Downfall

Sorry I should've clarified in my post that I don't plan on making it my personal statement, but rather just include it in apps that ask whether I feel like my academics/ECs were limited due to external conditions.

Hello, I'm looking for some advice. I'm applying to canadian schools this year and have an issue with whether I should include some health issues I've been going through in the last few years - that have prevented me from pursuing more work, ECs, and which ultimately led me to take more time studying for the MCAT. I've had heart palpitations, extreme fatigue, insomnia, and brainfog for the last 4-5 years. Anytime I visited a doctor, blood results would come back normal and the docs never found anything wrong with me. I just accepted that docs here wouldn't be able to treat me. It got out of hand this past year and I got extremely ill a few months ago and my parents and relatives convinced me to get treatment from my home country. I was always hesitant because they use a different form of medicine in my home country (basically herbal meds), but I had endured enough and just decided why not try. These meds have helped me tremendously and I am finally able to live a healthy and normal life. I no longer have days where it feels impossible to get out of bed or times when I feel like my heart may stop working and I may drop dead. I can focus a lot more and I'm overall happy - I feel like a completely new person and I regret not choosing this route years ago - it would've saved a lot of stress. I want to let med schools know that it wasn't laziness that prevented me from not pursuing more acitivies, but it was a sickness that I had. The only problem is I can't really prove I ever had a sickness. Docs back in my home country (India) just treat you without providing an official diagnosis - and I cant get proof of any medical condition from them because of the nature of their treatment. And even if I did, I think med schools here would look at it as a red flag because it differs from western medicine. So I'm in a dilemma. The last thing I want schools red flagging me because it seems like I'm making excuses for my app not being the best representation of myself. I'm wondering if its even worth mentioning it or not. What should I do? I feel like the last few years of my life have been so stressful and full of pain. Getting into med school here in canada is tough, and my ECs are honestly not the best. Luckily I have decent stats so I don't have to re-do undergrad or retake the mcat.

Interested, please DM me where I can join!

cool I'll check it out, and good luck with your upcoming exam. I hope its the last one you'll need to take! I recently bought the NextStep 101 passages and I'm gonna try to get through some of it before AAMC

did you do it? I have like a month and 10 days till my MCAT exam and I'm not sure whether I should go through it or just stick with my current strat

pretty sure you get 5 attempts at exams so if anyone has already bought NextStep exams and is looking to sell me them (I'd love to share), please PM me! Looking for only 4 exams but just message with whatever you have

If anyone is looking to share, PM me too. looking for like 4 exams

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thanks, i'm gonna stick with 1028/1029. I'm a little worried about Calc 1000 even though I'm pretty good at calc imo. Have you by any chance had Miransky or Yu? This is my last class I need to finalize. Also, would you mind looking at my schedule and giving some feedback? https://gyazo.com/4eecbf761a7cf5850345bc60b301d397

yo, thanks! I was stressing when I saw terrible reviews on ratemyprof lol. I have 1028 with Poepping and 1029 with Mittler. Any advice for Mittler? Also, did you take calc 1301B? Should I take it or 1201B? I have 1301B with Reid, but I have calc 1000A with Yu and his reivews look terrible.

ah :/ I think i'll just work hard and try to get a good grade in 1028. thanks

Hey, incoming first year med sci student here. I've done hs physics and am fairly decent at it (got 90% this year), but I'm unsure on which one to take. I planned on taking 1028 since I probably won't be needing physics in the future, but I noticed Zinke (is that his name?) no longer teaches 1028A physics. Poepping will be teaching 1028A this year, while Jones and Soddu will be teaching 1301A. 1028A and 1029B best fits my schedule, but I'm apprehensive to take a harder prof/class for no reason. Mittler would be teaching 1029B, while Cami or Wong will be teaching 1302B. All of their reviews don't seem to sound the best, but I guess that's expected for any science course. Can anybody please suggest which classes to take, which will help me best prepare for the MCAT, and get the best possible mark? Forgot to add that I mostly just self-study things from the textbook. Exactly what I did in physics, chem, and calc. this year. I don't mind having the worst teacher as long as their tests are fair and the textbook problems are a good source to succeed with.