"Secret to Success"

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NeilSaha

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Hey guys, I just wanted to know some of the best advice you guys ever received in your life about "secret to success", whether it being about medical school, being a doctor, or about life in general. Everyone here has been given some kind of advice at some point in their life that has greatly impacted themselves and brought them success.

My uncle, who is severely ill, always told me that the secret to success is to look at each day as a new opportunity to be your very best. Set high goals and give it 100%. Just thought I'd share it with you guys. Anyone else like to share? Thank you.
 
Take fun electives. Don't make every class about "getting into med school".

Also, take typing. And Spanish. Just do it.
 
Don't be a fool, wrap your tool.


check out my sig for the rest of them.
 
There is NO "secret" to success. Work hard and you will succeed.
 
I am just a freshman pre-med but all I'll say is that you have to enjoy yourself in whatever you aspire to do. Life does not revolve around getting perfect grades or test scores because in trying to acheive perfection you will lose a sense of who you are as an individual.

Your uncle was correct, every day is a new opportunity to be your very best. But its up to you on how you interpret "best". for me its trying to find myself as a person.

just my 2 cents on this.
 
I live by the idea that taking care of your obligations and being good to others is all that is fundamentally important in life.
 
Along with what everyone else is saying....do what makes you happy. That means going out on Friday night with your friends vs. going to the library to study for test thats ten weeks from now. I always ask myself if I'm going to regret NOT doing anything when I remember the situation. If I will regret not doing it, I do it.

College is seriously an awesome time. Enjoy it!
 
thanks guys. these are all great. I know there is no "secret" to success but there are quotes or sayings etc. that people live by and I just wanted to hear them out that's all. Any others?
 
NeilSaha said:
thanks guys. these are all great. I know there is no "secret" to success but there are quotes or sayings etc. that people live by and I just wanted to hear them out that's all. Any others?
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Git r done
 
This is taken from one of my favorite web articles from cracked.com. NSFW language.

http://www.cracked.com/article_1861...nt-things-they-didnt-teach-you-in-school.html

Business: Success = Meeting the Right People


All of those successful people you see around town, with their convertibles and huge televisions? Approximately 100 percent of them got where they are because they had three things. All three are absolutely essential, but one of them is almost never mentioned. They are:

* Talent
* Hard Work
* Randomly Meeting the Right People and Not Pissing Them Off

The autobiographies of famous people will do everything they can to downplay that third part, because it has the element of sheer luck. People get offended when you mention it, because they think it somehow undermines the first two. But remember, we said you need all three.

For instance, let's take maybe the most successful movie actor of all time, Harrison Ford. He farted around Hollywood for nine years, taking bit parts without anything major ever coming his way. Clearly talented, very hard-working. Yet not once did anybody look at him and say, "This guy will sell several billion dollars' worth of tickets and action figures some day!" He was just another ambitious, pretty face, in a city full of them. He got so fed up, he quit acting and became a carpenter.


There's a parallel world without this man as Han Solo, and we don't want to live there.

Then one day he got hired to install cabinets in the home of a guy named George Lucas. They became friends. That got him the role of Han Solo a few years later. Click the link; that's a true story.

Decades earlier another Ford, Henry, was just one of many engineers screwing around with early car engine designs until he became friends with a wealthy businessman named Alexander Malcomson who forked over the money to get Ford Motor Company started. This also works for guys not named Ford; Justin Bieber was one of several hundred thousand teenagers singing on YouTube videos before a former record exec named Scooter Braun clicked on one of his videos by accident and got him a record deal.


But everyone already knew he was an accident.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have guys like Edgar Allan Poe, whose legendary poem "The Raven" earned him... nine dollars. He burned so many bridges he wound up basically begging the public for money before dying at 40.

At some point Poe probably met his George Lucas, but made such a horrible impression on him the guy wouldn't return his calls.


"Oh, ****, honey, he's at the door! Pretend we're not home! Did he see me?"

Chapters include:

I. First Impressions are Really Important;
II. Subsequent Impressions Are Also Important;
III. No, You're Not Terrell Owens (aka Why Acting Like a Douchebag is a Bad Investment).
 
"Suffer the pain of discipline, or suffer the pain of regret." - Anonymous

"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do." - Bruce Lee
 
"Always leave it better than you found it."

"Anything worth doing is worth doing well."

I think that pretty much sums it up for me as far as universalisms.


e: Kevin Baker that's good stuff.
 
"B*tches ain't shi*t 'cept hoes and tricks" -Ghandi
 
The path of least resistance is also the most energetically favorable path which is why 99% of people will take it.

Simple advice: be the other 1%
 
For financial success:

1) Work for someone else instead of trying to make it yourself; you'll make much more, with less stress. For every Bill Gates, there are a hundred (probably even more) unsuccessful small business owners teetering on the edge of financial ruin. Don't assume that you're part of the minority that can successfully run their own business. It's much safer to focus on your own strengths and let someone else shoulder the risk of entrepreneurism.

2) Don't buy anything that you cannot afford; it sounds stupid, but so many people just don't understand this simple idea. Pay cash for whatever you can and be very wary of loans. Don't assume that your financial situation will improve or even stay constant. Live frugally and save as much as you can.

In order to live happily, you need to successfully manage your financial assets and there are no shortcuts to financial security.
 
Healer of Ills said:
The path of least resistance is also the most energetically favorable path which is why 99% of people will take it.

Simple advice: be the other 1%
Click to expand...

I actually take a different meaning to this idea. There's no doubt that people have to work hard to succeed, and I'm not doubting that at all, but I definitely think people should look for the path of least resistance in all things. For example, why would you study or pursue something (i.e., medicine) when it's a constant, uphill battle? Apply this principle to all things in life.
 
What's with the facebook thing on all the threads? I thought this got shot down.
 
Live each day in the present. 🙂
 
Make sure that you are adopted by Chinese parents. 🙂
 
Narmerguy said:
What's with the facebook thing on all the threads? I thought this got shot down.
Click to expand...

Frazier said:
Yea, I am not a fan. It is distracting and ruins the nice smoothness of my thread perusing...
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Where are you guys seeing this?

Edit: Nevermind, forgot NoScript was blocking it. Yeah, I really don't like this.
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
I actually take a different meaning to this idea. There's no doubt that people have to work hard to succeed, and I'm not doubting that at all, but I definitely think people should look for the path of least resistance in all things. For example, why would you study or pursue something (i.e., medicine) when it's a constant, uphill battle? Apply this principle to all things in life.
Click to expand...


Cole, it depends on how you interpret this idea. I meant it in a completely different way.

Also, not trying to start anything but you contradict yourself. You mention that everyone should take the path of least resistance in all things and then you mention medicine. Let me ask you, do you think going into medicine is the path of least resistance??
 
Healer of Ills said:
Cole, it depends on how you interpret this idea. I meant it in a completely different way.

Also, not trying to start anything but you contradict yourself. You mention that everyone should take the path of least resistance in all things and then you mention medicine. Let me ask you, do you think going into medicine is the path of least resistance??
Click to expand...

It was for ME. I seem to have a natural aptitude for science, love working with people, and have a fairly solid work ethic. It is by no means easy, but it wasn't necessarily a struggle either, other than putting in the hours and effort to do well. I'm speaking more to the people that seem to have trouble with the sciences, don't want to jump through all of the hoops necessary to go into medicine, or aren't really driven enough to do what it takes to get in still pursuing a career in medicine. Not to be a hater on re-applicants, but I think it's a bit of a red flag if you have to apply to medical schools 3+ times in order to get in. If I didn't get accepted to any medical school during a cycle, I would take that as a sign that medicine probably isn't the right choice for me.

This idea isn't limited just to medicine or even career choice for that matter. The same is true of business, law, or any other field. It's something that I believe in very strongly and attribute my success to but can't articulate very well. 🙁
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
It was for ME. I seem to have a natural aptitude for science, love working with people, and have a fairly solid work ethic. It is by no means easy, but it wasn't necessarily a struggle either, other than putting in the hours and effort to do well. I'm speaking more to the people that seem to have trouble with the sciences, don't want to jump through all of the hoops necessary to go into medicine, or aren't really driven enough to do what it takes to get in still pursuing a career in medicine. Not to be a hater on re-applicants, but I think it's a bit of a red flag if you have to apply to medical schools 3+ times in order to get in. If I didn't get accepted to any medical school during a cycle, I would take that as a sign that medicine probably isn't the right choice for me.

This idea isn't limited just to medicine or even career choice for that matter. The same is true of business, law, or any other field. It's something that I believe in very strongly and attribute my success to but can't articulate very well. 🙁
Click to expand...

Sorry, I actually I admire someone (and i'm sure that many other people as well) who went through the trouble to apply to med school 3+ times to get in. The amount of sacrifice, effort, and emotional toll it took for them to do that alone proves their desire to be a physician outweighs any kind of setback or problem they may encounter in order to achieve that. Often times thats the attitude it takes to be a successful doctor.

Getting rejected 3+ times and getting in on the fourth isn't a red flag of inadequacy, but rather a red flag for persistence and determination. There are some people who have had traumatic experiences, lost focus, just didn't wake up in UG, or other reasons that precluded them from being truly competitive for medicine in the first place. Should these people be shunned from trying to get in because they, unlike you, didn't have it all at the age of 20? I think that's a little ridiculous.
 
Etzio said:
Sorry, I actually I admire someone (and i'm sure that many other people as well) who went through the trouble to apply to med school 3+ times to get in. The amount of sacrifice, effort, and emotional toll it took for them to do that alone proves their desire to be a physician outweighs any kind of setback or problem they may encounter in order to achieve that. Often times thats the attitude it takes to be a successful doctor.

Getting rejected 3+ times and getting in on the fourth isn't a red flag of inadequacy, but rather a red flag for persistence and determination. There are some people who have had traumatic experiences, lost focus, just didn't wake up in UG, or other reasons that precluded them from being truly competitive for medicine in the first place. Should these people be shunned from trying to get in because they, unlike you, didn't have it all at the age of 20? I think that's a little ridiculous.
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I'm not saying they should be prevented from applying by any means, and, like you, I'm impressed with the dedication to the cause. I know I wouldn't be that strong-willed. That said, I can only imagine that the road will become more difficult as one advances through the process. If it was that difficult to do well in undergrad and get accepted to medical school, how much more difficult is it going to be during med school and to get into a residency?

Things get easier, not harder, as the level of training increases. Personally, I would rather spend my time doing something else that I enjoy (even if it's less than the perceived enjoyment from medicine) and was more successful at rather than struggling constantly throughout the training process (as I said before, this idea applies to anything in life - we're just talking about the particular goal of pursuing medicine right now). But perhaps I just totally don't understand what it's like being re-applicant, which is entirely likely since I don't know any re-applicants personally.
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
I'm not saying they should be prevented from applying by any means, and, like you, I'm impressed with the dedication to the cause. I know I wouldn't be that strong-willed. That said, I can only imagine that the road will become more difficult as one advances through the process. If it was that difficult to do well in undergrad and get accepted to medical school, how much more difficult is it going to be during med school and to get into a residency?

Things get easier, not harder, as the level of training increases. Personally, I would rather spend my time doing something else that I enjoy (even if it's less than the perceived enjoyment from medicine) and was more successful at rather than struggling constantly throughout the training process (as I said before, this idea applies to anything in life - we're just talking about the particular goal of pursuing medicine right now). But perhaps I just totally don't understand what it's like being re-applicant, which is entirely likely since I don't know any re-applicants personally.
Click to expand...

First of all, if a re-applicant was competent enough to get into med school, it means that the admissions committee acknowledges the individual is fit for the trials of med school and beyond.

What you don't understand is how hard it is to let go of your dreams the further they slip away from you. I am in a rather precarious situation and it seems unlikely that I will be able to get admitted to med school through the traditional way. I will probably be a "non-trad" or maybe even a "re-applicant". It makes no difference once I get in since I would be as competent enough to do well as everyone else. People who fail, who have their dreams taken away from them because they are told by society that they can't be this or do that because they are too stupid, and find a way to prove them wrong are the true winners in my book. If you would rather give up on becoming a doctor after one rejection cycle that is your personal choice- but don't generalize to say that those who choose to reapply are wasting their time with it.

Like I said, you knew what to do when you were 10. Good for you, a lot of us didn't, suffered, succeeded, and grew stronger from it. You should respect that.
 
Etzio said:
First of all, if a re-applicant was competent enough to get into med school, it means that the admissions committee acknowledges the individual is fit for the trials of med school and beyond.
Click to expand...
I understand the conclusion you're drawing here, but just because you pass a certain point where you meet a standard doesn't obfuscate the process of you getting there. If it takes someone 4 tries to get accepted to medical school (for whatever reason) does this mean that the moment they matriculate they should be considered to have the same aptitude as their classmates? Of course not, because although they have demonstrated traits such as perseverance and determination, the fact that they overcame whatever was holding them back doesn't mean they eliminated it, especially if it's a personality trait or something else inherent. Without going into the predictability of the test and all that jazz, I would say that someone who has to take the MCAT 4 times to get a score good enough to get them an acceptance might have reason to worry about the USMLE Steps. No one gets 4 tries at Step 1, and while its possible that the person finally, after that third MCAT attempt, identified and corrected whatever issue they were having with their test taking skills/knowledge base, it is equally likely that they just steadily increased their scores by studying more/practicing/etc...
 
This may not be success.... but my firends dad always told me

"Don't get married, until you are very old. Play the field. Then when you get older, find yourself a pretty 18 year old that thinks you have money. No matter, your situation you will always be happy"

I think this might apply to both men AND women
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
That said, I can only imagine that the road will become more difficult as one advances through the process. If it was that difficult to do well in undergrad and get accepted to medical school, how much more difficult is it going to be during med school and to get into a residency?
Click to expand...
There are plenty of things that make it difficult to do well in undergrad that have nothing to do with one's mental and intellectual capacity. Demanding full-time jobs, family members, personal illness, etc. etc. Some of these things are temporary, or a one-time event. One bad semester can trash your GPA forever.

Maybe it's just my perspective as a non-traditional applicant, but I honestly think medical school and residency will be easier than the last 6 years that I've spent working 50-60+ hours a week at a demanding job, getting my undergrad, managing multiple volunteering gigs, juggling some family caregiving at different times over the years, and trying to climb out of a 15-year-old GPA hole. Everyone I know who is already a practicing physician swears that the hardest part is getting in. Once you're in, you just have a lot of work to get done.
gettheleadout said:
Of course not, because although they have demonstrated traits such as perseverance and determination, the fact that they overcame whatever was holding them back doesn't mean they eliminated it, especially if it's a personality trait or something else inherent.
Click to expand...
If we're talking about limitations of intelligence or maturity, I would completely agree with you. However, there are plenty of reapplicants who didn't get in the first time for simple mistakes like bad choice of schools or submitting too late in the cycle. Granted, someone who's smart and mature will research the application process and cover all their bases... but these are easy mistakes to make if you don't avail yourself of all the information that's out there.
 
Dianyla said:
If we're talking about limitations of intelligence or maturity, I would completely agree with you. However, there are plenty of reapplicants who didn't get in the first time for simple mistakes like bad choice of schools or submitting too late in the cycle. Granted, someone who's smart and mature will research the application process and cover all their bases... but these are easy mistakes to make if you don't avail yourself of all the information that's out there.
Click to expand...

I think the point is that there's lots of easy mistakes for people to make along the process. Perhaps they drank too much before the MCAT, perhaps they weren't aware or told how hard the MCAT was, perhaps they didn't know what a typical med applicant GPA was, perhaps they didn't bring the right interview clothing, perhaps they didn't realize how important the application essays were, perhaps perhaps perhaps.

It's a difficult process and while we should certainly sympathize and be empathetic with those who get lost or fall behind because of careless missteps or mistakes made with good intentions, we should ignore that there were other applicants, who faced similar opportunistic pitfalls, that successfully waded through the process and flourished. Sometimes someone's good but just not good enough compared to their competition. That doesn't mean they're completely unfit for medical school, but it may mean that there are others who are more fit.
 
Don't wait to get married, just marry someone wealthy. 🙂
 
Dianyla said:
If we're talking about limitations of intelligence or maturity, I would completely agree with you. However, there are plenty of reapplicants who didn't get in the first time for simple mistakes like bad choice of schools or submitting too late in the cycle. Granted, someone who's smart and mature will research the application process and cover all their bases... but these are easy mistakes to make if you don't avail yourself of all the information that's out there.
Click to expand...
Exactly, the problem is that without knowing more about the applicant individually, we can't judge whether it was a simple mistake or a more pervasive underlying problem that they happened to be able to work and overcome through repeated attempts. If it is the latter, they won't necessarily have the same number of chances with other trials in their medical career.
 
Narmerguy said:
I think the point is that there's lots of easy mistakes for people to make along the process. Perhaps they drank too much before the MCAT, perhaps they weren't aware or told how hard the MCAT was, perhaps they didn't know what a typical med applicant GPA was, perhaps they didn't bring the right interview clothing, perhaps they didn't realize how important the application essays were, perhaps perhaps perhaps.

It's a difficult process and while we should certainly sympathize and be empathetic with those who get lost or fall behind because of careless missteps or mistakes made with good intentions, we should ignore that there were other applicants, who faced similar opportunistic pitfalls, that successfully waded through the process and flourished. Sometimes someone's good but just not good enough compared to their competition. That doesn't mean they're completely unfit for medical school, but it may mean that there are others who are more fit.
Click to expand...

People who make mistakes don't always have to quit medicine. Take my case, I screwed up 2.5 years of my undergraduate years under the belief that I was stupid, incapable, and unfit for my Asian culture. Much of that mentality stems from my cultural upbringing and influences from people around me that made me feel like crap. If I hadn't let those influences get to me, then maybe I would be in a stronger position today. Like me, I am sure there are plenty of other people who were influenced with ideologies and thoughts that led them to make poor choices. They also eventually turned things around despite of that and were successful. There's nothing wrong with shooting for a high GPA and 40S MCAT at the age of 10. Its certainly better to realize things earlier than later, but my point is that hitting a rock bottom in life and climbing out of that teaches you a lot more than any course ever can. In many ways it makes you wiser than having a 3.9 GPA, and those people deserve more than your pity.

There's no standard by which to determine this. How can you compare the 20 year old with a 4.0/40S with an acceptance to the 25 year old with a 3.3/40S has some kind of life story, with an acceptance? There's a reason why non-trad students get in and its because they are equally as fit compared to the college grad that had everything easy for them, but are fit in a different sense. You can't say that one is more fit than the other once they get accepted, its like comparing apples and oranges.
 
Dial71 said:
For financial success:

1) Work for someone else instead of trying to make it yourself; you'll make much more, with less stress. For every Bill Gates, there are a hundred (probably even more) unsuccessful small business owners teetering on the edge of financial ruin. Don't assume that you're part of the minority that can successfully run their own business. It's much safer to focus on your own strengths and let someone else shoulder the risk of entrepreneurism.
Click to expand...

How can you justify such a comment?


This may be one of the most appalling posts that I have ever read on SDN. Not only is your opinion completely misguiding, but ignorant beyond belief.

It is very possible to be a successful small business owner with limited strengths.
 
ChairmanCK said:
How can you justify such a comment?


This may be one of the most appalling posts that I have ever read on SDN. Not only is your opinion completely misguiding, but ignorant beyond belief.

It is very possible to be a successful small business owner with limited strengths.
Click to expand...

Okay, I am game.

Yes, odds are that an individual will make more money, with better stability working for someone else, rather than starting their own venture.

I did not say that there are not successful small business owners. I am certain that you could quote me several. However, it takes a special blend of business intelligence, financial strength, creativity and, let's face it, dumb luck, to become a success. We generally only hear about the success stories, which explains the bias in your response.

My own parents ran several independent businesses, from a small plant nursery, cleaning company, to lawn care. They made money, sure, but they worked waaaay longer and harder than most. They gave it all up when they realized that they could earn just as much working for someone else and work much shorter hours, with less hassle.

When small businesses fail, they can ruin families. My ex's mother runs a medical supply store which is in the process of failing. I say that because she has propped up this dying venture for years on credit cards and family loans.

Their family has been torn apart by the stress. She works perhaps 100+ hours a week, just to tread water. Recently, in order to pump more cash into the business, she started taking my ex's student loan money! She's screwing over her own daughter just to cling to this failing business. When the whole thing collapses and the dust settles, their family will be in the wreckage.

So, I am not saying that there aren't successful small businesses. I just don't believe that there are many worth the effort put into them. If you have a whiz-bang new service or product, it may make sense to start a new business. Otherwise, don't try to reinvent the wheel; you'll make more money, with less hassle, if you use your skills to work for someone else. It's the practical thing to do.
 
Being a good med student is a lot like being a good porn star. You have to be unrealistic in your enthusiasm for all activities no matter what, be willing to experiment now and then, and occasionally take it up the butt.
 
ColeOnTheRoll said:
It was for ME. I seem to have a natural aptitude for science, love working with people, and have a fairly solid work ethic. It is by no means easy, but it wasn't necessarily a struggle either, other than putting in the hours and effort to do well. I'm speaking more to the people that seem to have trouble with the sciences, don't want to jump through all of the hoops necessary to go into medicine, or aren't really driven enough to do what it takes to get in still pursuing a career in medicine. Not to be a hater on re-applicants, but I think it's a bit of a red flag if you have to apply to medical schools 3+ times in order to get in. If I didn't get accepted to any medical school during a cycle, I would take that as a sign that medicine probably isn't the right choice for me.

This idea isn't limited just to medicine or even career choice for that matter. The same is true of business, law, or any other field. It's something that I believe in very strongly and attribute my success to but can't articulate very well. 🙁
Click to expand...


The more you talk cole, the more I wonder... If you have you ever encountered any hardship in your life at all. Tha statement above scream of naivety.. and oh you sound like a hater.👎
 
Techmed07 said:
The more you talk cole, the more I wonder... If you have you ever encountered any hardship in your life at all. Tha statement above scream of naivety.. and oh you sound like a hater.👎
Click to expand...

Not that I like everything that Cole posts, but give the guy a break. What do the circumstances of his life matter in this situation?

I agree with Cole's general sentiment. If you can't hack an acceptance, especially after multiple rounds, perhaps it is a sign to consider doing something else with your life. This is coming from someone who's had plenty of adversity to overcome, myself. I dropped out of HS, my dad is a janitor, I worked to pay my way through school and I still got in.

Like another poster said, plenty of people experience difficulties and still get into medical school. If you can't overcome your present problems, how are medical school and residency going to shake out for you?
 
Techmed07 said:
The more you talk cole, the more I wonder... If you have you ever encountered any hardship in your life at all. Tha statement above scream of naivety.. and oh you sound like a hater.👎
Click to expand...

Cool cool Cole has a point and makes sense. He just happens to have baller status stats which kind of make him look like a wanksta. If his MDapps said he only had a 3.7 gpa and 33 MCAT he wouldn't get hated on as much.
 
Frazier said:
Cool cool Cole has a point and makes sense. He just happens to have baller status stats which kind of make him look like a wanksta. If his MDapps said he only had a 3.7 gpa and 33 MCAT he wouldn't get hated on as much.
Click to expand...

He speaks the truth.
 
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