Official Regrets Thread

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Smittyballz

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I thought that it would be very helpful to people persuing medical careers, if people posted regrets or things they wish they did not do on a thread. This will be very helpful in guiding people like myself down the right path. A good student will no the things not to do when seeking acceptance into medical school. These postings can be anything from sad stories to lessons learned. Thanks so much hope this helps everyone. :) :) Please take the time to contribute so that everyone can not make the mistakes again. ;)

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Smittyballz said:
I thought that it would be very helpful to people persuing medical careers, if people posted regrets or things they wish they did not do on a thread. This will be very helpful in guiding people like myself down the right path. A good student will no the things not to do when seeking acceptance into medical school. These postings can be anything from sad stories to lessons learned. Thanks so much hope this helps everyone. :) :) Please take the time to contribute so that everyone can not make the mistakes again. ;)


i have no regrets even though my undergrad gpa is horrendous. i had a fun time the whole way...and i know no matter what in ten years ill be a doctor, whether it be in the US or the carribean, its all good as long as i get to be one. so i had no regrets in terms of underachieving, i know im just as smart as anyone who got the A's and the 4.0's...the fact that i scored higher on the mcat than those people just confirmed it to me. it sounds cocky, but oh well.

in terms of advice...thats a whole different story. One of my friends is just entering here (UCLA) as a first year, and he wants to go to medical school. I told him to major in some sort of humanities, anything he likes. And dont take that 'well i love biochem and molecular genetics' BS cause no one does. do the humanities, your med school pre reqs (with a's of course), and hang out for ur third and fourth year taking fun humanities classes. take the mcat in april of third year, apply end of third year, and ur into a good medical school. i told him if he wants to stay in california, then his extracurriculars gotta be solid...e.g. EMT, volunteer, research, and alot of it. thats the way to do it folks...
 
I really have no regrets; I graduated College very young, and was very immature (I left an exam early [without completing the paper] to go and drink beer, and watch England play Soccer). There was no way I would have been able to undertake the academic rigors of going pre-vet. Since graduating 2 and half year ago, I have grown, matured, achieved some personal goals, and just have more life experience - now I am ready to put my head and work hard for the coming years.

My recommendation – don’t rush it – good things come to people who wait, enjoy it – the journey is always better then the destination, and don’t sacrifice things you will regret (travel, social life, hobbies).
 
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I don't have any regrets, because my undergrad years were incredible. But I feel for the premeds I see now, so here's some advice to all you premeds out there:

Don't major in bio because you think you need to in order to get into medschool. In fact, don't major in a science, even if you love it. Major in history or political science, both of which will not only make you an interesting person to talk to, but will also have many transferrable skills that you might overlook. For example, political science will teach you all about statistics and using SPSS--good skills for any future researcher. Also, both are relatively easy compared to a hard science. Take that extra time and enjoy the best years of your life. Go out alot, be involved with non premed things, and have a good time--just keep that GPA decent.

Study a language, even if you have to start from scratch. Everyone says to study spanish because it will be so useful once you're a doc. My advice: don't study a language you don't find intrinsically interesting just because it's the "premed" thing to do. Pick one that interests you; learning any language will make learning others much much easier. Study abroad if it's financially feasible.

take a year off if you must and study extra for the mcat. That year is nothing in the long run--you can even pick up an MPH in the meantime.

Above all, have fun
 
Smittyballz said:
I thought that it would be very helpful to people persuing medical careers, if people posted regrets or things they wish they did not do on a thread. This will be very helpful in guiding people like myself down the right path. A good student will no the things not to do when seeking acceptance into medical school. These postings can be anything from sad stories to lessons learned. Thanks so much hope this helps everyone. :) :) Please take the time to contribute so that everyone can not make the mistakes again. ;)

Ok, well, I guess I'm the only person here who has regrets :p

I regret that I simply stopped going to class my last semester rather than either finishing out school (and graduating with a double major) or dropping the classes (and finishing with one major) - my cume GPA would have been over 3.0, and I would have faced a different path trying to enter med school down the road.

I regret that I did not take advantage of the pre-med advisors at my school. I visited them once in the entire time I was at school. I should have gotten more advice.

I regret that, in returning to school and retrying for med school, I did not know about this site, and did not do my due dilligence. I probably cost myself a year (or two) and several tens of thousands of dollars.

So - finish your classes, visit your pre-med advisors, and do all the research you can.

On the flip side, I am, in retrospect, glad I did not get into med school my first time around. I was far too immature and would have been completely disillusioned by medicine as it is now. I would have made a horrible physician (uncaring, unfocused) and probably would have quit after a few years.
 
i regret not taking a year off before starting my undergrad. my record reflects a steady upward trend after freshman year, but if i had taken a year off to goof off, then i would probably be a doctor by now via the traditional pathway.

with that said, i must say that i've learned a lot about myself during my post-bac stint: i learned how to manage my finances (i sold everything of value that i owned and moved to chicago with only a mastercard in hand, no job), become self-reliant (i didn't know anybody), and to develop the ability to multi-task without letting anything fall to the wayside.

i think i'll be a better doctor in the long run.
 
Imrep,

You are not the only one with regrets.

I regret not studying in college. I regret not getting treatment for my depression sooner, which RUINED my GPA.

I regret not trying earlier to start trying again.

I REALLY regret that I didn't find this site 5 years ago. I would be ahead of the game if I had.

I regret not having that 3rd hot dog at that birthday party when I was 8 (but I digress)...

But I have had a good time so far... And if I hadn't been through all the stuff I've been through, I would not be who I am now....

So I guess my regrets are small...

Agape


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Benign . . . . . . . . . . . What you be, after you be eight
CAT Scan. . . . . . . . . . . Searching for Kitty
Congenital . . . . . . . . . . . Friendly
Labour Pain . . . . . . . . . Getting hurt at work
Outpatient . . . . . . . . . A person who has fainted
Rectum . . . . . . . . . . . Damn near killed him
 
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