is there any way i can transfer medical schools?

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veryupset

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I made the horrible mistake of doing a bs/md program on the east coast (it was my parents' decision). the mcat was optional and i did not give it because i was extremely unhappy all throughout undergrad and was not motivated. i did very well in undergrad, had research, had volunteering experience, but just couldnt get myself to do the mcat to apply out. im at the medical school now and im not even doing that great (about average) because not a day goes by that i feel upset at where i am. whenever i go back home to the west, i feel crappy that im not at my home institution (which is a very good school and is not hard to get into as an in-state resident). im doing research at my home institution with some mds, and it pains me to see the local med students because i could have potentially been one of them.

is there any way i could transfer to my home institution? i have lived here all my life and im willing to pay the out of state tuition even though im a resident. could i maybe talk to the researchers im working with to get some leverage? sometimes i feel like just dropping out of the med school i am because i hate being there so much.
 
The 'home institution' you're referring to, which I believe is the medical school in your home state, will have a policy on transferring. Typically, I've seen policies state extreme circumstances for eligibility for transfer, for example, a spouse in the area, or maybe even a family member struggling with illness.
 
not a day goes by that i feel upset at where i am
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What is it about your current medical school that upsets you? I go to a combined program too, and although my experience has been altogether a very positive one (9/10 would do again), we may have a few laments in common.

As for transferring... that's a very steep hill to climb, especially if you're an "average" student and are trying to transfer upward.
 
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Most schools do not permit transferring except in extreme circumstances, and usually only between MS2/MS3 or wherever the divide between pre-clinical and clinical is. I think it's highly unlikely that transferring will be an option.

Doing average in medical school is still doing quite well. You're in school with people who were all at the top of their class at their respective undergrads, so there will always be re-stratification. Also, who's to say you won't also perform at an average level at your "home" institution?

The grass isn't always greener on the other side. Medical school is hard and can be miserable at times anywhere. It sounds like you have been miserable for quite a while but didn't do much to try to fix that. If you couldn't find the motivation or willpower to do something that you wanted to do, then you may need to speak to a professional about this. Maybe addressing your mood/outlook will in turn help you perform in medical school. Figure out what you actually hate about the school and maybe see if there's anything you can do to fix the problem or how you fit into it. Because if you don't identify the real problem, it will just follow you if you're allowed to transfer.
 
Temeraire said:
What is it about your current medical school that upsets you? I go to a combined BS/MD program too, and although my experience has been altogether a very positive one (9/10 would do again), we may have a few laments in common.

As for transferring... that's a very steep hill to climb, especially if you're an "average" student and are trying to transfer upward.
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It's mostly the location and being in a very ghetto like, depressing town. Before I came to this city, I did not even realize such ****ty towns existed in this country. Also, the school itself is no where as nice as my state's institution and I feel bad that my parents are forking over twice the amount of money here that I would have spent at my state's institution.
 
It's mostly the location and being in a very ghetto like, depressing town. Before I came to this city, I did not even realize such ****ty towns existed in this country. Also, the school itself is no where as nice as my state's institution and I feel bad that my parents are forking over twice the amount of money here that I would have spent at my state's institution.
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I suspect you are still early in your preclinical years then. If you live in the New England area, a more exciting city is usually an hour's drive away, or less (good for a weekend trip). Don't worry, when third year rolls around, it won't matter how exciting your town is. Your life will mostly consist of: hospital --> eat (maybe) --> study --> sleep. The relative "nice-ness" of your medical school building also will not matter as an MS3-4 because you will be spending all of your learning time in a hospital.

Do you have friends you can hang out with and vent to? One of the perks of going to a combined BS/MD program for me was being able to forge long-lasting friendships amongst my fellow BS/MDers. Based on the tone of your posts, I get the sense that you feel very isolated and thus, unhappy.
 
It will be extremely unlikely that you will be able to transfer schools. I tried to transfer between M1 and M2 and no school would have it and I had a very legitimate reason to transfer (mom was sick) so I had to end up taking a leave of absence to be with her. Some schools said I had to complete another year before they would even consider it so like a PP said between M2 and M3 or another school said I would have to start all over completely which meant retaking the MCAT, getting LORs, the whole nine yards! So chin up, power through and it will be over before you know it!
 
I understand that you aren't happy but why not ride it out and then apply for residencies in the area you want? It may seem like forever but at most it will be another few years. Use this as a time get stronger as a person, not something that defeats you. I say this as an alternative to dropping out if you can't transfer. Don't completely alter your life for a temporary problem.
 
veryupset said:
It's mostly the location and being in a very ghetto like, depressing town. Before I came to this city, I did not even realize such ****ty towns existed in this country. Also, the school itself is no where as nice as my state's institution and I feel bad that my parents are forking over twice the amount of money here that I would have spent at my state's institution.
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Then why don't you do the responsible thing and pay for your own education? I can't overstate the frustration I had in reading this.
 
In Med school + Parents helped + Parents paid for everything - Ghetto = Unhappy?

I don't get it. I just think you are an unhappy person and instead of looking at this one particular situation you should instead look at why such a small issue gets turned into a mountain.

I did residency in the Ghetto and probably as bad or worse than yours. Yeah it sucked at 3am walking by homeless people, prostitutes, and drug dealers. So what. I am not there to join the country club. Never crossed my mind that doing residency in the ghetto was such a bad thing
 
Dr. America said:
Clearly the solution is to drop out and have your parents pay for my tuition instead.
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What's the point of even making a post like that? I'd donate the money before paying your tuition.

awared2 said:
Then why don't you do the responsible thing and pay for your own education? I can't overstate the frustration I had in reading this.
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You really don't have any say in what's responsible and what's not. Clearly you don't have parents who could help you out rather than have you go hundreds of thousands of $ in debt.
 
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You won't be able to transfer with poor undergraduate performance, no extremely good reason (dying family member, spouse in another city tired down to a job, etc), and no MCAT. Most schools require you to be in the top half of the class you are transferring from, and that you are between MS2 and MS3, AND that they have an open position, in addition to your having an extremely good reason for transferring.
 
Unlikely you will be able to transfer. Most schools only have a couple of openings per year, only allow transfers at natural break points, usually want a good reason, like spouses job was relocated, and would want to see numerical stats (probably including mcat) that would have been within the realm of acceptance there.

Part of the reason a lot of these combined programs are currently out of favor is they make students choose a career too early, with blinders on, as well as tend to attract people who want to avoid the MCAT (which in a career filled with numerous standardized format tests and which greatly rewards skilled test takers, is a bit counterproductive).

As mentioned your best bet is to suck it up, do well, and try to land where you want for residency.
 
veryupset said:
It's mostly the location and being in a very ghetto like, depressing town. Before I came to this city, I did not even realize such ****ty towns existed in this country. Also, the school itself is no where as nice as my state's institution and I feel bad that my parents are forking over twice the amount of money here that I would have spent at my state's institution.
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Depression is real. Please don't take it lightly and perhaps see a professional. However, there are plenty of med students and applicants in sh*ttier positions than you. Please check your privileges, and perhaps this will make you feel less depressed. Wish parents were paying for me 😉
 
you are studying in a US school-that alone is GOLDEN!!!!! you have a very high chance of getting residency -in fact guaranteed unless something goes very wrong.
residency in US is the thing brilliant students from all over the world study very hard for,

if you are depressed/unmotivated, proper diet and exercise, rhythmic drumming, sun salutation yoga, meditation, spending some time in the sunlight may help, depressed people don't necessarily know that they are depressed, or that they need help or should seek help. One clue is being crabby/irritable, you are in med school -so you know about SIG E CAPS. I recommend practicing loving-kindness meditation. The ghetto environment is kind of depressing but the only thing I can say is that take proper precautions to be safe.

seek help, regarding the ghetto environment, never walk alone, and definitely not alone at night.
All the best
 
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I know two people in med school that transferred. One to University of Kentucky, another to University of Washington. Its not impossible. Don't believe that.
 
twospadz said:
I know two people in med school that transferred. One to University of Kentucky, another to University of Washington. Its not impossible. Don't believe that.
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It's not impossible. People do it every year. But it's difficult, and will never happen for someone with no MCAT and the reason of "My current school is too ghetto."
 
TheaterOfTheme said:
Depression is real. Please don't take it lightly and perhaps see a professional. However, there are plenty of med students and applicants in sh*ttier positions than you. Please check your privileges, and perhaps this will make you feel less depressed. Wish parents were paying for me 😉
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By this logic, no one is allowed to feel sad and they must all check their privileges (whatever that means) except the one person in the worst possible position.
 
veryupset said:
I made the horrible mistake of doing a bs/md program on the east coast (it was my parents' decision)
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That's seldom not the case...

But yeah, med school sucks even in awesome locations (my school was in one of them and I was f-cking miserable for the entire second half of school with the exceptions of my away rotations in a pretty crappy city) The "ghettoness" of the area and the grass is greener mentality isn't going to win favors.

I'm also curious what east coast city we're talking about here....
 
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GuyWhoDoesStuff said:
If you ever want to be taken seriously even a little, abandon this phrase.
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A little relativity goes a long way. The chance at education is one that most in the world don't have. Let alone being wealthy enough to not take loans out.
 
you're going to have to cowboy up and get through it......you'll be fine
 
veryupset said:
It's mostly the location and being in a very ghetto like, depressing town. Before I came to this city, I did not even realize such ****ty towns existed in this country. Also, the school itself is no where as nice as my state's institution and I feel bad that my parents are forking over twice the amount of money here that I would have spent at my state's institution.
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So true, it's not even funny.
awared2 said:
Then why don't you do the responsible thing and pay for your own education? I can't overstate the frustration I had in reading this.
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Dr. America said:
Clearly the solution is to drop out and have your parents pay for my tuition instead.
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Such ridiculous responses to a serious question.
 
TheaterOfTheme said:
Well, please excuse me.
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Nah, you didn't lie. Having perspective is everything, and really DOES help a lot of the time. I find it pretty ironic some of these posters are coming for the OP for being spoiled yet simultaneously decrying a "check your privilege" statement with "well I'm allowed to be sad too"...so does the OP?? Even if his/her problems are first world, etc?

Hang in there, OP. I agree with people saying you sound depressed. Please seek help for this, and, as others have said, this is a temporary situation. It's just a few more years, and you'll be able to apply for residency back home/wherever you want to.
 
namiie said:
Hang in there, OP. I agree with people saying you sound depressed. Please seek help for this, and, as others have said, this is a temporary situation. It's just a few more years, and you'll be able to apply for residency back home/wherever you want to.
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I don't see how popping happy pills is going to change anything. You think it will get better in a few years?
 
charmiedermie said:
What? There are some really poor, scary, and ghetto areas. Not everyone has life experience to see these places, so I understand.
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ah, I wasn't sure...

Everyone's childhood should have that one grandparent you visit frequently who lives alone in the last non-boarded up house in an "anti-gentrifying" urban neighborhood.
 
WingedOx said:
ah, I wasn't sure...

Everyone's childhood should have that one grandparent you visit frequently who lives alone in the last non-boarded up house in an "anti-gentrifying" urban neighborhood.
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I think that would help. I just think its dumb for people to get on someone for never being around poor people or around people who live in a ghetto. Most med students aren't from areas with high crime, prostitution, and drug dealing.
 
charmiedermie said:
I don't see how happy pills is going to change anything. You think it will get better in a few years?
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Will what get better, the OP or the "ghetto"? The OP, yes, I think so. Med school is a finite amount of time. If he/she needs to be medicated and/or talk to someone to make it through, maybe that's what he/she should do. What else do you propose?
 
namiie said:
Will what get better, the OP or the "ghetto"? The OP, yes, I think so. Med school is a finite amount of time. If he/she needs to be medicated and/or talk to someone to make it through, maybe that's what he/she should do. What else do you propose?
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How would happy pills help the ghetto? Clearly I'm talking about the OP. And, no, I don't think the solution to someone clearly not liking doing clinical rotations in the ghetto is giving them happy pills. How do you not see that?
 
charmiedermie said:
How would happy pills help the ghetto? Clearly I'm talking about the OP. And, no, I don't think the solution to someone clearly not liking doing clinical rotations in the ghetto is giving them happy pills. How do you not see that?
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My bad, you just seem really pre-occupied re: the ghetto...

And yeah, I think your perspective about this is rather problematic....there's really no need to continue hating on medication for depression ("happy pills", really?) or suggest seeking help is an automatic exercise in futility....or that working in the ghetto is so absolutely awful that it's beyond all help?? How do you not see that? Do you know the OP? Why are you so sure he/she would not benefit from speaking to someone and pursuing whatever treatment options (which, as mentioned, doesn't just consist of meds, but counseling) offered? Again, it's not gonna be for forever. Might as well get whatever help one needs to power through it. I'm offering concrete suggestions and encouragement. What would you have them do? Just sit there and continue to suffer alone, in misery? As discussed it's going to be really hard to transfer.
 
namiie said:
Nah, you didn't lie. Having perspective is everything, and really DOES help a lot of the time. I find it pretty ironic some of these posters are coming for the OP for being spoiled yet simultaneously decrying a "check your privilege" statement with "well I'm allowed to be sad too"...so does the OP?? Even if his/her problems are first world, etc?

Hang in there, OP. I agree with people saying you sound depressed. Please seek help for this, and, as others have said, this is a temporary situation. It's just a few more years, and you'll be able to apply for residency back home/wherever you want to.
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Yes, exactly what I was trying to convey.
 
Law2Doc said:
I'm pretty sure happy pills are more a suburban soccer mom(dad?) thing than a ghetto thing...
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I know. I was responding to someone who amazingly didn't know whether I was referring to the OP or the ghetto.
namiie said:
My bad, you just seem really pre-occupied re: the ghetto...

And yeah, I think your perspective about this is rather problematic....there's really no need to continue hating on medication for depression ("happy pills", really?) or suggest seeking help is an automatic exercise in futility....or that working in the ghetto is so absolutely awful that it's beyond all help?? How do you not see that? Do you know the OP? Why are you so sure he/she would not benefit from speaking to someone and pursuing whatever treatment options (which, as mentioned, doesn't just consist of meds, but counseling) offered? Again, it's not gonna be for forever. Might as well get whatever help one needs to power through it. I'm offering concrete suggestions and encouragement. What would you have them do? Just sit there and continue to suffer alone, in misery? As discussed it's going to be really hard to transfer.
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I'm not preoccupied with the ghetto. He clearly said why he is unhappy at his med school. First, he's all the way on the East Coast far away from family and second, he has to concentrate on doing well in rotations in a very ghetto area. He said it. Those are concrete issues. Not something talking with a psychiatrist and anti-depressants (there, happy?) will cure like you think it will.
 
charmiedermie said:
I don't see how popping happy pills is going to change anything. You think it will get better in a few years?
Click to expand...

charmiedermie said:
How would happy pills help the ghetto? Clearly I'm talking about the OP. And, no, I don't think the solution to someone clearly not liking doing clinical rotations in the ghetto is giving them happy pills. How do you not see that?
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Law2Doc said:
I'm pretty sure happy pills are more a suburban soccer mom(dad?) thing than a ghetto thing...
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Its hard not to weigh in on this conversation. I can't tell if you guys are trolling so I'll bite.

First, mental health issues are far more prominent in low income communities.

Second, calling anti-depressants "happy pills" is like calling cholesterol medications "fat pills." Both treat disease. There is no place in medicine for doctors who contribute to the stigmatization of mental health issues.

Finally, maybe if we didn't call them "happy pills," people suffering from depression would seek much needed help instead of dying from their disease. In a line of work so rife with depression and suicide, the least we can do for one another is to acknowledge that depression is a real problem and that it causes many lives to hang in the balance.

OP, if you feel like you may be experiencing depression, you should try and talk to someone at your school, even if just to vent. Many medical schools have dedicated counselors for their students who would love to listen and help out.
 
charmiedermie said:
I know. I was responding to someone who amazingly didn't know whether I was referring to the OP or the ghetto.

I'm not preoccupied with the ghetto. He clearly said why he is unhappy at his med school. First, he's all the way on the East Coast far away from family and second, he has to concentrate on doing well in rotations in a very ghetto area. He said it. Those are concrete issues. Not something talking with a psychiatrist and anti-depressants (there, happy?) will cure like you think it will.
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Op says he's been miserable since undergrad and he's an MS1. I don't think he said anything about rotations, unless I missed it. This has apparently been going on for several years, yet he didn't do the one thing that could have helped him get out of that situation - taking the MCAT - because he wasn't motivated enough. None of us can or should make a diagnosis either way about what's going on, but IMO someone who has been pretty miserable for several years could stand to talk to someone about it. Actually I think most med students would benefit from talking to a neutral party about the things they go through, but that's another topic.
 
charmiedermie said:
I know. I was responding to someone who amazingly didn't know whether I was referring to the OP or the ghetto.

I'm not preoccupied with the ghetto. He clearly said why he is unhappy at his med school. First, he's all the way on the East Coast far away from family and second, he has to concentrate on doing well in rotations in a very ghetto area. He said it. Those are concrete issues. Not something talking with a psychiatrist and anti-depressants (there, happy?) will cure like you think it will.
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The difference between a mental condition and dealing with life problems has a lot to do with the degree to how you feel. You read this post and thought, yeah it sucks living in the ghetto, others read it and thought, wow this person is demonstrating some fatalistic feelings (just the fact that they can't seem to realize how short their med school will be) or they are demonstrating signs at very least of dysthymia. These are red flags that quite frankly every doc should pay attention to, because while everyone exhibiting them might not have a clinical illness or attempt suicide, some will.

We all on some level went into this to help people, and honestly of we ignore red flags like these, we're doing a disservice to our patients much like we would if we ignored a blood sugar of 190 or a BP of 160/90 or a mole that just does not look right.

As for the comment about anti-depressants, I think others have already better explained the illogical nature of that statement coming from a health professional.

In any case, no one here can, nor should they, diagnose OP, but to speak out against seeking help is counterintuitive.
 
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