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Pre Interview Waiting Purgatory
Started by house4740
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Here's a thought. You need to retake the MCAT... your scores are lopsided.
That coupled with your GPA isn't doing you any favors.
Good luck.
That coupled with your GPA isn't doing you any favors.
Good luck.
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Wow, why would you say something like that? Especially on this thread. Of course I have considered retaking the mcat
Thank you. Some people think that a few extra points on a standardized test entitles them to be a pompous dbag. Just keep waiting it out and don't give up! It's still pretty early in the interview season.
Harsh.... OP can't do anything about it this cycle.
I had a 33/3.8 last year and did my first interview in October and immediately got waitlisted and didn't have an interview invite again until late January last year....I applied to all my state schools(there's like five here and twelve out of states, most were higher than forty in rankings...) I was really worried my PS or rec letters had fatal errors in them.....
Keep your heads up, guys!
Read OPs other posts. Virtually every other post circumnavigates this thread topic, verbatim.
And no, a few points on a standardized test does not make you better than anyone else.
I now know why NickNaylor is the way is he is sometimes.
Read OPs other posts. Virtually every other post circumnavigates this thread topic, verbatim.
And no, a few points on a standardized test does not make you better than anyone else.
I now know why NickNaylor is the way is he is sometimes.
Good point. Even so, OP doesn't need to be made to feel like an idiot. There is constructive criticism, but suggesting that someone needs to work on the obvious weaknesses in their application seems kind of pointless to me, as I'm sure they have thought about it before.
PS...your avatar is baller, CodeBlu
Read OPs other posts. Virtually every other post circumnavigates this thread topic, verbatim.
And no, a few points on a standardized test does not make you better than anyone else.
I now know why NickNaylor is the way is he is sometimes.
Dude, seriously what is wrong with you? If I see threads where someone is clearly looking for encouragement, I don't post negative comments. I have seen threads posted by people with low 20 MCATs, for example, that really need motivation to keep going.
What's wrong with me? Actually, nothing. Life's grand. I posted nothing inflammatory or "harsh" as you put it. You complain about not getting interviews, and being in purgatory... well what did you expect? To garner some sympathy... on SDN?
Especially after you repeatedly complained about the same subject matter.
I get it, believe me... I GET IT. Since you've already done some self reflection on the topic, then why post this thread? My original comment was straight up the truth. A cursory glance at your MDapps gives the picture as to why you haven't gotten interviews. Did you miss the other 156 threads posted in the last 2 weeks about this topic?
Seriously, I wish you the best of luck. Get some thicker skin. If you can't handle the reality of your situation now, it's not going to get any easier when an attending freaks out on you.
And there it is. The problem of the public's view of psychiatric disorders.
I can see how this message can seem hurtfully blunt, but it doesn't seem like it was intended to be insulting. A quick look at your extracurricular activities far outclasses my own so it seems very likely that your stats may be keeping you back.
OP unfortunately one of your sciences is sort of weak and your VR is extremely weak. I wonder why you don't have an interview. Don't get upset with CodeBlue if he is being honest. Yeah he's harsh but he's being very realistic. Even though I had a 7 on the VR I also had 12s on both Sciences which explains why I got some interviews. You're going to have to retake bro sorry
Your advice wouldn't be harsh if the OP was asking for honest advice. He never asked for that in his first post. This thread is about the anxiety of applying and waiting for an interview invites.
He didn't ask for advice in this thread. Why throw it out there? Maybe you should message him your advice privately.
He didn't ask for advice in this thread. Why throw it out there? Maybe you should message him your advice privately.
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K
kpcrew
Honestly, I'm not that surprised with your stats.
I think this is a good point. The OP made it clear what the point of this thread was. Lets try to stick to it.
On topic: I had a pretty bad experience with waiting last year. I received my first and only interview invite in November. I was wait-listed at that school so I spent the rest of that cycle clinging to the hope that I might get another interview or an acceptance from the school that interviewed me. Unfortunately neither of those things came which brings me to this application cycle. I've done a lot since then to address the weaknesses that I had in my application and so far it's shaping out to be a much better cycle.
Don't give up hope house. You may still get interviews. If not you can always address the weaknesses to become more competitive.
This.
OP, I'm applying this cycle and have kind-of similar stats. I'm also waiting on IIs for most schools so I know exactly how it feels. We'll just have to wait out the silences, smallpools, and show all the 38 MCAT/3.9 SDNers that we're gonna be doctors someday too. It's still early in the cycle. 🙂
CodeBlu's post was not harsh, it just wasn't sugar-coated either.
The council has spoken.
In other news, yes, waiting is tough. However, if you stay busy with all sorts of things - time flies by. It seems like only yesterday I was thinking "Oh no, it's September 1st and I don't have hardly any interviews!"
Now, it is today and I'm thinking "Oh no, it's October 1st and I don't have hardly any interviews!"
See, it all works out. 🙂
The council has spoken.
In other news, yes, waiting is tough. However, if you stay busy with all sorts of things - time flies by. It seems like only yesterday I was thinking "Oh no, it's September 1st and I don't have hardly any interviews!"
Now, it is today and I'm thinking "Oh no, it's October 1st and I don't have hardly any interviews!"
See, it all works out. 🙂
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lol I find it rather comforting knowing I have another month or so
This. Why do some people on here feel they can criticize somebody's app like that when it wasn't the point of the thread? I thought it was funny how he threw in "Good luck" at the end to make it sound constructive.
How was it not constructive when the 2 sentences preceding it were pointing to actual things the OP could fix, viz. GPA and MCAT?
Look at CodeBlu's track record vs. OP's track record. CodeBlu can be blunt sometimes and it might hurt you cuz that's not what you want to hear, but he's dead on pretty much most of the time. Obviously the OP made this thread so he could vent about not getting interviews, but the root of the problem probably stems from the OP's stats holding him from getting interviews, which is what CodeBlu is trying to point out. I personally think this type of constructive criticism is good, but CodeBlu could've been a little more sensitive, I guess 🙂
The OP wasn't looking for criticism. I think it's highly likely that he knows his stats aren't perfect, but that doesn't give anybody the right to bring it up every time he makes a thread. He already applied. If he made a thread whining about not getting in anywhere after the cycle then that response is warranted. But he was just expressing some anxiety, so I think the response was inappropriate. Just my opinion.
In a certain context, that response is appropriate and true. But re-read the OP. In no way was he venting or inviting criticism. Again, this is just my opinion, but I think some on SDN jump on people with below average stats a bit too readily.
I know you didn't ask for this constructive criticism but your profile picture and username suck. 😉 just making it rain knowledge around here.
Maybe, but I don't think you saying that really says much. Really. I'll probably accept if somebody like CodeBlu said it
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cool story bro.
lol
Probably. Maybe it's time you graduated from the pre-medical forum
Maybe it's time you did...Wait... OH SNAP.
I'm just playing. If medical students who knew actual facts, or pretended they did, didn't come back to pre-allo, then who would you learn from? Other pre-meds? 😱
Agreed. Unfortunately you're using the time posting useless derogatory comments instead of constructive criticism that you seem so fond of. If you read my original post carefully (assuming you're capable of that 🙂), you'll see that all I did was give my interpretation of another post, which seemed to be the hot topic. I don't understand why you're trying to be all over me instead of writing something useful, or post those types of comments in the medical forums. Just sayin
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...Lighten up, yo. I was just making my point, trying to show how constructive criticism isn't wanted all of the time. I don't understand why people started criticizing the OP's applicant stats, constructively or not, when that was not the point of the thread. It seems like everytime a thread tangentially related to applying is started, the op's or someone elses qualifications are brought out and questioned. OP even stated he wasn't looking for criticism. I would just like it if threads were kept on topic....
Edit: I am not bringing codeblu's status here in question. I have no idea who he is.
Op, don't listen to these guys. You're clearly what it takes to make it through medical school, it just some straining on the paper work to make it so. Retake the MCATS and do all you can. I know you'll make it, man.
The funny thing... is that I was being sincere in my first post. Cuz I get where OP is coming from.
I had low-ish stats... no interviews. I retook the MCAT. No need to regale you with the tale of how it killed me silently.
Hence why I pointed out the lopsided score... which CAN be fixed in a shorter period of time.
Y'all crack me up. Don't take yourselves so seriously.
I had low-ish stats... no interviews. I retook the MCAT. No need to regale you with the tale of how it killed me silently.
Hence why I pointed out the lopsided score... which CAN be fixed in a shorter period of time.
Y'all crack me up. Don't take yourselves so seriously.
No one ever said they couldn't make it. Stop reading into things that aren't there.
Interesting convo here fellas.
First of all, I wouldn't trash on CodeBlu about what he said. Medicine has always been tough love. Why do I write this? Because I'm a spineless softie by nature. When I first got a job as an ER tech in a county hospital...it was overwhelming. Don't forget who you are, but try to take a positive spin with what people say. It'll make you stronger anyway.
Second, shotty MCATs can be overcome. I dunno exactly what's CodeBlu's experience with his MCATs, but I first started getting a 24 (8,6,10 R). Didn't change much. Yeaaa...the verbal blew. A family med professor told me that I needed to consider another profession, because scores statistically don't change, usually neither positively nor significantly. LOL, from a family doc-that, I did not expect. Maybe from a cardiothoracic surg or plastics...but FP? Really!? Well, I retook it. I studied and decided that if I couldn't conquer it this time, I probably was ill fit for med school. After a good 4-5 months studying with scores that never improved over the first 4 months, I finally retook it when ready and got a 35 (12,10,13 R). I needed a philosophical change to make it work. And yes, I know this sounds like I'm bragging, (it probably is, and I'm not willing to admit it, lol) but I'm just saying that people will put you down, or tell you that you can't do it. But, if you really want it, you just take the quiet road, get your stuff together, and get it done. It's life.
Besides, nobody said you needed to rush into medical school. I took an extra year off to get my mcats up. I might have paid the price in that my friends are all M1s and I'm not, but I have gotten experience that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise, and now I actually have some free time to enjoy whatever precious time of young life I have.
First of all, I wouldn't trash on CodeBlu about what he said. Medicine has always been tough love. Why do I write this? Because I'm a spineless softie by nature. When I first got a job as an ER tech in a county hospital...it was overwhelming. Don't forget who you are, but try to take a positive spin with what people say. It'll make you stronger anyway.
Second, shotty MCATs can be overcome. I dunno exactly what's CodeBlu's experience with his MCATs, but I first started getting a 24 (8,6,10 R). Didn't change much. Yeaaa...the verbal blew. A family med professor told me that I needed to consider another profession, because scores statistically don't change, usually neither positively nor significantly. LOL, from a family doc-that, I did not expect. Maybe from a cardiothoracic surg or plastics...but FP? Really!? Well, I retook it. I studied and decided that if I couldn't conquer it this time, I probably was ill fit for med school. After a good 4-5 months studying with scores that never improved over the first 4 months, I finally retook it when ready and got a 35 (12,10,13 R). I needed a philosophical change to make it work. And yes, I know this sounds like I'm bragging, (it probably is, and I'm not willing to admit it, lol) but I'm just saying that people will put you down, or tell you that you can't do it. But, if you really want it, you just take the quiet road, get your stuff together, and get it done. It's life.
Besides, nobody said you needed to rush into medical school. I took an extra year off to get my mcats up. I might have paid the price in that my friends are all M1s and I'm not, but I have gotten experience that they wouldn't have gotten otherwise, and now I actually have some free time to enjoy whatever precious time of young life I have.
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Today I learned that everyone has massive egos and inferiority complexes to the point that they get offended by something that, for any other reasonable person, wouldn't have been offensive.
Medical training is a boxing match, not a pillow fight. Toughen up. It's pretty obvious CB wasn't being malicious.
Medical training is a boxing match, not a pillow fight. Toughen up. It's pretty obvious CB wasn't being malicious.
Nobody said he was. The comment was appropriate based on the original post. That's all some of us were saying, but I do agree with most of your post.
Hey everybody, thank you for your comments. Yes, I definitely started this thread to try and let off some steam about the process and see if others shared my anxiety. Codeblue's comment really brought up a bigger issue that I have a unique experience with, which is that of major depressive disorder. I have been struggling with this disorder the past 3 years and have been fortunate enough to research in a psychiatry lab at the University of Chicago. The problem that the public and even some in the medical field have with depression is seeing it as a medical disease (which it absolutely is). Nobody, except the patient, can know exactly how they are feeling or the severity of their disease. For example, what if my mom was killed in a car crash a month ago? I would imagine that along with the medical school application process would be stressful for anyone, especially someone already struggling with depression. My point is you can't assume that just because we have gone through similar processes (i.e. med school apps) that the anxiety we experience is similar.
I know that Codeblue was not trying to unload on me, and his advice is true. I just hope, as we go through medical school, we are better able to discern the line between empathy and criticism and act accordingly.
I know that Codeblue was not trying to unload on me, and his advice is true. I just hope, as we go through medical school, we are better able to discern the line between empathy and criticism and act accordingly.
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Someone a couple posts below your initial post on this thread hit it on the nail: this is SUCH a pompous comment. Who says things like this? Yes, you got a 39 or whatever. But no, this does not make you God Walking Amongst Mere Mortals. Chill the heck out, man.
Gosh, I've been wanting to say this to you for a long, long time. I have an ENORMOUS amount of respect for your success in the med school admissions process, and think you're an extremely valuable contributor to the SDN community (especially with that amazing thread about your experience with the process), but so many of your posts are just... mean. And mean-spirited. And deflating. Not this one in particular, but in general: so much of what you say is so helpful, but could also be worded so much more nicely. I know that heaps of us on here are neurotic spazmuffins (myself included), but it doesn't mean we're not people. It's pretty obvious you're a baller, but that doesn't equal being entitled to acting as if you were above other people on this website.
Aaaaaaand /endpreachyrantsession
LOLz sympathy on SDN? I think my grandparents got more sympathy in the holocaust...
...too far?
