parents are funny in this process :)

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Bacchus said:
My dad told me I better get a 100% on the MCAT... hahahahaha.
Click to expand...

Just tell him you got an "A"
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My Mother had a very minor medical problem that got her taken to the ER (she's was fine the next day). When she got there she started to cry a little, and some medical staff rushed over because they assumed that her minor medical problem was getting major. When they asked her what was wrong she explained "I just can't believe my son is going to be working somewhere like this!".

Yeah, she was actually pretty normal until I got in.
 
Perrotfish said:
My Mother had a very minor medical problem that got her taken to the ER (she's was fine the next day). When she got there she started to cry a little, and some medical staff rushed over because they assumed that her minor medical problem was getting major. When they asked her what was wrong she explained "I just can't believe my son is going to be working somewhere like this!".

Yeah, she was actually pretty normal until I got in.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if this is really funny or really sad...
 
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OK, seriously, I have told my mother upwards of 100 times that I'm not going to get any news anytime soon, and I swore to her that I'll call her the SECOND I know anything. Nevertheless...
phone call yesterday:

"Hello?" (groggily, at 6 pm, I'd just gotten home and was taking a nap)
"SO?!"
"What?"
"SO? Something in the mail?!"
"Oh. Mother. No. Nothing's in the mail."
"really?! Cause I had a feeling..."
"well, despite your feeling, there wont be anything in the mail. It's mid-july mom, I'm still applying."
"So you didn't check it. I'm telling you, I have a feeling. Go check"
"Mom, I'm napping. Go away."
"Ay Dios mio, God helps those who help themselves."
"I dont think that means that I'm supposed to check the mail pointlessly while trying to nap"
"IWANTYOUTOGOCHECKTHEMAILIAMPAYINGFORYOURAPPLICATIONSIWANTYOUTORESPECTMEANDCHECKTHEMAIL!"
"FINE!"
I go outside, check the mail.
"Nothing here, mom."
"what?! Why???!"
"I dont know mom, call the schools and ask"
"ok I'll call Harvard tomorrow"
"what??! No, I was kidding, and I didn't apply to Harvard. I told you 37 times. No harvard. Me, not crimson. Ever. Ever ever ever."
"God, always so dramatic. Fine."
"Stop calling me about this, they send emails anyway before mail"
"Emails, really? But for college you got mail."
"yes well for med schools I'll get emails."
"Ok. Well call me tomorrow when you check your mail! Love you! I'm gonna go light a candle for Harvard!"
"don't waste the effin candle on a school I didn't even apply to!!!!"
-click.


AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
 
Oh, and she's started grouping med schools together randomly. I told her yesterday that I'm behind on application essays and I have to write 8 this weekend, and she was like "well why don't you reuse them?" "because they ask different questions" "really?! All of them?" "well most" "cant you just use vanderbilt for duke?" "WHAT?! I've gotten neither, vanderbilt screens and duke doesnt, and i have no idea what they're gonna ask" "Oh. But wont they have the same questions?" "Mom, they're different schools" "Yeah, but they're both, you know" "Uhmmm what? Southern? Good?" "Yeah, Southern. Aren't they both in like, Louisiana or one of those places?" "No ma, Tulane's in Louisiana. Vanderbilt's in Tennessee. Duke is in North Carolina." "Ay, and you want to be in the south? With the southerners?"

Sigh...
 
my parents (ok, me a little bit too!) get worried when i dont get non-screened secondaries the first day they become available. ha.
 
LET said:
OK, seriously, I have told my mother upwards of 100 times that I'm not going to get any news anytime soon, and I swore to her that I'll call her the SECOND I know anything. Nevertheless...
phone call yesterday:

"Hello?" (groggily, at 6 pm, I'd just gotten home and was taking a nap)
"SO?!"
"What?"
"SO? Something in the mail?!"
"Oh. Mother. No. Nothing's in the mail."
"really?! Cause I had a feeling..."
"well, despite your feeling, there wont be anything in the mail. It's mid-july mom, I'm still applying."
"So you didn't check it. I'm telling you, I have a feeling. Go check"
"Mom, I'm napping. Go away."
"Ay Dios mio, God helps those who help themselves."
"I dont think that means that I'm supposed to check the mail pointlessly while trying to nap"
"IWANTYOUTOGOCHECKTHEMAILIAMPAYINGFORYOURAPPLICATIONSIWANTYOUTORESPECTMEANDCHECKTHEMAIL!"
"FINE!"
I go outside, check the mail.
"Nothing here, mom."
"what?! Why???!"
"I dont know mom, call the schools and ask"
"ok I'll call Harvard tomorrow"
"what??! No, I was kidding, and I didn't apply to Harvard. I told you 37 times. No harvard. Me, not crimson. Ever. Ever ever ever."
"God, always so dramatic. Fine."
"Stop calling me about this, they send emails anyway before mail"
"Emails, really? But for college you got mail."
"yes well for med schools I'll get emails."
"Ok. Well call me tomorrow when you check your mail! Love you! I'm gonna go light a candle for Harvard!"
"don't waste the effin candle on a school I didn't even apply to!!!!"
-click.


AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Click to expand...

LET said:
Oh, and she's started grouping med schools together randomly. I told her yesterday that I'm behind on application essays and I have to write 8 this weekend, and she was like "well why don't you reuse them?" "because they ask different questions" "really?! All of them?" "well most" "cant you just use vanderbilt for duke?" "WHAT?! I've gotten neither, vanderbilt screens and duke doesnt, and i have no idea what they're gonna ask" "Oh. But wont they have the same questions?" "Mom, they're different schools" "Yeah, but they're both, you know" "Uhmmm what? Southern? Good?" "Yeah, Southern. Aren't they both in like, Louisiana or one of those places?" "No ma, Tulane's in Louisiana. Vanderbilt's in Tennessee. Duke is in North Carolina." "Ay, and you want to be in the south? With the southerners?"

Sigh...
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Those were great.:laugh:

Don't take this the wrong way LET, but I look forward to a great application cycle full of neurotic mom stories from you.
 
Depakote said:
Those were great.:laugh:

Don't take this the wrong way LET, but I look forward to a great application cycle full of neurotic mom stories from you.
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Hahaha thanks, honestly I'm THRILLED to have found this thread cause my friends are pretty sick of hearing me complain about my mother's insanity and this way I get to share it with you all :D
 
my mom gets excited when i get letters from undergrads
 
LET said:
Hahaha thanks, honestly I'm THRILLED to have found this thread cause my friends are pretty sick of hearing me complain about my mother's insanity and this way I get to share it with you all :D
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Complain away, I enjoyed reading :laugh:

My parents are still in the "Let's not be excited or supportive because we don't want to get her (or our) hopes up" boat... :rolleyes:
 
After about a month into the app season (late August for me) I got so pissed about my mom constantly nagging me that I had to sit her down and have a talk with her. She flipped a little bit every now and then, but I pretty much took care of my problems right then and there.
 
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mom : i had a dream last night where you were wearing khaki shorts and a tank top and walking around stanford...YOU'RE GOING TO STANFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL! OH MY GODDDD!!!!

these dreams occur about once a week
 
geenelln said:
hah. nah he's awesome...he's ridic smart and is sad I didn't live up to my "prodigy" potential.

living with the notion that I have "limited brain power"...and that "oh I'm smart. Your mom smart too. Why are you so dumb?"
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he sounds like an *******
 
My parents are both doctors...and nuts.

Me on AIM: Dad, I got rejected from BU
Dad: Oh ok, wait your mom wants to talk to you, call her

ten minutes later....

Mom: Whhaaa?? You got rejected from BU? Ai-ya. Maybe you should apply to more medical schools. BU not so good school. You should've gotten in. Now I'm worried. Maybe you add more safety schools.

Me: Mom, I applied to 32 schools. There are no safety schools! I have three interviews already.

Mom: Still...I don't know why they rejected you. Let me call my friend. Her daughter is 3rd year at Duke Medical School. She can give you advice. Hold on here's your dad

on hold....

Dad: So I hear you're a loser. Loser. Stop pitying yourself. You'll face lots of rejection in your life

Me: Ok dad...I'm not sad.

Dad: Ok loser, how are your apps.

Me: Well I still have five more, Duke and some other randoms ones

Dad: What? Why are you so slow. Loser.

Me: Ok Dad, I'm gonna leave now.

Dad: Ok, you need money? Ok ok. I transfer 500 dollars to your account. Stop being a loser.
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For some reason when I read this I narrated it as Khan from King of the HIll in my head.. lol
 
My mom told me she was jumping up and down in excitement when she saw a small envelope from Harvard. Then she looked at it closer and it was addressed to her, inviting her to some conference held there.
 
doomknight said:
My mom told me she was jumping up and down in excitement when she saw a small envelope from Harvard. Then she looked at it closer and it was addressed to her, inviting her to some conference held there.
Click to expand...

Perhaps it would be best to warn her that small envelopes are not frequently good news.
 
haha awesome stories guys. my parents used to be crazier but have mellowed out a little bit. my dad even agrees to take a day off from work to drdive me to my downstate interview and back. although, they flipped a little when i told them i harvard will probabaly reject me bc i dont have all ymresearch LORs
 
Been frustrated with the 'rents this week so I thought I'd at least help blow a small amount of the steam here:

Situation: Just got my first invite from NYMC, not my first choice school, but I'll take any acceptance just so I don't ever have to go through this process again (first time applicant). Either way, I'm stoked about going to an interview, never traveled on my own before so I'm a bit nervous, and it'll be my first time on the east coast. The scene opens with mother dear washing dishes in the kitchen just after lunch...

Me: Hey...mom....I GOT AN INTERVIEW INVITE!!!

Mom: (Estatic) OH, I'm SO happy for you!!! Where is at?

Note: My mother knows nothing about schools except for the UCs, cause we're good Californians like that.

Me: It's a "lesser" known school in New York. Can I go ahead and book my hotel/flights now? (I don't have enough funds to support the travel expenses for interviews, after I paid for my primaries and secondaries. I was hoping I would, but I still haven't been able to find a job. Damn this economy.)

Mom: Sure! Just put it on the credit card, hon. Make sure you tell your Fa--

Just realized I'm late for an appointment with the doctor.

Me: (Interrupts) Never mind! I'll talk to you about it later! Got to run!

--------Later that evening--------

After having spent the afternoon researching what seems like an extremely complicated series of modes of transportation in the big apple, I've finally settled on a hotel, a set of flight dates, and my plan for the interview.

Dad walks in from work for dinner...

Dad: So where did you get an invite from?

Me: It's a small school in New York. I'm sur-...

Dad: (Cuts me off) Is it NYU? Did you apply to NYU?

Me: No, Dad. NYU is too good for me.

(Note: I have no desire to attend a school that is number crazy. Not to mention with my MCAT score, my application would literally be tossed into the shredder without a second glance.)

Dad: But, it's the only school worth attending in New York! I don't see why they would not take you?! You SHOULD HAVE APPLIED!!!

At this point, I should note, when my father gets excited he starts to yell without noticing it, and comes off as being extremely stubborn and antagonistic. Also, important: My father's friends' daughters are all child prodigies. They all got accepted into Mayo, Harvard, Columbia, Duke, etc. with semi- to full scholarships for merit. My father, being the occassional well-meaning idiot likes to impress upon me the importance of attending such a "brand name" school, so he can have his bragging rights in his circle of friends.

Anyways, I should have known better at this point to politely excuse myself from the room and go out for a run or scream in my pillow, cause nothing gets me more angry than being forced into this "you're supposed to be smart" role.

Me: Dad, I've been trying to save you money by applying only to schools that I think I have a decent chance at interviewing at, and therefore getting an acceptance from. NYU would have rejected me right off the bat.

Dad: You never know if you don't give it a try! Look at [insert friend's name here]'s daughter! She got into Mayo with a full scholarship.

Me: Dad....she had a 37 MCAT, with a 3.9 GPA, along with countless numbers of publications while working with a top PI at UCSF after graduating from Harvard.

Dad: -Proceeds to list other crazy friends' daughters.-

I proceed to exit the room before I blow up in his face.

-----------Even later that evening after I go for a short run to blow off some steam.---------

Mom: You know, I've been thinking.

What I thought at that moment: Oh ****. Here we go.

Me: Yeah? What's up?

Mom: I've been thinking and I don't understand why you would want to apply to a small, unknown medical school in New York of all places. I thought you wanted to stay in California?

Me: Yeah, I really would love to go to school in CA, but I think I've already explained this about a million times now: California schools are near impossible to get into....

Mom: See! I knew it! That's why I don't understand why you're taking all this trouble and spending all this money to go to New York for this interview if you don't really plan on going there. What a waste of time and money!

Me: Mom, you see---

Mom: (Interrupts)You keep going on about having a backup school, but really you don't want to go to that school, so I think it is a moot point for you even having wasted money on applying there.

Me: (Trying to get my point across (very stupid move on my part)) But, mom. Listen. Even if it isn't my first choice to go to NYMC, I'd like to have the accep--

Mom: (Interrupts) Just go to school in California. I don't plan on paying for all these useless trips of yours to go to visit these schools for no good reason. I don't see why the UCs won't take you anyways. You're a California resident! They should give you super precedence.

Me: (Sigh) I give up. I'm going to bed. (AKA scream in my pillow)

--------------------Next Morning----------------------

Me: (*groggily*) Good morning, Mother and Father.

Dad: Guess what?!

Me: (still groggy and rubbing eyes) What?

Dad: It'll be a bit difficult with work, but I'm taking off some time in October so I can go with you to New York!

Me: Wait just a minute. What did you just say? (Completely awake at this point.)

Dad: I know, isn't it great?! I even booked the same flight with you this morning.

Me: [internalized scream of horror and doom.]
 
lol. These are great. My parents are avoiding the topic with me because I'm generally good natured but I get really moody about this stuff. I do wish they could fly with me though if I get interviews but I don't think they want to. At least they promised to come to the white coat ceremony. :)
 
It seems like my parent are very different from most others on this forum. For instance my parents do not know what kinds of grades I have received since middle school. When I told my dad I was applying to medical school; he commented "Well, as long as you never think you are more important than anyone else because of your job." Then when my mother asked how many schools I am applying to and I told her seven. She asked why so many, and if I really would like to go to all of those schools. Then she asked how I was paying for the applications and interviews. I said that I have left over money from the Goldwater scholarship I received for this year, and she responded that it was nice of them to give me a scholarship for applications. :rolleyes:

I think that if I am not accepted to medical school my parent will just think I decided that I did want to go to one, sometimes I wish they know how much work and stress this process is, but then again I really like talking with them about other stuff so that I get away from this crazy competition we call the application process.

Also, just for the record my parents are far from the hippy end of the spectrum. They do have that do-your-best-and-your-family-will-always-be-here-for-you thing going on, but my father has farmed, shot down airplanes for the Air Force, and now trains police officers. The rest of my family, relatives included, are awesome small town folk that work for a living and celebrate the Fourth of July with massive amounts of fireworks and beer. (How I love the Fourth with the family :D). This bring up another point, I never can talk about my reseach, schooling, or anything related with my family. They just know I am accidemically motivated. This sometimes makes me feel like an outsider.

So what do all of you think? Is it better to have over involved parents or parents that barely know what you do in your academic life?
 
@geenelln: Yup, my parents are Asian. Through and through.

LOL, your conversation with your mom sounds exactly like mine. Props for all those interviews. I'd love to have more myself. :D

It's not like I dislike the fact that my parents like to know about my academic life, but they honestly don't even try to understand the basics of what it means to be in this stressful process nor why I'm interested in medicine to begin with.

For example:

Some random car trip sometime this summer (I'm driving), we happen to get into talking about my grandmother's passing due to cancer a few years ago. My research interests are centered around cancer for many reasons, and I get unusually excited when talking about the subject, etc.

Me: *rambling on about important something cancer related, how my parents should go through all the appropriate screenings because they are at risk due to the fact that there seems to be a hereditary pattern of cancer in my family on both sides, etc.

Mom: (Interrupting constantly) But, honey. There's no reason why we should have to. They're going to find the cure for cancer any day now. Just relax. I don't see why you would want to pursue such a futile and likely shortlived career in hematology and oncology. All you see are dying patients, how depressing. Besides, there are smarter and better doctors who are working on the problem right now and they'll cure the cancers before you even get out of med school.

Fortunately for her, I remain very calm, and proceed to our final destination without banging my brains out on the steering wheel nor the window.

That is the most frustrating thing, because I know that they care about me and support me in all that I do, that when I do get moody about things I feel bad for taking it out on them. Like waterlily I'm generally good natured and love to laugh as much, if not more, than the next person, but man..my parents know all the right buttons to push when it comes to talking about my career, and modeling me after their friends' kids.
 
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asian parents arent the only ones like that guys.. Russian parents are the same....
i have had to explain to my mom twice today alone that I will ahve to miss class on thursday because the interview lasts from 11am til about 4pm when youinclude all the tours they do and lunches and whatnot. My dad will be driving me to the interview which is nice, and then picking me up with my mom and feeding me before driving me back to campus :)

They mean well, but they really just dont know the process here.
 
ar2388 said:
asian parents arent the only ones like that guys.. Russian parents are the same....
i have had to explain to my mom twice today alone that I will ahve to miss class on thursday because the interview lasts from 11am til about 4pm when youinclude all the tours they do and lunches and whatnot. My dad will be driving me to the interview which is nice, and then picking me up with my mom and feeding me before driving me back to campus :)

They mean well, but they really just dont know the process here.
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Tell me about it.

I have it even worse. My Russian mother is also a Jewish mother! ;)
 
Oh boy! So many Russians! I've got them Russian parents, too.

They keep offering to call their friend from old country's sisters and brothers and bosses and (_insert relation here_) to get a recommendation or some sort of "in" because in the USSR everything worked through bribes and sketchy connections. It's like, no mom, your friend who I've never met before, who knows nothing about me, can't write me a letter of recommendation because THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT ME.

And they want me to go into derm.
Or anaesthesiology.
Or cosmetic surgery.
Or something equally likely to give me tons of cashmoney and very little enjoyment or satisfaction.

(My apologies for that rant)
 
lainapox said:
Oh boy! So many Russians! I've got them Russian parents, too.

They keep offering to call their friend from old country's sisters and brothers and bosses and (_insert relation here_) to get a recommendation or some sort of "in" because in the USSR everything worked through bribes and sketchy connections. It's like, no mom, your friend who I've never met before, who knows nothing about me, can't write me a letter of recommendation because THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT ME.

And they want me to go into derm.
Or anaesthesiology.
Or cosmetic surgery.
Or something equally likely to give me tons of cashmoney and very little enjoyment or satisfaction.

(My apologies for that rant)
Click to expand...
hahaha i totally understand, no worries. when i told my parents that radiologists make a lot of money (some website, FREIDA or something, had $911,000 for the highest paying radiologist) they were all "you should definitely fo into radiology."
 
Well, no Russians in my family, it's only my mom and sisters and me, and we're Hispanic/Italian. So instead of sketchy contacts, my mother is CONVINCED that the key to my getting into med school will be every dead relative I've ever had. Apparently Heaven is boring and all they do there is watch me fill out secondary applications. Oh, also, if I get anything less than an A, it's my fault ("you should have studied harder!") but the first thing I was told when I did well on the MCAT was "see, I told you your dad would work a miracle..." (uhm yeah cause my studying a zillion hours a day had nothing to do with it...).

My mom recently came to visit me in CA. This was one of our MANY conversations on the subject:

Mom: "So when are you gonna show me these California schools you want to abandon me for"
Me: "Mom, I'm not abandoning you. And if you really want, I can show you Stanford and UCSF..."
"Yeah let's go"

so we drive to Stanford, which is closer

Mom: "Ok, I like this for you, you should go here"
Me: "Er...I don't think it's that simple. Plus I like UCSF better"
"Why? Is it prettier?"
"I don't know that it's a matter of prettiness..."
"It can't be prettier than Stanford. And this is so safe!"
"Mom, it's a moot point, I'm not getting into either, and that's precisely what I dont like about Stanford, its a bubble"
"Yeah, but I wont be worried"
"Uhmm I can't really base my decision on your worries...."
"Don't be disrespectful. After all I've done for you girls. Plus, no one's heard of UCSF."
"Uhm, that's incorrect."
"Well I've never heard of it"
"Yeah, that doesn't really mean anything. You've only heard of Harvard."
"When's your Harvard interview?"
"Never? I didn't apply. This is the 12095810th time I tell you."
"Ay now why would you be so negative? Your dad, grandma, grandpa, and the saints I lit a candle to will help!"
"Uhm can they help me get into UCSF?"
Silence....
 
LET said:
Well, no Russians in my family, it's only my mom and sisters and me, and we're Hispanic/Italian. So instead of sketchy contacts, my mother is CONVINCED that the key to my getting into med school will be every dead relative I've ever had. Apparently Heaven is boring and all they do there is watch me fill out secondary applications. Oh, also, if I get anything less than an A, it's my fault ("you should have studied harder!") but the first thing I was told when I did well on the MCAT was "see, I told you your dad would work a miracle..." (uhm yeah cause my studying a zillion hours a day had nothing to do with it...).
Click to expand...

My family was praying to St. Jude (the patron saint of lost causes) for my med school acceptance. Seriously. :laugh:
 
splotchy3754 said:
My father, being the occassional well-meaning idiot likes to impress upon me the importance of attending such a "brand name" school, so he can have his bragging rights in his circle of friends.
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Does he actually say it's for bragging rights or can that be inferred? With my parents it's all inferred, so when I bluntly point out to them that I can see what they are doing and how shallow that is they are usually temporarily shamed into scaling back.
 
lainapox said:
Oh boy! So many Russians! I've got them Russian parents, too.

They keep offering to call their friend from old country's sisters and brothers and bosses and (_insert relation here_) to get a recommendation or some sort of "in" because in the USSR everything worked through bribes and sketchy connections. It's like, no mom, your friend who I've never met before, who knows nothing about me, can't write me a letter of recommendation because THEY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT ME.

And they want me to go into derm.
Or anaesthesiology.
Or cosmetic surgery.
Or something equally likely to give me tons of cashmoney and very little enjoyment or satisfaction.

(My apologies for that rant)
Click to expand...
ROFL!

My mother is EXACTLY the same way. That, and she is also convinced I should go into Radiology, but invasive/interventional radiology, since that pays better and won't be replaced by people doing it from India.
 
LET said:
Well, no Russians in my family, it's only my mom and sisters and me, and we're Hispanic/Italian. So instead of sketchy contacts, my mother is CONVINCED that the key to my getting into med school will be every dead relative I've ever had. Apparently Heaven is boring and all they do there is watch me fill out secondary applications. Oh, also, if I get anything less than an A, it's my fault ("you should have studied harder!") but the first thing I was told when I did well on the MCAT was "see, I told you your dad would work a miracle..." (uhm yeah cause my studying a zillion hours a day had nothing to do with it...).

My mom recently came to visit me in CA. This was one of our MANY conversations on the subject:

Mom: "So when are you gonna show me these California schools you want to abandon me for"
Me: "Mom, I'm not abandoning you. And if you really want, I can show you Stanford and UCSF..."
"Yeah let's go"

so we drive to Stanford, which is closer

Mom: "Ok, I like this for you, you should go here"
Me: "Er...I don't think it's that simple. Plus I like UCSF better"
"Why? Is it prettier?"
"I don't know that it's a matter of prettiness..."
"It can't be prettier than Stanford. And this is so safe!"
"Mom, it's a moot point, I'm not getting into either, and that's precisely what I dont like about Stanford, its a bubble"
"Yeah, but I wont be worried"
"Uhmm I can't really base my decision on your worries...."
"Don't be disrespectful. After all I've done for you girls. Plus, no one's heard of UCSF."
"Uhm, that's incorrect."
"Well I've never heard of it"
"Yeah, that doesn't really mean anything. You've only heard of Harvard."
"When's your Harvard interview?"
"Never? I didn't apply. This is the 12095810th time I tell you."
"Ay now why would you be so negative? Your dad, grandma, grandpa, and the saints I lit a candle to will help!"
"Uhm can they help me get into UCSF?"
Silence....
Click to expand...

Your convos (especially the recurring Harvard questions) remind me of this video lol

"A Typical Conversation With My Mom"

[youtube]XmecyCCdknk[/youtube]
 
This thread is pretty fabulous! I could definitely waste the rest of my Sunday reading the whole darn thing. :laugh:

I empathize with all those dealing with crazy parents out there because I remember exactly how psycho my mom (only parent) was when I applied to undergrad. We got into a raging fight on CHRISTMAS DAY (of all times) because I (slacker extraordinaire) had not yet applied to Notre Dame, but she saw in the church bulletin that day that one of my classmates had already been accepted! The horror! The embarrassment! :rolleyes: (I got in just fine, having postmarked my app minutes before midnight on the day it was due . . . perhaps just to piss her off even more :laugh:)

Anyway, now that I'm going through this med school app process as a married non-trad living several states away, I try to make sure my mom doesn't know too much about the app process, so she won't go all neurotic on me again . . . but keeping her partially in the dark also has its downside. I still have my driver's license from home (long story), so I had to register for the MCAT using my home (mom's) address, so she gets all the crap mail for public health programs, SMPs, nutrition programs, podiatry schools, etc. . . . and she keeps thinking they're VERY important and that she should "overnight" them to me. :lol: And even though I've told her a hundred times that absolutely nothing of any importance will come to her address (because it's not the address on my AMCAS app), I still get these packets in the mail from her with glossy brochures from Carribbean schools, pod programs, etc.. :rolleyes: *Sigh*
 
joponoda said:
It seems like my parent are very different from most others on this forum. For instance my parents do not know what kinds of grades I have received since middle school. When I told my dad I was applying to medical school; he commented "Well, as long as you never think you are more important than anyone else because of your job." Then when my mother asked how many schools I am applying to and I told her seven. She asked why so many, and if I really would like to go to all of those schools. Then she asked how I was paying for the applications and interviews. I said that I have left over money from the Goldwater scholarship I received for this year, and she responded that it was nice of them to give me a scholarship for applications. :rolleyes:

I think that if I am not accepted to medical school my parent will just think I decided that I did want to go to one, sometimes I wish they know how much work and stress this process is, but then again I really like talking with them about other stuff so that I get away from this crazy competition we call the application process.

Also, just for the record my parents are far from the hippy end of the spectrum. They do have that do-your-best-and-your-family-will-always-be-here-for-you thing going on, but my father has farmed, shot down airplanes for the Air Force, and now trains police officers. The rest of my family, relatives included, are awesome small town folk that work for a living and celebrate the Fourth of July with massive amounts of fireworks and beer. (How I love the Fourth with the family :D). This bring up another point, I never can talk about my reseach, schooling, or anything related with my family. They just know I am accidemically motivated. This sometimes makes me feel like an outsider.

So what do all of you think? Is it better to have over involved parents or parents that barely know what you do in your academic life?
Click to expand...


So...my parents are divorced, so they are very different when it comes to me and medical school.

My mom: She is a typical proud parent, loves to brag to all her friends about how great/smart I am...and anything else she feels like bragging about. She went through the whole app. process with me...and when I was studying for USMLE Step1, was very "motherly" and drove me to the library each day and brought me lunch and dinner at the library each day, then picked me up when I wanted to come home. (I studied at a school back home for the USMLE and would have to pay for parking each day and walk a million miles to the library from their "visitors parking"...so my mom decided to take me). She understood the USMLE scores, she understood MCAT scores, she understood the app process...she's been great through everything.

My Dad: Well....when I was applying to medical school, I was also thinking about marriage with my boyfriend. My bf (now husband) actually proposed the night after my first med school acceptance letter!! (don't get any ideas, he already had the ring and was just waiting for a good time to do it). Anyways, my dad called me one night after I got accepted/engaged and said:

Dad: Ya know...you don't have to be a doctor. We all know you're smart. You can just be a wife if you want.

Me: But I want to be a doctor AND a wife.

Dad: Well, I'm just saying...you can just be a wife, that would be ok with us.

Me: But I want to be a doctor AND a wife!

Dad: Ok, ok...I was just saying that you could just be a wife.

Me: Ok, great. But last time I checked, I wanted to be a doctor AND a wife.

More recently...while I was studying for USMLE Step1...my dad called me and I was explaining the test to him and trying to get him to understand why I was studying so hard. His response "Well, I'm sure you'll get a 100% on the test!" :laugh:

Last but not least...I was forwarded some sort of email about my dad and Step-mother's wedding anniversary. Included was some sort of paragraph about how long they had been married, and the kids (myself and my brother and my 2 step-siblings), etc. Well...I would think they listed the kids names and their careers, they would either group us by blood (ie. my 2 step-siblings together and then myself and my bro together), or by descending age order. NOPE!!!...They grouped us by "career prestige" in descending order. I made 2nd...since I'm in medical school, I got beat by the Plastic Surgeon Resident step-sibling. My poor brother (who happens to be the oldest of all the kids) got last, because he's a Chef. Luckily the email never got forwarded to my brother, he would have felt like crap, since it was obvious that they grouped us in that order.
 
Random plug:

If your parents are clueless and want to do some online research...

you can send them to the Parent's Forum*

At the moment it's located in hSDN (formerly Aspire), but we're considering expanding it to encompass a larger demographic (all pre-professional ages).

*if you've posted something incriminating here, maybe not the best idea
 
Eyeraki said:
Your convos (especially the recurring Harvard questions) remind me of this video lol

"A Typical Conversation With My Mom"

[youtube]XmecyCCdknk[/youtube]
Click to expand...

Hahaha that's ABSOLUTELY correct. Except if that had been me, I would have just turned around and left after a minute or so.


SIGH...mothers....
 
Here's mine:

Me: So mom, what can you see me as when I grow up?
Mom: A Pharmacist.
Me: Why? I don't really like chemistry, but I've really enjoyed AP Bio and Human Phys this year, I was kind of thinking of being a nurse or a doctor...
Mom: I think you should be a pharmacist because you're smart, and they make a lot of money.
Me: Doctors are smart and make good money too...

10 minutes later

Me: So I think I want to go to Samford.
Mom: You should go to Auburn.
Me: ... why?
Mom: They have a good Pharmacy school.


gaaaaaah!!!!
 
CScull said:
Here's mine:

Me: So mom, what can you see me as when I grow up?
Mom: A Pharmacist.
Me: Why? I don't really like chemistry, but I've really enjoyed AP Bio and Human Phys this year, I was kind of thinking of being a nurse or a doctor...
Mom: I think you should be a pharmacist because you're smart, and they make a lot of money.
Me: Doctors are smart and make good money too...

10 minutes later

Me: So I think I want to go to Samford.
Mom: You should go to Auburn.
Me: ... why?
Mom: They have a good Pharmacy school.


gaaaaaah!!!!
Click to expand...

Good one, but are you sure you shouldn't be posting it in the pre-pharmacy forum? :smuggrin:
 
My parents hid my UCSF rejection letter from me, because they did not want me to be sad...Haha, I never really wanted to go there... I just applied, cuz it is a good school...
 
smilez428 said:
just wanted to relay something that happened to me today:

my mailbox is still knocked over, so my mom goes to the post office bright and early every morning to pick up the mail. i was on my way to work this morning and i get a call on my cell phone. it was my mom, and she had this excited tone in her voice..... so here's the conversation:
*ring ring*
me: hello?
mom: hi! there's a letter here from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
me: cool!
mom: i wanna open it. please can i open it?
me: sure I guess, it's probably just a fee form or something
mom: i still wanna open it.

so she opens it. as i suspected it was just the fee form for the secondary, but she was so excited to see it... we made a deal for the future though... when i'm at school and letters start coming in for rejections/acceptances, she is not going to call me unless it's good news. I didn't even bother to tell her not to open them because it would kill her. she'd probably try to read through the envelope. :) It's cool she's so excited about the process.
Click to expand...


I mailed my parents my first acceptance letter. It gets there and I get a call from my dad

Me: Hello?
Dad: So do I need to sign this acceptance letter?
Me: Uhh... no I sent it for mom.
Dad: Do I need to send money to them?
Me: No, its just a letter!
Dad: What am I supposed to do with this then?!
Me: Just give it to mom...

My dads a doctor btw... lol
 
I'm seriously cracking up when I read some of these responses.

I can't imagine how my parents will be next year when I apply. :D
 
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