Uncertain future

[filter105]

I was wondering if you or people you know have faced uncertain future, where you were unemployed for more than month when you were not in school (either graduated or decided to take a year off). How did you spend your time staying productive and what kind of attitude did you adopt?

 

I remember back in fourth year, I was so worried about uncertainties... but I heard from a friend that people who were accepted into professional school early on like in their 3rd year (so grad with 3 year degree and started pharm or med) have slightly different outlook in life that those of us that stayed for all 4 year and more.

 

Am really interested to hearing about, so please share

[SheriffLobo]

Honestly, it's all in the attitude. It really, and truly is. I have been uncertain about my future in the past, but I needed that uncertainty, and that fear, to learn the lessons that I needed to learn. My entire life so far has been to compromise on every goal I've had, one, because I was lazy, and two, because the goals I often set for myself were difficult. This has often lead to just a shameless squandering of intellectual ability, due to sheer arrogance and irresponsibility. I always wanted to be a doctor, I hated the fact that I had to work hard to do it, so I would look for compromises, much to my failure.

 

In the past year ever since I decided to pursue a second degree, I tried to find employment, but having failed to do so, filled my time by doing a certification course, an internship with a clinical research organization, taught at a private high school for kids from grades 9 through 12 (through the Ontario high school curriculum), and found a doctor who would not only let me shadow her next summer, but also allow me to help her with some of her research projects at Princess Margaret.

 

The old me would have given up the second I failed to get a job after 30-40 resume submissions and 10 interviews, but I decided to do otherwise, and maximize the time I had to be as productive as possible. I wish I had this attitude during my first undergrad. The friends who I have and have this sort of unwavering drive to reach their goals, are now in extremely successful positions. If they aren't in their residencies, or in a law firm downtown, they're well on their way to being there. Hell, one of my friends is a VP of marketing for Cineplex.

 

I guess the TL;DR version is if you want something, you need to go out and take it, because no one is going to walk up to you and offer it to you on a silver platter. Work hard, and then work hard some more. That's what the difference is between people who get in to medical school in their third year and people like me (well the old me) who take things for granted.

[filter105]

thanks, it was really inspiring I hope more people would share their stories, to kind of cheer for all of us non-trads!!

[war485]

What I do is always try to set and see the path I walk. I don't like uncertainties and when I couldn't get into med school for 2 years now (which I planned on getting into for years) really struck me. No employment, and there wasn't much I could do at the time right after my graduation, so I went travelling a bit with my parents. My parents are important to me and we're really close. We don't get to do much together because I'm always either studying, volunteering or doing something important for the crazy future med apps. Sometimes I regret it, but I'll really regret it if I don't ever get in.

 

Then after travelling, I went right back to school afterwards and took courses that I was really interested in (besides from my BSc). It was mostly math/computer sci but there were a few other odd subjects. There were other non-med related stuff I wanted to do like learning more about electronics. I'm not an engineer but I like some of the stuff they do for fun and who knows, maybe I'll end up being one or something else if med never accepts me.

 

I did not take a whole year off because I can't even stand having one summer of doing nothing productive. Doing nothing will be stabbing my soul & brain.

 

I'm working now as a part-time lab techy but it's not sustainable in the long run. I don't hate or love it, it's just ok. I'm still in school, also part-time but not working towards any particular certificate or degree at the moment. I'm still hanging onto the hope of getting into med this year but realistically, I know I can really only expect 1 interview. I'm prepared to accept the worst: if med never accepts me, I will go do something else in the meantime. I don't want to scare you (or anyone yet, not until I'm bitterly rejected at least for a few more years), but I'm trying to be realistic. I know where my limits stand. And who knows, maybe I will enjoy doing something else other than med. My advice would be explore while you can until you know it's time, but don't take too many years doing that. And if I do get into med *edit* "next year", at least I'll have more to talk about if I'm actually a doc.

[filter105]

will it be too cowardly to go abroad? for the longest time, I had the misconception that people who were not 'good enough' for Canadian med turned to international schools, but that's not the case, some of the most brightest individuals that Canada will be sorry to miss goes for variety of reasons...

 

while I'm anticipating biggest loan for my life going abroad and setting my life course outside Canada, I'm also very confused and with the current situation that I face, sometimes I just want to break down and cry...

 

Thanks for sharing your stories,,,, made me feel little stronger.

 

Hope other people who reads your stories are as inspired as I am!

[Real Beef]

The only certain thing in life, as they say ... who ever "they are" ... is uncertainty and change. So as previous posters have stated your attitude and also actions, I may add, in the face of uncertainty is what defines you and your future.

 

My first application to med was WAY BACK in 2001 after my first degree in Kinesiology ... I was waitlisted at Dalhousie Med. I was a pretty average applicant and was thrilled to be wait listed. I was pretty optimistic that I would get off of the wait list but it never happened. I sometimes think wow if things just worked out I would be a practicing MD now, 10 years later with a few years under my belt or having just completed a 5 year residenceny program. With many friends who got in right away already finishing or finished it leaves a lot of head space for jealousy and sadness or similar if you let it.

 

I let myself wallow in self-despair for a bit ... not too long however ... there were many unknowns particularly between my 1st and 2nd degree as well as the ever growing debt load I was carrying. But let me tell you that staying on a positive path that may never lead to medicine but a good path nonetheless will allow you to be successful nonetheless. I am not trying to brag but staying on this postive good path for the last 10 years without medicine has still led me to a six-figure income, a 3 story brick home filled with nice $h!t, a professional degree, a graduate degree (2 weeks from conferring), a lecturer appointment at the local med school, no debt (used to have $60k student loans) besides a mortgage and so many other positive things (we'll just ignore my divorce for the sake of my positivity ... lol) ... again Im not trying to brag but just demonstrate that medicine or no medicine keeping that obsessed pre-med attitude and applying it long term to attaining a good/successful life can still produce nice results for you and your family.

 

I hope that can help you keep clawing and biting towards a successful future with or without medicine ... remember medicine is not the only way to a happy and prosperous life. Also a life of medicine is not a guarantee to the garden of Eden ... there are plenty of unhappy, broke doctors (poor money management). I just attended a med school faculty advisor training (I am not a faculty advisor, just an occassional lecturer) and they said how there was a very high rate (higher than in the general population) of successful suicide amongst female doctors and an extremely high rate of divorce amongst female doctors, as well as problems with substance abuse amongst medical students and residents (read stress and anxiety issues). So people need to keep their goal of medicine in perspective .... I think as non-traditional applicants we have a more realistic idea of what a life in medicine may be like for us while alot of traditional pre-meds and some non-traditional applicants have unrealitic expectations of life as an MD.

 

Beyond all of that I do sympathize with uncertainty as I felt it to in the past but make sure you set yourself up in a way that you have a plan B, C and D incase Plan A doesnt work out. That way you will feel more certainty with various safety nets being there for you incase the other plans go bust. Good luck.

 

Beef

[Predent2301]

I'm afraid I wont be able to help much but just wanted to share my story since the definition of my life has been summed up in one word - "uncertain"

 

I graduated this past April from UWO having spent 5 years doing a double major in medical science and biology. I started off much like 99% of the students in my first year class, thinking that med school was the only place i wanted to be. However, while going through my undergrad I couldn't really keep up with the some of the more difficult courses (wasn't fast enough in my study methods to take in a lot of material in a short time). Near the end of my undergrad I decided to forget about med and try dental because with my marks dental in america was the next best thing. I applied to dental last year in the US but didn't get in, I reapplied this year and have had only one interview so far. Ive been at home for 6 months now not really doing anything, and if I dont get into dental I really dont know what to do (suggestions would be appreciated).

 

I feel that another option still open to me is med school abroad, but at that thought Im always reminded of how difficult some undergrad courses were and I feel that I wont be able to keep up. I've always kept a positive attitude but its harder to keep this attitude up day by day.

[keepontrying]

If you enjoy the clinical aspect of medicine, try physiotherapy/pharmacy-pharmD. If you enjoy the overall community/population aspect of medicine or diseases, try public health/epidemiology etc. If you enjoy the policy aspect of medicine, try law/MBA/MHA etc. I understand many premeds are high achievers and anything other than medicine seems like a failure, but that's not true. You think dent is the next best thing for you - is it because you just want to get the Dr. title? Like Real Beef said, you gotta have multiple backup plans, and they don't necessarily need to lead to a doctoral designation. And seriously, find something to do even if you aren't working. Join an amateur sports team, do tutoring, whatever. You're gonna go crazy sitting at home thinking about the what-ifs all the time.

[Predent2301]

keepontrying - Thank you for your reply it was very helpful. One comment I must make, and this is something that I have struggled with for a few years now, is that yes you are right premeds are high achievers, and I am no exception to this. Having said this, it burns me inside that many of my premed friends are capable of getting accepted into med school and go through difficult courses while I have been left behind. Anyone else feel this way?

 

Also, yes you are right, I figured dent was the next best thing because it would allow me to get the Dr. title. I figured I couldnt make it in the difficult med courses so i applied to dent, but dental students have to go through all, if not a majority, of the difficult courses that med students go through. I think the problem is I haven't figured out what I really want to do.

[keepontrying]

I think your problem is not just uncertainty of what you want to do, but what you are capable to do. Just because your friends are smarter than you or doing better than you in the more difficult courses doesn't mean you're dumb or not suitable for medicine. That's bad logic. Also, you did a double major and sometimes undergrad courses can be all over the place and it's normal to have trouble cramming all the materials. Medicine, and any other professional programs, is more linear in the course materials and you'll feel like you're building something rather than collecting a bunch of random junk, which was how I felt in undergrad science. You've never taken a med class before - neither have I obviously - and so you can't just assume you'll suck at it. Stay positive!

[Predent2301]

Thank you, I hope what you're saying is true for my sake and everyone else in my situation.

[LostLamb]

Though that isn't my story, what SherirffLobo said is the attitude you have to take. Reflect upon what makes you happy and pursue it, while continuing to work towards getting into medicine or just being productive and happy. I was pretty resigned that I would become a school teacher (and knew I would be happy to do it!) when I finally got accepted.

 

Medicine is no garden path. It's a lot of work. I am still trying to figure out how to approach learning, what to focus my energy on, how to maintain my energy level, and how to figure out what I want to do within medicine! I feel like I know so little, but realistically in two months I suddenly know so much more than I did before I began. It is still a big jumble of info in my head. At the same time, the nice thing about medicine is that it is more than information absorption. Having life experience in general helps with the soft skills, helps with better understanding patients, and I believe makes you a better rounded and more effective physician in the long run. To me, this is what makes medicine so special!!

 

I probably sound like a broken record, but keep on trying to get in as long as you want to pursue this, but don't pursue medicine at the expense of your own happiness. Don't settle, keep bettering yourself, and whatever happens will happen. We each have our own unique path.

 

Honestly, it's all in the attitude. It really, and truly is. I have been uncertain about my future in the past, but I needed that uncertainty, and that fear, to learn the lessons that I needed to learn.

 

...

 

I guess the TL;DR version is if you want something, you need to go out and take it, because no one is going to walk up to you and offer it to you on a silver platter. Work hard, and then work hard some more.

[simpy]

I worked as a swimming pool service technician in California for four years after (almost) finishing my first undergrad. It was an amazing experience.

 

As previous posters have said, just do what you're passionate about. If you're not really sure what you're passionate about, do something way different. Go become a ski bum in Fernie or something.

 

There's no real rush to medicine - don't be a cookie cutter (unless you are in a position where you have to do a second undergrad - do become as traditional as possible if you are going this route). Don't worry about what everyone else is doing, do what YOU want to do.

[Der Kaiser]

Trying to get into medical school in Ontario is uncertain even for excellent applicants. Either you plan on going abroad (U.S. or other places), or you plan on doing something else. There is a question on the NOSM application about what you would do if you could not get into medicine. This is something every premed should think about imho. Think about what you like about medicine and find a profession with those aspects. For instance, I had briefly considered dentistry, but realized that even though it is respectable and pays well, I would not like the day to day of it. Instead I will likely pursue an accelerated nursing degree, since it means I will at least be involved in patient care.

[BIG_HOPES]

This thread made me feel a little bit better about my situation. I never thought I was going get accepted at a Canadian school with my low GPA so I never bothered applying. I applied to the Caribbeans and got in. I was all set and ready to go until I found out that I was not approved for a line of credit. I ended up cancelling my admission and now I am back in school. I also feel very lost. I've come up with some backup plans but I am really scared that I might not get accepted anywhere . I am thinking about doing masters right now and maybe apply to medical school in Canada (although I heard they still look at your undergrad GPA). Damn I wish I had studied harder during undergraduate. My grades did improve in the final years but it is so hard to raise your GPA once you have a bad start.

[DOC_Ma]

This thread made me feel a little bit better about my situation. I never thought I was going get accepted at a Canadian school with my low GPA so I never bothered applying. I applied to the Caribbeans and got in. I was all set and ready to go until I found out that I was not approved for a line of credit. I ended up cancelling my admission and now I am back in school. I also feel very lost. I've come up with some backup plans but I am really scared that I might not get accepted anywhere . I am thinking about doing masters right now and maybe apply to medical school in Canada (although I heard they still look at your undergrad GPA). Damn I wish I had studied harder during undergraduate. My grades did improve in the final years but it is so hard to raise your GPA once you have a bad start.

 

You did yourself a favour for not going to the Caribbean. There's some good reasons for the bank to not lend u money to go down that path. If it's a good business the banks will be begging you to take a loan!

[BIG_HOPES]

You did yourself a favour for not going to the Caribbean. There's some good reasons for the bank to not lend u money to go down that path. If it's a good business the banks will be begging you to take a loan!

 

Actually, its not that hard to get a line of credit for the carrib schools (which are recognized by OSAP) if you have a good cosignor. But ye, it is a risky path nonetheless.