Your Plan B??

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pathophys17

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Hello everyone! Although I've been lurking for a long time, I'm new to posting on this forum. With the close of the '09 cycle coming up and the start of the '10 cycle, I was just wondering what everyone's Plan B is should you not get into medical shcool? I've been told a backup plan is one of most important things to consider but is often overlooked by applicants.

Personally I'm considering going to PA or nursing school, or maybe going for a PhD in something to be able to do research. The latter option isn't as appealing though, since I don't think I could do without the clinician aspect and patient care/interaction. I may apply a second time but I know I can't see myself repeating it twice.
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I don't have a plan B because it'll give me the option for failure, so there's no plan B here :)
 
I dont know your stats...but regardless, why dont you just re-apply?
 
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pathophys17 said:
Hello everyone! Although I've been lurking for a long time, I'm new to posting on this forum. With the close of the '09 cycle coming up and the start of the '10 cycle, I was just wondering what everyone's Plan B is should you not get into medical shcool? I've been told a backup plan is one of most important things to consider but is often overlooked by applicants.

Personally I'm considering going to PA or nursing school, or maybe going for a PhD in something to be able to do research. The latter option isn't as appealing though, since I don't think I could do without the clinician aspect and patient care/interaction. I may apply a second time but I know I can't see myself repeating it twice.
Click to expand...

I've been fortunate enough to have some acceptances, but I definitely had a Plan B. I have a great job at a lab and they would love to keep me on, so I would've worked there during the year, volunteered in a clinical setting, and then reapplied.

From the looks of your MD apps, though, I don't think you'll need to reapply as long as you have a strong MCAT to go with everything else
 
WannaBePreMed said:
I don't have a plan B because it'll give me the option for failure, so there's no plan B here :)
Click to expand...

It's all in your head...nothing wrong with making a list of what you could improve upon if you applied and did not get in. And there are a million non-traditional routes to take if you want t follow your interests for a few years before re-applying.
 
efitzpat said:
I've been fortunate enough to have some acceptances, but I definitely had a Plan B. I have a great job at a lab and they would love to keep me on, so I would've worked there during the year, volunteered in a clinical setting, and then reapplied.

From the looks of your MD apps, though, I don't think you'll need to reapply as long as you have a strong MCAT to go with everything else
Click to expand...

I hope so! And oh yeah I thought about doing that too if I could get a job to stay on at a lab for a year, work on my app & reapply.
 
My plan B is to re-take the mcat and apply again but hopefully, In Jesus Name, I won't have to worry about that. Hope you don't have to either. God bless!
 
My plan B was the same as BD2B: improve the holes in my app and reapply. In the mean time I was going to work as a medical assistant.
 
Plan A:
Undergraduate-------------->application cycle--------------->Medical School

Plan B:
Undergraduate-------------->application cycle--------------->Masters------------->Medical School

Plan B/C:
Undergraduate-------------->application cycle-------------->Deliver babies in Ethiopia/Cure AIDS--------------->Medical School:laugh:
 
jtimmer1 said:
Plan A:
Undergraduate-------------->application cycle--------------->Medical School

Plan B:
Undergraduate-------------->application cycle--------------->Masters------------->Medical School

Plan B/C:
Undergraduate-------------->application cycle-------------->Deliver babies in Ethiopia/Cure AIDS--------------->Medical School:laugh:
Click to expand...

:laugh:No need for a plan D, plan B/C will get you to med school
 
pathophys17 said:
Personally I'm considering going to PA or nursing school, or maybe going for a PhD in something to be able to do research. The latter option isn't as appealing though, since I don't think I could do without the clinician aspect and patient care/interaction. I may apply a second time but I know I can't see myself repeating it twice.
Click to expand...

How does this work? Haven't most application deadlines already past. Between this spring and when you would matriculate at PA/nursing school, how much time off will that be? 1 year or two?
 
Darkshooter326 said:
How does this work? Haven't most application deadlines already past. Between this spring and when you would matriculate at PA/nursing school, how much time off will that be? 1 year or two?
Click to expand...

I haven't applied yet. If I haven't been accepted by next Jan/Feb I can apply in case I'm not accepted to any med schools, and matriculate the following fall. Or I could apply to them while I reapply to med school if I choose to do so. I've also looked into nursing programs that have a "second degree option," that is, you can finish your nursing classes in a year (full year of classes including summer) if you already have a bio degree and have taken the necessary bio prereqs. I think it would be no time off. Someone who knows more about PA programs could verify/refute that.
 
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jtimmer1 said:
Plan A:
Plan B/C:
Undergraduate-------------->application cycle-------------->Deliver babies in Ethiopia/Cure AIDS--------------->Medical School:laugh:
Click to expand...


I dont understand one thing...why does everyone want to cure AIDS, why not cancer? I mean there are more people dying every year from cancer than AIDS for the past 10 years or so...
 
If I hadn't got in there was a business job I was going to take. I'd have worked a few years, saved up cash, filled the holes in my app, and reevaluated my careers plans. Then I would've either reapplied to med school, or went for an MBA.
 
My plan B is reapply.

Plan C is also reapply.

Plan D is grad studies (and probably reapply)
 
DrYoda said:
If I hadn't got in there was a business job I was going to take. I'd have worked a few years, saved up cash, filled the holes in my app, and reevaluated my careers plans. Then I would've either reapplied to med school, or went for an MBA.
Click to expand...

No DABs in my plan! Come on guys don't be shy, you can say it: I'll be a terrible doctor.
 
My plan B was a Phd in applied Genomics (I'm fascinated by Molecular Genetics), and then reapplying.
 
Law School
 
Live at home (to save money) and get a job as a chemist (I'll have a bachelors in chem) and work for a year to pay off my student loans. If my GPA is low, start doing an 'informal post-bac' and take upper level science classes to pad my GPA. If my MCAT is low, study and re-take the MCAT. If I don't get in the second time around, I'll try one more time. If I don't get in after that then there's no point in wasting my time and money. I'll work for another few years in the chemistry industry and either go to graduate school, or get an MBA and try to get into chemical sales, or compeltely out of chemistry (and into business) all together. Or, failing all of that, maybe I'll just say screw it and join the military (as an officer) for some adventure in my life. :)
 
hmmm...I thought this thread was going to be about emergency birth control...
 
//hmmm...I thought this thread was going to be about emergency birth control...


zing baby Zing!
 
pathophys17 said:
Hello everyone! Although I've been lurking for a long time, I'm new to posting on this forum. With the close of the '09 cycle coming up and the start of the '10 cycle, I was just wondering what everyone's Plan B is should you not get into medical shcool? I've been told a backup plan is one of most important things to consider but is often overlooked by applicants.

Personally I'm considering going to PA or nursing school, or maybe going for a PhD in something to be able to do research. The latter option isn't as appealing though, since I don't think I could do without the clinician aspect and patient care/interaction. I may apply a second time but I know I can't see myself repeating it twice.
Click to expand...

apply to the rural medicine program

tho its not really plan B
 
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ChemEngMD said:
hmmm...I thought this thread was going to be about emergency birth control...
Click to expand...

Plan B - Plan B

Plan C - Raise the child

====

But, in all honesty, my med school application plan B is the same as jtimmer's. Master's program. Plan C is abandonment of medical school dreams, then work as a certified diabetes educator. I couldn't go through this process thrice, I don't think.
 
id just go back to architecture. they dont want me i dont want them!
 
my Plan B is to retake the MCAT and reapply. my MCAT score is the clear reason why/if I don't get in somewhere.

for next year during the year, I'm going to study abroad. :D actually, at this point, I'm nearly 100% sure I am going to study abroad regardless of an acceptance this year. if I'm fortunate to be accepted and have the option to defer a year, that's why I'm doing. :thumbup: the reality is, if I am accepted, it'd probably be off a waitlist and I'd not have that option. you obviously cannot turn down a waitlist acceptance.
 
rocketbooster said:
my Plan B is to retake the MCAT and reapply. my MCAT score is the clear reason why/if I don't get in somewhere.

for next year during the year, I'm going to study abroad. :D actually, at this point, I'm nearly 100% sure I am going to study abroad regardless of an acceptance this year. if I'm fortunate to be accepted and have the option to defer a year, that's why I'm doing. :thumbup: the reality is, if I am accepted, it'd probably be off a waitlist and I'd not have that option. you obviously cannot turn down a waitlist acceptance.
Click to expand...

rocketbooster did you apply this year?
 
bluesmd said:
rocketbooster did you apply this year?
Click to expand...

yep. only got 1 interview thus far and receive a decision in March...soo not very likely for this year haha
 
Hi, I'm new to SDN. Don't know what my plan B would be. Re-apply I guess.
 
Hey, thanks DrYoda. The SDN is a little overwhelming in the beginning, but I'm glad to be here.:xf:
 
SDN Newbie! My plan B was to apply for a Masters of Public Health program and then reapply. But thank God I got in!
 
Hah! Well, it's a photo from google/images. So I don't really know, but it sure looks real to me! There are some really strange bunny photos on that site :laugh:
 
bring that thing to your interview, score big time.
 
1500µg levonorgestrel
 
MadEvans said:
Plan B - Plan B

Plan C - Raise the child

====

But, in all honesty, my med school application plan B is the same as jtimmer's. Master's program. Plan C is abandonment of medical school dreams, then work as a certified diabetes educator. I couldn't go through this process thrice, I don't think.
Click to expand...

So what was plan A? ;)
 
step 1: apply DO
step 2: ...
step 3: profit
 
As a preface, I interprete plan B to mean an alternate career plan. What you would rely on after applying and re-applying and re-applying have failed.

To be completely honest, as a freshman I had decided that if medical school wasn't in the cards, I would pursue a career in the cosmetic sciences industry as a nose, or the person who creates new perfume fragrances. It's a bit romantic, haha.

I don't know if I would still do that now. Hopefully, I won't need to resort to any plan B.
 
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