So, what does happen to all those premeds who never make it? Doesnt it scare you

BU Medical Sciences
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
A

alexfoleyc

Senior Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
290
Reaction score
3
Members do not see this ad.
What does happen to all those premeds who never make it? I'm talking about the premeds who get rejected from med schools after their primarys, secodaries and interviews. Now, keep in mind that a lot of premeds have already been weeded out during the first, second,a nd third yrs of college. But what does happen to those apply and get rejected? Doesnt it scare you knowing that even with a great gpa, mcat, all the long hours you put into from the start of college to the end of your application cycle you still have a great possibility of being rejected? I know a friend who went through 6 interviews, but did not get accepted anywhere. He had a 3.72 gpa and a 34 mcat. Now, you tell me...😱
 
alexfoleyc said:
What does happen to all those premeds who never make it? I'm talking about the premeds who get rejected from med schools after their primarys, secodaries and interviews. Now, keep in mind that a lot of premeds have already been weeded out during the first, second,a nd third yrs of college. But what does happen to those apply and get rejected? Doesnt it scare you knowing that even with a great gpa, mcat, all the long hours you put into from the start of college to the end of your application cycle you still have a great possibility of being rejected? I know a friend who went through 6 interviews, but did not get accepted anywhere. He had a 3.72 gpa and a 34 mcat. Now, you tell me...😱
Click to expand...

They just die.
 
It's the game. However, your changes go up significantly, as long as you play your cards right, with those kinds of numbers.

As to what happens? Well, you either figure out what went wrong and reapply, or you move on with your life to another career. It really depends on how much you are willing to put yourself through to become a physician and what it's worth to you. It's a tough process. Some decide enough is enough after two to three cycles of unsuccessful attempts, others probably give up after the first time. It's up to the individual. In other words, life goes on (and not everything has to do with medicine or the application process--blasphemy, I know!).
 
BlueElmo said:
They just die.
Click to expand...
Yes. But more seriously, sometimes it's for the best. I hate to admit it, but I learned and grew a lot since I last applied and it's made my application much stronger. That said, I'll be much more sad and upset if I don't get in this time.
 
I think most people rinse and repeat. But after two times applying and failing, I think some people choose some other career.
 
koko_eats said:
Yes. But more seriously, sometimes it's for the best. I hate to admit it, but I learned and grew a lot since I last applied and it's made my application much stronger. That said, I'll be much more sad and upset if I don't get in this time.
Click to expand...

ditto
 
Three of the ones I know went and got on the Ph. D. track (where they pay you to go to school!). There's one working for a pharmaceutical company, and another just in business-business. Pre-meds are able to survive in the real world, it seems. There's a lot of unharnessed determination that can blow regular sized goals out of the water.
 
alexfoleyc said:
What does happen to all those premeds who never make it? I'm talking about the premeds who get rejected from med schools after their primarys, secodaries and interviews. Now, keep in mind that a lot of premeds have already been weeded out during the first, second,a nd third yrs of college. But what does happen to those apply and get rejected? Doesnt it scare you knowing that even with a great gpa, mcat, all the long hours you put into from the start of college to the end of your application cycle you still have a great possibility of being rejected? I know a friend who went through 6 interviews, but did not get accepted anywhere. He had a 3.72 gpa and a 34 mcat. Now, you tell me...😱
Click to expand...

Many of them apply for Physician Assistant and go on to having extraordinary careers in medicine with a starting salary of around $78K and many in six figures. I am not saying that PA is the place for folks who can't get into medical school but the difference in practice between a PA and a physician is not great these days. I an saying that many PA is definitely worth looking into if you are not going to reapply or if you just don't like the direction that physician practice is going these days. Many folks find that having a career that they love with little or no debt is a nice thing. In terms of job satisfaction in health care, PA is the highest with other careers not even a close second.

Others enter Ph.D programs in a number of fields and enjoy careers there. I can tell you that more than a few of my med school faculty colleagues in the basic sciences were "pre-med" when they started undergrad and either switched to the Ph.D route or decided that they loved the research and teaching end of medicine more.

The most unhappy folks that I have encountered were those who entered nursing when pre-med didn't work out. Nursing is very, very different from Medicine or Physician Assistant. The pay isn't as high and the job satisfaction is down there. Other careers are Physical Therapist and Occupational Therapy though a number of these folks are moving into Physician Assistant these days too.

Are any of the professions that I have mentioned above "scary"? No, because the folks who enter them love what they do and do what they love at a very high level of practice and specialization. The saddest folks are those who keep trying to get into medical school year after year because they believe in the huge paycheck at the end of the journey. They waste thousands in "damage-control" tuition and wind up with huge student loans that they have no chance of repaying.

I am saying that folks who don't get in have to take a very realistic view of how competitive they are, how much time they can spend on this process and what they actually expect from a career in medicine. There are loads of great careers out there that pay well, have excellent job security and are well within the reach of those at the 3.5 uGPA level.
 
BlueElmo said:
They just die.
Click to expand...

:laugh::laugh:

And those that don't die go to grad school, and tell everyone that they chose to go to grad school because med school is stupid and premeds are douchebags and they just happened to have this big epiphany after being rejected from med schools . . . but they did NOT choose grad school BECAUSE they could not get into med school. they were just lucky that it worked out that way- they decided med school is stupid, and luckily, they didn't get in!!!!! 😀 works out for everyone.

err . . . at least that's what i've learned since coming to grad school 🙂
 
BlueElmo said:
They just die.
Click to expand...


MaryLennox said:
:laugh::laugh:

And those that don't die go to grad school, and tell everyone that they chose to go to grad school because med school is stupid and premeds are douchebags and they just happened to have this big epiphany after being rejected from med schools . . . but they did NOT choose grad school BECAUSE they could not get into med school. they were just lucky that it worked out that way- they decided med school is stupid, and luckily, they didn't get in!!!!! 😀 works out for everyone.

err . . . at least that's what i've learned since coming to grad school 🙂
Click to expand...

:laugh:👍
 
marylennox said:
:laugh::laugh:

And those that don't die go to grad school, and tell everyone that they chose to go to grad school because med school is stupid and premeds are douchebags and they just happened to have this big epiphany after being rejected from med schools . . . But they did not choose grad school because they could not get into med school. They were just lucky that it worked out that way- they decided med school is stupid, and luckily, they didn't get in!!!!! :d works out for everyone.

Err . . . At least that's what i've learned since coming to grad school 🙂
Click to expand...

so true!!
 
i could top that...

i know someone who has a 3.9 and a 37 MCAT and didn't get in last cycle...and she is now reapplying this yr...
 
they up their game and reapply. A lot of factors could have gone in that rejection- interview, applying late, tier of schools applied to... change one or more of these factors, take the extra year to improve your app and you are good to go.👍 but always have a backup plan
 
njbmd makes some great points. I think sometimes people are so focused on trying to get into med school they lose sight of the fact that being a physician is absolutely not the only rewarding and worthwhile career path out there - or even necessarily "the" best career.

I'm currently an intern, so basically I am at the low point of all of it. 🙂
I am in a pretty benign program as internships go, but even so, here's a sample of my current life: Thanks to a last minute schedule change, I suddenly have call three times in one week (good thing I didn't have any plans this weekend, since I didn't know until Thursday that I would be on call all day and all night Sunday). At times like these, I truly envy the PA in my attending's clinic, who does a lot of the same things we docs do, makes a comfortable living, has time both for her family and to form relationships with patients, but yet is spared a lot of the hassles, stress, and sacrifices that physicians go through.
There is definitely life after applying and failing to get into med school - and honestly it really could be for the best if you wind up on a different path.
 
nicolesmine4sur said:
i could top that...

i know someone who has a 3.9 and a 37 MCAT and didn't get in last cycle...and she is now reapplying this yr...
Click to expand...

IMO, there are very limited reasons why candidates like this would not be accepted.

1. Sucking horribly at the interview. This could include (but is not limited to) appearing conceited, answering an ethical question incorrectly (Who do you give the liver to? Neither, you let them both die), or yelling at the interviewer.
2. They are a 3.9 and 37... and that's it. They don't know that research exists, and think "shadowing a doctor" means stalking them.

Feel free to add to this list.
 
Med school admissions has a big X factor. Having solid stats doesn't mean anything if you fail to relate with your interviewers and convince them that you're a real human being. The people that don't get in the first time despite having good stats need to re-evaluate how they project themselves. My stance is that depending on the school, generally, if you have strong stats (GPA/MCAT/activies/PS) and get invited to interview, an acceptance is yours to lose.
 
peppy said:
njbmd makes some great points. I think sometimes people are so focused on trying to get into med school they lose sight of the fact that being a physician is absolutely not the only rewarding and worthwhile career path out there - or even necessarily "the" best career.

I'm currently an intern, so basically I am at the low point of all of it. 🙂
I am in a pretty benign program as internships go, but even so, here's a sample of my current life: Thanks to a last minute schedule change, I suddenly have call three times in one week (good thing I didn't have any plans this weekend, since I didn't know until Thursday that I would be on call all day and all night Sunday). At times like these, I truly envy the PA in my attending's clinic, who does a lot of the same things we docs do, makes a comfortable living, has time both for her family and to form relationships with patients, but yet is spared a lot of the hassles, stress, and sacrifices that physicians go through.
There is definitely life after applying and failing to get into med school - and honestly it really could be for the best if you wind up on a different path.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I see how her lifestyle might be better than a doctor's. But still, I will be a M.D. and that makes all the difference for me.
 
MaryLennox said:
:laugh::laugh:

And those that don't die go to grad school, and tell everyone that they chose to go to grad school because med school is stupid and premeds are douchebags and they just happened to have this big epiphany after being rejected from med schools . . . but they did NOT choose grad school BECAUSE they could not get into med school. they were just lucky that it worked out that way- they decided med school is stupid, and luckily, they didn't get in!!!!! 😀 works out for everyone.

err . . . at least that's what i've learned since coming to grad school 🙂
Click to expand...

lol... I don't know. I kind of did the opposite; except I was invited to a top program with a nice stipend and then decided I didn't want to do it. I'm sure some of those who went PhD after DO/MD interviews may have actually learned something about themselves during those interviews. I know I did (namely, that while I like research, I don't want to devote my life to it and I'd rather do medicine). It's much better to realize that and change now than after you're done w/ graduate or medical school!

On the other hand, confirmation bias is also at play here in that someone who is rejected from one type of program but accepted into another will begin to believe that he/she would not have really enjoyed the other career anyway and that their new career is a much better choice.

Basically, that's what really happens for most anyone who ends up in another career or is not accepted into med school (for instance). Of course, those who somehow miss out on this confirmation bias will likely live a pretty unhappy life indeed.
 
I will re-apply every single year until I get in somewhere. I'm not kidding.
 
Food said:
I will re-apply every single year until I get in somewhere. I'm not kidding.
Click to expand...

lol this is awesome. dont you think eventually you will run out of things to say in order to defend how your application has improved since last year? lol

perhaps one of the med schools greatly appreciates starcraft prowess 😀 that would be AWESOME
 
camaras2480 said:
lol this is awesome. dont you think eventually you will run out of things to say in order to defend how your application has improved since last year? lol

perhaps one of the med schools greatly appreciates starcraft prowess 😀 that would be AWESOME
Click to expand...

haha, maybe. That'd be a little troubling though.
 
BlueElmo said:
I like EA too.👍
Click to expand...

True, but as an Apple user, there is very limited EA software available. Or at least there was when I was a gamer 5 years ago haha.

Are there new things out, beyond Madden and Tiger Woods? Granted, Madden is awesome 😀

P.S. this is slowly becoming :hijacked:
 
They become nurses (especially nurse practitioners/anesthetists), PAs, pharmacists, and PhDs. All bitter. Some do die.
 
camaras2480 said:
True, but as an Apple user, there is very limited EA software available. Or at least there was when I was a gamer 5 years ago haha.

Are there new things out, beyond Madden and Tiger Woods? Granted, Madden is awesome 😀

P.S. this is slowly becoming :hijacked:
Click to expand...

Love Madden.😀
 
camaras2480 said:
IMO, there are very limited reasons why candidates like this would not be accepted.

1. Sucking horribly at the interview. This could include (but is not limited to) appearing conceited, answering an ethical question incorrectly (Who do you give the liver to? Neither, you let them both die), or yelling at the interviewer.
2. They are a 3.9 and 37... and that's it. They don't know that research exists, and think "shadowing a doctor" means stalking them.

Feel free to add to this list.
Click to expand...

yeah the first thought that popped into my mind was- "huge bitch???"

i wasn't a premed in undergrad and up until recently i didn't know any other premeds . . . now the more I meet the more shocked i am by how cocky and arrogant and self-entitled a lot of them are!! you'd think it's common knowledge that you should be humble and grateful and don't act like a know-it-all . . . but lots of people apparently missed the memo.

i think if you have good stats and you aren't a total as$hole, and you apply wisely, your chances are awfully good. and if you are all these things and still don't get in on your first try, you should be humble enough to say 'what can i improve?' and then do it. (the universal "you," not you the OP.) again, i think a lot of the cocky ones cop this silly attitude like 'well if no schools want me with my 3.3/26/i'm so awesome anyway then screw them!' then they give up. i really think this entire process is more self-selecting then they would have you believe.
 
Last edited:
All I'll say is that sometimes people with good applications are not accepted. Sometimes, things don't work out, and people just have to gird up and keep going.
 
Last edited:
isn't it a little too early to be talking about rejections yet? Lets not give in already!
 
camaras2480 said:
IMO, there are very limited reasons why candidates like this would not be accepted.

1. Sucking horribly at the interview. This could include (but is not limited to) appearing conceited, answering an ethical question incorrectly (Who do you give the liver to? Neither, you let them both die), or yelling at the interviewer.
2. They are a 3.9 and 37... and that's it. They don't know that research exists, and think "shadowing a doctor" means stalking them.

Feel free to add to this list.
Click to expand...

most likely: only applied to top 20 schools.
 
071e642b1052d8f813b6789599f72a691227620745_full.png
 
MaryLennox said:
yeah the first thought that popped into my mind was- "huge bitch???"

i wasn't a premed in undergrad and up until recently i didn't know any other premeds . . . now the more I meet the more shocked i am by how cocky and arrogant and self-entitled a lot of them are!! you'd think it's common knowledge that you should be humble and grateful and don't act like a know-it-all . . . but lots of people apparently missed the memo.

i think if you have good stats and you aren't a total as$hole, and you apply wisely, your chances are awfully good. and if you are all these things and still don't get in on your first try, you should be humble enough to say 'what can i improve?' and then do it. (the universal "you," not you the OP.) again, i think a lot of the cocky ones cop this silly attitude like 'well if no schools want me with my 3.3/26/i'm so awesome anyway then screw them!' then they give up. i really think this entire process is more self-selecting then they would have you believe.
Click to expand...

Word! I also met a lot of those types of premeds and just couldnt believe it. So, its not that shocking to hear about someone with a 3.9 gpa and 37 mcat to get rejected.
 
Perhaps the reason some people (like me) choose to do engineering even though they would have excelled in sciences?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
  • Locked
What does it take to get into Stanford BRUH
Replies
3
Views
2K
chilly_md
chilly_md
C
Does withdrawal look bad if it is only to switch schools and still taking it the same semester?
Replies
4
Views
556
CMBM
C
F
Is it worth to write the COVID essay if you were in HS when it hit?
Replies
4
Views
603
Goro
Goro
H
why does it take so long for amcas to process your primaires?
Replies
13
Views
3K
RunnerDad
R
H
for the adcoms, would you say that letters of recommendation will never make your application, but can break it?
Replies
2
Views
2K
Goro
Goro
Top