So i'm losing hope in my med school aspirations

[Guest cheetahesque]

I know I keep hearing "never give up" etc etc. but I'm beginning to think after a disastrous 2nd year, even my recently completed 3rd year can't dig myself outta this. I think I'll end up with a B/B+ overall average which is probably not good enough to get into med school.

 

So my question is, suggestions for alternatives? Other than a career of research, which I'm contemplating.

[Guest Chowchilla]

you could try to atone by doing a fifth year.

[Guest FungManX]

From you other posts (in the UBC thread), I assume your attending UBC right now.

 

If you actually check out the statistics, there are quite a lot of ppl that made it in with 75-80% avgs, so just try and boost up your ec's and prepare for well for the interview!

[Guest Jochi1543]

Well, why do you think you`ve been underperforming? Family stress, living alone, taking too many tough classes in one term, your particular school is unfit for you? Maybe you just need to alter your lifestyle a bit, change up your study habits, or maybe even transfer to a school with a different learning atmosphere (e.g. move from a large university with 300 people per class to a small private college with 30 people per class).

[Guest Sunmoonandstar]

I'm with Chowchilla on this one. Doing a fifth year still leaves you a competitive applicant for many schools. Plus, you get to take a bunch of courses that just sound like fun. You might even get better references by spending some time volunteering/working. Make sure that you're taking mostly upper year courses though.

[Guest Gem2005]

hi

[Guest Gem2005]

Hi, I would look at the bigger picture. Think 10 years from now,will you regret not having done an extra year or two, to get to do what you really like, versus finishing sooner, and working at something you dont like as much and you would be doing until you retire. I find we all want to get to our goal right away, but if things do not turn out "perfectly", then a couple of years more as a student wont stand out as much in all the routine years we will be working on later .

 

I agree with the others, do a fifth year or a two year masters in something you like, boost your gpa and do volunteer, ec. But what would help is to do all this in areas you like.

 

GEM

[Guest Braveheart]

cheetahesque,

 

I think the biggest thing you need to do right now is do some soul-seaching as to why you are interested in becoming a doctor. You have to think is this the type of job and lifestyle that you really see yourself doing for the rest of your life. The reason why I say this is because if you really want to be a doctor, you CAN be it as long as you are persisitent. I know what you're saying, it's such a cliche when people say keep going and never give up on a dream... but it really is true. From all the med school hopefuls I know, the only people who never become doctors are those who either give up on themselves or who change profession interests because they realize that they weren't as interested going into it as much as they had originally thought. I know of many different people out there who had tried 3-5 times and it wasn't until their fifth time when they eventually made it in.

 

I'm not sure how your grades are but if you really want to be a doctor and are willing to do anything to become one, you can always try med schools overseas where your grades aren't as important in the admission process. However, there are obvious negatives to going to a different country to do med school- ie cost, far from home, you may not be able to come back and practice as a doctor in Canada, etc. That's when you gotta consider why you are interested in being a doctor and whether or not you are willing to make those sacrifices in your life. I was pretty near giving up on my med school aspirations as well but I didn't. I even applied to several US med schools knowing that if I did go there to do my MD, I would be in $250,000 debt when I was done.... but I still applied because I really couldn't see myself doing anything else. The last thing you want to do is regret doing something that you didn't keep going for so don't sell yourself short if you REALLY REALLY want to be a doctor. If you TRULY do change profession interests then, without regrets, move on to something different.

[Guest CoconutSmasher]

Hey,

 

I echo the sentiments of Braveheart. I'm not sure, but it sounds like he is a med student already. Great advice, but if you're still not convinced...

 

I did all the things that were suggested. I will be 35 next week and will be applying to med school in 2 years!! Lots of hurdles have been overcome to get here and more to get in. But it is what I WANT to do with my life. Look at it this way:

 

You don't have to be a genius to go to med school; you just can't be an idiot.

 

You don't have to be brilliantly dextrous to be a surgeon; but you can't be a clumsy fool.

 

You don't have to have a perfects, "step by step" life to be a competetive med school applicant; but you can't be a waffler...you have to be a sincere person who wants to be a doctor.

 

Life is a great thing. It is endless in opportunity. You just have to learn along the way. Just look in the mirror and be honest. All sorts of people have become doctors, and many have had some difficulty getting there.

 

Make an informed honest decision and then Smash the Coconut!!

Peace,

Stuart

[Guest Braveheart]

Hey,

 

CoconutSmasher is right! Like he/ she said, you DON'T have to be perfect to get into med school... I think that is a mistake many people make. I find people like CoconutSmasher to be very inspirational... people who make it into med school past their twenties. The thing is people who keep trying and trying or who get into med school later in life really appreciate it that much more.

 

As for me, I'm actually not in med school yet. The reason why I was able to say all those things in my previous post was because I have gone through ALOT in my endeavor to be a doctor. But the thing is, because I've gone through so much in my life, I will appreciate medicine that much more. This year is actually my third time applying to med school and though the previous 2 years I have been unsuccessful at even getting an interview, this year I have been blessed with 3 and really think that this is finally the year it works out for me.

 

I tell you, applying to med school is no easy task, there will be alot of bumps and bruises along the way. But the thing is, had I made it into med school on my first try, I would have missed out on so many experiences that I have since acquired. So don't give up if you really want it. Sometimes life gives you these little troubles to make you learn and become a better person.

 

So Keep Going If You Really Want It!

 

There is an excellent doctor in Calgary right now and something that I heard one of his workers say was that it took the doctor 4 tries to make it into med school. The doctor had said that if he didn't make it in, he was considering a career change but because he did make it, he didn't have to resort to plan B. Well, it was a good thing that it didn't come down to that because honestly if he wasn't a doctor, this world would definitely miss out on a very dedicated and well-respected doctor. Something to think about.

[Guest satsumargirl]

"But the thing is, had I made it into med school on my first try, I would have missed out on so many experiences that I have since acquired."

 

Hello,

 

I just wanted to comment on the above. I absolutely agree with this. I applied to med school this year for the first time, after 1 undergrad, 2 grad degrees, and a professional career. I enver applied to med school before because I was never convinced I wanted the lifestyle and also because I had so many questions that I wanted to try and answer for myself that I couldn't have done in med school (hence the 2 grad degrees).

 

Now I have applied to med school and other people (you know the ones that think you care about what they think you should do with your life!) seem to think I wasted my time with other endeavours. They think I should have just applied to med school in the first place. Well, I have learned SO much not only in academics but just about life in general. These experiences will help make me a better physician (if I get in) than I would have been if I had applied 5 or seven years ago.

 

Life really is abou the journey and not the destination. Find something interesting to do that you enjoy if you don't get in this year. You won't regret it.

 

Sats

[Guest cheetahesque]

Thank you for all your comments. This was something I've been thinking about for a really long time now. I think I've just lived up with the pressure of trying live up to everyone's expectations, especially my own, and I really need to sit down and re-evaluate what I want.

 

I know I genuinely find science interesting and will probably pursue some aspect of it later in life but I also have an avid interest in the arts so I believe some soul-searching is in order. I just see some people with definite goals and in comparison, I think I feel a little...lost at the moment.

[Guest Braveheart]

Yes, just do what makes YOU happy. I know of a few people who just try to meet everyone else's expectations except their own and they end up miserable. Do what's best for YOU.

 

Arts eh? That sounds pretty interesting! Best of Luck in what you ultimately decide. Don't worry, you're not lost it's just that you haven't done any soul searching yet. The people you see who have very definite goals are usually the ones who have already done the soul searching... people are usually surprised by how determined I am in becoming a doctor. It was something that I thought about for a long time and couldn't see myself doing anything else.

[Guest gwlite]

however cliched it sounds.... don't give up if that's what you really want. i tell myself that all the time... and you aren't alone in what you're feeling..... many, if not most, of us are going through grades problems.... try to put some work into your grades and hopefullly it will get better.......

[Guest Braveheart]

Ummm... something just happened to me today that makes my previous messages more relevant. I actually just got a phone call today saying that I made it into med school. I've been applying for 3 years and finally made it in today (previous application years I didn't even get ONE interview). So I tell you, if you really want it enough and are really interested in it, you can get in.

[Guest Hal9000]

Wow. Congrats, BH! That's awesome. How old are you and how does it feel to be accepted?

[Guest chenzy]

Congrats Braveheart! I've had quite a similar experience with med school admissions. I just got accepted from Calgary today as well... after my third try! I had not received any interviews at any schools previously either. Persistence pays off and I think I am going to appreciate med school that much more!

[Guest CoconutSmasher]

Braveheart,

 

Fantastic!!! I will remember your posts as I start the process to becoming a doctor. Best of luck in med school. And hey, I hope you sat in a corner and cried for 10 minutes after receiving the new...I know that I will:D

 

Peace,

Stuart

[Guest Braveheart]

Thanks Everyone for those nice messages!

 

As for a little background about myself, I am 24 right now and have been out of school for coming up 3 years. Now the reason why I was able to say all the things that I did before was because I really did go through alot of hardships to get to where I am at right now. Just a little sample: I wrote the MCAT 3 times, applied to 4 medical schools one year, 6 medical schools the following year, and 7 medical schools this year. In the first 2 years of applying, it was majorly depressing. Not only had a not received a single interview but a very important person that I needed a reference letter from(whom I had worked almost 2 years for) I later found out was completely unsupportive in me going into med school. He didn't want me to leave as his employee and though he had agreed to write a reference letter for me, he accidentally did a Freudian slip after all my interview rejections. So I had to start from scratch and look for new work but it was difficult because I didn't know who I could believe in anymore... my previous supervisor acted like he was supportive but was a complete jerk. Well, I left and did eventually find a new job and met some of the nicest most supportive people ever! Everyone at the new place were so supportive and most especially the supervisor. It was amazing... I didn't know that there were such people out there (especially after finishing my science degree where there was always a feeling of competitiveness amongst my peers).

 

Well, so I applied to med school again but like many of you had mentioned about grades, there was one class that was holding me back. I had taken the class in undergrad and didn't do particularly well in it but now that I was done school, I didn't have any following years to try to bring up that mark. However, I spoke with some med schools and what they said was that if I took a higher level of that class and did better, then they would take my new higher grade. But this class has ALWAYS been my worst subject and there was no way that I thought I could get a higher grade, especially being out of school for so long, I was afraid I forgot how to study. Well, I kept thinking, if I really want to be a doctor, then I would do anything to get into it even if it meant that I had to work full-time at my new job, take the one higher level of my most dreaded subject in university and continue my volunteering commitments at 4 different areas (not to mention that it was the same time that I was filling out 7 med school applications... and if any of you have done those yet, you'll realize that they take forever). So that's what I did and it worked out.

 

Now there are more things I could say but I think I've put enough to make you all understand how much work I put into this.

 

As for how I felt when I heard that I was accepted... I was SUPER HAPPY. Surprisingly, I didn't cry... I thought I would have but I didn't. I think it just felt so surreal, like it wasn't happening to me. For me, I actually felt more happy getting the interview invites than actually getting accepted (and I don't want to sound unappreciative as well but the school that accepted me was not my number one choice... I still waiting for that one... ask me again if they do take me... but I'm still happy to know that this chapter in my life is finally coming to a close and that I can continue to move on with my life).

 

Hopefully my story can help inspire some of you who have lost hope to keep going. To me, it is sad to know people give up on themselves and their dreams when all they really need to do is keep going at it. I tell you, it was NOT easy but man, when you do get it, it's well worth the journey!

[Guest kellyl20]

what about doing 2 years of further education to get a second degree in teaching. How would this be looked upon?