Lost (With Updates and Acceptance)

[petermed28]

Post-application update:

 

Guess I was wrong about Queen's! Got my first interview there! Woo hoo!    Thank you all for your support and kind words. I thought I'd missed my opportunity for medicine, but your reassurance and positivity made me stay the course. Even if this interview doesn't pan out, I am infinitely more confident now. Thanks to your guys' nudging, I pushed myself to get involved in a lot of clinical research, which I find I am enjoying so much, and learning so much from. I don't even feel as if I am stuck in limbo (while waiting for applications) because of it.

 

I remember the song I was listening to when I first posted this thread - feeling super lost. Re-listening to it right now, and I can honestly say that the non-trad forums have been the most supportive collection of people ever. I love you all.

 

Congratulations on receiving an interview!! I just wanted to say you have really inspired me to not give up and I wish you all the best with everything 

[rmorelan]

Post-application update:

 

Guess I was wrong about Queen's! Got my first interview there! Woo hoo!    Thank you all for your support and kind words. I thought I'd missed my opportunity for medicine, but your reassurance and positivity made me stay the course. Even if this interview doesn't pan out, I am infinitely more confident now. Thanks to your guys' nudging, I pushed myself to get involved in a lot of clinical research, which I find I am enjoying so much, and learning so much from. I don't even feel as if I am stuck in limbo (while waiting for applications) because of it.

 

I remember the song I was listening to when I first posted this thread - feeling super lost. Re-listening to it right now, and I can honestly say that the non-trad forums have been the most supportive collection of people ever. I love you all.

 

hey congrats - make it count

[Morinphen]

Post-application update:

 

Guess I was wrong about Queen's! Got my first interview there! Woo hoo!    Thank you all for your support and kind words. I thought I'd missed my opportunity for medicine, but your reassurance and positivity made me stay the course. Even if this interview doesn't pan out, I am infinitely more confident now. Thanks to your guys' nudging, I pushed myself to get involved in a lot of clinical research, which I find I am enjoying so much, and learning so much from. I don't even feel as if I am stuck in limbo (while waiting for applications) because of it.

 

I remember the song I was listening to when I first posted this thread - feeling super lost. Re-listening to it right now, and I can honestly say that the non-trad forums have been the most supportive collection of people ever. I love you all.

 

Hey Richard thanks for the kind words of encouragement in my thread good luck!

[RichardDegrasseSagan]

hey congrats - make it count

Hey thanks rmoreland! You're the best. Thank you everyone for your kind words! I am also so glad that I was able to inspire you thegrange! Will update you all in May!!

[rmorelan]

Hey thanks rmoreland! You're the best. Thank you everyone for your kind words! I am also so glad that I was able to inspire you thegrange! Will update you all in May!!

 

looking forward to it

[Borborygmi]

Post-application update:

 

Guess I was wrong about Queen's! Got my first interview there! Woo hoo!    Thank you all for your support and kind words. I thought I'd missed my opportunity for medicine, but your reassurance and positivity made me stay the course. Even if this interview doesn't pan out, I am infinitely more confident now. Thanks to your guys' nudging, I pushed myself to get involved in a lot of clinical research, which I find I am enjoying so much, and learning so much from. I don't even feel as if I am stuck in limbo (while waiting for applications) because of it.

 

I remember the song I was listening to when I first posted this thread - feeling super lost. Re-listening to it right now, and I can honestly say that the non-trad forums have been the most supportive collection of people ever. I love you all.

 

Amazing--congratulations! I love the guts to keep on moving forward. Now destroy that interview. If you step through those doors and present yourself like you have here, I think you can do very well. Be confident! You have good reason to hold your head high on interview day with the amount of work and diligence you've displayed. Best of luck!

[RichardDegrasseSagan]

Holy crap. I can't believe it's been 3 1/2 years since I started this thread! The Queen's interview I had earlier this year didn't pan out and I unfortunately got wait-listed. It was definitely a great learning experience.

 

In the meantime, I've had the pleasure of getting a really cool clinical-research job since then, and I am loving the clinical realm. I also re-did the MCAT and was fortunate enough to get a 519 - 129/129/131/130 (something like 12/12/14/13 on the old). All that hard work really paid off and I am extremely happy with the score! I am also infinitely more confident about this application cycle and have my fingers crossed!

Those who are in their non-trad journeys: I wanted to give you some advice which I think is REALLY important.

• Medicine is not the end of the journey. It's just PART of it. Don't treat medical school like an end-goal. Develop your personality, your hobbies, and your relationships as you try to get into medical school. Once your life gets busy, you won't have as much time to develop these. But if you already have a foundation in place, it will be much easier for you to maintain these personal aspects of your life.
• Work hard, but also enjoy your life right now. Don't feel as if you're stuck in limbo. These are precious moments of your life, and you have an amazing opportunity to really make the most of them. This idea kind of ties in to the above point: start doing things you LIKE. Be your own person! 
• As non-trads, due to different circumstances (low GPA, personal issues etc.), we've got our work cut out for us. We definitely had to work a bit harder in the present due to earlier failures. However, this hard work shouldn't take over your life. Medicine/pre-medicine should NOT define you. Again, be your own person! You probably love medicine. But you also love other things! Work-life balance is absolutely critical. Part of the ABS, in my opinion, is to gauge exactly this. "Do you have a lifestyle that is balanced and sustain the rigors of medicine?" If you've added peripheral commitments that you dislike for the sole purpose of your ABS, maybe think about handing in your resignation! And do things you enjoy. Hate a volunteering gig because it's just all paperwork? Maybe consider removing it. Maybe you like volleyball. Maybe you can replace that volunteer gig with a volleyball league! Or a dance class. Who knows?! Hell, you might even win a championship and it will turn out to be a much more impressive ABS item than the mundane paperwork gig. But what you will DEFINITELY do is have a blast, make new friends, and be more motivated/productive in the commitments that are actually important. 

 

The non-trad forum seems to have some amazing people. You guys are so insanely wise, helpful, and friendly. To those who are still working towards medical school - keep at it! To those who're already in and continue to help others on this forum - thank you so much and I wish you the best! 

[FutureAmazingDoc]

Wow great post. Thanks a lot for cheering us up.  We (non-trads) all are probably in a similar situation; had a lower GPA in undergrad that you can't do anything about, working as hard as you can to get a high MCAT score, and just hoping to get in one day.

 

I also get the feeling at times that maybe medicine is not right for me (I am sure we all do) and whether switching careers is even worth it. There are days when you feel completely lost and hopeless. And then next morning brings a fresh opportunity and you just get up and give it your best shot and seems like nothing can stop you. I get these cyclic feelings a lot. But I know I will make it one day. Take care and have a great day all of you wonderful people out there

[RedLily]

Holy crap. I can't believe it's been 3 1/2 years since I started this thread! The Queen's interview I had earlier this year didn't pan out and I unfortunately got wait-listed. It was definitely a great learning experience.

 

In the meantime, I've had the pleasure of getting a really cool clinical-research job since then, and I am loving the clinical realm. I also re-did the MCAT and was fortunate enough to get a 519 - 129/129/131/130 (something like 12/12/14/13 on the old). All that hard work really paid off and I am extremely happy with the score! I am also infinitely more confident about this application cycle and have my fingers crossed!

 

Those who are in their non-trad journeys: I wanted to give you some advice which I think is REALLY important.

• Medicine is not the end of the journey. It's just PART of it. Don't treat medical school like an end-goal. Develop your personality, your hobbies, and your relationships as you try to get into medical school. Once your life gets busy, you won't have as much time to develop these. But if you already have a foundation in place, it will be much easier for you to maintain these personal aspects of your life.
• Work hard, but also enjoy your life right now. Don't feel as if you're stuck in limbo. These are precious moments of your life, and you have an amazing opportunity to really make the most of them. This idea kind of ties in to the above point: start doing things you LIKE. Be your own person! 
• As non-trads, due to different circumstances (low GPA, personal issues etc.), we've got our work cut out for us. We definitely had to work a bit harder in the present due to earlier failures. However, this hard work shouldn't take over your life. Medicine/pre-medicine should NOT define you. Again, be your own person! You probably love medicine. But you also love other things! Work-life balance is absolutely critical. Part of the ABS, in my opinion, is to gauge exactly this. "Do you have a lifestyle that is balanced and sustain the rigors of medicine?" If you've added peripheral commitments that you dislike for the sole purpose of your ABS, maybe think about handing in your resignation! And do things you enjoy. Hate a volunteering gig because it's just all paperwork? Maybe consider removing it. Maybe you like volleyball. Maybe you can replace that volunteer gig with a volleyball league! Or a dance class. Who knows?! Hell, you might even win a championship and it will turn out to be a much more impressive ABS item than the mundane paperwork gig. But what you will DEFINITELY do is have a blast, make new friends, and be more motivated/productive in the commitments that are actually important. 

 

The non-trad forum seems to have some amazing people. You guys are so insanely wise, helpful, and friendly. To those who are still working towards medical school - keep at it! To those who're already in and continue to help others on this forum - thank you so much and I wish you the best! 

 

Great post, and a really great attitude to have It really is all a journey, not just a destination. It took me many cycles to eventually be accepted, and I tried to start seeing each year after a rejection as a year of experiences and opportunities that I was able to have because of that rejection. For example I moved to a different city in the midst of application cycles and got to reconnect with an old friend- I don't know if that would have happened had I been accepted my first cycle So while rejections can feel so discouraging, if you have the means and will to keep trying, go for it and try to enjoy the journey

[Morinphen]

Holy crap. I can't believe it's been 3 1/2 years since I started this thread! The Queen's interview I had earlier this year didn't pan out and I unfortunately got wait-listed. It was definitely a great learning experience.

 

In the meantime, I've had the pleasure of getting a really cool clinical-research job since then, and I am loving the clinical realm. I also re-did the MCAT and was fortunate enough to get a 519 - 129/129/131/130 (something like 12/12/14/13 on the old). All that hard work really paid off and I am extremely happy with the score! I am also infinitely more confident about this application cycle and have my fingers crossed!

 

Those who are in their non-trad journeys: I wanted to give you some advice which I think is REALLY important.

• Medicine is not the end of the journey. It's just PART of it. Don't treat medical school like an end-goal. Develop your personality, your hobbies, and your relationships as you try to get into medical school. Once your life gets busy, you won't have as much time to develop these. But if you already have a foundation in place, it will be much easier for you to maintain these personal aspects of your life.
• Work hard, but also enjoy your life right now. Don't feel as if you're stuck in limbo. These are precious moments of your life, and you have an amazing opportunity to really make the most of them. This idea kind of ties in to the above point: start doing things you LIKE. Be your own person! 
• As non-trads, due to different circumstances (low GPA, personal issues etc.), we've got our work cut out for us. We definitely had to work a bit harder in the present due to earlier failures. However, this hard work shouldn't take over your life. Medicine/pre-medicine should NOT define you. Again, be your own person! You probably love medicine. But you also love other things! Work-life balance is absolutely critical. Part of the ABS, in my opinion, is to gauge exactly this. "Do you have a lifestyle that is balanced and sustain the rigors of medicine?" If you've added peripheral commitments that you dislike for the sole purpose of your ABS, maybe think about handing in your resignation! And do things you enjoy. Hate a volunteering gig because it's just all paperwork? Maybe consider removing it. Maybe you like volleyball. Maybe you can replace that volunteer gig with a volleyball league! Or a dance class. Who knows?! Hell, you might even win a championship and it will turn out to be a much more impressive ABS item than the mundane paperwork gig. But what you will DEFINITELY do is have a blast, make new friends, and be more motivated/productive in the commitments that are actually important. 

 

The non-trad forum seems to have some amazing people. You guys are so insanely wise, helpful, and friendly. To those who are still working towards medical school - keep at it! To those who're already in and continue to help others on this forum - thank you so much and I wish you the best! 

 

Hey Richard, AMAZING job on your new MCAT score, I remember your posts from last year. What an inspiration

[RichardDegrasseSagan]

Holy smokes guys, somehow landed a Mac interview! It's kind of JUST hitting me now, after a busy day. Stoked!

 

Pretty unbelievable that after having gotten two 125s in CARS last summer, I was having doubts where I thought 'come on dude, a 3.61 cGPA for Mac and 125 in CARS? Don't even bother with Mac'.

 

But I busted ass to bump my MCAT up (including 129 CARS) and somehow was lucky enough to recieve an invite!

 

Moral of the story guys: keep trying hard because you never know how things may turn out! I am DEFINITELY going to prep my hardest to kill this interview!!

[MSWschnoodle]

Holy smokes guys, somehow landed a Mac interview! It's kind of JUST hitting me now, after a busy day. Stoked!

 

Pretty unbelievable that after having gotten two 125s in CARS last summer, I was having doubts where I thought 'come on dude, a 3.61 cGPA for Mac and 125 in CARS? Don't even bother with Mac'.

 

But I busted ass to bump my MCAT up (including 129 CARS) and somehow was lucky enough to recieve an invite!

 

Moral of the story guys: keep trying hard because you never know how things may turn out! I am DEFINITELY going to prep my hardest to kill this interview!!

 

 

 

This thread is the best thing. I'm really happy to hear you got an interview at Mac! If you can show them the kind of relentless dedication and determination you have shown in this post I am sure you will leave a great impression. I know you said your interview at Queen's didn't pan out last year... but if you got waitlisted that's huge! You obviously have the ability to impress in your interview and I have no doubt you will do even better this year now that you have had an interview experience. 

 

I am not sure what schools you applied to this year, but my fingers are crossed for you and I hope you really enjoy the interview process - there will be a party on PM101 the day you finally get the news you have been working so hard for :-D

[malbakri]

Holy smokes guys, somehow landed a Mac interview! It's kind of JUST hitting me now, after a busy day. Stoked!

 

Pretty unbelievable that after having gotten two 125s in CARS last summer, I was having doubts where I thought 'come on dude, a 3.61 cGPA for Mac and 125 in CARS? Don't even bother with Mac'.

 

But I busted ass to bump my MCAT up (including 129 CARS) and somehow was lucky enough to recieve an invite!

 

Moral of the story guys: keep trying hard because you never know how things may turn out! I am DEFINITELY going to prep my hardest to kill this interview!!

That's amazing!!!! Good luck, and I'm sending positive vibes to you. I really hope it goes well for you, you truly deserve it if you've been able to persistent. 

[RichardDegrasseSagan]

This thread is the best thing. I'm really happy to hear you got an interview at Mac! If you can show them the kind of relentless dedication and determination you have shown in this post I am sure you will leave a great impression. I know you said your interview at Queen's didn't pan out last year... but if you got waitlisted that's huge! You obviously have the ability to impress in your interview and I have no doubt you will do even better this year now that you have had an interview experience.

 

I am not sure what schools you applied to this year, but my fingers are crossed for you and I hope you really enjoy the interview process - there will be a party on PM101 the day you finally get the news you have been working so hard for :-D

Us nontrads should totally have a get-together for drinks where we can all discuss our back pain and how all the other premeds look so damn young. I've gone full grandpa.

[MSWschnoodle]

Us nontrads should totally have a get-together for drinks where we can all discuss our back pain and how all the other premeds look so damn young. I've gone full grandpa at 27.

 

 

If you get an interview at U of C let me know and I'll round up some non-trads for the interview social :-D

[RichardDegrasseSagan]

Still pretty shocked. It feels surreal to have been invited for an interview by 4/4 schools so far (Queen's, Western, Ottawa, and Mac)! Still waiting on my last school - UofT (but not holding my breath ). Much of the guidance I received in navigating my journey to medicine came from these forums. I really feel like this place is a great equalizer - those who aren't fortunate enough to have friends/family within the system are not severely disadvantaged. We get a diversity in our applicants rather than a socially reproduced homogeneous pool. And I realize how important this forum is in contributing to that. So I will try my best to continue this trend of guidance and support. Thank you all for all the support and guidance you provided me with. I will still be around these parts, but definitely hope to update this thread with good news in May! 

[Sauna]

Still pretty shocked. It feels surreal to have been invited for an interview by 4/4 schools so far (Queen's, Western, Ottawa, and Mac)! Still waiting on my last school - UofT (but not holding my breath ). Much of the guidance I received in navigating my journey to medicine came from these forums. I really feel like this place is a great equalizer - those who aren't fortunate enough to have friends/family within the system are not severely disadvantaged. We get a diversity in our applicants rather than a socially reproduced homogeneous pool. And I realize how important this forum is in contributing to that. So I will try my best to continue this trend of guidance and support. Thank you all for all the support and guidance you provided me with. I will still be around these parts, but definitely hope to update this thread with good news in May!

You are awesome man! Keep up the great work, I'm rooting for you!

[W0lfgang]

Strong work Richard.  You're an inspiration!

[rmorelan]

Still pretty shocked. It feels surreal to have been invited for an interview by 4/4 schools so far (Queen's, Western, Ottawa, and Mac)! Still waiting on my last school - UofT (but not holding my breath ). Much of the guidance I received in navigating my journey to medicine came from these forums. I really feel like this place is a great equalizer - those who aren't fortunate enough to have friends/family within the system are not severely disadvantaged. We get a diversity in our applicants rather than a socially reproduced homogeneous pool. And I realize how important this forum is in contributing to that. So I will try my best to continue this trend of guidance and support. Thank you all for all the support and guidance you provided me with. I will still be around these parts, but definitely hope to update this thread with good news in May! 

 

congrats! Make those interviews count  

[Artier]

Hey, I remember you from the Queen's waitlist thread last year! So glad to see things have worked out this well for you!! I hope you get the news you are looking for in May this time around (and perhaps see you at Queen's  )!

[Harvestpro]

Nvm, I got my answer in another post congrats!

[aspiringdoctor14]

I just discovered this thread while browsing around this forum and holy smokes! You really have gone through so much Richard. 

This thread is kinda like a "Time Capsule" for you and it really shows dedication and perseverance through all of the obstacles that life throws at you.

This is very motivational!

 

I wish you all the best and keep pushing for your dreams! 

[NRE]

Great work Richard and all the very best! I'm just discovering your thread/story now. I interviewed at Mac this cycle as well. I would have sent you good vibes. I hope everything works out fantastic for you. 

[MD4DM44]

I am finishing up my second degree and finding this thread has provided me with much inspiration to finish out my final exams strong! Thank you for posting this and I hope to hear good news about your app this cycle!!

[HoopDreams]

Richard, non-trad halfway into my 2nd degree.

 

1- thank you for the motivation!

 

2- you the real mvp! kill the interviews.