Venting and I need some advice

[deleted621740]

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Hey all,

So I am currently a senior and I am just feeling super overwhelmed at the moment. Between studying for the MCAT everyday after school, 17 credits, an Honors Thesis, research, volunteering on Sundays and working at 8AM every day of the week, and trying to get my application ready for the upcoming cycle, I am starting to lose morale. And my grades are starting to reflect it. I will admit that I have been putting a disproportionate amount of my time towards MCAT studying, but hey, I feel that getting a good score is most important for me (GPA is 3.75). Anyways, I have been getting straight shafted on a few of my exams this semester and I just don't know what to do. I mean, obviously I need to study more, but I don't want to cut out MCAT time or activities. I...just...AHHHHHHHHHHH...

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel.

Also I have like nobody to vent to that will understand-i'm a first gen. college student so my family doesn't really understand. Anyways...just need some advice.

 

[theonlytycrane]

Take an extra gap year, slow down to crush the MCAT, and enjoy life along the way.

 

[deleted621740]

Take an extra gap year, slow down to crush the MCAT, and enjoy life along the way.

I wish..but for several reasons it behooves me to start medical school sooner rather than later.

 

[deleted621740]

I wish..but for several reasons it behooves me to start medical school sooner rather than later.

...And I've already gathered like...four of my LORs.

 

[NotYou20]

...And I've already gathered like...four of my LORs.

They can be used for whatever cycle. Whatever you and you deciding it sounds like you've been doing great and are overworked. It happens. Keep your head up and be proud of what you've done so far

 

[getdown]

I wish..but for several reasons it behooves me to start medical school sooner rather than later.

You know what is the fastest way of delaying the start of your medical school? Doing poorly on the MCAT and getting bad grades cause you stretched yourself too thin. I'm talking from experience here too. I understand you may have financial or age/time constraints but if you screw up you're just gonna make it even longer for yourself. Take a deep breath. No one ever got a medal for starting med school sooner.

 

[Goro]

Hey all,

So I am currently a senior and I am just feeling super overwhelmed at the moment. Between studying for the MCAT everyday after school, 17 credits, an Honors Thesis, research, volunteering on Sundays and working at 8AM every day of the week, and trying to get my application ready for the upcoming cycle, I am starting to lose morale. And my grades are starting to reflect it. I will admit that I have been putting a disproportionate amount of my time towards MCAT studying, but hey, I feel that getting a good score is most important for me (GPA is 3.75). Anyways, I have been getting straight shafted on a few of my exams this semester and I just don't know what to do. I mean, obviously I need to study more, but I don't want to cut out MCAT time or activities. I...just...AHHHHHHHHHHH...

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel.

Also I have like nobody to vent to that will understand-i'm a first gen. college student so my family doesn't really understand. Anyways...just need some advice.

I hate to tell you this, but this is what the 2nd year of med school is like. Right now, you have the luxury of cutting some things out.

 

[Deleted member 750603]

If I were you I’d just slow down.

You’re already burnt out and then you will enter med school mentally exhausted and overwhelmed again.

Take a year to do something meaningful, study for MCAT and energize. You’re going to get burnt out in med school. Won’t enjoy any of it.

It’s not a race to the finish line. There is no finish line. It’s the journey that you end up enjoying not the “events”.

 

[ciestar]

Postpone your MCAT. I suffer(ed) majorly from burnout and it reflects on your performance.

 

[Siromas]

I wish..but for several reasons it behooves me to start medical school sooner rather than later.

I'd seriously reconsider this. Your best bet would be to apply once and apply with your best possible application.

 

[JonathanHusky]

I wish..but for several reasons it behooves me to start medical school sooner rather than later.

i've been using "behooves" wrong all this time...

 

[fldoctorgirl]

an Honors Thesis,

As someone who is currently writing an honors thesis, this should definitely not be combined with MCAT studying. Waaaaay too much stress. Curious...why didn't you take the MCAT the end of junior year, pre-thesis?

I would suggest resuming studying after you graduate, but that would put you at 2 gap years, which you may not be interested in.

 

[lol_new_user]

OP, i was in the same position as you. I took MCAT first time, did okay but was stretched thin. I also have similar GPA applying this cycle. I just focused on school, honors thesis, and activities, and re-took MCAT the summer after senior year the second time, and got a great score. Taking two gap years is SO INSIGNIFICANT considering the length of your career as a physician and all, and I would seriously consider it, as someone who is content with their cycle outcome.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

I wish..but for several reasons it behooves me to start medical school sooner rather than later.

Everyone thinks that about themselves, everyone thinks they have to hit the ground running with no breaks. It's not true. Imagine if you graduate med school at age 45--imagine 20 years of being a doctor. That's a lot of doctoring. It's not gonna ruin you to graduate at 28 instead of 27.

Your problem: too much to do
Your possible solutions:
1. Time Turner
2. Press on (risk doing poorly, being so burnt out when you get to med school you do poorly)
3. Take some time off, take a break

Some things to consider when making this decision:
1. Are you feeling like this all the time, or do you have a million deadlines on Friday and are feeling overwhelmed right now?
2. In interviews, which question would you feel more comfortable answering "Why did you take two years off" or "Why did you do poorly your last semester and on the MCAT?" One of those can be easily answered. One cannot.
3. How easily can you get a Time Turner?
4. Your goal is not to get into medical school. Your goal is to be a competent and empathetic doctor. Wearing yourself out maybe helps you with the first thing, less so with the second.
5. Why do you need to start medical school ASAP? Honestly, there are very few good reasons to not delay a single year, which is why most of us are more or less ignoring that. If you actually have a good reason (idk, legal resident status contingent upon being in school?) we'd give different advice, but that's probably not going on.