When to Withdraw?

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Kurk

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I received a B- on my second chem exam which was well below what I expected. I seem to be making mistakes on problems that I solve confidently.

After doing the math, I'm faced with the following scenarios:
Best case (100% on everything here on out): A
Because that's not going to happen, the realistic scenario leaves me at a B/B+

The problem is that I really want to apply to law school with the highest gpa possible, which a science-based curriculum is going to make difficult.

With each passing day I'm drawn closer and closer to law as I realize that my personality will be my downfall concerning dental school interviews. I would be pretty damn pissed if I had a kick-ass gpa and dat, was interviewed at like 7 schools, and then rejected at all due to my lacking interpersonal skills.

And yes, I understand wanting to drop due to a B may sound extreme, but this is the only class I'm having this problem in; and god knows what Ochem will do to my gpa if I can't make an A in gen chem.

So how bad would a W look on a transcript (FOR LAW SCHOOL) compared to eating a B?

Also will the drop in credit load look bad? If I'm forced to drop chem lab too I'll have to abandon this plan since I'll be under full-time student status at that point.

If I was set on dentistry I obviously wouldn't be freaking out right now, but I'm going to switch majors to political science or history; two subject areas I excelled at in highschool.

I don't have too much time left until the deadline passes. I'm going to discuss it with my folks, adviser, and SDN, and then go from there.

And please do not tell me to get off of SDN. I cannot work effectively with these things looming in my mind.

Thanks, wonderful people. :D

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if you lack interpersonal skills, law school for sure isn't for you
 
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If your science courses aren't holding up for you, it's not the interview that you should first be worried about. You should worry about the DAT.


And please do not tell me to get off of SDN. I cannot work effectively with these things looming in my mind.

Get off of SDN.

Your question is better answered in the appropriate forums of pre-law.
 
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Why are you posting questions about law school on a dental forum? Also, if you say you don’t have the necessary interpersonal skills to be a dentist, how in the world are you gonna get into law school?!
 
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if you lack interpersonal skills, law school for sure isn't for you
I'm pretty sure the majority of lawyers and dentists are introverts. I'm not interested in big-law. I'd like to work at a small-medium firm where I have a better chance at becoming partner and don't have to work 90 hour weeks as an associate. If that doesn't work I'd try to land a gig as an assistant prosecutor; if not a judicial clerkship.

Also idk what having great interpersonal skills entail. When I'm working EMS, my partner does the info gathering and sweet-talking to the patient while I do vitals since I'm not too good at making small-talk and playing games with the drunk-ass patient.

I don't think that means I lack inter-personal skills though. I communicate enough to get through group projects and have won best witness awards in HS mocktrial. I'm actually not too bad at speech-giving and cross-examination. However, I take longer than most to process information so litigation is likely a no-no for me. My strengths lie in analytical writing and just naturally loving rules and regulations.
 
Let's say this:

My least favorite part of EMS is interacting with the patient while my favorite is writing the incident reports and critiquing my partner's methods where potential loopholes for a malpractice case exist.
 
I received a B- on my second chem exam which was well below what I expected. I seem to be making mistakes on problems that I solve confidently.

So how bad would a W look on a transcript (FOR LAW SCHOOL) compared to eating a B?

Also will the drop in credit load look bad? If I'm forced to drop chem lab too I'll have to abandon this plan since I'll be under full-time student status at that point.

And please do not tell me to get off of SDN. I cannot work effectively with these things looming in my mind.

Thanks, wonderful people. :D

A grade of B +/- is an acceptable grade to get in Chemistry in any major. First of all I wouldn't pull the plug on getting your science pre-reqs finished because having a different major than 90% of law school applicants makes you more competitive, especially if later you want to pursue a masters in a science field and pair that with a JD in patent law. The market is saturated with lawyers and its not a recession proof field. Lots of people have foregone divorces in the last 10 years because they are too expensive in the past economy. Law suits have also dropped for the same reason.

The semester isn't even half way over you can totally dig yourself out of a B at this point if you buckle down and dig in. Law schools only look at your overall GPA to my knowledge so go take a course in freakin Javanese dance or something easy and pull your grade point average up by taking a puff class.

I'm not going tell you to get off of SDN- but I seriously think you need to hit the gym and burn of some that anxiety so you can think effectively. Go find a crossfit box and a trainer that will smoke the ever living dog crap out of you. You need to change the way you think if you are going to make it out of university not in a straight jacket. Instead of being like "oh god, a B!!! I'm screwed!!!" You need to be like "Sup TAs? I do not need an extra 299 dudes to hold off a thousand nations of the Persian Empire or an hour to do this lab. My WOD was 250 handstand pushups and now I'm going to make equilibrium equations my bitch." Do your next exam in crayola and decorate it with paw patrol stickers if you have to to get into the right mindset, but you seriously need to get some intestinal fortitude about these things. I am not joking.
 
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:troll:
 
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Well never mind, since I found out that I can' t drop without losing my scholarship award. :inpain:
 
Kurk, how will you keep the scholarship past this semester with a B+/- don't you need a 3.8 or above to keep it?
 
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Kurk, how will you keep the scholarship past this semester with a B+/- don't you need a 3.8 or above to keep it?
I need to look into that. I think it's 3.0 minimum with full-time student status.
 
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A grade of B +/- is an acceptable grade to get in Chemistry in any major. First of all I wouldn't pull the plug on getting your science pre-reqs finished because having a different major than 90% of law school applicants makes you more competitive, especially if later you want to pursue a masters in a science field and pair that with a JD in patent law. The market is saturated with lawyers and its not a recession proof field. Lots of people have foregone divorces in the last 10 years because they are too expensive in the past economy. Law suits have also dropped for the same reason.

The semester isn't even half way over you can totally dig yourself out of a B at this point if you buckle down and dig in. Law schools only look at your overall GPA to my knowledge so go take a course in freakin Javanese dance or something easy and pull your grade point average up by taking a puff class.

I'm not going tell you to get off of SDN- but I seriously think you need to hit the gym and burn of some that anxiety so you can think effectively. Go find a crossfit box and a trainer that will smoke the ever living dog crap out of you. You need to change the way you think if you are going to make it out of university not in a straight jacket. Instead of being like "oh god, a B!!! I'm screwed!!!" You need to be like "Sup TAs? I do not need an extra 299 dudes to hold off a thousand nations of the Persian Empire or an hour to do this lab. My WOD was 250 handstand pushups and now I'm going to make equilibrium equations my bitch." Do your next exam in crayola and decorate it with paw patrol stickers if you have to to get into the right mindset, but you seriously need to get some intestinal fortitude about these things. I am not joking.
My TA fked up my lab report grade due to a technicality error on their end and then refused to give me back my full credit. The course instructor and the TA's are tighter than carrots and peas so haggling didn't work when I complained about him.

It was on that day that I said to myself, "I'm not going to go through all this hell only to be pushed around by crooked people in the end". I want to do law so I can hold people accountable. Specifically I want to go into education law as I see universities as the corrupt establishments that they are. I remember always reading in the local news stories of children being suspended or even expelled from their school districts due to nonsensical "zero-tolerance" policies. For example, a child would be suspended FOR DEFENDING THEMSELVES from a bully attacker. Not to make a sob story, but I remember having to take kicks and punches to the groin in middle-school, among other things, repeatedly (hey, maybe I won't need to get that castration after all :) ) because of this one disturbed kid who wouldn't leave me alone. Every time that I would report him, they'd say, "oh he has special needs" or some bull**** and wouldn't take any action. I didn't risk defending myself (despite being trained in martial arts) knowing all the bull**** that schools do. So if I were a lawyer, I would be oh so enthusiastic to take these type of cases for free, knowing that I'm helping people defend themselves from otherwise crooked institutions.

What you said about science major lawyers is quite true. I've heard the same thing here. That is partially the reason why I still stick around these forums. Maybe I'll just minor in PS.

I already go to the gym and it doesn't help too much. The idea of being in a straight-jacket in a padded room sounds quite appealing right now....

I have no idea what you were talking about from the Persian Empire on.
 
My TA fked up my lab report grade due to a technicality error on their end and then refused to give me back my full credit.
I wonder why................................Kurk did you ask nicely. Seriously though, why are you asking dentists/pre-dental students if a W or a B is better for Law school??? Go ask your advisor! That's what they're there for! Geez! I hate you flooding these forums with pretty stupid/useless questions. Stop
 
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I wonder why................................Kurk did you ask nicely. Seriously though, why are you asking dentists/pre-dental students if a W or a B is better for Law school??? Go ask your advisor! That's what they're there for! Geez! I hate you flooding these forums with pretty stupid/useless questions. Stop
My school doesn't even have a pre-law club or anything. The only "advisor" is a law-school dropout and I already spoke with them. They weren't of much help. Thanks for showing me the Top Law school forums site though. I'll be sure to check it out.

I saw that my report was missing points and I was about go b1tch on here before I figured out it was their fault. I then wrote a passive aggressive email to them like a true lawyer asking them to correct it. I'd like to make it known now that this TA is a snobby, arrogant, **** who by comparison makes me look like a saint. Only after questioning me did they return back a few measly points.
 
I received a B- on my second chem exam which was well below what I expected. I seem to be making mistakes on problems that I solve confidently.

After doing the math, I'm faced with the following scenarios:
Best case (100% on everything here on out): A
Because that's not going to happen, the realistic scenario leaves me at a B/B+

The problem is that I really want to apply to law school with the highest gpa possible, which a science-based curriculum is going to make difficult.

With each passing day I'm drawn closer and closer to law as I realize that my personality will be my downfall concerning dental school interviews. I would be pretty damn pissed if I had a kick-ass gpa and dat, was interviewed at like 7 schools, and then rejected at all due to my lacking interpersonal skills.

And yes, I understand wanting to drop due to a B may sound extreme, but this is the only class I'm having this problem in; and god knows what Ochem will do to my gpa if I can't make an A in gen chem.

So how bad would a W look on a transcript (FOR LAW SCHOOL) compared to eating a B?

Also will the drop in credit load look bad? If I'm forced to drop chem lab too I'll have to abandon this plan since I'll be under full-time student status at that point.

If I was set on dentistry I obviously wouldn't be freaking out right now, but I'm going to switch majors to political science or history; two subject areas I excelled at in highschool.

I don't have too much time left until the deadline passes. I'm going to discuss it with my folks, adviser, and SDN, and then go from there.

And please do not tell me to get off of SDN. I cannot work effectively with these things looming in my mind.

Thanks, wonderful people. :D
You are a TROLLLLL for sure now!....wasting others time by posting useless nonsense on here. Get a life and let other people who actually need help get help!
 
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You are a TROLLLLL for sure now!....wasting others time by posting useless nonsense on here. Get a life and let other people who actually need help get help!
be nice... maybe we can finally get rid of this kid and send him to the pre-law forums
 
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if you lack interpersonal skills, law school for sure isn't for you
You could not be more wrong.

Try to complete a science (undergrad) degree and become a patent lawyer. I guess if you're struggling with gen chem, maybe not. But a medium firm where you are the writing guy? This is a thin limb to walk out onto. You have to bring clients, or you are borderline useless to the firm. Most shops don't have dedicated writing guys, everyone does their own stuff. You have to be able to do the whole deal. Law is so over-populated, if you don't have law school accolades, you will be lucky to start off doing insurance defense for $45,000 a year, until you steal some clients and go on your own, or spend ten years grinding out hours for slightly more than teacher pay. Either that, or jump into the deep end and hang your shingle doing car wrecks/divorce, crap like that. There's good money in that for hustling lawyers who are good at marketing and business. Or go to work for the DA for less money, then hang shingle as criminal defense lawyer. Its grim no matter what. Really think about it. Good luck friend.
 
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My TA fked up my lab report grade due to a technicality error on their end and then refused to give me back my full credit. The course instructor and the TA's are tighter than carrots and peas so haggling didn't work when I complained about him.

It was on that day that I said to myself, "I'm not going to go through all this hell only to be pushed around by crooked people in the end". I want to do law so I can hold people accountable. Specifically I want to go into education law as I see universities as the corrupt establishments that they are. I remember always reading in the local news stories of children being suspended or even expelled from their school districts due to nonsensical "zero-tolerance" policies. For example, a child would be suspended FOR DEFENDING THEMSELVES from a bully attacker. Not to make a sob story, but I remember having to take kicks and punches to the groin in middle-school, among other things, repeatedly (hey, maybe I won't need to get that castration after all :) ) because of this one disturbed kid who wouldn't leave me alone. Every time that I would report him, they'd say, "oh he has special needs" or some bull**** and wouldn't take any action. I didn't risk defending myself (despite being trained in martial arts) knowing all the bull**** that schools do. So if I were a lawyer, I would be oh so enthusiastic to take these type of cases for free, knowing that I'm helping people defend themselves from otherwise crooked institutions.

What you said about science major lawyers is quite true. I've heard the same thing here. That is partially the reason why I still stick around these forums. Maybe I'll just minor in PS.

I already go to the gym and it doesn't help too much. The idea of being in a straight-jacket in a padded room sounds quite appealing right now....

I have no idea what you were talking about from the Persian Empire on.

1) Don't haggle with your professors/TAs. It doesn't work and it annoys them. Buckle down, hire a tutor, study your ass off, and get the grades that you need. If what you say is true about your lab report grade being messed up then take it up with the dean of students. They exist for a reason... If this one lab report is like 3% of your final grade I would really consider letting it slide. Again, there is a lot of semester left and you can still make an A if you cut the crap and study hard.

2) I'm super sorry you were bullied as a kid. It actually explains a lot about why you are so neurotic. Your GPA is not going to help you compensate no matter how good your grades are, so.... again, go find a crossfit box (not a gym, a crossfit box) and learn to embrace the suck. You will whine less and that will make people like you more. Also stop fronting. I'm a buck 20 and without even knowing the barest detail about you physically I know I would have you on the ground in an arm bar in like 3 minutes. You need to go lift and get to like the point where you can power clean your own body weight and just become a bad ass. You have the drive obviously. CROSSFIT BOX- not Zumba classes at your on campus thing that passes for a gym.

3) That guy that used to bully you in middle school, go find him and beat the stuffing out of him and then move on. No, seriously you are obviously hung up on this and you are letting your emotions make life long decisions for you, like the decision to take on massive amounts of debt in order to become the green hornet of the legal system- which would be a not so great decision in my opinion. Go find this bitch ass dude and make him pay and then be done with it or if you don't want to commit felony assault go to a krav maga studio and just pretend that the person you are scuffing up is that guy. You will feel better. It will be cathartic. Just remember, always fight dirty, always win. The only unfair fight is one you lose. I once sucker punched a rabbi during combatives because I couldn't bring myself to tap out sparring against a guy that overweight.

4) You do not want to be in a straight jacket or padded room. I get that you are joking, but again this about mindset. Go talk to a counselor or something. It will probably help.

5) Really? You have no idea what I was talking about from the Persian Empire? Um, go rent the movie 300 and watch it.
 
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I already go to the gym and it doesn't help too much. The idea of being in a straight-jacket in a padded room sounds quite appealing right now....

I have no idea what you were talking about from the Persian Empire on.
Buy some pre-workout and a mass gainer. Get yoked and aesthetic as f*** then watch your life change
Also C<W<B
 
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I received a B- on my second chem exam which was well below what I expected. I seem to be making mistakes on problems that I solve confidently.

After doing the math, I'm faced with the following scenarios:
Best case (100% on everything here on out): A
Because that's not going to happen, the realistic scenario leaves me at a B/B+

The problem is that I really want to apply to law school with the highest gpa possible, which a science-based curriculum is going to make difficult.

With each passing day I'm drawn closer and closer to law as I realize that my personality will be my downfall concerning dental school interviews. I would be pretty damn pissed if I had a kick-ass gpa and dat, was interviewed at like 7 schools, and then rejected at all due to my lacking interpersonal skills.

And yes, I understand wanting to drop due to a B may sound extreme, but this is the only class I'm having this problem in; and god knows what Ochem will do to my gpa if I can't make an A in gen chem.

So how bad would a W look on a transcript (FOR LAW SCHOOL) compared to eating a B?

Also will the drop in credit load look bad? If I'm forced to drop chem lab too I'll have to abandon this plan since I'll be under full-time student status at that point.

If I was set on dentistry I obviously wouldn't be freaking out right now, but I'm going to switch majors to political science or history; two subject areas I excelled at in highschool.

I don't have too much time left until the deadline passes. I'm going to discuss it with my folks, adviser, and SDN, and then go from there.

And please do not tell me to get off of SDN. I cannot work effectively with these things looming in my mind.

Thanks, wonderful people. :D
We don't do law school here, it's just not our thing.
 
1) Don't haggle with your professors/TAs. It doesn't work and it annoys them. Buckle down, hire a tutor, study your ass off, and get the grades that you need. If what you say is true about your lab report grade being messed up then take it up with the dean of students. They exist for a reason... If this one lab report is like 3% of your final grade I would really consider letting it slide. Again, there is a lot of semester left and you can still make an A if you cut the crap and study hard.

2) I'm super sorry you were bullied as a kid. It actually explains a lot about why you are so neurotic. Your GPA is not going to help you compensate no matter how good your grades are, so.... again, go find a crossfit box (not a gym, a crossfit box) and learn to embrace the suck. You will whine less and that will make people like you more. Also stop fronting. I'm a buck 20 and without even knowing the barest detail about you physically I know I would have you on the ground in an arm bar in like 3 minutes. You need to go lift and get to like the point where you can power clean your own body weight and just become a bad ass. You have the drive obviously. CROSSFIT BOX- not Zumba classes at your on campus thing that passes for a gym.

3) That guy that used to bully you in middle school, go find him and beat the stuffing out of him and then move on. No, seriously you are obviously hung up on this and you are letting your emotions make life long decisions for you, like the decision to take on massive amounts of debt in order to become the green hornet of the legal system- which would be a not so great decision in my opinion. Go find this bitch ass dude and make him pay and then be done with it or if you don't want to commit felony assault go to a krav maga studio and just pretend that the person you are scuffing up is that guy. You will feel better. It will be cathartic. Just remember, always fight dirty, always win. The only unfair fight is one you lose. I once sucker punched a rabbi during combatives because I couldn't bring myself to tap out sparring against a guy that overweight.

4) You do not want to be in a straight jacket or padded room. I get that you are joking, but again this about mindset. Go talk to a counselor or something. It will probably help.

5) Really? You have no idea what I was talking about from the Persian Empire? Um, go rent the movie 300 and watch it.
I'm sure beating up a person who suffers from some sort of mental disorder will do WONDERS for me. And no I am not traumatized by this; it's just one of those things I'd cite as a motivator. Public schools are messed up.
You could not be more wrong.

Try to complete a science (undergrad) degree and become a patent lawyer. I guess if you're struggling with gen chem, maybe not. But a medium firm where you are the writing guy? This is a thin limb to walk out onto. You have to bring clients, or you are borderline useless to the firm. Most shops don't have dedicated writing guys, everyone does their own stuff. You have to be able to do the whole deal. Law is so over-populated, if you don't have law school accolades, you will be lucky to start off doing insurance defense for $45,000 a year, until you steal some clients and go on your own, or spend ten years grinding out hours for slightly more than teacher pay. Either that, or jump into the deep end and hang your shingle doing car wrecks/divorce, crap like that. There's good money in that for hustling lawyers who are good at marketing and business. Or go to work for the DA for less money, then hang shingle as criminal defense lawyer. Its grim no matter what. Really think about it. Good luck friend.
This is the advice I've been given thus far. Unfortunately, I'm not extroverted enough to succeed in any large law-firm. I'm more interested in government positions like judicial clerk, assistant prosecutor, maybe even public defender. I value power over money so making 60K as a prosecutor is okay. My introversion being a hinderance is why I haven't completely jumped off the pre-health train yet.
be nice... maybe we can finally get rid of this kid and send him to the pre-law forums
There, there. Soon I will leave these forums and you will miss me eventually. You have to put up with me just a little bit longer. My fate will be decided when I schedule for classes next semester.
We don't do law school here, it's just not our thing.
Where is @Law2Doc ?
 
I'm sure beating up a person who suffers from some sort of mental disorder will do WONDERS for me. And no I am not traumatized by this; it's just one of those things I'd cite as a motivator. Public schools are messed up.

This is the advice I've been given thus far. Unfortunately, I'm not extroverted enough to succeed in any large law-firm. I'm more interested in government positions like judicial clerk, assistant prosecutor, maybe even public defender. I value power over money so making 60K as a prosecutor is okay. My introversion being a hinderance is why I haven't completely jumped off the pre-health train yet.

There, there. Soon I will leave these forums and you will miss me eventually. You have to put up with me just a little bit longer. My fate will be decided when I schedule for classes next semester.

Where is @Law2Doc ?
He came here to not
 
I value power over money so making 60K as a prosecutor is okay.
Haven't you said the only reason you even considered dentistry was because of the money?

You gotta keep your memes consistent, buddy. I expect higher quality trolling from you.
 
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Haven't you said the only reason you even considered dentistry was because of the money?

You gotta keep your memes consistent, buddy. I expect higher quality trolling from you.
Money can bring power. I don't have any interest in material possessions.
 
Aaaand I just realized that even positions like judicial clerks and assistant prosecutors are elected/appointed positions. So on top of competing with thousands of other jobless lawyers as an introvert I need to have political connections as the child of non-traditional immigrants in the middle of a mid-western state where the majority of people are white...........................................F*CK!!:rage:

I'm back to square one....that is dentistry. I'm so lost. :(
 
Aaaand I just realized that even positions like judicial clerks and assistant prosecutors are elected/appointed positions. So on top of competing with thousands of other jobless lawyers as an introvert I need to have political connections as the child of non-traditional immigrants in the middle of a mid-western state where the majority of people are white...........................................F*CK!!:rage:

I'm back to square one....that is dentistry. I'm so lost. :(


You think too much. If I thought like you and over-analyzed every little bit of minutia for the 11 years (4 yrs undergrad, 4 yrs dental, 1 yr AEGD, 2 yrs post-grad) it took me to be an ortho ... well ... I might not have made it.

Take it one step at a time. You cannot control the outside world. You can only control how you respond to each and every challenge. You can complain all you want about how unfair the system is. Well ... guess what? Those that complain usually FAIL. Those that find a way around the challenge .... succeed. It takes an extraordinary person with over-achieving goals to go into health/dental care. I can't say the same about attorneys. J/K. Maybe. :D
 
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I'm sure beating up a person who suffers from some sort of mental disorder will do WONDERS for me. And no I am not traumatized by this; it's just one of those things I'd cite as a motivator. Public schools are messed up.

Where is @Law2Doc ?

OK, none of the advice that I gave you was aimed at beating you up. I gave you the honest, unvarnished ground truth as I see it (aka the Dutch uncle talk). My advice is not meant to make you feel better or prop up your ego, it's a neutral third party perspective on a problem that you can use to come to your own solution. Either take it or don't. You won't be the first person that is immune to good advice. In my experience the best advice is the kind that I don't particularly like hearing. Not many people will tell you the truth and so when you find someone that won't spare your feelings that is rare and valuable.

Even if you are not traumatized by an event it can lead to a set of adaptive behaviors that are deleterious when applied long term. Counselors are a fantastic resource that you should have access to on your campus as a mental health resource available to all students there. They can help you with your interpersonal skills which seems to be a hang up for you by your own admission. That alone should be enough of a reason to go talk to someone.
 
Money can bring power. I don't have any interest in material possessions.
Hadn't you made a post about a year ago where you were determined to have a Ferrari or some other luxury sports car? That your sole purpose for being a doctor was the ability to purchase material things and the status associated with it? It's getting to be very confusing.
 
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OK, none of the advice that I gave you was aimed at beating you up. I gave you the honest, unvarnished ground truth as I see it (aka the Dutch uncle talk). My advice is not meant to make you feel better or prop up your ego, it's a neutral third party perspective on a problem that you can use to come to your own solution. Either take it or don't. You won't be the first person that is immune to good advice. In my experience the best advice is the kind that I don't particularly like hearing. Not many people will tell you the truth and so when you find someone that won't spare your feelings that is rare and valuable.

Even if you are not traumatized by an event it can lead to a set of adaptive behaviors that are deleterious when applied long term. Counselors are a fantastic resource that you should have access to on your campus as a mental health resource available to all students there. They can help you with your interpersonal skills which seems to be a hang up for you by your own admission. That alone should be enough of a reason to go talk to someone.
I meant you telling me to beat up my "bully" who suffered from bi-polar or antisocial disorder; I don't remember.
 
Hadn't you made a post about a year ago where you were determined to have a Ferrari or some other luxury sports car? That your sole purpose for being a doctor was the ability to purchase material things and the status associated with it? It's getting to be very confusing.
I was ignorant when I posted that. After learning more about the engineering and mechanics of cars I realize that they are money pits and that most are pretty poor performance cars on the track since they're full of comfort items.
 
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A self-confidence boost is what I need. I find myself sinking into medicine/dentistry whenever my self-esteem drops. Maybe it's because my HS dean always mocked me as "the type of person who will be a 40-year-old virgin working in some secret NSA surveillance lab behind a computer all day". I guess I was that introverted :/
 
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You think too much. If I thought like you and over-analyzed every little bit of minutia for the 11 years (4 yrs undergrad, 4 yrs dental, 1 yr AEGD, 2 yrs post-grad) it took me to be an ortho ... well ... I might not have made it.

Take it one step at a time. You cannot control the outside world. You can only control how you respond to each and every challenge. You can complain all you want about how unfair the system is. Well ... guess what? Those that complain usually FAIL. Those that find a way around the challenge .... succeed. It takes an extraordinary person with over-achieving goals to go into health/dental care. I can't say the same about attorneys. J/K. Maybe. :D
You and him should trade avatars
 
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I meant you telling me to beat up my "bully" who suffered from bi-polar or antisocial disorder; I don't remember.
Yeah, I'm telling you to go beat up your bully either literally or figuratively for the sake of closure. My husband who is a combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan (and is a complete bad ass) had a confrontation with his bully back in his old neighborhood a few years back. I think it was good for him and let him move forward from some stuff he had been hanging onto since high school. My bully is currently in prison. I send him letters and put money in his commissary. Knowing that I am the ONLY person that writes to him and keeps him in toilet paper has allowed me to put the past behind me.

You need to put HS in the rear view mirror and stomp the accelerator. Every day is a chance to reinvent yourself and become the person you want to be. Seize the day by the throat and make it your bitch.
 
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A self-confidence boost is what I need. I find myself sinking into medicine/dentistry whenever my self-esteem drops. Maybe it's because my HS dean always mocked me as "the type of person who will be a 40-year-old virgin working in some secret NSA surveillance lab behind a computer all day". I guess I was that introverted :/

If your dean said that to my kid I would effectively end his employment within 24 hours. If you're so gun ho about law why not start with a law suite against him and the school. Or at least file a formal complaint with the state education board. That's a good place to start with your confidence boost...
 
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A self-confidence boost is what I need. I find myself sinking into medicine/dentistry whenever my self-esteem drops. Maybe it's because my HS dean always mocked me as "the type of person who will be a 40-year-old virgin working in some secret NSA surveillance lab behind a computer all day". I guess I was that introverted :/
Well to be fair you mentioned that you'd be celibate if it got you a nice car in that same thread. I'm thinking you need to live the college life, and try to put yourself "out there" a bit more. You don't necessarily have to get hammered on the weekends, you've said thats not your thing in the past anyways. You could start by taking up a game like pool/billiards, where you can play by yourself to unwind or play with other people for the sake of social contact. Shoot, just join any sort of club that will allow you to hang out with people that like things you like. That's what I did, and it does help me with the stress that both of us face being freshmen.
 
Well to be fair you mentioned that you'd be celibate if it got you a nice car in that same thread. I'm thinking you need to live the college life, and try to put yourself "out there" a bit more. You don't necessarily have to get hammered on the weekends, you've said thats not your thing in the past anyways. You could start by taking up a game like pool/billiards, where you can play by yourself to unwind or play with other people for the sake of social contact. Shoot, just join any sort of club that will allow you to hang out with people that like things you like. That's what I did, and it does help me with the stress that both of us face being freshmen.
Oh no, I still have no problem being celibate. I'm just saying that's what this person said to me, keeping in mind what most people think of "40-year-old virgins".
 
I'll start pre-law b/c I don't think my school even has one lol.
 
I thought you wanted to be a dentist.
 
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Ask the professor what they think
Professor did not care about my dilemma, unsurprisingly. My grade was not that concerning in their eyes, which I didn't agree with.

I thought you wanted to be a dentist.
To be brief, I've become disillusioned with dentistry for the following reasons:

1.) The people
2.) The future
3.) My personality being an impediment

If you want an elaboration feel free to ask.
 
[QUOTE="Kurk, post: 19352712, member: 750089"

If you want an elaboration feel free to ask.[/QUOTE]
I want an elaboration
 
[QUOTE="Kurk, post: 19352712, member: 750089"

If you want an elaboration feel free to ask.
I want an elaboration[/QUOTE]
1. I don't feel comfortable around the pre-med and pre-dental students. The reason why is that I'm finding many of them don't know ANYTHING outside of their pre-conceived notions about the field(s). Whether it be the politics of health-care, the changing demographics, the challenges and pressures facing health-care, anything that happens "behind the curtain", etc; they're unengaged.

Example #1: An already admitted pre-med did not know what continent Bulgaria was located on. You can tell a lot about a person based on their basic world knowledge—aka what's happening around them.

Example #2: Another admitted pre-med had trouble understanding the concept of objectivity when I tried explaining it to them. I was giving feedback on a paper they wrote. This person is a SENIOR.

Example #3: I asked a panel of dental students at an open-house what their thoughts were on the rise of corporate dental offices and how it threatens the solo-practitioner model. Only ONE was able to answer the question.

So in summary, I feel a good chunk of people who go to dental/med school don't really know what they're getting themselves into aside from just wanting to be a great clinician and making money. When you're ignorant of what goes on behind the curtain, you become susceptible to being taken advantage of, whether that be insurance companies, who you work for, even patients. I value casual education (self-learning outside of the classroom) a lot. There is no way I would be comfortable being around these types of people in undergrad, graduate school, work, wherever.

Second Reasoning: The Future

I won't spend much time on this aspect as they're already many threads about the future of dentistry. I believe I posted the presentation by Mert Aksu on this thread earlier. He basically touches on most of it, but basically I don't like the decay of the solo-practitioner model in favor of corporate offices. My motivations for dentistry will become more difficult to satisfy as the profession changes, which leads me to the final, and biggest problem.

Third Reasoning: Me

I believe most of you will agree with me in saying that my personality is not exactly "full of flavor". Most IRL describe me as being serious and dry. While I have zero problem with this personally, and don't think it should be shunned, I know that I stand little to no chance when competing against the students who have the "desirable" personality. I may look good on paper, but when I get to the interview stage, or even when asking for letter of rec, I don't have much going for me. I could "fake it till I make it" as I have been doing, but then what? As a dentist my personality matters for getting a job (especially since it's becoming pretty much impossible to open up an office straight out of school) and bringing in patients. My motivations are for the lifestyle and that's pretty much it. My manual dexterity is going to *explicit* as I've been noticing more and more nervous tics and tremors in my hands and arms. Dental school has one of the highest, if not the highest, amount of debt associated with it. It's too much to stake for questionable return.

I've decided that my talents have always been better suited for law. I have multiple AP credits in history and political science to put to use in college. My analytical writing skills have always been superb. I love to read. I wasn't the strongest at the sciences, but managed to do well in high-school due to my work ethic. The one science AP I took I didn't earn credit for. I am now at a disadvantage when competing against other science majors, while I could be thriving as a political science major.

Parental pressure is honestly the only reason why I ever developed an interest in health-care. Whenever I would try to object I'd be put down. I've now developed enough self-confidence to stand-up for myself.

My new plan is to achieve the highest gpa possible in political science; which is of course going to be easier than as a bio major. I've already done a couple practice LSAT problems and find myself performing surprisingly well.

As of now, I'm fairly attracted to pursing medical-malpractice law. I will continue to work on my school's EMS squad (composed of pre-meds) without telling them my intentions to use my insider knowledge to screw them over in the future. I believe this will be by far the largest *explicit*-move I will have done thus far in my life, but hey: it's in my personality. I can either live confidently as the person I am, or miserably as someone who tries to conform to the wishes of others. I am not claiming to be special or overly-smart, but rather someone who thinks critically and doesn't do things simply because other people are too.

 
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So you’re mad cuz one guy didn’t know where Bulgaria was...
 
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