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Anyone Else Feeling Lost?


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None of my friends are in the boat I'm in and none are as school-focused so I feel kind of alone in this weird process of applying repeatedly to med school. Now, especially having been rejected ppst-interview and seeing the path ahead of me have at least another year added to it, it's kind of frustrating.

 

It feels as though all the projects I'm involved in and new activites I start are only tangents to the main path...and are only means to an end (some of them anyways). Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing any activity I wouldn't want to but I'm feeling pretty robotic and going-through-the-motions-esque with everything..

Anyone else been there or currently there? It's like I'm just waiting.. It's so bizarre. It wasn't like this last year (rej pre-int).

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I've been in the exact same place for many years, watching friends moving on with their life after university while I was stuck in a perpetual state of reapplying. I applied 5 times and every time the rejection hurt. I kept telling myself that it was the last time I would try, and every year I would throw my application out there again. By gradually improving my application and interview skills every year, I finally achieved the result I wanted and I have no doubt you guys will get there too, just need to have faith in yourself. 

 

Good luck!!

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None of my friends are in the boat I'm in and none are as school-focused so I feel kind of alone in this weird process of applying repeatedly to med school. Now, especially having been rejected ppst-interview and seeing the path ahead of me have at least another year added to it, it's kind of frustrating.

 

It feels as though all the projects I'm involved in and new activites I start are only tangents to the main path...and are only means to an end (some of them anyways). Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing any activity I wouldn't want to but I'm feeling pretty robotic and going-through-the-motions-esque with everything..

Anyone else been there or currently there? It's like I'm just waiting.. It's so bizarre. It wasn't like this last year (rej pre-int).

 

Hey I know exactly what you are feeling.

 

All my close friends throughout undergrad were either in Engineering or Nursing, so they really didn't care about getting a stellar GPA/extracurriculars. After undergrad, they all found jobs and continued to live their life where as I decided to do a master's program.

 

If all the projects that you're involved (new or old) feel tangential, it sounds like you are doing it for the means of getting into medical school. This doesn't mean you don't enjoy these activities, but it just means you don't see yourself doing things related to those activities as a career.

 

My suggestion is to find a job/alternative program/hobby that you can carve out a Plan B career that you'll be happy with settling if you have to. For instance, I had a friend from camp, who was a co-counselor and was a pre-med. When she didn't get into medicine after completing her master's, she's been a camp counsellor for so long, she decided to work for the camp organization at the their head office! She loved it. Did it a few years + other hobbies, got to live in the city, but still travel, and eventually got in.

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Going onto my third cycle and fifth mcat rewrite. Just wanted to reach out to everyone here and say that you are far from alone. Don't give up hope!

 

But I do understand though, that statement is far too redundant nowadays and appears disingenous. We hear it too often that "you will become a great physician someday" or "you just have to keep trying", but then you think to yourself, "you do not have the slightest clue" or "but how can you be so sure?". We also hear "but the fact that you are trying so hard will make you a better, more determined physician in the future", but it gets to a high enough point where you ask "how could so much unnecessary agony justify or make someone a better person?". At what point are we delusional about trying to become physicians?

 

Time and time again I've watched the people close to me move on with their lives, almost effortlessly while I'm stuck here in limbo. You begin to critically review yourself, thinking "what the hell is wrong with me?" or maybe "I just don't have what have it takes" or "some people are just not meant for this". I've always had to try harder than my peers, as I wasn't exactly a smart person...so...

 

But look, we need to be our own therapists. You have a place here. This is your life, and you need to take a hold of it as much as we can. I think we get too wrapped into the mindset of a premed that we forget to look at things objectively, and how much we have actually accomplished. My suggestion is that if you ever do feel robotic or out of place, to look up CBT, or cognitive behavioural therapy, and treat yourself. I try to reflect on my actions in a purely objective light, away from any negative social or personal influences/thoughts. What steps, would I need to take to get to the place where I want to be? Is there really a justified need to be worrying about this thing x? Does it really matter if "person X" got into med school and I didn't? What's the backup here?

 

Just take one step at a day, and from what I've known, everything tends to work out in the end. 2-3 years is nothing when you're older.

 

-Just wanted to add: By no means though, should this replace professional mental health counselling. Please seek help if you really feel like you need it.

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What I hated the most was having to ask your referees year after year.. 

 

I would honestly recommend applying to more schools if possible. Each school looks for something a little different, and you just never know. I applied for U of M and U of S as an OOP this year, not because I thought I had good chances, but because the application itself was only 15 minutes (compared to the hours and hours for OMSAS and UBC). It is another hundred bucks, but it might land you an extra opportunity. 

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What I hated the most was having to ask your referees year after year.. 

 

I would honestly recommend applying to more schools if possible. Each school looks for something a little different, and you just never know. I applied for U of M and U of S as an OOP this year, not because I thought I had good chances, but because the application itself was only 15 minutes (compared to the hours and hours for OMSAS and UBC). It is another hundred bucks, but it might land you an extra opportunity. 

 

I know GPA and MCAT are really important for OOP applications to U of M and U of S. Could you comment on how high you would need to be competitive? The last I researched into these schools was when they were still looking at the old MCAT.

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I know GPA and MCAT are really important for OOP applications to U of M and U of S. Could you comment on how high you would need to be competitive? The last I researched into these schools was when they were still looking at the old MCAT.

 

I used my old MCAT for this cycle so I'm not sure what kind of score would be competitive on the new MCAT. For the old one I had 12/13/14, but my GPA wasn't great. I did a MSc after my Bachelor's. I had an average of 84% for my BSc, and 86% after MSc. Tbh I'm not quite sure how U of M and U of S look at a Master's degree... I'm guessing it helped but then again this was my first time applying to these schools. It's worth a try

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On 5/29/2017 at 8:46 PM, jfdes said:

 

I know GPA and MCAT are really important for OOP applications to U of M and U of S. Could you comment on how high you would need to be competitive? The last I researched into these schools was when they were still looking at the old MCAT.

I think the MCAT requirement would be 518+. I applied with a 517 for 2 consecutive years and couldn't receive an interview.

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