Negatives of the SDN forums

[halethsonofhama]

Apparently pre-medical conferences frequently warn students who attend to stay away from the SDN-Forums

...besides the fact that some people here an not supportive ("u suk @ doktering!"), or lie to make others loose hope ("4.0gpa, 37T MCAT, worked in an African health clinic and STILL no acceptances!!!!"), Or just may simply be useless ("LoL, N00b ")... SDN does have its obvious benefits

I for one have found SDN to be very useful. Since I am a transfer student at a UC with no pre-health advisor, SDN is pretty much my only source of pre-med info. It has also been a good wake-up call to see that I am not such a big fish out there. Its been there to tell me I'm stupid when I've done something stupid. So all in all, its been great for me.


Why would Pre-Health conferences urge students to stay away?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[venacontracta]

Apparently pre-medical conferences frequently warn students who attend to stay away from the SDN-Forums

...besides the fact that some people here an not supportive ("u suk @ doktering!"), or lie to make others loose hope ("4.0gpa, 37T MCAT, worked in an African health clinic and STILL no acceptances!!!!"), Or just may simply be useless ("LoL, N00b ")... SDN does have its obvious benefits

I for one have found SDN to be very useful. Since I am a transfer student at a UC with no pre-health advisor, SDN is pretty much my only source of pre-med info. It has also been a good wake-up call to see that I am not such a big fish out there. Its been there to tell me I'm stupid when I've done something stupid. So all in all, its been great for me.


Why would Pre-Health conferences urge students to stay away?

Because they are run by pre-medical advisors who feel threatened by the presence of resources like SDN?

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

Why would Pre-Health conferences urge students to stay away?

Because it would mean pre-med advisors will be out of jobs?

Edit: Damn you david06! /shakesfistinyourgeneraldirection

 

[halethsonofhama]

Because it would mean pre-med advisors will be out of jobs?

My thoughts exactly

Edit: Damn you david06! /shakesfistinyourgeneraldirection

My thoughts exactly

 

[mauberley]

Why would Pre-Health conferences urge students to stay away?

The advice I received from a pre-health advisor regarding SDN was this (paraphrased): there's a lot of good info there, but the trick is separating the wheat from the chaff. I find this to be perfectly reasonable advice, especially for impressionable people who may not be able to separate good versus bad advice or information.

The general wisdom regarding Internet forums also applies.

 

[torshi]

Because it would mean pre-med advisors will be out of jobs?

Edit: Damn you david06! /shakesfistinyourgeneraldirection

exactly..

kinda like how students want to dual enroll in college full-time not part-time.
The schools never mention it because that will mean a lot of student who do care about there education will leave high school for college obviously like i did.

 

[Curl]

Well it is a fourm after all. Anything that someone says is really off their word, if its true or not can be hard to tell sometimes. So it makes sense for an advisor or pre-med conference to tell people to avoid it. They don't want someone taking what they blindly read as being true. Kinda how you shouldn't quote something straight off wiki without looking at the sources.

 

[torshi]

Well it is a fourm after all. Anything that someone says is really off their word, if its true or not can be hard to tell sometimes. So it makes sense for an advisor or pre-med conference to tell people to avoid it. They don't want someone taking what they blindly read as being true. Kinda how you shouldn't quote something straight off wiki without looking at the sources.

And i bet the advisers are users on SDN..hah

 

[halethsonofhama]

When I first got to SDN, my thoughts were that I was **** out of luck.

I was the most qualified at my Community College (Small pond, I know) for continuing on the pre-med track, But then I got to UCLA and saw I was not as Hot as I thought. Searching the internet for consolation, I found SDN... only to make me feel even worse. Luckily the depression lasted only an hour or so and soon turned into motivation to do better.

I can imagine that a lot of students might stay depressed and loose hope on getting to med school (which isn't necessarily bad if this realization happens soon enough). I'm not gonna lie, I probably wouldn't have started on the pre-med track had I known it would be this difficult.

 

[Evergrey]

Even though SDN is sort of like a poop rodeo circus at times, I definitely would have been lost without this site. I would have been lucky to get in anywhere. Now I couldn't be happier with where my life is headed, and I owe a lot of it to the support given here.

I think perhaps some people may not get much out of this site because there is a lot of misinformation, and if they aren't effective at sifting through the poop to get to the diamonds, then this forum could definitely lead them astray.

 

[Curl]

And i bet the advisers are users on SDN..hah

heh, I wouldn't be suprised.

 

[MossPoh]

I've heard worse advice come from pre-med advisors. If you believe everything and don't know how to weight the validity of a statement, then you have greater problems than your gpa and mcat.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

When I first got to SDN, my thoughts were that I was **** out of luck.

I was the most qualified at my Community College (Small pond, I know) for continuing on the pre-med track, But then I got to UCLA and saw I was not as Hot as I thought. Searching the internet for consolation, I found SDN... only to make me feel even worse. Luckily the depression lasted only an hour or so and soon turned into motivation to do better.

SDN had the opposite affect on me. Before I came to SDN, I thought people who got into medical schools all had 3.8, 3.9, and 4.0s. I originally came here for pre-pharm. Then I wandered into pre-all and started to look at the GPAs of those in pre-allo and their matriculations and started to realize that my GPA was similar to some of those people getting into med school. This was further enforced when I looked at the GPAs of osteo med students. The whole "all med students had 3.8+ in undergrad" mentality was thrown out the window really quick.

 

[halethsonofhama]

The whole "all med students had 3.8+ in undergrad" mentality was thrown out the window really quick.

It went, for me that "only 3.8+ got in." then changed to a more realistic idea.

I think the most depression point was that Ca schools were gonna be tough to get into. I thought it would be easier since I was in state. Still really bummed about that.

 

[echolalia16]

Advisers don't think any of their students have the intellectual capacity to filter beneficial information from intimidation and other filth spit out by trolls.

Actually, in a way, SDN has a healthy bit of natural selection going for it. Those students who really don't have the intellectual capacity to filter may likely end up pursuing other careers.

 

[nabeel76]

On the contrary the premed advisor at my school encourages the use of sdn. In general, he is definitely one of the better advisors that I have come across.

 

[gettheleadout]

Well it is a fourm after all. Anything that someone says is really off their word, if its true or not can be hard to tell sometimes. So it makes sense for an advisor or pre-med conference to tell people to avoid it. They don't want someone taking what they blindly read as being true. Kinda how you shouldn't quote something straight off wiki without looking at the sources.

Except the registered "Advisors" on SDN (ones that the handshake badge) have been confirmed offline by CRG, so their advice is pretty much, hmm, basically absolutely definitely not bull. These users are the backbone of legitimacy on SDN, IMO.

 

[familyaerospace]

I've had more than a few people (including adcomms) call this site the "site that shall not be named." I'm not kidding. I went to an admissions info session for Emory and the dean (I think, I can't remember) was refering to the site but not naming it. She said we all knew what site it was and that she didn't want to name the site in case one of us didn't know it. My partner who came with me to the session kept asking me what she was talking about. I told him later. One of the doctors I'm shadowing has told me that he really wishes I would limit my time here and that I'm going to end up even more neurotic than I am. I've had 3rd year med students also tell me to do my best to ignore the stuff here that it will drive me nuts.

I'm more of the feeling that there is a lot of good and bad advice out here like any internet site and that it's up to me to figure out what is reasonable or not based on my own judgment. If there is something questionable, I should ask an adcomm directly.

 

[MedIsInMyBlood]

SDN's been a great help for me. If you understand what a forum is and what its faults can be, there is no problem using this site. I've gotten a lot of great info on here.

 

[Dr Oops]

And i bet the advisers are users on SDN..hah

prob not because then they might actually kno what theyre talking about.

 

[Curl]

Except the registered "Advisors" on SDN (ones that the handshake badge) have been confirmed offline by CRG

hmm, I was unaware of any sort of requirement. Good to know still new to the site

but SDN can be a great place for info as long as long as you use your own judgement with what you read.

 

[gettheleadout]

hmm, I was unaware of any sort of requirement. Good to know still new to the site

but SDN can be a great place for info as long as long as you use your own judgement with what you read.

I definitely agree with this and what others have said similarly. And yes Curl, you can know with absolute certainty that LizzyM really is a member of the admissions committee at whatever school she works for, and that Catalystik really is an attending physician somewhere, and that the credentials of the other official advisors on here (there are a lot...) are legit. Pretty nice, huh? SDN rules

 

[Narmerguy]

SDN is good but even non trolls give bad advice. Also, there has been a gradual shift of increased separation of med students from pre allo. This effectively removes a lot of the quality advice that came from students that had gone up and through the process. Otherwise it can turn into a lot of "blind leading the blind" around here.

 

[StudyShy]

SDN definitely has a place in the pre-med community. Everyone just needs to use their best judgement.

I've been another person who SDN has given me more confidence in my decision to persue medicine. I thought that one "b" and you're out for life. This is not true.

I'm actually a fat, bald dude sitting in my mother's basement intoxicating myself with my own flatulence.

 

[gettheleadout]

SDN is good but even non trolls give bad advice. Also, there has been a gradual shift of increased separation of med students from pre allo. This effectively removes a lot of the quality advice that came from students that had gone up and through the process. Otherwise it can turn into a lot of "blind leading the blind" around here.

I feel like a lot of the bad advice gets corrected though, you know? I haven't seen many threads (I can't think of any at the moment) since I've been on here where bad advice isn't eventually criticized and corrected. I agree that more med students in here would be nice, and I'll definitely stay around here as a med student (long time away, I know) but I think we've got a decent number of good ones to help put uninformed premeds in check. DrYoda and gravitywave are coming to mind right now, but there are obviously a bunch of others.

 

[StudyShy]

I feel like a lot of the bad advice gets corrected though, you know? I haven't seen many threads (I can't think of any at the moment) since I've been on here where bad advice isn't eventually criticized and corrected. I agree that more med students in here would be nice, and I'll definitely stay around here as a med student (long time away, I know) but I think we've got a decent number of good ones to help put uninformed premeds in check. DrYoda and gravitywave are coming to mind right now, but there are a bunch of others.

Yeah, thank goodness for people coming back in and setting things straight!

 

[getdown]

you're welcome

I've always felt that helping out those after me is a good way to give back. I remember my app process was a lot of then then but eventually and ultimately . It sucks but having someone to point out pitfalls definitely helps.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I think SDN has great resources for pre-meds, but I'm glad I didn't find it until I started interviewing. I'm also glad that I didn't start reading the forums until after I got accepted somewhere. I think the FAQ pages now make the forum pretty optional for most standard pre-med questions.

 

[URHere]

I think SDN has great resources for pre-meds, but I'm glad I didn't find it until I started interviewing. I'm also glad that I didn't start reading the forums until after I got accepted somewhere. I think the FAQ pages now make the forum pretty optional for most standard pre-med questions.

I absolutely agree.

I did almost everything wrong during my application cycle (applied late, spent 1 day total on PS, had no committee letter, etc), and reading this forum at that point would have seriously stressed me out.

I think SDN is great for the basics, but it can also be a giant seed of stress for those who are worried about a sub-par GPA, MCAT, etc. You can't always tweak everything to the point of perfection and sometimes you just have to step up to the plate with whatever you have. You just have to keep things in perspective when playing on SDN.

 

[mvenus929]

SDN was pretty much the only adviser I had in undergrad. Our advisers for classes just handed us a sheet with what had been recommended for the 'pre-med track' in the past, without really knowing why the things were on it. Our pre-med adviser actually rarely taught pre-meds (his courses weren't core required classes, and he taught A&P for nursing students), and handed out a lot of really bad information. Like if you hadn't taken the MCAT after your sophomore year, you'd have to take a gap year before medical school (a lot of transfer students got freaked out about that).

 

[RogueUnicorn]

the primary issue in my opinion is that this is an internet forum and as such you don't know where some of the information is coming from. honestly, a TON of pre-allo/WAMC "advice" is given by people who are actually further back in the process than the person asking the question...

 

[torshi]

prob not because then they might actually kno what theyre talking about.

true..

 

[Narmerguy]

I feel like a lot of the bad advice gets corrected though, you know? I haven't seen many threads (I can't think of any at the moment) since I've been on here where bad advice isn't eventually criticized and corrected. I agree that more med students in here would be nice, and I'll definitely stay around here as a med student (long time away, I know) but I think we've got a decent number of good ones to help put uninformed premeds in check. DrYoda and gravitywave are coming to mind right now, but there are obviously a bunch of others.

That's true, a lot of the bad advice does get corrected. But a lot of times arguments ensue and for someone who doesn't know any better, they don't know which side to believe.

There are a few Med Student MVPs that come and help out but it really isn't as much as it was when I first joined. I wish that spirit could be revived.

the primary issue in my opinion is that this is an internet forum and as such you don't know where some of the information is coming from. honestly, a TON of pre-allo/WAMC "advice" is given by people who are actually further back in the process than the person asking the question...

That forum will go to poo if Catalysk stops posting.

 

[Silverfalcon]

the primary issue in my opinion is that this is an internet forum and as such you don't know where some of the information is coming from. honestly, a TON of pre-allo/WAMC "advice" is given by people who are actually further back in the process than the person asking the question...

I agree. It's particularly awful when someone who clearly didn't take MCAT advises other people on how to study for MCAT..

 

[halethsonofhama]

Like if you hadn't taken the MCAT after your sophomore year, you'd have to take a gap year before medical school (a lot of transfer students got freaked out about that).

As A transfer student, i definitely see why they said this. wasn't sure of the application process and thought that I would take the MCAT summer after Junior year, apply during senior year fall, and get accepted by june.

Getting to a 4-year I realized I was wrong.... really really wrong.... and that I had to take the MCAT before summer if I didn't want a gap-year. So I self studied during school (which is ridiculously hard to do if you have motivation problems like me; I studied for 3 months, but only spent about 3 days a week studying and sometimes forgot to study for weeks at a time).

Transfer students are in a bad position. You have to study for the MCAT while you get ready to transfer. A lot of work, but still doable.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

the primary issue in my opinion is that this is an internet forum and as such you don't know where some of the information is coming from. honestly, a TON of pre-allo/WAMC "advice" is given by people who are actually further back in the process than the person asking the question...

That's why I would only trust the advice of Catalystik, Mobius, LizzyM, and other established SDN regulars.

I don't know; I would argue that getting advice from premed advisors is just as bad as getting advice from an internet forum. Maybe my own experiences and those of people I know in real life have skewed my thinking, but I've had/have heard of premed advisors giving absolutely terrible (and completely wrong) advice.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

I agree. It's particularly awful when someone who clearly didn't take MCAT advises other people on how to study for MCAT..

oh god yes, and i've gotten tired of flaming people for going over their paygrade in that and other forums

That's why I would only trust the advice of Catalystik, Mobius, LizzyM, and other established SDN regulars.

I don't know; I would argue that getting advice from premed advisors is just as bad as getting advice from an internet forum. Maybe my own experiences and those of people I know in real life have skewed my thinking, but I've had/have heard of premed advisors giving absolutely terrible (and completely wrong) advice.

even some of the more prominent regulars are underclassmen who have little business giving advice with the certainty that they do.

re: premed advisors, that would depend by school i'd expect.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

There are a few Med Student MVPs that come and help out but it really isn't as much as it was when I first joined. I wish that spirit could be revived.

I'm actually really interested in getting involved with the adcom part as a med student so I can offer more concrete advice in the WAMC area. I remember how helpful Mobius was when I was asking for advice and I feel like the least I can I do is to do the same for others.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

even some of the more prominent regulars are underclassmen who have little business giving advice with the certainty that they do.

re: premed advisors, that would depend by school i'd expect.

Agreed. I should've been more clear with my original statement. I was referring to the med students and adcom members (ie. Mobius, Catalystik, LizzyM, etc) when I referred to "regular SDN members." My fault for not being clear.

 

[Mbeas]

even some of the more prominent regulars are underclassmen who have little business giving advice with the certainty that they do.

i.e. s*******?

 

[orthomyxo]

There's some good info on SDN....you just have to wade through all the bull**** first.

i.e. s******e?

YES. I die a little on the inside when I see "Last post by s******e" on the WAMC forum.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i.e. xxxxxxxx?

among others. you should probably edit that post so you don't get pinched.

 

[Frazier]

I'm actually a fat, bald dude sitting in my mother's basement intoxicating myself with my own flatulence.

That's a bummer.

i.e. s******e?

lulz

 

[Silverfalcon]

even some of the more prominent regulars are underclassmen who have little business giving advice with the certainty that they do.

It seems to be more common now than before. Like I can think of several instances where you gave a short but direct response to someone, and newbie (<100 posts) came and made fun of you for not "contributing" anything positive... or making fun of lion.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

It seems to be more common now than before. Like I can think of several instances where you gave a short but direct response to someone, and newbie (<100 posts) came and made fun of you for not "contributing" anything positive... or making fun of lion.

Dude, no one better be making fun of the lion! They're like the Chuck Norris of jungles.

 

[nicolemeooow]

As A transfer student, i definitely see why they said this. wasn't sure of the application process and thought that I would take the MCAT summer after Junior year, apply during senior year fall, and get accepted by june.

Getting to a 4-year I realized I was wrong.... really really wrong.... and that I had to take the MCAT before summer if I didn't want a gap-year. So I self studied during school (which is ridiculously hard to do if you have motivation problems like me; I studied for 3 months, but only spent about 3 days a week studying and sometimes forgot to study for weeks at a time).

Transfer students are in a bad position. You have to study for the MCAT while you get ready to transfer. A lot of work, but still doable.

um no. Getting ready to transfer occurs really only in fall of sophomore year. Then you study during spring of junior year. At least thats what I and many of my transfer friends did. I know many people who studied for the mcat while in school and they did great on both the test and their classes. Only downside of transferring that I can think of is the interruption of previous activities (if the new school is far away from your old one).

 

[Mithril]

.

 

[Frazier]

It seems to be more common now than before. Like I can think of several instances where you gave a short but direct response to someone, and newbie (<100 posts) came and made fun of you for not "contributing" anything positive... or making fun of lion.

Damn noobs need to respekt the 2009 cohort.

 

[orthomyxo]

Damn noobs need to respekt the 2009 cohort.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

It seems to be more common now than before. Like I can think of several instances where you gave a short but direct response to someone, and newbie (<100 posts) came and made fun of you for not "contributing" anything positive... or making fun of lion.

lol i do bring it on myself, not that i take anything on here particularly seriously

Dude, no one better be making fun of the lion! They're like the Chuck Norris of jungles.

ferreal though, that song never made sense, lions don't live in jungles..

Damn noobs need to respekt the 2009 cohort.

omegaword