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Now what upsets me a lot is talking to some people who also applied and have them tell me: "Oh, you know, I almost missed the deadline to accept interviews."/"Well, I applied just 'cause but I don't mind either way."/"I don't really care if I get in now, you know? I have this and that to do and I'd rather do those right now."

 

Nothing wrong with having priorities set straight. It upsets me because I am the kind of person who waited until I finished UG and knew I was mentally/physically ready to start med school. The fact that many people who are kind of "meh" about it will get in ahead of people who are really set on getting in is kind of unfortunate. This is especially when the person is a bro/lady-bro (what's a female version of bro?) and they're applying to make mommy and daddy happy and they don't give a single $h1t. But what do I know. Maybe that's just their coping mechanism. Maybe they sleep better at night :P

 

What is this? As others have said it's half a defence mechanism and half feigning confidence in mock bravado. It has nothing to do with priorities. I'd say 99% of people applying, and the same currently attending, have been dead set on medicine for years and have worked very hard for their acceptances. The day they get accepted is one of the happiest of their lives. I can think of no one that has truly lucked their way into a spot. Don't mistake a nonchalant affect for not "deserving" a spot as much as someone else (read: you), since the drive and dedication to get the spot is common to all applicants. This applies to the non-specific "bros" you derisively refer to as well. They worked, and continue to work, just as hard as everyone else to succeed, and like everyone else I've met at the school truly do care. They will be your classmates so you shouldn't already be looking down on people you do not know. If people are doing it for their parents, it is not obvious at all throughout the whole class.

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I think I fall under the category of " I don't really care if I get in now" and it is not  because I am over-confident or don't really care about medicine.  Its mainly because I am doing a project that I am very passionate about, and I also believe that finishing this particular project will equip me with knowledge that would make me a better doctor, as well as more understanding of patients' experiences and a better advocate for them. Right now, I am learning so much and I believe every experience is developing something unique in me.  My goal is to become the best practitioner I can be, and the end goal is not as important to me as the journey towards the goal. 

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I wish they would take things like that into account ^ no offence, but some people (like myself) have so much of our personal life counting on this decision and we don't have any fall backs or other things to go to, simply this decision would be life changing in so many ways I cant even describe here. It's unfair that someone like yourself, who has another project that they are passionate about get in while those of use who are dedicating 100% of our life into this not get one...sorry for the rant 

 

 

I am very passionate about getting in and getting in would change my life in so many ways. Why are you making the assumption that you are showing 100% dedication whereas people like me are not? 

 

 Dr. Walker says that you should have back up plans. Having a back up plan does not make me less worthy of becoming a doctor.  In addition, my back up plan is very relevant to the health care system. I believe my back up plan would allow me to practice medicine ( if I am privileged enough to get in) in a more compassionate and understanding way.  Finally, my back up plan allows me to advocate for the needs of hundreds of Calgarians.  

 

Being a good doctor involves more than getting into med school and learning the basic sciences, it involves a lot of advocacy work and strong understanding of the barriers and challenges that patients face. I am doing other things that are very relevant to the health care, and will continue to work on , and will work more on in the case I am accepted to  medical school, because then I will have a bigger platform to advocate for the needs of the people that I am serving.

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I wish they would take things like that into account ^ no offence, but some people (like myself) have so much of our personal life counting on this decision and we don't have any fall backs or other things to go to, simply this decision would be life changing in so many ways I cant even describe here. It's unfair that someone like yourself, who has another project that they are passionate about get in while those of use who are dedicating 100% of our life into this not get one...sorry for the rant 

 

 

Just because someone has something else for the time being they are just as passionate about as medicine, it doesn't mean that they should just have that instead since they are passionate about both. They work hard, and get to make that decision. Actually, I feel that those who are doing, say a masters or some project post grad are likely the ones you should categorize as dedicating 100%. I for one didn't apply to a masters and instead took a year off for my sanity and MCAT(insanity), but I still believe that I am dedicating 100%

but just in different ways. Back up plans are good though.... Med is my dream, and while I applied to dentistry, I don't think it would stop me from applying to med again if admitted into dent.

 

Also, I have a hard time believing that if End Poverty, for example, were accepted this cycle, they would reject it due to their passion for their project. I'm extremely passionate about relaxing and enjoying this year off; doesn't mean I wouldn't take med in a heart beat  :P.

 

Bottom line is that 99.99% of people interviewed deserve a to be accepted, and I'd say the same for 50% of those rejected pre-interview. 

 

 

I've been in your position before;  and I know how bad you want it. But trust that if you don't make it this year, you'll appreciate what it teaches you, as hard as it is, and it will make you a stronger applicant for the next cycle. We all have our personal lives counting on this decision, and there are always fall backs. They may take longer to come through but there are always options, especially if you are someone who can get an interview into medical school. 

 

 

I really do hope the best for you, and all the great folks on this forum. I hope we'll all hear good news on decision day.  :)

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Just to make it abundantly clear that I fully respect those who are working toward their end goal. I also know that it's not the best to go through this arduous wait by self-validation by disdaining the other. I'm not proud of assuming a lesser deserving for those whose only reason to apply is money or status. I do feel it to be the case, however.

I think that yesican55 and I have more similar constraints. There are varying degrees of prohibitiveness to pursuing other venues. Some may have many eggs to put in lots of baskets. Others may not. It's too hunky-dory to tell people to go live another year of whatever difficult struggle they're going through when they have such a prospect just within reach.

The final point is that getting in is just as important for most, but it may be more pressing for some. Let's not start pointing fingers though. That's really not the point.

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YesIcan55, I totally get your feelings. You made another thread about a bad interview that I also replied to, and I'm sure a lot of us on this forum understands that anxiety and desperation of wanting medical school. But like I said in my reply, you really should think about life beyond medical school. What if you get into medical school and realize you have terminal cancer? What if you get into medical school and slowly become deaf? Or blind? or mute? What will you do if you never get into medical school?

Having the rest of your personal life so dependent on getting into medical school is not healthy. Imagine that getting into medical school is like winning the Tim Horton's "Roll up the Rim":

 

Lots of people want to win a TV in "Roll Up the Rim", but there so many more who don't win. Eventually those cups will run out and many will have to wait until next season of Roll Up the Rim, to try and win something. If you planned your everyday life around winning a TV through Roll up the Rim, you'll be super upset and depressed when you don't win.

 

You need to go into Roll Up the Rim with the mindset that you'll be okay not getting the 70' QHD TV this year. You also need to be okay with your current 32' TV, and be willing to be open minded to the different opportunities to be happier with your 32' TV. If you're always focused on your happiness with a 70' TV, you'll be completely oblivious to the magic of Netflix and the awesomeness "Netflix and Chill" can bring into your life. 

 

My point is this. Right now, all you see is how getting into medical school/winning that 70' TV will make you super happy. While that may be true, getting into medical school is difficult and so is winning a TV through Roll Up the Rim. You need to be open minded and let other things enter your life so that it gives you the chance at happiness separate from medical school. And when you find those other sources of joy in addition to getting into medical school some day, you'll just be that much happier!

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Comments about how you need to find a backup plan and not live life waiting for your med school admission I think are valid, but might be tougher pills to swallow coming from people who have already gotten into med; I'll give my opinion as someone who hasn't gotten in yet. This is my 3rd application cycle. I've been waitlisted the last two years. I've also been unemployed for the last year and a half. I'm old, and because of this I put a lot of pressure on myself since I don't have oodles of time to wait around for an acceptance. Yes, it's really hard to be this close to your goal and not make it. I had to keep looking for other options and landed on something this year that I really like. Of course I still want to get into medicine, but if I don't, I can still picture a fulfilling life outside of medicine. The fact that I didn't approach my interviews this year with an "all or nothing" attitude (unlike previous years) eased a lot of the pressure and I think my interviews went way better because of it. Opportunity knocks when you least expect it.

 

Oh, and sometimes you roll up the rim and get potato wedges. Potato wedges?!? I mean, really!

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If your whole life is revolving around what is essentially winning a lottery, as a reviewer/interviewer that would be a big red flag to me that you're not quite ready for the responsibility of med school just yet. Having a contingency plan in place for a decision that is much more likely than not to go against you shows insight and maturity. Making med school your one and only thing in life, and I'm sorry if this comes across as pejorative, demonstrates a real lack of understanding of how the world works. It's like betting your life savings on a game of roulette and saying that you're more deserving to win than those who didn't. The consequences you ascribe to an unfavourable outcome do not (and should not) have any bearing on your suitability as a candidate.

 

You may really, really want to get into med school but so does everyone else who applied. Many people apply for years and never get in. Failing to formulate a Plan B, I'm sorry to say, does not demonstrate that you are more passionate or committed to medicine. What it shows is a sense of entitlement. As someone who is now in his thirties and has built a life outside of academia, believe me when I say the world owes you absolutely nothing and you always have to plan for things not going your way.

 

tl;dr: Consider other options and don't sit around waiting for med school to come to you. There's a good chance it may not and there's so much more life has to offer.

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I don't believe my verifiers have been contacted. I had similar thoughts to you. With less staffing this year perhaps they are trying to find out who will likely receive offers, and then primarily verifying from that list with less randomization. Or perhaps they are just starting later this year and it will be completely random. Maybe they are just verifying activities that stand out as unusual? Who knows? It's probably best to try not to read into it, as we don't have access to their motivations. And I could keep guessing haha.

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In the previous years, did they check verifiers before or after the interview? They did not contact my verifiers.. is that a bad sign?

 

When is U of C expected to release the results? Is it on May 8th as it says in the calendar? I am worried that I will be at work on this day, and I will be devastated by the results. I am not sure if I will be able to do my work properly on that day.

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I referred to the application timeline, and it says that results will be sent early may. I am not sure what they mean by early May.  U of C is the only medical school that I interviewed at, and it was my first interview.   I don't have high expectations, but would like to know so I plan this particular day accordingly.

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YesICan55, I think you are putting an optimistic spin on what Dr. Walker said. I remember him saying that it's been known to happen, particularly a couple years ago, that the results can come earlier than May. He then proceeded to say, at least in my iteration of the presentation, that it will, in all likelihood, be a week or two into May but certainly much before the deadline of May 30th, which is the cross-country deadline for all schools to have offered their results.

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