What Will You Do When You Fail to Become an MD?

[GallbLad]

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It is statistically likely that, for the majority of pre-med students, they will not become practicing MDs. Many fail to maintain above a 3.6 GPA, devote hundreds upon hundreds of hours of free labor to many clubs/research/clinical experiences/leadership/ teaching positions, a 30+ on the MCAT, decent LoRs, and apply on time with thirty long, well written essays. Then if the half of a million dollars of debt doesn't scare the prey away, they will have to overcome rigorous Step tests and practicals, laborious hours of subservient work, and night calls for years on end. Finally one must have robotically continued to shape his or her's application to be competitive to even match into residency programs that aren't near the border of Mexico, and are of one's choice. If one is lucky, they'll make it out alive, most likely in primary care, where they will see patients briefly each day for thirty minute consultations about the patient's weird feeling in the ankle after a fall, or why he or she is experiencing coughing during the flu season for the next thirty or so years, until retirement.

 

[toffee_bloom]

Why do you keep posting threads like this?

 

[radiologyology]

 

[darklabel]

Why do you keep posting threads like this?

Op is a gunner and trying to sway people away from medicine. Or is an obvious troll.

 

[Copernicium]

lol

 

[HCHopeful]

:troll:

Seriously, how has this account not had the banhammer swung down upon it?

 

[Doctor Dream]

It is statistically likely that, for the majority of pre-med students, they will not become practicing MDs. Many fail to maintain above a 3.6 GPA, devote hundreds upon hundreds of hours of free labor to many clubs/research/clinical experiences/leadership/ teaching positions, a 30+ on the MCAT, decent LoRs, and apply on time with thirty long, well written essays. Then if the half of a million dollars of debt doesn't scare the prey away, they will have to overcome rigorous Step tests and practicals, laborious hours of subservient work, and night calls for years on end. Finally one must have robotically continued to shape his or her's application to be competitive to even match into residency programs that aren't near the border of Mexico, and are of one's choice. If one is lucky, they'll make it out alive, most likely in primary care, where they will see patients briefly each day for thirty minute consultations about the patient's weird feeling in the ankle after a fall, or why he or she is experiencing coughing during the flu season for the next thirty or so years, until retirement.

The procedure can't come soon enough, GallbLad.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

YES OP got probationary status. Step in the right direction, finally.

 

[allantois]

DO.

 

[Doctor Dream]

DO.

Well, if OP went DO he'd be more likely to end up in (god forbid) PRIMARY CARE

 

[medic86]

DO.

GallbLad: What Will You Do When You Fail to Become a DO?

 

[allantois]

GallbLad: What Will You Do When You Fail to Become a DO?

DMD 😀

 

[resiroth]

As ridiculous as this poster is, a lot of people with biology degrees (that aren't interested in pursuing research) are really screwed without an MD acceptance... after that it's gravy (although again, for loan repayment unless you got like a 40 on your MCAT you shouldn't assume you can just go into ortho and make 500k). All the more reason to keep pushing through until the end...you'll be glad you did.

 

[HCHopeful]

As ridiculous as this poster is, a lot of people with biology degrees (that aren't interested in pursuing research) are really screwed without an MD acceptance... after that it's gravy (although again, for loan repayment unless you got like a 40 on your MCAT you shouldn't assume you can just go into ortho and make 500k). All the more reason to keep pushing through until the end...you'll be glad you did.

The average MCAT score for Orthopedic residency is actually a 31.6, so you don't need a 40 by any means. That is the highest average MCAT score for a specialty, though.

Here's the report if you're interested in other correlations between MCAT score and specialty: https://www.aamc.org/data/421300/residentsreport.html

As far as those who aren't accepted to MD or DO schools... I truly believe those are the people who just don't know when to quit. If you have average stats, average EC's, and can hold a normal conversation with a human being, you will get in eventually somewhere. If not to MD, then DO. But if you're severely below the average applicant, it's time to get real and seek out something else. Those who don't are simply blinded by their dream or whatever it is they're in it for.

Just my opinion.

 

[resiroth]

Yeah I should have clarified..although I am a bit weirded out because the average MCAT for matriculants (https://www.aamc.org/download/321494/data/factstable17.pdf) is a 31, with seemingly only ortho exceeding it, and translational matching it (with things like IM being a 27 average).

I didn't mean to imply you needed a 40 MCAT to do ortho, only that if you blasted through the MCAT with a 40 you can probably assume (financially) that if you want to do a competitive specialty, given your MCAT performance, it's not likely your step 1 will hold you back. On the flip side if you barely scrape by into medical school you should be aware that matching into ortho is always possible, but you might need to work harder than you did in the past and shouldn't assume you can just "do it".

 

[Lucca]

Tbh OP is my Favorite troll since streampaw.

 

[LizzyM]

With a hat tip to the NCAA ad campaign and in honor of March Madness:

Pre-med: most of us are going pro in something other than medicine.

 

[deleted407021]

Tbh OP is my Favorite troll since streampaw.

Meh.

 

[Goro]

OP, here are some ideas for you, since based upon the insipidity of your posts, you're not going to med school either. These are all career paths from people I knew who were pre-meds, but went elsewhere.

DPM
Accounting
Film-making
Research (PhD)
Teaching
Lab tech (clinical)
Lab Tech (research)
DDS
Veterinary
Law
Parenthood (meaning, they became a stay-at-home parent)
Finance
Business
Sales
Writing/Editing
Engineering
Psychology/Counseling
Sales

Disclaimer: I was a pre-med for maybe 10 minutes.

 

[samsunimomo]

 

[efle]

meaning, they became a stay-at-home parent

I'm going to do this but with a dog instead of a kid

 

[EAB11]

It is statistically likely that, for the majority of pre-med students, they will not become practicing MDs. Many fail to maintain above a 3.6 GPA, devote hundreds upon hundreds of hours of free labor to many clubs/research/clinical experiences/leadership/ teaching positions, a 30+ on the MCAT, decent LoRs, and apply on time with thirty long, well written essays. Then if the half of a million dollars of debt doesn't scare the prey away, they will have to overcome rigorous Step tests and practicals, laborious hours of subservient work, and night calls for years on end. Finally one must have robotically continued to shape his or her's application to be competitive to even match into residency programs that aren't near the border of Mexico, and are of one's choice. If one is lucky, they'll make it out alive, most likely in primary care, where they will see patients briefly each day for thirty minute consultations about the patient's weird feeling in the ankle after a fall, or why he or she is experiencing coughing during the flu season for the next thirty or so years, until retirement.

I'm new to SDN--someone just told me about this site. In the span of two hours, I've seen a handful of your posts. Listen, I dated someone like you during my senior year of high school/freshman year of college and he has kept in touch with me up until this point for whatever reason. He had many of the same complaints about the process and constantly barraged people with them. Honestly, I really don't like complainers, so you can see where that relationship ended up (hint: the trash can). But anyway, the point: I'd like to take the time to tell you what happened to him.

Like yourself, the ex-boyfriend readily put down anyone with good grades who studied, volunteered, conducted research or participated in leadership activities. He had essentially decided that he was born to be a doctor, and everyone would know this when he applied. Thus, to him, none of the other stuff reallyyyyy mattered. He obtained a grade point average somewhere around 3.0 (Ex-boyfriend: "I only need B's") from a very reputable liberal arts college. He also had a sub-par thesis as well as very few interests and activities outside of his friends and computer games. Now, at age 26, he has been rejected from every medical school he applied to in two subsequent cycles (30+ schools in each). He is now gearing up for a third cycle but next to nothing has really changed about him. He has the same attitude which I think invaded everything about his package--from his essays to his transcripts. Two schools did interview him in the second cycle but apparently in the interviews he discussed all of these complaints and points of view which led to quick rejections. Look, the point of all this, is that his attitude about the entire thing ruined him. Don't let it happen to you, and don't begrudge others their successes. At the core, people certainly want you to get all of the things you want, so don't begrudge anyone their A's or accomplishments, or volunteering opportunities. People have worked hard for them--they deserve them. Just as you will have to work hard for whatever you are given.

As a final note, I'd like to point out that work is play and play is work. A lot of very successful people have let the two run together so seamlessly that it's hard for them to even note the difference. If you love medicine, and it is your calling, a lot of the negatives become moot points. Also, you can certainly have a social life and complete all the studies. You might not be able to go to every happy hour but you can certainly live a balanced and full life.

 

[NeuResurgens]

 

[keevwu]

san diego is near the border of mexico. Many people would absolutely love to snag a residency there.

 

[Doctor Dream]

OP, here are some ideas for you, since based upon the insipidity of your posts, you're not going to med school either. These are all career paths from people I knew who were pre-meds, but went elsewhere.

DPM
Accounting
Film-making
Research (PhD)
Teaching
Lab tech (clinical)
Lab Tech (research)
DDS
Veterinary
Law
Parenthood (meaning, they became a stay-at-home parent)
Finance
Business
Sales
Writing/Editing
Engineering
Psychology/Counseling
Sales

Disclaimer: I was a pre-med for maybe 10 minutes.

DPM all the way! 👍

 

[Goro]

I still ask it at interviews.

For all the comments on this thread, it would useful to note that being asked about a "plan B" at a medical school interview a decade or so ago was vert common and was considered by many advisers to be a question that every applicant had to be prepared to answer.

 

[DrShephardWannabe]

Parenthood (meaning, they became a stay-at-home parent)

I'm not sure how I can subtly bring up this idea to my girlfriend without consequences🤔