance that he got from the medical students each week. mind you, he had a job with insurance and a primary care physician. In one year, he was able to get of his anti-hypertensive medications.

....so yes volunteering is a good thing not just for medical school and residency applications 🙂 but for the good of other people as well.

cheers!

 

[LiveUninhibited]

OP knew what he needed to do to succeed, didn't do it, and is pissed now. It sound like he knew exactly how the system worked, but thought he was "above" needing to volunteer like everyone else, etc.

I think he hates the process, but doesn't mind how it turned out for him. What he's worried about is if he can do the same thing and still get a residency he wants. He doesn't like to volunteer, and wants to make sure he can continue to not volunteer and get what he wants from residency. I mean, I can see where there's a bit of an inherent problem with this, in that there's a reason medical schools want to see volunteering as it's a way to get hands-on experience and show you care about other people. But still, that's the nature of his inquiry.

Beyond that I don't know him as a person, and neither do you. Not referring to you in particular, but I'm not sure why people on this forum are so rude. They always have been. One would think medical students would be nicer than average, given all that emphasis on screening out applicants who don't do community service. I guess the system really doesn't work.

 

[Mattabet]

Your application sounds a lot like mine did.

Take heart, a solid step one score is a pretty useful thing as far as opening up interviews goes. It won't secure you a spot anywhere - programs tend to pick applicants they want to work with, in large part based on interviews and real-world logistics. But a good score seems to open the doors to more interviews.

Overall, the next round seems to be much more humane.

 

[2012mdc]

I think he hates the process, but doesn't mind how it turned out for him. What he's worried about is if he can do the same thing and still get a residency he wants. He doesn't like to volunteer, and wants to make sure he can continue to not volunteer and get what he wants from residency. I mean, I can see where there's a bit of an inherent problem with this, in that there's a reason medical schools want to see volunteering as it's a way to get hands-on experience and show you care about other people. But still, that's the nature of his inquiry.

Beyond that I don't know him as a person, and neither do you. Not referring to you in particular, but I'm not sure why people on this forum are so rude. They always have been. One would think medical students would be nicer than average, given all that emphasis on screening out applicants who don't do community service. I guess the system really doesn't work.

Many applicants do comm service bc they have to, not bc they're the 2nd coming of Mother Teresa.

And even someone who is altruistic can still be a dick on an anonymous forum

 

[410322]

As someone who hadn't read this thread until just now, I thoroughly enjoyed the progression of the OP.

It provided some pretty great lulz. I hope I don't get an angry PM now!

 

[drizzt3117]

I think he hates the process, but doesn't mind how it turned out for him. What he's worried about is if he can do the same thing and still get a residency he wants. He doesn't like to volunteer, and wants to make sure he can continue to not volunteer and get what he wants from residency. I mean, I can see where there's a bit of an inherent problem with this, in that there's a reason medical schools want to see volunteering as it's a way to get hands-on experience and show you care about other people. But still, that's the nature of his inquiry.

I'm pretty sure he is bitter about how it turned out, because he made that pretty clear he was bitter earlier on this page. He said he thinks he should have gotten into a top program and didn't.

Beyond that I don't know him as a person, and neither do you. Not referring to you in particular, but I'm not sure why people on this forum are so rude. They always have been. One would think medical students would be nicer than average, given all that emphasis on screening out applicants who don't do community service. I guess the system really doesn't work.

Most med students, esp those in the clinical years (as well as residents/attendings etc) have very little tolerance for BS.

 

[410322]

Most people have very little tolerance for BS.

I don't know about BS, he sounds like he genuinely believes that he's a great catch and med schools are stupid for passing him over. I'm betting he's at a lower-end med school that used him partially for a numbers boost. He comes off as more of a douche than someone who's full of it. "Wahh wahh the med skoolz didnt pix me guys!! Will the residencies want me to do stuff? I dont like doing stuff guyz!!"

 

[Crow King]

I think he hates the process, but doesn't mind how it turned out for him. What he's worried about is if he can do the same thing and still get a residency he wants. He doesn't like to volunteer, and wants to make sure he can continue to not volunteer and get what he wants from residency. I mean, I can see where there's a bit of an inherent problem with this, in that there's a reason medical schools want to see volunteering as it's a way to get hands-on experience and show you care about other people. But still, that's the nature of his inquiry.

Beyond that I don't know him as a person, and neither do you. Not referring to you in particular, but I'm not sure why people on this forum are so rude. They always have been. One would think medical students would be nicer than average, given all that emphasis on screening out applicants who don't do community service. I guess the system really doesn't work.

Just be glad you got in 👍

I dont think its not a good idea to bash the whole "volunteering cult". a lot of people get help they need solely from the influence of volunteers.

A case in point, at my medical student run free clinic an african american male who worked as a social worker in the building that the clinic was located in lost 45lbs because of the advice and weekly guidance that he got from the medical students each week. mind you, he had a job with insurance and a primary care physician. In one year, he was able to get of his anti-hypertensive medications.

....so yes volunteering is a good thing not just for medical school and residency applications 🙂 but for the good of other people as well.

cheers!

Your application sounds a lot like mine did.

Take heart, a solid step one score is a pretty useful thing as far as opening up interviews goes. It won't secure you a spot anywhere - programs tend to pick applicants they want to work with, in large part based on interviews and real-world logistics. But a good score seems to open the doors to more interviews.

Overall, the next round seems to be much more humane.

Thank you for these good posts. 🙂

I don't know about BS, he sounds like he genuinely believes that he's a great catch and med schools are stupid for passing him over. I'm betting he's at a lower-end med school that used him partially for a numbers boost. He comes off as more of a douche than someone who's full of it. "Wahh wahh the med skoolz didnt pix me guys!! Will the residencies want me to do stuff? I dont like doing stuff guyz!!"

Since this was your only contribution to this thread which otherwise contains lots of useful information, I believe it is you who is the douche.

He said he thinks he should have gotten into a top program and didn't.

Where did I say that?

Most med students, esp those in the clinical years (as well as residents/attendings etc) have very little tolerance for BS.

Thanx for the warning, I'll be keeping an eye open for ********* like you!