SDN.. good or bad?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
aesculapian

aesculapian

Full Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2010
Messages
241
Reaction score
70
So I'm new to SDN (I just joined the other day!) but someone told me once to stay away from this website.. apparently because it can really stress you out. Is this true? Do you guys ever feel like there's too much competition and stuff here/what do you honestly think of these forums?

Also, I used to go on College Confidential allll the time before I applied to college. Is this like it? It seems pretty similar so far. Except for all these flashy smilies.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Never heard of the other one, but I have heard nothing but advise to stay away from this place! lol At least the message boards. In fact, I've given that advise.

Its just that people here tend to be really, really....really intense. You can easily get the idea in your head that you can't get into med school with anything but a >44 MCAT and a > 4.01 cGPA. Just take it all in stride and do your own research, and you will be fine. There is a lot of great information and experience here, just have to sift through for it, same as anywhere else. Although for pure experience and content (information) on all stages of getting to, going through, and after med school no site comes close.
 
This is a good place to get information, like any place else, there's good and bad. Take the good, and leave the bad. I am having fun here. There's mostly really nice folks here. Enjoy your time, you can ask lots of questions people will answer and help.

PS Welcome!

A
 
Members don't see this ad :)
SDN is very helpful. It's just up to you to sort through what's actually useful to you and what some people write because they're bored and/or like to be a bully on the internetz.

The smilies are super awesome. Many people here are too.

Welcome to SDN! :)
 
First off you need to get your butt in the hospital volunteering at LEAST 20 hours a week. Also, you should really look into spending a couple thousand on a trip to Africa to help with...whatever it is they need help with.

Also you should successfully form and head 2 clubs related to medicine and join another community based club.
 
Last edited:
Oh that's right I did that research for pampers in preschool. Unfortunately the crayon scribble scatter plot was a little hard to interpret so they had to redo it......I still think it was best in crayon.
 
Yea there are people who post on here saying certain things that can overwhelm you but I've only been on a day or so and it seems to make things less stressful. It just lets me know there are others out there who are going through all this crazyness and if they can do it then I can do it.
 
Without this website, I would have been completely lost when it came to applying to medical school.

Without this website, I wouldn't have pestered my pre-med advisor to send out my committee evaluation, probably annoying her enough to get it sent out much earlier than the other people at my school (they got theres in september/ october)
 
Frazier said:
Get in the research lab asap, plenty of us have had our respective research published since high school. Some even in preschool...
Click to expand...

I got my first Nature pub in 1st grade. As you can see I was pretty behind...
 
I recommend SDN for the year you are applying, and not before that.
 
This site has been an invaluable resource to me about the tips/tricks of the application process and what some med schools look for. Also, it's fun to read what others' experiences are.

When I first posted on this site, I read something I'll never forget:

SDN is a great place to get information as long as you have a decent BS detector. Due to the anonymity, there are people who will pollute this forum with crap only to make others angry. Then, there also people who are just stellar and somehow find their way to this site. Just gotta know when someone is overstretching or trolling to get a reaction or when someone is being honest. Welcome!
 
I sort of have a love-hate relationship with SDN. There have been times when I have found that it leaves me more stressed/discouraged than when I logged on and other times when I've found it encouraging or at least I've gotten good information. I think you have to recognize when it starts to make you crazy and then maybe go away from it for a while and also recognize what particular topics you should avoid. For me, when I first joined, I spent a lot of time looking at the certain threads and they made me incredibly insecure and I didn't go back to the site for months. Then when I did, I started avoiding those threads and found it a much better experience. In short, through experience, you learn to (mostly) navigate between the topic that are likely to drive you insane, and when/if you need to take a 'vacation' from SDN.

Good luck!
 
aesculapian said:
So I'm new to SDN (I just joined the other day!) but someone told me once to stay away from this website.. apparently because it can really stress you out. Is this true? Do you guys ever feel like there's too much competition and stuff here/what do you honestly think of these forums?

Also, I used to go on College Confidential allll the time before I applied to college. Is this like it? It seems pretty similar so far. Except for all these flashy smilies.
Click to expand...

People sometimes say "Ignorance is bliss". But I would rather be exposed to stressful knowledge than to not know what is going on around me.

I went on CollegeConfidential a lot, too. I think the cultures are very different aside from their shared similarity as forums dedicated to education.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
aesculapian said:
So I'm new to SDN (I just joined the other day!) but someone told me once to stay away from this website.. apparently because it can really stress you out. Is this true? Do you guys ever feel like there's too much competition and stuff here/what do you honestly think of these forums?

Also, I used to go on College Confidential allll the time before I applied to college. Is this like it? It seems pretty similar so far. Except for all these flashy smilies.
Click to expand...

Its your choice but most can probaly agree that the helpfullness out weighs that stressfullness.
 
The Bad:

1. During the app process it can produce excessive anxiety as you see others get interviews and acceptances while you still wait.

2. Many of the posters have no idea what they are talking about and you have to be careful taking their advice.

3. It is more addictive than heroin or junk food. (Me, as evidence.)

The Good:

1. I don't think I would have gotten into medical school without it. (I ended up with 6 acceptances.)

2. I don't think I would have gotten into the medical school I now attend without it.
 
slowbutsteady said:
The Bad:

1. During the app process it can produce excessive anxiety as you see others get interviews and acceptances while you still wait.

2. Many of the posters have no idea what they are talking about and you have to be careful taking their advice.

3. It is more addictive than heroin or junk food. (Me, as evidence.)

The Good:

1. I don't think I would have gotten into medical school without it. (I ended up with 6 acceptances.)

2. I don't think I would have gotten into the medical school I now attend without it.
Click to expand...

so true
 
schrizto said:
People sometimes say "Ignorance is bliss". But I would rather be exposed to stressful knowledge than to not know what is going on around me.

I went on CollegeConfidential a lot, too. I think the cultures are very different aside from their shared similarity as forums dedicated to education.
Click to expand...

I doubt that there is anyone who wants to go to college who can't get admitted to at least one institution of higher education. On the other hand, more than 50% of the applicants to medical school are not offered admission to any US allopathic school. A few of them may be admitted to osteopathic schools or off-shore schools but thousands of applicants are unsuccessful in their quest for medical education. I like to think that SDN gives applicants a clearer view of the truth about med admissions and some strategies to give you the best odds of matriculating.
 
Very helpful with the pre-med years before applying, PS reading, MCAT prep, getting secondaries early, and interview feedback. But the constant checking-up on other peoples' statuses in the school specific forum is just insane. I avoided it like the plague until I was accepted somewhere. Why would you ever check up on a thread where people are bragging about acceptances?? :confused: I would be paranoid out of my mind. Then there is that handful of people who update the threads with stuff like "interviewed 1/15 still no word yet zomg you guise!!" and "what does the status page say?? how big was ur envelopezz??!?!!1" and it turns into a big pity party.

Overall it's most valuable Fr-Jr years of college, then stay away (unless you're there to help).
 
This is so true! Though, don't let the stats discourage you. It means that 1 out of every 2 people IS accepted. The glass is half full! And, you know at least one other person that has no hope of making it (granted, you still have to work very hard).

SDN is probably helpful to different people at different times depending on their personal situation. If I had sat down and read these forums as an undergrad, I would be very discouraged. For me personally, I think that last 24 months before you apply are probably the most helpful.

The MCAT forum is obviously helpful as you prepare, the pre-allo and pre-osteo forums are helpful to find out how to build your application and finally for tips when applying. I don't really see the point of hanging out here before you are at least a sophomore (but maybe I'm just sick of reading threads that say... I'm a freshman with a 2.0 GPA that was busy f***ing with the hot girls in my dorm, and as she failed to climax I suddenly realized I want to be a doctor, is it the end of the road for me or can I overcome the 2.0?).

P.S. LizzyM is great and if you can get a hold of her spreadsheet (which doesn't exist) that'll help you. But as I said, it doesn't exist.

LizzyM said:
I doubt that there is anyone who wants to go to college who can't get admitted to at least one institution of higher education. On the other hand, more than 50% of the applicants to medical school are not offered admission to any US allopathic school. A few of them may be admitted to osteopathic schools or off-shore schools but thousands of applicants are unsuccessful in their quest for medical education. I like to think that SDN gives applicants a clearer view of the truth about med admissions and some strategies to give you the best odds of matriculating.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I think the positives far outweigh the negatives. I think I've gotten a lot of good tips and suggestions here...and a community of people to go through this with.

I will say that there are just a high density of ridiculous people here. Many who get accepted to multiple Top 10 Schools. Kudos to them. But I think, partially it has made me feel somewhat inferior in that I didn't get the same treatment. And/or somewhat dissapointed that I didn't make it into a super highly ranked school. I think that's the small douchebag in me talking.

I'm mainly just happy to be going, and I think SDN has helped me get here.
 
I think the neuroticism on this forum is often overstated. Sure, people hear are more competitive than an average applicant, but I've never got the impression that "If you don't have stats like these, you won't get in". What's important to remember is that there are multiple groups here with multiple aims. Some of them just want to get in. Some of them want the top 20. I've found most people to be fairly realistic about which stats go where.
 
SDN is overall a great resource.

From my experience, if you aren't the least bit stressed out by the process of applying to med school then you probably aren't aware of the realities of the process and what lies ahead.

:luck:
 
bamtuba said:
SDN is overall a great resource.

From my experience, if you aren't the least bit stressed out by the process of applying to med school then you probably aren't aware of the realities of the process and what lies ahead.

:luck:
Click to expand...

QFT!! :thumbup:

Just use your logic to filter out the :bullcrap:from Trolls and Socially Akward gunners. and Volia you have a pretty good idea of what to really expect.
 
Avoid people who say "$300k isn't rich" and people who ask "Should I retake a B" and you should be fine.
 
ILikeDrugs said:
Avoid people who say "$300k isn't rich" and people who ask "Should I retake a B" and you should be fine.
Click to expand...

Don't forget to avoid the people who start the 'I have a 38 MCAT and 3.9gpa, Do I have a chance?' threads.
 
mspeedwagon said:
P.S. LizzyM is great and if you can get a hold of her spreadsheet (which doesn't exist) that'll help you. But as I said, it doesn't exist.
Click to expand...

I've heard so many people on SDN say this, and I have no idea what it means.
 
If someone lets a message board stress him out then I cringe to think what med school will do to him....
 
CC's forum gets a lot less traffic. The big posters there seem to be a few medical students, one or two residents, and a few parents who's kid just went through the process.

SDN gets a lot of traffic. But to the point that you probably have weed through a lot of crap threads to get anything significant.

In reality, if people just learn to use the stickies that both CC and SDN have, most questions would immediately be answered.
 
schrizto said:
I've heard so many people on SDN say this, and I have no idea what it means.
Click to expand...


LizzyM created a way of ranking med schools based on GPA and MCAT averages giving them a LizzyM score. I think it is something like MCAT + (GPA x 10). There was a spreadsheet around that would calculate your lizzyM score and then show how well you might fair at different schools.

Just like all of the other spreadsheets out there it was taken down, who knows why ( the other ones apparently had copyrighted MSAR information).

There are still people on SDN who have them saved on their computers and would love to send them to you if you PM them......cough...cough.....cough.

:DWelcome
 
I created a quick & dirty formula for applicants to size up the chances of getting an interview given their stats. My goal was to develop a way for applicants to target their applications to schools where they had a decent chance of getting invited to interiew. I did this about 3-4 years ago because at that time I was seeing many applicants who were shooting too high and then not getting any interviews. It was not a way to rank schools. I did not create a spreadsheet nor do I have a copy of any spreadsheet that compares one's stats against information about schools so don't ask.
 
I recommend SDN to any premeds I've met (and anyone considering it) that don't know about it already. I also tell them to take it with a grain of salt.

The school specific discussions (for tracking when responses are coming back) and the interview feedback would be enough alone to make this worthwhile.
 
BenUstudent said:
QFT!! :thumbup:

Just use your logic to filter out the :bullcrap:from Trolls and Socially Akward gunners. and Volia you have a pretty good idea of what to really expect.
Click to expand...

The gunners aren't always socially awkward.

dingyibvs said:
If someone lets a message board stress him out then I cringe to think what med school will do to him....
Click to expand...

:thumbup:
 
badly good!! I obviously like it since I have so many posts but I have learned so much and have a ton to go....

This is the only place I can go and talk about this stuff and people care as much as me. Being nontrad, I dont have anyone around me going through what I am.

This is the best thing since sliced bread...

I know SO much more than others when I talk to them and I owe it to this place.

Just make sure what you read is found in more than one place and it makes since.....

For example, if there is someone saying a 35 MCAT sucks, then you know they are freakin nuts....:laugh:
 
This site is full of great information and misinformation. You'll have people say one thing in one breath and in another completely contradict themselves...sort of like life--my posts included.
 
Thanks guys! There was really great input from all of you, and I'm looking forward to joining this community :)
 
aesculapian said:
So I'm new to SDN (I just joined the other day!) but someone told me once to stay away from this website.. apparently because it can really stress you out. Is this true? Do you guys ever feel like there's too much competition and stuff here/what do you honestly think of these forums?

Also, I used to go on College Confidential allll the time before I applied to college. Is this like it? It seems pretty similar so far. Except for all these flashy smilies.
Click to expand...

Both sites are snarky, and posters love to be sarcastic OR get hung up on their own ideals. But you can learn a lot here. Don't get intimidated, and don't take everything everyone says as gospel. You may not have the nearly perfect stats someone else does, and you may not get into med school with the comparatively low stats others do. Look for advice about your own situation.

I like this board. Everyone told me to avoid it...they told me everyone claims to be perfect and basically attacks you if you're not. Not true, in my experience. I've lurked and learned from other people's experience, and I've gotten great feedback when I've posted questions. Don't ask a question that is asked multiple times a week, and don't boast your accomplishments, either by bragging outright, or asking if you have a chance at Hopkins and Harvard with your 3.9 GPA and 42 MCAT. Don't denigrate DO school. Lurk around here for a week or two, and you'll figure out all the things you shouldn't do.

If you respond to questions honestly and tactfully, and ask good questions, you'll have a great experience here.
 
dingyibvs said:
If someone lets a message board stress him out then I cringe to think what med school will do to him....
Click to expand...


fonz.jpg
 
Yes to pretty much all of the above. It's such a great resource and I'd recommend it to any pre-med. I doubt I'd have gotten in without this site.

Though you do have to take a LOT of what is said with a grain of salt. There are some good people on here though :thumbup:
 
riverjib said:
Both sites are snarky, and posters love to be sarcastic OR get hung up on their own ideals. But you can learn a lot here. Don't get intimidated, and don't take everything everyone says as gospel. You may not have the nearly perfect stats someone else does, and you may not get into med school with the comparatively low stats others do. Look for advice about your own situation.

I like this board. Everyone told me to avoid it...they told me everyone claims to be perfect and basically attacks you if you're not. Not true, in my experience. I've lurked and learned from other people's experience, and I've gotten great feedback when I've posted questions. Don't ask a question that is asked multiple times a week, and don't boast your accomplishments, either by bragging outright, or asking if you have a chance at Hopkins and Harvard with your 3.9 GPA and 42 MCAT. Don't denigrate DO school. Lurk around here for a week or two, and you'll figure out all the things you shouldn't do.

If you respond to questions honestly and tactfully, and ask good questions, you'll have a great experience here.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%. :thumbup:
 
Let me ask you something OP; do you take everything at face value when not on the net? Well it is even more important not to do so here. The trick to SDN is to stick around long enough to know who knows what they are talking about and who is full of it. SDN is probably the single best source for a pre-med if that pre-med knows how to use it right. Just stay away from the pointless threads and people who want to argue for no reason (this is probably what happened to your friend. Once you know a few good people on here you can send personal messages for the really important stuff.
 
The Good:
The MCAT Forum
How to prepare for the app process

The Bad;
The WAMC board
URMs are taking my spots threads
D.O vs MD threads
 
SDN has been very helpful for me. I'm not sure I would be in the school I got into without the information from here. However... SDN is on the internet, and there are plenty of liars, manipulators and trolls on the internet. You have to use your own good judgment when perusing the forums, like everywhere else.
 
Sometimes I feel this is the only place I can have an informed conversation.

I've learned so much from these forums, but of course there are some issues that I feel I need/want help with.

For instance, I had a conversation the other day with a fellow premed who has been accepted to a school. I explain my situation and wait for her advice. Her answer "so what is an EFC? Oh, I don't think I have one of those since I am an independent" :confused:. Mind you she filled out her FAFSA months ago. Even some people who go through the process successfully don't understand it very well.
 
Mostly Good.

You definitely learn to take everything on here with a grain of salt.

I know some residency program directors absolutely hate this site.

Its benefits seem to diminish the further along in your training you get.
 
SDN is way more useful than any undergrad advisor has been in my time as a pre-med. It's a good sounding board and there's a ton of information being tossed around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

H
Good MCAT, bad CARS, below 10th percentile
Replies
12
Views
809
Oaktree22
O
M
One Good and One Bad Interview
Replies
6
Views
1K
LindaAccepted
LindaAccepted
E
SDN Article: Training for the Marathon: SDN Resources to Submit Your Best Application
Replies
2
Views
458
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
J
LOR advice from advisor good or bad?
Replies
4
Views
412
eigen
eigen
spongebobdoc
Does this look bad?
Replies
3
Views
728
spongebobdoc
spongebobdoc
Top