should I give up on med school?

[wolverton]

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applied this cycle with 3.8/36 and to 20 schools (wasn't top heavy). i ended up getting 5 interviews (only one is top 20 and the other 4 were not) with 2 post-interview rejections and 3 waitlists.

the problem is that i was recently diagnosed with ASD. I didn't know this beforehand, although i knew i was really socially inept my entire life.

I am suspecting that this was what led to such a poor performance on the interviews. Now, ASD is really hard to treat and alleviate the condition as an adult. I don't think there's even any experts in my area.

Do you think i should just give up on medical school as it would be impossible to pass the interview stage?

I had been feeling really depressed for wasting all of my college years(been thinking of just ending it for past three months but gotten better now), but i still can't figure out what to do.

Any success stories for applicants with ASD who got in?

 

[gyngyn]

I had been feeling really depressed for wasting all of my college years(been thinking of just ending it for past three months but gotten better now), but i still can't figure out what to do.

Depression can be effectively treated so if you haven't improved significantly or start feeling hopeless again, get professional help, stat.

 

[Catalystik]

applied this cycle with 3.8/36 and to 20 schools (wasn't top heavy). i ended up getting 5 interviews (only one is top 20 and the other 4 were not) with 2 post-interview rejections and 3 waitlists.

the problem is that i was recently diagnosed with ASD. I didn't know this beforehand, although i knew i was really socially inept my entire life.

I am suspecting that this was what led to such a poor performance on the interviews. Now, ASD is really hard to treat and alleviate the condition as an adult. I don't think there's even any experts in my area.

Do you think i should just give up on medical school as it would be impossible to pass the interview stage?

I had been feeling really depressed for wasting all of my college years(been thinking of just ending it for past three months but gotten better now), but i still can't figure out what to do.

Any success stories for applicants with ASD who got in?

I have helped care for a number of students diagnosed with ASD through their college years. They varied widely in their social skills. Some have been on 1-3 medications prescribed by their psychiatrist with amazing results. Some were not on medication, but did well with behavioral therapies. None of my patients tried to get into med school, but one successfully entered grad school. I do know of one young man with Asperger's Syndrome who got into med school, is completing a residency, and just matched into a fellowship. Don't be intimidated by your diagnosis.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

You got 3 waitlists, so you can't be THAT socially inept. Did you call the schools and ask them for feedback?

 

[chocolatethunder]

Work on your interviewing skills and reapply my friend.

 

[mrh125]

the reasons you were rejected may have nothing to do with ASD in all honesty, so you dont even need to blame yourself for that. If you're looking to improve your social skills the best way is to put yourself out there and interact with others. get a retail job.

 

[medic86]

Keep your head up, OP. You can do it!

 

[Being]

I also have ASD. It's a PITA. I have always had trouble with facial expressions, body language, humor, social interaction in general. I have put a lot of effort into figuring these things out over the years, and have gotten reasonably good at pretending to be NT.

You're obviously smart, given those stats. You're good at things. This is just another thing that needs to be studied, practiced and mastered. Identify what you have trouble with, and work to get better at it. Find people who are good in social situations and try to emulate them. When observing someone who handles situations with ease, put yourself in their shoes and picture what you would have said/done, and compare it to what they said/did - note differences. Try to picture yourself handling the situation the same way they handled it, and figure out how you could have gotten to that point mentally. Analyze your interactions after the fact, figure out what could have been better, and apply that for next time.

I have absolute confidence that with a bunch of practice I (and you, too) will be able to do very well in interviews. These skills aren't just important for passing the interview, though. They will be even more necessary when you become a doctor and need to assess and interact with patients.