It's beginning to set in..

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WhiteCoatSyndrome

WhiteCoatSyndrome

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  1. Medical Student
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So I just realized there are only three months til medical school begins and I feel like I'm counting down until doomsday. Anyone else apprehensive about school starting? I know I'll get used to it but I'm going to miss having a life..sigh
 
I'm anxious but ready to go and pretty excited. Ive had this whole school year off basically doing nothing but working a few days a week and I'm getting super bored. I'm still sure I will miss all this free time at some point though!
 
Yeah I haven't been doing much either so maybe having something to constantly do will be beneficial. And I am actually looking forward to meeting new people that share my interests.
 
WhiteCoatSyndrome said:
Yeah I haven't been doing much either so maybe having something to constantly do will be beneficial. And I am actually looking forward to meeting new people that share my interests.
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Yeah honestly this gap year thing has been more of a down than an up. I can't wait to actually meet my classmates
 
I'm looking to officially join this small discussion you are all having on May 5th, when TUNCOM sends out decisions for my interview day. If I'm not accepted, then I am officially out of the running for c/o 2018 and will likely join 2020 instead. 🙁
 
I'm getting more nervous and excited each day. Is anyone doing anything fun with their last few months of freedom? I just booked tickets for a four-week adventure in Ecuador.
 
WhiteCoatSyndrome said:
So I just realized there are only three months til medical school begins and I feel like I'm counting down until doomsday. Anyone else apprehensive about school starting? I know I'll get used to it but I'm going to miss having a life..sigh
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It still feel so surreal. I don't think it has really hit me yet that I'll be moving in a month.
 
touchpause13 said:
Yeah honestly this gap year thing has been more of a down than an up. I can't wait to actually meet my classmates
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Thinking about it, I should have applied a year earlier. I didn't realize there would be so much downtime after getting accepted. For me, that was last July/August. I know everyone says to enjoy the free time while you have it, but I've been sooo bored.
 
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medickdb said:
Thinking about it, I should have applied a year earlier. I didn't realize there would be so much downtime after getting accepted. For me, that was last July/August. I know everyone says to enjoy the free time while you have it, but I've been sooo bored.
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Dang. I was accepted in October and I'm bored stiff and pissy lol
 
touchpause13 said:
Dang. I was accepted in October and I'm bored stiff and pissy lol
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Would you rather have enjoyed the excitement of being waitlisted?

I remember the thrill of waiting for decisions. NOPE NOPE NOPE!
 
It's just hard to believe that the craziness started almost a year ago (AACOMAS in June). We're already starting to see repeat threads from a year ago asking application questions. Heck, there's already a new Underdog 2014-2015 thread.
 
bionerd89 said:
It still feel so surreal. I don't think it has really hit me yet that I'll be moving in a month.
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Under 1.5 months until some of us start!

Exactly a month until moving for me! I'm excited yet nervous, because it's going to be a big change after a few years of "normal" work... and a big move from coast back to midwest. 🙂
 
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touchpause13 said:
I'm scared shetless.
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This....
And I'm super bored having had a whole year off from school....so I feel like my brain is jelly and I've forgotten everything I know about studying!! Ack!!!
 
You'll have a life during MS1 if you want one. Don't know about MS2.
 
Eh. I don't start until July of 2015 so I'm just enjoying this year. I'm sure I'll feel the same as you next May
 
No, I just want to be done with medical school and I haven't even started. I project having no life, and that's how I like it.
 
I'm sad to be leaving behind my career and my friends. At the same time, I'm excited to be starting school. And I'm both excited but nervous about my future classmates- I'm sure they'll be awesome, but what if I end up not making any friends? What if I don't fit in? What if my professors don't like me, or I get homesick... But then again, what if everything is fine and it's awesome? I could go for some of that.
tumblr_inline_mwox5s3H1D1s09aku.gif
 
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was talking to a phd in biochem the other day..he was telling me about his thesis on rna single stranded in vitro cancer cells...and I kept thinking about how familiar those words were to me not 9 months ago...
I see it as the last chance I'll have to load the piggy bank for four friggin years🙂
 
kp11 said:
It's just hard to believe that the craziness started almost a year ago (AACOMAS in June). We're already starting to see repeat threads from a year ago asking application questions. Heck, there's already a new Underdog 2014-2015 thread.
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It's like the premed circle of life.
Circle-of-life-the-lion-king-2-simbas-pride-31584189-320-240.jpg
 
Mad Jack said:
I'm sad to be leaving behind my career and my friends. At the same time, I'm excited to be starting school. And I'm both excited but nervous about my future classmates- I'm sure they'll be awesome, but what if I end up not making any friends? What if I don't fit in? What if my professors don't like me, or I get homesick... But then again, what if everything is fine and it's awesome? I could go for some of that.
tumblr_inline_mwox5s3H1D1s09aku.gif
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You'll fit in, and you'll also make some of the best friends you'll have for life.
 
It can't come soon enough. So sick of undergrad where nothing matters anymore.
 
I feel similar, I'm getting so used to being lazy right now haha.
 
Elevencents said:
It can't come soon enough. So sick of undergrad where nothing matters anymore.
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So sick of my job where nothing matters anymore... just a couple weeks left! I'm catching up on Game of Thrones right now andddddd then a second lunch. :laugh:

... first order of business upon moving: find a gym.
 
SpartanWolverine said:
So sick of my job where nothing matters anymore... just a couple weeks left! I'm catching up on Game of Thrones right now andddddd then a second lunch. :laugh:

... first order of business upon moving: find a gym.
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Are you not planning to use the school's gym?
 
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bionerd89 said:
From what I've heard, the gyms at MSU are very nice
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That's what I've heard (I think in the same thread as you)! However, I'll be living 5-10 miles from campus... and I think there's one just around the corner from my apartment. Depending on the price of my nearby gym (and if we actually get free MSU gym membership), my plans may change. 👍
 
SpartanWolverine said:
That's what I've heard (I think in the same thread as you)! However, I'll be living 5-10 miles from campus... and I think there's one just around the corner from my apartment. Depending on the price of my nearby gym (and if we actually get free MSU gym membership), my plans may change. 👍
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A current student on SDN said that they do give free MSU gym membership. I know that regular graduate students have to pay for membership so it would be great if we didn't have to.
 
SpartanWolverine said:
So sick of my job where nothing matters anymore... just a couple weeks left! I'm catching up on Game of Thrones right now andddddd then a second lunch. :laugh:

... first order of business upon moving: find a gym.
Click to expand...
I'm halfway through season 3 of Game of Thrones. It's the only thing keeping me relatively sane right now.
 
To those of your mentioning you're bored... Enjoy it!!! It will be a long time before you can say you're bored again
 
touchpause13 said:
Yeah honestly this gap year thing has been more of a down than an up. I can't wait to actually meet my classmates
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As someone potentially facing a gap year, do you have any advice for mentally handling it? I'm already pretty depressed and down about it. Being on 1 waiting list with no acceptances and that school's class starts in June has me feeling extremely defeated and hopeless.
 
iTcanBdone said:
As someone potentially facing a gap year, do you have any advice for mentally handling it? I'm already pretty depressed and down about it. Being on 1 waiting list with no acceptances and that school's class starts in June has me feeling extremely defeated and hopeless.
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Focus on what you can do to improve your application and enjoy your extra time.
 
Gap years are not bad years... I took three. You can really make a lot of out a year where you focus on having good experiences and learning new things. Do things you wouldn't have otherwise done with the restrictions of classes and a rigid structure! Volunteer, travel, work an interesting (and perhaps relevant) job, exercise... I know it can be disappointing to feel like you're falling behind, but in the end I guarantee you'll go into med school being more mentally prepared and with life experiences you might not otherwise have.
 
iTcanBdone said:
As someone potentially facing a gap year, do you have any advice for mentally handling it? I'm already pretty depressed and down about it. Being on 1 waiting list with no acceptances and that school's class starts in June has me feeling extremely defeated and hopeless.
Click to expand...

Get a stable job and work out routine. Don't move away from your support system/friends. Don't let your health go down the crapper.

I did all those things. It got really bad for a while there.
 
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WhiteCoatSyndrome said:
So I just realized there are only three months til medical school begins and I feel like I'm counting down until doomsday.
Click to expand...

I'm right there with you, I couldn't have described my feelings any more accurately than that. I've spent so many years looking forward to this and now that it is almost here I'm all, "Whoa, lets slow down the passage of time just a bit." I'm dreading the time with my wife and children that I will have to sacrifice more than anything else. But then again, I'm a much better/happier person when I am busy so I think over the next couple of months I will start looking forward to it a lot more.
 
iTcanBdone said:
As someone potentially facing a gap year, do you have any advice for mentally handling it? I'm already pretty depressed and down about it. Being on 1 waiting list with no acceptances and that school's class starts in June has me feeling extremely defeated and hopeless.
Click to expand...

I'll be taking a gap year as I'm applying this cycle, because I really needed senior year grades on my transcript. I'll be working a flexible contracting job with short breaks in between contracts so I can travel to various cities in the US - hopefully each interview will be an excuse to spend time in different cities and visit friends around the country. Then next summer, I'm tentatively planning on visiting family in China then taking like a month and just touring around Asia with my SO! I'm super excited for my time off. Also planning on actually doing a big history of medicine project I've been wanting to do forever on my own time and just in general revamping my life to be healthier without having to constantly stress about grades and numbers.

I guess my point is this: it might not be wanted, but that doesn't mean it won't be good for you, and you can make it into a fantastic experience if you plan!
 
SpartanWolverine said:
Gap years are not bad years... I took three. You can really make a lot of out a year where you focus on having good experiences and learning new things. Do things you wouldn't have otherwise done with the restrictions of classes and a rigid structure! Volunteer, travel, work an interesting (and perhaps relevant) job, exercise... I know it can be disappointing to feel like you're falling behind, but in the end I guarantee you'll go into med school being more mentally prepared and with life experiences you might not otherwise have.
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This is very important. I was surprised at the lack of social skills/ graces in the health professions. Sure, someone can have a 3.9 and a 36 MCAT. I've met plenty of people with those qualifications, and that's it. Gaining life experience can only help. Don't do it for your application (Of course, put it down if it's relevant.). Do it because interacting with and helping others interest you.

I'm a firm believer that someone should have clinical experience before medical school. If not clinical experience, he or she should have service experience, a job where he or she has to serve others. That can be taken literally such as a waiter/waitress, or it can be a volunteer opportunity in which you have to listen to and respond well to people from a wide variety of socioeconomic, cultural, etc. backgrounds.

Personally, I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. Years ago, I envisioned going the traditional route. However, life happened, and here I am. Looking back, I appreciate the experiences I had to get to this point. I really do believe that I will be better for what I've learned along the way. I almost always recommend a gap year to those who ask. Of course, he or she can do whatever he or she wants, but I really think that a gap year is a good thing overall.

My roommate is almost done with his residency. He went the traditional route and being a doctor was his first job. Even though he's almost 'done', he's still well behind the learning curve in several respects. With the wealth of information thrown at you in medical school, it becomes more difficult to take a step back and really notice things from the big picture to the subtle nuances of those around you.
 
Thanks guys/gals for your advice and words of encouragement!!! Its definitely helpful to hear this coming from people that have been through it and understand. 🙂 I shall go forth and make this gap year an awesome one lol...

Congratulations to you all on your acceptances... relax and enjoy yourself!! I'm sure you all will do very well in med school 🙂
 
WhiteCoatSyndrome said:
So I just realized there are only three months til medical school begins and I feel like I'm counting down until doomsday. Anyone else apprehensive about school starting? I know I'll get used to it but I'm going to miss having a life..sigh
Click to expand...

I honestly had the biggest anxiety during the last two months. I was scared if I was making the right decision in going to med school: the loans, debt, endless hours of studying, worry over board exams and matching, the future pay, etc.
But now that's almost 3 months away, I'm feeling excited!! Learning medicine is so exciting. I'm going to enjoy the challenge and fast-paced environment, and having the opportunity to meet diverse people/patients. 🙂
 
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