- Joined
- Jun 7, 2018
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What's up guys, hope your weekend is going well!
I haven't used SDN in almost 6 years since I was accepted to medical school. I am now an ortho resident and am very thankful to all the help some SDN members provided. I think some of them are since gone from this forum.
I have to first give a lot of credit to long time users like @Faha , @gyngyn , @Goro among several others. You guys are life-savers and make this world a better place. We need more people like you. God bless your souls! Your guys's work has influenced me as a moderator on my own forum.
After I finished med school I decided I wanted to become a moderator on one of these types of forums to help people out because I know that this is a daunting process and journey. I decided to become a moderator on reddit premed instead of SDN because I feel like the environment here can be toxic at times usually due to a lot of general members. Not only toxic but many people here are hypocritical. I do admit that I do go on this forum daily to get ideas from super posters and legends like @gyngyn and @Goro and the idea of the forum is great but some of the people here are insanely toxic.
There are a lot of super smart posters with insane stats, better than what I could ever dream of, posting in forums like WAMC and other premed places and getting backlash for their posts because people think they are "boasting" and "bragging".
I feel like life as an MD is the most rewarding because you are constantly learning and one of the things I am currently learning is how to be empathetic. It is something that is easy to preach and to tell others to do but as I am learning it is darn hard to put into practice on a consistent basis.
When people here call out those posters with those "high" stats or who you think are bragging it is important , just like a medical professional, to be empathetic. Going into medical school is a daunting process for all, whether you have high or low stats. It is a very convoluted process with a lot of rumors and competition. People even with the best set of scores and extracurriculars don't get into the school that they wanted to.
At least in my opinion, the purpose of this forum is to ask people for help regardless of your statistics or background. Regardless of if you have the best app possible, the worst app possible, or simply an average application.
I personally got a 35 on my MCAT and had a 3.7 GPA and was very blessed to go to a top 20 institution for medical school. There were many kids, when I helped with admissions, who had better stats than I did and got outright rejected. I felt that many of them deserved a spot over me. Those people worked with the goal in mind to get in a top 20 institution but still got rejected. Those same people post on places like here not to brag but because they are worried that they won't achieve their "individual goals". It is important to understand that people have their individual goals and thus feel the urge to ask questions even though they might seem arrogant.
Just today as I was sneaking around on the forum I found this post, How do schools look at GPA's . I couldn't help but laugh both at the content of the post and the responses.
I agree that the poster was a little too worried about a bunch of nothing, but some of the responses are straight up looney. When these posts are made on my forum we don't go into judging that person. The fact of the matter is that everybody, regardless of stats and status, has concerns about their medical school chances because the process sucks and is daunting. We should respect everybody's issues and show some EMPATHY. There is not that much info out there and advisors are too expensive for the normal person. Thus forums like this present the best place for free advice.
On top of that it just exposes the hypocrisy on this forum. I scan the WAMC everyday over here and see people with absolutely insane stats.
For example, WAMC? Need School List...3.92 cGPA | 3.89 sGPA | 517 MCAT. I see no criticism here. I mean you got a cGPA of 3.92 and MCAT of 517 and you need help with a school list? C'mon man. It is a daily occurrence. I see people with 3.95+ and 520+ scores with top notch extra-curriculars ask the same questions. Do you just want someone to tell you that you should apply to the Ivies just to satisfy your superiority complex? Why do you make the post in the first place if that is not the reason for your post?
Also if you guys are so spiteful of people with high stats or good ec's who ask questions then ban all members with HIGH STATS. Set a stat restriction.
Also, @premoajdfoasdf, I don't know who you even are but don't worry about what most people say here. Send me a PM if you have any questions.
The main idea here is that show some empathy. Everybody has their own questions and concerns. Respect those questions and concerns because med school admissions is complicated and confusing. If you don't like what somebody is asking just move on. You don't have to put them down. You don't what is going through their mind or what they have been told. Until someone invents a plug-in formula for med-school all questions are fair game. I know some people who committed suicide due to people's criticism in online forums. Your guys's words can really have a big impact on other people. Even when said in anonymity. Be nice, be respectful, and be empathetic. The guy with an average application deserves as much respect as the people with a below average and above average application. People rely upon this forum and this forum is a vital tool. Be helpful not vitriolic and classless.
I haven't used SDN in almost 6 years since I was accepted to medical school. I am now an ortho resident and am very thankful to all the help some SDN members provided. I think some of them are since gone from this forum.
I have to first give a lot of credit to long time users like @Faha , @gyngyn , @Goro among several others. You guys are life-savers and make this world a better place. We need more people like you. God bless your souls! Your guys's work has influenced me as a moderator on my own forum.
After I finished med school I decided I wanted to become a moderator on one of these types of forums to help people out because I know that this is a daunting process and journey. I decided to become a moderator on reddit premed instead of SDN because I feel like the environment here can be toxic at times usually due to a lot of general members. Not only toxic but many people here are hypocritical. I do admit that I do go on this forum daily to get ideas from super posters and legends like @gyngyn and @Goro and the idea of the forum is great but some of the people here are insanely toxic.
There are a lot of super smart posters with insane stats, better than what I could ever dream of, posting in forums like WAMC and other premed places and getting backlash for their posts because people think they are "boasting" and "bragging".
I feel like life as an MD is the most rewarding because you are constantly learning and one of the things I am currently learning is how to be empathetic. It is something that is easy to preach and to tell others to do but as I am learning it is darn hard to put into practice on a consistent basis.
When people here call out those posters with those "high" stats or who you think are bragging it is important , just like a medical professional, to be empathetic. Going into medical school is a daunting process for all, whether you have high or low stats. It is a very convoluted process with a lot of rumors and competition. People even with the best set of scores and extracurriculars don't get into the school that they wanted to.
At least in my opinion, the purpose of this forum is to ask people for help regardless of your statistics or background. Regardless of if you have the best app possible, the worst app possible, or simply an average application.
I personally got a 35 on my MCAT and had a 3.7 GPA and was very blessed to go to a top 20 institution for medical school. There were many kids, when I helped with admissions, who had better stats than I did and got outright rejected. I felt that many of them deserved a spot over me. Those people worked with the goal in mind to get in a top 20 institution but still got rejected. Those same people post on places like here not to brag but because they are worried that they won't achieve their "individual goals". It is important to understand that people have their individual goals and thus feel the urge to ask questions even though they might seem arrogant.
Just today as I was sneaking around on the forum I found this post, How do schools look at GPA's . I couldn't help but laugh both at the content of the post and the responses.
I agree that the poster was a little too worried about a bunch of nothing, but some of the responses are straight up looney. When these posts are made on my forum we don't go into judging that person. The fact of the matter is that everybody, regardless of stats and status, has concerns about their medical school chances because the process sucks and is daunting. We should respect everybody's issues and show some EMPATHY. There is not that much info out there and advisors are too expensive for the normal person. Thus forums like this present the best place for free advice.
On top of that it just exposes the hypocrisy on this forum. I scan the WAMC everyday over here and see people with absolutely insane stats.
For example, WAMC? Need School List...3.92 cGPA | 3.89 sGPA | 517 MCAT. I see no criticism here. I mean you got a cGPA of 3.92 and MCAT of 517 and you need help with a school list? C'mon man. It is a daily occurrence. I see people with 3.95+ and 520+ scores with top notch extra-curriculars ask the same questions. Do you just want someone to tell you that you should apply to the Ivies just to satisfy your superiority complex? Why do you make the post in the first place if that is not the reason for your post?
Also if you guys are so spiteful of people with high stats or good ec's who ask questions then ban all members with HIGH STATS. Set a stat restriction.
Also, @premoajdfoasdf, I don't know who you even are but don't worry about what most people say here. Send me a PM if you have any questions.
The main idea here is that show some empathy. Everybody has their own questions and concerns. Respect those questions and concerns because med school admissions is complicated and confusing. If you don't like what somebody is asking just move on. You don't have to put them down. You don't what is going through their mind or what they have been told. Until someone invents a plug-in formula for med-school all questions are fair game. I know some people who committed suicide due to people's criticism in online forums. Your guys's words can really have a big impact on other people. Even when said in anonymity. Be nice, be respectful, and be empathetic. The guy with an average application deserves as much respect as the people with a below average and above average application. People rely upon this forum and this forum is a vital tool. Be helpful not vitriolic and classless.
