Official 2015-2016: Oh no, I don't have a single Interview Invite thread!

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aladinforever said:
Please don't feel worthless! This process is tough, and there's a **** load of competition out there. Stay positive, apply again if you have to, and most importantly think of your accomplishments. Don't let this "setback" shadow them.
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I think about the pile of essays I have to rewrite and I just start feeling physically sick.

Why should I feel good about my accomplishments if they can't get me anywhere? My opinion of them is irrelevant. They've already been judged and found wanting.

I don't know if I have the confidence to sell myself anymore. 🙁 I called up my schools to see if they could offer any feedback. Most were very unhelpful ("Have you talked to your pre-med advisor?" Gee, no, I was planning to keep them entirely uninvolved for the next cycle +pissed+) . The handful that could offer advice mostly just offered general advice. One in particular was pretty discouraging. The lady gets on the phone and says "Well, I see you have a great MCAT, iffy UG grades but good post-bacc grades which means you can definitely handle the rigors of med school, your research experience is solid and your clinical volunteering is decent... what happened?" Gee, IDK, don't you have something written down about why I was rejected?

IDK what to do. I should probably be pre-writing my secondary essays for next cycle now but... every time I think about it I end up in this pit of despair.
 
I hate what this cycle has made me become. Apathetic and secluded. I ve been shutting off all my friends and family. Family because they keep asking how it's going. Friends because their celebrating their acceptances. I want to congratulate them, we went through college together so I know they deserve it, but it hurts to do so. All I can do is just ignore their texts and compulsively refresh my mail everyday.


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cmo217 said:
well temple just rejected me 🙁 this one was the first one in awhile that hurt.. my cousin goes there so i've seen first hand what an awesome school it is!

edit: make that VCU too, had to check the portal for that one though
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vcu D:
 
Marcion said:
I think about the pile of essays I have to rewrite and I just start feeling physically sick.

Why should I feel good about my accomplishments if they can't get me anywhere? My opinion of them is irrelevant. They've already been judged and found wanting.

I don't know if I have the confidence to sell myself anymore. 🙁 I called up my schools to see if they could offer any feedback. Most were very unhelpful ("Have you talked to your pre-med advisor?" Gee, no, I was planning to keep them entirely uninvolved for the next cycle +pissed+) . The handful that could offer advice mostly just offered general advice. One in particular was pretty discouraging. The lady gets on the phone and says "Well, I see you have a great MCAT, iffy UG grades but good post-bacc grades which means you can definitely handle the rigors of med school, your research experience is solid and your clinical volunteering is decent... what happened?" Gee, IDK, don't you have something written down about why I was rejected?

IDK what to do. I should probably be pre-writing my secondary essays for next cycle now but... every time I think about it I end up in this pit of despair.
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I agree with this so much.
 
And for love of God, stay off Facebook. I re-activated my Facebook today and saw that my best friend in college is in the group of accepted students at the only school I interviewed for (which I haven't heard back from, which is not good because the class is full)


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bobbymc6893 said:
And for love of God, stay off Facebook. I re-activated my Facebook today and saw that my best friend in college is in the group of accepted students at the only school I interviewed for (which I haven't heard back from, which is not good because the class is full)


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I know! I went on there earlier and upset myself. Then I got a rejection in the mail and my day when downhill from there.
 
bobbymc6893 said:
Sorry for venting, didn't know who else I can share with


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don't be. it's totally fine. we understand it completely so vent anytime you want and if you need any motivation, confidence boosters, we're all here for that as well! we are in this together, don't worry!
 
bobbymc6893 said:
And for love of God, stay off Facebook. I re-activated my Facebook today and saw that my best friend in college is in the group of accepted students at the only school I interviewed for (which I haven't heard back from, which is not good because the class is full)


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imagine watching all your classmates your age get in, finish, match, become first years and second years while you're still trying to get in. -_-
 
bobbymc6893 said:
And for love of God, stay off Facebook. I re-activated my Facebook today and saw that my best friend in college is in the group of accepted students at the only school I interviewed for (which I haven't heard back from, which is not good because the class is full)


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I deactivated my Facebook back in August for this very reason and don't plan on reactivating until I get accepted...however long that takes lol
 
chocolate23 said:
imagine watching all your classmates your age get in, finish, match, become first years and second years while you're still trying to get in. -_-
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My best friends are 3 years ahead of me but I've realized that everyone's time will come eventually. It was really hard to keep perspective when I was an undergrad but I'm now realizing that going to med school a few years after college is not the end of the world. Rather, it is actually a blessing. I've learned so much in the years after undergrad and am so much more mature. I feel like I'm now actually ready for med school.
 
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chocolate23 said:
imagine watching all your classmates your age get in, finish, match, become first years and second years while you're still trying to get in. -_-
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That's what I've been going through for many years. I'm old!
 
bobbymc6893 said:
I hate what this cycle has made me become. Apathetic and secluded. I ve been shutting off all my friends and family. Family because they keep asking how it's going. Friends because their celebrating their acceptances. I want to congratulate them, we went through the this together so I know they deserve it, but it hurts to do so. All I can do is just ignore their texts and compulsively refresh my mail everyday.


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are you me?
 
chocolate23 said:
girl I am 28! i am old!

you know what. I am ok being old. That just makes me a maturer applicant who's time it is to get into medical school. Going to keep holding out hope for the remaining schools.

We all got this!
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My friends have by this point been accepted, matched and finished residency... but our time will come.
 
chocolate23 said:
girl I am 28! i am old!

you know what. I am ok being old. That just makes me a maturer applicant who's time it is to get into medical school. Going to keep holding out hope for the remaining schools.

We all got this!
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I'm older! I've been on this path for a long time. I am trying to keep some hope.
 
chocolate23 said:
imagine watching all your classmates your age get in, finish, match, become first years and second years while you're still trying to get in. -_-
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My life right now... some are even residents already. It's hard to be completely happy for them, but I feel even worse about feeling jealous.
 
chocolate23 said:
girl I am 28! i am old!

you know what. I am ok being old. That just makes me a maturer applicant who's time it is to get into medical school. Going to keep holding out hope for the remaining schools.

We all got this!
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If you guys are old, I'm ancient. I'm 36. By, the way, I don't feel old....
 
I think the best advice is to really do the things you've always been passionate about during the next year. I'm in the same boat as you guys. I done goofed this cycle mainly because of late application due to a couple super late LOR submissions. Unfortunate but it happens :/. In hindsight though not getting in this year might've been a blessing in disguise for me because there was so much I wanted to accomplish before med school that I never got the chance to this year due to all of the stress from this app cycle. Specifically I started writing this short story last fall that I just stopped working on because I was so stressed from rejections. Now though I feel a lot more free and willing to work on it again. If I stay stressed out and feeling hopeless I may never accomplish the things I want to do. It's true that there's a lot of box checking for these apps, but at the same time I'd like to think that schools care about what your passions. So spend this next 3-4 months doing what you love. It'll be worth it! Next cycle will be a lot different.
 
Angelyka said:
I'm older! I've been on this path for a long time. I am trying to keep some hope.
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Angelyka said:
Same. I am an older non-traditional. I don't quite look like I am (according to many people) so that helps lol.
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Angelyka said:
That's how I feel too. I am embarrassed too because people expect me to be accepted already. I am kind of hiding out, checking email that I am scared to actually see, on here, being afraid of the mail etc.
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girl I have been on this path for a long time too, three application cycles, and now only have a bunch of schools left and I have felt embarrassed, worthless, started questioning my intelligence, and if I will ever be a doctor. I deactivated FB, don't hang out with my friends as much anymore, and am constantly checking my email but am scared of each email or phone call I get. I hope it is good news but it ends up as rejections. Honestly, I have even been depressed at some point to the point it started hurting others around me, aka my family, who is watching me go through this. They want me to revert back to the old cheerful optimistic person they knew who was happier and alive. That acceptance to medical school will restore the life in me. I know it's hard for some people to understand that, but it's true, and honestly, as the cycle nears an end, as sad as I am, I plan to really keep my hopes up because life is way too short. If I died today, I would die unhappy and miserable and I don't want that. I spent many moments like that but not anymore, let's all remain optimistic and hope for the best, because at the end of the day, one day we will make it. Sometimes, it takes the good a while to get where they want to be, but they will get there and their every struggle to get there, though it's hard to see right now, was worth it.
 
SoppyElk said:
I think the best advice is to really do the things you've always been passionate about during the next year. I'm in the same boat as you guys. I done goofed this cycle mainly because of late application due to a couple super late LOR submissions. Unfortunate but it happens :/. In hindsight though not getting in this year might've been a blessing in disguise for me because there was so much I wanted to accomplish before med school that I never got the chance to this year due to all of the stress from this app cycle. Specifically I started writing this short story last fall that I just stopped working on because I was so stressed from rejections. Now though I feel a lot more free and willing to work on it again. If I stay stressed out and feeling hopeless I may never accomplish the things I want to do. It's true that there's a lot of box checking for these apps, but at the same time I'd like to think that schools care about what your passions. So spend this next 3-4 months doing what you love. It'll be worth it! Next cycle will be a lot different.
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Late applications are rarely the only issue with getting no interviews. If you apply to the same schools with almost the same application, you are most likely going to get the same result. I'm sorry, but this is foolish advice. You have no idea why you were rejected, and it won't be the same for each program.

Schools do care about your passions, but right now you are trying to prove to them why you are a better applicant that the 400 other people with similar stats to you. What does it say to AdComs if you prioritize your other endeavors over this?
 
chocolate23 said:
girl I have been on this path for a long time too, three application cycles, and now only have a bunch of schools left and I have felt embarrassed, worthless, started questioning my intelligence, and if I will ever be a doctor. I deactivated FB, don't hang out with my friends as much anymore, and am constantly checking my email but am scared of each email or phone call I get. I hope it is good news but it ends up as rejections. Honestly, I have even been depressed at some point to the point it started hurting others around me, aka my family, who is watching me go through this. They want me to revert back to the old cheerful optimistic person they knew who was happier and alive. That acceptance to medical school will restore the life in me. I know it's hard for some people to understand that, but it's true, and honestly, as the cycle nears an end, as sad as I am, I plan to really keep my hopes up because life is way too short. If I died today, I would die unhappy and miserable and I don't want that. I spent many moments like that but not anymore, let's all remain optimistic and hope for the best, because at the end of the day, one day we will make it. Sometimes, it takes the good a while to get where they want to be, but they will get there and their every struggle to get there, though it's hard to see right now, was worth it.
Click to expand...

Sometimes it has felt like people were hounding me for answers about how the cycle was going. I'm not one to consistently post about this stuff on facebook because I don't want to be one of those kind of people, but when I got waitlisted, I posted it as a status just to kind of stop the questions coming in individually. And, you know, it sometimes feels like we have to be super successful to match expectations (and, of course those that care for you think you're awesome and a shoe in), but I found that people were very supportive, in general, when I gave them the truth. I mean, I would definitely prefer a fat envelope to a waitlist email, so I was not thrilled with my outcome, but honestly, I was harsher than others were about the situation even though I was doing my best to take it in stride. People who are asking aren't necessarily looking to sit in judgment. They're just excited at the potential for you to be moving on towards your life's dream and want to share in it with you. So, as frustrating as it is at times to repeatedly give non-news or news that we don't want to give, it's normally our lens that taints the situation... not others'.

And on the note of our lenses...

Yeah, this cycle can suck. But I realized recently that a whole bunch of good/awesome had to happen along this journey to even get me to the point that I was able to apply this year, regardless of how this cycle turns out. For me, it was the friends made. I learned the patience of old friends. Amazing science learned. Some kind, intelligent professors met. That my job was flexible enough with the time off to enable me to take night courses. Scholarships. My understanding husband who is telling me to go for the things I want bad enough. I learned about my resiliency and flexibility...

And good begets more good, if not now, eventually... because we're persevering types.

Just remember that and...

This too, shall pass.

We'll all get where we need to be.
 
Did any of you guys apply to DO school? Or are you just doing MD?


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chocolate23 said:
girl I have been on this path for a long time too, three application cycles, and now only have a bunch of schools left and I have felt embarrassed, worthless, started questioning my intelligence, and if I will ever be a doctor. I deactivated FB, don't hang out with my friends as much anymore, and am constantly checking my email but am scared of each email or phone call I get. I hope it is good news but it ends up as rejections. Honestly, I have even been depressed at some point to the point it started hurting others around me, aka my family, who is watching me go through this. They want me to revert back to the old cheerful optimistic person they knew who was happier and alive. That acceptance to medical school will restore the life in me. I know it's hard for some people to understand that, but it's true, and honestly, as the cycle nears an end, as sad as I am, I plan to really keep my hopes up because life is way too short. If I died today, I would die unhappy and miserable and I don't want that. I spent many moments like that but not anymore, let's all remain optimistic and hope for the best, because at the end of the day, one day we will make it. Sometimes, it takes the good a while to get where they want to be, but they will get there and their every struggle to get there, though it's hard to see right now, was worth it.
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Don't let the outcome of your professional aspirations (or your actual profession) define who you are. Just remember at the end of the day, any job in any career is just the bulls@*t we have to do to allow us to pursue the things that make us happy, family, friends, hobbies, etc.
 
CyrilFiggis said:
Don't let the outcome of your professional aspirations (or your actual profession) define who you are. Just remember at the end of the day, any job in any career is just the bulls@*t we have to do to allow us to pursue the things that make us happy, family, friends, hobbies, etc.
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you're absolutely correct!
 
chocolate23 said:
girl I have been on this path for a long time too, three application cycles, and now only have a bunch of schools left and I have felt embarrassed, worthless, started questioning my intelligence, and if I will ever be a doctor. I deactivated FB, don't hang out with my friends as much anymore, and am constantly checking my email but am scared of each email or phone call I get. I hope it is good news but it ends up as rejections. Honestly, I have even been depressed at some point to the point it started hurting others around me, aka my family, who is watching me go through this. They want me to revert back to the old cheerful optimistic person they knew who was happier and alive. That acceptance to medical school will restore the life in me. I know it's hard for some people to understand that, but it's true, and honestly, as the cycle nears an end, as sad as I am, I plan to really keep my hopes up because life is way too short. If I died today, I would die unhappy and miserable and I don't want that. I spent many moments like that but not anymore, let's all remain optimistic and hope for the best, because at the end of the day, one day we will make it. Sometimes, it takes the good a while to get where they want to be, but they will get there and their every struggle to get there, though it's hard to see right now, was worth it.
Click to expand...
Couldn't have said it better myself


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I really feel for all of you. This has just been a remarkably tough year. For me, I think the worst part of it is just how much it occupies me, mentally and emotionally. I feel like I have less to give everyone, and when I used to be somebody who everyone could come to, I now have to shut myself away to a certain extent. When I enjoy something, I quickly feel guilty for having enjoyed it after remembering that I haven't been accepted. I have come to terms with the fact that I will probably never feel whole or be myself again until I get an acceptance somewhere; I have defined myself as a future doctor for too long.

So yes, this year was horrible. The next year will probably also be horrible. That's alright. Nobody's life can be good all the time. In a way, you want bad things to happen to you; it makes you a stronger, more interesting person in the long run.

I think many people go through life without ever finding a dream they are so passionate about that the failure to achieve it makes them feel this empty. I am lucky that I have found such a dream. I believe that someday we will all get there. For now, though, as Winston Churchill once said, "When you're going through Hell, keep going."
 
CyrilFiggis said:
Late applications are rarely the only issue with getting no interviews. If you apply to the same schools with almost the same application, you are most likely going to get the same result. I'm sorry, but this is foolish advice. You have no idea why you were rejected, and it won't be the same for each program.

Schools do care about your passions, but right now you are trying to prove to them why you are a better applicant that the 400 other people with similar stats to you. What does it say to AdComs if you prioritize your other endeavors over this?
Click to expand...

I know that. I'm also doing things to improve the parts I was weak in. I've been doing that since the fall. I can think of a few reasons what went wrong this cycle so I know what I need to do to improve. I was just saying don't lose yourself in the process.
 
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This thread got #heavy all of a sudden.

Sending good vibes to everyone as this application cycle comes to a close. And hoping no matter where everyone is at this point we can all enjoy a little quality time with our families this upcoming Easter :pigeon:
 
Hi everyone,

I was once in your shoes. The first time I applied was the 2014-2015 cycle and I applied MD-only. I applied to 15 schools and by March my cycle was over. The 9 months that my application was in the running (July-March), I felt anxious and impatient, and unseen by adcoms. Every time I got an email, I couldn't open it because I just knew it would be a reminder that I hadn't gotten in anywhere. In the end I didn't get a single interview invite, not even from my state school. During the last few months, I felt - as many of you are experiencing - secluded, isolated, apathetic, and no longer confident in myself and my abilities. But I realized that this seclusion could be overcome. Instead of focusing on what didn't happen, I tried to focus on what did happen, and I tried to find the silver lining (there is always a silver lining). Even though I didn't get accepted into medical school that first time, I DID apply and that is already a huge step. And having gone through that process, there was a wealth of knowledge and experience that I could use to my advantage.

I learned that in a way, this application process is a game, and you have to play by the rules. But the rules are not defined anywhere, and that's what makes it so difficult at times. There is no formula that can guarantee you a spot in a medical school class, and you can't calculate your chances based on your MCAT and your GPA or the school that you came from or the major that you studied. But you have to know that information about yourself, because to medical schools, that's who you are. So you need to make the most of who you are in a limited set of numbers, in the list of schools you apply to, in the word limit of your essays, in the defined list of activities.

I learned to open up to others. I realized that my medical school application did not isolate me; I isolated myself. I started to talk to people, my parents, my family, my research mentors. I learned to be a sponge when it comes to criticism. Initially, every bit of criticism hurt, but I always remembered that piece of criticism and I realized that it was making me better and better. I reapplied to medical school for the 2015-2016 cycle, and this time I applied for MD/PhD programs. I'm not saying that if you don't make it the first time, you should apply MD/PhD the second time. The reason why I did it was because when I looked back on my previous cycle, I learned an immense amount about myself. I realized how much I wanted to pursue research and that I was absolutely willing to put forth 8 years to fulfill this part of me. Look back on your cycle, be introspective, and be honest with yourself. My stats are not extraordinary. I have an average GPA and an average MCAT score. But everyone has something extraordinary about themselves; as much as he or she needs to realize his or her weaknesses, the strengths must be acknowledged and promoted as well.

I learned that I needed to grow up more, and I needed more life experience. Nearly every one of my research mentors, and both of my parents, told me that I needed to do something that would expose me to life outside the academia, outside the application checklist, outside the research world even though I wanted to pursue research. So, I got a full-time paid job; my background was in Biomedical Engineering. And simultaneously, I was applying to MD/PhD programs. I learned to balance more than one task at once, and I learned to be patient. Anxiety during the application cycle was inevitable and I accepted that. But, as I learned from the last cycle, that anxiety could not overcome me because what good would that do? So I waited. And I focused on my job and truly appreciating the time that I was spending with my family. A few months into the application cycle, I started feeling that discouragement again; it seemed that everyone was getting acceptances already and all I was doing was twiddling my thumbs and waiting. But in November I received my first interview invite for an MD/PhD program. I was ecstatic. I told myself that this may be my only shot because I had already be rejected from about a third of the schools that I applied to. I started preparing for the interview the moment I got that invitation. Again, I got help me those around me. I did several mock interviews, and pressed them to give me brutally honest feedback. I ended up being waitlisted at that school and I felt as though the wind was knocked out of me. So I spent 2 weeks thinking about what had gone wrong during that interview - not wallowing in my pain, but trying to figure out what I could have done better. I started studying for the MCAT again for fear that my score was the reason why I didn't get it. Then, on March 3 I got an interview invite that I would attend on March 7. I garnered all of my willpower, remembered all the points of improvement that I could have made during my last interview and poured my heart and soul into this interview. On March 17, I was accepted. (Yes, it was St. Patrick's day, and as you can imagine, that will always be the luckiest and the bestestestest days ever.)

I realized that this application is just as much your passion as it is your stats, and you must find a way to show medical schools that you have that passion. Stats help tremendously, but if you, like me, are not blessed with 40+ (or I guess 515+ for the new test) MCAT scores and a 4.0 GPA, don't lose hope. There is something in you that is motivating you to pursue this career, and if it is genuine, and you can genuinely express it to committee members, then you have a great chance of achieving what you are working so hard for. If I hadn't gotten in this time, I would have without a doubt reapplied; if you don't get in the second time and you truly still want to do this, be determined to do it. Enjoy yourself, spend time with the ones you love, and don't feel guilty for it. Have an amazing summer and if you know you still want to, apply again wholeheartedly (although I will tell you that it helps SO much if you apply as early as possible). There will be someone who sees your strength and perseverance, even when you don't see it, and he or she will applaud you for it. Good luck to all of you for your future!!
 
I'm in the 30 club as well, and watched a bunch of my friends go thru match day this week, it's been, difficult. I decided on med long after they did, and had a wonderful career before I started down this road, but for me it's been challenging seeing the students I am currently going to school with at UG get into medical schools, and lots of my friends who took gap years are being matched right now. I get to see both major accomplishments from my peers while I was rejected this cycle.

But it is what it is. All you call do is control what you can, do your best, and hope the person evaluating your app next year isn't having a ****ty day they pick yours up.
 
mavric1298 said:
I'm in the 30 club as well, and watched a bunch of my friends go thru match day this week, it's been, difficult. I decided on med long after they did, and had a wonderful career before I started down this road, but for me it's been challenging seeing the students I am currently going to school with at UG get into medical schools, and lots of my friends who took gap years are being matched right now. I get to see both major accomplishments from my peers while I was rejected this cycle.

But it is what it is. All you call do is control what you can, do your best, and hope the person evaluating your app next year isn't having a ****ty day they pick yours up.
Click to expand...
I can relate to this right now and I trying to get myself mentally ready to reapply.
 
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