filter105 Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hello, It's been a while, being a non-trad grad, with no real perspective in life and future...until medschool.... is really depressing, especially so if you are short on cash, so I ask you this, because my morose spirit seems to affect my writing and my facial expression alot,,,, how do you keep yourself positive/motivated when you had so many no in your life and don't have any friends or significant someone you can talk to? I want to be like cerena who seems so positive all the time and other normal pre-meds but i think I'm just a really depressing person...how do I change this? anyone ever had a problem like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RN-MD Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hello, It's been a while, being a non-trad grad, with no real perspective in life and future...until medschool.... is really depressing, especially so if you are short on cash, so I ask you this, because my morose spirit seems to affect my writing and my facial expression alot,,,, how do you keep yourself positive/motivated when you had so many no in your life and don't have any friends or significant someone you can talk to? I want to be like cerena who seems so positive all the time and other normal pre-meds but i think I'm just a really depressing person...how do I change this? anyone ever had a problem like that? Well you are absolutely not alone in this, the process of applying to medical school is incredibly stressful and difficult for people in the traditional approach and us non-trads have even more hurdles to overcome. I know this is going to sound really corny, because it is, but in my experience working with people who are ill or dying- one of their common regrets is that they didnt let themselves be happy enough. I think that this is when I realized that you can choose to be happy, even if other people would look at what you are going through and wonder why you are still smiling through it. Here are my top tips for choosing happiness: 1.) find a picture of you, or of anything that makes you really happy... tape it on to your bathroom mirror so you can look at it every morning and night and be reminded of something that makes you happy- and gives you something to work towards-if you dont like the picture idea you can use a quote or inspirational post its (this really helped me through the MCAT) 2.) after every day sit down and find one good thing about it, even if it was really little- even if it wasnt that great, just think of the highlight and remember that nothing is ALL bad 3.) think about something you can do to make yourself happy, if its volunteering, taking a free fitness class, taking up a hobby, or maybe something silly like cleaning up a room in your house, or clearing up a to-do list. Honestly I have had some anxiety when going through this whole process, but thats a good thing, because it means that I want this. If your worried then it must mean you want this too- so your one step ahead of a lot of people- you know what you want to do with your life. If you werent worried or stressed or depressed at some point in this process then you must be superhuman/or doing some serious meditation/ or possibly have a 4.0-45T- and a trust fund This thread is filled with people overcoming some serious hurdles to get to their goal of practicing medicine, and if they can do it, then you can do it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 I agree with everything you said. And although this may sound corny, try to do something every day to make someone happy no matter how small it may be, e.g., saying good morning with a smile to a janitor, to someone who other people won't even notice for example. I have found that doing something positive for someone else is also postive for me. I used to help out a wheeelchair bound neighbour who was a failed double organ transplant, a junior diabetic & on dialysis, who regularly had to be taken by ambulance to the ER. I did her groceries, picked up her mail downstairs in the apt building, threw out her garbage, took her for wheeled walks to smell the flowers and see the children play, helped her naviga te the bath tub ledge to shower. And we chatted. For this inspirational lady, the glass wasnever half empty, it was overflowing, she was a joy and died from a diabetic coma way too early for the sake of not having a glass of orange juice next to her. She never was depressed and inspired others. So, attitude plays a big role. Someone close to me applied to over 40 positions and received one acceptance which she didn't take. As a result, other door opened to her and she was soo lucky for these rejections! Just be positive, every day is a new day, you are healthy and hang in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Real Beef Posted January 18, 2012 Report Share Posted January 18, 2012 Hello, It's been a while, being a non-trad grad, with no real perspective in life and future...until medschool.... is really depressing, especially so if you are short on cash, so I ask you this, because my morose spirit seems to affect my writing and my facial expression alot,,,, how do you keep yourself positive/motivated when you had so many no in your life and don't have any friends or significant someone you can talk to? I want to be like cerena who seems so positive all the time and other normal pre-meds but i think I'm just a really depressing person...how do I change this? anyone ever had a problem like that? One thing I always preach and may be evident from my other posts is that med school or the romantic idea of med school can not be the only thing that brings happiness to you. You will need to find, perhaps search hard for other activities or people or in your life that bring you joy. Being joyless, depressed and down comes out in all aspects of your life .... if you act this way people will want to be around you less, you will be more desperate and nervous at your med school interviews and not do as well. I personally enjoy many things that bring me joy ... karate (training & competing), kendo, working out, critically listening to music, going to live music, volunteering, spending time with my girlfriend & family, watching movies/playing video games, reading, tinkering around with my home theater systems, .... sometimes even work does this etc, etc ... so all of these bring me joy and if I never get into medicine I will still be a happy person ... just as happy as with medicine, not more. In addition to this you should begin planning for a satisfying career B, in case med school goes bust ... because lets be honest there are alot of premeds and no matter how hard some of us try some of us will just have to be happy with plan B. It is really a downward spiral if you arent happy, do not hang out with people, insulate yourself from activities. Engaging with people creates opportunities ... opportunities for positive relationships and careers, etc. One such example was interesting ... I took on a mature dietetic student student from Toronto up here in Northern Ontario. I had her for a 4 week rotation. We got along great, found out she was also hungarian and she invited me to their cottage. Her husband just happened to be an Orthopedic Surgeon. I didnt want to talk about my aspirations of getting into medicine as I thought it would be kind of lame on my part but when my student heard that I was interested in medicine she said he would love to talk to you about it. So over dinner at their posh cottage and wine we chatted about medicine, his difficulties of doing a surgery residency with a growing family and stated that from my account I will get into medicine and he would happily take me on an ortho elective if I wanted. The wife stated she and her husband knew a person someone high up in admissions at a med school that he went to school with and were roommates back in the day, offered to arrange for me to have 'coffee' with the head of admissions ... I declined as I didnt want to do some sort of illegal brown nosing thing but thanked them for the opportunity and told them I felt a little uncomfortable with that route. Now I am good friends with this couple had brunch with them when I went up to toronto recently for a conference and will get together when they come to their annual vacation this summer to their cottage, this time I will host their family .... all because of interacting with people, being positive, friendly ... creates opportunities, although I passed up "who you know" opportunity I made a nice friendship with a couple who will provide invaluable support and guidance once I get into med on my own. So moral of the story ... dont spiral down or you will fade out of competitiveness in your med school aspirations without even knowing it as well as spiral out of future friendsships and relationships. Beef Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nasket Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Amazing, inspirational posts by everyone. I also watch this video when I ever feel down and that the road ahead into medical school is distant. It not only inspires you to keep pursuing your dream, but also lets you appreciate what you do have. It is a story of courage and determination. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/WFive/20101201/w5-trevor-greene-soldier-amazing-recovery-102101/ (The above video is a compilation of 2 videos...so it should automatically move to the next video once the first one is done) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobthebuilder Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 and then you watch this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
10wattbulb Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Hi inspi(red), Well, one immediate thing you can do is post more often on this forum! You've got tonnes of friends here who are wishing you the best and hoping to have you as a future colleague some time in the near future. Another thing you need to do is to define yourself before others do it for you. Who are you? What are your values? What do you stand for? What do you enjoy in life? What are your weaknesses and how can you improve upon them (one thing you seem to lack is optimism and self-confidence)? What needs to be improved in this world and what can you do to change these things? etc. Now, I get the impression that you've already applied to medical school several times in the past but that your failures thus far in getting into med school have frustrated you and have caused you to doubt in yourself and your abilities. Well, I feel that it is very important after each of your failures to try and learn from them a little something in order to improve in the future. For instance, in the past, at what stage of the medical admissions process have you failed? Pre-interview or Post-interview? What are the weaker points in your application? Your cGPA, MCAT, letters of reference, shyness (or mediocre interpersonal skills)? All these things can be improved, but it takes time and much hard work and a ton of perseverance. Also, have you applied broadly enough (> 5 med schools)? Now, to keep your spirits up, when applying to medical school, always assume that you will be accepted only with a miracle, and always apply to two other programs 'on the side'. Apply to a Bachelor's of Education (a one-year program that can allow you to teach in primary schools and /or high schools). Otherwise, if you want to do something more medically-related and if you have an interest in animals, look at the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program (at the University of Guelph, I believe). The requirements for veterinary medicine are quite similar to those for medicine (they even ask for the MCAT), except that there is much less competition! You could also look into dentistry (you'll have to do the DAT test - a bit like the MCAT but less complicated). Or if it's really medicine that you really really want, then you could think about joining the Canadian army and becoming a medical officer. These are just some of the possibilities that you can take a look at if you are still unsuccessful this year.... My little finger tells me that you'll have more luck this year with your med school applications ( in fact, I get a vibe that this year will be your lucky year) BUT Start looking into future possibilities NOW; for all of these programs you need to apply at least one year in advance.... Wishing you all the best for the future P.S. Always remain positive! Have you ever noticed that it always seems to be the most optimistic people who tend to get what they want in life? It's called the self-fulfilling prophecy... the more you believe in it, the more it is likely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canuck Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Wow!! what an amazing story!! im in tears! UOTE=Nasket;663108]Amazing, inspirational posts by everyone. I also watch this video when I ever feel down and that the road ahead into medical school is distant. It not only inspires you to keep pursuing your dream, but also lets you appreciate what you do have. It is a story of courage and determination. http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/WFive/20101201/w5-trevor-greene-soldier-amazing-recovery-102101/ (The above video is a compilation of 2 videos...so it should automatically move to the next video once the first one is done) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nasket Posted January 31, 2012 Report Share Posted January 31, 2012 Wow!! what an amazing story!! im in tears! Tell me about it I was watching it with my girlfriend and I started to tear up a few seconds before she did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adversary Posted February 2, 2012 Report Share Posted February 2, 2012 I think you should read this post http://www.premed101.com/forums/showpost.php?p=585496&postcount=81 . It is by a friend of mine whom I watched struggled over the years and finally succeeding. It is a testament to his drive and perseverance. Hello, It's been a while, being a non-trad grad, with no real perspective in life and future...until medschool.... is really depressing, especially so if you are short on cash, so I ask you this, because my morose spirit seems to affect my writing and my facial expression alot,,,, how do you keep yourself positive/motivated when you had so many no in your life and don't have any friends or significant someone you can talk to? I want to be like cerena who seems so positive all the time and other normal pre-meds but i think I'm just a really depressing person...how do I change this? anyone ever had a problem like that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.