Would you apply to a school you don't want to go to as a back up?

[ProteinChemist]

So I am a borderline candidate. My gpa sucks but I am URM so I am thinking I might have a 50% chance of getting into med school or so.

I'm trying to decide what schools to apply to. I am thinking of applying to Creighton because I'm originally from Nebraska and I think I could play that card to give myself a better shot of getting in (compared to other OOS schools that I don't have that sort of leverage at).

The problem is I ****ing do NOT want to go to school in Nebraska. I don't like Omaha and I don't want to be near my crazy f-ed up family. But since I am a borderline candidate (and let's not get into the definition of this), it might be a good shot for me. And I obviously really want to go to med school.

Should I apply and risk getting in or should I not apply and risk not getting in anywhere else? Ha ha But seriously...What would you do?

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[ButImLETired]

So I am a borderline candidate. My gpa sucks but I am URM so I am thinking I might have a 50% chance of getting into med school or so.

I'm trying to decide what schools to apply to. I am thinking of applying to Creighton because I'm originally from Nebraska and I think I could play that card to give myself a better shot of getting in (compared to other OOS schools that I don't have that sort of leverage at).

The problem is I ****ing do NOT want to go to school in Nebraska. I don't like Omaha and I don't want to be near my crazy f-ed up family. But since I am a borderline candidate (and let's not get into the definition of this), it might be a good shot for me. And I obviously really want to go to med school.

Should I apply and risk getting in or should I not apply and risk not getting in anywhere else? Ha ha But seriously...What would you do?

If you got into Creighton only, would you go? Only you know the answer to that question. If you'd go (an MD is an MD is an MD), then apply. If you wouldn't, then don't. You don't want to turn down an acceptance when you have no others and then have to reapply the year after.

 

[DaiCa86]

How bad do you want it? If you don't have the stats, then settle.

 

[pianola]

If you got into Creighton only, would you go?

That's really the only question you need to answer...

 

[halekulani]

every year sdn will have people who apply, only got into one school, then post a thread about whether they should try re-applying

don't apply to a school if you absolutely wouldn't want to go there. don't wait for an acceptance only to turn it down. if you don't like it, withdraw pre or even post interview so you can give up your spot to someone who actually wants to be there rather than holding up the waitlist.

 

[RySerr21]

So I am a borderline candidate. My gpa sucks but I am URM so I am thinking I might have a 50% chance of getting into med school or so.

I'm trying to decide what schools to apply to. I am thinking of applying to Creighton because I'm originally from Nebraska and I think I could play that card to give myself a better shot of getting in (compared to other OOS schools that I don't have that sort of leverage at).

The problem is I ****ing do NOT want to go to school in Nebraska. I don't like Omaha and I don't want to be near my crazy f-ed up family. But since I am a borderline candidate (and let's not get into the definition of this), it might be a good shot for me. And I obviously really want to go to med school.

Should I apply and risk getting in or should I not apply and risk not getting in anywhere else? Ha ha But seriously...What would you do?

haha i just think the way you worded that is funny. But anyway, as others have said, if you absolutely don't want to go there, then don't apply.

 

[229141]

haha i just think the way you worded that is funny. But anyway, as others have said, if you absolutely don't want to go there, then don't apply.

Yep / thread here

 

[229141]

So I am a borderline candidate. My gpa sucks but I am URM so I am thinking I might have a 50% chance of getting into med school or so.

I'm trying to decide what schools to apply to. I am thinking of applying to Creighton because I'm originally from Nebraska and I think I could play that card to give myself a better shot of getting in (compared to other OOS schools that I don't have that sort of leverage at).

The problem is I ****ing do NOT want to go to school in Nebraska. I don't like Omaha and I don't want to be near my crazy f-ed up family. But since I am a borderline candidate (and let's not get into the definition of this), it might be a good shot for me. And I obviously really want to go to med school.

Should I apply and risk getting in or should I not apply and risk not getting in anywhere else? Ha ha But seriously...What would you do?

It comes down to whether or not you want to be a doctor. If you REALLY want to be a doctor..you will go anywhere and be happy to go there even if its not in a good city.

 

[futureboy]

So I am a borderline candidate. My gpa sucks but I am URM so I am thinking I might have a 50% chance of getting into med school or so.

I'm trying to decide what schools to apply to. I am thinking of applying to Creighton because I'm originally from Nebraska and I think I could play that card to give myself a better shot of getting in (compared to other OOS schools that I don't have that sort of leverage at).

The problem is I ****ing do NOT want to go to school in Nebraska. I don't like Omaha and I don't want to be near my crazy f-ed up family. But since I am a borderline candidate (and let's not get into the definition of this), it might be a good shot for me. And I obviously really want to go to med school.

Should I apply and risk getting in or should I not apply and risk not getting in anywhere else? Ha ha But seriously...What would you do?

If you think you have a shot at getting into Creighton, apply. If you only get in there, go. Suck it up for four years, and get a residency as far away from Nebraska as you can if you want to. Tell your family you got into med school in Alaska and never go near their side of town.

If you don't apply to Creighton and don't get in elsewhere, or turn down an acceptance there, then what? You could apply next year, but from what I've read, it doesn't get any easier as a reapplicant. If you don't get in again, you could reapply the following year, and maybe include Caribbean schools.

Sorry to sound cranky, but there are people on the nontrad and reapplicant forums, and on ValueMD, that would give their left arm to get into Creighton...

 

[futureboy]

every year sdn will have people who apply, only got into one school, then post a thread about whether they should try re-applying

They were absolutely CRAZY to turn down an acceptance.

 

[fizzle]

The thing is, you're not going to know whether you want to go to a school till you've interviewed and visited there. My advice is to apply, then decide whether you want to withdraw post-interview if you get one. Of course, this assumes that the school is organized and won't send you an acceptance after you've withdrawn, like some schools have done in the past...

 

[drizzt3117]

don't apply somewhere you wouldn't go to. I could have saved myself a bunch of money if I'd followed this advice... haha

 

[RSAgator]

The thing is, you're not going to know whether you want to go to a school till you've interviewed and visited there. My advice is to apply, then decide whether you want to withdraw post-interview if you get one. Of course, this assumes that the school is organized and won't send you an acceptance after you've withdrawn, like some schools have done in the past...

I disagree with this. The OP has indicated several very good reasons why he would not want to go to school there. I think it's pretty rare that someone just falls in love with a school they thought they'd hate.

My personal opinion is that if you're at the point where you feel like you need to apply to places you wouldn't want to go to just so you could get an acceptance, you should spend a year improving your app/doing something constructive so that you can apply the next year and actually go to a school you'd like.

 

[pianola]

I disagree with this. The OP has indicated several very good reasons why he would not want to go to school there. I think it's pretty rare that someone just falls in love with a school they thought they'd hate.

My personal opinion is that if you're at the point where you feel like you need to apply to places you wouldn't want to go to just so you could get an acceptance, you should spend a year improving your app/doing something constructive so that you can apply the next year and actually go to a school you'd like.

Yeah, just to add: You won't necessarily love all of the schools at which you'll interview. You may find yourself thinking post-interview: "There's no way I could reasonably/comfortably spend 4 years at this place!!" So really, you don't need to add a school that you already feel this way about...

 

[futureboy]

The various posters make some reasonable arguments about not applying to a school you don't want to attend. But that assumes there is a choice. Remember, the OP has subpar grades, etc., and says he is borderline for admission into any MD school. The OP says he has a decent chance for admission into Creighton. Of course, we don't really know this, but let's assume it's true for our purposes. Should we advise the OP not to apply to the school where the OP has possibly the best chance for admission, just because the OP doesn't like the city? Maybe not liking the city isn't so bad -- less distractions, more time for studying.

In any event, the choice could come down to being a doctor or not getting into medical school at all, or going to school in the Caribbean. I've never been to Nebraska, nor have I been to the Caribbean, but I would bet that the OP would rather study medicine in Nebraska rather than on some little island in the middle of nowhere, where you have to boil your water to drink it, and paying as much or more tuition as Creighton's.

OP, I would think long and hard about not applying to Creighton. What do you have to lose? If you get in somewhere else you like better, then go there. If you only get in to Creighton, go to Creighton. Study your butt of, and be the best doctor you can be. Yeah, the four years in Nebraska may be awful, but it's only four years. You have the rest of your life to live and practice wherever you want.

I guess I'm the grumpy old man today (get off my lawn!), but I think the OP and the others are being short-sighted.

 

[qmcat]

So I am a borderline candidate. My gpa sucks but I am URM so I am thinking I might have a 50% chance of getting into med school or so.

I'm trying to decide what schools to apply to. I am thinking of applying to Creighton because I'm originally from Nebraska and I think I could play that card to give myself a better shot of getting in (compared to other OOS schools that I don't have that sort of leverage at).

The problem is I ****ing do NOT want to go to school in Nebraska. I don't like Omaha and I don't want to be near my crazy f-ed up family. But since I am a borderline candidate (and let's not get into the definition of this), it might be a good shot for me. And I obviously really want to go to med school.

Should I apply and risk getting in or should I not apply and risk not getting in anywhere else? Ha ha But seriously...What would you do?

I agree with everyone else above.

Also, from my experience, Creighton is a private school, so they don't necessarily favor NE in-staters. If you can claim Nebraska as your state of residency, then the state school to apply to would be University of Nebraska.

 

[airca12]

My personal opinion is that if you're at the point where you feel like you need to apply to places you wouldn't want to go to just so you could get an acceptance, you should spend a year improving your app/doing something constructive so that you can apply the next year and actually go to a school you'd like.

That's just not a reality for some people though (likely myself included). If the OP has a 3.0 after 120+ hrs of undergrad work, how much can he/she really improve their application? It would take god knows how many more additional credit hours of 4.0 to improve the gpa to a more competitive level. So the harsh reality is that some people can only hope for at most a couple of acceptances, or maybe even just one. I just don't see the shame in applying with that mentality if that is the reality.

It really comes down to how much you want to be a doctor. Living in Nebraska for 4 years of your life can't be so terrible as to prevent you from an acceptance and shot at med school.

As a sidenote, I've eaten at a really good Culver's in Omaha.

 

[fizzle]

I disagree with this. The OP has indicated several very good reasons why he would not want to go to school there. I think it's pretty rare that someone just falls in love with a school they thought they'd hate.

My personal opinion is that if you're at the point where you feel like you need to apply to places you wouldn't want to go to just so you could get an acceptance, you should spend a year improving your app/doing something constructive so that you can apply the next year and actually go to a school you'd like.

The fact that the OP bothered to make this thread indicates that he/she is not completely sure whether to add it or leave it. It is far easier to pay the ~$30 primary fee to add the school and decide later to drop the school pre-secondary or post-interview than to skip the primary and then realize that his/her views have changed later on. Remember, this is a year-long process, and what the OP thinks right now isn't necessarily going to be the same throughout the cycle. The OP might eventually realize that he/she'd rather go to Creighton than have to go through the entire process again. Would you want to gamble away something that could affect how you spend your next year (or even possibly your next four years) simply because you wanted to save the application fee?

 

[chemnerd89]

The fact that the OP bothered to make this thread indicates that he/she is not completely sure whether to add it or leave it. It is far easier to pay the ~$30 primary fee to add the school and decide later to drop the school pre-secondary or post-interview than to skip the primary and then realize that his/her views have changed later on. Remember, this is a year-long process, and what the OP thinks right now isn't necessarily going to be the same throughout the cycle. The OP might eventually realize that he/she'd rather go to Creighton than have to go through the entire process again. Would you want to gamble away something that could affect how you spend your next year (or even possibly your next four years) simply because you wanted to save the application fee?

apply, (maybe) interview, decide then.

 

[RSAgator]

That's just not a reality for some people though (likely myself included). If the OP has a 3.0 after 120+ hrs of undergrad work, how much can he/she really improve their application? It would take god knows how many more additional credit hours of 4.0 to improve the gpa to a more competitive level. So the harsh reality is that some people can only hope for at most a couple of acceptances, or maybe even just one. I just don't see the shame in applying with that mentality if that is the reality.

It really comes down to how much you want to be a doctor. Living in Nebraska for 4 years of your life can't be so terrible as to prevent you from an acceptance and shot at med school.

Firstly it's not a matter of pride, it's just a matter of what's sensibile. The OP doesn't have an acceptance to Creighton, so it doesn't matter how terrible it would be to live in Nebraska for the next 4 years because chances are he won't even be given that opportunity. As he said he is a very marginal applicant with a self proclaimed 50% chance at getting in. My post really had less to do with applying to Creighton and more to do with applying at all. There are plenty of SMPs and other programs that, though not contributing much to your GPA, greatly increase your chances of at least getting an interview if not an acceptance at that institution. This also increases your chances at other schools so don't give me the whole "taking off one year is simply not a reality" shpiel because the reality is that if you're scraping the bottom of the barrel for schools that would accept you you're not ready to apply. OP can also try to raise his MCAT during this time.

The fact that the OP bothered to make this thread indicates that he/she is not completely sure whether to add it or leave it. It is far easier to pay the ~$30 primary fee to add the school and decide later to drop the school pre-secondary or post-interview than to skip the primary and then realize that his/her views have changed later on. Remember, this is a year-long process, and what the OP thinks right now isn't necessarily going to be the same throughout the cycle. The OP might eventually realize that he/she'd rather go to Creighton than have to go through the entire process again. Would you want to gamble away something that could affect how you spend your next year (or even possibly your next four years) simply because you wanted to save the application fee?

My point wasn't about whether to add Creighton to the schools he applies to, it was whether to apply at all. Obviously if he does decide to apply, and he wants to get in this next year, he should add all schools he thinks he has a chance of getting into. However, the OP is a marginal applicant, and while I wouldn't suggest spending years just to get ready to APPLY to med school, a lot can be done in even one year that will greatly improve his chances. It may be an extreme example but I've seen plenty of people apply to the Caribbean with applications that could be greatly improved with just a year of time off, but they are so obsessed with becoming a doctor ASAP that they're willing to pay more money for tuition so that they can jump through hoops when they try to find a residency. While this is an extreme case, you're going to spend the next 10 years of your life studying medicine. 1 year off before applying is not a long time, and it may even be a good thing.

 

[pianola]

Just to note: I know this is antithetical to SDN dogma, but there was at least one medical school where I interviewed that made me think: "I would rather not go to medical school at all than go to this institution. If this was the only place I got accepted, I'd look into applying to graduate school."

I know, I know, I'm gonna be a horrible doctor because that thought crossed my mind , but it's an entirely valid feeling. If the OP feels this way about the school, then it's a pretty simple choice.

 

[URHere]

When I applied last cycle, one of my schools was a "safety" that I knew I had absolutely no interest in attending. Ironically, I very nearly ended up going there, and I was beyond stressed waiting for waitlist movement from schools I actually wanted to attend.

The bottom line is this: the feeling of being trapped by a school you don't want can be absolutely awful. I imagine that going there would be even worse. People can talk about how pre-meds should be grateful to go to any school that will take them, but at the end of the day, medicine is your career goal -not who you are. It is absolutely not worth it to make yourself miserable for four years by going to a school that you know you won't like. And don't convince yourself that you can apply, interview, and then withdraw before your decision rolls in - that's an even harder decision to make than deciding whether or not to apply in the first place. If you don't want the school, don't apply. Worst case scenario, you end up reapplying, and you hopefully end up somewhere you'll be happy.

 

[drizzt3117]

I personally agree with the last two posters. I tried to narrow down my school choices to places where I was willing to spend four years of my life. I think this is a good way to think about it!

 

[futureboy]

Wow. I guess I can't imagine disliking a school so much that I would choose not to be a doctor rather than going to school there. What could be that awful about any properly accredited US allopathic or osteopathic school? Even if the facilities are sub par, or your interviewer is a jerk, you wouldn't really know what the school is like unless you actually go there as a student. You might end up liking it!

Also, if you get a bad first impression of the city, that doesn't mean it will be unbearable to live there for 4 years. I went to professional school in a midwestern city (my hometown) that isn't exactly a big tourist destination. Some of the students from Boston, NYC, Chicago, etc, complained so much that I wanted to tell them to just freaking go home. After a month or two they realized it wasn't such a bad place after all, and were ok with it. I'm not saying they fell in love with the city, but they could deal with it.

With medical school admissions as competitive as it is, it makes sense to apply as broadly as possible, and to include schools that are most likely to accept you, not just to the schools you like in cities you like.

 

[PepperMD]

If you turn down your only acceptance to this place and decide to re-apply, you're going to have some serious explaining to do in the next cycle. How are schools going to believe you're serious about medicine if you were given the chance and refused? "I wasn't that into Omaha" may be a valid reason, but to adcoms will just sound petty.

 

[RSAgator]

Wow. I guess I can't imagine disliking a school so much that I would choose not to be a doctor rather than going to school there. What could be that awful about any properly accredited US allopathic or osteopathic school? Even if the facilities are sub par, or your interviewer is a jerk, you wouldn't really know what the school is like unless you actually go there as a student. You might end up liking it!

Also, if you get a bad first impression of the city, that doesn't mean it will be unbearable to live there for 4 years. I went to professional school in a midwestern city (my hometown) that isn't exactly a big tourist destination. Some of the students from Boston, NYC, Chicago, etc, complained so much that I wanted to tell them to just freaking go home. After a month or two they realized it wasn't such a bad place after all, and were ok with it. I'm not saying they fell in love with the city, but they could deal with it.

With medical school admissions as competitive as it is, it makes sense to apply as broadly as possible, and to include schools that are most likely to accept you, not just to the schools you like in cities you like.

Everyone's different. Thankfully I had the luxury of being able to apply to only schools I wanted to attend, but if my only way of getting an acceptance was to apply to places I didn't want to go to school I would have waited on applying. Sure chances are you're not going to just absolutely hate a place so much you can't get through your days, but to me it's important to like where I live rather than to simply not hate it. I suspect there will be moments over the next 4 years where I will absolutely get tired and worn out from all the studying/hard work, and it means a lot to me to know that I can step outside of my medical school bubble for a moment and be surrounded by a place I want to be rather than feeling trapped in a place I don't want to be.

 

[pianola]

Everyone's different. Thankfully I had the luxury of being able to apply to only schools I wanted to attend, but if my only way of getting an acceptance was to apply to places I didn't want to go to school I would have waited on applying. Sure chances are you're not going to just absolutely hate a place so much you can't get through your days, but to me it's important to like where I live rather than to simply not hate it. I suspect there will be moments over the next 4 years where I will absolutely get tired and worn out from all the studying/hard work, and it means a lot to me to know that I can step outside of my medical school bubble for a moment and be surrounded by a place I want to be rather than feeling trapped in a place I don't want to be.

Yeah.

Four years is a long time to spend at a place you potentially hate.

I believe someone in another thread noted that it is 5% of a projected 80 year life.

Four years is a long time to have regrets.

 

[DrWookie]

I would never apply to a place I wouldn't go to.

Granted, my requirements for being "willing to go there" were very broad at first...but as soon as I realized A. What I wanted and B. What I could get, I withdrew from every school I realized I would never pick. (For me that was basically every school on the East Coast...I realized I just didn't want to be other there after like 3 interviews so I was done).

 

[DrWookie]

Yeah.

Four years is a long time to spend at a place you potentially hate.

I believe someone in another thread noted that it is 5% of a projected 80 year life.

Four years is a long time to have regrets.

It's funny...people either see that one way or the other.

Some people see it as "only 4 years" and is therefore worth doing even if you aren't happy.

Others however see it as "a long 4 years" that you don't want to have to struggle through unhappy.

 

[otterpop]

I would never apply to a place I wouldn't go to.

Granted, my requirements for being "willing to go there" were very broad at first...but as soon as I realized A. What I wanted and B. What I could get, I withdrew from every school I realized I would never pick. (For me that was basically every school on the East Coast...I realized I just didn't want to be other there after like 3 interviews so I was done).

What's so bad about the East Coast? Just curious.

 

[DrWookie]

What's so bad about the East Coast? Just curious.

I just didn't mesh with it...can't really explain. And I realize I didn't see the whole east coast (Just Boston, DC, NC), but I think it was that plus interviewing at schools on the West Coast that made me realize I would take any school on the west coast over any school on the east coast.

Just a feeling in my gut, and I tend to go with those.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

What's so bad about the East Coast? Just curious.

It's cold, there are hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

It's cold, there are hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes.

Sorry about that my statement was aimed toward everything west. As for the east coast, I guess it's just not as cold. It's never snowed where I've lived my whole life and I like it like that

 

[dw2158]

Sorry about that my statement was aimed toward everything west. As for the east coast, I guess it's just not as cold. It's never snowed where I've lived my whole life and I like it like that

wait, what? it certainly snows on much of the east coast... ever been to new england? or even new jersey?

pianola, thanks for sharing your "antithetical" view. i totally agree. being that miserable during med school would probably affect my productivity and the decisions that i made. also it would just suck, obviously. i'm not applying to any place i cannot picture myself going--and succeeding.

 

[pianola]

I just didn't mesh with it...can't really explain. And I realize I didn't see the whole east coast (Just Boston, DC, NC), but I think it was that plus interviewing at schools on the West Coast that made me realize I would take any school on the west coast over any school on the east coast.

Just a feeling in my gut, and I tend to go with those.

Yeah, being from the East Coast and having lived on the West Coast, I don't think I'll be headed west again unless there are extraordinarily compelling reasons.

I guess it all depends on what you're used to and what you like. Early on in the cycle, I w/d from the only east coast school I applied to.

pianola, thanks for sharing your "antithetical" view. i totally agree. being that miserable during med school would probably affect my productivity and the decisions that i made. also it would just suck, obviously. i'm not applying to any place i cannot picture myself going--and succeeding.

Yeah, that's another really good point.

 

[954 MD]

don't apply somewhere you wouldn't go to. I could have saved myself a bunch of money if I'd followed this advice... haha

I applied to several schools I knew I would absolutely never attend unless it was my only shot at becoming a doctor. Its the uncertainty of the whole application process which prompts us to throw money around (primaries, secondaries and interview costs) as if it were monopoly money.

 

[pianola]

It's the uncertainty of the whole application process which prompts us to throw money around (primaries, secondaries and interview costs) as if it were monopoly money.

Quotable.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

wait, what? it certainly snows on much of the east coast... ever been to new england? or even new jersey?

pianola, thanks for sharing your "antithetical" view. i totally agree. being that miserable during med school would probably affect my productivity and the decisions that i made. also it would just suck, obviously. i'm not applying to any place i cannot picture myself going--and succeeding.

Woops I lied lol. I meant everything I said was directed towards the east in general. As for the east coast I guess it's just gets really cold. I live In California and I've never even seen snow(except for when I'm in the mountains and when I go to reno but that doesn't really count).

 

[TupacalipseT96]

Just apply. I think most people apply to schools they arent very excited about as 'back-ups'.

You would be silly to NOT go to Creighton if they were the only school that accepted you. It might be 4 years of hell in Jesus's cornfields but then you can get back to the real world. That's better than nothing or delaying things another year, imo.

 

[flip26]

Pretty foolish for any applicant to rule out any med school at the pre app stage, particularly a self-described marginal applicant.

But there is no shortage of foolishness in the world.

 

[Ariadne]

Pretty foolish for any applicant to rule out any med school at the pre app stage, particularly a self-described marginal applicant.

But there is no shortage of foolishness in the world.

It's not foolish at all. I don't know of anyone who maxed out the MSAR applying to 100+ schools in the primary app because they didn't wnat to "rule out any med school."

It's about finding balance and deciding what's important to you. Having a sense of what you need and where you need to be in life is not foolish; it shows a good sense of self-awareness and maturity. However, making choices based on uninformed or unrealistic perceptions or ideals is something else entirely...

OP: this is really something only you can answer. For example, I will be applying to my IS school even though I DO NOT want to go back and live in my hometown near my own crazy family. However, I won't be applying to the private school in the city where I currently live, even though I currently work for the medical school and have somewhat of an "in" there. Six years here has taught me it's not where I want to be, medical school or no medical school.

How do you feel about Creighton as a school? That's what made the decision for me, I love my IS school enough to put up with my family/the city to go there if I get accepted.

 

[ButImLETired]

I'm personally a big fan of the idea of adaptation. Human beings are dynamic creatures, and there is a lot to be said for sucking it up once in a while and learning from a new place, even if it's not where you'd love to be. I don't know, sometimes I get a bit frustrated when I read about people never ever wanting to leave *insert warm state here* because aw the rest of America is sooo coold! or *insert big city here* because everywhere else is uncivilized. And God forbid you leave your parents and childhood friends to get your medical education- however will you survive without mommy and daddy to buy your groceries?

I'm exaggerating, obviously, but I've had similar conversations with people in which I had to TRY not to roll my eyes. This is a big country, there are a variety of people everywhere, a little bit of snow won't kill you, and mommy and daddy will come visit occasionally. I just think we're grown-ups and if you have choices, then sure, pick the place you'd be most comfortable in. However, if you don't have choices, suck it up. You'll adapt. You won't be utterly miserable for four years, even if you're among "uncivilized" rural folk or republicans or people who have to wear a coat a few months out of the year. If you've lived/worked at the institutions you're referring to, who knows, maybe you'll find a kindred spirit in your class with whom you'll be able to sit and complain about how poorly-run your school is.

Being a grown-up, as far as I'm concerned, is about adapting to situations and dealing with what you get. Just my .02$. Sorry if I was snarky.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

I'm personally a big fan of the idea of adaptation. Human beings are dynamic creatures, and there is a lot to be said for sucking it up once in a while and learning from a new place, even if it's not where you'd love to be. I don't know, sometimes I get a bit frustrated when I read about people never ever wanting to leave *insert warm state here* because aw the rest of America is sooo coold! or *insert big city here* because everywhere else is uncivilized. And God forbid you leave your parents and childhood friends to get your medical education- however will you survive without mommy and daddy to buy your groceries?

I'm exaggerating, obviously, but I've had similar conversations with people in which I had to TRY not to roll my eyes. This is a big country, there are a variety of people everywhere, a little bit of snow won't kill you, and mommy and daddy will come visit occasionally. I just think we're grown-ups and if you have choices, then sure, pick the place you'd be most comfortable in. However, if you don't have choices, suck it up. You'll adapt. You won't be utterly miserable for four years, even if you're among "uncivilized" rural folk or republicans or people who have to wear a coat a few months out of the year. If you've lived/worked at the institutions you're referring to, who knows, maybe you'll find a kindred spirit in your class with whom you'll be able to sit and complain about how poorly-run your school is.

Being a grown-up, as far as I'm concerned, is about adapting to situations and dealing with what you get. Just my .02$. Sorry if I was snarky.

Hey..., watch where you're rolling those eyes missy. The weather is important. So are mommy and daddy; who else will pay for my things.

 

[drizzt3117]

First of all, I think there's enough medical schools in the country that you can apply to a sufficient amount to not hurt your chances of getting into med school. It's not like Creighton is going to make or break the OPs dream of medical education, there's 20 other med schools that have similar profiles.

Secondly, I don't think anyone is making the argument that the OP wouldn't physically survive spending four years there, just whether they would be happy. I personally think life is too short to spend four years somewhere where you know you wouldn't be happy, but that's just me. I chose to apply where I'd want to go and I still don't feel I applied narrowly enough. The OP probably doesn't have that luxury but they can at least apply to a variety of schools in similar profiles that they might have a chance to choose from. Adding or not adding Creighton is likely not going to make that big a difference in the overall scheme of things. Of course, if they found reasons to not apply to all schools with a similar profile... then that would be different.

 

[ButImLETired]

Hey..., watch where you're rolling those eyes missy. The weather is important. So are mommy and daddy; who else will pay for my things.

alright I'll keep my rolling eyes to myself. Sheesh.


Also, to drizz: my point isn't that you should go where you're miserable. My point is that you don't KNOW you'll be miserable. You can't know. Med school classes are different every year, and loving a place comes far more from loving the people around you than from anything external. I'm not saying go to the school you don't think you'd like. I'm saying apply everywhere you have a good shot, and go to the one you like best of the ones you've gotten into. But if you only get into one, then suck it up. You might like it more than you think you will.

 

[Ariadne]

alright I'll keep my rolling eyes to myself. Sheesh.


Also, to drizz: my point isn't that you should go where you're miserable. My point is that you don't KNOW you'll be miserable. You can't know. Med school classes are different every year, and loving a place comes far more from loving the people around you than from anything external. I'm not saying go to the school you don't think you'd like. I'm saying apply everywhere you have a good shot, and go to the one you like best of the ones you've gotten into. But if you only get into one, then suck it up. You might like it more than you think you will.

Sometimes you can and do know if you'll be miserable, like if you've lived somewhere before (as the OP has). Maybe the school itself can or will overide that, but if that's what you're going with, you better be sure the school is a good match for you before applying.

If just being in medical school is important enough to you to overcome everything else, that's different. But just being in medical school isn't going to be that for everyone...

 

[drizzt3117]

alright I'll keep my rolling eyes to myself. Sheesh.


Also, to drizz: my point isn't that you should go where you're miserable. My point is that you don't KNOW you'll be miserable. You can't know. Med school classes are different every year, and loving a place comes far more from loving the people around you than from anything external. I'm not saying go to the school you don't think you'd like. I'm saying apply everywhere you have a good shot, and go to the one you like best of the ones you've gotten into. But if you only get into one, then suck it up. You might like it more than you think you will.

I don't disagree with you about choices post-acceptance, but I personally withdrew from a school post interview before I had acceptances bc I would rather reapply then go there. I wasn't worried about not getting in anywhere though.

 

[WannaBePreMed]

Sometimes you can and do know if you'll be miserable, like if you've lived somewhere before (as the OP has). Maybe the school itself can or will overide that, but if that's what you're going with, you better be sure the school is a good match for you before applying.

If just being in medical school is important enough to you to overcome everything else, that's different. But just being in medical school isn't going to be that for everyone...

I think what LET is trying to say is be grateful for everything you have and will have. A medical school acceptance is a medical school acceptance is a medical school acceptance, be grateful. You never know, your life and the people in it may surprise you.

 

[flip26]

It's not foolish at all. I don't know of anyone who maxed out the MSAR applying to 100+ schools in the primary app because they didn't wnat to "rule out any med school."

It's about finding balance and deciding what's important to you. Having a sense of what you need and where you need to be in life is not foolish; it shows a good sense of self-awareness and maturity. However, making choices based on uninformed or unrealistic perceptions or ideals is something else entirely...

OP: this is really something only you can answer. For example, I will be applying to my IS school even though I DO NOT want to go back and live in my hometown near my own crazy family. However, I won't be applying to the private school in the city where I currently live, even though I currently work for the medical school and have somewhat of an "in" there. Six years here has taught me it's not where I want to be, medical school or no medical school.

How do you feel about Creighton as a school? That's what made the decision for me, I love my IS school enough to put up with my family/the city to go there if I get accepted.

You missed my point. For marginal applicants, there really aren't that many med schools in the mix. And depending on your state of residency, you may be looking solely at the out of state privates and a few publics as your total target. Creighton is just such a school for all those folks out there with poor stats and no or limited instate options, thus to eliminate it out of hand is foolish, especially since the OP has a "connection" to the area that most people will not have.

The schools where these folks apply can be counted on two hands...maybe just one hand...and Creighton is one of the best ones available to people in this predicament.

The axiom "beggars can't be choosers" is apropo...

 

[Ariadne]

You missed my point. For marginal applicants, there really aren't that many med schools in the mix. And depending on your state of residency, you may be looking solely at the out of state privates and a few publics as your total target. Creighton is just such a school for all those folks out there with poor stats and no or limited instate options, thus to eliminate it out of hand is foolish, especially since the OP has a "connection" to the area that most people will not have.

The schools where these folks apply can be counted on two hands...maybe just one hand...and Creighton is one of the best ones available to people in this predicament.

The axiom "beggars can't be choosers" is apropo...

From your previous post:

Pretty foolish for any applicant to rule out any med school at the pre app stage, particularly a self-described marginal applicant.

it appeared that you were partially referencing any applicant, not the OP (or other applicants in his predicament) specifically. Although I agree with you in regards to marginal applicants, the decision the OP makes is still personal/specific to what's most important to him/her.