To Drop, or not to Drop?

[Nooberosity]

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Hey all,

Some advice please! Currently serving my 1st year of medical school. Passing my classes, getting involved extracurricularly. However, I hate my institution. After taking the MCAT once, and applying late... I was left with my in-state institution for Medical School. I was optimistic - it was a cost effective option, I was already in, I thought I could make it work.

But now I'm in a weird situation.
-I am miserable at my school, and the area it's located in.

-My partner just got job placed out West... (i go to an Eastern School).

-My resume from undergrad is very strong, and I know I settled on this institution... I can do better.

What I'm Asking.
-There is a 2 year Master's program where my partner lives that I know I can get into. If I decide to step away from Medical School (Mind you I'm in good academic standing)... Will I have ruined my chances at an MD from other institutions? Will they look at a student who dropped and reapplied (not because of failure) as not worthy? Obviously I would be in the hole financially... but is it worth it to be happy in the environment, as well as proud of the institution where you gain your medical school education?

 

[cbrons]

Currently serving my 1st year of medical school.

That feeling of being in prison never goes away btw.

 

[futuremdforme]

I don't think you'd get accepted again if you left. 🙁 Any chance of transfers to the schools you'd be interested in after MS2?

 

[FIREitUP]

I don't think you'd get accepted again if you left. 🙁 Any chance of transfers to the schools you'd be interested in after MS2?

I agree, your best bet would be to try to transfer, there is a very, very slim chance that you would get accepted if you applied again. Bear in mind that fourth year of medical school is basically all electives and you can do that anywhere (in case you are unsuccessful in transferring).

 

[Warderino92]

You'd be dead in the water if you dropped out as far as medicine as a career is concerned.

 

[Say]

Is it the institution or is med school? And how do you know elsewhere will be better? 1st two years of med school is pretty much the same everywhere, you'll be studying in a library for the majority of it.

 

[Brorthopedic]

You'd be dead in the water if you dropped out as far as medicine as a career is concerned.

Lol? Chill out. If OP puts forth a solid reason as to why she quit (to live closer to a significant other), her chances aren't null. I wouldn't recommend taking the gamble, but it wouldn't be a nail in the coffin.

 

[Nooberosity]

This is why I am torn.

Medicine isn't the problem... the school and area are.

My thoughts behind stepping away and doing the masters program was because the program is based in a medical school I am interested in...

I think I had a better shot at having success in the the masters program (which shows good grades) as well as improving my MCAT and THEN reapplying to that particular medical school, rather than trying to transfer between year 2 and 3 when I would rely HEAVILY on USMILE and my institution... which isn't very highly acclaimed... So i figured my transfer chances were low in comparison.

Also... seeing my significant other 2-3 days at a time at 3 week intervals for the next 2-3 years is what is killing me on the inside.

Thoughts?

 

[Donald Juan]

Lol? Chill out. If OP puts forth a solid reason as to why she quit (to live closer to a significant other), her chances aren't null. I wouldn't recommend taking the gamble, but it wouldn't be a nail in the coffin.

I agree that it wouldn't necessarily be a nail in the coffin, but it wouldn't look good to leave one med school, and I don't know if "I don't like the area and my SO got a job somewhere else" is a great reason to leave school. I agree with above that you should attempt a transfer. I wouldn't recommend anyone leave a spot at a USMD school without another lined up.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Lol? Chill out. If OP puts forth a solid reason as to why she quit (to live closer to a significant other), her chances aren't null. I wouldn't recommend taking the gamble, but it wouldn't be a nail in the coffin.

It would be pretty bad. I honestly don't see it working at all personally.

 

[Entadus]

What will you do when after 2-3 years you do get back into medical school (which you won't) in the West at which time your SO gets a job on the east coast? Or you break up anyway?

And you don't want a master's degree. Why delay 2 years when you can suck it up for 4 and graduate with an MD

 

[W19]

You will hardly be at your institution once you get into 3rd year except for once every 2 week didactic and some OSCE at the end of each clerkship... 4th year is elective so you can do it pretty much anywhere... It's very risky to leave now and expect to get readmitted in med school again... Just suck it up for another 18 months!

I am assuming your main hospital is not like 500 yards away from your school like it is at my institution 🙁

 

[Stagg737]

OP also has to look at it from an adcom's perspective. You got accepted to med school and are now saying you want to leave because a) you don't like the school and b) your SO is moving away. No school will consider B a legitimate reason for dropping, so that's out. As others have said, how do you know that you're not going to feel the same way at another school than you do now? When it comes down to it, you'll come across as someone who's got questionable commitment. Even if you did do a master's at their institution, they don't know that you won't finish first year and feel the same as now. Bottom line is they'll question how committed you really are and will likely see accepting you as too high-risk.

Agree that you're better off trying to transfer, although I'm not sure how successful that would be given your reasons. Another thing you could try is to just apply to other schools as a student. I'm sure it's a very, very longshot, but I do know one student from my class that re-applied as an M1 and got accepted to a school she now attends. Might not be worth it, but if you really hate being at your current institution it might be worth a shot.

 

[Azete]

Honestly, I don't think there's really such thing as "settling" -- unless you went to a DO school with MD acceptances. I'm sure some med schools have more cutthroat environments than others, and some areas are nicer than others, but med school sucks basically anywhere you go and going to a higher ranked school really isn't going to make much of a difference when you apply for residency. The name recognition will impress some family members and patients, but there are plenty of top schools that most laypeople wouldn't even know are top schools (Wash, Sidney Kimmel, etc.), and this certainly isn't worth sacrificing a year of med school and tuition money for.

 

[DocWinter]

Can you see about a transfer? They are unicorns as well, but you're looking at pretty crappy odds of getting back in after dropping out. I would consider forgetting the masters and aim to keep on the med school track, unless you are ok with letting this go for good

 

[Nooberosity]

Thank you all for the advice! If anything, this will be a good test of the relationship - need to look at the positives that can come from grinding forward and finding some happiness where I have been planted. Was just thrown into this without much mental preparation.

T-MINUS 18 Months (thanks W19 for the perspective)

 

[niko327]

I think you're making the right decision staying. As someone has already stated, you'd be more than likely finished in medicine if you dropped out.

 

[cbrons]

Can you see about a transfer?

These are almost never allowed. There are maybe a couple cases per year across the entire country.

 

[cbrons]

I think you're making the right decision staying. As someone has already stated, you'd be more than likely finished in medicine if you dropped out.

FTFY

 

[Goro]

Yup. Your medical career will be over. Why do you think life will be better at any other med school?????

If I decide to step away from Medical School (Mind you I'm in good academic standing)... Will I have ruined my chances at an MD from other institutions? Will they look at a student who dropped and reapplied (not because of failure) as not worthy? Obviously I would be in the hole financially... but is it worth it to be happy in the environment, as well as proud of the institution where you gain your medical school education?[/QUOTE]

 

[mistafab]

OP - your plan is bad at best. I'd say continue succeeding where you are at. If you take a detour from your track now, you will be 2-3 years behind without the guarantee you can get back in.