Motivating Story for Those Reapplying

[relentless11]

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Well I know how sometimes moral drops, and people just needs something to motivate them to keep going. So here goes:

My research professor told me this a while back to serve the same purpose. He's pretty much seen it all. He's been an MD/PhD since 1978, so thats a long time relatively speaking. Anyway, he's been mentoring undergraduates during the time between then and now, so he's seen many things happen. He takes pride in saying that each and everyone of his students have acheived their goals at some point.

This student that he speaks of applied to medical school FIVE TIMES. Each time he reapplied did drain him. By the time he got in on the fifth time, he was demoralized, and didn't know he wanted to go after all. But my professor told him to try it out for a year to see how it goes.

Today, this student is now a professor of medicine at Harvard University. I guess the moral of the story is, its OK to be demoralized, but we have to remember what motivates us to take this path. Clearly this guy did have the motivation to become a doctor. Albeit he did waiver at the end, but he did acheive his goals and became a very successful person. I wish you reapplicants good luck, and hope you don't have to go through a long process like this guy, but if it comes down to it, i would hope you guys remember this story, and to stay on the path. Those that do hang in there, I think that strength and dedication alone could make you a great physician.

 

[Mr Reddly]

I have to say I honestly don't know if I could do this process a 5th time. This is my 4th time right now and I've finally been accepted. And even with the acceptance, the demoralized part still wants to just walk away... weird no?

 

[relentless11]

Well first off congratulations. Secondly, not weird, its being human🙂.

I'm considering to apply for the first time this June. Really, I am now leaning towards waiting another year. Not because I fear reapplying, but, i'm just not ready and if i do apply this year, i'd be rushing way to much and that isn't a good thing I suppose🙂

 

[lealf-ye]

completely demoralized after acceptance. have not done anything since then...... 🙁
I guess will not be a Harvard prof. Sigh.... 😎 😎 😱 😱

 

[XCanadianRagwee]

WHOO HOO!!! Another one of the "I didn't get in last year so now I'm awesome cuz I'm in now" threads 🙄

 

[ad_sharp]

I have to say I honestly don't know if I could do this process a 5th time. This is my 4th time right now and I've finally been accepted. And even with the acceptance, the demoralized part still wants to just walk away... weird no?

Congrats, Mr Reddly! I admire people who don't give up. I've read many of your posts and I'm sure that you will make a great physician. good luck.

 

[RAwe]

Congrats, Mr Reddly! I admire people who don't give up. I've read many of your posts and I'm sure that you will make a great physician. good luck.

.....and a funny one too.
I Second that 👍

 

[Olanzapine]

wow. Great story. An adcom at a top med school told us that if you apply once and don't get in, and then don't reapply (while improving your app), then you probably shouldn't have tried applying the first time at all because you probably don't want it that much. It's important to recognize when things are hopeless and it's time to move on to another career, but it's equally important not to give up because given time, almost anybody that really wants it can get into a med school.

 

[Alexander99]

Question: I don't mean to sound cynical but would the story have been even more motivating if the guy had applied 10 straight years in a row and finally gotten in on the 10th year?

The thing I don't get about these stories of people that applied 3+ times is, what the heck were you doing in those years after the first time you applied? You figure the first time you applied, your application may have been weak and you didn't get in so you start doing things to improve your application (clinical experience, research, post bacc classes, etc.) If you don't get in a second time, you have a whole another year to improve your application.

By the time you're reapplying for a 3rd or 4th time, shouldn't you have some crazy experiences that should make up for all but the worst grades/MCAT scores. So do people that apply 3+ times just keep applying without doing anything to improve their applications?