Reverse rant: not gonna lie, I'm pretty bitter.

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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gy186

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So after snooping and browsing on these forums, I'm pretty bitter and upset at the whole general system.
So I want to be the best physician that I can be in the best environment that I can be in. That being said I'll be straight up honest, in addition to the state schools that I will be applying to, hell yeah I'm going to apply to the stereotypical names like Harvard or Yale. I'm also going to admit that I'm not like whatever folk I see with their 1000+ hours of volunteering or their research articles. I have one research project, and it wasn't published, and 100 hours of volunteering. Whether it's 100 or 1000, who gives a damn anyway? Doesn't counting the hours and the type of civil service really take away from the whole point of volunteering and civil service? Why are applicants so bent up on research? I understand scientific inquiry is an optimal trait to have as a medical professional, but publications and all that garbage is what a damn PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, etc. etc. is for. Yeah, I sound bitter, and it's because I am. No, I'm not a gunner that got the chance to go to Yale. Hell, I even went to a CC for a year, but that doesn't matter considering I destroy every class I have with no margin of error. I have a high GPA, and I know damn well I'm going to get a high MCAT soon. I have more passion and commitment to doing what I do, and I do it with excellence. That being said, I read this one stupid thread about how the people that make it to Harvard are the "future professionals of society" and all have their own patents in "cancer fighting drugs", and they all have "JDs" or "MBAs" (Ironically the same poster will say that spending time to get another degree before applying to medical school makes you look old and not committed to medicine). Why do I have to have my own cancer fighting drug or go to Africa to talk to kids about preventative medicine? Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard? I'm sure I work harder than most people. I wake up at 5 in the morning to study, and help take care of 3 little sisters with a single mother while studying till midnight. I'm not the smartest person in the world. Hell, I'm not even intelligent, but I have work ethic like a mule, and I'm proud of it. Why can't that be the thing that gets me in an "elite" medical school? Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?

EDIT: I *KNOW* I'm going to get into SOME medical school, though. I've had people tell me "no" to EVERYTHING in my life, and it's just more fuel. People where I'm from don't get to go to college, so college was a "no" for me. I'm graduating college soon. My HS Chem teacher told me to not pursue Chemistry at all in college because I wasn't fit for it because guess what? I failed HS Chemistry because I was a trouble maker. . I made Chemistry my ______ in college. I've had professors tell me "no" to me getting a good MCAT score because I "don't have critical thinking". Time to prove her wrong next month, too.
 
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hA4035C6C
 
gy186 said:
I'm pretty calm, I have a blank expression on my screen, my breathing is fine, and I'm sipping on some water. It's just me transcribing my thoughts down.
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Sorry, just could not resist the urge to post that because it seemed funny! Anyways, I totally agree with you; there are far too many hoops to jump through in the process of becoming a Physician. One step at a time brotha'! Looks like you have some research, volunteering, and a good GPA. I wouldn't be too worried if I were you, but realize that not getting into Harvard or Yale isn't that big of a deal. You'll get in somewhere!
 
Dont live your life for other people, live your life for yourself. Congrats on all your achievements.
 
J Senpai said:
I'm afraid that's not how "elite" works.

Damn. Hell. Damn. Hell hell. Damn.
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Who the hell are you anyway to talk about elite? Vocabulary is relative and I don't need to talk in Latin to convey how I'm feeling.
 
^^ Don't think J Senpai was trying to be condescending. That's why elite is in quotes 🙂
 
gy186 said:
So after snooping and browsing on these forums, I'm pretty bitter and upset at the whole general system.
So I want to be the best physician that I can be in the best environment that I can be in. That being said I'll be straight up honest, in addition to the state schools that I will be applying to, hell yeah I'm going to apply to the stereotypical names like Harvard or Yale. I'm also going to admit that I'm not like whatever folk I see with their 1000+ hours of volunteering or their research articles. I have one research project, and it wasn't published, and 100 hours of volunteering. Whether it's 100 or 1000, who gives a damn anyway? Doesn't counting the hours and the type of civil service really take away from the whole point of volunteering and civil service? Why are applicants so bent up on research? I understand scientific inquiry is an optimal trait to have as a medical professional, but publications and all that garbage is what a damn PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, etc. etc. is for. Yeah, I sound bitter, and it's because I am. No, I'm not a gunner that got the chance to go to Yale. Hell, I even went to a CC for a year, but that doesn't matter considering I destroy every class I have with no margin of error. I have a high GPA, and I know damn well I'm going to get a high MCAT soon. I have more passion and commitment to doing what I do, and I do it with excellence. That being said, I read this one stupid thread about how the people that make it to Harvard are the "future professionals of society" and all have their own patents in "cancer fighting drugs", and they all have "JDs" or "MBAs" (Ironically the same poster will say that spending time to get another degree before applying to medical school makes you look old and not committed to medicine). Why do I have to have my own cancer fighting drug or go to Africa to talk to kids about preventative medicine? Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard? I'm sure I work harder than most people. I wake up at 5 in the morning to study, and help take care of 3 little sisters with a single mother while studying till midnight. I'm not the smartest person in the world. Hell, I'm not even intelligent, but I have work ethic like a mule, and I'm proud of it. Why can't that be the thing that gets me in an "elite" medical school? Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?

EDIT: I *KNOW* I'm going to get into SOME medical school, though. I've had people tell me "no" to EVERYTHING in my life, and it's just more fuel. People where I'm from don't get to go to college, so college was a "no" for me. I'm graduating college soon. My HS Chem teacher told me to not pursue Chemistry at all in college because I wasn't fit for it because guess what? I failed HS Chemistry because I was a trouble maker. . I made Chemistry my ______ in college. I've had professors tell me "no" to me getting a good MCAT score because I "don't have critical thinking". Time to prove her wrong next month, too.
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I'm sorry, but what exactly are you bitter about? That you didn't engineer a drug? No JD? No MBA?

Take a breather, guy. None of us did that, we still got into fine medical schools. Some even got into Harvard.
 
gy186 said:
Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard? I'm sure I work harder than most people. I wake up at 5 in the morning to study, and help take care of 3 little sisters with a single mother while studying till midnight.
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I'm sure that's not easy, but you're not unique because you work hard. Sorry.

gy186 said:
I'm not the smartest person in the world. Hell, I'm not even intelligent, but I have work ethic like a mule, and I'm proud of it. Why can't that be the thing that gets me in an "elite" medical school?
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It sounds like you're seeing your first glimpse of the real world. Welcome.

gy186 said:
Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?
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Take the MCAT, then get back to us on how easy it is to not miss multiple questions.

gy186 said:
EDIT: I *KNOW* I'm going to get into SOME medical school, though.
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If you know this, what are you complaining about?

gy186 said:
I've had people tell me "no" to EVERYTHING in my life, and it's just more fuel. People where I'm from don't get to go to college, so college was a "no" for me. I'm graduating college soon. My HS Chem teacher told me to not pursue Chemistry at all in college because I wasn't fit for it because guess what? I failed HS Chemistry because I was a trouble maker. . I made Chemistry my ______ in college. I've had professors tell me "no" to me getting a good MCAT score because I "don't have critical thinking". Time to prove her wrong next month, too.
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I hope you do. But if you don't, and she's right, for the love of God, develop some critical thinking skills. See my sig from an old retired Physician.
 
gy186 said:
So after snooping and browsing on these forums, I'm pretty bitter and upset at the whole general system.
So I want to be the best physician that I can be in the best environment that I can be in. That being said I'll be straight up honest, in addition to the state schools that I will be applying to, hell yeah I'm going to apply to the stereotypical names like Harvard or Yale. I'm also going to admit that I'm not like whatever folk I see with their 1000+ hours of volunteering or their research articles. I have one research project, and it wasn't published, and 100 hours of volunteering. Whether it's 100 or 1000, who gives a damn anyway? Doesn't counting the hours and the type of civil service really take away from the whole point of volunteering and civil service? Why are applicants so bent up on research? I understand scientific inquiry is an optimal trait to have as a medical professional, but publications and all that garbage is what a damn PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, etc. etc. is for. Yeah, I sound bitter, and it's because I am. No, I'm not a gunner that got the chance to go to Yale. Hell, I even went to a CC for a year, but that doesn't matter considering I destroy every class I have with no margin of error. I have a high GPA, and I know damn well I'm going to get a high MCAT soon. I have more passion and commitment to doing what I do, and I do it with excellence. That being said, I read this one stupid thread about how the people that make it to Harvard are the "future professionals of society" and all have their own patents in "cancer fighting drugs", and they all have "JDs" or "MBAs" (Ironically the same poster will say that spending time to get another degree before applying to medical school makes you look old and not committed to medicine). Why do I have to have my own cancer fighting drug or go to Africa to talk to kids about preventative medicine? Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard? I'm sure I work harder than most people. I wake up at 5 in the morning to study, and help take care of 3 little sisters with a single mother while studying till midnight. I'm not the smartest person in the world. Hell, I'm not even intelligent, but I have work ethic like a mule, and I'm proud of it. Why can't that be the thing that gets me in an "elite" medical school? Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?

EDIT: I *KNOW* I'm going to get into SOME medical school, though. I've had people tell me "no" to EVERYTHING in my life, and it's just more fuel. People where I'm from don't get to go to college, so college was a "no" for me. I'm graduating college soon. My HS Chem teacher told me to not pursue Chemistry at all in college because I wasn't fit for it because guess what? I failed HS Chemistry because I was a trouble maker. . I made Chemistry my ______ in college. I've had professors tell me "no" to me getting a good MCAT score because I "don't have critical thinking". Time to prove her wrong next month, too.
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What exactly is your point? Not trying to be mean.
 
gy186 said:
Who the hell are you anyway to talk about elite? Vocabulary is relative and I don't need to talk in Latin to convey how I'm feeling.
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For most of us, 'Elite' is a social status; a largely superficial one that doesn't matter in the long run. For yourself, it seems to be just as superficial, but you feel as if you need or deserve it. You think the popular kids are superficial jerks but you still want to sit at their table. And that's just it. The Ivys are like the popular kid table. Not the people who attend, but the names of the schools themselves. If you want to be associated with that name, to be 'elite', know that the education you get there will probably not be much better than at any other med school. But, hey, you've gotten that cool name on your diploma. Congrats. You're elite. Now go do the same tiring and soul crushing residency as everyone else.

I was being faciecious in my post because I think you will look back on this thread and realize how silly you were being. If you really have gotten into a school, you need to realize how blessed you have been. I know a great number of people who would almost kill to be where you are now, but you still complain about the unfairness of the system and how elitism shouldn't be the product if work, grades, luck, pedigree, connections, regional bias, etc. Be grateful.

And don't think that a top 5 or ANY institution for that matter will be impressed by your puny 100 hours of volunteering and unfruitful research project, regardless of you grades. You just aren't competitive enough to be a candidate for "elite". But you got into medical school, mate. You will be a physician, and if, when you get out of school and enter residency and you're still caught up in the elitism thing, just know that you're a doctor. Isn't that kind of elite, not to mention awesome?

I wish you luck. If you do hold that MD/DO acceptance, you have very little to be bitter about and lots to be happy for.
 
gy186 said:
So after snooping and browsing on these forums, I'm pretty bitter and upset at the whole general system.
So I want to be the best physician that I can be in the best environment that I can be in. That being said I'll be straight up honest, in addition to the state schools that I will be applying to, hell yeah I'm going to apply to the stereotypical names like Harvard or Yale. I'm also going to admit that I'm not like whatever folk I see with their 1000+ hours of volunteering or their research articles. I have one research project, and it wasn't published, and 100 hours of volunteering. Whether it's 100 or 1000, who gives a damn anyway? Doesn't counting the hours and the type of civil service really take away from the whole point of volunteering and civil service? Why are applicants so bent up on research? I understand scientific inquiry is an optimal trait to have as a medical professional, but publications and all that garbage is what a damn PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, etc. etc. is for. Yeah, I sound bitter, and it's because I am. No, I'm not a gunner that got the chance to go to Yale. Hell, I even went to a CC for a year, but that doesn't matter considering I destroy every class I have with no margin of error. I have a high GPA, and I know damn well I'm going to get a high MCAT soon. I have more passion and commitment to doing what I do, and I do it with excellence. That being said, I read this one stupid thread about how the people that make it to Harvard are the "future professionals of society" and all have their own patents in "cancer fighting drugs", and they all have "JDs" or "MBAs" (Ironically the same poster will say that spending time to get another degree before applying to medical school makes you look old and not committed to medicine). Why do I have to have my own cancer fighting drug or go to Africa to talk to kids about preventative medicine? Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard? I'm sure I work harder than most people. I wake up at 5 in the morning to study, and help take care of 3 little sisters with a single mother while studying till midnight. I'm not the smartest person in the world. Hell, I'm not even intelligent, but I have work ethic like a mule, and I'm proud of it. Why can't that be the thing that gets me in an "elite" medical school? Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?

EDIT: I *KNOW* I'm going to get into SOME medical school, though. I've had people tell me "no" to EVERYTHING in my life, and it's just more fuel. People where I'm from don't get to go to college, so college was a "no" for me. I'm graduating college soon. My HS Chem teacher told me to not pursue Chemistry at all in college because I wasn't fit for it because guess what? I failed HS Chemistry because I was a trouble maker. . I made Chemistry my ______ in college. I've had professors tell me "no" to me getting a good MCAT score because I "don't have critical thinking". Time to prove her wrong next month, too.
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giphy.gif
 
Also, I have this eerie sense that something that begins with "lo" and ends with "ck" may be descending upon this thread within a fortnight, and I'm somehow "in" before it's coming.
 
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Determination and hard work are wonderful qualities.

Anger is dangerous and corrosive.

Keep the former; lose the latter. And remember that any US MD school is 'elite'.
 
J Senpai said:
I was being faciecious in my post because I think you will look back on this thread and realize how silly you were being. If you really have gotten into a school, you need to realize how blessed you have been. I know a great number of people who would almost kill to be where you are now, but you still complain about the unfairness of the system and how elitism shouldn't be the product if work, grades, luck, pedigree, connections, regional bias, etc. Be grateful.

And don't think that a top 5 or ANY institution for that matter will be impressed by your puny 100 hours of volunteering and unfruitful research project, regardless of you grades. You just aren't competitive enough to be a candidate for "elite". But you got into medical school, mate. You will be a physician, and if, when you get out of school and enter residency and you're still caught up in the elitism thing, just know that you're a doctor. Isn't that kind of elite, not to mention awesome?
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Pretty sure guy hasn't taken MCAT yet, if I'm reading the reverse rant correctly. Admittedly, this is my first time tackling a reverse rant, I could be way off.
 
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After medical school you'll go to residency, medical school won't matter as much.
After residency hopefully you go to a good fellowship, residency won't matter as much.
Once your career starts all that matters is time under your belt.

If its that important to you get an "elite" residency spot. Work hard and take what you can, had you busted ass in high school things might be different.
 
gy186 said:
So after snooping and browsing on these forums, I'm pretty bitter and upset at the whole general system.
So I want to be the best physician that I can be in the best environment that I can be in. That being said I'll be straight up honest, in addition to the state schools that I will be applying to, hell yeah I'm going to apply to the stereotypical names like Harvard or Yale. I'm also going to admit that I'm not like whatever folk I see with their 1000+ hours of volunteering or their research articles. I have one research project, and it wasn't published, and 100 hours of volunteering. Whether it's 100 or 1000, who gives a damn anyway? Doesn't counting the hours and the type of civil service really take away from the whole point of volunteering and civil service? Why are applicants so bent up on research? I understand scientific inquiry is an optimal trait to have as a medical professional, but publications and all that garbage is what a damn PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, etc. etc. is for. Yeah, I sound bitter, and it's because I am. No, I'm not a gunner that got the chance to go to Yale. Hell, I even went to a CC for a year, but that doesn't matter considering I destroy every class I have with no margin of error. I have a high GPA, and I know damn well I'm going to get a high MCAT soon. I have more passion and commitment to doing what I do, and I do it with excellence. That being said, I read this one stupid thread about how the people that make it to Harvard are the "future professionals of society" and all have their own patents in "cancer fighting drugs", and they all have "JDs" or "MBAs" (Ironically the same poster will say that spending time to get another degree before applying to medical school makes you look old and not committed to medicine). Why do I have to have my own cancer fighting drug or go to Africa to talk to kids about preventative medicine? Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard? I'm sure I work harder than most people. I wake up at 5 in the morning to study, and help take care of 3 little sisters with a single mother while studying till midnight. I'm not the smartest person in the world. Hell, I'm not even intelligent, but I have work ethic like a mule, and I'm proud of it. Why can't that be the thing that gets me in an "elite" medical school? Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?

EDIT: I *KNOW* I'm going to get into SOME medical school, though. I've had people tell me "no" to EVERYTHING in my life, and it's just more fuel. People where I'm from don't get to go to college, so college was a "no" for me. I'm graduating college soon. My HS Chem teacher told me to not pursue Chemistry at all in college because I wasn't fit for it because guess what? I failed HS Chemistry because I was a trouble maker. . I made Chemistry my ______ in college. I've had professors tell me "no" to me getting a good MCAT score because I "don't have critical thinking". Time to prove her wrong next month, too.
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Why do you want to be a physician? Do you want to take care of patients as the best doctor they can have in a exceptional setting? Good. We need doctors and any accredited medical school can help you reach your goal. Medicine is a service industry and med schools do want to see applicants who went out of their way to provide services to meet the needs of the most marginalized in society (poor kids, disabled elderly, homeless, etc). That's why volunteer service counts so much in the application process. Also, people who put in a lot of time in service to the needy have a lot of hours of service to report and seem committed to service.

If, on the other hand, you want a career in academic medicine, you will need to embrace the care of patients plus medical research (advancing the science of medicine) and teaching the next generation of physicians in lecture halls, conference rooms and at the "bedside" (or in clinic, operating room, etc). If that is your goal, then you will need to demonstrate your experience and enthusiasm for caring for others, doing research and teaching/leading others. Some schools have a mission of training academic physicians who will go on to be professors, chairmen of departments and deans of medical schools. That's the career goal the "elite" medical schools are looking for and expecting the unwritten pre-requisites for admission of service, research and teaching/leadership.

It is ok to want to be a community based physician and it is likely that your state med school is going to give you excellent training to reach that goal and you will have the respect of your peers and patients.

Also, I can tell you that I've seen plenty of applications from people who ended up at Yale, Harvard, etc and not one of them had a patent on a cancer fighting drug as a pre-med and the only one I recall with a JD had been unhappy as a lawyer and did a post-bac. That is in no way typical of the students who are admitted into the top research-focused medical schools.

All the hard work in the world will not get you into and through medical school if you are not intelligent. Know your limits and assess your skills before you set yourself up for disappointment. Just as not everyone can work hard enough and be determined enough to make it in the NBA or WNBA, not everyone can become a physician if they just work hard enough. That said, if you have enough innate intelligence and positive personality traits to make it in medicine, you can hone your skills and use your talents.

Please don't be bitter. It is an unattractive emotion that kills happiness.
 
You're a naive little puppy, aren't you?

I'll say this once and hopefully have it stick:

To be the best physician you can be has NOTHING to do with the school you go to and EVERYTHING to do with your own conscious decision to become the best. No part of this process should make you bitter, and if it does then you need to do some self reflecting.

You sounds like a desperate housewife, chasing designer labels when she can't even afford to put dinner on the table. Get some humility, broaden your perspective, and stop ranting about your failed research project and measly 100 service hours like they'd get you somewhere. They won't. The only thing that would ever make you a successful doctor is knowing why, every step of the way, you want to be in this profession. Contrary to what you believe, medical school is just the beginning of the process.
 
Be careful with setting yourself up with talk of how you 'know' you will score high on the MCAT' or how you 'know' how you will get into some school. You wouldn't be the first person to be humbled in that process. I know the application process and pre-med years can be rough and everyone needs to rant at some point, but in the end talk is cheap and results matter. Good luck in your applications.
 
gy186 said:
I have one research project, and it wasn't published, and 100 hours of volunteering...Why are applicants so bent up on research? I understand scientific inquiry is an optimal trait to have as a medical professional, but publications and all that garbage is what a damn PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, etc. etc. is for. .... Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard?
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"Elite" medical schools are often research focused and are ranked partially by NIH funding. Some people want to incorporate research into their later careers, and thus want to attend a research focused school. A lot of people at these schools have a professional interest outside of clinical practice that they want to incorporate into their medical education and later career (like research, global health, non-profit work, biotech, etc.). If that's not your career goal, why do you want to attend an "elite" school? Focus on fit, not on ranking, and find a school that matches your career goals.
 
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WillburCobb said:
Also, I have this eerie sense that something that begins with "lo" and ends with "ck" may be descending upon this thread within a fortnight, and I'm somehow "in" before it's coming.
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Lojack? Great, now we will never lose this precious gem!
 
It always amazes me when people fixate on 1 specific thing that they think will define their happiness and success in life. Gotta say, pre-meds are the worst at this.

OP- seriously, answer me: Why is getting into Harvard/Yale the most important thing? How about more sex? More money? More travelling/adventure? Finding true love? Saving someone's life? Creating a business empire? Solving a scientific mystery?

If it's a prestige thing do you realize that doctors will almost always have non-MD bosses, many of which are state school graduates? The typical hospital CEO is a state school UG and a state school MBA. (those "elite" MBAs seem to prefer the more lucrative areas of finance, tech and consulting).
Money wise? There's a hell of a lot of doctors in this country with guaranteed high paychecks for life. Yet they only constitute 6% of the millionaires in the USA. And you can bet they're on the low-end of "millionaire". Ain't nobody creating 10s of mills in their lifetime even by working 100 hour weeks. When you become an attending and get that nice house/condo you can bet the penthouse in your building/ biggest mansion in your neighborhood probably isn't a doctor's. What then? Can you be content at not being "elite"?
 
gy186 said:
So after snooping and browsing on these forums, I'm pretty bitter and upset at the whole general system.
So I want to be the best physician that I can be in the best environment that I can be in. That being said I'll be straight up honest, in addition to the state schools that I will be applying to, hell yeah I'm going to apply to the stereotypical names like Harvard or Yale. I'm also going to admit that I'm not like whatever folk I see with their 1000+ hours of volunteering or their research articles. I have one research project, and it wasn't published, and 100 hours of volunteering. Whether it's 100 or 1000, who gives a damn anyway? Doesn't counting the hours and the type of civil service really take away from the whole point of volunteering and civil service? Why are applicants so bent up on research? I understand scientific inquiry is an optimal trait to have as a medical professional, but publications and all that garbage is what a damn PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, etc. etc. is for. Yeah, I sound bitter, and it's because I am. No, I'm not a gunner that got the chance to go to Yale. Hell, I even went to a CC for a year, but that doesn't matter considering I destroy every class I have with no margin of error. I have a high GPA, and I know damn well I'm going to get a high MCAT soon. I have more passion and commitment to doing what I do, and I do it with excellence. That being said, I read this one stupid thread about how the people that make it to Harvard are the "future professionals of society" and all have their own patents in "cancer fighting drugs", and they all have "JDs" or "MBAs" (Ironically the same poster will say that spending time to get another degree before applying to medical school makes you look old and not committed to medicine). Why do I have to have my own cancer fighting drug or go to Africa to talk to kids about preventative medicine? Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard? I'm sure I work harder than most people. I wake up at 5 in the morning to study, and help take care of 3 little sisters with a single mother while studying till midnight. I'm not the smartest person in the world. Hell, I'm not even intelligent, but I have work ethic like a mule, and I'm proud of it. Why can't that be the thing that gets me in an "elite" medical school? Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?

EDIT: I *KNOW* I'm going to get into SOME medical school, though. I've had people tell me "no" to EVERYTHING in my life, and it's just more fuel. People where I'm from don't get to go to college, so college was a "no" for me. I'm graduating college soon. My HS Chem teacher told me to not pursue Chemistry at all in college because I wasn't fit for it because guess what? I failed HS Chemistry because I was a trouble maker. . I made Chemistry my ______ in college. I've had professors tell me "no" to me getting a good MCAT score because I "don't have critical thinking". Time to prove her wrong next month, too.
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Aww it's always cute when an entitled privileged child starts to realize he or she isn't special to anyone other than mommy and daddy.
 
As I read and reread the OP, I want to suggest their point is...

Have we lost sight of the value of young folks who have the ability to outwork their peers in the coursework in favor of people who do low level research or large volumes of community service for the sake of making their résumé robust.

If I am getting to the meat of it...maybe.

I personally believe there is room for both groups but we may undervalue the studious academic achiever compared to what they should be maybe.

It's also highly likely I am completely wrong bout the point of the rant, in which case let me just reverse (rant) my way out of here.
 
ZezKaiEll said:
Be careful with setting yourself up with talk of how you 'know' you will score high on the MCAT' or how you 'know' how you will get into some school. You wouldn't be the first person to be humbled in that process. I know the application process and pre-med years can be rough and everyone needs to rant at some point, but in the end talk is cheap and results matter. Good luck in your applications.
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Everyone is entitled to their own source of motivation, however if I were you I would not advertise the fact that you feed off of bitterness... it is not considered becoming of a medical professional by most. I too fed off of such things at one point in my pre-medical career, but as I grew up, I made a change and I think its for the better.

Unless you are also simultaneously applying for the position of Dark Lord of the Sith, I would leave behind your bitterness and find another reason to strive for success. To stick to the Star Wars cliche, such negative emotions eventually take a toll on the one who relies on them... e.g. Darth Vader.

Best of luck once again in applications and the MCAT.
 
There are too many applicants and too few spots. There needs to be a bunch of BS hoops to prove to schools you want it more than the other guy. Stop whining and start jumping through them.
 
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gy186 said:
Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?
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You're probably trolling, but I'm going to stick my neck out to request that you clarify your point in this part of your post. The idea appears to be that someone who scores 36 is incapable of conducting high quality research (or, as you put it, "making cancer drugs") because a score of 36 means that they missed x number of questions on the MCAT. I submit that there is no logical connection between a candidate's MCAT score and her ability to participate in and contribute to biomedical research. That is to say, this candidate could be brilliant in the laboratory but awful at standardized tests. Conversely, she could be horrific in the laboratory but a dedicated bookworm who scores extremely well on the MCAT. Why not? I request your reasoning.

More importantly, I'd like to discuss why I think your underlying criticism (despite its inarticulate form) that extracurricular activities (especially research participation and contribution and community volunteer work) should be irrelevant for medical school admissions is mistaken. A physician is more than simply a repository of information about the biomedical sciences. Her other duties include serving patients and talking to families as well as (for many physicians) conducting research. Both of these tasks (i.e., service to patients and research contributions) require previous experience. Can you imagine selecting an applicant who had no previous experience serving the members of her community, and then expecting her to serve patients as part of the healthcare team in three years? Likewise, can you imagine selecting a medical school applicant who had never set foot in a laboratory and then expecting her to transition seamlessly into a clinical research project?

Medicine is service, and advancing medicine can only happen through research. To select candidates naïve towards either of these aspects of medicine would be a mistake. The most selective schools are free to take the students who have shown the initiative to excel - at an introductory level - in many of the fundamental components of medicine.
 
gy186 said:
So after snooping and browsing on these forums, I'm pretty bitter and upset at the whole general system.
So I want to be the best physician that I can be in the best environment that I can be in. That being said I'll be straight up honest, in addition to the state schools that I will be applying to, hell yeah I'm going to apply to the stereotypical names like Harvard or Yale. I'm also going to admit that I'm not like whatever folk I see with their 1000+ hours of volunteering or their research articles. I have one research project, and it wasn't published, and 100 hours of volunteering. Whether it's 100 or 1000, who gives a damn anyway? Doesn't counting the hours and the type of civil service really take away from the whole point of volunteering and civil service? Why are applicants so bent up on research? I understand scientific inquiry is an optimal trait to have as a medical professional, but publications and all that garbage is what a damn PhD in Cell Biology, Biochemistry, etc. etc. is for. Yeah, I sound bitter, and it's because I am. No, I'm not a gunner that got the chance to go to Yale. Hell, I even went to a CC for a year, but that doesn't matter considering I destroy every class I have with no margin of error. I have a high GPA, and I know damn well I'm going to get a high MCAT soon. I have more passion and commitment to doing what I do, and I do it with excellence. That being said, I read this one stupid thread about how the people that make it to Harvard are the "future professionals of society" and all have their own patents in "cancer fighting drugs", and they all have "JDs" or "MBAs" (Ironically the same poster will say that spending time to get another degree before applying to medical school makes you look old and not committed to medicine). Why do I have to have my own cancer fighting drug or go to Africa to talk to kids about preventative medicine? Why can't I be "elite" in the sense that I work hard? I'm sure I work harder than most people. I wake up at 5 in the morning to study, and help take care of 3 little sisters with a single mother while studying till midnight. I'm not the smartest person in the world. Hell, I'm not even intelligent, but I have work ethic like a mule, and I'm proud of it. Why can't that be the thing that gets me in an "elite" medical school? Harvard's mean MCAT is a 36. How are you averaging multiple questions wrong (too many in my opinion) in a physics/chemistry section, biology/organic chemistry, and a logical reasoning question and making cancer drugs? It doesn't make sense to be honest. You're telling me someone gets six questions wrong on alkenes but engineered their own drug?

EDIT: I *KNOW* I'm going to get into SOME medical school, though. I've had people tell me "no" to EVERYTHING in my life, and it's just more fuel. People where I'm from don't get to go to college, so college was a "no" for me. I'm graduating college soon. My HS Chem teacher told me to not pursue Chemistry at all in college because I wasn't fit for it because guess what? I failed HS Chemistry because I was a trouble maker. . I made Chemistry my ______ in college. I've had professors tell me "no" to me getting a good MCAT score because I "don't have critical thinking". Time to prove her wrong next month, too.
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Oh, I like you! I can't tell you why but we would be friends. Here's the deal. Not all posts are created equal and you will need to use your critical thinking skills (see what I did there?) to figure out who knows how this process works and who likes to hear the sound of their own voice. Advice from LizzyM and Goro should be your gold standard. Others I enjoy are Reasoner and Chipster but that's my preference. Some people are to be avoided at all costs, you'll find these people too.
You won't be the first person to overcome adversity to become a physician but you need to realize ( as Goro pointed out) this is a marathon and not a sprint. You will need more resilience than you think so take a deep breath and reach out for help/ advice/hope when you need it.
Keep us posted!
 
Good luck on that MCAT. I hear a 36 puts you in the 97th %ile.

Also, no one is getting 6 wrong on alkenes. It's more like 1 on alkenes, 1 on reproductive hormones, 1 on vectors of viral transmission, 1 on mammalian genetics, 1 on osmositic pressure, and 1 on calculating kidney clearance rates.

Yes, you do need to know math. You need to be able to apply equations to new material. You need to know stereochemistry and every organic reaction. Period.

And that's just for one section. The MCAT has 3. Good luck with those.



BTW, I scored a 15 on BS so I might know what I'm talking about....
 
My friend,
I don't think this is your intention, but you do come off as having a certain lack of maturity in your post. It is great to be hard working. It is great to have a high GPA. I suppose it's a good thing that you're confident that you'll do well on the MCAT. But the reality of the situation is that getting into medical school is hard. And you need to be more than just hard working. You do need intelligence. I wouldn't worry so much about what other applicants are doing. Don't let yourself get bitter over their achievements--worry about what you can control. Whether they are inventing new drugs or volunteering a million hours has nothing to do with making yourself the best applicant possible. The tone of your post comes off that with a sense of entitlement. As other posters have noted, this really is the real world. Pre-medical students, medical students and doctors are some of the most competitive, intelligent, and high achieving groups of people. Those types of people are going to be your colleagues for your entire life and you're going to have to get along with them. It's not enough to say I have worked hard and all the haters are going to hate and say I deserve to get into medical school because of it. Congratulations for all your achievements in life so far--there is certainly much of which to be proud. However, from your post, I worry you are in for a rude awakening if you rest on your laurels and depend of what you have done in the past to get you into medical school. The reality is, it is HARD to get into medical school, there are A LOT of very competitive medical school applicants, there is no such thing as a bad medical school, and the world owes you nothing when it comes to get into medical school. Don't just say, "I deserve to be in an elite medical school" because I work hard. You have to prove it.
 
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