Thanks to SDNers

[Engr]

I am the parent of a pre-med student and have been browsing the site for some time. Wonder how many fall into this category. Anyway the purpose of the post is to thank you all for the information - a particular one which was very useful was the fact that quite a few schools have a one semester biochem requirement which we were not aware of earlier. Helped in course planning and avoiding a last minute snafu. Keep up the good work!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Ashanti Rock]

I am the parent of a pre-med student and have been browsing the site for some time. Wonder how many fall into this category. Anyway the purpose of the post is to thank you all for the information - a particular one which was very useful was the fact that quite a few schools have a one semester biochem requirement which we were not aware of earlier. Helped in course planning and avoiding a last minute snafu. Keep up the good work!

Wow a pernt shopping around for info for thier child. I'm impressed! My mother does not have a single clue as to how any of this process works. Kudos to you!

 

[little_late_MD]

Thanks mom. Remember to cut the crusts off of my PB&J!

 

[Engr]

Thanks mom. Remember to cut the crusts off of my PB&J!

I thought I read somewhere in this forum about a mom who was recommended to browse this site by her son, and she not only found out who he was, but busted him for his wierd posts!

Knowledge is power, every little bit helps in this quasi-random process.

 

[Southpawz]

I thought I read somewhere in this forum about a mom who was recommended to browse this site by her son, and she not only found out who he was, but busted him for his wierd posts!

Knowledge is power, every little bit helps in this quasi-random process.

I would like to read this too. Haha

 

[Risa]

I think my mom reads SDN more than I do!

Then when we talk on the phone we gossip about y'all

 

[es19]

wow...parents really would do everything for their kids.
i don't know if it will work out if my parents read SDN
they tend to get worried about what other ppl said, especially those pre-med, interview, US postal service horror stories.... but i kind of hope they know more about this process.

 

[tank you]

ha, the only website my parents visit is etrade and cnn, so im safe =p

 

[little_late_MD]

I thought I read somewhere in this forum about a mom who was recommended to browse this site by her son, and she not only found out who he was, but busted him for his wierd posts!

Knowledge is power, every little bit helps in this quasi-random process.

Whatever you do mom, don't read the "Having fun with your same-sex roommates" thread.

 

[amandil]

I thought I read somewhere in this forum about a mom who was recommended to browse this site by her son, and she not only found out who he was, but busted him for his wierd posts!

found it

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=615304&postcount=351

 

[Flopotomist]

This is all a bit too Jon Benet Ramsey for me. I mean, does anybody else remember the parent posting for her kid who was still in the 8th grade??

 

[Engr]

found it

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=615304&postcount=351

Yep, that was the one. My kid and I have a deal - she has to focus on classes at school to get good grades, LOR, etc., and I scout out information, summer opportunities, scholarships, etc., etc. But I swear that I am not pushing her into the medical field, although I think it is a much more stable profession than mine - you should be able to guess that one from my login.

 

[Flopotomist]

Yep, that was the one. My kid and I have a deal - she has to focus on classes at school to get good grades, LOR, etc., and I scout out information, summer opportunities, scholarships, etc., etc. But I swear that I am not pushing her into the medical field, although I think it is a much more stable profession than mine - you should be able to guess that one from my login.

Uhm... this is just creepy engr. Let your kid find their own way, and live their own life. This website is for US the applicants and the students, and not our parents. It is time to let go. You can't live your life through your kids, and trying to do so will only result in disaster. If you want to know what is going on with the application process, ask your kid. Let him find his own path.

 

[Engr]

Uhm... this is just creepy engr. Let your kid find their own way, and live their own life. This website is for US the applicants and the students, and not our parents. It is time to let go. You can't live your life through your kids, and trying to do so will only result in disaster. If you want to know what is going on with the application process, ask your kid. Let him find his own path.

Maybe creepy to you, but not to me and her. I think that I specifically mentioned that I was not pushing her into anything or interfering with her life, any which way she wants it, and am most definitely not trying to live my life through hers. I will support her in her decisions and will offer advice and suggestions - up to her to follow through. I won't be filling out applications or writing essays - didn't happen when she started college, and won't happen now. There is nothing to let go here - it is a lifetime bond.

 

[lazygunner]

I think my mom reads SDN more than I do!

Then when we talk on the phone we gossip about y'all

Wow, my mom is the same way (she's gonna read this post and comment about it)...i've even thought about letting my parents know about an acceptance by just posting on the wall of fame and waiting for them to see it and call me.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

i think its really cool parents are getting involved. my parents know i am applying but don't know much other than that. at least you aren't going to be annoying saying did you get in? No mom, I am a sophmore, I can't apply until later. oh no big deal med school is only a year or two right?

 

[Flopotomist]

Maybe creepy to you, but not to me and her. I think that I specifically mentioned that I was not pushing her into anything or interfering with her life, any which way she wants it, and am most definitely not trying to live my life through hers. I will support her in her decisions and will offer advice and suggestions - up to her to follow through. I won't be filling out applications or writing essays - didn't happen when she started college, and won't happen now. There is nothing to let go here - it is a lifetime bond.

If you aren't living your life through hers, why spend hours and hours of your spare time on SDN? You said that you were "addicted" to SDN. You spend enough time on here reading so many posts that you were able to figure out which poster was your kid. That tells me that you are spending a LOT of time on here. That time should be spent on YOUR hobbies and YOUR life. My parents are too busy with THEIR lives to spend hours every day obsessing over SDN, and I would suggest that you step back and find some interests of your own.

Having a lifetime bond is important, of course, but knowing when to treat your child like an adult is also important. If you spend the first 18 years raising your kid correctly (which I have no doubt you did), then you have to let go and let THEM start to make decisions and find their own path, and you can't stifle them. You said that you are the one researching summer opportunities, scholarship resources, etc. That is part of the process of becoming an adult. Finding these things on your OWN. Of course you can be there as a resource if your kid needs you, or asks - but you have to push the kid out of the nest.

If SDN was not available on the internet, would you be hovering in the counseling office of your kids school? Asking all the premeds on campus their advice? Gossiping at the local fraternity house about who got in where? I would hope not. Doing the same thing on an internet forum is certainly no better.

Jon Benet's parent's didn't think they were "pushing" her either.

 

[Engr]

i think its really cool parents are getting involved. my parents know i am applying but don't know much other than that. at least you aren't going to be annoying saying did you get in? No mom, I am a sophmore, I can't apply until later. oh no big deal med school is only a year or two right?

Since I know how difficult it is to get in to a med school, and how subjective the whole process is, I will definitely not bug her or berate her for not succeeding. Hopefully she will turn to me for comfort when she is feeling down because she didn't get a secondary, an invite for the interview, or an acceptance.

 

[carn311]

Wow...
Are you going to be there to hold the kid's hand during her anatomy final too?

I'm sick of this generation of parents that think its ok to baby their kids into their 30's. There has to be some kind of cut of point here. Face facts, if your kid does not have the ambition to search out her own info on SDN and find her own "opportunities" then she doesn’t belong in med school; she belongs in a diaper.

 

[jebus]

Wow...
Are you going to be there to hold the kid's hand during her anatomy final too?

I'm sick of this generation of parents that think its ok to baby their kids into their 30's. There has to be some kind of cut of point here. Face facts, if your kid does not have the ambition to search out her own info on SDN and find her own "opportunities" then she doesn’t belong in med school; she belongs in a diaper.

I disagree, Engr isn't holding his kid's hand, he saw an opportunity to help his child realize her dreams and wanted to help. All Engr is doing - I surmise from these posts - is give his kid advice. It's what parents do. Engr is sort of like aggregating info from SDN and other outlets and telling his kid the salient stuff. I don't see a problem with this, but if you do that's your prerogative. We know nothing about their situation, there may be extenuating circumstances. For instance, my brother has some serious health problems and dealing with medicare and his insurance companies is a pain in the ass, but he's really busy at his work and can't always do it. So my dad helps him out, calls the companies, writes letters on my brother's behalf and generally gives him advice about who to contact, what doctors to see because they'll take his insurance, etc. Is that so different?
If someone gave me this help I'd totally appreciate it - and I'd wager the rest of you would, too.

 

[QofQuimica]

Some of you guys are being a little harsh on Engr. Maybe Engr *is* a little over-involved in his daughter's life by our standards, but not everyone here comes from a stereotypical American background. In some cultures, the parents do make major decisions for their adult children; one of my best friends will be getting married next year to a girl he barely knows but that his parents have picked out for him. I couldn't imagine doing that myself, but that's normal for people in India. And who are we to say that it's a bad idea; we sure have an awful lot of divorces in this country even though we pick our own spouses and ostensibly marry for love. I don't always like what my parents have to say, but d*** them if they aren't often right about nearly everything. So give Engr a break. It's laudable that he cares so much about his daughter's welfare and happiness.

 

[Risa]

Engr, are you a dad or a mom? I hate accidentally referring to someone by the wrong pronouns!

And Flop, seriously, if anyone's being a little creepy here it's you. I usually respect what you have to say, but comparing this poor parent to the Ramseys?

We're people, not birds, so it's not like there's a point at which a parent is supposed to push his or her child out of the nest and sever all contact. My parents did an excellent job of raising me (if I must say so myself ), and now that I am an adult, I'm fortunate enough to have a very close relationship with them. My mom is my best friend. And when she helps me with this process or is actively interested in what's going on in my life, it's because she loves me. I know what's going on in her life on a daily basis, too, and I'm certainly not changing her diapers (at least not yet! ).

AND, it's not as if your loved ones would have to extensively stalk you to tell which voice on a forum is yours (at least I hope not). Plus, if Engr's kid posts on here, they probably know each other's screennames because they TALK about it.

End diatribe.

 

[MoosePilot]

I understand where Engr is coming from. Two people can work together and achieve much more than one. "Grab the tickets and I'll get the popcorn!"

As long as Engr isn't pushing the offspring towards medicine, I think it's good to be helpful. At some point you have to back off, though, because you can't be there forever, no matter how much you want to. I have a good friend who is almost crippled by the extent of help she's received from her parents. She doesn't realize it, because it's like the sun rising, but someday, when she loses that, she'll have to stand on her own two feet and I'm none too sure she'll know how.

 

[QofQuimica]

My mom is my best friend. And when she helps me with this process or is actively interested in what's going on in my life, it's because she loves me. I know what's going on in her life on a daily basis, too.

Me too. I'm 30, and I talk to my mom just about every day (and on good news days, to my dad too; he's possibly more excited about me getting into med school than I am, which is pretty d*** amazing. ) My mom has not even gone to college, let alone applied to medical school. But she still wants to hear about my lab work, she and my dad read and critiqued EVERY single one of my application essays, she mock-interviewed me before my first interview, and she and my dad have generously donated their frequent flyer miles to me, without which I would be severely limited in my ability to attend interviews. She also checks SDN for me if I'm out of town or otherwise can't do it myself. Mom, if you're reading this, and you remember that my screen name is Q, thanks again for everything.

 

[Engr]

Engr, are you a dad or a mom? I hate accidentally referring to someone by the wrong pronouns!

Mom. Thanks for the support desiredusername, QofQuimica and Risa, I bet you are all female too! I will own up to being Asian, looks like some of you have insight into that culture. I don't know where the other people got the idea that I didn't have any other hobbies, was addicted to SDN, spent hours and hours here, etc., etc., - some of it was from the other funny post, so they probably got mixed up. I'm sure that everyone has heard the adage "you can only lead a horse to the water, you can't make it drink it", and the parent-child relationship is something like that. I don't claim to be right in everything, but this is a means of communication. If others don't have the same type of relationship in their families, that is okay too, maybe there is something else.

Anyway it looks like my message to offer thanks turned into something else, so perhaps we should all drop it and go in peace!

 

[Risa]

I support peace

Good luck to your daughter in the wacky process!

 

[bbas]

Hmmm, so this thread has me thinking. Do parent "gunners" exist?

 

[QofQuimica]

Anyway it looks like my message to offer thanks turned into something else, so perhaps we should all drop it and go in peace!

That seems to be a common phenomenon on SDN. Sorry that your expression of thanks wasn't taken in the spirit in which it was intended.

Yes, I am female (sorry for calling you a "him," BTW , but everyone else was doing it. ), and I do have a lot of Asian students and close friends, although I am not Asian myself. I wish your daughter the best of luck with applying, and when she's ready to study for the MCAT, tell her to check out our Study Questions subforum (inside the main MCAT forum). You are also welcome to browse and ask questions yourself in there, too.

 

[pagemmapants]

I think the protestations to Engr's involvement are symptomatic of the decreasing role of the nuclear family in today's society.

Personally, I think that sucks. Most of my friends haven't hugged their parents in years, which to me is nuts. Hell, I'm 21, and when I go home for breaks I STILL end up curled up in my Dad's lap at least once, and if I get into Duke I'm living at home the first year and my parents are all for it.

Does this make me maladjusted? Hardly.

Then again, to each their own . . . but I still say Bravo, Engr.

 

[bobito]

I think the protestations to Engr's involvement are symptomatic of the decreasing role of the nuclear family in today's society.

Personally, I think that sucks. Most of my friends haven't hugged their parents in years, which to me is nuts. Hell, I'm 21, and when I go home for breaks I STILL end up curled up in my Dad's lap at least once, and if I get into Duke I'm living at home the first year and my parents are all for it.

Does this make me maladjusted? Hardly.

Then again, to each their own . . . but I still say Bravo, Engr.

If I get in to Duke can I live with your parents too?

 

[Risa]

I think the protestations to Engr's involvement are symptomatic of the decreasing role of the nuclear family in today's society.

Personally, I think that sucks. Most of my friends haven't hugged their parents in years, which to me is nuts. Hell, I'm 21, and when I go home for breaks I STILL end up curled up in my Dad's lap at least once, and if I get into Duke I'm living at home the first year and my parents are all for it.

Does this make me maladjusted? Hardly.

Then again, to each their own . . . but I still say Bravo, Engr.

You hug your parents?!?

 

[Engr]

That seems to be a common phenomenon on SDN. Sorry that your expression of thanks wasn't taken in the spirit in which it was intended.

Yes, I am female (sorry for calling you a "him," BTW , but everyone else was doing it. ), and I do have a lot of Asian students and close friends, although I am not Asian myself. I wish your daughter the best of luck with applying, and when she's ready to study for the MCAT, tell her to check out our Study Questions subforum (inside the main MCAT forum). You are also welcome to browse and ask questions yourself in there, too.

Thanks for your best wishes - she did take the MCAT this August before her junior year so that she wouldn't be trying to do too many things next spring, and got a very respectable score. A biochem course wasn't on her planned schedule, but now that many med schools seem to require it, she will take it.

 

[jebus]

Mom. Thanks for the support desiredusername, QofQuimica and Risa, I bet you are all female too!

Anyway it looks like my message to offer thanks turned into something else, so perhaps we should all drop it and go in peace!

Well, I'm a guy, so you lost that bet - also, sorry for calling you a "he". We're not all cold and heartless. I'm only that way when I'm bored.
And dropping it sounds like a great idea. Best of luck to your daughter (and you!) in this whole application rigamarole!

 

[pagemmapants]

If I get in to Duke can I live with your parents too?

You hug your parents?

Indeed, my parents are kind, loving, caring, and generous - unfortunately, I think their generosity regarding living situation only encompasses blood relatives. Sorry, bobito. Good luck with your application, however - maybe we'll be classmates.

 

[bobito]

Indeed, my parents are kind, loving, caring, and generous - unfortunately, I think their generosity regarding living situation only encompasses blood relatives. Sorry, bobito. Good luck with your application, however - maybe we'll be classmates.

Dammit. All that sitting in peoples laps business was starting to get appealing. Plus think of all the rent I could have saved. We may be classmates at Baylor or Duke apparently. Though thats probably a bigger MAYBE on my side of the fence. good luck as well.

 

[Flopotomist]

I am confused.. the post that was linked to said that the the OP's kid was holding acceptances in 2003... confused.

 

[jebus]

I am confused.. the post that was linked to said that the the OP's kid was holding acceptances in 2003... confused.

The linked post was in reference to this

I thought I read somewhere in this forum about a mom who was recommended to browse this site by her son, and she not only found out who he was, but busted him for his wierd posts!

 

[QofQuimica]

I am confused.. the post that was linked to said that the the OP's kid was holding acceptances in 2003... confused.

That wasn't the OP's kid. She said she had READ that post, not that she had WRITTEN it.

 

[DNM503]

My kid and I have a deal - she has to focus on classes at school to get good grades, LOR, etc., and I scout out information, summer opportunities, scholarships, etc., etc.

Seriously?
I can't comment further on this because everything I want to say is soooo ridiculously negative.

 

[ClearDay]

My kid and I have a deal - she has to focus on classes at school to get good grades, LOR, etc., and I scout out information, summer opportunities, scholarships, etc., etc.

I wish you and your daughter the best of luck. Applying for med school is tough and it's great to have a good support system. It takes more than grades and ECs to get in med school... MS have to be mature, well-rounded, and have great time-management skills. When you do all of the info-digging for your daughter, however, she has less of a chance to sharpen her skills, which is something that she may regret in the future. What will she do when it's time to apply for residency? a job? I am Asian and I understand how the Asian world works and I have to say I am glad that my parents didn't provide everything for me. I worked full-time while taking full courseload at univ., taking the MCAT, etc.... and I feel that this whole process has helped prepare me for med school. Anyway... I'm just rambling.

Best of luck,

 

[TheMightyAngus]

Yep, that was the one. My kid and I have a deal - she has to focus on classes at school to get good grades, LOR, etc., and I scout out information, summer opportunities, scholarships, etc., etc. But I swear that I am not pushing her into the medical field, although I think it is a much more stable profession than mine - you should be able to guess that one from my login.

You make it sound like your daughter is an overambitious 14-year old missing out on being a kid.

 

[Risa]

You make it sound like your daughter is an overambitious 14-year old missing out on being a kid.

She's a college junior.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Maybe creepy to you, but not to me and her. I think that I specifically mentioned that I was not pushing her into anything or interfering with her life, any which way she wants it, and am most definitely not trying to live my life through hers. I will support her in her decisions and will offer advice and suggestions - up to her to follow through. I won't be filling out applications or writing essays - didn't happen when she started college, and won't happen now. There is nothing to let go here - it is a lifetime bond.

good for you it's wonderful to have such a close relationship.