please!!! no more "what are my chances threads" :( :( :(

[secretasianman]

i've been addicted to these damn forums since interview season started, and i've noticed that the quality of posts has gone from meaningful and informational to the new all time low "what are my chances" threads and "other useless pieces of (mis)information" threads. come on, this forum is supposed to give me little spurtlike breaks in between studying for my biochem midterm, please give me something good to read .

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[dr.z]

i've been addicted to these damn forums since interview season started, and i've noticed that the quality of posts has gone from meaningful and informational to the new all time low "what are my chances" threads and "other useless pieces of (mis)information" threads. come on, this forum is supposed to give me little spurtlike breaks in between studying for my biochem midterm, please give me something good to read .

People should read the sticky that Evo has created about the what are my chances thread. No one here can definitely tell whether the person gets in or not anyways.

 

[striped sweater]

these threads may be tiresome to you but to someone else who needs the support, this may be their only place to find encouragement. i, too, tire of the "what are my chances" threads but at the same time i think that the people posting them have the right to do so... just as others have the right to avoid reading them.

 

[Shaz]

i've been addicted to these damn forums since interview season started, and i've noticed that the quality of posts has gone from meaningful and informational to the new all time low "what are my chances" threads and "other useless pieces of (mis)information" threads. come on, this forum is supposed to give me little spurtlike breaks in between studying for my biochem midterm, please give me something good to read .

They only start popping up around two general timeframes: when the April MCAT scores come out and when the August MCAT scores come out. I personally don't mind them.

 

[calstudent]

these threads may be tiresome to you but to someone else who needs the support, this may be their only place to find encouragement. i, too, tire of the "what are my chances" threads but at the same time i think that the people posting them have the right to do so... just as others have the right to avoid reading them.

good point.
also, read evo's thread and check out mdapplicants to get an idea. most of us are applicants ourselves, and so we don't know quite how adcoms operate (except for a few knowledeable and friendly souls who post who are already in medical school).

but, i agree: the number has gone down, and if people need support, that is what we should provide. i've gotten a lot of support/tips/help from SDNers, and i hope that those who get help now with the "chances" will return the favor next year.

 

[dr_stinky]

the quality of posts has gone from meaningful and informational to the new all time low "what are my chances" threads and "other useless pieces of (mis)information" threads.

so, what kind of sashimi do you like??

 

[secretasianman]

so, what kind of sashimi do you like??

i don't like the spam kind...

not to be mean, but my suspicion is that >50% of the ppl that ask these posts know the answer themselves.. but desperately reach out for any reassurances of hope they can find from fellow sdn posters, possibly because sdn ppl are such impressive ppl.

instead of "what are my chances," i think it would be more beneficial to everyone if more meaningful, less generalized questions were asked.

 

[b-real]

i don't like the spam kind...

not to be mean, but my suspicion is that >50% of the ppl that ask these posts know the answer themselves.. but desperately reach out for any reassurances of hope they can find from fellow sdn posters, possibly because sdn ppl are such impressive ppl.

instead of "what are my chances," i think it would be more beneficial to everyone if more meaningful, less generalized questions were asked.

Still, it's easier to say this when YOU have a 3.8/33. This is a stressful time for everyone here, and for you to get on anyone else's case for posting something you disagree with is insane. If you don't want to participate, don't read the damn post and move on. Otherwise you're just a complainer. So, NAY, I say to thee,
passthesashimi

 

[MedDreamer]

Still, it's easier to say this when YOU have a 3.8/33. This is a stressful time for everyone here, and for you to get on anyone else's case for posting something you disagree with is insane. If you don't want to participate, don't read the damn post and move on. Otherwise you're just a complainer. So, NAY, I say to thee,
passthesashimi

I agree with you totally! That is why this network is here. To help those who need help from those who know a bit more.

About those who keep giving this mdapplicants.com website, please don't keep giving it as the only solution to find out stats because there are only about less than 3000 people listed there and some stats are so old and unreliable. I'm sure a lot of people check those websites/old threads, but sometimes a word of encouragment and hope is all they need!


And to passthesashimi, if you don't like a post, simply just don't read it!There are tons more (interview this, interview that) questions anyways, so why are you complaining??

 

[secretasianman]

Still, it's easier to say this when YOU have a 3.8/33. This is a stressful time for everyone here, and for you to get on anyone else's case for posting something you disagree with is insane. If you don't want to participate, don't read the damn post and move on. Otherwise you're just a complainer. So, NAY, I say to thee,
passthesashimi

hmmm, i guess you're missing my point. i don't think i'm getting on anyone's case. what i do think is that instead of asking questions, some of these ppl can read the huge thread that was made about a week ago with its 5000 or so questions which are all along the same lines as each other. then again, asking vague, generalized questions which no one can say for sure with any reasonable accuracy only necessitates vague answers, which goes nowhere!!! my goal isn't too ask these ppl to get lost..

and, i dont think citing my stats is relevant to the matter. i mean, ppl do know that to get into med school, u do need decent grades... and it should already be common knowledge that a 30 mcat is what ppl should shoot for to have a reasonable chance. if not, then there's always mdapplicants, which is probably the best resource to look up instead of asking innane 'what are my chances' questions. okay you're probably right, i'm being too harsh... but i'm just trying to say sometimes ppl need to ask the right questions .

 

[CarlosMielefan]

And to passthesashimi, if you don't like a post, simply just don't read it!There are tons more (interview this, interview that) questions anyways, so why are you complaining??

I concur. I do indeed. Yes, I'll say I concur, old chap.

*puffs out a smoke from expensive cigar*

Yes, I'll say I very much concur.

 

[curiouslygeorge]

i mean, ppl do know that to get into med school, u do need decent grades... and it should already be common knowledge that a 30 mcat is what ppl should shoot for to have a reasonable chance. if not, then there's always mdapplicants, which is probably the best resource to look up instead of asking innane 'what are my chances' questions. okay you're probably right, i'm being too harsh... but i'm just trying to say sometimes ppl need to ask the right questions .

passthesashimi,

you are perhaps a more seasoned SDN-er, or maybe a smarter one or whatever... i really do understand your lack of patience with the new kids on the block. but just try to understand how others less confident or maybe less fortunate in the application game might feel. they have dreams just like you but possibly are not realizing them yet and are stressed out and desperate for any little word of encouragement or hope to keep them going.

i suspect that, yeah, they DO know the answers to their questions but still need the reassurance of someone else who has felt that way as well. and some of them may not be aware of how many threads or posts have been devoted to certain topics. they may have just stumbled across SDN and feel that they have the right to ask whatever they want. and it is a public forum so they do! (just as you have a right to express your disdain for such topics! )

so probably the best solution is to be patient with those who ask the wrong questions, or who don't ask them the way you think they should. skip the posts which bore you or irritate you and enjoy the threads which look interesting to you. as you can see there are hundreds of topics posted each week. i am sure some of the questions will be specific enough for you and those who like the "chances" threads can enjoy those.

 

[busupshot83]

What are my chances of getting into med...

 

[curiouslygeorge]

What are my chances of getting into med...

42.2%

 

[b-real]

It's times like this when I wish we could enter numbers in the search engine on this forum. Because people can't search for specific GPA/MCAT numbers, it makes it easier just to start a new thread. Also, MDapplicants is far from perfect, so to suggest that is not very helpful.

 

[Khenon]

I'm one of those who's posted a "chances" thread, although I think I worded it "should I pull my app" (or something similar). I just wanted to say that I genuinely wasn't sure if I had a snowballs chance in hell to get in with my MCAT score, and I didn't want to waste my money on future secondaries or even interviews, if I really wasn't going to get considered. I pretty much already had my mind made up that I was going to pull my apps (or at least not pay for anymore secondaries), but after getting responses back from this website and e-mcat, I totally changed my mind. My stats are great (except my glaring MCAT flaw), and I was informed that many schools will consider April scores if you're on a waitlist. I didn't know this, and it gave me hope that in fact I may have a chance at getting in this year, and pulling my applications wouldn't be the best thing for me to do.

So my point of that long story is that we may "know" that we can't get in with low MCAT scores, or low GPA's, etc, but what we're looking for is outside perspective. Perspective is exactly what websites like SDN provide. I know you all don't know all the answers, but you may know something I don't, and I want to make sure I'm looking at all angles before I do something drastic, like pull my applications.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Thanks to all of you who do give us "unlikelies" some encouragement and advice. I know I've appreciated it. Take care everyone!

 

[VPDcurt]

I'm one of those who's posted a "chances" thread, although I think I worded it "should I pull my app" (or something similar). I just wanted to say that I genuinely wasn't sure if I had a snowballs chance in hell to get in with my MCAT score, and I didn't want to waste my money on future secondaries or even interviews, if I really wasn't going to get considered. I pretty much already had my mind made up that I was going to pull my apps (or at least not pay for anymore secondaries), but after getting responses back from this website and e-mcat, I totally changed my mind. My stats are great (except my glaring MCAT flaw), and I was informed that many schools will consider April scores if you're on a waitlist. I didn't know this, and it gave me hope that in fact I may have a chance at getting in this year, and pulling my applications wouldn't be the best thing for me to do.

So my point of that long story is that we may "know" that we can't get in with low MCAT scores, or low GPA's, etc, but what we're looking for is outside perspective. Perspective is exactly what websites like SDN provide. I know you all don't know all the answers, but you may know something I don't, and I want to make sure I'm looking at all angles before I do something drastic, like pull my applications.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Thanks to all of you who do give us "unlikelies" some encouragement and advice. I know I've appreciated it. Take care everyone!

I agree. If the OP doesn't want to read about someone's chances, then just don't read the post. This really shouldn't even be an issue here - people come for others' perspectives and that is exactly what such posts are about.

 

[MADSTAB]

I kinda think this thread is bigger waist thsan the threads everyone is arguing about.

 

[CarlosMielefan]

I kinda think this thread is bigger waist thsan the threads everyone is arguing about.

what on earth do you mean?

 

[evajaclynn]

So guys, I'm like really, really worried. You see, I got a 46 on the MCAT and my GPA is 4.5 (no honors classes, I'm just really, really good). So I was just wondering if you think that I might have a chance getting in somewhere. I think that I might actually be too good for most of the schools. Maybe they'll just give me my degree before I start? Just curious.

 

[EvoDevo]

So guys, I'm like really, really worried. You see, I got a 46 on the MCAT and my GPA is 4.5 (no honors classes, I'm just really, really good). So I was just wondering if you think that I might have a chance getting in somewhere. I think that I might actually be too good for most of the schools. Maybe they'll just give me my degree before I start? Just curious.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=46604