which waiting period was the worst?

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most stressful part about applying

  • mcat score

    Votes: 62 29.5%

  • recommendations

    Votes: 5 2.4%

  • amcas verification

    Votes: 14 6.7%

  • submitting completed application to hearing back about interview

    Votes: 51 24.3%

  • waiting for interview date

    Votes: 18 8.6%

  • getting a response after interview

    Votes: 40 19.0%

  • hoping to get off a waitlist

    Votes: 16 7.6%

  • other

    Votes: 4 1.9%
  • Total voters
    210
T

tennis1234

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It's so stressful knowing it'll take a month before my amcas become verified. I was just wondering what you guys think is the most stressful part of your application process??
 
I haven't made it past AMCAS verification yet so I can't speak to the other stuff after that. I guess MCAT score was the most nerve wracking. Waiting for AMCAS verification and LORs was nothing. :laugh:
 
TheShaker said:
I haven't made it past AMCAS verification yet so I can't speak to the other stuff after that. I guess MCAT score was the most nerve wracking. Waiting for AMCAS verification and LORs was nothing. :laugh:
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nice!! I'm guessing you were smart and submitted your amcas early 👍

I'm dying right now 🙁
 
At least when you are waiting for MCAT scores, verification, etc., you know it's something that WILL happen, and you may even have an expected date.

Waiting for invites, though......you don't know when or even if it might happen, and I pretty much have just been refreshing my email constantly if I'm not working or something. I need to get outside.....lol.... 🙄
 
Waiting for interviews is awesome, since you have no obligations at all with regards to the application.
 
it's actually deciding among schools that's most stressful imo
 
Sitting on a waitlist till August 6th. Hands down that was my least favorite part, hopefully I avoid that fate for the 2013 cycle lol
 
tennis1234 said:
nice!! I'm guessing you were smart and submitted your amcas early 👍

I'm dying right now 🙁
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Nope! I'm stupid and just started verification a week ago. 😀 I don't know, I guess it's not very compelling to me since I know it will be verified and I have a good idea of when it will happen. In the mean time, I can still take action by pre-writing secondaries.
 
tennis1234 said:
Haha, I'm doing that too! It's helping me cope with this stress. Good luck though!
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I would agree with the waiting for interviews - probably after interviews, you at least have some idea of how it went from your end. But in the case of interview invites, you are completely in the dark about when they even look at your application for the first time. I'm waiting now too, and it's a bit nerve-wracking, checking my e-mail so frequently now :\

But I am at least done with secondaries, up to the point where the only ones left are those that screen - no point prewriting those if it might not work out 😛
 
Waiting for interviews...because so many schools give you auto-secondaries, you have no idea if you're even a desirable candidate. After that first interview invite, you rest easier knowing that yes, medical schools do indeed like you, you're not delusional and applying where you have no business applying.
 
My vote is just speculation, but I'm guessing waiting to hear back after an interview will be the worst part. I was only freaking about MCAT the day scores were coming out because I knew what the day was. My AMCAS verification only took 2 days so that was no worry at all!
 
waiting for Interview invites. easy. i am going crazy waiting for responses.
 
I'd have to say MCAT would be the worse unless you were super borderline with your GPA.
 
xXIDaShizIXx said:
I'd have to say MCAT would be the worse unless you were super borderline with your GPA.
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See, I didn't think this was all that bad, because I knew when it was coming. I didn't have to constant do I have and email, do I not have an email. Oh darn, I have an email and I got all excited but then its a coupon to American Eagle sort of roller coaster that I've had with interviews. Good or bad, I knew when I was getting it at least.
 
I figure that waiting for a response after the interview is nerve racking, especially if you didn't feel to confident with your performance. None of it has been too bad so far, though.
 
the worst is when you read on SDN that a school will make an announcement about acceptances on XYZ date. The week leading up to that announcement is definitely the toughest wait
 
Waiting for interview invites is the worst part of it for me. There is absolutely no hint that they will interview you until they either offer one or reject you.You just sit in the "Complete" limbo.
 
I haven't experienced the cold, stinging wait of hearing back about getting an interview (or after an interview), as I haven't applied yet.

But wating for reccomendations would be terrible for me, as it's something that's not in your hands and you're responsible for having them in soon. The positive aspect of the other waiting periods is that, albeit stressful, you really don't have to do anything on your end.
 
waiting for an interview invite is definitely the worst. Followed closely by waiting for MCAT scores.
 
narcissistic answer = whatever step I am currently on

objective answer = mcat scores
 
RogueUnicorn said:
it's actually deciding among schools that's most stressful imo
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Only for those who have multiple acceptances... 🙂 I definitely felt that way when I was making my college decision. I hope I'll be that lucky this year. :xf:

I'm definitely going crazy waiting for interview invites. I keep checking my email and status pages every 10 minutes (even at 1 AM, which is obviously pointless).

I submitted all my secondaries in the last 2 weeks and am so mad that I didn't submit them earlier since now I'm worried that it will be months before I hear back. 🙁
 
UCFKnight said:
Waiting for interview invites... It's awful.
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Agreed, especially when you're a low stat applicant like me. Every day I get an email it seems, indicating that a school has updated my application. I check it anticipating a rejection. Really awful anxiety lately, haha
 
For me it was waiting for that stupid MCAT score from AMCAS. The score that would determine whether I was going to be able to progress with my plan of changing careers to medicine, or stay on the same path that I have been on for so long.

Once I knew my score, I knew it was possible to get into med school. Now it is just a matter of where... Where to apply, which one to complete secondaries for first, which one can I afford now, and which I will need to wait for next pay day.

dsoz
 
eefen said:
At least when you are waiting for MCAT scores, verification, etc., you know it's something that WILL happen, and you may even have an expected date.

Waiting for invites, though......you don't know when or even if it might happen, and I pretty much have just been refreshing my email constantly if I'm not working or something. I need to get outside.....lol.... 🙄
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THIS! I've been complete since early July at some places and still no II, others are complete two weeks ago and II.

:|
 
Still waiting for my first interview invite so I can be reassured that I didn't royally eff up my application somewhere along the way. Idk how I'll feel later in the app season, but right now I'm STRESSING. Having plenty of time at work to compulsively check my email/school specific threads doesn't help either... :scared:
 
Oh man... all the waiting is totally worth it once you get an interview invite to a top ten school!

Party time! :hardy:
 
ShenanigansMD said:
Oh man... all the waiting is totally worth it once you get an interview invite to a top ten school!

Party time! :hardy:
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Yeah but then you have to wait for other schools to contact you. Then you have to wait post-interview. Then you might get waitlisted at your top choices. It never ends.
 
darkjedi said:
... until you start waiting for their decision
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Haha yes, but I'm a huge applicant underdog, so top 10 is a big deal for me.

I'll enjoy it while it lasts. :woot:

But still IMO, verification time is the absolute worst thing to wait for (if it takes 5 weeks), there are all these secondaries you can't submit and it just sucks.
 
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