when you found out you got in, how did you react ?

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It was my second cycle, no MD or DO IIs the first time around. Interviewed in mid-November at my state school. I decided to not tell my parents about the interview since it was my first and only to that point and I wanted to surprise them with an A.

Dec. 23 (last day I might hear back before the new year) and no news. Stopped by my parents' and told them I didn't hear back yet so it wasn't looking good. Go figure they forgot to call me and when I got home with my daughter there was the letter in the mail. I picked up my daughter, swung her around, and for the first time I was able to tell her that I WILL be a doctor (not just want to be one). I also had to call my parents and tell them I ruined the surprise literally 15 minutes too early :shrug:

In the end I got into the private school 35 minutes from my house and go there now instead, but there is truly no feeling like the first acceptance.
 
I remember I was on-call for work, so I was taking a nap when they called. I saw the area code and already started shaking. They told me I got accepted and I repeatedly said “thank you so much!” And started bawling. I FaceTimed my parents right away and told them! I still got called into work which was not ideal but nothing could really bring me down that day lol. Unfortunately this was in the middle of COVID so there wasn’t a lot of places to go to celebrate, but my friends bought me wine and we celebrated that way 🙂 once I told my coworkers they started crying and I started crying and I’m sure all of our patients thought we were crazy, but the first acceptance is one of the most extraordinary feelings out there! Congrats everyone in the class of 2025 🙂
 
When I got that call from the admissions office, I was drunk with my gf at the time and thought I was hallucinating. I told her to slap me on my face multiple times to make sure this wasn’t a dream. Then, I went on discord to tell all my friends about it and passed out on my front porch.
 
I was at a family bbq in a relative's backyard when I got the call... on a weekend. It caught me completely off guard, and everyone around me knew what had just happened when I hung up. My husband said, "Holy **** did you just get into med school?" and I stood there blinking in silence for what felt like an hour, but was most likely 2 seconds. Then, in an epic show of composure, I blurted out "I need to be alone!" and ran inside to snot-cry in a covid mask. My brain just completely crashed ... straight up system error.
 
TradNonTrad said:
I was at a family bbq in a relative's backyard when I got the call... on a weekend. It caught me completely off guard, and everyone around me knew what had just happened when I hung up. My husband said, "Holy **** did you just get into med school?" and I stood there blinking in silence for what felt like an hour, but was most likely 2 seconds. Then, in an epic show of composure, I blurted out "I need to be alone!" and ran inside to snot-cry in a covid mask. My brain just completely crashed ... straight up system error.
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Ay masks saving the day haha! Congrats!
 
I remember when I was applying in the 2019-2020 cycle, it wasn't until late March that I got my first II. Up until that point, I had lost all hope and thought there was something wrong with my app. I truly felt like a new person when I got the news, and I was sure that I crushed the interview. Fast forward a few weeks and I found out I got waitlisted. It was a bit of a bummer, but I knew the school had good movement so I held onto hope, checking SDN religiously twice every single day. May came around the corner when the most movement typically happens. My friends who were waitlisted at this same school were getting called and got in. I didn't get the call. I eventually got rejected in mid-July and even though I knew it was over long before, reading that 2-sentence rejection letter truly really messed me up for a while. Crazy how schools make you wait that long with absolutely 0 communication only to give you an unempathetic rejection.

Along with the ****ty news, I was starting treatment for a bit of a benign condition which ended up giving me some crazy side effects. I'm talking about bleeding all over my body and being in complete pain every day. It sucked and I didn't recover until January of 2021. Still, I was submitting my apps. I was very doubtful of my chances so I submitted a couple DO apps later. I did get interviews and acceptances from both of them and to be honest, they made me pretty happy. My family even got me a cake to celebrate. It was super comforting that I was going to be a physician.

A bit later, I got another Interview Invite, this time from an MD school that was only 20 minutes away from home. I was excited, but I was pretty sure that it would turn into a waitlist and then a rejection down the line since it was already so late in the cycle. What made me almost certain that I was not getting in was the fact that the class size is TINY and they interviewed about 300 already and waitlist movement tends to be VERY minimal. So I went ahead and paid the $2000 deposit for one of the DO schools I liked, and they even gave me a small one-time scholarship of 10k.

I was having a pretty depressing conversation with my parents about moving a thousand miles away to this medical school where I knew absolutely nobody. My parents are very supportive, so they kept telling me I would be fine and that they would visit me often. I slowly began to like the school a lot after seeing their match results and new facilities that would be open this coming fall. As I was messaging a few apartment lease managers near that school to find housing, I got an email with the subject head "[email protected]: Admission Decision." My heart was skipping a few beats as I quickly clicked on the email, and read the first word:

"Congratulations!" I had been admitted with a partial tuition scholarship. I went into prayer instantly right after telling my mom. It's only been a month since I got the news and it still hasn't hit me all the way. I truly feel like the luckiest person in the world right now.
 
Extremely glad for a month and now back to being anxious that the school may not be prestigious enough or will hold me back professionally (especially compared to the options I would have had at the schools I got into the first time around) and depressed about getting 4 straight post II rejections (granted from large state schools at which I am OOS and really didn’t stand a chance)

Hedonic treadmill.
 
was super excited on the day I got accepted, and then I had to go home to my parents for the holidays. I wish I'd gotten accepted after my visit there, bc the joy of getting in was quite literally sucked out of me over the holidays. I still don't think it's sunk in, and I keep thinking that it will get taken away for some reason.
 
Neutropix said:
So far this has been a very hard year for me. My fiance abruptly ended our 3-5 year relationship earlier this year, and I was forced to find a new place to live after coming home from work to find all my belongings in front of the house. No need to get into it, but I was pretty blindsided as we had been engaged for just a few months, and it was her idea. I thought we were perfect, and I was on cloud-9 prior to the breakup. After getting booted I spiraled into a state of deep depression. It was hard because I really did not have ANY closure, and my SO would not speak to me. To add insult to injury I did not apply broadly enough (I wanted to be close to the fiance), and I began realizing that there was a very real possibility I'd have to reapply.

Fast forward to this month I had my dad in town visiting me from out of state. He and I were having a great time, but he sensed that I was still pretty sad about my ex and this cycle. He really cheered me up and told me that he had a feeling I'd get accepted before he left. I am personally not religious nor do I believe in fate, so I smiled and said, "I hope you're right." During his LAST day here I was sitting on the couch while he was preparing something in the kitchen when I received a phone call from an out-of-state number. I quickly recognized the area code and matter of factly but excitedly stated, "Holy ****. I'm going to be a doctor!" My dad beamed in my direction. It was almost as if the news was too grand to contain it within the confines of a small house, so I instinctively bolted out of the backdoor to take the call. My mind was totally blown, and I'm not even sure what was said. After the phone call, I sat down on a little kid picnic table and cried into my hands for a brief moment before composing myself and going back inside.

The reaction from my dad was freaking priceless. I knew I made him proud, and honestly typing this out is probably the first time I've cried since. It's pretty cathartic, to be honest.

A lot has changed since getting that magical phone call. I am at peace with my ex now, and it feels like there is now a whole new universe to explore that is full of opportunity. No more anhedonia. Only joy and savoring these sweet moments. I am extraordinarily humbled and honored to be selected in a sea of so many deserving candidates.

Thanks for everything SDN. I really could not have done it without the great advice from the knowledgeable contributors here, especially people like @Goro

I plan to go out and make you all proud, but for now, it's time for video games!

Until next time..
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If she was capable of doing that to you then she didn't care about the relationship anywhere near how much you did. At least you have a great reason to consider this chapter of your life closed as you start the new one! You'll meet plenty of women in medical school if you want to.
 
Neutropix said:
So far this has been a very hard year for me. My fiance abruptly ended our 3-5 year relationship earlier this year, and I was forced to find a new place to live after coming home from work to find all my belongings in front of the house. No need to get into it, but I was pretty blindsided as we had been engaged for just a few months, and it was her idea. I thought we were perfect, and I was on cloud-9 prior to the breakup. After getting booted I spiraled into a state of deep depression. It was hard because I really did not have ANY closure, and my SO would not speak to me. To add insult to injury I did not apply broadly enough (I wanted to be close to the fiance), and I began realizing that there was a very real possibility I'd have to reapply.

Fast forward to this month I had my dad in town visiting me from out of state. He and I were having a great time, but he sensed that I was still pretty sad about my ex and this cycle. He really cheered me up and told me that he had a feeling I'd get accepted before he left. I am personally not religious nor do I believe in fate, so I smiled and said, "I hope you're right." During his LAST day here I was sitting on the couch while he was preparing something in the kitchen when I received a phone call from an out-of-state number. I quickly recognized the area code and matter of factly but excitedly stated, "Holy ****. I'm going to be a doctor!" My dad beamed in my direction. It was almost as if the news was too grand to contain it within the confines of a small house, so I instinctively bolted out of the backdoor to take the call. My mind was totally blown, and I'm not even sure what was said. After the phone call, I sat down on a little kid picnic table and cried into my hands for a brief moment before composing myself and going back inside.

The reaction from my dad was freaking priceless. I knew I made him proud, and honestly typing this out is probably the first time I've cried since. It's pretty cathartic, to be honest.

A lot has changed since getting that magical phone call. I am at peace with my ex now, and it feels like there is now a whole new universe to explore that is full of opportunity. No more anhedonia. Only joy and savoring these sweet moments. I am extraordinarily humbled and honored to be selected in a sea of so many deserving candidates.

Thanks for everything SDN. I really could not have done it without the great advice from the knowledgeable contributors here, especially people like @Goro

I plan to go out and make you all proud, but for now, it's time for video games!

Until next time..
Click to expand...

My ex broke up with me when my acceptances got rescinded. That probably wasn’t the main reason, but when it rains it pours. Haven’t talked to her since. Tough at the time, but provided even more motivation to get my life together.


Congrats on your success and finding your way out of a dark place.
 
I was volunteering at the hospital on this assignment called "STEP Force". Basically the gig is that every step we take is a step the nurses, doctors, etc. don't have to take. I was right at the end of my shift, and I had already taken off my vest so I had my phone on me, but someone needed to get transported from a post-surgery bed out to the discharge lounge. We get out to the lounge and we're waiting there making small talk about the Packers game coming up because that's what we talk about in WI. His ride comes, I help him in, and I'm on my way back to our main room when my phone rings. And it happened, I didn't recognize the number but I had a feeling.. as soon as they said accepted I started crying haha, I definitely got some odd looks from people. The STEP Force team, which is mostly retired folks all congratulated me.. and when I came back the next week they had baked me cookies on a box that said "congratulations future doctor!". Truly a great day.

Fingers crossed I don't wake up from this dream.
 
Been about two years since I got in. Someone's probably already said this but celebrate your acceptance every way you can. It's a huge milestone and your life is about to change in ways you maybe can't even imagine. All of what's happening now is going to become a memory so make it a good one.
 
First time, I was in a zoom work meeting in the midst of COVID. My phone was on a charger in another room, and when they called, I initially missed it. Called back and got my acceptance. Came back and the work meeting had ended. They had to kick me off the zoom because I was the last one there haha. So much for looking like I was paying attention.

For my dream school, I was in my office at work working on a paper. My phone was on silent and was charging behind me. I checked it because I was expecting a text from someone and saw a missed call and a text from a number I didn't recognize. It was the dean of admissions from my dream school asking me to call them back. This was super late in the cycle and someone from SDN had found out that they didn't really anticipate any more waitlist movement, so I had just written them off as a future R. I was so excited that I texted everyone I knew and started pacing the lab because I was too excited to sit down. Ran into one of my mentors and was able to celebrate with her.

Tl;dr: Apparently charging my phone was the secret to getting into med school. Wish I had known this all along. 😉
 
I knew I was going to find out one way or the other on a certain date, so I planned not to check my email the entire day so I could wait to share whatever news it was with my fiance at home. I was supposed to get off from work around 4 that day, but I didn't end up actually leaving until 5:30. The suspense was killing me. Admissions said that the email would absolutely be coming today. I drove home as fast as I could, sat down with my fiance and opened my email.....and nothing was there. It was already past regular business hours so I figured there was a delay and I likely wouldn't find out until the next day. I called my mom and my best friend who were waiting on pins and needles to hear from me to let them know I hadn't received it today. Very anticlimactic. Started making dinner. Happened to check my email a couple hours later for another reason and it was there waiting for me! Congratulations! ACCEPTED!!! I screamed, cried a lot and then called back my mom and friend to give them the news. Rollercoaster of a day.
 
Neutropix said:
So far this has been a very hard year for me. My fiance abruptly ended our 3-5 year relationship earlier this year, and I was forced to find a new place to live after coming home from work to find all my belongings in front of the house. No need to get into it, but I was pretty blindsided as we had been engaged for just a few months, and it was her idea. I thought we were perfect, and I was on cloud-9 prior to the breakup. After getting booted I spiraled into a state of deep depression. It was hard because I really did not have ANY closure, and my SO would not speak to me. To add insult to injury I did not apply broadly enough (I wanted to be close to the fiance), and I began realizing that there was a very real possibility I'd have to reapply.

Fast forward to this month I had my dad in town visiting me from out of state. He and I were having a great time, but he sensed that I was still pretty sad about my ex and this cycle. He really cheered me up and told me that he had a feeling I'd get accepted before he left. I am personally not religious nor do I believe in fate, so I smiled and said, "I hope you're right." During his LAST day here I was sitting on the couch while he was preparing something in the kitchen when I received a phone call from an out-of-state number. I quickly recognized the area code and matter of factly but excitedly stated, "Holy ****. I'm going to be a doctor!" My dad beamed in my direction. It was almost as if the news was too grand to contain it within the confines of a small house, so I instinctively bolted out of the backdoor to take the call. My mind was totally blown, and I'm not even sure what was said. After the phone call, I sat down on a little kid picnic table and cried into my hands for a brief moment before composing myself and going back inside.

The reaction from my dad was freaking priceless. I knew I made him proud, and honestly typing this out is probably the first time I've cried since. It's pretty cathartic, to be honest.

A lot has changed since getting that magical phone call. I am at peace with my ex now, and it feels like there is now a whole new universe to explore that is full of opportunity. No more anhedonia. Only joy and savoring these sweet moments. I am extraordinarily humbled and honored to be selected in a sea of so many deserving candidates.

Thanks for everything SDN. I really could not have done it without the great advice from the knowledgeable contributors here, especially people like @Goro

I plan to go out and make you all proud, but for now, it's time for video games!

Until next time..
Click to expand...
Dude, I didnt expect to get misty eyed at work. Hell, I'M a proud father for you too and I have no kids
 
Hello everyone! I've been reading stories on here for years now and it crazy to now be posting my own. My story is not nearly as positive as I thought it would have been, but things unfold how they will and I've always wanted to make a post here, so here it goes.

I was a reapplicant and when I realized that I was not getting in the first time, I was not really fazed at all and immediately got to work to make sure the second time would go better. I spent many Friday and Saturdays at the office until 11pm just pre-writing everything. Things worked out well and I had a few interviews in August and early September. After that though, there was not much to do. For the first time in my life, I felt true anxiety. In my mind, getting rejected one round was fine, but I felt immense pressure to succeed this time for myself and my family. Everyday I constantly worried, felt nauseas, and even threw up a few times leading up to mid October. I started taking low dose propranolol and Zofran daily, just to go to work somewhat normally. I heard nothing early in the week, but then Thursday came. I got a call that morning from a patients father and his daughter had killed herself. My anxiety vanished as I was quickly reminded how serious my current job was and what it meant to truly have something to worry about. I felt very sad about the situation and I questioned if there was anything I could have done. I read through old chats and there was just no hint of this occurring. It was a very sad day as this had never occurred previously in my employment. I was to drive my sister to visit a college that day which I did and during the drive I got the acceptance call. I was really happy, but it was not the ecstatic screaming/ loosing it reaction that I had envisioned having for years. That was a very bitter sweet day and I can still see that patients face in my mind now. I know that there will be more sad days to come in this profession, but I am excited to start this journey and to help when and where I can.

Since that day I have received two more acceptances which also did not directly make me feel pure excitement. However, I have had numerous moments in the car alone where I feel extremely pumped and scream obnoxiously loud, those moments are truly euphoric. In the end I guess I did get the reaction I was looking for, just not at the time that I expected. Also, after my first acceptance call I no longer feel anxiety symptoms anymore!
 
super thrilled to be posting here! I was actually at work walking out and up the stairs when someone on SDN dm'd me to check the portal. To my surprise it had updated before the email and it said "Congrats, welcome to XYZ!" I genuinely didnt think it was real until I got the email later that evening and immediately went upstairs to my family and face-timed my fiancé while screaming at the top of my lungs.
 
AnonymousDoctorGuyPerson said:
I was at my SO's apartment doing some tiling in her bathroom when I found out, and my whole body got the shakes. Needless to say, I had to stop for a while haha. I graduated from undergrad in 2014 and all my time since then has literally just been working as much as I can as well as improving my application for med school. The feeling of that payoff was just... releasing.

Fun fact my parents or anyone in my family still don't know, they have no idea I was even applying to med schools haha. Maybe I'll let them know when I get the MD initials after my name 😛
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Update: My mom found out last night when she texted me at 4am (she works nights) and I texted back (on night float) and she asked why I was up

Her response: "you're crazy"
 
I was driving to work when the Dean called. I was a block from work, otherwise I would've had to pull over because I was crying so hard. Immediately called my husband bawling my eyes out, "I'm gonna be doctor. I'm gonna be doctor!" Walked into work, sent a Teams message to everyone, and basked in the glory of the accomplishment.
 
I got waitlisted at my dream school back in November after what I thought was a great interview, and I was crushed. I spent every minute of every day obsessing over it. I knew the waitlist probably wasn’t going to move until April/May and couldn’t spend the next several months in this anxious state, so I did everything I could to compartmentalize it in the back of my head. I had finally relaxed and (sort of) accepted that it was going to work out how it’s supposed to work out and there’s not a thing I could do. In the middle of December, I was on the way home from taking my dog to a park with my s/o and I got an email. I wasn’t even paying that much attention but saw that school’s name and the word “congratulations”. I didn’t even read the rest of the email, just burst into tears. My s/o was SO confused. We had already planned to go to a Christmas themed party that night with our friends and it turned into a huge celebration of my acceptance. Couldn’t have asked for a better support system.

That night, I had a dream the dean called me and told me it was an accident and they didn’t actually mean to accept me. Not sure if the anxiety ever ends, lol.
 
I'll be honest, I did not expect an acceptance. I pre-matched (TMDSAS) a month after my first interview; got the news the last week of October. I was working from home with my partner across the room, and I walked over and screamed at him I'M GOING TO BE A DOCTOR!!! Told my co-workers, my parents, my friends, and spent the rest of the day getting absolutely no work done 🙂
 
I was sitting at my kitchen table eating breakfast at 1 PM after having nearly missed class in the morning when I saw the email. Rest assured, I spilled cold milk and cereal all over myself when I jumped up in excitement. Ran over and told my brother and then sent a copy paste of the email to my parents. Too much school to really celebrate, but I took the opportunity to start planning a trip that I've been saving for since 10th grade for this summer 2023.
 
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I'm not crying! You're crying!!! (So much goes into getting medical school. It's great to hear what people were thinking and feeling when they got in).
 
I was at work minding my business when I got a text from the admissions office of my top choice, asking for a call. I almost fell out of my seat. It turned out to be an acceptance (my first!), but my brain really short-circuited when he told me I was nominated for a big scholarship. I asked him if I'd be getting the offer in writing because it felt like I was in a fever dream lol. Until then, I hadn't realized how big of a weight on my shoulders the application cycle was until it was suddenly all lifted.
 
JohnsonWang said:
I was in the mouse room taking some weights. Had an audience of about a thousand little guys watch me weep!
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When I first read this, I thought the "mouse room" was a euphemism for the gym and that you were saying everyone else in the weight room was "little" compared to you. I need to get more sleep.
 
CaptNemo said:
When I first read this, I thought the "mouse room" was a euphemism for the gym and that you were saying everyone else in the weight room was "little" compared to you. I need to get more sleep.
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Would have most likely elicited the same vacant stares, except with a higher chance of me dropping 45lbs on my head! /s
 
At first, I was excited, the whole heart-racing bit of it + slight shaking. No tears which is weird bc I cry over everything, but I think it was more shock than anything. I called my spouse first, then my parents + sister. But I also thought that the adcom must have made a mistake. With my second, I basically just said, "thank you for letting me know. I appreciate your call tonight." Then told my husband + family. Tbh, I mostly feel guilty, and a bit ashamed of feeling guilty. I'm still excited- it's validating I think to have As (plural) when I truly wasn't expecting a single one- but I can't help but think about the people who would've gotten that A call instead of me who are now on the WL (at least until I withdraw from one), or the people who got the post-interview R who could've gotten on the WL instead. I'm not more worthy or deserving than they are. It's a weird ambivalence rn honestly.
 
CaptNemo said:
When I first read this, I thought the "mouse room" was a euphemism for the gym and that you were saying everyone else in the weight room was "little" compared to you. I need to get more sleep.
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Wait that’s not what he’s saying ?

1676129299594.jpeg
 
voxveritatisetlucis said:
My ex broke up with me when my acceptances got rescinded. That probably wasn’t the main reason, but when it rains it pours. Haven’t talked to her since. Tough at the time, but provided even more motivation to get my life together.


Congrats on your success and finding your way out of a dark place.
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Why was it rescinded
 
Was stuck on 4WLs. I had just finished lunch after working in a research lab during the morning and was heading to volunteer at the hospital for the afternoon. On my way there, I got the A call right before I had walked into a tunnel with no service!
Was so lucky to get the call right before I lost service! Was in total shock after the call!
I told all my family and friends. I still went to volunteer but ate a good meal at home and video called with my family!
 
LOL crazy to be posting on this...

I got the email while at work. Was in shock for a few minutes, went to the restroom and freaked out by myself. Waited until I got home to tell my family in person hahahaha
 
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