Which part of applying did you love to do?

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legiticus

legiticus

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Lots of people talk about how miserable, costly, and time-consuming premed and the application process are (bc of course they often are) but id like to take an optimistic moment and let people share what they have loved about the journey so far.

Personally, I loved studying for the MCAT. It was the first time in my life I actually felt like an educated person. Never before had all the sciences come together for me in a meaningful way. I was also the most mentally "in shape" I had ever been. I felt like I could understand anything (although I'm sure now I couldn't). It was cool.

Also I loved interviews. Touring awesome hospitals and chatting with such accomplished people about medicine/etc. just got me stoked to join the medical world. If money and traveling weren't such an issue, I probably would've attended all of my interviews even though I got an early acceptance from my top choice, just because they were so fun.

What about the rest of you?


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I do kind of agree with the two you talked about, studying for the mcat and touring the hospitals. Though after a while, touring the hospitals and all those info sessions became a drag. The part that I actually enjoyed was going down memory lane and listing all the classes and activities you have done. It was a bit annoying to do but it was pretty cool seeing all the things that you have done leading up to this final moment.
 
bate16 said:
I do kind of agree with the two you talked about, studying for the mcat and touring the hospitals. Though after a while, touring the hospitals and all those info sessions became a drag. The part that I actually enjoyed was going down memory lane and listing all the classes and activities you have done. It was a bit annoying to do but it was pretty cool seeing all the things that you have done leading up to this final moment.
Click to expand...

Haha true. The financial aid presentations and info sessions got old real fast. Good point


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For me it was def. the interviews. My first one was extremely stressful, like the most nervous I had been in a long time. Part of that was certainly the fact it was my first interview and it was very early in the cycle and I hadn't gotten more interviews yet. The other part was my interviews absolute silence throughout the interview with the brief pause to ask another question followed by a deep stare at me while I spoke with no visual or verbal cues.

I heard this from somewhere, but essentially the interviews are the reward almost of the whole process. You work really hard and then you get to go and be shown around by a school. It really was, in most instances, as much about figuring out if the school is for you as you are for the school I think. Obviously this varies from place to place.
 
I enjoyed the interview days a lot. I know some people started to hate the presentations and all, but I found them fun. I spent a lot of money and time sitting through red eye flights to travel to the schools, so I was appreciative that the schools had comprehensive interview days with presentations, Q&A panels, opportunities to talk to students, and the tours. Made it feel like it was at least somewhat worthwhile.

I also LOVED staying with student hosts. The only downside was the comfort at times, but all of my hosts were very welcoming and hospitable in their own way. A couple of them talked to me at length about their schools and told me the good and the bad, so it was a great experience in addition to saving money.
 
interviews.

there is nothing greater than the thrill of the hunt.
 
the interview days were gratifying after all the time/$ spent getting to that point
 
I like staying in hotels.

I got to see some new cities and try foods like croqueta, alligator, turtle, etc. Going out drinking with future colleagues was good (I wish interviewees wanted to hang out after all interviews- I love meeting y'all)

Other than that, nothin' was fun, haha
 
The part where $$ stops leaving my wallet 🙁

Jk

I'm with you about the mcat. It's basically like getting my money's worth from all the classes o paid for
 
Uh...if I have to pick one thing, it would be to travel to the US (for interviews) to get skincare/makeup products that I can't get in Canada. But seriously, there is nothing about this process I come close to not hating with all of my soul.
 
Mansamusa said:
I like staying in hotels.

I got to see some new cities and try foods like croqueta, alligator, turtle, etc. Going out drinking with future colleagues was good (I wish interviewees wanted to hang out after all interviews- I love meeting y'all)

Other than that, nothin' was fun, haha
Click to expand...
none of my fellow interviewees wanted to hang out after 🙁
maybe i'm just weird
but then again, everyone just wanted to catch a same day flight to avoid hotel costs so it was understandable
 
Yay! Positivity!!!

The MCAT's result on me--prepping and taking--were fascinating. I think even just taking the test that day bumped my brainpower up by so many points it hurt (to the point where even coming out of the test I was noticing vocab terms and concepts in my everyday life...which after taking it was rather annoying).

As much as editing my app over and over again tired me, I did like to write what I did. For some reason it was comforting...I guess it helped me reflect on how they had shaped me as a person. And that college was really interesting, in spite of the work.

Yes, the waiting process was terrible, but there were times where I was able to step back and think, "Wow, I learned a lot--SWEET!"
 
I actually really appreciated writing my personal statement. My mentor was a neuropsych guy who had a sense for how narrative shapes life and he told me in my first days of post-bacc to figure out a story that connected everything together, write it as my personal statement, and then go live my life to fill the gaps.

It was a really amazing growth process for me. I wrote so many versions. And at the end, I went from a kind of cringy, angry, woe-is-me statement, to something that was really joyful. It changed the way I saw myself.

Highly recommended strategy, btw.
 
pageantry said:
I actually really appreciated writing my personal statement. My mentor was a neuropsych guy who had a sense for how narrative shapes life and he told me in my first days of post-bacc to figure out a story that connected everything together, write it as my personal statement, and then go live my life to fill the gaps.

It was a really amazing growth process for me. I wrote so many versions. And at the end, I went from a kind of cringy, angry, woe-is-me statement, to something that was really joyful. It changed the way I saw myself.

Highly recommended strategy, btw.
Click to expand...

I really appreciated this comment (haha beyond just "liking" it), so thanks for sharing! I'll remember this when I'm writing my future equivalents of a personal statement


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legiticus said:
I really appreciated this comment (haha beyond just "liking" it), so thanks for sharing! I'll remember this when I'm writing my future equivalents of a personal statement


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Click to expand...
It was really crazy. If you start asking yourself "Well, why am I focused on this part of my life in this way?" you can begin to totally undo the fabric of your self-perception. Like, not always in a good way! But it was still awesome.
 
Two things!
Getting my MCAT back; I actually have a video of my reaction, and it's simply ridiculous.
The second thing would be the interview days. They were stressful at times, but it was awesome seeing a place I could potentially be at.
 
excuses to travel to other cities for sure.

overall though, the entire process of writing essays and preparing for interviews has really given me a clear vision of my motivations for going into this field and being able to sustain myself along this path. If done correctly, there's a lot of learning and self-discovery throughout this period--it's better to think of it this way rather than as just an obstacle to get into med school.
 
Although it eventually got exhausting because I'm a California resident burdened with the reality of applying to way too many schools, I did enjoy writing my essays and secondaries. I love to write as a hobby but rarely make time for it, so it was nice expressing myself through the written word.

Oh, and the interviews were mostly fun!
 
I loved interviewing. It may be strange, but I thought they were actually fun. Even better were the acceptance calls though.
 
Traveling for interviews was fun. I got to check out some new cities. It was especially nice being an MSTP applicant since a lot of the programs put us up in hotels that I probably won't be able to afford until I start making attending's salary. Not to mention all the wining and dining.
 
Outside of being accepted, I would have to agree with the interview part of it. The hunt is fun. I sort of enjoy the feeling that I'm on the hot seat and need to be at my best in this moment in time. One of my favorite parts also was introspecting when listing my activities. Seeing everything come together in a larger, more cohesive theme was cool
 
wagonwheel23 said:
@teeayejay awww, that's really sweet. It reminded me of when I told my dad I was accepted he said "Your grandfather would be so proud". I never knew my grandfather, so that comment was really touching.
Click to expand...

Thank you for that.

Yea, I've been pretty lucky this cycle. First got accepted two days before Christmas and then got accepted to my top choice off the wailist, the day after my bday...
 
Definitely the part where I received the acceptance email!

I also love that I grew a lot as a person through my experiences, both clinical and non-clinical. I got many opportunities to see physicians having to make tough end-of-life decisions in ICU, etc. that informed my perspective on how sensitive this profession is. My involvement in pre-med organization at campus also built in me camaraderie and friendship. Even though it took a reapplication for me to get my acceptance, I can honestly say I have no regrets going through this process. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I most definitely would.

Hopefully the same sentiment stands out in med school 🙂
 
The part where I neurotically checked my email every waking moment of my life.

Just kidding....
I enjoyed writing my essays. Really put my reasons for medicine to a test.


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Thanks for all the uplifting responses everyone! Can't wait to be colleagues with all you quality homies.

I also hope some people stumble across this thread and read all these positive vibes and get the strength to keep going at it.

Just awesome. Thanks


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I'm one of those weirdos who had fun taking the MCAT. But getting good scores back was truly awesome. I was walking on campus when I read them and made various success related noises while people stared at me. I don't even care.

Interview days are also really fun.


The best part -- and something I'd never give up for anything -- is the personal growth I've experienced through my volunteering and coursework leading up to applying.
 
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