Post-Application Depression

[runner]

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I don't know about anyone else out there, but i personnally feel like there is a void in my life since peak application/interview season. it seemed like a whirlwind of activity from the begining of last year (studying, throught he summer (applications) and into the fall ( interviews) and now nothing (except pre-interview rejections). 9 interviews between august, september and october and then nothing.....
anyone else out there feeling this way??

 

[xaelia]

Yep, been awhile since any good news trickled my way from medical schools.

To pass the time, I take a shot for every rejection I have when I receive a new one. I don't remember any of last week....

 

[TaylorS8008]

I feel your pain. All the waiting around is killing me. I'm waiting to hear from a school I interviewed at over three months ago. Try to stay busy. I am playing basketball 3 hours a day now just to keep my mind off things. Oh well, if I don't get in maybe I'll turn pro. Ha. Good luck.

 

[runner]

i've actually been lucky to hear back already too. 4 acc, 2 waitlists and 3 no-decisions yet. somehow, though, it's all been rather anti-climatic. it seems like the amount of input was far greater than the output.

 

[lola]

Originally posted by runner
i've actually been lucky to hear back already too. 4 acc, 2 waitlists and 3 no-decisions yet. somehow, though, it's all been rather anti-climatic. it seems like the amount of input was far greater than the output.

dude... stop complaining! 9 interviews is awesome. and 4 acceptances??!!

 

[UCLAMAN]

Originally posted by runner
i've actually been lucky to hear back already too. 4 acc, 2 waitlists and 3 no-decisions yet. somehow, though, it's all been rather anti-climatic. it seems like the amount of input was far greater than the output.

and you're depressed? i guess i should be psychotic and close to death then.

 

[tBw]

I don't know, I can understand runners feelings in that I guess just because it's pretty drawn out it can be a bit tiring/anti-climatic in some ways. However, as others have pointed out, with 9 interviews and 4 acceptances I'm not sure I would be posting to complain about it! So congrats runner - hope whatever school your waiting on comes through for you - and that goes double for all the people with less luck so far in the application cycle 😉

 

[runner]

please don't misunderstand me, i'm not saying whoa is me. i'm saying that it has been a really long and hard year. i can't think of a time in my life when i have ever given so much of myself and pushed myself so hard. i was ecstatic about my accpetances but that was a while ago now and i guess that somehow i expected that would fulfill me and my point is that i feel a bit unfulfilled and i wondered if i was the only person who felt that way..

kind of like post-partu depression. here you have this beautiful baby after 9 long monthsand yet women are often depressed.

make more sense??
(i hope so)

 

[runner]

please don't misunderstand me, i'm not saying whoa is me. i'm saying that it has been a really long and hard year. i can't think of a time in my life when i have ever given so much of myself and pushed myself so hard. i was ecstatic about my accpetances but that was a while ago now and i guess that somehow i expected that would fulfill me. my point is that i still feel a bit unfulfilled and i'm wondering if i'm the only person who feels this way..

kind of like post-partum depression. here you have this beautiful baby after 9 long months and yet women are often depressed.

make more sense??
(i hope so)

 

[lola]

ok... makes more sense. i almost deleted my post after posting it b/c i realize you weren't really complaining... more just feeling a little let down/not excited. just remember that there are some (actually many) people on here who haven't been accepted anywhere and some who haven't even received an interview offer. hope you get in somewhere you'd really like to go!

 

[Harry Truman]

I'm sorry, but I honestly have no respect for people who talk about being depressed because of the "anti-climactic" feeling one gets months after being accepted to not one, but four medical schools. How do you think threads like this make people who have no acceptances, or worse, no interviews, feel?

No, I'm not jealous! Yes, I have been accepted to medical school.

My point: think about others who are in worse shape than you are, and try not to be insensitive towards them.

I'd say post like these are no better than posts like these: "I have a 3.9 and 37R MCAT score. Will I get into medical school?"

 

[TeinVI]

 

[mystic_b]

Runner's not complaining about his/her results of the app. process, but pointing out that we can't depend on our success to fulfill us completely. It's hard to not think like this, and I've fallen victim to such thinking more than I'd like to admit. I understand how you feel, Runner, as I'm starting to feel an anticlimax now as I wait for schools that make decisions only in the spring.

 

[runner]

bingo,
a sincere thank you mystic_b

 

[Harry Truman]

Thanks, but I didn't really need that to be cleared up. I'm standing by my original post.

Also, comparing the feeling of post-application depression to post-partum depression is absurd. There are lots of biological changes (i.e. hormonal changes) both before and after pregnancy which inevitably lead to psycological effects.

Moving on.......

 

[JMD]

I know what your saying runner. Once all the hoopla of preparing/applying was over, I felt like I should still be doing something...kinda empty. That will all change once med. school actually starts.

I think this post application depression leads to other disorders, like constant compulsions to browse SDN, even though you know there is nothing new on there since you checked 2 minutes ago 😉 .

For Harry Truman, maybe this can be better compared to the depression experienced by some olympic athletes after winning a medal (even gold)...no, this is not the olympics, but people spend an extraordinary amount of time, energy, and emotion preparing to get into med school, and when you receive an acceptance letter, it can definitely be "anti-climactic." You've worked so hard, and all you have to show for it is a piece of paper (for the moment).

Acceptance letters should play music and have a little fireworks display when you open them.

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by JMD

I think this post application depression leads to other disorders, like constant compulsions to browse SDN, even though you know there is nothing new on there since you checked 2 minutes ago 😉 .

you can wait a WHOLE 2 MINUTES!?!?!? Please tell me how...

 

[Harry Truman]

Originally posted by JMD
Acceptance letters should play music and have a little fireworks display when you open them.

That is a great idea!!!! It reminds me of Harry Potter......

<---- Kinda looks like a wizard!

 

[CCHieb's]

Originally posted by xaelia
To pass the time, I take a shot for every rejection I have when I receive a new one. I don't remember any of last week....

That is a great idea...looks like i'm headed for the liqour store after work...😀 <- (that will be me later tonight)

 

[jennie 21]

I think Runner's feelings are understandable, and probably not uncommon among pre-meds. Lots of pre-meds are perfectionists who are accustomed to winning lots of awards and accolades, and their sense of self-worth depends on it. Without that kind of recognition, they feel empty. But if you base your sense of self worth on external things and achievement, you'll never be truly fulfilled. Real fulfillment comes from inside, from liking yourself and from having meaningful relationships with other people.

 

[the_equalizer]

You know what, I went Early Decision, so everything has been downhill since Sept. 26, 4:01 pm. So for those of you who recently had interviews, shut up and stop nagging.