Turn down DO school? Don't kill me

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Gap year

  • Yes

    Votes: 16 19.0%

  • No

    Votes: 21 25.0%

  • Don't you dare

    Votes: 47 56.0%
  • Total voters
    84
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"Don't kill me"

Goro be like

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latinclubimperatus said:
so I'll ask again, HOW would an adcom even find out?
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For MD schools through secondaries. You also suggested lying in this thread about it since they wouldn't have another way of finding out. If they find out you lied though they'll dismiss you on the spot, and then you're completely screwed.

johnnydrama said:
Is that craniosacral therapy?

Why Cranial Therapy Is Silly
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How is this remotely relevant to the thread? Stop trolling or go back to your cave.

johnnydrama said:
Completely depends on your reason for not getting a spot. Some people apply to too few programs or apply late. Etc etc.
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And all of those are excuses for poor judgment and planning.
 
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precisiongraphic said:
That is a hugely uncompassionate attitude. Have you never witnessed the pain of someone who is depressed or of their loved ones. Very callous. I hope you're never my nurse. Or doctor, god forbid. Yuck.
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Depression for having to pursue a dream that many people can never achieve in a rural setting? Talk about first world problems. I have compassion for depression due to real problems.

The very idea of pouting because you must attend a school to pursue a life long dream somewhere other than your choice, is so out of touch with reality.
 
Lucid_Dream said:
Depression for having to pursue a dream that many people can never achieve in a rural setting? Talk about first world problems. I have compassion for depression due to real problems.

The very idea of pouting because you must attend a school to pursue a life long dream somewhere other than your choice, is so out of touch with reality.
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Depression doesn't care whether problems are real or not and yes someone can get depressed by being away from home or lonely. Do you have a cure for depression caused by un-real problems? Goro has talked extensively about mental health issues of med students. Med students commit suicide because of depression (among other reasons). All I can say is that I hope others treat you with more compassion than you are expressing here if you are ever sick, depressed or in pain.
 
Lucid_Dream said:
Depression for having to pursue a dream that many people can never achieve in a rural setting? Talk about first world problems. I have compassion for depression due to real problems.

The very idea of pouting because you must attend a school to pursue a life long dream somewhere other than your choice, is so out of touch with reality.
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This attitude is why mental illness still has a stigma and why people are afraid to be honest about their mental health. You could stand to do some reading on the subject. I have lost multiple shipmates to depression and mental illness despite having “first world problems.” Mental illness does not care if your life is good.
 
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
This attitude is why mental illness still has a stigma and why people are afraid to be honest about their mental health. You could stand to do some reading on the subject. I have lost multiple shipmates to depression and mental illness despite having “first world problems.” Mental illness does not care if your life is good.
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I see both points of view. As someone who has experienced depression (with a good life, at least compared to most others) I think that stigma does exist and that the right environment is important to thrive. However, you cannot expect to have everything handed to you on a silver platter. Life is a struggle, and not accepting a temporary situation, just because it happens to be in a place you don’t like, speaks to a lack of will, and frankly it’s unrealistic and naive to not accept any discomfort whatsoever to achieve your dream. Most people would give their right arm to go to school, any school. It is a weak way of approaching things, and such a person is at risk for not making it through school and residency.


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OrthoTraumaMD said:
I see both points of view. As someone who has experienced depression (with a good life, at least compared to most others) I think that stigma does exist and that the right environment is important to thrive. However, you cannot expect to have everything handed to you on a silver platter. Life is a struggle, and not accepting a temporary situation, just because it happens to be in a place you don’t like, speaks to a lack of will, and frankly it’s unrealistic and naive to not accept any discomfort whatsoever to achieve your dream. Most people would give their right arm to go to school, any school. It is a weak way of approaching things, and such a person is at risk for not making it through school and residency.


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I agree with you, which is why I said in my other posts that sometimes you need to suck it up and just make sure to keep your mental health in check using whatever resources you have available.

I was responding solely to the attitude that depression is something you can just choose to not have by saying your life is good. That flippant attitude causes people to not speak up and then kill themselves because they waited too long. I’ve had friends and family go through it, and now they’re gone. The stigma is real, as you know, and that attitude does nothing to help.
 
That’s fine, but if being in a rural setting or any other setting is enough to make you that depressed, you probably need to get your mental health in check before you are responsible for the lives of others.

I listen to my patients, and help them to resolve their issues. I'm actually quite compassionate, but if you're the one there to help others, you need to have your sh together. When I responded to my motor pool NCO/ friend's self inflicted gunshot wound and sat with him and reassured him as he died a long excruciating death back in January 2011 it severely impacted me. I was taken off of patrolman duty and served as the company armorer. I wasn't in a state of mind to potentially have lives in my responsibility. Its the same as a healthcare professional. If you're having issues, deal with them before you even consider taking responsibility for others.
 
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Homeboy lets be real, you got into WVSOM which isn't known for having the highest of entrance stats. If WVSOM is your only acceptance at the end of the day then you probably need to take a good long look in the mirror and realize that you probably won't get anything better. If you get into an MD school this cycle (are any of your interviews at MD schools?) then go, if not then go DO.
 
AnatomyGrey12 said:
Homeboy lets be real, you got into WVSOM which isn't known for having the highest of entrance stats. If WVSOM is your only acceptance at the end of the day then you probably need to take a good long look in the mirror and realize that you probably won't get anything better. If you get into an MD school this cycle (are any of your interviews at MD schools?) then go, if not then go DO.
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All were DO so far
 
Its a school. Be excited. You have an acceptance, and if you do what you need to, you'll be a doctor. Congrats by the way, that's a major accomplishment.
 
You don't wanna go to WVSOM because of its rural setting. But I'm pretty sure one of the things they ask in their secondary is: have you had any experiences living, working, or visiting in a rural area? I'm thinking this should have probably been your first clue that they want people that will be comfortable in a rural setting.

Dude I'm sorry to tell you this, but if it ends up being your only acceptance you're gonna have to suck it up and run with it. Or else you might never get another chance.

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Was your interview on campus? If so, why didn’t you withdraw immediately when you realized rural life wasn’t for you? Doing that would have eliminated so many problems. You would never have been accepted and wouldn’t have to be worrying about what to do now.
 
I had an idea and I do have experience in a rural environments. But its one thing in theory and another thing to be reality. Im not sure if you guys understand. Its all nice on paper but then once you actually have to decide its a tough call. I appreciate everyones opinion!
 
stubblesmcgee said:
Based on your first post, you've likely read how this forum reacts to questions like this. So my question is this: what made you think we'd react any differently to you?
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I just wanted to see everyones opinions.
Sometimes other people can have options or thoughts I didn't think about
 
Dr.Narcos said:
So, I know many will jump down my throat after reading this.

I was recently accepted into WVSOM (DO school).
I know it may seem stupid but in the back of my mind I am thinking of passing up my acceptance and taking a gap year to get into a better medical school. I can improve my mcat and cv for the next cycle.

I know I should jump on my acceptance but I just wanted to see everyones feedback. Is it worth it? Does it matter? I know financially it probably isn't the best idea but... Thats why im asking.


Thoughts?
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I think a part of what determines success in medical school is not just an ability to tolerate pain and push through, but also the ability to minimize both when and if you can. When I was in your shoes the end product - becoming a doc - was the important thing but in retrospect the process is so long and arduous that you need to consider an environment that will also keep your quality of life tolerable while you are being gouged by tuition and living expenses.
 
Dr.Narcos said:
I just wanted to see everyones opinions.
Sometimes other people can have options or thoughts I didn't think about
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My point is that unless your question somehow has different context, you can't expect a different answer right?

I can understand not wanting to spend 4 years of an already grueling experience in a place you'd hate, but you really should have considered that before getting the acceptance. You should have withdrawn after the interview. The reality now is that turning down an acceptance will make your next cycle *much* more challenging. Very few people will want to take a chance on you. And everyone thinks they can improve their app a lot for next cycle, but there's no guarantee that you'll actually succeed.

Fortunately you still have some irons in the fire. Don't do anything yet, and pray that some of those bear fruit.
 
Dr.Narcos said:
I had an idea and I do have experience in a rural environments. But its one thing in theory and another thing to be reality. Im not sure if you guys understand. Its all nice on paper but then once you actually have to decide its a tough call. I appreciate everyones opinion!
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No, I understand. I went from living in a large town of 50,000 that was 10 minutes from a huge city to living in a small town of 1,600 with one traffic light, and the big thing to do was the bowling alley next to the feed store. The closest city was about an hour away, and the closest town of more than a few thousand people was 25-30 minutes away. It is definitely a culture shock. Personally, I loved it. But I totally understand why some people wouldn't. What I don't get is why you didn't realize at the interview that it wasn't for you. Any sort of nagging feeling that it's too rural should immediately tell you that the location isn't for you and to withdraw.

But what's done is done, and maybe in a few months you'll be happy you didn't withdraw if it's your only acceptance.
 
Dr.Narcos said:
So, I know many will jump down my throat after reading this.

I was recently accepted into WVSOM (DO school).
I know it may seem stupid but in the back of my mind I am thinking of passing up my acceptance and taking a gap year to get into a better medical school. I can improve my mcat and cv for the next cycle.

I know I should jump on my acceptance but I just wanted to see everyones feedback. Is it worth it? Does it matter? I know financially it probably isn't the best idea but... Thats why im asking.


Thoughts?
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I am still not sure why we keep seeing this stuff. Every year.

If you don't want to go to a DO achool, don't apply. The same thing goes for any individual schools. End of story.

If you realize this before you apply you can take a gap year and no harm, no foul. However if you dont have enough insight and apply to places you don't really want to go, the rest of us have to put up with threads like this.

Now for some reality, you have a 3.5 science GPA and an MCAT that is not even average for the majority of DO schools. You're very very unlikely to get into any MD school. The likelihood of you improving your MCAT from a 500 to something palatable to an MD school is low .

By data from a few years ago, with your cGPA and MCAT you have a 20% chance of getting into an MD school. Truly it is probably worse since your science GPA was lower and you were a business major, and this was data from when admission stats were not as strong .

See where the chips fall and pick the best school you get into. Don't defer an acceptance. Count yourself lucky somewhere accepted you with your stats.
 
I don't understand why a change of scenery is such a big deal. I grew up in a village of 1,500. Highschool graduation class was 36 people. Entire highschool was 350 people. Raised my whole life on a 100 acre goat and chicken farm, never saw a non white person until I was high school age. Had never been to an actual city until I enlisted in the army at 20 years old and had to go to MEPS in New Orleans.

I now rent an apartment in the roughest part of the capital city of my state (only pay 500 a month rent and electricity is my only utility. Landlord takes care of trash pickup and water bill). Is it different? You bet! But why would it stress you out to the point of rejecting an application? I would much rather be back at home where I feel more comfortable among the trees and nature, but it can wait until I finish my career goals.
 
Lucid_Dream said:
I don't understand why a change of scenery is such a big deal. I grew up in a village of 1,500. Highschool graduation class was 36 people. Entire highschool was 350 people. Raised my whole life on a 100 acre goat and chicken farm, never saw a non white person until I was high school age. Had never been to an actual city until I enlisted in the army at 20 years old and had to go to MEPS in New Orleans.

I now rent an apartment in the roughest part of the capital city of my state. Is it different? You bet! But why would it stress you out to the point of rejecting an application? I would much rather be back at home where I feel more comfortable among the trees and nature, but it can wait until I finish my career goals.
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Maybe because other people are different than you? You didn't see any failure to adapt in the Army? I've seen a few people actually processed out for that in the Navy, but quite a few who were kicked out because they couldn't adapt and acted like idiots.
 
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
Maybe because other people are different than you? You didn't see any failure to adapt in the Army? I've seen a few people actually processed out for that in the Navy, but quite a few who were kicked out because they couldn't adapt and acted like idiots.
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Yeah... but frankly speaking... these people were deeply troubled. In order to get out they did stupid things. Slitting their wrists with a sharpened butter knife... drinking bleach... jumping out of a 2 story window and breaking their legs (this happened more before deployment than in basic)

Most of these people were the ones who joined the military because they had issues and felt it was their only option, and couldn't hack it in the military. We didn't really have many wash out though. In my basic training company maybe 4?

But also that's the Army. The military has a wide variety of types. Many people in the military are losers, that need to be told what to do, and can't function on their own. They need to be told to wake up, when to eat, when to sleep, etc. I have higher expectations of healthcare professionals ESPECIALLY doctors. Physician is probably one of the absolute highest jobs in terms of responsibility and maturity required.

Don't think I'm cold and indifferent. People with mental health issues should be cared for and listened to... but they aren't in a place to be given great responsibility either.
 
Lucid_Dream said:
Yeah... but frankly speaking... these people were deeply troubled. In order to get out they did stupid things. Slitting their wrists with a sharpened butter knife... drinking bleach... jumping out of a 2 story window and breaking their legs (this happened more before deployment than in basic)

Most of these people were the ones who joined the military because they had issues and felt it was their only option, and couldn't hack it in the military. We didn't really have many wash out though. In my basic training company maybe 4?

But also that's the Army. The military has a wide variety of types. Many people in the military are losers, that need to be told what to do, and can't function on their own. They need to be told to wake up, when to eat, when to sleep, etc. I have higher expectations of healthcare professionals ESPECIALLY doctors. Physician is probably one of the absolute highest jobs in terms of responsibility and maturity required.

Don't think I'm cold and indifferent. People with mental health issues should be cared for and listened to... but they aren't in a place to be given great responsibility either.
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My point was that different people adapt differently to different things. Many highly-educated professionals would find themselves hating life if they moved from a city to a very rural area. You have to be pretty adaptable to work in healthcare, but I know people who would be miserable having to live where I lived in Texas. Doesn't mean they can't cut it in medicine.
 
Matthew9Thirtyfive said:
My point was that different people adapt differently to different things. Many highly-educated professionals would find themselves hating life if they moved from a city to a very rural area. You have to be pretty adaptable to work in healthcare, but I know people who would be miserable having to live where I lived in Texas. Doesn't mean they can't cut it in medicine.
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And I understand that. I would never suggest they spend their entire life practicing rural medicine. But if you can’t spend 4 years there, if it’s your only option, you must not want it that bad. That’s my only point.
 
Lucid_Dream said:
And I understand that. I would never suggest they spend their entire life practicing rural medicine. But if you can’t spend 4 years there, if it’s your only option, you must not want it that bad. That’s my only point.
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Which I agree with and have said as much. Some people can't handle it though, and it's best to realize that upfront than when you're already in debt and feeling trapped.
 
Dr.Narcos said:
I did but after interviewing on the campus and seeing Its in a pretty rural area. I just had cold feet
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It takes a ten-second Google search to find out WVSOM is in a rural area with a strong focus on rural medicine. I honestly don't understand people sometimes.

9f417b98abf7997471f970c3e62f8508958f17f8_hq.jpg
 
Dr.Narcos said:
I did but after interviewing on the campus and seeing Its in a pretty rural area. I just had cold feet
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Frankly, when someone gets this feeling after interviewing, the best approach is to withdraw your application before they can make you an offer you can't refuse (because you've got no other offers). Don't let it ride unless you would be happy to go there if it were your only offer.
 
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